SHOW DAY......

Well, we've just returned from a really lovely couple of weeks up in North Yorkshire, with lots of family time and fun with the grandchildren. There really wasn't that much knitting time to be had, but I did spend a frantic couple of days finishing off an entry for one of the local country shows. 

We've had a great day out at the Thornton-le-Dale Show for the last two years and I've loved seeing all the entries in the craft tent, so this year it was time to support the cause with Bunny Girl (Knitted Toy),   Little Flower Coat (Knitted Matinee Jacket)  and Rainbow Marley Hat (Any Other Baby Item).

 As you can see from the photo below, the Marley Hat looked just a little out of place amongst the other traditional baby items :-) :-)! Needless to say, it wasn't placed, but baby Isaac has been a very grateful recipient of it.

 My Matinee Jacket was not placed either, although I thought it looked pretty good amongst the entries. It was a fun knit though and will make a useful gift for someone's newborn at some point, although I have to say, I'd not knitted a matinee jacket since my own three were babies. In fact, the pattern I used was the first one I completed when expecting my son ( my first born).

 Then, of course, there was Bunny Girl! I LOVE her! She looked a little lost and alone as I left her sitting on the white tablecloth, beside the many much grander and larger toys.

On our return during the afternoon, I have to admit to being very excited to see that Bunny Girl was proudly sitting on a blue Second Place card! WooHoo! All credit must be given to the winner, which was the lovely large brown bear sitting next but one to her in the photo above.

Yes, I'll take that! Well done Bunny Girl!

I'm off to Provence next weekend, so may or may not see you for a week or two, although I still haven't shown you my small, carefully chosen, purchases from Fibre, so I'll try to pop in again before I go.

RYEDALE FOLK MUSEUM

We have been spending a very lovely week in Pickering with various of our children and grandchildren. The weather has been pretty good and we we have managed to be out and about every day. Today, we said goodbye to the last of of our visitors and set off for the stunningly pretty village of Hutton le Hole, about six miles from Pickering.

Once parked, we ambled down to the Ryedale Folk Museum. I fully expected to be done and dusted within half an hour, but I'm happy to say we emerged more than an hour and a half later. It is an absolute delight, created to celebrate the rich heritage of North Yorkshire, with medieval garths, cottage gardens, a farming area complete with animals and a traditional orchard with over 30 fruit trees. 'There are over twenty historic buildings on the 6 acre site. Many were rescued from around the area and with their contents they bring the lives of ordinary people from pre-historic times to the present day'. There is an Iron Age round house, various period cottages and a 1950's store and post office. An absolute delight!

As you can see, I took a few photos! In fact I took dozens! Well worth £7 per person.

Oh! Here's Evie wearing her new hat!

We're off to Manchester tomorrow for a few more days of fun with the grandchildren, before heading home for a well-earned few days rest before term starts! 

THE COLOUR PURPLE.....

Good evening from a very lovely and sunny little corner of East Anglia.It's been really glorious here this weekend. Needless to say, we have been out and about. There has even been a little time to finish up a couple of little projects for baby Evie. 

This is the second time I've made this sweet little card. It's Baby Kina and is constructed from the top down, making for a very easy and relaxing knit, with minimal sewing up - just the sleeve seams. I chose little mother-of pearl buttons which look decidedly white in the photos. They really are not!

 I used Debbie Bliss Baby Casmerino, which always gives a lovely soft, warm finish for baby garments.

I finished another pair of little socks so. I'm pretty much addicted to making these little cuties at present; they are so quick and colourful.

It really has been the loveliest of early Spring weekends here and we've made the most of it. This was the view from our bedroom window on opening the curtains this morning. The willow tree and the large magnolia are both well in bud.

The Whitlingham Lake was looking equally as lovely!

We're of to the theatre this evening to an old favourite of ours, Fascinating Aida, so got to go! Have a good week!

WHAT A LOVELY WEEK!

Hello there! I can't believe how quickly the week has gone. No sooner has half-term just begun than it's over! It has been a great week though. As you can see, I managed a little knitting, in between Evie      cuddles and trips out and about.

It's Baby Kina made using some Millamia soft merino in colourway 'bluebell'.  It's a very pretty lilac-blue, even though the poor light makes it appear grey. It's a simple, top-down pattern; knit in one piece with just the sleeve seams to stitch. The pattern is well written and very simple! Perfect TV knitting.

