Jacsels' Knit-n-Krochet Korner

9.11.01 Where Were You? A Commemorative Poem

2011-09-11T05:42:00.000-07:00

September 11, 2001, where were you?

I was there, beside each one.

You say that you will never forget.
Where you were, or what you were doing,
At the very moment you heard the news,
The disbelief and the horror you felt
As you watched this tragedy unfolding.
I was there, beside you too,
Did you feel My presence with you?

In a smoke filled room in one of the towers
I gave strength to a man who phoned his wife
To tell her he was about to lose his life,
With peace in his heart he said "Goodbye,
But Honey it’s OK, I am ready to go."
I was with her too when she received his call
Ready to uphold her if she should fall.

In a stairwell much further down
A woman cried out to Me in her distress,
For 50 years her life I wanted to bless
Knocking on the door of her heart each day,
Until at last, she is asking Me in.
Now I can enter and answer her plea,
"Yes I’ll take you home, just believe in Me."

Down below at the Towers entrance
The injured are ministered to by a Priest,
He is one of Mine and he is now released,
To minister to his Flock in Heaven
Eternal life his reward for faithfulness.
He heard My voice and answered My call,
I was with him to the last and he gave his all.

Great courage and self sacrifice
Was shown by many on that terrible day,
My heart was breaking but I did stay
To comfort with My presence there
In the hearts and prayers of My believers.
And for those who in faith called on My Name
I was there when their last moments came.

In all four planes and in every seat,
In every Prayer that was sent My way
I was there as they held the terrorists at bay,
I was with the crew as they were overtaken
and the planes nose-dived into oblivion.
As some recited Prayers and Psalms
I wrapped them all within My arms.

Some met Me for the very first time,
Others sought Me with their last breath.
Some cursed and turned away from Me in death
In panic some could not hear Me call their name
"Come to Me, this way…take My hand."
But I was there for all, afraid or brave
If only they would allow Me their souls to save.

I was everywhere on this Earth that day
In Texas, Kansas and London, UK
Delhi, Hong Kong and Bergen, Norway,
I saw every face that watched TV
And saw the tears that flowed freely.
I stood beside you all at that terrible time
When your blood ran cold at this terrorist crime.

September 11, 2001 was not your final day,
The day and the hour is not for you to know,
Will you seek My face now and be ready to go?
I knock at the door of your heart every day
But I cannot enter in until you ask Me to stay.
I love you My child and I patiently wait
But please seek Me now before it’s to late.

Jackie S Brooks©
11 September 2003

Part 4 - Virtual Tour of Yorkshire

2011-08-15T08:43:00.000-07:00

Well it's been a long time getting here, too much illness, both mine and my son Mike, we very nearly lost him to a life threatening infection in his arm that required removal of flesh, he spent approximately two months in hospital and had to have plastic surgery. He is now slowly recovering.

So here is Part 4 :

Ripley Castle, Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal

It is a nice day for the next part of our journey to Ripley Castle, just a few miles out of Ripon. The road passes through countryside again, and a couple of villages, it is a busy road, wider than most but still with bends to catch the unwary. It is lined with trees for the last mile or two, and most times as we pass by we will see one or two bunches of flowers and maybe a soft toy attached to one of the trees, a sad reminder marking the spot of a fatal accident. It seems people never learn, speeding round bends or overtaking on blind bends, the prominent sign beside the road recording how many accidents have occurred within the last 5 years might as well be invisible to some.

We reach a roundabout, to the left the road heads for Harrogate, the second exit leads into the village of Ripley and to the castle entrance. The castle has been lived in by the Ingilby family for 700 years, quite an achievement considering how easy it was to fall out of favour with the Kings of England in the early days and lose your castles and land as a result. The castle is open to the public and also the grounds and flower gardens. The last time I visited was when the ‘Sealed Knot’ society came to the castle, they dressed in the costumes and uniforms of the Royalist and Parliamentarians and staged a mock battle, complete with horses, rifles, cannons and pikes. They even had their camp followers, wives (and strumpets) who tended the wounded, and sometimes robbed the fallen. They even arranged to do a mock pike charge toward the spectators at the end, even knowing the roped off gap between them and us was wider than any pike, it was still quite a scary experience to stand one’s ground as those fearsome looking soldiers lowered their pikes and charged us whilst yelling their heads off!.

Time for a sit down and a cup of tea or coffee, and maybe a full cream tea in the tearoom before leaving to visit Fountains Abbey. Ripley is also famous for it’s ice cream, so we must be sure to try it out.

http://www.thedms.yorkshiredales.org/thedms.aspx?dms=13&feature=1&venue=1582119

http://www.ripleycastle.co.uk/castle.html

Fountains Abbey

We leave the castle and make our way back to the roundabout and take the next turn off to the left on the Pateley Bridge road, just a very short distance and we turn right onto a narrow lane which leads directly to Fountains Abbey. Some people claim that Rievaulx Abbey is the most beautiful but I do not agree, for me Fountains Abbey is by far the most beautiful. Like most abbeys in England it suffered at the hands of King Henry VIII during the dissolution of the churches and abbeys, Henry’s revenge against the Pope who would not agree to his divorce from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, when he wished to marry Anne Boleyn.

Fountains is a Cistercian abbey, founded in 1132 in what was then considered land not fit for human habitation, it was probably quite wild and isolated, but had plenty of wood, stone and water to hand so the monks could start to build their community. It is in the most beautiful setting, with the River Skell running through the extensive grounds.

Jim and I visited Fountains frequently during our courting days, we loved the peace and serenity of the abbey and grounds. In an inner courtyard we found old fig trees, still producing fruit, and up near the boundaries there were hazel nut bushes among the trees. Visiting during one of the moonlit evening openings at that time was very special, they would have Gregorian Chant music playing and it was just magical, unfortunately I don’t think they do that now.

One winters day Jim and I visited Fountains and the grounds were thick with snow, we wandered about well wrapped up and with our wellie boots on. I decided I was going to stamp out a huge heart in the snow, complete with our initials and an arrow through it. I jumped and leaped about and we fell about laughing afterwards. Jim thought I was crazy. A few weeks later we went back and realised that where I had been jumping and leaping about was right on top of the lake, fortunately for me the ice and snow had been thick enough to take my weight!

The Deer Park at Studley Royal dates from medieval times, it has around 500 deer, Red, Fallow and Sika. During the rutting season it is advised that visitors stay on the pathways, the deer are wild and could be dangerous if approached at that time, Studley Royal House was burned down shortly after WWII

There is so much to see at Fountains Hall, the Abbey and the Deer Park, so be sure to check out the links.

http://www.fountainsabbey.org.uk/html/visiting/what-to-see/the-abbey/

Our next trip will be a Mystery tour.

Part 3 = Virtual Tour of Yorkshire

2011-03-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

Coxwold, Thirsk and Ripon

Today we are heading south west towards Thirsk, Ripon, Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Deer Park. We will take the back country roads again, we could go via York along the main roads, but for scenery the back roads are much nicer. From our village of Little Barugh we make our way to the village of Amotherby 4 miles away and join the main Malton road to Hovingham, this road is actually 2000 years old, having originally been built by the Roman Legions that were based at the Malton Roman Fort, formerly known as Derventio and named for the river Derwent that passes between Malton and Norton. We pass through farmland and several villages, Appleton-le-Street, Barton-le-Street and Slingsby. The le-Street is always an indication of former Roman presence. They always built their roads from a central hub like the spokes of a wheel, and always very straight. Later influences such as the Vikings and Normans who invaded our island may have created diversions and bends in roads to accommodate reclaimed land. Now that the harvest has been gathered in, some of the fields are still white with stubble, though most of the huge round bales have been gathered in and stored in the barns, other fields have already been ploughed up ready for the next crop. We may find ourselves trailing behind a tractor pulling the huge fearsome looking plough shares, though they are not as big as the massive Harvesting machines that seemed to take up the entire road when they were travelling from one farm to another during the harvesting. Very few farmers here could afford to buy one for themselves, so the machines are shared among many.

