Day tripping.....

... to Matlock

... by train

... providing time for some more mindless circular knitting of socks 

(still LOVING that cute, diddy  needle!)

 ... disembarking at quiet stations

.. climbing through pretty woods

... seeing sheep and thinking "yarn!"

... enjoying the colours of spring

... taking in distant views

... contemplating the sky above Bilberry Knoll

... marvelling at the stone mullions of a house built in 1633!

... thinking how much the chimneys remind us of rooks on a chess board!

... admiring neat allotments

... gasping at statuesque chimneys

... appreciating beautiful architecture

... salivating at scrambled eggs on toast

... wishing there was a band playing to complete this picture of the bandstand

... not being envious of canoeists on the chilly river

... enjoying more bluebells

... astonished at the cheekiness of this robin

... waiting for our transport home

... finding time for a few more stitches and, from the photo I'd taken on our outbound journey, noticing the progress I'd made so far today! 

All in the very agreeable company of eldest son!

I needed this day out. 

I am essentially an outdoor girl who hates routine, but unfortunately, since November I 

have been working in a job which entails sitting in an office, shared with just

 one other person, 4 days a week from roughly 8am until 4pm. 

This drives me stir-crazy and in truth, I'm not sure how much longer I can do it, so this day

 out in the open spaces, no routine, with lots of walking and even more laughter was sorely 

needed and a great restorative. 

Enjoy your weekend  - and here's hoping for even more sunny days 

(we have been so lucky here in the UK lately!)

xXx

A seaside cottage....

Hello,

One of my dreams is to own a little cottage either by the sea or in an isolated location perhaps in the Peak District or on the west coast of Scotland, ideally with stunning views. 

This is just one of my many daydreams! 

So I got very excited recently when I am across a kit on the internet for knitting my own seaside cottage. This kit is sold by 'The Little Knit Kit Company' and what is great news, is that the kit is currently available to purchase in the sale. So it didn't take me to long to decided to order the kit and it arrived about two weeks, and what a delightful package! 

The kit is presented in a brown bag which in turn arrived wrapped in pink tissue paper with cute stickers on the outer packing. 

And inside the brown bag there is wool, needles, pattern, stuffing, felt, sewing thread, buttons and beads - in fact everything you need to complete the cottage!

 Here are some close up photos of how the cottage will look when complete. 

Look at the cute beads, as flowers, around the door - I think this will be trickiest bit of the kit. 

 So it wasn't long after the package arrived before I had the needles out and I started on my cottage.  

 This is the first wall under construction. The kit is easy to complete with knitting in garter stitch  and only simple shaping and sewing up to undertake. 

 Here we are a couple of weeks later with all four walls and the roof knitted, and the 

base is underway. 

 

This is a lovely kit - an enjoyable, easy knitting project.  

And with the Bank Holiday weekend here, it may not be too long before my own little dream cottage is complete!

Have a good weekend

xXx

a day out ....

... in Matlock, Derbyshire.

So it was the last day of the half term holiday and I was desperate for a day out. Now we probably visit Matlock and nearby Matlock Bath several times a year. It is not too far for us to drive, taking about 45 minutes but I much prefer to take the train which takes about 1 hour 15 minutes, including one change.

Of course, a journey on the train means a chance to read the newspaper, try my hand (or should I say, my brain) at the crossword and Sudoku, and to catch up on my portable project - my blue socks!

I love some of the stations we pass - the architecture is so much grander than anything we build nowadays. 

Matlock Bath is a bit of  a strange place in some ways - it is like a seaside resort but in the middle of the country, with fish and chip shops and amusement arcades found all along the man road. This place is heaving with people on high days and holidays!

The main street passes through a steep valley. I wonder what the rooms are like in some of these houses.

It really is quite a pretty place. The house at the back of this photo looks like a mini castle.

And just to make sure we get a bit of exercise, we always walk along the road, following the River Derwent, from Matlock Bath to Matlock - this photo is a bit deceiving because actually it is a very busy road.

And when we arrive at Matlock, there are lots of little shops and cafés to wander round but also this lovely park, complete with a miniature train....

that runs a very straight track.....

and is pulled by an engine called Little David!

There is a boating lake .....

and a children's playground with fountains (and WET children on what was quite a cool day!), pitch and putt, table tennis tables, a skateboard park, a bandstand and lots of open spaces for ball games! We had lots of fun with a bat and ball. 

And all too soon is it time to head to the station, for our return journey home.

But I doubt it will be too long before we are back in Matlock again!

xXx

Frivolous world of hot chocolates

Hello,

You probably think this is a bit strange (I think my family do) but some time ago my elder son ordered a hot chocolate while we were out and as it looked quite spectacular I decided to capture it on my phone. Since then it has become a bit of a tradition for me to take more photos of his hot chocolates and now I also find myself taking photos of our food in general while we are out. Strangely it captures the moment quite nicely and we look back at the photos on my phone and can say "oh yes, that one was taken at that little cafe we found by chance because our usual cafe was full" etc.

 

Work is fairly stressful at the moment and thus I've found it hard to concentrate on reading or crafting this week, and we haven't ventured far during the Easter holidays as the young people in our house are revising so as I was at a bit of a loss about what to post about, I decided a frivolous post was in order, showcasing a small selection of hot chocolates taken on my phone!! 

The photo above was taken in a motorway service station (a little disappointing as it was squirty cream) and the one below was in a cafe in Matlock (a stick of chocolate that gradually melts in the hot milk) . 

 I love how this hot chocolate spills over the sides of the mug!

 But the piece de resistance has to be this colourful hot chocolate, also from a cafe in Matlock. 

And finally, these last photos were taken this week when we did manage to venture out to visit our local organic farm for a family lunch - we persuaded younger family members that a break from revision is good! 

 

 Scrambled organic eggs on homemade bread followed by scones, cream and jam - delicious!

 If you are still reading this, thank you for bearing with me on my frivolous journey through the world of hot chocolates!

Hope you are enjoying your weekend and wishing you a good week.

xXx