Anyone else watching 'The Killing' ?? I am watching it on BBC iPlayer, but I think it is on BBC4 on Saturdays at 10pm. It is brilliant and although in Danish, so has subtitles, it is totally gripping. There are 2 episodes every week and I am totally hooked!
It follows detective Sarah Lund (and her jumper that should really have a show of its own) as she tries to solve the murder of Nanna Birk Larsen. I think there are 20 episodes in total, we are up to episode 12 at the moment .... it is sooooo goooood ... if you are not already watching it, you must!


I have been snapping on my iPhone again this week ...

Instructions:
This is a close up of the stitch.

I would love to see any squares you make x

I have a very exciting life ... last night I went to bed VERY early because I was so tired and tonight I am winding threads! hehe

A few years ago I was given a box of embroidery threads ... some were used, some were in a tangle but some were brand new. Now I already have lots of lovely embroidery threads, but I never say no to more ... but they have sat in that box and not been touched ... well today was the day I decided to do something about them ... and they went ...


I have hardly touched the surface with them though, I think its a job I will be chipping away at for weeks, but at least they are now being integrated with my other threads!

I hope you are all having a much more exciting Saturday evening than I am!

I went to Cardiff with my dad today ... had a lovely day out ... Cardiff has the best shopping centre by the way! if you like shopping ... GO THERE!

So this week Collection from Folksy is WALES
A ~ Cardiff Map Pendant by BELLA SPERANZA
B ~ Gorse At Borthwen by FIONA CARVER
C ~ Welsh Goddess Pendant by THE CRIMSON MOON
D ~ Hand Printed Dragon Cushion by HELKATDESIGNS
E ~ Green Dragon by CINNAMON STREET
F ~ Traeth (Beach) Welsh Sign by CINNAMON & HILL

I hope you will pop along and visit these lovely shops ... especially if you love Wales too!

I have been dreaming for a while about a new camera ... my little baby is about 9 years old, and although still very good, it is a sony cybershot like this ...


(It takes good little pictures and has served me well being used most days for when I had my business taking pictures of jewellery and other goodies that I sold) ... I am wanting to take my photography more seriously and so I have been looking for an SLR camera that would suit me and a few weeks ago, after lots of research I think I found it ......


It is a Panasonic Lumix G2 (in the red of course!) and today I had a play with one and am totally in love with it ... it is a lovely size, lovely feel, lots of features and takes great pictures :) .............. just got to save up for it now!

hello wall! ...

I am just loving this wool ... its so soft, although I wonder if I am going to have tiny hairs all over me when I wear it!! I was pleased with how fast it has grown ... this is what I managed to knit last night ...
... this is the back ...
... and this is the front ... you can just see the beginning of the diamond pattern :)

I very rarely buy magazines, maybe once or twice a year ... today was one of those times ... and this time it was a knitting one ~ KNIT TODAY February issue ~ and I am actually going to make one of the projects they have in it! A lovely chunky jumper ...
So I popped into town this afternoon and picked some lovely chunky wool in a soft rusty red colour and some size 15mm needles (thats VERY THICK needles for all you non-knitters out there .... size 10mm is the biggest I have used before, and  I thought they were big!) It should grow quickly though being on such large needles!
There was a free gift with the magazine too ... as set of double pointed needles, for knitting socks ... now I have fancied making some socks since watching a lady knitting some on a train journey once, so now I have no excuse and I also bought a ball of lovely wool that I will either use for some socks or include in my Sunday Sampler blanket.
I hope you all had a lovely weekend and have some fun projects to look forward to.

looking through my phone this week ...

Instructions:  
Foundation Chain: Using Yarn A, work 32ch.
Foundation Row: (wrong side) work 2tr into 5th ch from hook, 2tr into next ch, * miss 2ch, 2tr into each of next 2ch; rep from * to last 2ch, miss 1ch, 1tr into last ch, turn.
Row 1: 3ch (count as 1tr), * miss 2tr, 2tr into each of next 2tr; rep from * to last 2 stitches, miss 1tr, 1tr into top of turning chain, turn, break off yarn A
Join yarn B.
Rep row 1 12 times, changing colour in the following sequence:
2 rows in B, 2 rows in C, 2 rows in D, 2 rows in C, 2 rows in B, 2 rows in A
Fasten off yarn


This is a close up of the stitch.

I would love to see any squares you make x

I have, for a while now, been meaning to write a bucket list (things to do before I kick the bucket) but never getting around to (doesn't that just say it all!) so I have made a start and begun a list of 43things ... of course when you start to write a list your mind goes blank!


... but hey, its a start! and I may even get round to doing some of the things on it!

When I first read The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins I was about 18 and loved it straight away.
Recently I got out of the library an audio book of it ....... 25 hours long!! I have just finished listening to it ...

So this week Collection from Folksy is inspired by THE WOMAN IN WHITE
A ~ Lakes and Mountains Watercolour by UNIQUELY YOURS
B ~ White Bird by CLOOTIELUGS
C ~ Nouveau Beau Initial Necklace by PENNY MASQUERADE
D ~ Love Knot Shawl by SILKY PRUDENCE
E ~ Vintage Lace Journal by KATE BOWLES
F ~ Silhouette Shy Sister by GRACE'S GARDEN BAZAAR

I hope you will pop along and visit these lovely shops :)

... and this what else I saw when I looked down ...

