Two Angels - angels & petals AND crafty angel

Time for tea.....

And a little bit of sympathy too. Followers of the blog will have met my dogs Floss & Rosie, as we rambled around the lanes and on here too! So it is with great sadness that I tell you, that following a stroke this week, Floss was put to sleep.

Lewie put on a brave face as he said goodbye to a lovely dog who has been in our lives for 13 years. A stray, found on the motorway, Floss was loyal, loving and a complete tart! She will be missed by all of us.

 

So, if we're in need of tea, we'd better make some lovely tea cosies to keep our comforting brew nice & hot. Armed with dyed blanket fabric, merino tops in a host of lovely shades and a sprinkling of insipration we set out to make some.

Now, which colours to choose?

Decision made, it was time to make a start.

Coming along nicely.

Soon the designs started to appear.


Front AND back

Add some wadding and a pretty lining and there you have it. Most certainly time to put the kettle on.

Okay, okay, a coffee for Sue please. There's always one!!

Catch up

I haven't blogged for a day or two, so here's what's been going on.

Oh dear!, we just can't get enough of this rippin n stickin workshop.

 
But many walls around the town & beyond will be all the prettier for the decopatch words created today.

 
Sue T has been working very hard and has finished her rag rug. It's very pretty & very Sue.

 
This was a stunning rainbow over the moor yesterday evening. I could see both ends, which is quite unusual, but couldn't photograph both on my phone.

What ever you're doing I hope you enjoy the Bank Holiday.

 

 

Chagford Show 2011

 

The craft tent is opened, judging over.

 

People admire the efforts of the exhibitors.

 

And the Soft Craft class is won by our very own Janey! With her beautiful crochet blanket.

 
The Handmade Jewellery class is won by Sue T, with this very pretty Fimobeads and organza ribbon combination. Second place in this class went to another of our members, Sue H, who's grey Fimo beads with a tiny hint of sparkle caught the judges eye. Pictured below.

 

 

 
and I took the HC in the Hard Crafts section.

 
Channel 4 and Kirsty Allsop were filming all day at the show. So look out for glimpses of your exhibits on a forthcoming TV show!

 
We couldn't help over hearing a man say 'Oh, look camels', his wife turned with a look of dismay and said, 'No! Alpacas', 'Oh, well, same family' came his retort!!

 
This chap was very entertaining, with his collection of birds of prey. He allowed a Kite to take meat from between his own teeth. Rather him than me!

 
Lewie felt this seamingly headless bantam was in the wrong class, and should have been in the most unusual pet. Would certainly have given the winning tortoise a run for its money!

 
For me it wouldn't be a Devon show without 10 minutes spent cooing over the Greyfaced Dartmoors.

 
And finally can you guess as to which celebrity the lovely whippet Olive, sporting her knitted cowl, belongs.? (answer next time I blog. Clue - not Kirsty) 
 

Has Spring Sprung?

It's been a while since I've been out before 7am on a week day, but this week I've had a couple of days of paper round duty (I know, I know!) and I've loved being the only one around as the sun wakes up and the day begins.

 
Most mornings this week have started quite frosty.

 
I thought this ice pattern formed across a dip in the moor was quite amazing.

 
 
The pond area has been cleared of a lot of the trees which crowded the edge.

 
It has really made a difference. A Heron is a regular visitor now, as are a pair of Mallards.

 
Yellow is still the predominate colour, with the last of the daffodils giving way to a carpet of buttercup yellow flowers I can't remember the name of!

 
Catkins are hanging in there too. Wont be long before the garlic & the blue bells move in to change the colour scheme.

On a slightly separate note, I came across a Knitted Vegetables Book. It's not everyone who wakes up and thinks 'today I'll knit vegetables'  -   but if that's you, then this book is just what you need.

 
Inside there are 20 patterns for every thing from chillies to....

 
to carrots, and onto the more exotic.........

 
Artichoke, which I think is really beautiful. Would I have to be a princess to find one of these in my bed??

I guess this book could be for anyone who wants to impress the neighbours with an apparent bouncy of veg in their garden. Start knitting girls, you'll have the most impressive harvest ever.

Christmas Lights

Anyone who ventured out in the -5C of last night to see the Christmas lights be switched on and the shops open until late - frankly deserves a medal! It was soooo cold. The Hatherleigh Silver band could only play their first carol before their instruments froze & no doubt so did they.

However, the town tree looked lovely, the craft fair was full of excellent goodies and the shops did their best to entice folk in.

 Christina had her cosy rugs, home spun yarns and tempting treats.

 Nikki's stained glass is always popular.

 Lorraine, with a stall packed full of Christmas decorations.

 Sue brought along her very tasty chutneys & jams.

 Vivienne brought balms, lotions and potions to help skin fight this chilly weather.

 Tracy's vintage button jewellery make great one-off gifts

 Sue & Trish had knits to keep you warm and gorgeous felted bags to be seen with.

