tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223487982024-03-07T09:42:30.429+00:00Caught KnittingPlaces, pattern, colours, textures and yarn.Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.comBlogger316125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-31682062168715545212013-03-19T16:23:00.002+00:002013-03-19T16:23:28.266+00:00Skipping North and squelching South, incorporating an unexpected quagmire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://caughtknitting.blogspot.co.uk/2006/02/fibre-filled-fortnight-part-one.html">Is it really seven years since I first went to Skipnorth </a>,
the friendliest of weekends for yarn addicts? I've had to miss the
last 2 or 3, but this year I managed to bag the relevant weekend off
work. After my recent wobbly phase I jolly nearly decided not to go but
I'm so glad that I did. Everyone there (nearly 30 of us, I think) is a
joy to knit/spin with and this year the fabulous programme included a steam train ride in our very own compartment.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNDyHSYaukeiuDBOvqGl8qlPW5LpqVOH6RUCJPgy4LQAuw0mecygAx-mG0YnNGtkDRKkyCCCZw34OCfx76eD2MkY96qwSPSJxzFo2xELOWd4P1BsvytqIs_OVIvBPJLvoLJl-/s1600/skipnorth+063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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The weekend began with a row of tables being covered with homemade cakes,<i> curiously flavoured crisps (haggis</i> <i>with cracked black pepper, anyone?),</i> <i>llama snacks</i> (these are llama-shaped wheat bakes with "flavours that kick" and not snacks for any passing llamas, though I don't think anyone would have batted an eyelid if one strolled through... Next came a choice of workshops (knitting, spinning, crochet) or a visit to the Bronte Parsonage. I chose the latter and decided to walk there and back, eager to test out my returning energy on some hills. (I live in the flatlands of Eastern England, so hills are a novelty). Then there was a mini-market with all sorts of yarny and sparkly temptations from various indies. I got some fabulous green man stitch markers from <a href="http://woosheeps.co.uk/">Woo Sheeps</a> (back left in the picture below). After a knitting, eating, eating and knitting interlude the grand p/hop stash swap began. ( <a href="http://www.p-hop.co.uk/">P/hop</a>, or pennies per hour of pleasure, raises funds for Medecins Sans Frontiers). I offloaded a pack of 10 balls of coca brown linen DK (one of those purchases that seem sensible at the time, but which later strike you as foolish) and emerged with 2 balls of lime green linen blend DK, which I'm much more likely to use (bottom right in the picture). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnd6nu7-Oon7uB8OR48jLToHD7p0I05FuYLkCAI6gAiIYphbUyMtGIzzkF9ft2F_0wdbzrviwssvtlyQQVW4MCTSFgw1wRtCR9XT1q6VmwoNjXN1LyFl-XxlM5KZ4DKJlxHjVb/s1600/skipnorth+090.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnd6nu7-Oon7uB8OR48jLToHD7p0I05FuYLkCAI6gAiIYphbUyMtGIzzkF9ft2F_0wdbzrviwssvtlyQQVW4MCTSFgw1wRtCR9XT1q6VmwoNjXN1LyFl-XxlM5KZ4DKJlxHjVb/s200/skipnorth+090.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modest stash enhancement</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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After a good night's sleep (and the option of another workshop) it was off to Texere yarns in Bradford, for a hefty dose of yarn fumes. I tried to restrain myself but acquired Mohair for a scarf (front left), a cone of green sparkly stuff (since both green and sparkly are irresistible), some cotton chenille for dyeing experiments and that glorious orange marled fine linen thread that you see top left, simply because it glows with beauty. From Texere we went on to a mill outlet in Keighley and thence by the afore-mentioned train back to Haworth. I decided to walk back uphill to the hostel and, flush with my success at hill walking, decided to go ahead with my putative plan to breakawy from the main group on Sunday morning, preferring the idea of a nice rural ramble and a posh Sunday linchto yet more yarny temptation at Wingham Woolworks. <i><b>Ah, Hubris:</b></i><br />
<img alt="Photo: Nice" class="scaledImageFitWidth img" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/c67.0.403.403/p403x403/537696_10200090559724533_530333959_n.jpg" width="320" /><br />
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Sunday morning started out so well. There'd been a light dusting of snow overnight but it had melted on all but the highest tops and the sun was shining. The downhill/uphill/up-an-even-steeper-hill routine of getting into the centre of Haworth was now second nature and I decided to head further up, up, up, up<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJyMBhbJ3eTnxHOkdAeGI0l8nuNFTQ3RdxKdF9BNfc1iW2qlZAaiTe-1LnegLHAhaw-V1NJ6ER1YUmhUP7MBF6tH36i0O1vKKp9XYKKfGJYGunegViHlL81qUY25-Fe7slX4B/s1600/skipnorth+078.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJyMBhbJ3eTnxHOkdAeGI0l8nuNFTQ3RdxKdF9BNfc1iW2qlZAaiTe-1LnegLHAhaw-V1NJ6ER1YUmhUP7MBF6tH36i0O1vKKp9XYKKfGJYGunegViHlL81qUY25-Fe7slX4B/s200/skipnorth+078.JPG" width="200" /></a> <br />
up above the snowline, then steeply down for a walk by the River Wharfe. The air had that sharply-cold feelgood feel and was alive with the sounds of curlew and cattle, beautiful, horned Highland cattle. My walk leaflet described this section as a "tedious uphill trudge", so I decided to do the walk in reverse. I soon arrived at the tiny old bridge which marked the start of the riverside section:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpoH5zhwOWQmLneNWdakI_yoanFoFtaNUhxRCJuB5hYvIm8Ow7H-6Tp7XMnHOk86T01eT05QBNe4hn2EDiXpGBT42EPZupKcBcMh7RTTJkhHQM6zcFcyMFjw_oUgKL5HvcKwiw/s1600/skipnorth+083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpoH5zhwOWQmLneNWdakI_yoanFoFtaNUhxRCJuB5hYvIm8Ow7H-6Tp7XMnHOk86T01eT05QBNe4hn2EDiXpGBT42EPZupKcBcMh7RTTJkhHQM6zcFcyMFjw_oUgKL5HvcKwiw/s200/skipnorth+083.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Just before I got there I passed a solitary magpie and,
ever-superstitious, took the trouble to salute him, to ensure that no
bad luck came my way. I crossed the road-bridge and started my walk. <b>
<i>The path looked incredibly muddy, so much so that I almost turned back</i>.</b>
But I could see a dogwalker in the distance and there were plenty of
footprints to confirm recent use of the path. I edged round the mud
whenever I could, which sometimes entailed heading quite a way up the
steep side of the valley. At one point my left shoe was partially
sucked off by mud and my sock got rather grubby but I was enjoying the
gurgling of the river and the sheer joy of motion and decided to press
on. Even discovering that parts of the path were completely underwater,
with no alternative, didn't fuss me: for I am fearless in my trusty, Goretex-lined Brasher shoes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8O2KHPmI1yVJaX7yL7Hc_YGIbrjrURqMedt6lR0YZTIzbKecRsQ3WXrgQX-paN_uJrgM8wJVy7Z5Z3SvydO3JFPyKV2sWP8HlfMO9a-R0VbCkGQ0amMp_HfTyc7zJBxVsgIL-/s1600/skipnorth+085.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8O2KHPmI1yVJaX7yL7Hc_YGIbrjrURqMedt6lR0YZTIzbKecRsQ3WXrgQX-paN_uJrgM8wJVy7Z5Z3SvydO3JFPyKV2sWP8HlfMO9a-R0VbCkGQ0amMp_HfTyc7zJBxVsgIL-/s320/skipnorth+085.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, these really are the footpath!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU87atydlmC_zcmafSeUdq-eEDhxEkS8wlBh8RWbG_uUssJsdtDv4rSOEmBnHmiWhBXDDBwl7hkonTJlT0t3GxQDKfZwTvmQoZ71LSqDkZsFEzpFu8Wy2CNs9b575jWh370iqY/s1600/skipnorth+086.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU87atydlmC_zcmafSeUdq-eEDhxEkS8wlBh8RWbG_uUssJsdtDv4rSOEmBnHmiWhBXDDBwl7hkonTJlT0t3GxQDKfZwTvmQoZ71LSqDkZsFEzpFu8Wy2CNs9b575jWh370iqY/s320/skipnorth+086.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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But <i><b>maybe, after that mud-sucking incident, I should have paused and tightened the laces ...