Birthday treats

I want to say a big thank you to everyone who sent me birthday messages this last few days. It means a great deal, and is made all the more special because despite not knowing me personally, you have thought to share such sweet sentiments.......x x x x 

I had a lovely day, nothing extravagant, just precious time spent with my family. A lunch date with my parents, where we shared much laughter whilst indulging in some yummy food. I don't know about you but as I get older time with those closest to me is more important than anything else. More than cards and presents, just time to all be together. 

I was spoilt though, not least with the 

lovely blooms you see pictured above.... 

.....and some scrummy new yarn.

Rowan Purelife Organic Cotton in 

the most delightful shades.....

....10 balls of SMC Extra Soft Merino Cotton, as well as a 

couple of balls of Rowan Pure Wool DK 

thrown in for good measure.

As you can imagine, I am now

in Yarn Heaven *sigh*

This hand stitched journal from Paperchase is very cute.

I'm so looking forward to using it!

My sister very kindly gifted me some more

crafty bits and bobs, as well as a gorgeous

scarf to add to my ever growing collection.

All in all I am one very lucky

and very grateful lady

x x x x x x x

Cosy crochet and vintage finds....

I've spent much of this week doing some stash busting of my Acrylic yarn. The drop in temperature and wet weather inspired me to raid my stock of Stylecraft and King Cole to hook up a giant granny square. 

I had quite a few autumnal shades sitting idle in my basket, so I thought it would be appropriate to incorporate them into this off the cuff project. I wasn't so sure about the use of random colour placement at first, but as it has grown in size, it has grown on me too.

Something else that's making me very happy this week 

is the addition of these rather lovely vintage 

Kellogg's trays to my kitchen. 

I absolutely love the old fashioned advertising, the archetypal pretty housewives and mothers used for promotion, and the cute polka dot backgrounds just finish them off perfectly. I love the heritage of this brand. I'm sure people will still be eating Kellogg's cereals long after I've gone. 

I have to confess I can't start my day without a bowl of Cornflakes. Maybe not considered the healthiest of breakfasts by some, but I love 'em. Ice cold milk, poured straight from the fridge; lovely. 

And if Vintage & Retro is your thing, then you might be interested in a lovely shop I visited called Oobedobe Vintage (pronounced oo-be-do-be). Seldom have I met a nicer person than Debbie, proprietor of this treasure trove of vintage finds. It really was by chance that I found this place (a recurring theme on this blog), as I travelled down the A5 from a visit to Rushmere Park with my sister. Set off the road somewhat hidden from view, the shop is located on the Hockliffe Business Park. If not for an advertising board on the side of the road, we'd never have know this little gem of a place existed. Which is a shame really, and can't be good for business. 

With that in mind I thought about asking whether I could take a few snaps inside to feature here on the blog. A bit of free advertising couldn't do any harm, and Debbie was more than happy to oblige. I happened to have my trusty camera with me after taking some shots whilst out at Rushmere. Sadly Debbie was a little camera shy so I didn't get any pics of her. Disappointing as she looked fab that day, her clothes and hair style befitting of the era she so obviously loves. I immediately thought of Sarah from Sarah's Doo Wop Dos, another fabulous local business woman. But Debbie had done her own hair, which was very impressive.

We chatted for ages about all sorts. It felt like we'd been invited into her home such is the atmosphere of the place Debbie's lovingly created. So if you get a chance, do pop by and see Debbie. She'll be delighted to see you I'm sure.

Well that's me up to date, just the small matter 

of a birthday to celebrate in a few days.

I'm refusing to acknowledge my age from hence forth ;)

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend

x x x x x x x x

All kinds of everything....

Good day smiley happy people, and a warm welcome to those that are new here at Annie's Place. I'm desperately hanging onto the remnants of warm summer days, but confess to being more than a little excited for the Autumn that's promised. Although with the bonkers British weather being what it is, I wouldn't be surprised if we had another mini heat wave before then. As long as the temperature stays in the late teens for as long as possible, I'm good with that.

August passed by in the blink of an eye. I was a busy bee for most of it, and managed to sneak in an impromptu visit to historic Cambridge. What a wonderful place it is, full of charm and the most spectacular architecture. I'm sure all of my overseas readers have heard of this place, and some of you may have even visited. I felt like a tourist myself, exploring the winding streets, taking in the sights and sounds of all the magnificent colleges of the world famous University.

A stop off at the Cath Kidston shop was a must. I enjoyed browsing through the merchandise, but sadly my pennies wouldn't stretch far enough to purchase the bag I had my beady eye on. There are some items that sit within an affordable budget, but a lot of it is quite expensive. Perhaps if I'm a good girl Santa will bestow something from there upon me this year. 

