Patio Under Pressure

Apologies for the lack of posts, again. We've been doing lots of housey things this week (as well as being at work); getting it ready to put on the market - hopefully within a couple of weeks. Very exciting!

I've packed another million boxes in my attempt to clear my workroom. I'm truly amazed at how much stuff came out of there; honestly, the Tardis is nothing compared to my old workroom! I say 'old workroom' because it's now been turned back into a little bedroom, freshly decorated and ready for some furniture after the new carpet comes next week. After years of watching Ann Maurice on House Doctor we decided a while back to decorate and declutter, and make sure the house was spic and span and 'ready to move into'. Hopefully our house viewers will be impressed.

The garden has also seen some improvements, though I still need to give the bark path a good weed. Last weekend we had fun with Mam's pressure washer. I knew the patio needed a good clean (I scrubbed it on hands and knees last year but it didn't make a huge amount of difference) so I was amazed at how much muck a bit of water under pressure could clear away.

Hubby was very methodical in his technique: one square at a time, nice neat lines, pristine result...

Whereas I was slightly more creative! Hmmm, can you tell what it says? (Answer at the bottom of this post!)

Anyway, the results are fantastic don't you think? And now that the patio furniture is out too (though it could do with a lick of wood stain), the garden is looking the perfect spot for some lovely alfresco dining. All we need is some sunshine...

Answer: 'Bliss Knits' of course! (Sad of me, I know!) Must practice my joined-up-writing-with-a-pressure-washer-lance for next time...

Hope you all have a lovely week!

Socialising, sight-seeing, and lots of scran

I had a busy week again last week - with food playing a major part. I ate out so much that I think I've probably gained two stone in weight. I guess I'll be having salads all this week then!

Saturday - Hubby and I tucked into a Chinese takeaway after our monthly stint at the Grainger Market Art & Craft Fair. The fair was much busier this month. Hurrah!

Sunday - Hubby and I took my Mam out for Sunday lunch for her birthday and then we had a nice walk (and an icecream!) round the Saltwell Park spring flower show.

Monday - Met my big sis and Mam for a quick meal in Newcastle during my lunch break.

Tuesday - Not much to report: boring sarnie at work and homemade tea.

Wednesday - Morning at work and then a lovely drive down to Whitby for a last minute break with hubby (see photos). Checked into our stylish B&B, and then had gorgeous chips for a late lunch whilst people-watching. Had a good walk around the shops on the west side, and a very windy walk along the pier (VERY stormy sea). Eventually found somewhere to eat on the night after wandering around the streets for an hour (places either shut completely or with 'no food today' signs. Bizarre.) Another Chinese meal - restaurant this time.

Thursday - Huge breakfast in B&B - yummy fruit and yoghurt, and then a Full English! Walked it off with a trip up the 199 steps to Whitby Abbey. Had a good look round the church and abbey but it was blowing a gale and icy cold so not as nice as it could have been. Wandered around the pretty streets and shops on the east side, and then a tasty lunch and milkshake at cafe overlooking the harbour. Visited the very interesting Whitby Museum (loved the fossils and miniature ships) and art gallery in the newly-renovated Pannet Park. Posh fish and chips in stylish restaurant for tea.

Friday - another B&B big breakfast before checking out. Had a couple of hours in Whitby again as the weather was so good and we wanted to see some of the sunshine before it disappeared again. The tide was out so we had a good potter about the beach and the jetties before heading home. Gorgeous pub meal on night with pregnant friend. I haven't seen her for a few weeks so it was good to catch up. She looked really well and I got to feel the baby kick a couple of times! Very special.

Saturday - Lovely pub meal with Mam, youngest niece and 3-year-old great niece. The sun was shining again so we walked there and back (with a stop to stroke the horses) so at least some of the calories were burned off!

And so that was my week. LOTS of yummy food - but also quite a bit of walking too (so I can still fit into my skinny jeans!) I had a lovely week of socialising and sight-seeing and chilling - I hope you had a nice week too.

Colourful critters

I've been enjoying making lots of colourful items this past week or so. I think the brighter, sunnier days of spring are influencing my choice of yarns!