</b></i> (I've been quite lazy of late, and some nights I have extracted my feet from the shoes without untying the laces.) Once through the mini-stream section of the path the going became easier, albeit muddier. Suddenly: squuuuelch, my right shoe had come off completely.. I decided the best thing to do would be to put my bag down safely, then move to firmer ground and thence retrieve the shoe. But as I went, squuuuelch, and the left shoe was off, too. Fearless I may be, but my feet were getting cold! Gingerly, and as flat-footedly as possible (all the better to spread my weight evenly, exerting as little pressure as I could) I found an even-firmer spot, then tussled with my shoes, taking great care not to fall forwards into the mud. It felt like an age bit, within three minutes my shoes were in my hands and, sock-clad, feeling ennervated yet exhilarated, I went back to a nearby stone stile. Since the feet of the socks were now positively mud-and-water-soaked I decided they'd probably cause blisters, so I took them off, and used their dry legs to warm and dry my feet. <i><b>Fellow-knitters: if you ever need a tough sock yarn,</b></i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><i><b><img alt="" class="rg_hi uh_hi" data-height="245" data-width="206" height="200" id="rg_hi" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRj4gwY6FE5uuwez7Nzc2a_jsdIv7ucqe5ty9ymTEuLDeCBNBFu" style="height: 245px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 206px;" width="168" /></b></i></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mine aren't quite so bright now, despite several spins in the washing machine...</td></tr>
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<i><b>let me vouch for the sovereign properties of Regia Ringel Clown. </b></i><br />
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At this point I decided to cut my losses and headed back along the way I'd come (at least the wet section rinsed my shoes). This meant, of course, that I would have to do the "tedious uphill trudge" after all, but -- guess what-- it flew past because I'd remembered that there was a branch of Edinburgh Woollen Mill at the top of the hill, with the promise of warm, dry, clean socks. (£7 for 3 pairs. Not a patch on hand-knitted, but needs must). As I sped up the hill it crossed my mind that <i><b>I finally knew what it feels like to be (literally) bogged down and that the surprisingly simple solution is just to step out of your shoes, then rethink. </b></i> But this isn't Thought for the Day, so back to the trek. Next stop, the ladies loos that I'd spotted earlier for a spot of shoe cleaning and, yes, trouser tackling. Here I thanked my lucky stars that I had a base-layer (aka long johns) and a long, dress-type sweater on. Off came the trews for a major hosing down under the taps. Mud splattered itself all over the clean walls of the spotless loos. (Haworth Museum car park. Highly recommended for all calls of nature and mudlarking). I cleaned up the basin, walls and floor, then proceeded to dry the trews under the hand-dryer. More mud blew onto the walls, more cleaning-up ensued. At this stage a very smartly-dressed lady came in (I assumed she'd just been to church) and did her best not to laugh. Instead, she checked which route I'd taken and said that she'd make sure to avoid that one. I think she saw my bewildered look as she went on to explain that her boots were in the car. After that I had to rethink my lunch plan. How could I go anywhere posh? I still had mud on my cag, mud on my bag, mud on my trews, mud on my shoes. But my trousers were back on and aw, what the heck, the lure of the smoked haddock with risotto and poached egg that I'd spotted on a restaurant black board earlier was just too much. Tentatively, I asked the waitress if she served muddy customers. No problem! And what a scrumptious meal it was. Finally it was time to bid Haworth farewell and to head back to the hostel for more shoe-and-sock rinsing, followed by restorative knitting before my fellow SkipNorthers returned.<br />
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<i><b>What an adventure!</b></i> Now I'm back in the flatlands. I think I left a part of my heart behind in Haworth. How, oh how, I would love to work here:<br />
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The heart may be missing a tiny piece, but I still have my shoes. <b>And the moral of this story is never slip your shoes off without untying them as you never quite now when and how they'll be pulled off!</b><br />
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Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-65335490368453142062013-03-08T11:13:00.001+00:002013-03-08T11:13:12.620+00:00Missing in inactionSo, there I was last August; new computer, improved internet connection, helpful book on blogging, all ready to breathe life back into this blog and then things happened. Not creative, exciting things; nor (thankfully) major trauma and upheaval; just a wearisome, spirit-sapping agglomeration of illnesses, foul moods and exhaustion. And the mixed blessing of an uninvited guest who stayed for about 10 weeks! I wasn't going to inflict that on anyone. (At least, not via the blog. I must not forget to sing the praises of Mr Caught Knitting who has put up with, and continues to put up with, a great deal.) Now, nearly 6 months on and after two unrelated bouts of surgery), a lot of rest and a determined healthy-eating campaign I'm slowlyhealing.<br />
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I have precious little knitting to report (I've only knitted two things in the last 12 months; a shawlette and a cowl; both were completed in January when I needed mindless knitting to stop me clawing at a surgical incision that was healing up.). But Mr CK and I had a rather wonderful trip to Salisbury in early February. It had the lot; winter sunshine, amazingly good food ( Anokaa for the most inventive and appetising Indian food<a href="http://www.anokaa.com/">http://www.anokaa.com/</a>, Fisherton Mill <a href="http://fishertonmill.co.uk/the-cafe/">http://fishertonmill.co.uk/the-cafe/</a> for the freshest of light lunches, and the scrummiest of cakes), treasure of a guesthouse <a href="http://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/merivale-house.html?aid=336478&label=BBDSP">http://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/merivale-house.html?aid=336478&label=BBDSP</a> and photo opportunites galore. Here are some of my favourites:<br />
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I'm not sure how often I'll be able to blog over the next few months (I have much catching up to do: City & Guilds coursework, untidy heaps of who-knows-what to excavate and, when my spirits life a bit more, socialising to resume) but I'm off to SkipNorth in a week's time so will try to remember my camera. I'm not sure that a knitting break is ideal for someone with no time to knit, no space/money for stash enhancement and an increasing desire to retreat from the world but it will be a chance to catch up with some very dear friends and I can escape into Haworth village or onto the Worth Valley railway if it all gets too much! Watch this space.Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-62596843053545629662012-08-20T19:43:00.000+00:002012-08-20T19:43:28.609+00:00Fanfare!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj36vDwTa0ImiCro-Vd4c-1ZkVa_AEA4JW_0nQz5wvj3eaPw6LH7Opcm4FUscQjAfXrMhK0FlyW0TW5a13u85jrJ_yPDo81GEpJ-2HrTA3tUprYfemESFj_WW4Zub9CYChtsjFr/s1600/062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj36vDwTa0ImiCro-Vd4c-1ZkVa_AEA4JW_0nQz5wvj3eaPw6LH7Opcm4FUscQjAfXrMhK0FlyW0TW5a13u85jrJ_yPDo81GEpJ-2HrTA3tUprYfemESFj_WW4Zub9CYChtsjFr/s320/062.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
It's been a long time, but here I am again. Why the silence? A combination of RSI, elderly computer and suicidal camera all caused me to lose heart. And a lack of finished FOs rather made a mockery of the title of my blog! I still don't have any FOs but mainly because I'm concentrating on the City & Guilds handknitting course that I'm following. But I do, at last, have a new computer set up.<br />
