Towneley Hall Burnley

I have never been to Towneley Hall Burnley before even though it is not that far away from me. I really must go again when I can walk around it as I believe it is lovely inside. For today I just accompanied Rachael from Artyarn and sat in the shop crocheting doilies whilst Rachael and Laura did all the hard work of arranging the tea cosies on display. People have been amazing, There are at least 25 tea cosies and one has even been sent from Germany from a lady who married a Burnley man and wanted to contribute. Rachael has to go up again tomorrow and is going to photograph them all and so I will direct you to her blog when she posts the photos.

Whilst Rachael was closing up the shop in Burnley town centre ready for the next artist a lovely couple came in to bring a few tea cosies. They are Pat and Steve from Woolly Thoughts and they do the most fabulous knitting. The do workshops and can be found on Ravelry as Woolly Thoughts. I call the kind of knitting that they do shadow knitting but it has a proper name. When you look at the piece face on it looks like narrow garter stitch stripes but when you view it on an angle words or pictures can been seen. They brought in two tea cosies that look as if they have a moving swirl pattern on them and a couple of strips of knitting saying tea and the picture of a tea pot. Steve brought with him a shawl that at first glance looked like yellow and black narrow stripes but when he moved it about it was the head of a man in intricate detail showing his long hair and his beard. Fascinating stuff. There are many examples of their work on Ravelry but it is something that has to be seen in the wool so to speak to appreciate it's real talent.

One tea cosy that stood out in my mind is a finely knitted one that was smocked together and had lots of beads stitched on to it. Hopefully there will be a photo of that on Artyarn's blog.

Although it wasn't raining today it was windy and cold and Rachael got very cold trying to finish off stitching the doilies around the stone balls. Although she had crocheted loads once they were put on the stone they only covered it partially and so a few more are needed. As I couldn't help out with the tea cosies I sat in Towneley Hall gift shop and crocheted and chatted to a lovely lady called Christine who was tending the shop, filling the shelves and answering a load of phone calls. I was really interested in all the Towneley Hall liqueurs such as Cherry brandy and Sloe. It did invite me to have a taste, on the poster next to it all, but I resisted or my doilies would have been a bit lop sided after a taste of that. It all looked very inviting but I didn't buy anything except a bag of humbugs.

I have included a couple of photos of the outside of Towneley Hall but I believe they have a web site if you want to see the interior. I love the carved owl in the tree where one of the branches has broken or been cut down. The tree is immense and the branches hang down almost to the floor. Many years of tree growth there methinks.

There was a party of excited children there for a while on a guided pond dip to see what wildlife they could find in the pond. Rachael said when she was there the other day one child fell into the water. Today the kids were getting a stern lecture about messing about near water before they set off. I think the guide wasn't taking any chances today. The all seemed to come back dry today.

I have finished the crocheted baby surprise jacket and have only got the buttons to stitch on. I have started another one but this time I am not crocheting in the single loop of the double crochet. Although it does look great it is a bugger to keep even and there are a few wobbly places that I am not really happy with. Hopefully they will even out after a couple of washes. I have started another one in a slightly different colour but this time in plain double crochet.

Time for dinner and a cup of coffee before I put my feet up and relax. I do love my days out. It gives my brain and well needed jolt and stimulates my thoughts. Whilst I am out and about chatting it takes my mind of aches and pains.

Crochet Baby Surprise Jacket

I am crocheting Jenny King's version of Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket.I was a bit puzzled as to which bit I was crocheting when I started but I think I know which way to fold it all once it is finished.The pattern is available to buy from Ravelry or if you click on my blog title it will take you to the web page.

I am making it from James C Brett's Bliss Baby DK and using a smaller hook as it is for a new born baby. I can't say that I am enjoying working into only one loop of the double crochet and whilst I admire it's ribbed effect I think that I would make it in plain dc next time. By the way the instructions are in UK/Australian terms which confused me at first as I am so used to converting from US to UK. I started it in UK trebles thinking that the pattern's dc were trebles to me but I soon realised that it was wrong when it was turning out rather loose and floppy. The wool was chosen as it has long colour length changes in order to make the striped effect. The pattern states Noro Silk Garden but that is too expensive for a new baby although I must admit that the colours are terrific.