Hovingham Hall is the family seat of the Worsley family, their daughter Katherine married H.R.H. Duke of Kent back in 1961. Her father was the Lord Lieutenant of Yorkshire. If you click on the link for Hovingham you will see a view of the backside of the house overlooking the park. The road we take passes on the right side of that view, they have a large herd of cattle in the park as well as on land on the other side of the road. There is a stream that runs down towards the house with a small hump-back bridge over it that is a public right of way, and it is a pleasant walk if you are not afraid of walking amongst the cattle.

http://www.hovingham.co.uk/
As we carry on up the road the fields on either side give way to forest and the road is an up and down switchback full of bends. There are deer in the forests, at springtime the verges are covered in primroses and in May the ground beneath the trees turns blue with carpets of bluebells. This road is where we often find ourselves travelling through green tunnels as the trees meet overhead on this narrow road. Eventually we come to open fields again and turn right at a T junction to head down towards the village of Coxwold, as we come down the winding hill we get our first glimpse of the Kilburn White Horse, then pass Newburgh Priory and a large man-made pond were ducks wait for visitors to feed them and swans glide majestically.

http://www.newburghpriory.co.uk/index.html
In Coxwold the old schoolhouse there has been a Tea Shop and Bed and Breakfast House for many years now, originally run by a German ex-POW and his Yorkshire born wife, now retired. The business is being carried on by new owners and they serve delicious high teas: ham and eggs, bread and butter, cakes, scones with strawberry preserve and cream and big pots of tea. On the other side of the road opposite the School House Tea Room there is a pottery and a woodworkers show room, the Coxwold Cabinet Maker, he did his apprenticeship with The House of the Mouse at Kilburn: http://www.thompsononename.org.uk/robthom.html all their furniture trademark was a tiny mouse carved into every piece.

The Coxwold Cabinet Maker uses a unicorn’s head as his trademark.

http://www.coxwoldcabinetmakers.co.uk/
As we head out of Coxwold we pass the church of St. Michael’s on the left, the original church was built on the site of a pagan temple about 757AD, it has an unusual octagonal tower,

http://coxwold-village.co.uk/church.aspx
At the edge of the village is Shandy Hall, home of the eccentric parson, Laurence Sterne who wrote ‘Tristam Shandy’ and ‘Sentimental Journey’ back in the 18th century, his home, which is still a lived in home, is also a museum to his memory.

http://www.shandean.org/shandyhall.html

Leaving the village we travel for a couple of miles towards the A19, getting an even better view of the Kilburn White Horse, carved into a cliff face on the right across some fields, At the top of the cliff there is a gliding club and a notoriously dangerous road winding steeply down Sutton Bank, an alternative route to Thirsk that I do not care to travel. (I travelled up the bank one night in a decrepit groaning Ukrainian coach, supposedly the best Yalta had to offer, when we had 27 Ukrainian Christian visitors to our town some years ago. I thought it wasn’t going to make it and we’d all have to get out and push!)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilburn_White_Horse
http://www.hows.org.uk/personal/hillfigs/kilb/kilburn.htm

We turn onto the A10, a major road leading directly into the market town of Thirsk, passing a group of Gypsy caravans and Vardo’s parked in a lay-by. Towards the end of May many Gypsy caravans and colourful horse drawn Vardo’s head north to Appleby for the annual Horse Fair.

Thirsk was the town in which Alfred White, better known as James Herriot, the Veterinary Surgeon of ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ fame began his career. I met him in 1986 at the old house where he and Siegfried Farnon lived and worked from, he was greeting visitors and fans from all over the world and signing autographs in copies of his books. He was a dapper white haired man and very pleasant and interesting to talk to.

From Thirsk we head for Ripon, back out onto a relatively busy country road and fields, passing through several small villages and over the A1, a very busy road from north to south, at this time there are major roadwork’s going on constructing a couple of large roundabouts to cope with the traffic entering and exiting the off-ramps.

Ripon is another market town, where some of my ancestors lived. My great x 3 grandfather Thomas Pybus was a Saddler and had a shop in the market square, his middle daughter Annie Maria and her husband Joshua Illingworth were my great x 2 grandparents, and their eldest of twelve children, Blanche Lillian, was my great grandmother. Joshua was originally from Bradford, born to a large musical family. He was a Lay Preacher and Chorister at Ripon’s famous cathedral, and he also had his own musical group that played at Harrogate Spa. I pass through Ripon every month and stop to bank there and shop. I always look up at the windows of their old shop with living quarters above, half expecting to see a young Blanche Lillian looking back at me. Annie Maria and Joshua were married in the Cathedral.

http://www.riponcathedral.org.uk/

http://www.ripon-internet.com/Category/135.html More photo’s

Ripon still has a Watchman who goes around Ripon every night at 0pm and blows his horn.
The custom of blowing the wakeman's horn every night at nine o'clock, maintained to this day, is said to have originated about AD 700. It was probably at first a means of calling the people together in case of a sudden invasion, but was afterwards a signal for setting the watch. A horn with a baldric and the motto "Except the Lord keep the city the watchman waketh but in vain" forms the mayor's badge.
The sentence in green is emblazoned across the frontage of Ripon Town Hall.

http://www.stripes.com/news/american-plays-a-part-in-english-horn-blowing-tradition-1.48836 This one should really interest you!

Well I am going to leave you here in Ripon for the night, there are plenty of B&B’s and hotels to stay at. I will see you tomorrow for the continuation of the journey to Ripley Castle, Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Deer Park.

VT of Y Part 2 The Legend of Roseberry Topping + my latest project

2011-03-06T11:48:00.000-08:00

The Legend of Roseberry Topping.

Roseberry Topping was originally known as Óòins bjarg toppen (Odinsberg ), or Odin’s Rock or Crag and is believed to have been a Sacred Hill to our Viking invaders who settled the area.
The legend concerns Osmund, a king of Northumberland and his queen. She had been unable to produce an heir so Osmund prayed very hard that she might conceive, and consulted wise men on the subject. Eventually the queen did give birth to a son, Oswy, but the wise men gave the king bad news. They told him that the child would die by drowning on his second birthday.
Osmund instructed his queen to take their son to the highest part of his kingdom – Odinsberg. They could shelter in an old hermitage - probably a cave – at the top for three days, making sure that Oswy was well away from rivers or ponds during his birthday.
The queen carried the child up the steep hill, 1049 feet in height, and became very tired. On Oswy’s birthday she lay down to rest in the hot sunshine and fell asleep. Oswy wandered off and when the queen woke up there was no sign of him anywhere so she went looking for him and found him drowned in a pool known as Odinsberg Spring, close to the summit of the hill.
The queen became distraught and died not long after her son, they were buried in the churchyard in Tivotdale, from then on Tivotdale became known as Oswy-by-his-mother-lay, now known as the town of Osmotherley, or so it is told.
For further information on the area try this link:
http://www.halikeld.f9.co.uk/holywells/north/rosebery.htm
and for photo’s of Roseberry Topping and other areas:
http://www.newfocusphoto.com/display.php?ref=danby_high_moor
Lord Stones to Stokesley
From Lord Stones, instead of going back to Chop Gate, we will descend the escarpment known as Carlton Bank, a very steep, narrow and winding road that takes us down to the valley we overlooked. From the bottom you can look back up at the top where previously you were standing overlooking the valley. Just a couple of miles further on we come to the pleasant market town of Stokesley. It has a long main street and a couple of car parks that were probably the original market squares. Between the sidewalks and the road there is a cobbled area where cars can park free.
When we were on our way home from Middlesborough we stopped off at Stokesley as I wanted to visit Boyes Store, to find some beads for a shawl I am knitting, and as we entered the town we were astounded to see that a huge Carnival had taken over all the car parks and the cobbled area throughout the town. I’ve never seen such a large carnival, it had literally taken over the town, extending down side streets too. They had arrived the previous night and were getting ready to open up for the evening, it was planned to be there for three days during the Stokesley Show which was taking place on a show field on the outskirts of the town. I bought my beads and then we stopped off in a little Italian Bistro for a coffee before setting off home, back along the main road leading through Chop Gate. It started to rain a little as we approached Helmsley. We Brits grumble about our weather constantly, too much rain, not enough summer, but in reality we should be thankful. It is the rain that keeps our fields so gloriously green and our trees and shrubs so abundant and healthy. Sometimes the green is almost dazzling.
I was asked about the food at Lord Stones Café, depending on the appetite we might just have a bowl of soup and a roll, but it is a BIG bowl and a BIG roll! If we are really hungry we will have maybe a roast, pork, beef or chicken with all the trimmings and of course the traditional Yorkshire pudding, or baked Gammon with fried eggs, chips (fries to you) and side salad. There are all kinds of sandwiches, cakes and desserts too. I wrote an article on Lord Stones Café back in 2003 which you can find here:
http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewArticle.asp?id=11000
Unfortunately I have just heard that the owner of Lord Stones has been receiving threats on Facebook recently due to an incident when over 1000 bikers turned up at the café. It can cope with quite a lot of people but certainly not that many at one time, and things became ugly when some of the bikers started using foul language and became aggressive because they couldn’t get served, frightening other customers. I hope it doesn’t happen again, it is such a lovely place to visit.
A Poem I wrote back in 2004 about Yorkshire that has been published several times.

