Reasons to be cheerful part 2

I bring you sunshine and not even on a rainy day! I tried hard to find it but here it is, the only cloud in the sky.

As I was taking the photo mayhem broke loose. A flock of gulls and crows mobbed this,

The only shot that shows it was a buzzard. Three of them to be precise. The other shots are blurred because of all the frantic mobbing.

And then at night a waxing crescent moon and Venus. I didn't get Jupiter but I'll try tonight. I haven't got a clue about taking night photos but it's shiny.

It's amazing the things you see when it's not misty, foggy or raining!

Why I'm happy today

Wales' captain Sam Warburton holds up the Triple Crown trophy after Wales beat England 19-12 Photograph: David Jones/PA

It's the first time Wales has ever won the Triple Crown at Twickenham. There will be cries from English fans of, 'We woz robbed'.

No you weren't!

Play it again Clint

This time with emotion! Not misty but foggy. And not the best day for a walk but it's one of those days when it's warm and springlike even if you can't see a thing. It's also been a day of strange happenings.

I got retweeted by our celebrity weatherman. Given it was a pretty poor joke but it was raised enough of a chuckle for him to press retweet. No, I not going to share it with you.

The road to my favourite beach has been changed. My favourite restaurant has closed down. I should have gone more often, drank more wine, been tempted by the desserts. Gone too is the death defying drive along the cliffs. Instead a step climb with an embankment so that you can't see the drop. Now that's my kind of road. I shall be going more often, taking more snaps, taking longer walks.

The beach is strange in the fog. The surf roars so much that you don't where the sea is and figures come out of the murk.

There was no way I was crossing the stepping stones at Ogmore today.

 and the castle looked less than inviting.

Back home to a warming cuppa and I finished this in time for the big match tomorrow.

C'mon Wales!

If Wales wins I'll tell you the joke but I'm not tempting fate. Have a great weekend.

Play misty for me

The weather is no better. I've just got soaked walking around town. You're a wimp in these parts if you put up an umbrella for mist. Midsomer Murders is about to start so I'll get on with the next one. In the meantime I'll leave you with this.

IKEA hacking

It's a wild, wet, windy day. I've amused myself by watching Midsomer Murders and yarn bombing two IKEA clocks. From IKEA they are basic and functional not to mention inexpensive. With a little love and attention they can look like this and this

Pantone Colours

 Cockatoo Pantone 14-5420

It's sometimes good to window shop. You don't spend money and you take more notice of what's on offer. Yesterday I did just that. The sales are over and the shops are filling up with this season's colours. It might be -3 but does fashion world care? No!!

Wrapped up in winter woollies we can pretend days on the beach are not that far away.

When it's safe to come out of thermals I shall buy this season's blue. Cockatoo is not just turquoise. It's got a fresher, younger feel to it, a zingy blue green that's fun to wear.


Check these lovely items from Etsy.


Have a great week!

Yarn Diet

It's the weekend and the sun is shining. The temperature has risen to a barmy 5 above. Yeah!!!

This means that I'm putting off a dreaded chore for another day. The storage boxes are ready and the intent is there but who can waste a day like this in February?

For another day I'm putting off sorting through my wool stash. In fairness all my wool is sorted. I've got organised grouped boxes labelled, org DK, org 4,  nonorg 4, nonorg DK, nonorg CH, nonorg SCH. What I need to do is sort my scraps into the same. I don't throw anything yarn related away.

I've also promised myself that I won't buy another ball of wool until I've used up my stash but any knitter will know that won't happen. The yarn diet is something we often chat about on the knit1treble2 team. You can find their blog full of gorgeous yarn related treasuries here.

One of our team, the lovely Alice from The Sequinned Sheep posted this on Twitter earlier today and I just had to share it with you. Sit back and enjoy!



Have a great weekend!

February

In the poem
January brings the snow,

Makes our feet and fingers glow.

February brings the rain,
Thaws the frozen lake again.

Well, Sara Coleridge might have thought that in 1834 but I'm more inclined to go with the version by Michael Flanders.

January brings the snow
Makes your feet and fingers glow.


February's ice and sleet
Freeze the toes right off your feet

This week has brought all of that, ice, sleet, snow, wind, freezing temperatures. I'm so glad I live here. Continental Europe has been plunged into serious minus figures. Saturday brought this. Through the snow you can just make out the orange chest of a bullfinch.

Here he is in his finery. He didn't stick around long because he was sent packing by this little thug.

I don't know where robins have picked up the cute tag. They are the terrorists of the bird world and will fight any bird that encroaches their territory. The Victorians again probably because they looked good on those new fangled Christmas cards.

With this going on outside it was good to settle down in the warm and start a blanket. I like the way the self patterning wool worked out. It's got an almost 1940s feel to it. Luckily it wasn't 1840s or it would have been very wrong! Finished and listed today. You can find it here in my Etsy shop.

Derek our local weather man has threatened more tonight. He's never wrong, so keep warm!

Holidays in January

Most people choose to jet away to the sun. Others might pamper themselves in a spa. I went to North Wales. In January.

Some people think it always rains in Wales. Well, they are wrong. Sometimes it snows. In January in North Wales. In February in my garden. It doesn't look much and hopefully it will soon stop but it was enough to drive the bullfinches to the feeder this morning.

North Wales was spectacular with enough snow on the peaks but none at lower level. We stayed in Bodelwyddan Castle. It's had a varied history dating from before 1460 but the castle dates from 1830.  That's modern by our castle standards. Since then it has been a hospital, a private girls school and is now an outpost of the National Portrait Gallery.

Lots of coffee shop stops and photos ops on Saturday as we head out to Snowdonia and Britain's tallest mountain. Be prepared to shiver!

 Llyn Padarn

 Llyn Peris

 Snowdon from Capel Curig

It was great to get back to Conwy Marina for sunshine and coffee.

On Sunday a trip to the Mostyn Gallery in Llandudno before a very windy trip around the Great Orme.

Always on the lookout for free grub! In the background you can see Anglesey and Puffin Island

Those vintage lovers have their own transport.

Now I think it's time for hot chocolate or perhaps a mulled wine. Mmmm? Mulled wine, I think. It is Saturday!

Have a great weekend!