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</div>And whilst I've been away from the land of blogging, I have still found the time to get out and about. Here's Mr CK exploring Venice last autumn and at the top of this entry a rather fabulous church organ from our Essex sojourn in late spring/early summer this year. There've been knitting adventures, too, with a return to Unravel and the most wonderful trip to Fibre East; mud and yarn, a truly delightful combination. I'll leave you with a favourite image from a City & Guilds outing to Oxford (this is the Natural History Museum) and I hope to be back rather sooner in the future...<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbmoiemr3iBW7Z-jxHOLLpaQ8r5Q22dFsb8dZVA2G3bqjphv3EB0xs7hwGyhQHW-xsz809shJ09qTYBryJI2YkOWzh6xxt1lAnZMs3nRZwyZBSS2yQmR8HKkg61_mg0vfStbj/s1600/239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbmoiemr3iBW7Z-jxHOLLpaQ8r5Q22dFsb8dZVA2G3bqjphv3EB0xs7hwGyhQHW-xsz809shJ09qTYBryJI2YkOWzh6xxt1lAnZMs3nRZwyZBSS2yQmR8HKkg61_mg0vfStbj/s320/239.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-67915341889657613452011-03-01T20:53:00.000+00:002011-03-01T20:53:27.282+00:00Rosie in Wonderland!Can it really be March already? Did you remember to say "rabbits" this morning? (I forgot, the shortness of February always throws me). I love March, it is when I start to feel bouncy again, after the winter lull. March supposedly bring Mad March Hares, but I've already had a good hare sighting this year, a couple of weeks ago: three hares playing tag in a field by the main road on the way to Ely. Last March I spied a couple of hares boxing there, something I'd not seen for years.<br />
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Meanwhile, I'm feeling a bit as if I've fallen down a rabbit hole, though it was actually a case of travelling to Farnham Maltings, (with Sparkleduck and her husband). The Maltings is more rabbit warren than rabbit hole, as you can see from the shot below.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2E-GscVMYN1ZIuiI9v3COp0ZTWGuwiK_xpQvESOO5n1aunPprKlg13rNZmjvZo9XM8vPQ2DIIo4Y0QCLWzG9_OUd2JnIBjWenDBc3lOmReIlT92l62xs96rz45eKj-peIUXoV/s1600/HPIM5234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2E-GscVMYN1ZIuiI9v3COp0ZTWGuwiK_xpQvESOO5n1aunPprKlg13rNZmjvZo9XM8vPQ2DIIo4Y0QCLWzG9_OUd2JnIBjWenDBc3lOmReIlT92l62xs96rz45eKj-peIUXoV/s400/HPIM5234.JPG" width="303" /></a></td></tr>
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I realised that I was approaching Wonderland, though, as we walked from the carpark and Sparkleduck spotted knitted arrows pointing to Unravel. A few paces further on and we saw knitted moles bursting out of knitted molehills, swiftly followed by genuine sheep, grazing under an awning... Once inside, the wonders increased. Pillars clad in knitting:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_p9t3Itu2qeAcE2lM-nEDjNSw7oNmU50uOCHl8_HM9QagwCD5TptJdFAbT5Uujo9y1fakXt0O9To85k79gtlhNOilrGGyxnp1eBcLPqNKiBqvM6BFpIdByIUSW0KUXRCbMhV/s1600/HPIM5224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_p9t3Itu2qeAcE2lM-nEDjNSw7oNmU50uOCHl8_HM9QagwCD5TptJdFAbT5Uujo9y1fakXt0O9To85k79gtlhNOilrGGyxnp1eBcLPqNKiBqvM6BFpIdByIUSW0KUXRCbMhV/s320/HPIM5224.JPG" width="243" /></a></div>Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-51089768642927516862011-02-14T21:01:00.007+00:002011-02-14T21:11:16.924+00:00I'd love to pretend...I'd love to pretend that the reason I've not blogged of late is due to my exciting lifestyle. Alas, it has far more to with an evil virus that laid me low. Oh, and I've had rather of loose ends to see to!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKPciwLQWkEAZ0OkNIdici-nG08LMHvcLXxnqHzPALk89JtSaUBlAvU_Rew6NTbzjrG4V1Jnrnr2ysHm782tn4Vlqfcji5XMuGwmZbO0_6fBEc33yt7D00vELeZh8dIjW8FVLx/s1600/HPIM5218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKPciwLQWkEAZ0OkNIdici-nG08LMHvcLXxnqHzPALk89JtSaUBlAvU_Rew6NTbzjrG4V1Jnrnr2ysHm782tn4Vlqfcji5XMuGwmZbO0_6fBEc33yt7D00vELeZh8dIjW8FVLx/s320/HPIM5218.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div></div>If you want to see where all the ends came from, hop over to my <a href="http://www.swatchthisspace.blogspot.com/">City & Guilds blog.</a><br />
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Finally, since today is not just the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius, but also that of a certain Valentine, (and Mr Caught Knitting made a gorgeous apple crumble to celebrate!) I thought I'd leave you with a rather romantic view of Ely Cathedral.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKIqhtYA89fb_pkBk2cI62gZ6EtrwOUL5m6Bw_DSEYjlURPrece9QTYQuELYWSYt0r7F4QdSg_2GpS6zXmF60WV3mne_npzn6MqxsmcydGeTyN3P945XPiW9s5Of-P-mzbtA9S/s1600/HPIM5212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKIqhtYA89fb_pkBk2cI62gZ6EtrwOUL5m6Bw_DSEYjlURPrece9QTYQuELYWSYt0r7F4QdSg_2GpS6zXmF60WV3mne_npzn6MqxsmcydGeTyN3P945XPiW9s5Of-P-mzbtA9S/s320/HPIM5212.JPG" width="243" /></a></div>Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-17917827484623513602011-01-24T20:04:00.000+00:002011-01-24T20:04:54.499+00:00Yarn O'Clock!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mcGFrnLFlH3TdkS7i7NK8Ec78YphG2lipSBRccV_htc743Iqko5xGzPzVC1L1GcYGDt_fdK_YL70vhgcX_kuOzmtbaXfPA70TQileb-BQexu00gUUTZp4veDBiZ2iDyXgQab/s1600/HPIM5210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mcGFrnLFlH3TdkS7i7NK8Ec78YphG2lipSBRccV_htc743Iqko5xGzPzVC1L1GcYGDt_fdK_YL70vhgcX_kuOzmtbaXfPA70TQileb-BQexu00gUUTZp4veDBiZ2iDyXgQab/s320/HPIM5210.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I obviously need to buy more red yarn...Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-53594739296197469782010-11-19T09:09:00.000+00:002010-11-19T09:09:20.021+00:00note to selfTime to work out how to fit <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/shop/do/Mark-Hearld/range/2605">these objects </a>into the house! I love the combination of updated 1950s feel with countryside images and <a href="http://www.burleigh.co.uk/the-burleigh-story.php">Burleigh Pottery</a> is a wonderful story in itself. The tote bag wouldn't need much room, would it?<br />
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More about the artist, Mark Hearld, <a href="http://www.stjudesgallery.co.uk/artists/m_hearld/index.htm">here</a>. At the moment, I've got one of his greeitngs cards (a picture of blackbirds, very like the ones on the plate) displayed on my dressing table,a souvenir of last year's visit to Hay on Wye.Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-58651625839127897332010-11-12T17:45:00.000+00:002010-11-12T17:45:04.541+00:00Barcelona: Glasselona <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sagrada Familia</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a celebratory (plastic) glass of cava <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sagrada Familia</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>One day I'll work out how to space the pictures properly and arrange them in an order and layout that I like, but for now I'll just have to content myself with this series of images!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-29417284728325868762010-11-08T21:40:00.000+00:002010-11-08T21:40:00.128+00:00Barcelona: underfoot <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcyMvXUgv23o4-q-Pcw1iNDgNpjsedcKn9W25fHO7idpGAe42AaDanvPrb73Bw_9fyI3GvX_XyHMfn-RsHtByobdN8K3pGO1fc9YHkvQ87ZeC7Sa1ceoxBq3UvxPXxyM0K9_sc/s1600/HPIM4849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcyMvXUgv23o4-q-Pcw1iNDgNpjsedcKn9W25fHO7idpGAe42AaDanvPrb73Bw_9fyI3GvX_XyHMfn-RsHtByobdN8K3pGO1fc9YHkvQ87ZeC7Sa1ceoxBq3UvxPXxyM0K9_sc/s640/HPIM4849.JPG" width="483" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tessalating sea creature paving tiles, designed by Gaudi</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsTI1CLRZZ5fBcCk3dc2zL6icJ-Owx-xjW6jrHwWXZhcEsUmkkic9A_Ob1T5fkCGxVvHHCRZ57A29rfqtq-v_MoYXtwh9sN7hUrTtkJTo__x8YYttm4Sl3cWjzDPMYyuY3JJQY/s1600/HPIM5004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsTI1CLRZZ5fBcCk3dc2zL6icJ-Owx-xjW6jrHwWXZhcEsUmkkic9A_Ob1T5fkCGxVvHHCRZ57A29rfqtq-v_MoYXtwh9sN7hUrTtkJTo__x8YYttm4Sl3cWjzDPMYyuY3JJQY/s320/HPIM5004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tessalting tiles, Pedalbres</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2IVXePwYY4EX62kfWhf99m4Yk6GXbZFNmodNi_2nEKVVHdLkSMbI2haX51beredTrO87NavdEx7pz2MQqcv7GbyvUdpYcGUJrl38_lfhKi8XMVgdzBRtgcilvGLBCiBSdesCb/s1600/HPIM5044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="151" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2IVXePwYY4EX62kfWhf99m4Yk6GXbZFNmodNi_2nEKVVHdLkSMbI2haX51beredTrO87NavdEx7pz2MQqcv7GbyvUdpYcGUJrl38_lfhKi8XMVgdzBRtgcilvGLBCiBSdesCb/s200/HPIM5044.