Beauty of Yorkshire
Hills and vales carved by long lost
rivers and icy fingered glaciers,
sparkling streams and rocky shallows
flowing past Alder shaded banks
and daffodils in glorious profusion
proclaim the coming of Spring to the dales.
A valley filled with swirling white mist
where treetops float on an ethereal sea
lapping at verdant, bejewelled and
sun-kissed meadow lined shores,
a magical and mystical scene
and up above a lone curlew calls.
Vast and lonely windswept moorland,
home of purple heather and stunted trees,
habitat of grouse and tiger moth caterpillar,
fens and bogs and hidden Roman roads;
where grazing sheep, legendary ghosts
and strange creatures roam.
Across the wolds to the coast,
sandy beaches and cold North sea
quaint red roofed villages that
cling like limpets to crumbling cliffs
weathering the ravages of storm and sea,
defiant in the face of erosion.
Yorkshire is a treasury of
historic cities and small market towns,
picturesque coastal and inland villages
surrounded by diverse and magnificent scenery,
A county of exceptional beauty
and a sparkling gem in Britain’s crown.

Jackie S Brooks
11th September 2004 (c)

Tomorrow I will take you on a virtual tour in the opposite direction, from Little Barugh, where I live, to Thirsk, Ripon and the outskirts of Harrogate.

My Proddy Rug
I started this a couple of years ago then it ended up in the attic when I ran out of things to cut up. I needed more red to finish the border, but recently found what I needed at a jumble sale, some old red jackets I could cut into clips, so now the proddy rug is finished. It's the kind of carpet my grandma used to make, a big one for in front of the fire, and smaller ones for hall and bedrooms, we didn't have wall to wall carpet in those days, just lino.

My two boy cats, Rappy and Jet, love this new rug, Jet likes to 'kill' it, Rappy likes to sleep on it, it's thick, soft and warm.

Finished Proddy Rug

Proddy Rug Tool and clip of fabric Vintage Cane Carpet Beater

Virtual Tour of Yorkshire

2011-03-05T15:14:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I blogged anything, mainly due to illness, tiredness and lack of enthusiasm, though I have been knitting on and off, mostly socks which I am now addicted to! But around end of August and September I started writing this Virtual tour for some American friends on another website, one of whom had requested I tell them about Yorkshire in general, so I've decided to put it up here too, in installments.

Virtual Tour of Yorkshire

Well, where do I start? I love Yorkshire, especially the part I am in, the rural countryside. Most of my ancestors on my maternal side come from Yorkshire, though I was born in the south, so in a way I have come back to my roots. Where we are situated is a very rural area, with small market towns and villages. Our village has about 50 residents and is surrounded by agricultural land and sheep, some cattle and several large stables for race horse training.

Yesterday we made the 45 mile journey to Middlesbrough, taking the Stokesley road and passing through Helmsley where my son lives. Helmsley is another small market town and has an old ruined castle, plus Lady Feversham lives just outside Helmsley at Duncombe House, a big stately home. From Helmsley we travelled along a very narrow winding road, there are lots of steep hills and valleys, and the views are wonderful. Patchwork fields in varying shades of green dotted with sheep and cattle, many trees and patches of deciduous woodland and pineforest with picnic areas. Stone built farm houses and homes dotted here and there are built of the local sandstone, with red tiled roofs. The hills above them and beyond the fields are covered in bracken and heather, and the fields are divided by hedges of hawthorn, elderberry, crab apple and blackthorn. Plenty of habitat for the wildlife in the area, deer, badgers, bunnies etc.,

It's the 'silly season' for pheasants and grouse, mating time, and they were all over the place yesterday risking life and wing. It is a very busy road and the birds have no road sense at all. We had to slow down for a bunch of grouse playing around in the middle of the road, shortly after a car appeared behind us and he had to stop altogether. Unfortunately a lot of the birds do get killed.

About halfway to Stokesley we come to a village called Chop Gate, which in local dialect is called 'Chopyat' - if we take a side tour from there, turning off halfway through the village onto a hairpin bend which leads onto a narrow single lane road travelling up a hill for about 3.5 miles we come to a place called Lordstones Cafe, one of our favourite places. It is out in the wilds of Carlton Bank and the cafe is built into a hillside so all you can see is the front. It's very popular with bikers, hikers, tourists and locals, has a very extensive menu and is very reasonable price-wise. As you exit the cafe and look left you can see what looks like the start of a golf course, but it isn't. Walking up between stands of Rowan and fir you come to a 5000 year old standing stone with Celtic markings on it, Walking on up the hill towards the horizon you realise the turf beneath your feet is quite springy and has lots of small wild flowers growing in it. Looking on all you can see is hill top and sky but eventually you come to the edge of a 1000 foot drop into the valley below, spreading out as far as the eye can see on a clear day, more fields, sheep that look like cotton wool blobs and cattle, and way off to the north is the city of Middlesbrough and the northeast coast. It is so quiet, except for the occasional twitter of birds, a hikers voice on the wind or the sound of a tractor far below. Off to the right is a conical shaped hill called Roseberry Topping that has a tragic legend associated with it, tomorrow I'll tell you the tragic tale of the king and queen and their young son.

5000 year old Celtic Standing Stone

The white dots are sheep

To be continued.....

PS I met James Herriot back in 1986 and he autographed a copy of his book for me, his real name was Alfred White and he lived in Thirsk. He passed away some years ago.

Snow in Little Barugh

2010-11-29T09:49:00.001-08:00

Photo's taken on the 28th and 29th of November 2010. One photo taken at the "Sticky Fingers" Children's party in Gate Helmsley, several at the Abbey Nursing Home in Old Malton and the rest in my garden. Click on the little square at bottom left of the video to see the photo locations.

The Mayfly (Poem)

2010-05-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

The Mayfly

A tranquil scene in sight and sounds

The river and banks where life abounds

The jewelled flash of a Kingfishers wings

And sunlight sparkling in dappled rings

The rippling waters gliding by

Are so tempting to the young Mayfly

A cloud of water sprites who take a chance

And upon these sparkling waters dance

The waters part in a rainbow hued flash

Crystalline droplets falling with a splash

Showers of diamonds from glistening scales

And the hungry trout's leap rarely fails

When his sharp eye is upward glancing

And he catches sight of the Mayfly dancing.

Jackie S Brooks (c)

20th May 2004

Finished Boat Neck Sweater

2010-05-05T13:48:00.000-07:00

I finished the boat neck sweater finally, after several stops and starts while doing other things, like reading books and doing some gardening now that the weather is beginning to improve, just a little.

I committed a cardinal sin in not first knitting a gauge/tension square, and the Peter Pan Darling Fleck DK seems to knit up more like chunky. Also I should have used smaller needles, so the result is a sweater that is longer and rather loose, good to wear with pants though. The Darling Fleck is a chenille and looks and feels more like a velvety fabric than an ordinary knit, it is very soft and cuddly warm. I think once I have typed out the complete instructions I might just start knitting another, but do a swatch first this time, and use smaller needles. I wore the sweater today and it was admired and commented on by several people, so it can't be too bad!

Books
I've read two books recently, one by my favourite author Elizabeth Chadwick, 'The Greatest Knight' a story about William Marshall, Earl of Pembroke, a 12th Century Knight who served four kings and was a man of real integrity. Elizabeth has a fantastic way of weaving stories around real people and events. She always keeps me hooked, the house could fall down around my ears and I probably wouldn't notice! The sequel to this one is called 'The Scarlet Lion.'

The second book was 'Wolfskin' by Juliet Marillier. It is the first time I have read one of her books, and it also kept me glued, I didn't want to put it down, so now I need to go find the sequel 'Foxmask' - Wolfskin is the tale of a young Viking warrior - Eyvind, who is among the first ship load of Viking settlers to reach the Orkney Islands, they come under a chieftain called Ulf who intends to settle in friendship with the islanders, but due to the ambitions of the Ulf's younger brother Somerled, murder and mayhem follow and Somerled sets himself up as King of the Island, it is up to Eyvind and Nessa, an Orkney Princess, to put a stop to Somerled's reign of terror.

Now I would like to go visit the Orkney Islands, see the Standing Stones and some of the special places she mentioned that really do exist. Juliet Marillier has a fan club on Facebook.