The old deaf guy from yesterday didn't ring me back again but Bev's comments reminded me of wrong numbers from the past. Why do they always ring around 2am? I had a man phone me demanding to speak to Mandy. When I told him that Mandy didn't live here he started ranting on about I didn't want him to marry my daughter because he was Pakistani. I said that I wasn't racist and if I had a daughter and she was in love with him then she could marry him but as I only have a son (who isn't gay) then I couldn't be his mother in law. He ranted on and on and then said that I wouldn't stop him from seeing her. I said that's OK with me and put the phone down.

Another was an irate lady demanding that I go and look for her husband in the bar and send him home. She was convinced that she had rung the local snooker hall and would not take 'wrong number' as an answer. In the end I asked for his name told her I would send him home and put the phone down. Needless to say I took the phone off the hook after that. I do hope that her husband went home eventually!

I had phone call this morning saying that providing I pass another pre operative test then I am scheduled for my first replacement knee surgery on the 6th July. I am not excited in the least as I still have the feeling that something will go wrong and I won't get the operation. With my track record anything can happen. Fingers crossed for me please that they don't find anything wrong again at the pre op tests. I had another rotten night last night so I will welcome anything that can stop some of the pain.

I am not going up to Burnley today as it is another windy, cold and it looks like rain day. Is this really June? It's freezing here in Manchester. I doubt if I will get to wear any summer clothes this year. Hopefully I will make it up to Towneley Hall tomorrow as I am really looking forward to seeing the tea cosies on display.

Daffodil Tea Cosy

This is my latest contribution to the tea cosy project for Towneley Hall in Burnley.The Daffodil tea cosy. The pattern is from the Scrap Crochet book that I bought last week and is designed by Lisa Marchand Harris. I used up scraps of double knitting.

I was supposed to go with Rachael from Artyarn today up to Towneley Hall but it was raining and cold and as she was going to be outside for a lot of the time we decided that today was not a good day for me to go with her. I am hopefully going up with her on Thursday when we will take all the finished tea cosies up from the shop to the Hall.

I have started a crocheted version of the Baby Surprise Jacket but as it is crocheted in a strange way if I posted a photo of it tonight then it would just be a stripy strip. I am still not sure which bit I am actually crocheting as it is made in a different way to the knitted version. It is a different pattern to the crocheted BSJ that I made before so I am interested to see how it turns out. It's so difficult to judge the size when you don't know which bit you are crocheting. After I have made one then I will know the method.

My knees kept me awake for most of the night so it was probably just as well that I wasn't going out today. I had a PJ day today instead and spent it junked up on painkillers that don't seem to work anymore. Sylvia's legs are giving her real problems as well so we have a little 'moan about legs' phone call most days. Like me she has decided to go for the wooden leg and the parrot look if our leg problems go on for much longer.

Today I had a little old guy keep ringing me. He wanted the chemists and I kept telling him he had the wrong number. All he kept saying was speak up I can't hear you. I finished up yelling down the phone that I was not the chemists and he had the wrong number and he said I am not ringing you any more because you keep mumbling !! I thought I was back at work for a moment. At work I used to dread answering the phone as all the weirdo claimants seemed to have my extension number. Oh happy days.

Two More tea Cosies for Towneley Hall

I have finally finished two more tea cosies for the Towneley Hall Burnley project. If you click on my blog title it will take you to Artyarn blog page and that will show you more photos of the tea cosies already made by different people and keep you up to date on what is going on next.

