love happy

This morning after doing some boring domestic chores, I decided to cycle to Hastings to the Summertime curiosity bazaar  in the glorious sunshine and summer coastal breeze. It was low tide and despite the day starting with some clouds, it was warm and I could smell that sea salt smell in the humid air. A smell that is so familiar to me, a childhood and summer holiday smell. A comforting family camping and my Dad fishing in the sea smell. It only conjures up images and happy memories for me. I love it so. There were people dotted about the beach and along the cycle walk way from Bexhill-on-Sea to St.Leonards -on-sea and Hastings. Dog walkers and pushchairs with summer time umbrellas, people with cooler clothing on, all looking lighter and less heavy from the grey winter we had. Stopping to admire all the beach huts and seaside plants and fishermen's rope. All a sensory delight. Stopping and admiring some iconic buildings like Marine Court built in the mid 1930's and the poor Ha...

    When I got home today a treat was waiting for me, a treat that I purchased on payday from Amazon. A book I have had my eye on for a while, one I forgot about, then remembered, then forgot about again until the other night when it appeared via one website leading to another, then another and another and voila, it was ordered!   This story by Hans Christian Anderson, has been stunningly illustrated by the very clever Sanna Annukka (I adore all the triangles and soul birds she uses). She also designs for the beautiful Finnish Marimekko .   I am just sharing a few of the delicious pages from this hard covered beauty. It's a real gem and definite keeper. I feel so inspired by the colour combinations, inspired enough to be thinking about yarn in these combinations for some up and coming projects.   What is inspiring you at the moment? I'd love to hear. Thanks for stopping and for your comments xox   ?

Last week I finished these very sweet baby pixie hats. It was a free pattern I found on Ravelry and although I was tempted to splash out on some Noro kochoran  at just under �15 a pop to knit these two hats up with, one of my knit and natter friends suggested I used any Aran weighted wool and because this was going at a reduced price from Fran's shop  I bought a couple of 50g balls. She sells them on  ebay too if you are interested. Anyway, here they are back and front without the pom poms I was planning to put on the ends. I did attempt to make a couple of pom poms for the red one but they just fell apart!! I guess I should buy myself one of those pom pom makers if I want success in the future. You will notice that I left a few of the tightly attached threads at the ends to create a bit of an effect. The green one just got knots which is good enough I think. I do love this tweedy yarn and the subtle strands of other colours dotted throughout it. I think these colo...

"the less I needed, the better I felt." charles bukowski Clover flowering in our front wall. I am one of those kinds of people that feel what other people write, wishing that I had come up with their profound words, but accepting that I am not particularly gifted in this way and feeling satisfied that being human is enough for me to feel what they write. So, there will be moments on my blog which feature other people's words on how I am feeling. Thanks xox

How has your week been dearest fellow bloggers? I am not sure if I can sustain my weekly simple happy moments on my blog, I feel like it's been a bit of a hum drum week really, however there have definitely been some gorgeous colourful highlights. So here goes... Always a pleasure to watch my potted garden grow. Our cheeky bunny, Poppy has been munching through quite a few of my plants, but I have managed to salvage some things :o) We had a really humid beginning to this week and on Wednesday had a bbq with friends. Even though I am a vegetarian, the smell of a bbq really means summer is here as far as I am concerned. Of course Poppy took centre stage outside in our courtyard garden. She loves being stroked and having a little brush. The most delightful parcel of vintage sheet fat quarters from the vintage sheet queen bee (as far as I am concerned) the lovely  Ada Bea . Such a generous and wonderful surprise, thank you so very much.I can't wait to make something with these beau...

Now that Summer seems to have finally arrived (we had a BBQ this warm eve with friends visiting from Brighton) I decided to make myself a pillow for the beach - I like to have a little luxury when we go to the beach :o) I bought some jute twine a while back with this in mind...   It all begins with the purchasing of some twine. I don't know about you, but I always need string and twine and ribbons to wrap around presents, so whenever I see some reasonably priced twine I tend to purchase usually a little more than I need and it lasts me an age. So, take some jute, decide on your crochet hook size, I chose a 5.5mm hook and get a hookin' in a circle shape. I often use  this  pattern and a little of 'make it up as I go along' to get me a circle big enough to lay my weary beach head on. Once you have achieved the diameter you desire (I used treble stitch as the jute is quite rough and a double stitch hurt my fingers too much after hooking for a while), choose some old fabric...