Experimental Sweater

2010-04-09T02:14:00.000-07:00

One of the sweaters pictured in my last blog is the dusty pink boat neck, it's my favourite and was knitted from a pattern in a magazine some years ago. I have since lost or mislaid the pattern so decided to try to recreate it. I spent the weekend counting rows and stitches, decreases and increases, it is a fitted design. The number of stitches to cast on was easy to work out because the welt, cuffs and neckline are worked in a Double Eyelet rib that is a multiple of 7 + 2 stitches.

Now I've got the pattern roughly worked out I've made a start with some left over acrylic Bergere Barisienne yarn from another project, and some Peter Pan Darling Fleck No. 390 (Lemon), a lovely soft chenille, I only have 250gr of the latter but have sent for more via the Internet.

So far, so good. If it works out I intend to knit a third sweater in a nice soft Merino, haven't decided what colour yet.

It would be a case of Murphy's Law now if I suddenly find my lost pattern somewhere, though I have searched everywhere, including the attic!

Photographs and Interfering Cats!

2010-04-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

Why is it that cats think they have to supervise everything we humans do, don't they think we are competant, or are they just grabbing the lime-light? When I photographed my Fishtail and Chalice Lace Socks, Jet had to get into the act, and decided my legs made a good cat basket.

Fishtail Lace Socks and Jet in his 'cat basket.'

When I took a pic of Jim's Triple Rib socks tonight, Rappy had to stick his nose in, right in the camera lens, but they are both so cute I let their pics stay!

Rappy the lens hugger!

Yesterday whilst in town for the Saturday market, I paid a visit to a local dress shop that was closing down that day, and moving stock to smaller premises. I had asked several months back if the owner would be willing to sell me one of her window dummies, so I brought one home. Jet and Rappy came into the room after I had set it up, ready to take photo's of some sweaters. They were both extremely wary, creeping up on it in a low, belly to the floor stalking fashion. They were both very suspicious of this strange, headless, one-legged, three toe'd creature, and they were not convinced when I told them it was 'armless...!

'Inishmaan' Sweater

An Alice Starmore pattern

The cardigan on the left is a flared lacy pattern that I knitted several years ago, the centre pic is of a sweater I knitted sideways from cuff to cuff, using up all my odd balls of DK and numerous pattern stitches from the Harmony Guide to Knitting stitches. The boat neck sweater on the right is one of my favourites, the pattern came from a magazine and unfortunately I have lost it, it has double eyelet rib on welt, cuffs and neckline.

This top from a Wendy pattern was worked in Velvet Flake on large needles, it has a zipper part way down from the collar, even though it is a loose knit and is Acrylic it is extremely warm and cosy, even on the coldest, windiest day.

Chalice Lace Socks, I love this pattern, knitted in Claudia's hand dyed yarn, 'Seashell'

Last but not least, my Fishtail Lace socks knitted in Lorna's Laces yarn, 'Seaside' - the yarn was a gift from a friend and the dyelots were different, which went unnoticed until I started knitting, but I love them anyway, the yarn has a natural striping tendency as can be seen from the toes, but the Fishtail Lace pattern gives it a nice textured and speckled effect I think.

Socks, Books and Computer Woe's!

2010-03-30T01:36:00.000-07:00

About three weeks ago my computer was attacked by 14 Trojans and 6 virus's, a friend cleaned up my hard drive for me but I am still unable to connect with the Internet so I'm borrowing my DH's computer for this.

Also due to a pain problem, now hopefully going away, I have spent more time reading than knitting, it helped take my mind off the problem. I love historical novels, especially those by Elizabeth Chadwick, she writes about real people and events, weaving a wonderful story around them. I also like adventure and have just finished Nicholas Evans book 'The Smoke Jumpers' - he is also the author of 'The Horse Whisperer' among others. I was in tears several times whilst reading the The Smoke Jumpers.

When I finally regained my ambition to knit I started on a pair of Chalice Lace Socks in Claudia's hand painted yarn, Seashells, I wanted to do a seashell pattern but didn't care for the one I tried out and ended up choosing the Chalice pattern instead, but was very happy with the result.

Then I started another pair with Lorna's Laces Seaside yarn and chose the Fishtail pattern. The yarn has a natural striping effect which is on the soles, but the Fishtail pattern changed the striping to a speckled and textured effect which I really like. The yarn was a gift and once I had started I realised there were two different dyelots, so I actually have two odd socks, but I don't care, I love them.

I had also started a pair for my DH Jim, in brown 'Whiskey' - it has a slight blue fleck in it, and as it is a fairly dark shade of brown I chose to do a plain 3 knit, 3 purl rib, I'm about two inches above the heel flap right now.

I haven't taken any photo's of the finished pairs yet but as soon as I can get them onto my computer, then transferred to a disc and then onto Flickr, I will add them.

I have bought two of Alice Starmore's books via Amazon, 'Sweaters for Men' and 'The Celtic Collection' - next month I will send for her 'Fishermens Sweaters' book. In October the book containing the St. Brigid pattern is to be re-published, so I hope to buy that one too, I certainly can't afford the present outrageous prices of the second hand copies.

Now that my pain problem is under control we have started playing Petanque on Sunday afternoons again, and in May will probably play on Wednesday evenings too. We treated ourselves to an early wedding anniversary present (April Fools Day!) and bought ourselves a set of steel boules. Our aim seems to have improved with them!!

One of the Petanque club members is a sheep farmer, he offered me another fleece, a beautiful Jacob this time. He has a flock of Jacobs and lots of lovely little lambs, they were all bedded on thick straw and looked so clean and cute, some had tiny budding horns.

I still have the four other fleeces to wash as well, so I hope my back behaves...!

Alice Starmore 'Inishmaan' Sweater

2010-02-18T07:45:00.000-08:00

I finally finished my first Alice Starmore sweater, 'Inishmaan' knitted in Loganberry coloured yarn. The charted cable patterns are easy to follow and once into the swing of things not difficult at all, but keeping a note of what row you are on is important.

The knotwork up the centre front panel is my favourite, the back centre panel is not quite so decorative as the front. Overall it is a beautiful pattern and very satisfying to finish. Now I want to knit another of the Starmore patterns, maybe St. Brigid.

I've read in several places that Alice Starmore's books are going to be published again, not before time. The second hand books available on Amazon are way beyond my price tag.

This close up is of the front centre panel.

Jim's Oversocks for Wellington Boots

2010-01-14T03:21:00.000-08:00

I decided I wanted to knit Jim a pair of Submariner socks and bought 200g of DK Acrylic-Wool mix yarn. Unfortunately it is just a bit too thin for that kind of sock, I really need Aran or maybe even Chunky.

So they are now Oversocks, to be worn over a normal pair of woollen socks and over his pants/trousers. I started with Judy's Magic Cast-on at the toe, then was going to do k4,p4 rib but decided to do an elongated cable stitch, so every 10th row was the cable. I knitted them slightly longer than normal on the foot, did a slip stitch heel and then worked another 10 cables plus 5 rows of k2,p2 rib before using the Russian bind-off. (65 rows total)

They turned out well, fit comfortably over his normal socks and his pants, and his feet are not cramped within the boot. So we are both pleased with them.

I still want to knit him a pair of Submariners socks with a cabled cuff to turn over the top of the boot.

The Santa Special (Poem)

2009-12-23T11:30:00.000-08:00

The Santa Special

Over snow capped mountains and deep valley's below,

circling cities and villages where lights twinkle and glow

Donner and Blitzen lead Santa's reindeer team,

pulling his sleigh as sleeping children dream.

They travel so fast across a star studded sky

they'll be at your house in the twinkling of an eye.

Dancer and Prancer will dance on your roof,

the sound of their hooves on the tiles is your proof.

Comet and Cupid are so gentle and kind

they take care of Santa and make sure he's not left behind.

Because Dasher and Vixen are an impatient pair,

they would leave Santa in his old rocking chair,

or halfway up your chimney after delivering the toys;

these two mischievous reindeer can be such naughty boys.

Santa brings presents for all, young and old,

On Christmas night, gifts from the heart more precious than gold.

If you would like to leave Santa a gift,

Milk and a chocolate chip cookie give his spirit a lift.

The reindeer like carrots, except for our Prancer,

he prefers turnips, and he shares them with Dancer.

So on Christmas Eve when you go to bed

shut your eyes tight and rest your sleepy head,

Then in the morning rise with the sun,

It's time to play with new toys and have lots of fun.

Jackie S Brooks (c)
December 2007

Santa Special

2009-12-21T08:24:00.000-08:00

The night before our third Sunday on the Santa Special we were worried we might not be able to get out of the village, we should have attended the annual Christmas Dance on Saturday night but there was a second fall of snow late afternoon, unknown to us until we stepped outside the house all dressed up in our costumes. We had at least a foot of snow, it had banked up against the car wheels and we couldn't get out.