I made this sweet little dog sweater as a commission from a customer at the Grainger Market Arts & Craft Fair - a gift for her mum who adores her tiny Yorkshire Terrier. It was quite hard to make this with just a few measurements; I would have liked the dog to have tried it on part-way through, but as she lives in Taiwan that just wasn't possible! My customer has assured me that she'll take a photo of the dog in her funky bright sweater when she visits home next month - I can't wait, I think she'll look fab - I just hope it fits...!

I've also been making lots more spring chicks like this one. I think they're really cute and look great hung from drawer knobs and cupboard doors; they really brighten a room and add a sense of spring cheer. Lots more colours are available in my Folksy shop (or contact me if you'd prefer another combination).

Last week I bought a fab book on amigurumi. The idea for these cute knitted/crocheted soft toys comes from Japan but it's now a worldwide craze - aren't they just gorgeous?! I've been learning the basics this week, and now I'm starting to play around with my own designs. I love these brightly coloured yarns too - another cheery way to brighten your day!

Flowers, packing, opera

Did you all have a nice relaxing Easter weekend?

I've been VERY busy, but I've really enjoyed it and now have that great feeling of satisfaction after a really productive few days. Shame I had to go back to work today though!

Regular readers will know that we're intending to move this year, so we've spent the Bank Holiday weekend looking at houses and decluttering our own. The garage is looking a lot tidier now that I've boxed up all of my plastic pots and gardening paraphernalia and taken it to my Mam's house; the patio has been cleared of my little nursery plants (cuttings and divisions taken last year with a view to a possible move to a new garden!) and they're now in foster care in Mam's garden; and you can actually see the floor in my workroom now that I've packed away lots of my crafting bits and bobs - now in storage in Mam's garage - can you see a theme here?!!!

I also took the time to have a potter in the garden; it's looking really pretty at the minute now that the lovely delicate spring flowers are in full bloom (and of course I had to take a few photos for you!)

We also managed to find the time to fit in a trip to The Sage. It's right on our doorstep and we do go quite often, but hubby is far more appreciative of classical music than I am - I just like a good tune! We saw the Orchestra of Opera North and the Huddersfield Choral Society, and their version of 'Carmina Burana' was absolutely fantastic! The 'O Fortuna' movement was amazing! Here's a version that I found on YouTube.

How did you spend your Easter?

Time Theme on Folksy

I haven't done a Folksy showcase for a while, so in celebration of British Summer Time here's my pick of items for sale on Folksy now with a TIME theme. Hope you like them!

Indian Summer Clock - KKGlass

Days of the Week Button Magnets - The Scarlet Butterfly Company

Tea Time Tea Cosy - Hippo House

Tick Tock Tea Time Button Brooch - Teasemade

Copper Watch - Averilpam Designs

Nostalgic Vintage Book Clock - Fizzy Popov

Dandelion Time Flies Print - Gracie's Garden Bazaar

Steampunk Vintage Dragonfly Dial Pendant - Steampunk Storm

There's an amazing array of handcrafted items for sale on Folksy, in a huge variety of styles and prices. Why not check it out next time you have a gift to buy, or for that little treat for yourself? - go on, you deserve it!

Budding Thoughts in the Spring Garden

The weather was lovely on Sunday - it was relatively mild and the sun was shining - so after a spot of decorating in the morning I took the opportunity to spend a few hours in the garden. The sun went in and the wind picked up about five minutes after I went outside but it was still quite pleasant.

These little chaps were quite entertaining; dashing about picking up the bird nuts and then scurrying off to eat them. I find the mice quite endearing and don't mind them being in the garden. They dig up the odd bulb (and last year scoffed all the strawberrries) but as long as they stay outside that's fine by me; I like the fact that the local wildlife choose to make a home here.

This was the first day that I've spent time in the garden this year and it was lovely. My back was a bit sore that night, and the backs of my legs were aching a bit the next day, but I really enjoyed my time tidying up the garden and filling the recycling bin to bursting point.