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">two different patterns side by side in a cell off the cloister, Pedalbres Monastery</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9sujCNfr_yhQYSf91NjHaMm1SQFOhX58YLI7FNFlAQU5kR_pcRbfLH8IUbDOnxc1FN-tMEL-2HqM_7QfwdsnSVDZpOON1Je0NkVTRs4KicHMcthd9Z4ydQkI78MEHkGXSA-X/s1600/HPIM5057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="151" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9sujCNfr_yhQYSf91NjHaMm1SQFOhX58YLI7FNFlAQU5kR_pcRbfLH8IUbDOnxc1FN-tMEL-2HqM_7QfwdsnSVDZpOON1Je0NkVTRs4KicHMcthd9Z4ydQkI78MEHkGXSA-X/s200/HPIM5057.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Herringbone brick cloister floor, Pedalbres Monastery</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTKJYAAE8xbo5AWepdiQN2P2FsFX2yfIZWUlj9e7oGYcW0sUqivG2Rj2Syfq9Wy1IEJwrcqhbQ69UWYT7qt5ZjZvr2Ct-xDcCBqzrnJWmW0qexJvsaJLJmYOMozP7C0JvaB_3b/s1600/HPIM5154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="151" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTKJYAAE8xbo5AWepdiQN2P2FsFX2yfIZWUlj9e7oGYcW0sUqivG2Rj2Syfq9Wy1IEJwrcqhbQ69UWYT7qt5ZjZvr2Ct-xDcCBqzrnJWmW0qexJvsaJLJmYOMozP7C0JvaB_3b/s200/HPIM5154.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mosaic floor, San Pau del Camp</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRAMdeOy1nV04tu647YDCTZBWBpPCAukV5v-Fq9dzQeAVvq5g5AwjyiY_qB5EH2KAhb-upr36XbYk7tfl1nVDj7fhz_Zg6Jkk04qNJwey1I6YBavYiWyqwIlUQ2bhHIhneC08/s1600/HPIM5158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="151" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRAMdeOy1nV04tu647YDCTZBWBpPCAukV5v-Fq9dzQeAVvq5g5AwjyiY_qB5EH2KAhb-upr36XbYk7tfl1nVDj7fhz_Zg6Jkk04qNJwey1I6YBavYiWyqwIlUQ2bhHIhneC08/s200/HPIM5158.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hand of God, mosaic floor, San Pau del Camp</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YoRXr4RQ1jKMPoBHUIdScSRQr5RnkdcSIKBd9tjatZlmHCOOkmWUrRaS1UL8NqeoaPnpIhUdrRTsbDEqb04wvjLEEHCpOGlQxwdBR6b3PZ7O5Ul62H3VqQQ8mejwNXWVp1PB/s1600/HPIM4865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YoRXr4RQ1jKMPoBHUIdScSRQr5RnkdcSIKBd9tjatZlmHCOOkmWUrRaS1UL8NqeoaPnpIhUdrRTsbDEqb04wvjLEEHCpOGlQxwdBR6b3PZ7O5Ul62H3VqQQ8mejwNXWVp1PB/s200/HPIM4865.JPG" width="151" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tessalating isoceles triangle parquet flooring, Casa Mila</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-25266800029912678512010-11-08T17:39:00.000+00:002010-11-08T17:39:38.131+00:00Barcelona: Here Be Dragons...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HSQFNetLnK19qH2bn1j0_6gV54ga02f06bx0izfsVDIJOHPND0u6ErjR2tBQuncWJKT2XoXicgYzvf21IEcD1dphEw2z4GK0kfBJnS5DK-kzKWX6kZNGO7zUcoX9CQFLbcgH/s1600/HPIM5101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HSQFNetLnK19qH2bn1j0_6gV54ga02f06bx0izfsVDIJOHPND0u6ErjR2tBQuncWJKT2XoXicgYzvf21IEcD1dphEw2z4GK0kfBJnS5DK-kzKWX6kZNGO7zUcoX9CQFLbcgH/s640/HPIM5101.JPG" width="486" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">scary Gaudi gateway dragon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC1Rd4QtC6TlTRYOiYsoUVNFeNWBkPJeNsxPtmaxpv-AhRDymVUngoAMwH3mFmUBeR4hv7jZuIDzdqVn86PezJFiSR2hWCB_VUUBJ5VEwavYUBMhwFDKSWlVeq87GFBwSUTND1/s1600/HPIM4970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="486" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC1Rd4QtC6TlTRYOiYsoUVNFeNWBkPJeNsxPtmaxpv-AhRDymVUngoAMwH3mFmUBeR4hv7jZuIDzdqVn86PezJFiSR2hWCB_VUUBJ5VEwavYUBMhwFDKSWlVeq87GFBwSUTND1/s640/HPIM4970.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">friendly fountain dragon (plus gulls)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcPANQGGgicWuLpTJaK2X2qFtPhSP5HQYjnCxwERgshfpSUAd9E_vAaMCQOm0cCxkENtLxUhm5Levzpcdl3Tc6b2pKwEnXEC-PGbG-N5DgLx42wJvpK_2kLDf2pCPMqfTSboZx/s1600/HPIM4969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="303" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcPANQGGgicWuLpTJaK2X2qFtPhSP5HQYjnCxwERgshfpSUAd9E_vAaMCQOm0cCxkENtLxUhm5Levzpcdl3Tc6b2pKwEnXEC-PGbG-N5DgLx42wJvpK_2kLDf2pCPMqfTSboZx/s400/HPIM4969.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">there are four of the friendly fountain dragons in total</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzH3gTPWVly8WFwzGpnrUhWgon_AzJupk2w3-VjSswqiBZiVp1vSHPg02KCapsQVUrJVUge6wezH5SaTgHbrW2zEhSGmUSZuVwncsFrptjI-tPr_WTRu04j5dmKEY6hItdt8u/s1600/HPIM4815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzH3gTPWVly8WFwzGpnrUhWgon_AzJupk2w3-VjSswqiBZiVp1vSHPg02KCapsQVUrJVUge6wezH5SaTgHbrW2zEhSGmUSZuVwncsFrptjI-tPr_WTRu04j5dmKEY6hItdt8u/s320/HPIM4815.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">window frame dragon (one of a pair)<br />
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</tbody></table>Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-3025550242787545772010-11-08T17:13:00.001+00:002010-11-08T18:59:54.078+00:00Barcelona Five-OTerrified by the prospect of turning 50 (how did that happen so quickly?), I decided to flee the country, taking only Mr CK, a few belongings and the camera. We settled on Barcelona as Mr CK wanted somewhere warm, preferably with orange groves, parrots and churches, whilst I wanted art, archticture, history and shop windows. (And yarn, which turned out to be Drops alpaca and sock yarn courtesy of the very wonderful <a href="http://allyouknitislove.com/blog/on-som/">All You Knit is Love</a>.) <br />
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What an amazing place it turned out to be. We had a comfy, quiet, yet very central hotel; we ate really well and drank loads of Cava (priced from £2.40-£2.93 per glass. It would have been rude not to!) I'll be doing a few posts about this trip, I suspect, but here's just a flavour of what we found:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFfyrcOrZ_Js2vhXGGkvgAdlO5pTI6sYKNsKeMDuYFLwzB2xPhn_elkXPaSR9o1y5ACUpOgYr2zmOywPiYL9YhzmtQrXQKuTXXqVMvhyaTSgwUHcr4T59jeD-1VZOKkeCRfXR/s1600/HPIM4898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFfyrcOrZ_Js2vhXGGkvgAdlO5pTI6sYKNsKeMDuYFLwzB2xPhn_elkXPaSR9o1y5ACUpOgYr2zmOywPiYL9YhzmtQrXQKuTXXqVMvhyaTSgwUHcr4T59jeD-1VZOKkeCRfXR/s400/HPIM4898.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Testing our head for heights on the roof of Gaudi's Casa Mila.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kUblk5V9bOXkd2ViFONmmYC2bBvcDIJxxNxpUz_9qcy-OZpKPdP4CDv0vB2BySYtEKIRXhNWprweV5w6Lajk-5JrIhnVuD0Cc95cyXFWYxKoFTssTz6Qaic_LzPCtqvM8G2X/s1600/HPIM5199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kUblk5V9bOXkd2ViFONmmYC2bBvcDIJxxNxpUz_9qcy-OZpKPdP4CDv0vB2BySYtEKIRXhNWprweV5w6Lajk-5JrIhnVuD0Cc95cyXFWYxKoFTssTz6Qaic_LzPCtqvM8G2X/s640/HPIM5199.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr CK discovering his dream shop.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the leaves on the pavement seemed very different from here.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The monastery at Pedralbes, so calm and peaceful (until the local parrots started screeching.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking up to the ceiling of the Sagrada Familia.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1LlVl2zAp9_WAJX_6v-rXTBbUIf_rqlEAP1J-Y4HmWGWXC7c6JcIGQOljsSmlQIdUTCwmhZM1TLIRA0KHaQZTP6FTmejcx9In48C5SqDG7qFuUMIg6IE7LklubftwUO2y5iGH/s1600/HPIM4792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1LlVl2zAp9_WAJX_6v-rXTBbUIf_rqlEAP1J-Y4HmWGWXC7c6JcIGQOljsSmlQIdUTCwmhZM1TLIRA0KHaQZTP6FTmejcx9In48C5SqDG7qFuUMIg6IE7LklubftwUO2y5iGH/s400/HPIM4792.JPG" width="303" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A novel use of colanders in Origens, a place that served hearty, delicious, Catalan fare.<br />