Sunday morning Jim heard what he thought was a snow plough go through the village, it was actually one of our local farmers who was using his tractor with an attachment to push some of the snow off the road. It was still thick but after some digging and huffing and puffing Jim managed to get the car out of its parking space and off we went.

At the station I walked into the cafe where volunteers and members of staff were congregating over hot coffee and a big cheer went up, they had all heard we might not be able to get in.

The first train was set to leave at 9.45am but due to frozen points, frozen diesel and a cranky generator it was unable to move. So the passengers who had been able to get to the station boarded the train anyway and took their turns to visit with Santa in the Grotto. Quite a lot of people from further afield couldn't make it due to impassable roads.

The second train was able to leave the station, yet again with a smaller contingent of passengers than it should have had, by the time we reached Levisham we had been visited by all the children. Then we got stuck again as the engine had to cross to another line, make its way back down to the other end of the train, cross back onto our line and back up to link with the carriages. But the points were all frozen there too, it took a little while but finally we were on the move again on our return to Pickering. Santa and I spent the return trip walking through the six long carriages talking to the children and their parents. Lots more photo's were taken with a number of families, and then they started singing Christmas carols to us. Everyone seemed to be in a happy and jovial mood when they reached Pickering. We left the train and went back to the cafe to have our lunch, it was cut short when a family who had driven a long way and arrived too late for the train asked if they could see Santa, so it was back to the Grotto for a short time, they couldn't stay for the third train as they had to rush off to York to catch another train.

The third and fourth trains ran ok and we had a good time with the children and their parents, walking the carriages again after the third one and everyone had been to the grotto. After the fourth train arrived back in Pickering we all went into the Marquee for hot coffee and mince pies before going home.

During the day, between trains we were filmed by a BBC camera team, and Santa was on the BBC 6pm news, unfortunately for me they cut the clip short so I wasn't in it when it was shown.

When we arrived back home we couldn't get back into our parking space due to the piled up snow again, so this time Jim had to dig his way back in!

Tonight we have the local Council's children's party to attend, then we will be visiting with friends who are staying in a hotel in town, up from Hampshire in the south...at least I hope they have arrived!!!

Tomorrow we will be back on the train again, our last day.

Alice Starmore Sweater

2009-12-18T10:01:00.000-08:00

Inishmaan SweaterLast night I started on this sweater, I've been wanting to knit one of Alice Starmore's famous patterns for a long time. I'd love to do it in 100% wool but for now have to be satisfied with an Acrylic Aran yarn with wool. I love the welt, the honeycomb pattern makes it more interesting, and it continues up into the main pattern of cables, twists and Celtic knots. The colour I chose is Loganberry, I have a length of Harris Tweed that I purchased from Katie Campbell on the Isle of Harris some years ago and have yet to make into a skirt, the colour of the yarn matches it perfectly. I'll post updates as I go along.

Socks, and more Socks!

2009-12-18T08:52:00.000-08:00

Broadripple Socks

I have been lazy and neglectful of this blog for a while, but I have been busy knitting socks! The Broadripple Socks pictured here I made for myself are knitted in Schoeller + Stahl Sockina Cotton. The Broadripple sock designed by Rob Matyska is normally knitted from the top down but I reversed the process and knitted them from the toe up.

Lace and Cable Socks

This variegated green pair are knitted in Loopy Legends, from Loopy Ewe, my friend Maryjo in California sent me the yarn for these, they are one of Wendy D Johnson's toe up patterns. I prefer knitting toe-up socks as theyare much easier to fit to the foot and get the heel in the right place. I used Judy's magic cast on, slip stitch heels and the Russian bind-off.

Basic Gusset Heel Socks
This pair for Jim were knitted in Woolcraft Superwash wool, on the foot the variations in colour came out as small stripes but on the leg turned into diagonal tiger stripes. Other than that they have no pattern, just a basic stocking stitch. I used JMCO, sl st heel and Russian bind off again. The Russian bind off is really great, it isn't tight on the leg but stays up.

Cable & Double Moss Stitch Diamond Socks

This latest pair I knitted for Jim in Araucania Ranco Multi, the second pair in this colour. The first pair were mock cable but I decided to make up my own pattern using my Harmony book of knitting stitches. The detail shows up better on the close-up of the foot. I ran out of wool before reaching the length Jim wanted so bought another hank with the same batch number, but the shade is different. Since the yarn is hand-dyed in Peru I guess you can't be sure of a total match. Jim now has four pairs of hand knitted socks and he loves them, they fit perfectly and he says they are really warm and comfortable. I have two more batches of sock wool to use for him, and a skein of Claudia's handpainted sock yarn for myself, but I'm going to give the socks a rest for a while as I have just started a sweater for myself.

More Mock Cable Socks

2009-10-29T03:28:00.000-07:00

Jim liked his first pair of Mock Cable Socks so much I decided to knit a second pair with the Araucania Ranco Multy in shades of brown. The first pair were a wee bit too big, though that hasn't been a problem. They keep his feet toastie warm and Jim finds them very comfortable.

So with a couple of changes, i.e. a few less stitches and rows on the foot width and length, and a change of needle size for the leg, he now has a pair that fit perfectly.

I really like the toe-up patterns, and this time I used Judy's magic cast on which I think gives a much nicer smoother toe line.

I used the sl1, k1 heel and the Russan bind off to finish the leg.

The cable pattern can be confusing if you are not paying attention, or feeling tired. The first three cross to the right and the second three to the left. Several times I lost concentration and went right when I should have gone left, then had to get my crochet hook to work on the offending cable, easier than having to frog a couple of rounds!

I always use my Addi Circulars for socks now, I think they are the best circulars ever.

Betty's Carpet Slippers

2009-09-06T02:29:00.000-07:00

Betty is a lovely lady and the mother of a friend of ours, and she has just celebrated her 90th birthday. Her birthday dinner cum party was held at The Golden Ball, better known as 'Snatchems' near Heysham, Lancashire.

I designed and knitted the slippers for her, they have a double sole with a foam inner. I don't normally knit in black if I can avoid it as it is hard on the eyes, but black was requested so I brightened them up a little with the pink I-cords.

As soon as I have written out the pattern, and worked out changes for different sizes (Betty's are size 4) I will publish the pattern on www.ravelry.com under the title 'Inner Sanctum Slippers.' I intend making at least three more pairs, for another friend, myself and my DH Jim.

The soles and top gusset are knitted on 3.00mm straight needles and 3.00mm circulars for the uppers. The I-cords were worked in DK on 2 - 2.50mm dpn's. I also used a 3.0mm crochet hook to join the bottom and upper sole together using 1/2 dble crochet.

The venue for the party is an old Tavern on the estuary at Heysham, now a pub/restaurant, it earned its nickname of 'Snatchems' during the days when men were press-ganged into service for the Navy, in a very sneaky way in this case. If a man drank his tankard of ale and found a coin in the bottom, he was presumed to have accepted the 'Kings Shilling' albeit unknowingly. Then the glass bottomed tankard came about, so a man could check the bottom of his tankard and refuse it if it contained a coin. (Since the pub is quite isolated, I hope those who refused a tankard stayed sober enough to avoid a knock on the head when leaving the premises!)

Spinning Wheel

2009-09-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

My Norwegian style spinning wheel, It is a working model but spent several years as a shop window decoration, the shop is now closing down so it was put up for sale.

I have never done any spinning before but hope to learn PDQ! I have two Ryeland fleeces and two black Welsh Mountain fleeces to scour. They will also need combing or carding but as combs are so expensive I think I am either going to have to buy dog combs and brushes, or make my own combs using harness needles.

I've had a couple of practice runs on the spinning wheel, the resulting yarn is nowhere near perfect but not too bad either, although on the second practice it did run away with me a bit, and I could have used a longer pair of arms! The result was too much twist in the yarn.

I'll get there in the end, I just hope my cats don't get their whiskers in the way!

Sheep Shearing Day

2009-07-11T09:40:00.000-07:00

Hector the Big Tup waiting his turn.

On Friday 10th July my friend Pat called me to let me know her little flock of Ryeland sheep were being sheared that morning, so Jim and I grabbed our camera's and took off for the farm. The Ryelands have very thick, soft fleece, it covers their eyes so the can't see where they are going most of the time, and it also goes all the way down their legs to their feet. Pat has two Tups, Jamie and Hector, plus four Ewes and a number of lambs born this year. The lambs are adorable, a couple had to be given extra milk by bottle and one earned itself the name Safeway, and I think another is called Morrison! I bought both Jamie and Hector's fleece, so now I need to learn how to clean and wash them etc., Followed by carding and spinning.

