Friday 24 October 2014

friday random things



  • I've nearly finished making all the blocks for the star quilt, I'm just putting on a border now which will mean there are no incomplete stars disappearing off the edge. Only 256 squares left to sew on, unless I change my mind about the design again - which is in all truth quite likely
  • The children have a training day, before next weeks half term. I made good use of them and took them with me to help clean two holiday cottages that a friend usually cleans but she has broken her foot............ If only they were as enthusiastic about hoovering and mopping at home, I suppose the fact that I bribed them with wages helped.......
  • I've been taking E to reflexology to help with his migraines.  The therapist is used to treating children, she must be bemused by E's huge size 10 feet.
  • My niece will be 9 this weekend, we're going to go and eat birthday cake. I do like cake. Have I mentioned that before?
  • I made the most enormous pan of carrot soup last night. Carrot soup is my favourite, but I am slightly concerned everyone in the family will go orange if I feed them it them too often.
  • Have you got any nice plans for half term? - we have to finish building a paper mache volcano, as you do...... oh and we have some leftover soup to eat.

Sunday 19 October 2014

cosy crochet


these are the crochet squares I started during the Olympics.


slowly slowly they joined together, growing some more during the winter olympics and then during the commonwealth games. it's definitely been a sports watching blanket.


getting bigger and bigger, with a few rows of granny edging


to make a border


and finally a scalloped edging to finish it off.


just in time for snuggling up, apparently there's a storm coming, and I do love to watch the wind and  rain lash down when I'm all warm and cosy inside x

thank you for all the kind comments on my last post, baking updates to follow xxx

Wednesday 15 October 2014

a gluten free accomplice.

There will be a lot more baking around here from now on. After several months of doctors visits for what the medical profession likes to call "fatigue" Miss K has been diagnosed with coeliac disease. (see below) I was diagnosed 17 years ago, almost on the same day.

We shall call ourselves the gluten free girls.

There will be lots of gluten free cake.

Cake is good.

so far we've baked jam tarts, ginger cookies, lemon drizzle cake and banana bread.

what's your favourite cake?





the following information is taken from Coeliac UK

Coeliac disease(spelled celiac in other countries) is an auto immune disease in which the immune system reacts by damaging the lining of the small intestine. Coeliac disease is common and affects 1 in 100 people. However only 24% who have the condition have been diagnosed. If a first degree family member has the condition then the chances of having it increase to 1 in 10. 

Treatment consists of a lifelong gluten free diet.

The symptoms of coeliac disease vary from person to person and can range from very mild to severe. Coeliac disease is known as a 'multi system' disorder – symptoms can affect any area of the body. Symptoms differ between individuals in terms of type and severity.

Possible symptoms may include:
  • severe or occasional diarrhoea, excessive wind and/or constipation
  • persistent or unexplained gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting
  • recurrent stomach pain, cramping or bloating
  • any combination of iron, vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiency
  • anaemia
  • tiredness and/or headaches
  • sudden or unexpected weight loss (but not in all cases)
  • mouth ulcers
  • hair loss (alopecia)
  • skin rash (dermatitis herpetiformis)
  • tooth enamel problems
  • depression
  • infertility
  • liver abnormalities
  • repeated miscarriages
  • joint and/or bone pain
  • neurological (nerve) problems such as ataxia (poor muscle coordination) and neuropathy (numbness and tingling in the hands and feet)
  • amenorrhoea (lack of periods in women)

ask your GP for a blood test if any of this sounds familiar.

Monday 13 October 2014

dales walk

I ate too much cake at the weekend, more on that another day, but for now perhaps I should get some exercise. Before I do come perhaps you'd like to come with me on a walk I went on before my weekend retreating.

Driving through the dales I follow the route of the tour de Yorkshire. I remember cycling this road many years ago, in that wonderful long summer time between O'levels (yes Miss K I can call them O'levels not GCSE's because that's what they were!) and A'levels.

Oh how it winds up hill and down dale, with twisty corners and sudden narrowing, and views to make you stop and catch your breath (as if the hills weren't enough....)


From Kettlewell I chose a 5 mile circular walk of two halves, a bridleway high on the valley sides, and then returning via the Dales way following the meandering of the river Wharfe.


The walk is described as challenging, beginning with a steep incline. It doesn't lie.  Leaving the village of Kettlewell (looking backwards you see where we started) I walk up the steep and rocky limestone studded path, and it leaves me breathless.


Looking onwards towards Starbotton, the spectacular glacial u-shaped valley lies below.


After a couple of miles it is time to come down the valleys sides, steeply, steeply, careful of your steps, finally the safety of the river bed is reached. Now we can return, following the flat route of the meandering river Wharfe. The name Wharfe, derives from the Old English "weorf" or the Old Norse "hverf" and means winding river. It is very apt.


Walking back to Kettlewell this easy path is busy, filled with walkers on the Dales way. It's nice to be by the river, and it's certainly less strenous, but I feel like all these walkers are missing out.
 Even though it's hard work to get up there, the views from above are spectacular.

Thursday 9 October 2014

misty morning on retreat


when you wake up early and you've already had two mugs of tea and it's too early to start sewing or eat breakfast, and you look out the windows to find you are in a magical world of mist then you must explore.


the hills that surround the house have vanished, there is total silence, the thick dense mist dulls all sounds and it is impossibly eerie.


soon though the real magic begins, the warmth of sun starts to gently and slowly melt away the mists,


and ever so softly it lifts and the hills start to appear


the sky turns from a soft grey to a gentle blue 



the limestone features of the hills appear


and suddenly you are no longer in a magical world of mist but back in the real one.

It is no less beautiful though.

Monday 6 October 2014

seven

I missed my blog birthday. 
I always thought I started blogging in October, but I just checked and it was 26th September 2007. 
That makes me seven.
and a week or so. 
but let's not worry about that. 
better late than never.

so how to mark the occasion? how about a stroll through the photo archives. 
Seven mosaics, of seven things, with seven links.

cakes.

sewing things


quilts


Seven years of feasting, creating, appreciating, and making memories. and friends.

memories and friends. 

thank you for being part of it.

Saturday 4 October 2014

oh September where did you go?

I think I blinked and September passed me by. 


School started, the sun shone, I sewed, and enjoyed the blue skies. 

Now October is here and the rain is falling. Big heavy raindrops.  Mesmerizing.

Thursday 2 October 2014

the story of the magic scrap bag

Once upon a time some scraps of liberty were liberated from a friend, and I started a star quilt.


In exchange for the scraps I made a few of them into a fabric bucket bag, which I gave as a gift to become a new scrap bag.


What I didn't realise what that this is a magic scrap bag, every so often it refills itself.


The contents are glorious scraps of colour and pattern,


I select the blues and greens and try to create order from chaos.


and square by tiny square


it is slowly evolving.


I took the scraps on my running away weekend.


the net result of which was approximately 47 cups of tea, the occasional glass of wine, and 270 triangle corner squares.


I think I almost have enough now.