The first tea cosy was inspired by Spring and the sighting of the odd butterfly here and there when the sun comes out. My butterfly is meant to be a red admiral but I know that it's markings and colourings aren't right, so those of you interested in butterflies please accept my apologies. Call it artistic licence. I decided to embroider the stems as I am not much good at making crochet chain go quite where I want it to go. The flowers are just simple 5 petal flowers and I decided to stick with one colour rather than do a variety as in nature a stalk usually has the same coloured flowers in it. I was intending to make a bee instead of a butterfly but after three failed attempts I decided a butterfly was easier.

The second tea cosy was just an experiment. I made a mesh tea cosy and intended the thread ribbons through the spaces but they kept doubling up and folding over so I changed it to lengths of wool instead. I sewed all the ends in at the bottom edge but got so bored with all of the tails that I decided to tie the strands together at the top and give it a sort of top knot. I would like to try the ribbon threading technique on another project but I would have to make larger holes in the mesh or go out and buy some finer ribbons. Somewhere in my pattern stash I have a cushion that is made from threading 1" satin ribbon in and out of a mesh crochet and over itself in a criss cross to make a woven appearance. It is a very pretty technique. One of those things that you mean to make one day and of course never do so put the pattern away somewhere.

The day is somewhat dull but hot and muggy. I have chanced the washing on the line as it is bedding and it seems to be drying fast. I am keeping my eye out for the rain, My gardener lady is coming today and somehow she always manages to bring the rain with her. She mows the lawn and gives the weeds a pull once a fortnight.

Once she has gone I must try to go to the supermarket as I am out of food basics. I thought of ordering online but I might be out of the house on Tuesday and Wednesday so didn't know when to say I was in for delivery. That's the only problem with online ordering they don't always have time slots when you want them,

I am hoping to make another tea cosy and then it will be back to normal crochet after that.

Another Tunisian Lace Stitch book

As promised here are some photos of the contents of the first Tunisian book that came last week. It is published by Annie's Attic 879552 and is by Kim Guzman. It is a learn to do Tunisian lace stitches with interactive DVD.

There are 10 Tunisian swatches and the DVD so if I can't learn with this book or the other book then Beverooni assures me that there are many videos on You Tube as well.

The blue afghan is bobbles in the throw. I do like the stitch but unless Tunisian stitch is far quicker than crochet then I think I would only use the bobble stitch for a pram rug.

The table runner is another thing I would not make but I do like the pattern stitch.

The bonny waves wrap looks like stocking stitch knitting with lace panels so it would an interesting stitch to try.

The pink peek-a-boo throw is another nice stitch that I would possibly use on a baby blanket.

The blue symphony capelet is not for me. I prefer a shawl any day but it does, once again, have a pretty stitch.

The carnival market bag is very loose and so I would be afraid of putting anything in it that weighed heavy as I once crocheted a market bag and it, and the handles, just kept on growing every time I used it. Maybe if I had tried it in twine or a dishcloth cotton it would have kept it's shape.

The starburst cloche and scarf is a pretty lacy pattern and this is something that I might make for presents for Christmas.

The Green rolled collar wrap is very openwork and would work as an evening shawl or a decorative stole for a wedding.

The swirls baby afghan is pretty but I always found that round shawls were not as useful as a square one when my son was small. They are fine to wrap around a very young baby but look funny on the moses basket or the stroller later.

The orange opulent shells wrap is once again a pretty lacy stitch but more decorative than functional.

I still have to find out which of the two books will be the best one for me to learn from. Maybe having a DVD will make it easier but the other book does have much clearer diagrams to show the methods and the stitches.

I am still crocheting flowers for another tea cosy which will hopefully be finished by tomorrow, I have lots of ideas buzzing in my head for tea cosies but not enough time to make them before they are wanted for Towneley Hall. I will just press on and make as many as I can.

Buster went home today but is coming back in a couple of weeks time. I will carry on having him for the weekends my son is away until I go into hospital which at the rate I have been waiting will probably not be until the end of the Summer anyway.