The week began with a trip to Islington to collect the younger Miss Snoops and her belongings from Islington. She then flew out to Singapore on Wednesday for six months, to complete her overseas final trainee seat before she qualifies. She then plans to take a three month sabbatical to travel through Asia, before returning to London as a qualified lawyer. I shall miss her, even though she is only a Skype call away. She has already kept us entertained with a myriad of photos and I'm sure she'll have plenty of fun alongside all the hard work. 

We ate here, on Upper Street in Islington. The food is absolutely delicious!

The weather was glorious, so we made the most of a stroll along the Thames and a bit of retail therapy before loading the car.

Our eldest daughter and her husband came to stay with little Evie for the week. It was so, so lovely to have them for a whole week, all to ourselves. Evie is absolutely beautiful .....

We had plenty of walks and cuddles, a little bit of spoiling, visits from friends and lots of fun. When the sun shone we went out and about. 

We bumped into Mr and Mrs Josiekitten at one of our favourite little tea shop  on the North Norfolk coast. Great minds and all that!

Oscar had just buried his tennis ball for about the hundredth time!

What a lovely week!

HALF-TERM HEAVEN......

 Hello there! After the wonderful escapades of last weekend, with a houseful of family, the rest of the week has been more relaxed and peaceful. Mr Snoops and I have made the most of the better weather to go out and about, with Oscar  too of course,  around our beautiful Suffolk and North Norfolk coastline, both of which are right on our doorstep. We visited Aldeburgh, which is always one of our favourite away day haunts and continued around the coast a little further, to Orford Ness. There are always stunning skies to be seen here, whatever the weather.

 I just had to take this photo in Aldeburgh. It's a lovely shop, full of all kinds of interesting things that you really don't need. Just my kind of shop! However, it was the window display that caught my eye, rather than the goods on sale inside. You see, I had a doll's pram just like this one when I was a little girl. The very same make, colour and model. I lingered for some time!

Later in the week, we headed on up to Sheringham for a walk along the seafront, before heading further on around the coast.

I always love to see all the gaily painted little boats, all ready and waiting.

Here they are re-captured in the street art along the sea wall.

Then it was on to Holkham for lunch and to give Oscar a blast on the beach!

The sunshine had all but vanished for the rest of the day, but it's always good to be out in the elements at this time of year; so many sight, sounds and smells, as Autumn takes her course.

Holkham is such a lovely, wild, unspoilt beach!

I have been filling our sunflower seed bird feeder up twice a week over the past month. Not too unusual in the Spring, but rather more so at this time of year. Last Sunday morning my suspicions were found to be correct.....

...... this cheeky chappie was caught red-handed! He's been back every day since. Goodness knows where he's stashing them all, but he's certainly not going to go hungry.

It's been so lovely to have time for woolly soul nourishment this week too, as things had all got a little too frantic at school for my liking towards the end of the last half-term.  As well as the little doll cardis for Sophie's 'my baby' doll, I also managed to finish 'Snowdrop'.

The pattern and yarn details can be found here. It's a really lovely pattern to knit and very easy to follow. The addition of luscious merino and silk yarn to work with is, of course, an essential!

The cute little rolled front edges and neck border are added afterwards, by picking up the stitches.

Little pockets add extra interest, as does the unusual stitch detailing towards the neck on the front and back, as can be seen below.

I've also started another Attic 24 blanket, for my new little granddaughter, due to arrive next March. This time it's going to be the Granny Stripe. The yarn has been ready and waiting for a few weeks now, since I spotted it in an online sale.

The colours are just gorgeous and I have to say, the Stylecraft Special DK certainly doesn't feel at all nasty to work with, even though it is acrylic. It feels beautifully soft and has a certain 'body' to it as well, which gives it much more of a wool feel.

I have to say, so far, I'm delighted with it and the array of gorgeous colours just makes the heart skip!

I want the blanket to be single bed size by the time it's edged, and so I started with a chain of 219 stitches. Any number of chains will work, but needs to be a multiple of 3.

I've not got too far yet, but oh the joy of knowing this little beauty will be ready and waiting for me for a good long time to come. Hopefully, there will be more stripey goodness to show you next time. For now though, my schoolwork needs to be done!