The smell of the sea

This morning after doing some boring domestic chores, I decided to cycle to Hastings to the Summertime curiosity bazaar in the glorious sunshine and summer coastal breeze.

It was low tide and despite the day starting with some clouds, it was warm and I could smell that sea salt smell in the humid air. A smell that is so familiar to me, a childhood and summer holiday smell. A comforting family camping and my Dad fishing in the sea smell. It only conjures up images and happy memories for me. I love it so.

There were people dotted about the beach and along the cycle walk way from Bexhill-on-Sea to St.Leonards -on-sea and Hastings. Dog walkers and pushchairs with summer time umbrellas, people with cooler clothing on, all looking lighter and less heavy from the grey winter we had.

Stopping to admire all the beach huts and seaside plants and fishermen's rope. All a sensory delight.

Stopping and admiring some iconic buildings like Marine Court built in the mid 1930's and the poor Hastings Pier which burnt down some years ago now and is trying to be restored by Hastings Pier Charity

I eventually got to the Bazaar which was good fun, unfortunately I was not allowed to take any photos to show you, but you will have to believe me when I say it was full of remade, vintage and beautiful crafty goodies.

I was rather pleased to meet Jo from Lime green jelly yarn. I have purchased some of her yarn in the past from another Christmas fair, but have never met her. It was so lovely perusing her beautiful hand dyed yarns which she makes with Elaine, another knitter friend whom I met and chatted away to. Their little display of yarn is called Insane jelly, a collaboration of their talents and of course I had to purchase some from them.

Jo spins her own yarn which is divine and Elaine (aka Insane Elaine) was telling me all about her gorgeous 5 week(!) knitting holiday to Shetland where she learnt to shear a sheep, spin and dye yarn as well as make lace amongst hundreds of other divine woolly things. Oh, my it sounds like my kind of holiday heaven.

After a delicious felalel, salad and frites meal I cycled my way back home. Happy and satisfied with my purchases and once again that comforting smell of sea air...a little interjected with bbq fish which smelt delicious too.

Always stopping to admire the flora and colours on the way home and then I had an idea...why not show you my yarn "on seaside location"!

Is it not just gorgeous, I think I know where I got my inspiration from for choosing these delicious colours!

Nothing better than smelling the sea air and seeing the sea side colours to inspire me. I'm planning to knit myself a shawl with this 4 ply sock yarn and can't wait to get knitting. I am hoping to find a shawl pattern on Ravelry with a little lace in it to step up my confidence and skills and challenge myself again xox Happy weekend to you all, I hope you are enjoying the fresh air wherever you are x







A treat

 

 

When I got home today a treat was waiting for me, a treat that I purchased on payday from Amazon. A book I have had my eye on for a while, one I forgot about, then remembered, then forgot about again until the other night when it appeared via one website leading to another, then another and another and voila, it was ordered!

 

This story by Hans Christian Anderson, has been stunningly illustrated by the very clever Sanna Annukka (I adore all the triangles and soul birds she uses). She also designs for the beautiful Finnish Marimekko.

 

I am just sharing a few of the delicious pages from this hard covered beauty. It's a real gem and definite keeper. I feel so inspired by the colour combinations, inspired enough to be thinking about yarn in these combinations for some up and coming projects.

 

What is inspiring you at the moment?

I'd love to hear.

Thanks for stopping

and for your comments

xox

 



Pixies

Last week I finished these very sweet baby pixie hats. It was a free pattern I found on Ravelry and although I was tempted to splash out on some Noro kochoran at just under £15 a pop to knit these two hats up with, one of my knit and natter friends suggested I used any Aran weighted wool and because this was going at a reduced price from Fran's shop I bought a couple of 50g balls. She sells them on ebay too if you are interested.

Anyway, here they are back and front without the pom poms I was planning to put on the ends. I did attempt to make a couple of pom poms for the red one but they just fell apart!! I guess I should buy myself one of those pom pom makers if I want success in the future. You will notice that I left a few of the tightly attached threads at the ends to create a bit of an effect. The green one just got knots which is good enough I think.

I do love this tweedy yarn and the subtle strands of other colours dotted throughout it. I think these colours will be good for a sweet baby boy or girl, uni-sex colours I hope.

These sweet little Pixie hats are for two of my colleagues who are expecting their babies in the Autumn. New life, new joy!

See you soon

xox

Penny

ps. I am here on bloglovin if you want to see any new posts, I haven't really got my head around this yet,but I managed to register myself and that's it so far :o)I will of course endeavour to find your lovely blogs to keep up with my reading x





Other people's words

"the less I needed, the better I felt."

charles bukowski

Clover flowering in our front wall.

I am one of those kinds of people that feel what other people write, wishing that I had come up with their profound words, but accepting that I am not particularly gifted in this way and feeling satisfied that being human is enough for me to feel what they write.

So, there will be moments on my blog which feature other people's words on how I am feeling.

Thanks

xox

25/52

How has your week been dearest fellow bloggers? I am not sure if I can sustain my weekly simple happy moments on my blog, I feel like it's been a bit of a hum drum week really, however there have definitely been some gorgeous colourful highlights. So here goes...

Always a pleasure to watch my potted garden grow. Our cheeky bunny, Poppy has been munching through quite a few of my plants, but I have managed to salvage some things :o)

We had a really humid beginning to this week and on Wednesday had a bbq with friends. Even though I am a vegetarian, the smell of a bbq really means summer is here as far as I am concerned. Of course Poppy took centre stage outside in our courtyard garden. She loves being stroked and having a little brush.

The most delightful parcel of vintage sheet fat quarters from the vintage sheet queen bee (as far as I am concerned) the lovely Ada Bea. Such a generous and wonderful surprise, thank you so very much.I can't wait to make something with these beauties. I love an unexpected parcel in the post don't you?

The warmer days allowed me to get more of my sandals out and I forgot how much I love these comfy, geeky Swedish clog sandals.

 
A rather pink sunset on Tuesday evening

Enjoying, yet another book from my local library a 5 minute walk away from our home.

Happy week-ending lovely people

xox

Thanks always for you fab comments, they always make me smile

Jute crochet

Now that Summer seems to have finally arrived (we had a BBQ this warm eve with friends visiting from Brighton) I decided to make myself a pillow for the beach - I like to have a little luxury when we go to the beach :o)

I bought some jute twine a while back with this in mind...

 

It all begins with the purchasing of some twine. I don't know about you, but I always need string and twine and ribbons to wrap around presents, so whenever I see some reasonably priced twine I tend to purchase usually a little more than I need and it lasts me an age.

So, take some jute, decide on your crochet hook size, I chose a 5.5mm hook and get a hookin' in a circle shape. I often use this pattern and a little of 'make it up as I go along' to get me a circle big enough to lay my weary beach head on.

Once you have achieved the diameter you desire (I used treble stitch as the jute is quite rough and a double stitch hurt my fingers too much after hooking for a while), choose some old fabric and use a pen to measure around the circle with a 2 cm allowance all the way around(this allows for you to stuff the cushion with toy/pillow stuffing). 

I chose some vintage sheet fabric for my cushion. Once you have cut your fabric (use pinking scissors if you have them to stop the fraying) get some embroidery thread and an appropriately sized sharp needle, use some pins to keep the fabric in place and get sewing. Once I had sewn my cushion 3/4 of the way around I then stuffed it and sewed it up ...and voila a beach cushion was born.

The jute crochet side should wear well on our pebbled beach and will also be perfect for outdoor living when we go on our annual camping week in the Summer holidays.

Yay for crocheting jute and summer time living if you are living in the northern hemisphere. Happy days x

See you all soon

xox