1000 views!!!!

Hi guys, summer is here and I am rather proud to announce I’ve had over 1000 views here on minnies. It’s quite easy to become disheartened when I read all the lovely crafty blogs out there and see how these crazy talented people have a gazillion followers and post at least once a week, but I’m always incredibly appreciative of the views and likes I get off my small following and when I saw I had reached a thousand views my heart leapt, thank you so very much! Yippee!!!

So back to business. I have been utterly impatient for summer this year, the slight increase in temperature and I felt the need to buy some new summer clothes and dig out my shorts, albeit a little prematurely. These lovely summery coloured flowers the bf got me made me a little too excited as we had some rather stormy weather to begin with.

As well as trying to organise my summer wardrobe I have been desperately trying to contain my enthusiasm for beginning new projects when there are older ones to finish. I have been slogging away at crocheting my seat cover together, the squares are a delight to do but crocheting them together always seems like a bit of a chore and I admit it still isn’t finished, here it is after I’d finished all the squares . . .

My impatience to start a new project also may have something to do with these . . .

Lovely balls of tutti fruitti coloured stylecraft. I’d bought some balls previously but the project I have in mind calls for more wool and when it arrived I had to sit on my hands to stop myself, I’m sure my resolve will break soon though, how do you resist colour like that???
I did however complete something! Yes you read right! Me and the bf booked a little holiday (piccys to follow shortly) and I wanted to make a little summer hat for myself in case the sun did show itself. So I crocheted it up following the pattern. However I must have done something wrong because it ended up too small, still very cute though so I added a little ribbon and gave it to my year old niece, yes it was quite small.

I think she pulls it off better than I ever could, isn’t she adorable!
Hatless we went on holiday but co-incidentally we didn’t need them, the weather was gloomy and quite fitting for Whitby’s gothic atmosphere. Low lying cloud hung about the cliffs . . .

And it remained gloomy for most of our stay. Here’s a few of the pics I got in the wet windy weather . . .

With the wet weather we ducked into little places to escape the rain and decided to go for lunch at a cafe called Sherlocks, the interior was very much as you’d expect . . .

The cafe had numerous little nooks and crannys to sit and eat the scrummy food and it was a welcome break from the rain.

These houses are a short walk from our b&b and they are meant to emulate the famous regency houses in bath, a place which I’d love to visit. I love a good period drama.
There was a Royal Navy training vessel for sea cadets and this also was very reminiscent of the regency era . . .

I love to see the rigging on these type of vessels, and just had to get a close up when it came back to harbour . . .

On our first evening we took a stroll along the pier to get a good view of the town, it does feel a little like your way out into the water when really it’s only a short walk but the view is really spectacular . . .

There was a few breaks in the weather later in our stay and we managed a stroll around Pannet park enjoying some slight sunshine.

I was glad to see the bunting in the sunshine rather than in the rain but alas, it didn’t last long. We stopped off at the train station to see if the steam train was in but it was a little diesel called . . .

And though not a steam train the little sign on the front was rather charming.

Towards the end of our stay there was better weather and we walked the 2 3/4 miles to sandsend close to the cliffs I’m always taking pictures of. It afforded a better view of the gnarly hills that jut out into the sea.

The better weather also made for better views from our b&b which I was truly thankful for, the views in Whitby do not compare. . .

Of course I couldn’t come away from holiday without buying something crafty and as it happens we found this wonderful little fabric shop down one of the side streets, and I bought suitably seasidey fabric for the eventual refurb of our spare room back at home.

I also bought this wonderfully quirky Art Deco fabric which must have been popular as I managed to get the last metre.

So after filling our bellies with seafood and our lungs with sea air we made our way home and said bye bye to Whitby for another year.

More Autumn Colours!

This Autumn is shaping up to be one of the best ever, we’ve had fairly mild weather with some good patches of sunshine, perfect for brisk autumn walks. I know I’ve mentioned before how much I love autumn but it really is one of my favourite times of year, and this year I’ve savoured every minute. Theres so much that goes on at autumn in this part of the world, all the natural changes that occur in the trees and landscape but also in my hometown.
Hull plays host to one of the largest travelling fairs in Europe. It arrives every October and has been since 1278, making the fair over 700 years old. Of course things have changed since then, there bright lights, loud noise and rides that will make your stomach churn but the tradition is still strong. I’ve been going since I was a small child and still love to walk through the winding pathways between rides, taking in the sights, sounds and smells that are so very familiar to me, and no doubt to a lot of people in Hull.

