My Week

As always I have found the week has passed me by in a whirlwind of adventures, beginning on Sunday with a trip up into the pretty Welsh hills to Ruthin Craft Centre for the beautiful Julie Arkell "Away" exhibition. I have loved her work since the first time I encountered it, feeling drawn in by her very unique style of nostalgia and sentimentality, and her unashamed thriftiness, keeping every little odd-and-end and finding a place for it somewhere. 

My second big adventure of the week was taking the train to Chester with one of my dearest dears for her Birthday shenanigans. There was sock knitting on the train, vintage shopping, dress buying (Cath Kidston sale dress, it would have been rude not to...) much, much tea drinking and cherry scones that were so large that we were somewhat shocked. The other highlights of the week have been flowers from husband "to make our place nice", kittens discovered in a pile, crochet procrastination and postal My Little Pony loveliness from another of my dearies with a sweet Blythe doll postcard. I am truly so very lucky to have so many sweet dearies in my life. 

My Makings...

I've been a busy little maker-bee this week, full of ideas and inspiration. I had a very fabulous day out with one of my lovely friends for her birthday, so of course I needed a new brooch for the occasion. I quickly whipped up a pretty kilt-pin flower brooch which looks, if I do say so, rather splendid on my tweedy winter coat with my vintage-inspired flower brooch. 

 Embracing the chilly weather, I had a cosy day at home finishing my latest project, an Autumn inspired cushion, to remind me of the changing seasons and keep me feeling warm as the days get colder. 

I am planning some sock knitting time over the next few days, with second-sock syndrome holding me back with my current pair!

My Week

What a delightful week it has been! It started rather well with the Wonderful Wool day, but I have spent the rest of the week battling the dreaded lurgy. Despite that, I have tried my best to have a jolly time, having an appropriate amount of sofa/cat/tea/cake time, as well as a bit of crochet time, working on my Mood Blanket and a shiny-new "make myself feel better" project - a granny square cushion cover in warm autumnal colours. 

I had adventure-tickets this week too - another evening with Mr Mark Thomas, this time in the thoroughly grand Chester Town Hall, and a trip to Manchester for dinner at The Cornerhouse and a visit with my current most favourite band Allo Darlin'. That was at the Deaf Institute, which is worth a look if only for the glorious wallpaper that adorns the place. Allo Darlin' are absolute happiness and anyone that has crept up to me quietly since Thursday will have found me humming songs from their new album "We Come From the Same Place" which has some delightfully catchy little numbers. They were supported by the equally sweet Making Marks, they have sweet little tunes in English and Norwegian, and they are splendid. 

So despite the lurgy, all things considered, it has been a really rather lovely week. 

Taking Stock

Following in the footsteps of the always delightful Pip at Meet Me at Mikes, I am taking stock using her lovely list

Making : granny squares - a blanket and a cushion cover
Cooking : nice and easy Easter Biscuits
Drinking : Tea. Always tea
Reading: "The Power of Six" by Pittacus Lore and "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves" by Karen Joy Fowler
Wanting: tea dresses and vintage brooches
Looking: forward to Pizza Night and hanging out with husband
Playing: "We Come from the Same Place" by Allo Darlin'
Deciding: what sort of edge would suit my Autumn-coloured cushion
Wishing: for a trip to see the Julie Arkell exhibition at Ruthin Craft Centre
Enjoying: cups of tea 
Waiting: patiently for a day of vintage/charity shopping and cake with one of my dearies
Liking: Allo Darlin' and Making Marks 
Wondering: if starting another pair of socks would be wrong when I have two pairs waiting to be finished
Loving: my Autumn fireplace bunting
Pondering: ideas for pretty things to make
Considering: a new hair cut and possibly going back to brunette (eek)
Watching: "Sherlock", "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D" and my my current movie of the moment "Splash"
Hoping: for inspiration
Marvelling: at how much I love my new shoes
Needing: a couple of extra hours in the day...
Smelling: not much of anything, still getting rid of a pesky cold
Wearing: my new shoes and newly finished scarf constantly, and my glasses today
Following: lots of lovely new blogs, but always looking for more!
Noticing: that the weather has suddenly changed from Autumn to Winter
Knowing: that the world is a bit of a scary place, but trying to make my little bit of it nice and cosy
Thinking: that I would rather like to have a go at Nale Binding, and arranging a cuppa with someone who can show me how!
Admiring: Sidmouth_Poppy and bodkincreates on instagram
Sorting: the homestead ready for festive cheer
Buying: lots of woolly tights for winter
Getting: a little bit excited for my birthday and the shenanigan plotting that is happening!
Bookmarking: lots of pretty gifty stuff for my favourite folks!
Disliking: the amount of things to do before I'm ready for Christmas
Opening: my eyes and being inspired
Giggling: at my grown up cats playing like kittens
Feeling: a little bit tired after a night in my dancing shoes (my regular shoes just not doing the regular walking)
Snacking: on Rhubarb and Custard sweeties
Coveting: Cath Kidston frocks for my birthday
Helping: lots of people starting off on their crochet adventures
Hearing: some chatter about Christmas, I think the excitement is starting

my week...

After spending last week in cosy hibernation, this week has been about adventures and lovely times. We ventured to Liverpool to see Mark Thomas, and Manchester to see Thurston Moore, and there was a charity shop adventure that involved the purchase of many quality cassettes for my little car Mavis, and of course there was cake. 

To be honest though, there has been a respectable amount of hibernating happening here too, with kitty-cuddles and tea drinking and some prettifying the house with paper pom-poms.

Today was a most splendid combination of hibernation and adventure, spent teaching crochet at the Wonderful Wool Day in a local chapel surrounded by lovely crafty folks and drinking tea. There were all sorts of amazing things going on, and I was able to have a little look at Nale Binding which is a bit fancy looking! It was a nice little reminder of the sheer amount of fabulous that comes as part of my life as a full-time professional-crafter.

Makings...

The change of season and the autumny-wintery chill in the air is inspiring my makes this week. My granny squares are ever-more leafy coloured, and my fireplace in newly adorned with a string of crochet flowers and acorns. I found some lovely yarn in my stash and made myself a mossy-green crochet scarf for extra cosiness on my outside adventures. 

When the fire is lit and it's dark earlier and earlier I am happy to be cosy in our little home. 

My Week...

It's been a quiet week. I've been making time to be at home and cosy, putting big adventures temporarily on hold for a much-needed battery-recharge. There was a little bit more baking (more Easter biscuits - I love them), some end-of-season rose picking, and some time for whimsical movies - the highlights being "Splash", "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Saving Mr. Banks". 

 The highlight of my quiet little week was the arrival of my delightful new shoes, the most spiffingly-splendid shoes that have been in my possession for quite some time, as I am usually a devoted wearer of Converse sneakers and Dr Marten boots. But I love my new shoes, and have worn them loyally every day since they landed at my door, with a variety of coloured tights - mustard and navy being a jolly good match - and I think they might be friends for life.