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</tbody></table> Coming soon: an assortment of dragons...Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-10796352791407731452010-10-17T07:53:00.000+00:002010-10-17T07:53:51.708+00:00the wool that wasn't<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5IUwpiT3O0VbAQWiEaj9KAc0LA1BtKaQNu-LnPN9V7w6P2hgLz-ZZjXd76d2Y0v6aV5-IggBjd-SI6-luA_PAuFuyr-GMZ1HtraVi7hMVwsX8JqTYjfOfe8cbNJy2XhSrkePo/s1600/HPIM4727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5IUwpiT3O0VbAQWiEaj9KAc0LA1BtKaQNu-LnPN9V7w6P2hgLz-ZZjXd76d2Y0v6aV5-IggBjd-SI6-luA_PAuFuyr-GMZ1HtraVi7hMVwsX8JqTYjfOfe8cbNJy2XhSrkePo/s320/HPIM4727.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This window display caught my eye a couple of days ago. Well it would, wouldn't it? But closer inspection revealed that the shocking pink "wool," artfully wrapped around suction pads, was a rather plastic looking twine. I didn't go inside to check the labels in the knits mind you.Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-85608006340851526252010-10-11T18:01:00.000+00:002010-10-11T18:01:34.725+00:00poignant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXproRLKFQmA4LYkn8Rje6oiG7mdWve5LOofmmn_M0Upkvqu9dDmcbvVVlMJrM7I37e3XZ7RMbAXfI2N5sG0t9C_c7xYaK4QM_i75zhnKOkDHsnS3FakzFNkL2d_lvPnEXSNsl/s1600/HPIM4718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXproRLKFQmA4LYkn8Rje6oiG7mdWve5LOofmmn_M0Upkvqu9dDmcbvVVlMJrM7I37e3XZ7RMbAXfI2N5sG0t9C_c7xYaK4QM_i75zhnKOkDHsnS3FakzFNkL2d_lvPnEXSNsl/s320/HPIM4718.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxgQgNCCj58nGou8BIB1yWDnl0uFua2oh9WyBYXxfD5-Dzyc0dOvvcZatZ7PWyIumrZl_vzBgCa5V6vGRNcLPue3Yhzz1MKHlUT7ZPYNkAvFOSK0DtPFQ2NMX2ma18pvs11pE/s1600/HPIM4721a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxgQgNCCj58nGou8BIB1yWDnl0uFua2oh9WyBYXxfD5-Dzyc0dOvvcZatZ7PWyIumrZl_vzBgCa5V6vGRNcLPue3Yhzz1MKHlUT7ZPYNkAvFOSK0DtPFQ2NMX2ma18pvs11pE/s320/HPIM4721a.JPG" width="243" /></a></div>Spotted this on the way to work this morning, artwork by Lisa Wilkens (who works for Plurabelle Books when not doing her art) in the former Galloway & Porter premises. It looks so beautiful, yet is made entirely from old, unwanted books. If you want to read more about it, I've snapped the written text and included the pictures over on <a href="http://swatchthisspace.blogspot.com/">Swatch this Space</a>, my City & Guilds blog.Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-76671479495956846112010-10-09T20:41:00.000+00:002010-10-09T20:41:50.500+00:00Off to Mr CK's ancestral haunts...(via Wibbling Wools)It is one of Mr CK's proudest boasts that an ancestor of his came to England from Normandy (1066 and all that) and was granted a manor in the hamlet of Gestingthorpe. Back in the days of said ancestor (whose name translates as "William the Sinner") Gestingthorpe was in Suffolk, but somewhere in the intervening centuries, it has ended up in Essex. (I hasten to point out that this is due to administrative boundary reorganisation rather than geological activity.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrRb1_pWnZp-NNtEhbWtMd3PZQiof_BXG7Tgngbh-kliMK5tE7MaikbHDngSjkOQMoE8CKF7_TKFIO7p_TMVOimrhUmwALI6DPSVJPypQTSMNKtMrIlX8givO0fMyxSIKosLeY/s1600/HPIM4583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrRb1_pWnZp-NNtEhbWtMd3PZQiof_BXG7Tgngbh-kliMK5tE7MaikbHDngSjkOQMoE8CKF7_TKFIO7p_TMVOimrhUmwALI6DPSVJPypQTSMNKtMrIlX8givO0fMyxSIKosLeY/s320/HPIM4583.JPG" width="243" /></a></div>Now, Gestingthorpe isn't really all that far from Cambridge, but it takes quite a bit of ingenuity to get there by public transport. We first made it there in April this year, when we had a brief holiday in Lavenham. To celebrate Mr CK's birthday I spent hours plotting bus routes and timings and we made it (see picture above for proof). Gestingthorpe remains a small hamlet, but it has a beautiful late medieval/early Tudor church and a wonderful gastropub: <a href="http://www.thepheasant.net/">The Pheasant</a>, where we had the yummiest of lunches.<br />
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That was 6 months ago, and we hadn't expected to get back there so soon. But a friend of ours, who lives on the Suffolk coast, suggested that we meet in Bury St Edmunds and that she would then drive us to Gestingthorpe. We'd planned to eat at the Pheasant again, but soon realised that it would make more sense to eat in Bury St Edmunds. Se we lunched at the <a href="http://www.thefoxinnbury.co.uk/">Fox</a>, which just happens to be very close to Wibbling Wools. And I just happened to drop into <a href="http://www.wibblingwools.co.uk/">Wibbling Wools</a>, where I accidentally purchased some <a href="http://www.wibblingwools.co.uk/">Rico Tasai</a> and 5mm Lantern Moon rosewood circulars. So I spent a happy afternoon clicking my way through the Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire countryside, whilst Mr CK dreamed of his knightly forebear.Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-51008383549986801972010-10-08T17:45:00.000+00:002010-10-08T17:45:55.842+00:00If only I had a piggy bank to raid :)<a href="http://chagbm.blogspot.com/2010/10/unseen-works-by-major-british-artists.html">Cecil Higgins Art Gallery & Bedford Museum: Unseen Works by Major British Artists to be Sold at Fund Raising Auction</a>Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-81447705010930494782010-10-07T18:49:00.000+00:002010-10-07T18:49:10.535+00:00Knitted cupcakes are SOOO over...If you want to be truly on-trend, you should start <a href="http://www.muirandosborne.co.uk/knitted-dogs">knitting dogs</a>, NOW! (Or, for £200 you can commission a knitted portrait of your very own faithful friend).<br />
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Meantime, here's a picture of one of my FOs from earlier this year:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGleByKSB2iy3z9zZf6Wm1yCBlQj4winy6mlhYOBhPaFUQ19wGmTRglPA8uUoLQvpdNILVgfFDpT41t3R-6lWM0sWrvOwRkB0LIhSj0pLaXreOob-416xj-QPZ0kfgb9Bi1jfT2g/s1600/HPIM4320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGleByKSB2iy3z9zZf6Wm1yCBlQj4winy6mlhYOBhPaFUQ19wGmTRglPA8uUoLQvpdNILVgfFDpT41t3R-6lWM0sWrvOwRkB0LIhSj0pLaXreOob-416xj-QPZ0kfgb9Bi1jfT2g/s320/HPIM4320.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div align="justify">Log cabin cushion worked <em>entirely</em> from stash yarns.</div>Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-59725100068506530122010-10-05T20:16:00.000+00:002010-10-05T20:16:15.390+00:00An afternoon in EssexToday was going to be deicated entirely to mounting swatches for my Gity & Guilds studies, whilst waiting for a kitchen door to be delivered (long story). But the door arrived at 9.30am, the sun was shining (well, it wasn't wet, anyway) and after a couple of hours of cutting and gluing and weaving ends in wanderlust set in.<br />
A trip to Saffron Walden beckoned, so that I could get to the <a href="http://www.fryartgallery.org/">Fry Gallery</a>;before its winter closure.<br />
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I'm so glad that I went! The Gallery, which houses art from C20th artists who live(d) in that part of Essex has had a revamp since last year. Large plan chests in the centre of the main room, and touch screen catalogues in a newly-opened sideroom mean that far more of the collection is now accessible. Much of the collection is work by<a href="http://www.fryartgallery.org/artists/eric~ravilious.php"> Eric Ravilious</a> and <a href="http://www.fryartgallery.org/artists/edward~bawden_cbe,_ra.php">Edward Bawden</a>, but there is also currently an exhibition of work by <a href="http://www.fryartgallery.org/artists/richard~bawden_.php">Richard Bawden</a>, Edward's son. He shares his father's somewhat quirky humour but sometimes favours bolder colours. I wish I could have bought the dodo bench (a glorious metal bench with a design of a pair of dodos for its back) and the linocut print of a dodo in rainbow colours. One of the drawers in the aforementioned plan chest opens to reveal a matching rainbow dodo napkin.Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-61538533338227076962010-10-04T07:52:00.000+00:002010-10-04T07:52:56.712+00:00Look what I've foundWhilst bloghopping this morning I came across a link for a new online magazine for knitters and crocheters:<br />