The fair is a sure indicator of autumns arrival and there’s one saying in my hometown which everyone repeats when it starts to turn that little bit cold “Oo its hull fair weather!” Guaranteed you will hear this around the end of September til the end of the fair. It makes me smile just to hear it, and to know a lot of Hullians have shared the same experiences and memories at our most ancient fair.

Bob Carvers is possibly the best known fish and chip place in hull and it has a stall at the fair each year, even this name goes back a hundred years or more, and is another of hulls traditional places. The lights and rides are changing every year and they are really a spectacle to see.

The Big Wheel seemed truly ginormous this year.

And it’s always nice to see a ghost train or two, just to remind us that Halloween is on its way.
The bf even won me a minion . . . .

The weekend before the arrival of Hull fair me and the bf visited the historic town of Beverley, just for a day out and about. There is a market every Wednesday and Saturday and it had been a while since we were last there. Unfortunately it was raining, but it didn’t stop us having a nice walk about.

After a quick bite to eat we strolled over to the Minster, quite an imposing example of gothic architecture in the centre of Beverley, I’d never really had a close look before so had my camera to take some snaps.

The market was there despite it being a rather dismal day and was stocked full with fresh fruit and veg, baked goods, and other little things usually found at markets, but much to my delight there was a fabric stall! Of course I couldn’t resist. I purchased the following . . .

A lovely floral print in very autumny colours. My photos aren’t the greatest, light is limited these days. I also bought this cute little print, not exactly sure what to use it for but I couldn’t help it.

Perhaps I’ll make a pet bed one day.
After our walk around Beverley we headed home, tired and soaked, it was nice to get home and cosy. . .

And sooooo nice to get my feet dry . . .

Even the bf was zonked after all the walking we’d done, I took this on the sly whilst he had a cheeky nap.

After looking at the fabric id just bought, I decided to do a roll call on all the bits I already had, just to see what I’d actually accumulated and to see if any in particular matched.

I just love the greens and reds in is selection and have had some ideas for it, but it would involve the sewing machine and I’m not sure if I’m quite ready for it yet. We’ll see.

It was great to sit down with a nice cuppa in my fluffy cardie, my feet and hair finally dry and just toy around with a bit of fabric while the bf snoozed beside me, it was one of those days that stick with you, and I’m sure ill remember it for a long time.
Recently I’ve been trying to snatch as much time as I can outdoors, we’ve been walking home from work most nights past the fair and seen as the days are getting wetter I’ve really wanted to be out on those increasingly rare days where the sun is shining. So yesterday as the sky was relatively clear I went for a walk to our usual patch. The bf was at work so I was all by myself. Taking in the crisp air and autumn colours was great and I couldn’t believe how laden down some of the trees were with bright red berries.

I think these are Rowan berries but really not sure (can anyone enlighten me?). I loved the contrast of the red of the berries and the yellowing leaves. Like a lot of trees and bushes I’ve seen, this year seems to have been a bumper year for wild fruit and berries.

I think there’s still quite a few trees to she’d their leaves so I’m hoping to get out again next weekend to see if the oak tree down the grove has shed some colours and dropped some acorns. The silver birches on the other hand are in full colour.

I just love that golden colour. As I strolled back home along the main road I wondered if I was the only one who appreciated the spectacle of trees we have in the area. I took a snap of the tall trees we have in the central reservation down the main road where I live.

We have conifers and pines mixed in with the deciduous trees and it really is quite pretty when you take the time to look. More joy arrived when I got home and went into the garden, I haven’t ventured out the back for a while and wasn’t sure what I was going to see but lo and behold I was overjoyed to see . . .

Marigolds! Self seeded in my teacup pot! After the weather had started to turn the first lot had died off but I was totally shocked and delighted to see that they’d made a come back!

They look a bit rough and ready but I think its testament to the hardiness of this superb little plant, and if I can get a second growth spurt out of them then they must be easy to grow. I was also pleased to find a perfectly formed poppy poking its head out from one of the dying pots I’d sown this year.