I also spied the rather lovely wares of The Cambridge Satchel Company. From humble beginnings in the kitchen of inspirational entrepreneur and mum of two Julie Deane, this company has become a global sensation. A lot of you may already be familiar with Julie's story, and have seen her family feature on Google Chrome's 'The web is what you make it' series of adverts. You can hear the story in her own words here. It really is incredible.

The haberdashery department of John Lewis was my final destination before heading home. I couldn't resist having a mooch around, and a good squeeze of the yummy yarn on display. Taking mental notes of all the brands that caught my eye. They mostly stock Rowan, but I did like the look of the Patons Diploma DK and Wendy Supreme DK. Although I'm pretty sure that my next purchase will include some Rowan Handknit Cotton or Pure Wool DK. It's always nice to get a proper look and feel for the yarn, something which is lost on internet shopping.

I've had oodles of crochet colour inspiration this last week from a simple bag of wooden beads, bought for the princely sum of £1 from Tiger. As you may remember I've been messing around with the Edwardian Fancy block, creating a motif that can be joined as you go. I've had sooooooo much fun with it, I think it could be my latest obsession. 

I'd be really interested to know 

where you find your colour inspiration???

Before I go, I must mention something that I saw yesterday on BBC Radio 2's Festival in a Day event in London's Hyde Park. A band of super talented musicians called The Treacherous Orchestra took to the stage and quite literally wowed the audience. I defy anyone to not be tapping their feet and clapping their hands along to this music. They are totally new to me and from what I heard I'll definitely be following them with interest. 

Whilst visiting Sound Cloud to listen to this track, I happened upon another Folk Quartet called Kan who's track One,Two,Three, literally just blew me away. I felt compelled to mention them here today because they certainly made an impact on me. Have a listen if you're so inclined. I'm sure a few of you creative souls will love them! Even if folk isn't your thing, you have to at least appreciate the magnificent musicianship of these fellas. I think this music is in my bones you know?! Must be the Celtic blood.....  

Source

Phew, that's a long post! 

Brownie points to you if you've 

managed to get to the end. 

I hope you've enjoyed my ramblings?!?

Till next time

x x x x x x 

Granny Love

Sometimes easy is good don't you agree? That sounds a bit cryptic doesn't it? Well let me explain my thinking. This thing called crochet that I've become ever so slightly obsessed with over recent years, has really changed my life for the better. No exaggeration. Before I found this outlet I really was a bit lost, creatively speaking.

I suppose if I think about it, I've always had an artistic leaning. Since I was a little girl I've loved to sing and dance and perform (a wee prima donna some might say), and I guess I wish I had pursued that dream more into adulthood. Sadly there just wasn't the opportunities for children where I grew up to nurture that talent, and before you know it you're the wrong side of 30 and your moment has passed. My passion for music, is now only equalled by my love for hook & yarn, and where once I may have wanted to tread the boards in a West End Musical, let's face it; my crafty aspirations are now far more attainable.

Oh dear, I've somewhat strayed from my point. Back on track Sharron! Crochet can be quite a complex craft to pick up, and there's no denying that it can be quite a challenge when you first decide to have a go. I spent quite a considerable amount of time recently trying out more ambitious patterns and new stitch combinations, but do you know what I've found? You really can't beat the traditional Granny Square pattern! It's where most of us started out, and it's what we turn to when we want something easy to work on, right?

So, looky here! I've raided my lovely stash of Drops Alpaca to start on a large Granny square project. I have to confess I wasn't sure about putting the Dark Lime (2916) colourway into the mix, but I think it adds a little bit of zest to the pattern, what do you think? The Alpaca is so unbelievably light and the colours are just gorgeous. The decision to purchase some at Fibre East was most definitely a good one!

I've spent a bit of time sorting through my scarf collection this week too, and came upon the idea that they might look rather nice hung over some old wooden hangers I had lying around. It keeps them neat and tidy, and of course I couldn't resist a little crochet embellishment.

Before I scoot, I'd like to say a big hello 

to all my new readers from far and wide!!!

Lovely to make your acquaintance,

I do hope you enjoy your time here!

 x x x x x  

Softfun fun

In the blink of an eye, we're into the 8th month of the year! I confess to suffering a bit of August apathy here at Annie's Place. But maybe that's not such a bad thing?! After all, that's what Summer's supposed to be about right? Taking a more relaxed attitude to things, slowing your pace, enjoying the extended hours of light and the length of each and every day! My body is definitely on a go slow, but my mind is as frenetic as ever. 

I currently only possess a very small collection of crochet books. One of which is Jan Eaton's 200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets, Throws & Afghans. I've mentioned this publication on many occasions as it's one of the first books I ever bought, and has become my 'go to' resource for inspiration (when I'm not trawling Pinterest of course). I'm not hugely enamoured by all the patterns on offer in this book, but there are a few stand out one's that I keep returning to. Namely the Willow block and more recently the Edwardian Fancy. 