<a href="http://www.tangledness.com/html/pattern_features_index.html">http://www.tangledness.com/html/pattern_features_index.html</a><br />
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Looks interesting, but I won't be making the skirt.Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-50814905589591397132010-10-03T22:02:00.000+00:002010-10-03T22:02:19.176+00:00new lookI've decided it was high time to improve the look of things round here so, after much experimenting with colours and layouts, I hope that you'll like the new look. Maybe not as drastic as the transformation of my desk over the last few weeks...<br />
Before:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTybV-0c9hKhMRwkn0RWiC5mIZlZ5x5uZwygaLr52JD0S0UizgpUULuwO7yA8aYL3EKLFbv8pc9_60ISu5Is59EQaChvwoeJ4cIZph1IgB6fG6YGRcWEUnD-RgoOnRaA0gF6p/s1600/HPIM4660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTybV-0c9hKhMRwkn0RWiC5mIZlZ5x5uZwygaLr52JD0S0UizgpUULuwO7yA8aYL3EKLFbv8pc9_60ISu5Is59EQaChvwoeJ4cIZph1IgB6fG6YGRcWEUnD-RgoOnRaA0gF6p/s320/HPIM4660.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>After:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQZGBykKJe5cbNI2LLy2gJQfdDXxp5l_g5Iy-SBpsEQdl6OWtLkWZqI7SaokGFrC2qLxsn0PWF3rU6WBhRvxir0zeE48a3dj_VEmrSWppQhNqvBF7fvKzeJPhcIVdTlT8t4Mn/s1600/HPIM4661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQZGBykKJe5cbNI2LLy2gJQfdDXxp5l_g5Iy-SBpsEQdl6OWtLkWZqI7SaokGFrC2qLxsn0PWF3rU6WBhRvxir0zeE48a3dj_VEmrSWppQhNqvBF7fvKzeJPhcIVdTlT8t4Mn/s320/HPIM4661.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-65484004978028123142010-10-01T19:03:00.000+00:002010-10-01T19:03:05.244+00:00still alive!Yes, this blog has been sorely neglected of late, but with good reason; I'm working fulltime giving me rather less time to roam around rural East Anglia. Even the crochet and knitting have been cut back, I'm trying to focus on a City & Guilds qualification in handknitting. (If you'd like to follow my progress with that, I've set up another blog: swatchthisspace.blogspot.com). Work has got very exciting; we've opened up another floor full of books and whilst I'm still on the second floor, I've now got a floorful of art, travel and (yes!) craft books, rather than academic books. Yippee.<br />
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<br />
In other news, the dreaded 50th birthday looms and I still haven't decided how to celebrate. any suggestions?Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-36006042535524303702010-03-30T21:07:00.003+00:002010-03-30T21:22:42.799+00:00Emergency fungii potsFriday dawns, and with it the realisation that I need more pieces for a textiles exhibition on Sunday afternoon. This would be fine if I didn't need to go to work on Friday, London on Saturday and a party on Sunday morning (life is good!)... When time is short, my thoughts turn to crochet. And then they turned to fungus (if you've seen my avatars on Ravelry you'll know that I am mad about fungii, lichens and mosses). <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucouvDvyXRfVkSe9bAO27buUi3ikCec5v0WvEhvK3bAn2PTs4QDq6C1OGuQOggvn6iTm6jiE_rjcPhRLuXde_JJfW-si1KpevxCTtN-p-jgugkehLSs7Q_YulGZjEXzmwyNzL/s1600/HPIM4370.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454537120404916754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 243px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucouvDvyXRfVkSe9bAO27buUi3ikCec5v0WvEhvK3bAn2PTs4QDq6C1OGuQOggvn6iTm6jiE_rjcPhRLuXde_JJfW-si1KpevxCTtN-p-jgugkehLSs7Q_YulGZjEXzmwyNzL/s320/HPIM4370.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Mushroom the first (the rust/purple/grey one) was cranked out during my breaks at work. Mushroom the second (the green/turquiose one) kept me sane during a rather frustrating journey to London. I then nearly lost it whilt at the V&A but happily it was spotted and rescued by some of my fellow City&Guilds students. And the fluffy brown mushroom (I love the way that Noro Silk Garden felts: a silky sheen with a mohair haze) was started at the V&A and completed on the journey home. (This was also a frustrating journey, but whereas the journey out was complicated by a fire at Cambridge station, the journeyy back was jinxed by my hopping onto the wrong tube train, having to backtrack and then finding myself in a carriage full of West Ham supporters. But at least they didn't seem fazed by the crochet...)<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyccVR0-7RyISwGhLVG95-p5d3DHrPgtfI1wDFwbDGWC09bXf6FZEFMBIa9qTLLLzOBZnGF4g8NABXTh5s2b5lTxclOzivRgKyw2sKtQPurx2og1Zecxw45Q-QnsKxoDd12TGk/s1600/HPIM4367.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454537107787902418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 243px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyccVR0-7RyISwGhLVG95-p5d3DHrPgtfI1wDFwbDGWC09bXf6FZEFMBIa9qTLLLzOBZnGF4g8NABXTh5s2b5lTxclOzivRgKyw2sKtQPurx2og1Zecxw45Q-QnsKxoDd12TGk/s320/HPIM4367.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And here's my mushroom trio on Sunday afternoon:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMzM37DLAb0vaLdzHpv01BYuSP4ssO5tlN89cXC5S3oYfds37ymOZGzwpnGkOWrM6oMZSv6jM_dThPMYZmuYbdHK8gx_3uyCU_PBympbevf2iV98jgLiWMTR7bTineYMxvHBb/s1600/HPIM4383.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454537124255611090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 243px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMzM37DLAb0vaLdzHpv01BYuSP4ssO5tlN89cXC5S3oYfds37ymOZGzwpnGkOWrM6oMZSv6jM_dThPMYZmuYbdHK8gx_3uyCU_PBympbevf2iV98jgLiWMTR7bTineYMxvHBb/s320/HPIM4383.JPG" border="0" /></a> I'm absolutely delighted with them.<br /><br /><div></div></div>Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-88825686609979388992010-03-09T15:43:00.003+00:002010-03-09T15:46:34.406+00:00This made me smileShortly after watching David Dimbleby talking about how women were not allowed to take part in life classes at the Royal Academy when it was founded (except, of course, as models) I found this on Adrienne Sloane's wonderful blog: <a href="http://adriennesloane.blogspot.com/2010/03/comic-knitting.html">The Knitter's Eye: Comic Knitting!!</a> Life Knitting: now there's a thought!Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-77148406068595237712010-03-03T18:04:00.003+00:002010-03-03T18:15:45.566+00:00conefall, churchyard wallJust a few pictures from a walk Mr CK and I took on Sunday. We'd planned to walk round the wood behind the church but it had turned into a quagmire, so we went round the churchyard instead, which was good as I'd been meaning to take pics of the rather unusual cones for ages.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiyRq_lI2-ngcv0Q6BPmpPzvRfM5wTuu2Y0x9OTBxWFc8FDwFDfYL-HgAzZs2UZpgC2JPJK2FF6hRg53LbxU2ONJU96VqcCBqknTSGCdAgBP2n7xfv9AetNCjTmK3Y1lHHtOhw/s1600-h/HPIM4315.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444471285021819506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 243px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiyRq_lI2-ngcv0Q6BPmpPzvRfM5wTuu2Y0x9OTBxWFc8FDwFDfYL-HgAzZs2UZpgC2JPJK2FF6hRg53LbxU2ONJU96VqcCBqknTSGCdAgBP2n7xfv9AetNCjTmK3Y1lHHtOhw/s320/HPIM4315.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XQeNvXZ7P2_uSDPk89Bae4lROrhQf4JN5vsoxFunoRHrYqV-EgQRCoigB5-CBqEkgquGT1dmnO7gHaG2sF7l-fR6bDywGcVVKocuC9jcyUMPTzc_2XlqKn5GI1FqPYqYZWnC/s1600-h/HPIM4311.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444471276817470450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 243px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XQeNvXZ7P2_uSDPk89Bae4lROrhQf4JN5vsoxFunoRHrYqV-EgQRCoigB5-CBqEkgquGT1dmnO7gHaG2sF7l-fR6bDywGcVVKocuC9jcyUMPTzc_2XlqKn5GI1FqPYqYZWnC/s320/HPIM4311.