Though getting colder and light levels are falling this time of year, it was still lovely to see so many little flowers still making the most of it.
Speaking of light, autumn has brought some spectacular skies . . .

One of THE best things I’ve seen for the first time this year is an autumn moonlit sky, it was a full moon last night and although difficult to capture I gave it a shot.

And on that moonlit note i’ll sign off . . . .next stop Halloween!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whitby

Hi all, it’s seems like I’m averaging out one post per month so if that’s all I can manage I’ll try and make them count.
Last week me and the bf had our 5 years together anniversary, so having booked some time off work we were determined to get away for a couple of days and decided Whitby on the North East coast was our desired location. I’ve been to whitby once before with a friend but this time we had plenty of time to go explore. Firstly I’d like to give a recommendation, we stayed in the Riviera Guest House on the west cliff. I really wanted a sea view from our room on this trip so booked a double en-suite with sea view. When we arrived the host Zed informed us that seen as they weren’t too busy he was upgrading us free of charge to a superior double, and superior it was, this was the view from our room.

I was blown away by the beautiful bay window looking out onto a stunning view, the room was large and bathroom was lovely and warm and clean, the breakfast was delicious with many choices and hospitality was prompt and friendly.
To get to Whitby we had to travel to Scarborough first (Neither me or the bf drive). I know we only went at the beginning of May but I thought I’d take this opportunity to show you the old tram.

As you can see the tram company was established in 1881, and is still working! Though I admit I’ve only been it once, I find it just a bit too rickety.

As you can see the tram is on the cliff-side and ferries people up and down the steep slopes (it is rather scary).
After grabbing some lunch in Scarborough we headed for the bus to Whitby and had a look round the town.

The bus journey to Whitby is a treat in itself, you travel through the North York Moors which is incredibly beautiful on a clear day and as you crest one of the hills you make your way down into Robin Hoods Bay, which has to be one of the prettiest places I have ever seen. Unfortunately I didn’t get a pic but do google it, it’s such a pretty place. The bus then climbs back up onto the moors and then trundles along to whitby, where the first thing you notice is the incredibly gothic and imposing structure of Whitby Abbey. Perched on the cliff top, you can see it from almost everywhere in Whitby. Walking round the town you can get great views of the harbour and all the fishing boats.

The little streets are not unlike those in York, very narrow and windey, very cobbly and picturesque. Up on the west cliff, where we were staying is the whale-bone arch, made from the jaw bones of what must have been a ginormous whale.

After checking in at our b&b we went to quite a well known restraunt in Whitby called Magpies. It was a short walk from our b&b and there’s a takeaway next door in case you don’t want to sit in. We both had fish and chips but there was a wide range of seafood, all fresh and local. I consider myself quite a connoisseur of fish and chips and I must admit, it was possibly the best fish I ever tasted.

After we filled our bellies full of scrummy fish and chips we decided to take a walk along the beach just by the west cliff. The sun was warm and almost setting and the beach was all but empty.

We must have walked a couple of miles but it was so nice we didn’t seem to notice. We came across the colourful beach huts which I couldn’t help taking a few snaps of.

And I just couldn’t help this next photo, if this isn’t a seasidey photo I don’t know what is.

The seaside isn’t the seaside without a stripy deckchair.

I get a bit snap happy when I’m on the beach so I’ll just share a few with you.

Me and the bf both agreed this looks like its been taken from outer space.

I just love the depth these clouds give in this photo, it really opens up your eyes to how far you can see out.
After we got back to the b&b we decided we’d sit and watch the sunset. Apparently Whitby is the only place in Yorkshire where the sun rises and sets in the sea, in the summer months. We were lucky enough to witness it.

The sky turned an orangey gold, and the shimmer of the sun on the water was beautiful.

But what really took my breath away was the view of the cliffs with the sunset.

I hope my photos do it justice.
The following day we had the full day in Whitby and the weather was a little drizzly. But undeterred we wandered around the town and walked up the 199 steps to the abbey for a closer look.