 Then we had wreaths to adorn your front door.

 And Debbie's ever popular baskets and hand woven decorations.

 The tree in all it's bright lights glory (and freezing fog!).

 And lastly, Angels & Petals which provided a welcome, warm haven for many. If you missed it all, pop back soon and I'll show you what treasures are in the shop!

Beautiful Morning

It is a seriously beautiful morning out there today. I know I am always trying to encourage you to venture out, but I most definitely recommend it today! Take your journals, sketch books, cameras and a bag for collecting the bounty. Sloe's, elder berries, the last few black berries and rose hips are all in plentiful supply and some all the better for being pretty heavily frosted today.

 
The moor first thing, frosty & misty with a huge sun looming.

 
The cattle began their day of grazing.

Everything had a touch of frost.

 
Rosie can't get enough of these 'rabbit scented mornings'.

180 acres of open space

And interesting hedgerows.

 
Plenty of berries for the birds.

Red berries and lichen. Almost (!) made me feel Christmassy!
  
 
   

Chagford Show

I had a lovely day out yesterday at Chagford Agricultural show. It is just the right size I think, big enough to be interesting but not so huge that you are exhausted at the end of it and your mind is boggling at the vast array of farm machinery available!

Perhaps understandably my favourite bit was the sheep. And I was overjoyed to find some gorgeous Greyface Dartmoors (we used to keep these), such beautiful docile sheep....

I could easily have taken this little lady home!

Greyface Dartmoors waiting their turn.

A row of Dartmoor bottoms!

 

Whiteface Dartmoors. Is it just me, or is there no comparison!!
 

Ok, they're quite cute really.

There was a good turn out and the rain stayed away for the most part.

 
 
We liked the cow & calf section of the cattle area.

and saw some beautifully turned out horses

 
This heavy horse's fancy braids were made from red yarn. He got our vote!

Then it was into the Handicrafts & Horticulture tents. And this girls, is when I began to think, we could do this next year!
  
The hand knitted class - we'd steal the show!

 

Felting - no problem!

This was a beautiful cushion. I loved the way she'd left long threads on the buttons.

 
 
 This was such a fun painting.

 
The Mosaic class was very strong, but this was our favourite.

 
 And then we came to miniature arrangements. I'm sure we could all do one of these.

 
Although there was some tough competition.

 
Simple but so pretty.

And then we came to the veg. Well, judging from the bounty of produce we've had at K&N I think these will be a walk-over!

 

Something for everyone.

 Including the herb growers.

the sloe gin makers

and the egg producers.

A great day out and a bit of fun to think about for next year - are you in??

 
 

  

A Beautiful Day

It really is a lovely day out there today. The first for a long time. I haven't shared many of my phone snaps with you recently of the walks we've had, so here are a few to tempt you out today.

We headed out to Monkokehampton and walked to Broadwoodkelly.

 It took me years to get used to these high Devon banks and the fact I could never see over them.

 
But fortunately there is plenty to see in them.

The bees were particularly busy this day.

And the occasional gateway allowed a glimpse of Broadwoodkelly.

Back on Hatherleigh Moor now

 Where Rosie never tires of waiting to spring out on an unsuspecting Floss

or of creeping along hedgerows to avoid being seen by a herd of nosey bullocks

 
and where I am always grateful for the quick escape route!

and where the colours are beautiful

 
 and the signs of autumn are all around!

 
the squirrels are getting excited

 
and so are the sloe gin drinkers!

Enjoy your day.

  

 

 

Busy busy

We weren't the only ones who were busy working the fibres last night at our Knit & Natter.

On my morning walk today the Moor was a mass of cobwebs. I wish I'd had ny camera with me to capture them all - as far as the eye could see, cobwebs of all sizes. One or two weren't finished, the rounds had been done, but the strands not linked together. That made me laugh - a spider who think the same as me -  give up and move onto something else if it gets a bit tedious!!

Just one work of art captured on my phone.

Also being busy have been the workmen on The George. It's protective boarding was removed yesterday and the town had it's first glimpse of the 'new george'.

I think there are a lot of mixed feeling about this new hotel, but personally I think it will be great to have it 'back'.

Looks like they're doing a pretty good job.
 
 
 

Underwater Knitting

IF you have a spare hour between Monday & Thursday, you must go and see this knitted creation at RHS Rosemoor, Nr Torrrington.

Entitled Above and Below the Waves, this creation is by Bideford based textile artist Alison Murray.

From a sketch to a full sized display in 5 months

The pieces features a walk through tunnel with every conceivable sea creature featured there

 
Some of it truly inspired

And some just plain clever

Sea horses & coral

shoals of fish caught in nets

and old rope, with all the sea creatures you might expect to see hanging from it.

This is knitting as an art form, rather than the art of knitting!

Now I'm thinking knitted tar barrels for carnival - what do you reckon????