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />When Mr CK was on the PCC (Parochial Church Council) many hours were spent discussing the wall, it is a veritable patchwork in stone, brick, mortar and even has different shapes along the top. The colours (red brick, grey brick, neutral stone, greyish flints and stunningly acid green lichen are wonderful. Just think of the many different pairs of hands that must have worked on the wall over the years...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBz1Kni6lfHSWbSpMkCnVhXHGFV6YrdjyuoKDML185QdliTU3TQCzaBKi0H0QVE9neq7os7fgu0fPqmHh5BIWBk-i16QS0TUbIasMrh5niEcabiMPcNjIQOnxa-oK3eIMOsj70/s1600-h/HPIM4301.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444471294376347410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 243px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBz1Kni6lfHSWbSpMkCnVhXHGFV6YrdjyuoKDML185QdliTU3TQCzaBKi0H0QVE9neq7os7fgu0fPqmHh5BIWBk-i16QS0TUbIasMrh5niEcabiMPcNjIQOnxa-oK3eIMOsj70/s320/HPIM4301.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAZHcsFjysjxfAozQ-B30OnGU30s1GNdfPzyPwp4UXMn_j5q4DCaTRIiX6FJ3SfwnmKYjTJZgEjnMyS_y6SXCG3iAwLAQ3Q-LXA6qyv44idj78418tbnowb-XtQYdTyXvUqE4/s1600-h/HPIM4299.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444471290603906210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 243px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAZHcsFjysjxfAozQ-B30OnGU30s1GNdfPzyPwp4UXMn_j5q4DCaTRIiX6FJ3SfwnmKYjTJZgEjnMyS_y6SXCG3iAwLAQ3Q-LXA6qyv44idj78418tbnowb-XtQYdTyXvUqE4/s320/HPIM4299.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><></div></div></div>Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-26776937839817786312010-02-28T10:11:00.010+00:002010-02-28T13:37:30.602+00:00February Fill-Fen<strong>Warning: this is a very wordy post, shot through with some decidedly purple passges, but peservere, my knitterly friends, as there are pictures of luscious yarns and links to fabulous shops. Now read on...</strong><br /><a href="http://www.answers.com/topic/february-fill-dyke-be-it-black-or-be-it-white">"<em>February fill-dyke, be it black or be it white</em>"</a> (traditional proverb)<br /><br />Yesterday I simply had to go to Ely as Mr Caught Knitting had run out of his favourite bathroom cleaner. Tragically I can't find the brand required anywhere in Cambridge. (And note how I'm not telling you what the brand is, nor I am letting Mr CK know that soda crystals work just as well, as I need to make him think that trips to Ely are necessary. Nothing to do with the two new yarn shops there! That means, what, only 4 places where you can buy yarn, and that's not counting the £shops, etc. Nothing to do with Peacocks tearooms and their grapefruit moon tea. The Babylon Gallery doesn't come into it. Topping Books? Of course not. Cathedral, nah. Burrows newsagent with tempting array of American magazines no longer to be found in Cambridge now that Borders has gone? As if!)<br /><br />New timetables mean that there is now only one bus an hour (I don't count the 12 via Newmarket; takes forever) but at least it was a double decker and I managed to get a seat upstairs at the very front. The revised X9 route is rather twisty, and it crosses the A10 at least 3 times, as it wends it way through Milton, Landbeach, Waterbeach, the IQ Business Park, Streatham and then touches on Little Downham (at least, I think that's where it is) before snaking into Ely via a long, long circuit of the outskirts. It now takes an hour, but what an hour it was. The views were stunning. The soil along this route is more orangey-brown than the peaty darkness of the soil you'd see from the train journey (which clings quite closely to the banks of the Ouse). But I love the patchwork-field effect that you see from aloft and the varied textures and colours. Some of the fields had been ploughed recently, and the claggy ruts were often glistening from recent rainfall. Many fields were flooded. On the way out these giant puddles were sparkling in the sun and many gulls were floating lazily on them. I travelled home through a storm (thunder, lightning, hail: very exciting) which obscured the view for a while but, when the sun finally peeped through again (a soft, weak, lemony-peach light against the inky-blue sky), the watery expanses glinted and shimmered, looking almost like enormous beads of mercury but darker. The fields are divided up by hedges, trees and many a ditch. I swear that as the bus approached Milton on the way home I got a glimpse of a bittern's bottom, as the bittern fished its way through a dyke. One of the great excitements of the journey out, though, was seeing the shapes the trees made against the skyline. They are, in the main, still bereft of leaves, so the colours and textures of the bark show well (not just brown, but some ochre and rusty hues) but closer inspection ( particularly when branches whipped against the top deck) revealed burgeoning catkins (including soft grey-beige pussy willow buds) and incipient buds. I'm wondering whether the acid, yellow-green of the weeping willows was due to buds or bark: I don't know.<br /><br />One of the great pleasures of this journey is catching sight of Ely Cathedral in the distance for the first time. It was so sunny on the way out that at first the cathderal looked like a shimmery shape in the distance. And in the last few minutes of the bus ride there is a fantastic cloe-up of the octagon tower. Frustratingly, though, the new "improved" route no longer passes so close to the Cathedral on the return route, tough I've realised that if I'd stayed on the bus as it headed on towards March it would probably have gone that way. Ah, well, maybe next time.<br /><br />The next frustration was that as soon as I got off the bus it started to rain (boo, typical) so no location shots. Let me tempt you, instead, with yarn...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nfPo8RudueUNyMIm0wyjoXQ_FIJ2-be_IHwtFym9oUJ4gaJ3D4cSczskNEHTCRLQ0hb1o5UppllvEu8Ssj35gUg6PpGwQvoGCYuDp4hwZh7k4UKbESkDvGwCj2pyAf2TXQBK/s1600-h/HPIM4291.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443277607856068162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 243px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nfPo8RudueUNyMIm0wyjoXQ_FIJ2-be_IHwtFym9oUJ4gaJ3D4cSczskNEHTCRLQ0hb1o5UppllvEu8Ssj35gUg6PpGwQvoGCYuDp4hwZh7k4UKbESkDvGwCj2pyAf2TXQBK/s320/HPIM4291.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Look at this luscious stuff (and I never thought I would describe a yarn rich in acrylic as "gorgeous stuff") from the newly-opened <a href="http://www.yarn-on-the-square.co.uk/">Yarn on the Square</a>, a spacious and stylish shop with welcoming and enthusiastic owners. (Not to mention armsful of Noro). The yarn I caved in to, though, captures the colours I saw on the journey in, and anticipates the plumage of the bittern that I may (or may not) have seen on the way home. It will--I hope-- be turned into a "fen fields" scarf, starting with the browner yarn and ending in the greener (with, I hope, some sort of stitchwork to represent leaves or buds). The yarn is also available in a blend with more greens, a vivid magenta, grey and blue. And each colourway is available with or without metallic highlights. (I went for the metallic, it makes me think of sun glinting on rain-washed fields, of the sparkle of snowflakes and the glimmer of spring).<br /><br />I'll spare you a purchase-by-purchase, store-by-store account of my time in Ely (I've outlined it above, anyway) but suffice to say that the route to the bathroom cleaner shop took me past the little yarn kiosk that <a href="http://www.curtiscrafts.co.uk/">Barbara</a> runs. There's only room for one customer at a time, so I had to queue! It was worth it, though as the booth is bursting with budget yarns in interesting colours and textures. Here's the armful that came home with me...