Wednesday 28 October 2009

A Birthday, Some Hens and All.




Golly, it's so dark here again today. In fact we have had a mix of beautiful sunshine and such gloom over the past few days that I will scatter a few pictures of bright autumnal leaves glowing like jewels to stop the rest of my light-deprived pictures tipping you all into a state of deepest depression.



It's been such a good half term holiday so far with the start consisting of Dave's birthday weekend. Thank you, by the by, for all those birthday wishes which were much appreciated. A birthday lunch with children, girlfriends, boyfriends and friends for ten on Saturday meant that our huge table came into play - a piece of specially cut MDF which is placed on top of our usual table means that we have seated up to fifteen at Christmas and other events whereas we can usually only stretch to ten and that more on the cosier side of comfy. We scoffed a huge vat of beef in red wine, a parsnip roulade (one of my most very favourite veggie meals), cauliflower cheese, roasties, oh you get the gist with a pile of chocolate brownies for Dave's birthday cake, all crispy on top and gooey in the centre...yum.



Our lovely friend Lou gave Dave just the best present in the shape of these two beautiful copper laced maran hens. Now we are known for giving our animals a strange melee of names - I cite Mustang the drake and Fatty Arbuckle the cat to prove my point with past choices including the likes of Discovery, Fitty, J-Lo and The Bishop. I, of course, usually go for the prettier side of things: Marigold, Tansy, Madeleine, etc but Dave and the children definitely err on the side of bizarre. No surprises then that these two dears are now known to us as Oss and Feffer!!!



A quick picture of the acer to lift the spirits. This glows right outside our kitchen window and makes washing up dishes quite a pleasant thing to do.



And as for me, look what I (finally) finished! Woohoo! Awful photographs as the light is so poor and has turned everything somewhat orangey. A frantic knitting session on friday saw the last rounds knit, the last stitches of the Kitchener toe finished. I am most pleased and so thank heavens is Dave who insists they fit and feel like you can't imagine, telling us it's like the sock is cupping your heel.



Ok, fortunately I am used to his ways (!) and can also report that finshing a pair of socks is akin to giving birth in that I am now ready to knit another pair, the pain, sweat and tears of this last pair already consigned to the outer reaches of my incredibly short memory. Anyhow, I have little feet so surely this won't be so bad?



In the meantime I am back to knitting fingerless mitts as Christmas presents; so much faster with this one almost being finished in an evening.



I find something so appealing in photographs of wool. Whether it is a close up of crochet or knitting is of no matter as it is the weaving of fibres which I love, the varying textures making me want to reach out and touch them. So many wonderful and enticing images of such things out there in blogland aren't there?



An image of berries glistening in the front garden for you.



The darker weather which seems to have come in here has made us head off in search of a some light and air. Yesterday we headed over to the north coast to a beach called portreath where the surf crashed in and the wind blew away any cobwebs.



Caves were explored and soft sands



and a cuddle kept me and Lucy warm



until we got home for a cup of tea and a slice of passion cake.



well, a slice or two that is!



And that's the holiday so far. A clean of my sewing room in a while, a walk this afternoon and some knitting tonight are my plans for the rest of today.



What are yours I wonder? x

21 comments:

  1. Love those hens, and the socks, well done, have seen this wool in various shops and wondered how it knitted up. Lucky you being able to grow Acer's, my soil far too chalky. I'm off to a harvest supper tonight so have made a pudding to take with me.

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  2. Oh cor just look at that cake! Yet another of your blogs that I just want to eat. Lovely pictures of your acers. Mine is a beautiful bright red now, but last night's wind and rain has battered the poor thing. Lovely hens too - what a fabulous present. As for my plans, a bit of cleaning, a bit of washing and I think, having seen your cake, a bit of cake making too! Enjoy the rest of the half-term holiday. xx

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  3. Pipany you write such a beautiful inspiring blog I love reading it and now will rush off to do some stitching onl the dogs want walking so had better do that first. But thank you for lifting spirits.
    CKx

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  4. That cake is shouting EAT ME EAT ME,it looks soooo good!!
    Do you think you could save me a bit?!! HeHe!!
    nothing exiting planned for the rest of today i am afraid apart from a new post on my blog. x

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  5. I am pleased to hear that the birthday party went well! The pasnip roulade and the passion cake both sound very very appealing!
    It has been very gloomy here over the last few days with practically no sunshine at all; it just makes me want to snuggle up and get cosy; not that I have had anyone to snuggle with as my husband has been in your neck of the woods for the last three days; home tonight though = yay!!!!! x

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  6. well done for finishing the socks - we have still been having lovely sunny, warm days - in fact I actually picked another small bunch of sweet peas yesterday - a record I think - glad you had a good party and enjoying half term

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  7. I didn't feel at all depressed by the photos! In fact I thought them really cheering. Love the socks and that meal and cake look to die for!

    Jane

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  8. Such wonderful pictures Pipany and what lovely enticing cakes 'yum, yum!'

    The weather has been pretty much the same here though when the sun shines it certainly gives every thing a magnificent glow.

    Have a lovely evening,

    Nina x

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  9. What a lovely blog. I could almost start knitting again but then how would I find time for blogging? and that cake! looks fab. You all sound very contented.

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  10. Gosh, I feel weak at the knees. Just how do you do it all? Where does it all come from? But another beautiful cheering blog to makes us all smile these dark days when the evening falls like a guillotine, though it is still mild enough outdoors. How do you eat all that food and manage tio stay slim?

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  11. What a lovely post. I love the socks, never dared to even attempt knitting socks-far beyond my abilities!
    I love going to the beach in autumn/winter too.
    Love
    Lyn
    xxx

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  12. Homemade socks, beaches, cakes, oh, my do I love all your photos. Yes..knitting socks is quite an addiction. Great post, Pipany!

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  13. Your tenacity in finishing the snuggy socks, has shamed me into making the promised bean bags for my little grandsons. Should finish them tomorrow.Yeh. Lovely blog as usual,love the hens with the funky names. Just don't know how you manage to do so much. I agree,the acers are so cheery at this time of the year. Would love a slice of cake with my hot chocolate. xx

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  14. Wow, Pipany, when I saw that picture of Passion Cake, I just stopped and thought ... everything that goes on in her memoirs includes passion.

    Truly, your posts are full of wonder, energy, truth, love, beauty.

    Best wishes ... keep those socks a going. xo

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  15. A lovely blog Pipany - I am sure I could almost taste that cake - fab photos!!

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  16. I knew you would want to knit some more socks once you had finished the first pair! They are really the only thing that I will knit for myself - I just love those really bright self-striping yarns.

    Pomona x

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  17. I just don't know how you fit it all in - you must just love doing all the crafty things and creating. It would, I think, take me the whole of the rest of my life to knit a sock!

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  18. Lovely hens. They look very much like Barnvelders. Watch out for the foxy loxy.

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  19. I am taking the rest of my life to knit a pair of socks. I have only done one so far and that was in the spring!
    I used to have energy and enthusiasm like yours but somehow some of it has gone. These days I prefer to read about the achievements of others. Well done!

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