Coldspring Mill

Today my friend Sue came to take me to the Coldspring Mill in Cullingworth Yorkshire. I had a lovely day out in the countryside going down narrow country lanes and seeing horses,sheep and even a Grouse on a wall (or was it a Pheasant?) Lovely old stone cottages and old fashioned pubs cropped up every now and again and we went through Haworth which is beautiful Bronte country. I am sad that I didn't take my camera with me. I had no idea that the scenery would be so great. If you click on the blog title I hope that it will show you the entrance to the tea rooms at Coldspring mill which had the most tempting array of homemade cake (we resisted) and gorgeous coffee (which we didn't resist). The menu promised lovely home made sandwiches and lunches. The two guys at the next table who were tucking into their bacon and egg sandwiches certainly seemed to be enjoying them.

The mill is tucked away and is not the traditional cotton mill type. It is a three storey stone building on different split levels inside. It is a strange mixture of camping and walking gear on one floor, wool in the basement and the cafe sort of in between. The rather fetching yellow plastic poncho I am wearing was from the walking section and cost me the princely sum of £2.95. I could have chosen a dark green one but hey you know me. If I am going to look like a fool I might as well look like a fat yellow duck. It will be a perfect emergency waterproof for if I get caught in the rain when riding on Pearl. I have my proper wet gear jacket and trousers but this poncho folds up to fit in a pocket so can be left on the scooter all of the time. I doubt that it will be very durable but at that price what do I expect. It is large enough to cover my knees when I am seated and has poppers down each side.

The wool part of the mill was an Aladdin's cave. Loads of bargains if you like Louisa Harding, Debbie Bliss and Mirasol etc. They are probably discontinued lines or discontinued colours but they were half price. Sadly, lovely though they were, even half price is a wee bit above my pocket. Plus I can't wear a lot of them as they are wool/merino etc and my skin itches just looking at it. There was some skeins of pure silk that made my heart beat faster but to make anything large would have cost me a fortune. It must be nice though to be able to afford such yarns as these.

I settled for the more mundane James C Brett wool. I love their wools especially the Marble chunky which Sue had to drag me away from. I have never seen most of the colours in one place before as usually shops stock limited colours of the wool and the online photos don't do the colours justice. They must have had about 20 colours in the Aran. I was spoiled for choice but I settled for a cream with flecks of many different jewel colours which I thought would make a good all round jacket for next Spring/Summer. I fell in love with the blue Marble DK as I have never seen that colour in the ball before.The brown is also the Marble DK and I am using that to make something for a friend,

The small balls are some oddments of primary colours that I picked up to make some more of the Loopy Roses by Sarah London. I am going up to Accrington with Rachael (Artyarn) tomorrow so am hoping to make a few more roses or free form crochet tonight so that I can stitch them together tomorrow..I haven't got time to worry about my upcoming operation as my niece is calling around on Sunday to dye my hair roots and I still have loads of housework to finish plus packing my bag.

My long Drew Emborsky jacket has now reached the waistline and also where it says to divide for the armholes. I am going to read the pattern though to see how long these armholes are as I have a low waist and would like a bit more length from the waist to the divide. I have plenty of wool left so I will be OK if I have to add a bit of length to the body. I would like it to finish below the hip line if possible.It is slow going but I am pleased with the firmness of the pattern stitch. It will be a nice warm jacket for the winter.

Next door's cat has come in and is happily sleeping on the spare bed. The last time he came in a thunderstorm ensued 10 minutes after he came in. I think he knows that rain is on the way tonight. I don't mind if it rains now as I am warm and cosy and will soon settle down with my coffee and my crochet in a few minutes.

I know I promised the second half of the baby book photos but I had other things to write about today. I won't forget and maybe tomorrow I will post the rest of the book on my blog.

I had a laugh today when the postman left a parcel with me destined for the baby across the road who was one yesterday. The postman often leaves their parcels with me when they are out as it saves them having to go up to the sorting office to retrieve it. I put the parcel down on the stairs as I was on my way out and the parcel started barking! It must be a soft toy that when you bounce it down it barks. It made me laugh as well as jump. I bet that Zak will love it.

My Horoscopes

We all read horoscopes and if they are good then they make us feel good for the rest of the day even though they rarely come true. My horoscope for today did make me giggle though. If you are a Sagittarian then you can share it with me.

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Your horoscope for July 2, 2010 Arts and crafts may hold the greatest interest for you today, JANET. Even if you lean more toward sports activities, as a Sagittarian an artistic streak will likely run pretty strong in you. Creating can be richly satisfying, both in the process and in the satisfaction of the finished product. Allow yourself the opportunity to explore this part of you, as the day's energy will lend much to your abilities.
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This is so apt for me at the present time. The other day my horoscope said that my money worries would soon be over and the day after I won £10 on the lottery. Not quite what I had in mind but hey don't knock it. Today I received news that not only have they allowed the continuation of my Disability Living Allowance for another 2 yrs but that they have increased it. OK it's not a fortune but it does mean that I can take taxis to my knit clubs and to visit friends and not have to worry about the cost (within reason).This will make such a difference to my morale after my op when as soon as I am a little bit mobile I can get out and about - even if it is only to the local shops and back.

I finished the baby Springy Jacket by Kj Hay from Crochet Today May/June 2010. I have taken the photographs as the sleeves are a row or two short because I ran out of wool. My friend has another ball so I can put in long sleeves if she wants them. The pattern has short sleeves but as it has worked up quite chunky she might want the jacket to have longer sleeves for the baby to wear in the winter as it is a larger size and won't fit him until then. The wool is James C Brett Baby Marble DK shade BM 5 and I used 100 grams to make it this size.

I am still crocheting away on the blue jacket. I have almost finished the second sleeve and still working with the same ball that I made the other sleeve with so I think that I will have enough yarn to make the jacket longer which is better for me. I will decide whether to keep it or give it away when it is finished. I have a habit of thinking - nice but not for me - when things are finished and I would rather give them away than leave them stored away. I will let you know if it is a keeper or not.

I really must get stuck into some house cleaning this weekend. I won't be able to do much afterwards and so would like to come home to a clean, even if it is not very tidy, house. I think a cluttered house is a sign of a creative mind. I thrive on being surrounded by wool, hooks, needles and patterns. I would die if I had to keep everything in neat boxes and shelves. I do try in the stash room and know exactly where everything is stored in there, and what kinds of wool are in there even though it may appear to be a huge jumble to everyone else. My ex husband almost has a fit when he calls as he was such a neat freak and just being in my house makes him very uneasy and he is always on at me to tidy up my house - my craft work in particular. I just smile sweetly and say ah but you don't live here any more dear. He can't bully me any more even though his comments do sometimes upset me. I like living on my own. I can mess up the house as much as I want and no one tells me off anymore. I do tidy up every now and again but it is when I decide and not when others tell me that I have to.