I love my dog ... I do, every day I tell her, every day I kiss her and every day I cuddle her ... I love her. I love the way she is excited about the important things in life, people, food and walks! I love that she can not pretend ... what you see is what you get and I love that she is always pleased to see me.


I love how soft she is and that I can bury my face in her fur and she is always warm and soft. I love that she wants to be in the same room as me and often just wants to sit on my lap. I love that she is gentle and quite, that she gets excited when she finds a lovely large round stone in the garden and holds in her mouth while she decides where to bury it.

I love that you can do anything to her and she does not mind ... she just loves attention! I love watching her run and jump. I love how her ears pick up when you talk to her and I love how she curls into a ball and tucks her legs in under her ears to sleep.

I love that when given a pigs ear she takes 3 days, caring it round and trying to bury it in any furniture she can, before eventually eating it and I love how sometime she forgets where she has buried it and sometimes its really obvious!

I love the noises and twitches she makes when sleeping but most of all I love that she is mine x

When I was 13 I was off school for a year with Glandular Fever and when I did go back it was just for the mornings so I could come home and rest in the afternoons. On the rare occasions that I didn't have a head ache I was able to watch films and one that my mum and dad had recorded off the TV soon became one of my all time favourite films ... The Dove ... the true story of 16 year old Robin Lee Graham who sailed around the world alone.
The film stars Joseph Bottoms (unfortunate name!) as Robin and Deborah Raffin as Patti ... my eldest brother was actually named Robin after him. This film inspired me, at a time when I was stuck at home, to travel the world ... I just love it!
I managed to get the soundtrack about 5 years ago on record (yes I know! record!!) and was hoping that my dad would be able to use his fancy equipment and record it for me into a format I could actually use .... well it only too about 5 years to get round to it, but tonight I listened to it for the first time on my laptop! YEY! Thank you dad ... I love it, brings back so many memories. Of course in looking for some pictures of the film for this blog post, I have discovered the the soundtrack has recently been bought out on CD! Typical!! hehe
This is the real Robin and Patti, as they are now and The Dove back in 1965 when Robin sailed in her.
I have the film on video, so will now have to see if dad can transfer to a DVD for me!

Instructions:
Foundation Ring: Using Yarn A, work 4ch and join with ss to form a ring.
Round 1: 5ch (counts as 1tr 2ch), [3tr into ring, 2ch] 3 times, 2tr into ring, join with ss into 3rd of 5ch. (four groups of 3tr, four 2ch spaces forming corners)
Round 2: Ss into 2 ch sp, 7ch (counts as 1tr, 4ch), * 2tr into same 2ch sp, 1tr into each tr across side of square, ** 2tr into next 2ch sp, 4ch; rep from * twice and from * to ** again, 1tr into last 2ch sp, join with ss to 3rd of 7ch. (four groups of 7tr, four spaces forming corners) Break off yarn A.
Round 3: Join yarn B to 4ch sp, 7ch (counts as 1tr, 4ch), * 2tr into same 4ch sp, 1tr into each tr across side of square, ** 2tr into next 4ch sp, 4ch; rep from * twice and from * to ** again, 1tr into last 4ch sp, join with ss to 3rd of 7ch. (four groups of 7tr, four spaces forming corners) Break off yarn B.
Round 4: Join yarn C to 4ch sp, rep round 3. (four groups of 15tr, four 4ch spaces forming corners.) Break off yarn C.
Round 5: Join yarn B to 4ch sp, rep round 3. (four groups of 19tr, four 4ch spaces forming corners.) Break off yarn B.
Round 6: Join yarn A to 4ch sp, rep round 3. (four groups of 23tr, four 4ch spaces forming corners.) Break off yarn B.
Round 7: 1ch, 1dc into each tr in previous round, working [2dc, 1ch, 2dc] into each 4ch corner space, join with ss into first dc.
Round 8: 1ch, 1dc into each dc in previous round, working 2ch at each corner, join with ss into first dc.
Fasten off yarn.

This is a close up of the stitch.

I would love to see any squares you make x

Had a lovely walk this afternoon at Croft Castle, Herefordshire. I had never been there before and although a little chilly it was perfect ...


There is an iron age hill fort at Croft Ambrey near by which is where we walked ... on the way we went through a field with cows ... not just any cows ... one of these cows was the nosiest cow I have ever heard ... she never stopped moooing and making some very noisy groaning noises ... and NO she wasn't about to just give birth ... this is her ... the very vocal cow!


In the field the cows were in there were rows of trees, mum told me that they are Spanish Chestnuts and are about 400 years old ... the do look very old ...


 ... all twisty and dry .... quite amazing!


After walking through a bit of woodland (which sadly had signs saying keep dogs on lead ... seemed a bit unnecessary, but I guess they had a reason for it) we came out to the iron age hill fort ... sheep live there now ...


... but there are stunning views across to Wales


Well worth a visit if you and remember to take your camera!
Hope you have had a lovely Saturday x