One of the lambs:

"Am I next?"

"Hey Maa, you do look funny!"

"I don't think we want to go there!"

Hector is almost shorn.

Hector leaving with Jamie following.

Mock Cable Socks

2009-05-31T09:01:00.000-07:00

I started the Mock Cable socks, a toe-up pattern from Wendy D. Johnson's book, 'Socks from the Toe-up' on the 19th May. I was hoping to have them finished by the KAL deadline on the Ravelry group named after the book, but unfortunately that wasn't to be. I finished them today, the 31st May. I did a variation of the stitch pattern, so they are not strictly a cable, but more like a Celtic plait. As I was knitting them for my husband Jim, I knitted them extra long, he's not keen on short socks.

I started off with one 100gr skein of Araucania, but thought I might need another as I was knitting them extra long, as it turned out I only needed a tiny amount extra, so I have enough left to make a pair of socks for myself .

I used two 3.00mm circulars, but when I make him a second pair with another skein of Araucania that I have in Multi shades of cream and brown I think I will drop down a size.

With them being extra long, and working them both at the same time, they didn't seem to be growing very fast, anyway I am happy with them and glad that they are finished. They are the first pair I have made for Jim.

Lilac

2009-05-28T03:06:00.000-07:00

Lilac is one of my favourite flowers, I have three bushes in my gardens, the one in my front garden is a rambling, spreading kind of bush that my husband keeps threatening to cut right back. He will take his life in his hands if he does!!

It has now spread it's branches to the pathway, the birds love to perch in it when waiting for a space on the bird table, or trying to avoid next doors cat! The close up on the right was taken last year, the photo on the left I took this morning, unfortunately the beautiful blossoms have been beaten up by the wind and rain we have had recently and are beginning to die off.

The dead tree behind it was a beautiful ornemental Cherry that up and died on us a couple of years ago, we should have removed it, but again it is a favourite perch for the numerous birds that flock to our feeders. So now I am training a Clematis around it's trunk, but sooner or later some of the tallest branches will have to be removed.

The lilac in our back garden is a deeper colour and the blossoms are not as big and showy as the one pictured. Down in our lower garden there is a third one, similar to the back garden bush. They all have a glorious scent, I'd like to put some in a vase but they never seem to last more than a few days, so I leave the blossoms on the tree/bush, that way we can enjoy them a little longer.

My New Tricycle!

2009-05-22T02:56:00.000-07:00

A week ago I bought a Tricycle, (I always wanted one as a child, but never got one, so now I've made that wish come true, in my second childhood!!) and rode it home, a journey of just under 5 miles. I was tired and expected to ache next day, but I didn't. Wonder of wonders!

It takes a bit of getting used to on the narrow country roads, they mostly have a dodgy camber, which can pull the wheels where you don't wish to go, not to mention the steep hills around us. But I'm hoping to go out early mornings as often as possible, and try to get fit.

This morning I went for an early morning ride and Jim accompanied me on his bicycle, we only did a couple of miles this time, we had a longish steep hill to climb and I rode most of the way up before having to stop for a breather. On the way back home I coasted down that hill and the wind on my face felt good, a big white Barn Owl flew over the top of my head. I didn't see him but Jim, who was behind me, did.

I was ready for breakfast when we got back home. Glad we went out early as it started to rain again.

More Socks!

2009-05-22T02:08:00.000-07:00

Well I am truly hooked on socks now, I finished my second pair, top down Pomatomus socks by Cookie A. I used Araucania Ranco Multi for these, I love the pattern but found chart B rather confusing.

I am now working on my third pair, this time for Jim, also in Araucania Ranco, supposedly a Solid PT490, but it does have slight variations of shading in it. I would call it a Teal colour. This pair are worked from the toe up, and the Mock Cable pattern is from Wendy D Johnson's book 'Socks from the Toe Up.' Instead of the reverse cables I have used a variation of the stitch to create a Mock Celtic Cable.

In my 'Stash' I have another 100gr skein of Araucania Ranco Multi PT500, shades of browns and creams, for another pair of socks for Jim, but will have to buy another 100gr as he likes his socks fairly long.

Plus my friend MaryJo sent me a skein of L-B's Lucky Day 100% Superwash Merino Wool from Loopy Legends, theloopyewe company, shades running from Cream thru yellow, green, pale blue to almost Royal blue. So I need to find a special pattern to use with that.

I've used a pair of circulars with all the socks, and definitely prefer them to dpn's.

Sock it to me!

2009-04-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

It's a long time since my last blog. I keep letting myself get side-tracked with other things and forget my blog!

I've been busy working on my very first pair of socks. Couldn't start with something simple, quick and easy. No, I decided to knit a pair of Latvian style socks, with three strands, so it took me a while to get finished. But I finally finished them last night, and I am happy with them, which is good considering I didn't follow a pattern, except for the heel part. I used three different charts, two I made up myself, one for the sole, the other for the leg; and the chart for the instep was a variation of Vidzeme chart # 76 in Lizbeth Upitis book, Latvian Mittens.

Having knitted them with three strands of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino means they are quite thick, so I won't be wearing them with shoes, they will keep my feet warm next winter whenever I have to wear boots or Wellies, and they are VERY warm! It's a pity they will be hidden under boots as they look so pretty, pretty enough to wear as slipper socks.

I'm so pleased with my first attempt at socks that I've bought two Sock books off Amazon, 'Socks From the Toe Up' by Wendy D Johnson and another called 'Sock Innovation: Knitting Techniques and Patterns for One-of-a-Kind Socks' by Cookie. A' - which hasn't arrived yet - so hopefully by next winter I'll have a sock drawer full of my very own hand knitted socks.

Frustrations

2009-03-11T08:48:00.000-07:00

It has been a week of frustrations, first the head gasket blowing and having to dispose of the car because it just wasn't worth the £600 - £800 it would have cost to fix, not to mention the other bits and pieces that needed replacing on it, like tyres and exhaust, followed by re-taxing and then M.O.T.

Then we found a second hand car but, frustration of frustrations, we can't re-tax at the Post Office because the car's classification code has to be changed from a disabled code to an ordinary drivers code, we have to go to our nearest DVLA Office to do that, and it is miles away, we have no transport and there is no bus service. If we do it by post we will be without transport for at least two weeks, and there is no decent bus service from our village. Seems to me the powers that be do everything they can to make life difficult.

On top of that I sent off a cheque to my rent office and forgot to sign the wretched thing, I can't get to them either so have had to post out a second one, signed this time!

On the knitting front, I knitted a pair of Raspberry Bed Socks using Aran weight instead of DK as I intended using them as travel slippers and wanted something a little sturdier, I also used larger needles as the pattern only went up to a 9" foot and mine is 10" - but I over-compensated and the slippers fit my DH, so on our overnight trip later this month he had better not leave the hotel room in them or he would probably get some very funny looks, they are a sexy red with a heart-shaped pattern of bobbles on the toes, at least the ties are a masculine brown! Now I am working on another pair but have gone back to the needles stated in the pattern.

Today I bought 200g of 4 ply Araucania Ranco, 100g in Multi - shades of blues, purples, pinks and turquoise, and 100g of Solid in a dark teal. I want to use it to knit the 'Latvian Dances' socks. I also bought 100g of 'Sprinkles' in a variegated Blueberry, to knit the King Cole Teddy Bear on their pattern leaflet # 2000.

Blown a Gasket!

2009-03-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

I haven't been blogging for a while due to not feeling too well lately, plus I've been busy typing, formatting and printing our church newsletter again, for a bi-monthly it seems to come round rather quickly; and I'm counting my last Air Ambulance cans, two more batches and I'm done, permanently, we decided it was getting to be too much as we cover a very large area, so we are retiring as voluntary collectors.

Last week was quite stressful, the car was playing up, we'd blown a gasket, no we hadn't, Oh yes we had! Two days ago, in a cloud of steam, we crawled into our local friendly garage and they confirmed it, a crack in the head gasket was spewing water. Today we managed to drive it the 8 miles into our local wreckers yard, poor thing wasn't worth saving, not at approximately a £700.00 cost to fit a new gasket. I remember back in the 60's I actually cut out a gasket from a sheet of cork for a vehicle we had then, things have become so complicated and expensive. If it wasn't for Veterinary bills I'd be tempted to go back to a horse and buggy! (With a bucket and shovel on board for the Rose fertiliser!) So for the time being we are without transport. We caught the bus back to the next village to ours, (we don't have a a decent bus service to our village) and started walking, fortunately halfway home a neighbour drove up and gave us a lift the rest of the way, as Bill Cosby might say, "It's up hill both ways." Sounds crazy but it's true.