A Tea Cosy For Towneley Hall Burnley

I have finished off the tea cosy that I started last Sunday when I went to Burnley to knit tea cosies for Towneley Hall. it is inspired by a couple of the teapots in the collection that have delicate flowers on them, This tea cosy is meant to be a flower basket with flowers spilling out of it.

I have also crocheted some flowers and leaves to finish off the 3 colours of pink tea cosy that I made on Saturday and Sunday whilst in the shop. I hope to take photos of it finished when I hopefully get back to the shop on Tuesday or Wednesday. The tea cosy is striped with pale pink at the top medium pink in the middle and deep pink at the base. The flowers represent the colours in the tea cosy.

The baby blanket is now dry and folded up ready to be collected. Sylvia lives just that bit too far away for me to nip on a bus to deliver it. She banged her damaged leg last weekend and is going to see a specialist next week. I don't think we have a good pair of legs between us.I keep looking at mobility scooters but by the time I get one big enough to support my weight then it will be too big to be allowed on buses and trams. It would be great to have one to shop in the local shops. The small ones not only have a weight limit but would not be powerful enough to get me up the hills where my house is situated.Maybe I should enquire if they have free test drives before I buy one. I would probably have to buy a second hand one anyway as they are so expensive. I will wait and hope that they renew my DLA payments to help to pay for one.

The weather is cooler today but still warm enough to have the doors and windows open. I think I will start another tea cosy and sit in the garden to crochet it this afternoon. I will photograph the Tunisian book tomorrow when there is room on my blog to feature it.

Poppy has been in for her morning visit. She had a sleep, sniffed around and then left. Buster totally ignored her which is good. At least it shows that he accepts the way she trots in and out of my house as if it was her own. He no longer growls at her.

Time for a spot of lunch now and then off into the garden. I just hope that we don't have the rain and thunderstorm like yesterday.

Learn Tunisian Crochet - No Excuse Now

I have no excuse for not learning how to do Tunisian crochet now. My second book came today. This book seems to have clearer diagrams but the other book does come with a DVD. Actually I do have an excuse for not starting to learn Tunisian as I am still finishing off a couple of tea cosies for Towneley Hall and I don't want to get distracted.

This books is called Tunisian crochet - the look of knitting with the ease of crocheting and is by Sharon Hernes Silverman. The sweater on the front cover is sleeveless which is a shame as I think that it would look better with sleeves.

The chain mail scarf looks like an easy project to start with. The wild and woolly wrap looks like a quick make but I am not that good at working with thick and thin slubbed wool and I think that the wool makes this wrap. I will have to look for some chunky that has different colours but not different thicknesses. Maybe I will find Tunisian easier with slubbed wools. I struggle with it in ordinary crochet. I can't get my tension right.

The shimmer shawl is more of a stole. Once again the gorgeous wool makes the garment what it is. They have used a rayon metallic thread which gives it that luxury look.

The blue ladders and lattice duster is a little openwork for my taste. I am the kind of girl who gets hooked up on every doorknob and door handle so this one is not for me.

The men's tank is something that I wouldn't make. Once again if it was a sweater then I would consider it.

The hug a licious jumper ( pinafore dress in my language) is a possibilty for a little girl. The sweet dreams white baby blanket is a nice close stitch so that is definitely a possibility once I have learned Tunisian.

The brown and beige afghan is pretty but that is something that I have never made. Shawls and baby blankets yes but afghans no. I think that I would lack the staying power and get bored half way through one.

The cushion is another project that would be a good one to start with. I think I should start small and aim higher.

The book also has a fleted clutch bag,a child's striped sweater,a plain cushion, and some placemats in an interesting different colours on every row design.

I have finished off the small baby blanket. It has turned out square and I added a bunny to it to finish it off. My bunny does look rather lop sided with crooked ears but still at least it livens up the blanket.

Tonight I am finishing off a tea cosy with flowers atop and making some flowers for the tea cosy that I made last week and didn't finish off. There won't be any photos of that one until later as I left it up in Burnley.

Dinner time - I can smell freshly cooked chicken in the oven. Yum Yum.