I've had quite a number of emails enquiring where to purchase it, or asking for the patterns. Of course I can't offer you Jan's patterns here due to copyright, but I have found this website that has a comprehensive listing of places to buy it. Although with so many fantastic free patterns available on the web, you'll have to decide whether it's worth parting with your pennies.

I do have a habit of making minor adaptations to Jan's patterns, to suit my own creative vision of what I want a project to look like. Do you do that? 

I've spent much of this week playing with my lovely Cotton Acrylic mix Softfun Yarn from Scheepjeswol. I decided to just take some of the Lavender colourway, to work up some Edwardian Fancies (block 88, page 77). I only went as far as following the first 8 rounds, and decided to join as I go, slip stitching into the corners and middle point on the sides of each motif. 

The light was pretty bad yesterday so the pics aren't great, but I hope you get the idea? The texture of the Softfun really highlights the detail of this pattern. All this yarn play is thirsty work....... 

............so I think I'll rest my hook for a bit 

and grab a cuppa and a hobnob.

Any takers?

x x x x x

Fibre East 2013

Sadly, I've hardly picked up my crochet hook this past week. It's been far too hot for any hooky action, so I've neglected my many projects in favour of more cooler pursuits.

But fear not dear readers, I still have something yarn-tastic to share with you! You see, Fibre East came to town this weekend. Being a hop-skip-and-jump from home, I just couldn't miss it. The venue for this years celebration of all things fibre related was Redborne  Upper School and Community College in Ampthill. 

I arrived in anticipation, excited to see the many exhibitors. I duly paid my £6 entry fee, and made my way inside to explore. 

Even though I had a limited budget, I got so much pleasure out of just perusing each stand, and chatting to the lovely people selling their wares. One of which was the very friendly Helen from Woolly Chic. There was an abundance of yummy yarns to play with, so I took every opportunity to have a good squeeze. What a visual feast it was!

The chance to experience some sheep sheering was an extra treat. It really is an art, and I give the shearers all credit for the way they handle their woolly friends. I can imagine the sheep were quite grateful to lose their coats as it was particularly sticky in the heat.

I really didn't know what to take home as a souvenir of my visit, but after much deliberation I plumped for some Drops Alpaca from Nest, some 4 Ply from Blacker Yarns, and some Wool from The Knitting Gift Shop. 

I returned home happy, happy, happy!

x x x x x x x

Park Life

I'm sure it hasn't escaped the notice of all the overseas visitors to 'Annie's Place' that the UK has been basking in sunshine this past few weeks. Being of the fair & freckly persuasion I have to be ultra careful not to get sun burnt, so I inevitably gravitate toward the shade of the nearest tree, with my trusty bottle of Evian by my side. I love the sun, but sadly the sun doesn't love me. With an Irish mother and Scottish father, I suppose I was genetically predisposed.

I'm really enjoying this prolonged spell of hot weather, and have managed to steal a few moments here and there to do some public hooking. That sounds a bit dodgy doesn't it? It really isn't you know!? I filled a bag with yarn, and headed for the park ready to crochet up some more Happy Flower Blocks. I almost had the whole park to myself, just a few dog walkers and me. The colours of the blocks really came to life under the dappled light of the trees. It was pure pleasure to be outside, in the sun, surrounded by yarn, trees and birdsong. Bliss.

The forecasters are saying this dry spell could last for a number of weeks yet, so I plan on making the most of it. One place that definitely warrants a visit is Rushmere Country Park. It really was by pure accident that I came across this place, and I'm so glad I did. 

Set high on a hill in the village of Heath & Reach is this wonderful woodland paradise. It's a really magical place, where you can escape for hours under the enormous canopy of trees. I'm almost reluctant to share it with the world, as it's really unspoilt and relatively quiet. Considering the blistering heat we've been afforded, I would've thought it would've been over run with people. The only indicator to those that had found this secret spot was the visitors book, that had been signed by people from all over the place, from Europe and beyond. So why oh why didn't I know about this place?!

Truth be told, one of the volunteer guides whom I spoke to said that very few locals even know of it's existence, as this part of the Stockgrove Estate has only been open to the public since 2011. There is a thriving heronry there also, and I had the privilege of viewing them nesting with their young through the telescope, positioned on the decking at the visitor's centre. 

A cafe has recently been opened, with seating inside and out, serving an array of refreshments. It overlooks the most spectacular vista.  The staff are super friendly, and I was happy to support their fledgling venture by purchasing some tea and cake (*cough cough* like I need an excuse). It's only £2 to park for the whole day, and with hundreds of acres to explore it's a great place for picnicing, or a nature ramble with the kids. I think you can tell I'm pretty enamoured by this place! 

One last thing I must mention. I was so tempted to have a sneaky go on that slide you can see pictured above. It looked like so much fun, but was strictly prohibited to big kids like me. How very boring I say!!

Well, I'll stop jabbering and 

thank you for reading.

I'm really glad you stopped by.....

x x x x x