This week I started knitting Deluxe Chux Tux for my friend Margaret, she lives in the village with the bus service! She has just aquired 4 rescued chuks, one isn't too badly off for feathers, two are partially clad and one is practically bald, poor things were classified as 'Free Range' in spite of the fact they only got to see the inside of a barn with thousands of other chuks. They arrived home yesterday and this morning Margaret found three eggs waiting for her, they were busily exploring their new domain this afternoon and scratching around the apple trees, they sounded happy.

I've also started knitting a pair of Raspberry Bedsocks, (Ravelry Database) but I will be using them as slippers when we go down for an overnight trip to London later this month. Got to travel light, that will be a major accomplishment for me! I'm knitting the small size in Aran instead of DK yarn, and on 4.5mm and 5mm needles instead of 3.25mm and 3.50mm needles as the pattern doesn't have my size listed. (And no, I am not Big Foot!) They seem to be working out OK so far.

Film, Slide Show and Decluttering!

2009-02-21T08:49:00.000-08:00

Finally got to see Slumdog Millionaire last Thursday, and really enjoyed the film, it was an eye-opener, seeing those vast areas of slum dwellings and the terrible way the poorest people have to live. The children constantly running the alleys, rooftops and huge rubbish dumps, being chased by police, or worse, religious fanatics who hate them, for any child getting away from that kind of life, and the people who would take advantage of them, would be a miracle. Someone on TV yesterday described the film as 'depressing' - but for all the depiction of life in the slums, the beatings and cruelty, sadness etc., the film still managed to show a lighthearted and funny side to things also. The sound track was a mix of Hindi and English, with subtitles where necessary and it was easy to follow. The happy ending for Jamal and Latika was great, and the closing scene of people dancing on the station platform which was shown after the credits was uplifting too.

For the last few days I have been too busy decluttering and dumping unwanted stuff, and shampooing the living room carpet to do any knitting. Now I have to start typing up our church bi-monthly newsletter to be published by the first Sunday in March. Then we need to go up into the attic and start decluttering up there too. Spring must be in the air - somewhere!!

Last night we went to our local camera club meeting where a man presented a slide show of the trekking holiday that he, his wife and 11 year old son took in the Annapurna range of the Himalayas back in 2007. Not a well known trekking trail either, in some places the trail was not evident at all to us, just extremely steep shale covered or rock strewn mountain slopes, and rickety wooden bridges crossing 300 foot gorges. They must all be extremely fit people, and brave. His photos were really spectacular.

Quick Thaw, Green Comet Lulin

2009-02-16T15:08:00.000-08:00

Our big black cat Jet was watching birds on the feeding station just outside the window, but he appears to be looking at the Christmas Robin I painted on the window.

Overnight we had a quick thaw on the low lying area of the Vale of Pickering, so now the rivers have burst their banks again. The Hawardian Hills to the south and the moors to the north still have a lot of snow on them. My snow cat has disappeared most likely, I haven't been down the lower garden to look, it is just too soggy down there.

We have been watching the night sky over the last week and are fairly sure that we have spotted the green comet Lulin, between now and the 24th it should definitely be visible to the naked eye. It is described by NASA as a rare green comet of great beauty, if you want to read about it, go to: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/04feb_greencomet.htm?list1058870

Yesterday I knitted a second neckwarmer with the remaining Wendy Velvet Flake and gave it to my friend Margaret. Now she won't pinch mine!

Snow Cat found resting in Little Barugh garden

2009-02-13T03:43:00.000-08:00

Found this snow-cat in my lower garden this morning!!

It is a sunny morning today and the snow has already melted off the trees, but is still very crisp under foot.

We had to cancel our trip to the cinema last night, a friend who lives in Malton who was to be with us called to tell us all roads into town were gridlocked, and people travelling home from York, usually around a 35-40 minute journey, were stuck on the road for four hours. There are two very steep hills on that road, one a notorious black spot.

The film is still showing next week, so hopefully we can still get to see it.

Off to make some warming winter soup now, and maybe do some knitting later.

It's Snowing again

2009-02-12T06:58:00.001-08:00

The view from our bedroom window at 07:40 this morning, you can just see a little bit of snow left on the Hawardian Hills on the horizon. It was slowly melting away.
Whilst in town this morning the snow started falling again, by 14:22 it looked like this, and it has not stopped snowing since. It is getting really thick now.

The same view as # 1 - from our bedroom window at 14:22 - it was still snowing and the Hawardian Hills have disappeared

Our front yard. Jim filled up the bird feeders and the bird table, there are bird tracks all over the snow.

Tonight we are going to the cinema to see 'Slum Dog Millionaire' with a couple of friends. I hope we don't get snowed out of the village!!

Jacsels Neckwarmer Pattern

2009-02-09T13:02:00.000-08:00

I used Wendy Velvet Flake for this pattern, it is equivalent to Aran 10 ply. As it doesn't lend itself to patterned stitches, I used plain garter stitch. If using plain Aran yarn, you could use any pattern stitch you fancy.

I used less than 100g

1 Pair 7.5mm needles

1 Pair 4mm dpn's for I-cord

Using 7.5mm needles cast on 40 stitches.

Work 20 rows

21st row: *K1, K2 tog, repeat from * across row (27 stitches remain)

Work 90 more rows (You may need to adjust here according to neck size, 21st row to last row on needle should meet comfortably around neck.)

112th. row: K1, *K2 tog, repeat from * across row (14 stitches remain)

Knit 2 more rows.

Cast off 10 stitches, transfer 4 remaining stitches to 4mm dpn's and work the I-cord, approx. 20 rows, cut yarn and thread through the 4 stitches and fasten off. Stitch I-cord to beginning of cast off row to form a loop.

Pass the wide end of the Neckwarmer through the I-cord to hold in place.

The neckwarmer can be turned into a Turban-style hat by wrapping around the head with the loop at centre front, pass the wide end through the loop and lay over the back of the head. It can also be worn as a headscarf, fastening under the chin. Use the link below for a downloadable .pdf file.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/13289439/Jacsels-Neck-Warmer-Hat

Snow, Fog and Neckwarmers!

2009-02-09T01:17:00.001-08:00

This morning we woke up to another fall of snow during the night, not a heavy one, but enough to cover the fields and hide the grass, soil etc., Jims' cleared footpaths are now covered again. Also the fog came down with it and all we can see from our bedroom window is one tree just a few feet away. Not a good day to go driving, especially as there seems to have been a lot of crazy driving recently, must be getting close to a full moon again!

As for the knitting, I still have not got around to looking at Sweater patterns, nor have I obtained any sock wool. So last night with my hands itching to grab a pair of knitting needles, I went looking for something to do. I found some left-over yarn from a previous project, Wendy Velvet Flake, in a lovely Lilac shade. It feels very soft and warm, and as just lately I have started wearing a woolly scarf versus a silky one I decided to knit a neckwarmer. I'm not using a pattern but making it up as I go along and writing it down too. So if it works out OK I will publish the instructions on my Blog when it is finished. I am about 55% finished, using 7.5 needles makes it go quickly and I am just using garter stitch, the yarn is very nobbly (or should I say flaky!) so fancy stitches would be lost anyway. The yarn is equivalent to an Aran weight so if plain Aran was used, a stitch pattern would be nice.

Yesterday Jim decided to start decluttering the outhouse, so today we will be visiting the local Tip. Lots of unused buckets and boxes, plus a few defunct household article, two old toasters, two old kettles, and various tins of paint that have solidified over the past few years..etc.,etc.,etc.,

18:07 - The fog has stayed with us all day, it's damp, cold and miserable outside. We went to the dump, did some banking for YAA, and went to see what is on at the Cinema this week. Yay - 'Slum Dog Millionaire' is showing, so I've booked for four on Thursday night. Jim won a voucher for four in a Christmas Raffle and this film sounds worth watching. It's won plenty of BAFTA awards. I haven't been to the cinema for ages, in fact the last film I saw was Mel Gibsons' 'The Passion' when it was first released over here. So Thursday night Jim, me and Margaret, plus one other, will be off to Malton Palace Cinema, we even get free popcorn and drinks!

Now I am off to do some more knitting on my neckwarmer while I wait for my home-made 'Tikkastrone' soup to cook, it's just the night for something hot and spicy.