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimjn_XS2PcYIgX21sE-cLD3enLR-MY30AmmiipL7_v6jeXCJKAmc-OZccVFV3HgR80-z7E_lAf6hnBxHbVLjcSOCXS9hp_079TOamxJlm1t_oAWWQn8Bqterxq1zTdfMAZKjx/s1600-h/HPIM4295.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443277621518738914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 243px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimjn_XS2PcYIgX21sE-cLD3enLR-MY30AmmiipL7_v6jeXCJKAmc-OZccVFV3HgR80-z7E_lAf6hnBxHbVLjcSOCXS9hp_079TOamxJlm1t_oAWWQn8Bqterxq1zTdfMAZKjx/s320/HPIM4295.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />After all the heady yarn-buying excitment I had to calm down a bit (after all, I still had Ely Wool Shop to go) so I headed to Peacocks for soup, a cheese scone (8/10, only surpassed by the cheese scones I had at Durham Cathedral some 12 years ago) and the afore-mentioned grapefruit moon tea. <em>Mmm</em>, inhale that cardamom and citrus. After that came the Babylon Gallery (which will get a post of its own when something very special has dried in a few days' time. That's got you guessing!) Fortified by art (and riverside views) I headed back uphill, past the Cathedral and out along St Mary's Street to <a href="http://shop.elywoolshop.co.uk/epages/es133066.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/es133066/Categories">Ely Wool Shop</a>. Sandra's store is a delight. I was going to get just one skein of Malabrigo silk-blend DK (so soft) to make a small cowl, but hit on the idea of buying some merino wool in the colour of my gloves to mix in. And the colours of the Rico cotton DK proved irresistible. (But how did I stop at just 2, when I wanted all of them?) So here's the final haul of the day:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCbGccCr4s-6LuPdvAmou7_s0L6JUwgKSc6zjbjXgG9R5YOt-A1FLQwQEuCm5aV2PbqTuDqELPjd0oQfe8v_jGkijFoG0nawNZLfEA0in7mwl-YKxaO_7GwTrA0HuLiMSuxZy/s1600-h/HPIM4293.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443277612207517106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 243px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCbGccCr4s-6LuPdvAmou7_s0L6JUwgKSc6zjbjXgG9R5YOt-A1FLQwQEuCm5aV2PbqTuDqELPjd0oQfe8v_jGkijFoG0nawNZLfEA0in7mwl-YKxaO_7GwTrA0HuLiMSuxZy/s320/HPIM4293.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />(note the Ivore needles that got pounced on at the cashdesk).<br /><br />And so, a near-perfect day out, marred only by the fact that I bought two bottles of cleaning stuff, when just one would have meant a cast-iron excuse for going back again sooner. But who needs excuses? February has ended on a high for me.Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22348798.post-46193332464567286172010-02-18T15:06:00.017+00:002010-02-18T15:56:03.804+00:00Still Doing DifferentWell, I survived the dinner party, but I really should have taken my crochet. At one stage another guest asked the hostess how her shoulder was getting on and it turns out that she'd injured it by doing too much crochet. At this point I confessed to being a fellow crocheter and she rushed off to fetch her absolutley stunning <a href="http://www.interweavestore.com/Crochet/Patterns/Babette-Blanket.html">Babette</a>. Needless to say she was given one of my crocheted pots as a thank you present.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5ue12kyBw6z2TkEUHSR3ufGTdgCumq76Lp5TsRHz6Lt7vISTwQXEQFEA4RcoVgozIKKtUTw-bMGyaHJMQ4af3hm6UaDCVork2CAISw6_R3BJPGNXi_hCP4OASxmeRD2LL6eg/s1600-h/HPIM0705.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439610103322996418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 243px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5ue12kyBw6z2TkEUHSR3ufGTdgCumq76Lp5TsRHz6Lt7vISTwQXEQFEA4RcoVgozIKKtUTw-bMGyaHJMQ4af3hm6UaDCVork2CAISw6_R3BJPGNXi_hCP4OASxmeRD2LL6eg/s320/HPIM0705.JPG" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;">(This is a before felting pic of the pot).</span><br /><br />Reading books by men has been mixed. I enjoyed <a href="http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/erick+setiawan/of+bees+and+mist/6705875/"><em>Of Bees and Mist</em></a> by Erick Setiawan, which is full of magic and feuding women. But I've given up on <a href="http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/ali+shaw/the+girl+with+glass+feet/7246600/"><em>The Girl with Glass Feet</em></a> by Ali Shaw: too many adjectives, which seem to have been chosen more because they sound euphonious, rather than for their meaning... But best of all, by a long way, is <a href="http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/hans+fallada/michael+hofmann/alone+in+berlin/6978969/"><em>Alone in Berlin</em></a> by Hans Fallada: not always an easy read (it is set in Berlin in 1940 ) but one I'll go back to over and again. I've not been neglecting books by women: I'd recommend <a href="http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/a-s-+byatt/the+children27s+book/6772086/"><em>The Children's Book</em></a> by A.S.Byatt, not least for its stunning visual imagery which has got me itching to design and knit a soft sculpture inspired by Art Nouveau vases; <em>Garden Spells</em> by Sarah Addison was a quick, pleasureable read, though I think that Alice Hoffmann's <em>Practical Magic</em> covered the same terrain even better; <em>The Truth About Melody Browne</em>, by Lisa Jewell was another quick read: I like the way that "chick lit" is growing up, there was romance in this, but the plot is really aboutrememebring and coming to terms with childhood trauma. Now I've gone back to an old favourite: Susan Howatch. I'm deep into <em>Glamorous Powers</em>, which is about a psychic monk questioning his vocation. It ties in with a lot of the medieval mystics that I studied years ago. On the poetry front I've just treated myself to <em>Redgrove's Wife</em> by Penelope Shuttle: this is a profoundly moving meditation on terminal illness, grief and moving through mourning. I've gone back to this book following the rapturous reception that Christopher Reid has received for <em>The Scattering</em> (including the Costa Prize), which covers similar themes. Am I being cynical when I suggest that Reid's book is the one that's gathered all the plaudits because when men talk about losing their partner it is a brave and serious thing, whereas when a woman does the same thing, well, she's just talking about feelings and that's what women do. I hasten to add that I haven't (yet) read <em>The Scattering</em> so I can't make an informed comment! Next on my poetry list will be <em>The Water Table</em> by Philip Gross, which has won the T.S.Eliot Prize: much of it is about The Severn Estuary, so it will be interesting to compare his work to Gillian Clarke's take on the same subject in <em>Words on Water</em>(one of the best books published last year).<br />I've not had many days out yet this year: a trip to Ely (which reminds me, I've also got a copy of Don Patterson's <em>Landing Light</em> to read, I picked that up in Topping Books); a flying visit to Oxford as I wanted to see the Edward Bawden mural in Blackwells bookshop (see how my days off turn into busman's holidays!); and, staying in Cambridge, I've enjoyed the Sickert and Spencer exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum (must go back on a weekday, it was too crowded for comfort). Still on the theme of Doing Different I've been to the theatre for the first time in many years. Ibsen's <em>Wild Duck</em> is as jolly as you would expect from Ibsen, but one of my colleagues was in it and she was superb.<br />But have I been Caught Knitting? Er, not much, but I'm pulling my socks up now and am finally making progress on the <a href="http://www.knitdesignonline.com/">City & Guilds course</a> that I've started with Knit Design Online. I'm having fun playing with textures at the moment, creating a curious green swatch that has been inspired by an ammonite. And I'm off to <a href="http://www.textilesinfocus.com/2010.htm">Textiles in Focus</a> tomorrow, so watch this space!Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022430264856651436noreply@blogger.com1