I love the expectation that spring brings. We've had a long, cold winter this year so I'm sure that a few plants won't have survived, but the hardy spring beauties are out in force. The primulas are flowering well, and will do so for much of the rest of the year with some dead heading and clearing away of dead leaves. They're not showy, or glamorous, or exotic, but they are the stalwarts of the spring garden and I love their simple cheery blooms.

The snowdrops have been flowering for 6 weeks now, and despite a heavy battering of rain and wind last week their nodding heads still look perfect.

I have a few different varieties of the taller daffodils in the garden that haven't showed their faces yet, but the smaller 'Tete-a-tete' are just coming into flower now. Our garden can get quite blustery so these are perfect; they flower their socks off for weeks and just shrug off even high winds.

After clearing away the old foliage and pruning back the protective winter stems, the garden is looking quite fresh and perky.

Lots of shoots are appearing and new leaves are unfurling, like those on this lupin. I adore lupins; I think they could possibly be my favourite garden flower. I love the different colours (bright or pale, single or bi-colour or iridescent); and the umbrella-like leaf; and the shape of the flower spike and the structure of the individual flowers (Mother Nature is so clever isn't she?)

The buds on the Forsythia are ready to burst. I wonder why most of the flowers in the spring garden are yellow? Any ideas? (Must remember to look that one up some day.)

And finally (with the sun making a brief appearance) is this photo of my Chaenomales. I have no idea of the variety of this flowering quince (I got it from a former colleague in a swap for a pair of new shoes that were too big!), but it has the most gorgeous, rich coral flower. The brick wall isn't a good foil for the flower colour, but as the plant is still in it's pot I hope to find a good spot for it when we move house.

Yes! We plan to move house this year! The sprucing up of the house is nearly finished, the decluttering is well underway, and the tidying of the garden has started - so I reckon by the end of April we should have it on the market. I'm very excited about a new house, and most importantly a new garden, but I shall be sad to let this one go. I have lots of lovely memories of my Dad sitting and chatting in the garden, and of our three cats (all of whom are buried here) but it's time to move on and I'm looking forward to making nice memories in a new patch.

They come in threes

It's been a while since I listed some new things on the Bliss Knits shop. I've still been busy making things, I just haven't got round to writing all the blurb for the listings, and of course I have to wait for a nice bright day when I'm not at work to take the photos.

I've been making use of the lovely felt that I bought from The Felted Rainbow a while ago. The colours are so gorgeous and I think these loopy flower brooches look really effective. They'll certainly brighten up a coat or bag - and add that little touch of pizazz. They were really popular at the craft fair last Saturday, and I had a few nice comments when I wore one myself this weekend. I've only listed three at the minute and I have lots more felt cut out and ready to sew up, so there'll definitely be more to come!

I've also listed these pretty teardrop keyrings: crocheted in soft candy colours with lots of lovely beads added for sparkle and dangly movement. Again, I've made them in lots of different colours for the craft fairs but I've only listed three today.

My Folksy shop has been looking a little untidy of late as I make so many different things and the long-awaited 'categories' still haven't come into force yet, meaning that the items in the shop appear in the order I've listed them (rather than all of scarves together, all of the brooches together, and so on). All of the sellers have been asking for categories for ABSOLUTELY AGES and we've been told by the powers-that-be that they're coming VERY SOON - in the meantime, I'm listing things in threes as it looks tidier! Check out my shop and you'll see what I mean!

Easter Egg Treasure Hunt

Fancy an Easter Egg Treasure Hunt?

(Click on the image to make it bigger)

For a chance to win one of three goodie bags, filled with eggs-cellent handmade gifts worth up to £100 (some appear on the poster above), then read on.

There are 33 eggs hidden in various shops on Folksy. The eggs appear on the banners of the participating shops and all you have to do is find 11 eggs of the same colour (pink, yellow or blue) and email the list of shop names (plus your name and address) to folksytreasurehunt@gmail.com. If you find ALL 33 eggs then you have a better chance of winning!

Shhh, don't tell anyone, but here's one to start you off.

The winners will be announced on 5th April.

So what are you waiting for? Get cracking!!

(Thanks to the lovely Fee at Niche for organising this eggs-citing competition!)