Rappy and the new Oven TV!

2009-02-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

My new Belling cooker.

Rappy is fascinated with

it, he even crawled inside

it last night after I had

removed the racks and

shelves to wash off the

protective coating of oil.

Right: Rappy watching

Oven TV!

Left: "Ooh Pizza!

"Is it done yet?"

A watched Pizza never cooks!

"Isn't it ready yet?"

"Is she going to cook our cat food in there too?"

"What's that other cat doing in there?"

Heart stopping delivery!

2009-02-05T12:00:00.000-08:00

I nearly had a heart attack this morning...! My new cooker was delivered in the midst of a snow shower, and just as they reached the door and started to lower the hand truck carrying the cooker, it fell forward. The man in front fortunately caught it, but not before it had damaged a front foot that cracked and fell off. We had to go back to the shop for a replacement foot which Jim will fit tomorrow with the help of one of my next door neighbours sons. It's a big improvement on my old cooker, it's much bigger, it has a double oven, the main one a fan oven, a ceramic hob, and is wide enough to take most American cookie sheets, though not the large Wiltons unfortunately.

Still pondering my next knitting choice of sweater, though I think I might just go buy some 4 ply wool and knit a pair of socks. I have one of Ruth Greenwalds patterns that I bought last year, for her 'Leafy Green Socks.' They are a pretty design and I've never made socks before. (I don't count the Christmas socks!!)

The snow we had today quickly turned to slush, a sloppy wet yukkie mess and I found my 'walking' shoes are not waterproof, I guess I need to go buy a pair of winter boots. The rivers Derwent and Rye are still extremely high, when we crossed the Rye today it was very close to the top of the dyke on one side of the bridge and over the bank on the other. If all the snow melts very quickly it will flood some of the fields.

Dropped in on Margaret to deliver some goods and a book for Reg, they were just off to hospital for an appointment. Margaret was wearing her new mittens.

Sad News - Day Out

2009-02-04T11:40:00.000-08:00

On a sad note, one of the young girls that had the sledding accident yesterday, and was helicoptered to hospital, died later of her injuries, she was just 16 years old. Two of the remaining four are still in hospital.

We made our usual monthly 120 mile round trip to our nearest Airbase today. We always travel the quieter country back roads normally, as it is a much more scenic and stress free drive, I wished I had had the forethought to take my camera with me. We drive through a lot of forested area and as we got farther out into the country the snow was still fairly thick on the ground and the trees were laden with it; they looked really beautiful. In some places there was snow laid over ice and driving was slow as the road is both hill and bendy as well as narrow. Passing a few large trucks along the way had to be done with caution as the snow banks had narrowed the road even further.

We decided to drive back along the main roads as we needed to get back fairly quickly in order to stop in town for a special errand before the shops shut, the main roads were all clear. It tried to snow but just a few tiny pathetic flakes, though another heavy fall of around 8 inches is forecast for some areas. Not a great depth in most other countries, but enough to bring the UK to its knees apparently, we are just not used to it here.

While in town I picked up three books that were on sale, #1 - The Soup Bible - I need another cook book like an extra hole in the head, but I couldn't resist it. #2 - A pocket size book of British birds, and #3 - The Countryside Remembered by Sadie Ward. - The latter is full of old black and white photographs from the 20's, 30's and up to the 50's, mainly showing the old methods of farming using horse and plough, corn stooks and haystacks, large flocks of sheep (500-600) being driven on foot through towns, they would cover 40 miles over a couple of days. It also has photos of people practising old crafts like peg making, basket weaving, spinning, thatching, as well as Wheelwrights, Blacksmiths and various Woodland crafts. Local customs and traditional festivals, most of which have died out now sadly. Photos of Gypsies and their Vardo's, and a real eye opener for me, a family of eight- parents and 6 children all aged under seven - living in a tiny tin shack in 1948. I was eight years old then, I remember seeing the corn stooks and the haystacks, I used to play on a farm with the farmers children and learned how to milk cows by hand, they also had working horses, big beautiful creatures. Its a fascinating look at life back then and brought back some memories, it may look idyllic but it was a very hard life for most.

I still haven't made up my mind as to what I want to knit next, I'll have to go through all my patterns I think.

Well I am off to play with one of my cats, Rappy, he doesn't like it when I go out all day and goes absolutely crazy when I come home again, so I'll go chase him round the living room a bit, he loves that, it wears me out in no time at all though!!

Mittens finished and delivered, River in flood.

2009-02-03T12:19:00.000-08:00

I finished the mittens this morning, and delivered them to Margaret this afternoon. She is thrilled to bits with them.

So, what next? I've knitted a cardigan for Jim, a Starsky-Hutch jacket for my son Mike, so I think it's my turn now, I just need to make up my mind what I want to knit - or crochet, I've got some double knitting yarn in a lovely jade colour, and some Aran in Purple, that I bought to match a length of Harris Tweed I bought while on holiday on the Isle of Harris (Outer Hebrides) several years ago. I keep promising to make a skirt for myself with it. An Alice Starmore sweater would be nice!! I also have the pattern for the Calla Lily Cowl sweater from the Mission Falls book, 'Mission Falls Goes Crochet' - but I haven't decided yet what colour I would like to use.

The snow certainly caused chaos down south yesterday, many schools closed for the day and the children had a chance to go sledding. Today there were still 5000+ schools closed around the country, except the one we visited today where we do our weekly drama. They were closed yesterday due to teachers being unable to get in, but overnight it rained heavily so the snow is melting quite fast in our part of the world, but now the river is near flood stage and the fields look like lakes. We are supposed to get more snow soon, but I hope not for a couple of days, I have places to go and don't want to get stuck anywhere.

There was a serious accident today, several young girls used part of a roof that had been cut from a car, as a sled, turned upside down it probably seemed ideal but being metal it moved downhill very fast and they went through a wire fence, then through a wooden fence. One girl has been critically injured and airlifted by helicopter to hospital, the others were also badly injured and taken to another hospital by land ambulance. I hope they all recover very quickly.

Barrels and Blizzards!

2009-02-02T01:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I managed to knit up to the start of the top decrease section of the left mitten, after taking time off for a snooze. I literally fell asleep over my needles. I've done that before, maybe I need more iron in my diet, I'm always feeling tired these days; or maybe it is just this depressing winter weather.

Overnight someone painted the world outside white. The snowstorms from Russia have arrived, and apparently covered most of the UK in a blanket of white, creating chaos once more on our roads, at least it brightens up our normally dull, dark days. Jim went out and cleared a path to the outhouse, he was no sooner back in the kitchen than we had another snowfall that filled it in without trace!

During the night I had a wierd dream, we were in a flooded hall and sitting in a half barrel, suddenly we were swept away into town and I was frantically paddling with a shovel. I looked at Jim, he was wearing his dressing gown, then we were back in the hall about to be presented with something...and I was feeling very embarrassed....! Where do these crazy dreams come from? Maybe I had better lay off the Cranberry juice!

We were intending to take a trip into York today to B and Q, but I think I will just stay home by the fire and finish the Latvian mittens, Margaret will need them this week.

Latvian Mittens

2009-01-31T16:04:00.000-08:00

This is my first blog. Right now I am working on my third pair of Latvian Mittens. My first pair, knitted last year on 2mm circular needles, were a challenge as I had never done anything like them before, and with such fine wool and thin needles. But I loved it. I was following the Lizbeth Upitis KAL on the Schoolhouse Press website, along with a number of other Ravelry members.

If you haven't heard of www.Ravelry.com yet, and you are a keen knitter or crochet fanatic, pay a visit and join, it is a fantastic website.

The first pair I knitted for myself, the second pair for a friend in Minnesota and the third pair are for a friend in the next village. With temperatures of 50 below in Minnesota and snowstorms from Russia heading towards the UK I think the mittens will be a cosy blessing.

I used Debbie Bliss 4 ply Rialto in four colours for the first two pairs, green, eggshell blue, red and beige. The third pair I am knitting withDebbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, and they have five colours, plum, purple, pink, jade and yellow. As Baby Cashmerino is 5 ply the mittens are slightly larger, but just right for my friend.

The fringe on the bottom of the cuffs was also a challenge at first, but now I find it quite easy and have used the same method to create wigs for knitted dolls. The braid above the fringe is quite attractive and I have used that also when knitting Christmas stockings for my great grandchildren, Sophie and Joshua.

I have been knitting both right and left mittens in turn, and tnight finished the right one except for the thumb. The left one I had worked to just above the thumbhole, so tomorrow I will continue the palm and finish it, then work both thumbs.