I was quite surprised how easily I managed the steps as I’m not in the best physical condition at the moment :/. But the view is well worth the ascent especially on a clear day. However there’s something to be said for the eerie foggy weather that lends itself to the moors and sparks the imagination in such a gothic place, after all Whitby is the inspirational location behind Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Further at the top I took a few close ups of the Abbey itself, though we didn’t go in, it still is quite visible from outside the walls.

As you can see the Abbey is now ruins but the towers and stones that are left gets ones imaginative juices going, and its not difficult to picture life up there as a monk in the times of the Tudors and the dissolution of the monesteries, quite chilling really.
Of course the trek down the steps was easier than going up and whilst we strolled through the town we saw on the other side of the river the tell tale puffs of steam from the steam train, which I insisted we must go see. As a child I was a huge fan of Thomas the tank engine and when I stepped into the station I regressed into a child like state at the joy of seeing . . .

The Green Knight!!! I know I’m very much a geeky nerdy person but I outdid myself when I saw this beautiful example of living history and british engineering. The noise was everything you imagine it to be and more, it’s loud, the steam hisses out of the engine and the smell of coal is prevalent in the air. I loved every minute of it, especially the chugging noise as it took its vintage carriages along.

After taking some snaps (and trust me I wasn’t the only one) I insisted we see it on the morrow to capture a little video of its arrival to show my nephew when we got home, but for the time being we carried on our adventure.
One of the boxes I wanted to tick on our holiday was to go fossil hunting. I studied Geology at college which included a palaeontology module which I am absolutely fascinated by, Whitby is a well known area for this activity and we strolled the beach by the harbour. It was just as we were turning back with a little deflated hope that we saw . . .

This ammonite. Granted it isn’t the best fossil ever found in Whitby but I think you can quite clearly see the distinct spiral of the ammonite shell.
For lunch we went for a cream tea at a lovely quaint little cafe and made our way back out into slightly better weather. The bf bought me some lovely jet earrings and we strolled back to the b&b, picking up yet more fish and chips on the way back for our tea.
On our final day we had another little wander and found, much to my delight, a little market containing a wonderful little haberdashers. I didn’t see it at first but the bf said “turn around” and outside the little shop I saw. . . .

Button heaven!!!!! My eyes must have popped out my head!!! Of course I purchased some but inside there was more, floor to ceiling fabric, all lovely prints and for only £6.99 a meter and £2.00 for fat quarters, I bought a couple of meters and a fat quarter.

The card on top is the shop name and I believe they are on Facebook. There was some fab buttons, here’s the selection I bought

My favourites have to be these stripy rainbow ones.

I also bought this little bag of star buttons, I think they’re real funky I just hope I can put them to good use. At a different market I also got this . . .

Think my spotty needles look real well in it. It was the bf who bought it for me, he has a thing about foxes.
So after getting yet some more pics of the steam train and a little video for my nephew (who is mad about Thomas the tank engine) we headed back to the bus station for the return journey. We stopped briefly in Scarborough for an ice-cream and got the, not so glamorous, diesel train home. It was the perfect few days away. I’d seen great views, had an excellent b&b with great sea view, enjoyed good weather, strolled on the beach, seen the steam train twice, had a cream tea, ate more fish and chips than were good for me, found a fossil in the sand, picked up some bargain craft supplies and got some great pics.
Arriving home is always a big disheartening so with days left before we have to go back to work we visited Hobbycraft where I picked up some seed beads . . .

And the Bothy Threads cut thru light house by Amanda Loverseed, quite fitting whilst on our hols.

As regular readers will know I’m currently working on Amanda Loverseeds cut thru narrow boat, but I have a terrible habit of leaving stuff lying around when I’m not doing them, so to rectify this problem I became quite determined to make myself a cross-stitch bag. And so I got to work . . .

Chose my printed fabric and sewed by hand until I was in quite a lot of pain, but the not quite finished result is rather good I reckon.

I’ve put a pocket on the front with crochet detail . . .

And buttons to fasten the pocket shut . . .

I still need to create the button holes and I’m thinking of doing the crochet detail around the top of the bag, but considering I didn’t use a ruler or in fact any straight lines at all I think it turned out rather well. I like the way it has a slightly slouchy look, and it hides my spare tyre quite well.

For now its practical enough, and I’ll show you when it is completely finished.
And so were back at work tomorrow (deflated sigh) but it has been a wonderful little holiday.

Project Complete

Project complete! It took me a bit longer than I originally expected but I’ve finally completed my banner. I appliquéd the writing onto a felt background and added the extra relief details like the bee, bow and flower, then picked out the edges with a little embroidery. My favourite part has to be the light bulbs, I think they turned out really well.

Once my banner was complete I felt I deserved to start another little project. A little friend for my felt robin and so . . .

. . .a little blue tit was born, he looks a little funny with his spectacle type stripes and his nanny-from-count-duckula eyes but I was very pleased with the result. It was hard to know how much detail to put in, I wanted to keep the cartoony fun-ness whilst making him recognisable as a blue tit, I hope I got the balance just right. Either way he looks oh so cute sat next to robin.

For the moment they are sat watching over my bobbins but I have other plans for them so watch this space.

This week my hyacinths bloomed and what a delight! A lovely pale lilac colour and a scent so much better than any air freshner.

The light hasn’t been good all week so I’ve struggled to get a decent photo, even so they are still so pretty.

The lovely flowers have cheered me up some this weekend, I haven’t been feeling well and so there was only really one thing for it. A nest. A cosy nest in which I’ve been snoozing, made from a family heirloom.

My mother and auntie made this crochet blanket when they were young, how young I’m not sure but I’d say its well over thirty years old if not older, they made it from any scraps of wool they could lay their hands on. It’s somewhat itchy in places and it ripples all over but it’s so cosy and heavy and by far the warmest blanket I own. I think it’s a surviving testament to my mother and aunties skill as young crocheters, and the art of crochet itself, the fact that its still in one piece after years of wear and tear, washing and drying and all made up of fragments of yarn, some so short it was hardly worth the effort. It just shows what you can achieve if you have the skill, even if you have to be thrifty.

Speaking of thrifty, I was given these pieces of fleece a long while ago and have just re-discovered them in my craft boxes. I hadn’t any ideas what to do with them and so packed them away and forgot about them. Now on re-discovering them I think I should get some practice at patch working for a quilt. I might not quilt this fleece as its already rather soft and warm but it might help get the creative process going, and seen as all the colours go so well together it would make such a nice blanket in its own right, and well . . .

. . . you can never have too many blankets. 🙂

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year!!! A new year and a new calendar. I was given this calendar from a friend who had a spare, from Molly Makes Magazine and it is so pretty. I especially like the quote because it reminds me I’m not the only one who can’t keep my resolutions.

As for resolutions, I haven’t made any strict ones, just those general ones that you can get away without doing because they weren’t really resolutions just things you hoped you’d get done. On a crafting point of view there are some “things” (not resolutions mind) that I would like to accomplish. A while back I bought some fat quarters, fabric, for those of you who haven’t come across the term before, I know it sounds like some kind of delicious cake portion. However inedible it is delicious fat quarters of pretty fabric that I picked up in a sale.

I was hoping to try my hand at quilting. I’ve never tried it before but couldn’t resist the bright colours of these floral prints. I have to admit I prefer sewing by hand in comparison to sewing machine, I haven’t found one yet that likes me.

I know it’s a bit of a mis-match but I got these fat quarters to go with the floral. I quite like the way their both bright and sort of compliment each other, I also like the maritimeyness (?!?) of the stripes. I also purchased another bundle of stripes but in pastel shades, I thought I might try something smaller like a baby’s quilt with these.

I also have a project on the go which I’m sewing by hand. Just over a year ago I was in a little charity shop in a village not far from me and spied a gorgeous vintage rocking chair (at least I think it’s vintage). I purchased said item for an absolute bargain price and now it sits at home waiting for its cushions.

The chair itself is wonderful albeit a little hard to sit on, so seeing a solution in my minds-eye I scavenged some packaging foam and went about making seat pads and a back for comfort.

The foam was a little thin so I simply tacked two pieces together to make the optimum thickness. This is the seat cushion and I tacked a longer piece for the back rest. After careful planning I cut the pattern out of my fabric.

I got the fabric on sale and just adore the coral background and the pink and white flowers. I’ve made some ties to tie it to the chair, but it’s still a work in progress, I’m hoping to finish it with crocheted edging and some chunky beads to weigh down the back rest so it doesn’t slip. I’ll keep you posted.