I had forgotten how lovely .......

Hi everyone, What a mish mash of weather today. My husband had to go to an appointment in Chester this morning. I dropped him off and decided to have a little trip down to the river. I went walking first, it was very, very windy. I watched the rowing teams battling against the wind, then turning round to make use of the gusts to help them back to the little rickety sheds at the sides of the river, where the boats are stored.

The ducks were lined up either sleeping or bobbing on the water, their little comical quacks, so endearing. I decided to stop off at one of the cafes on the front and had a lovely, frothy latte. I felt like Shirley Valentine sitting at the table on my own. OK OK I know it wasn't a gorgeous Greek island, but you get my drift. At a table close to me a group of young guys were enjoying a pint of Guinness at 10.30 am .......yes am. Oh well each to their own. Whilst sitting there I was astounded at the amount of tourists, who were pouring off the open top buses, which travel through the old walled city, prevailing the sites of Chester. It made me realise how very much we take our everyday surroundings for granted. I can't recall the last time we did that. It felt very civilised.

Hub came back and we had another coffee and then tucked into a yummy bacon, egg and sausage bap. Yum! we promised ourselves that we would come back very soon, well best not hold my breath.

I am busy crocheting a flower cushion, the pattern I found on the very talented Lucy's blog Attic 24. I will post pics when it is done. Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Love Jane xxx

Crochet, crochet, crochet

Oh my gosh, I recently learned to crochet by having lessons from the wonderful Helen at Knit in Shotton. I then bought the book Cute and Easy crochet by Nicki Trench, which I blogged about early this year. My good friend Dan over at frogs,dogs and ferns put me onto this book. I have made my daughter, Charlotte a beautiful soft cotton scarf in my favourite blue colour and I'm going to crochet some tiny flowers on it to finish off. I have now started the gorgeous filigree wrap from Nicki's book. I'm making it from some lovely pale pink variegated wool, which has a lovely twinkle to it. What bliss on these horrible rainy nights, to settle down with my crochet.

I have also been making some pretty cushions for my 99 percent completed kichen diner. They are of course inspired by the wonderful Cath Kidston. I treated myself to a meter of one of her new fabrics and I also bought some fab Amy Butler fabric, which was half price in Hobbycraft. Hope you like them with one being appliqued with my favourite Stanley dog.

Have you ever been to Gawsworth Hall in Cheshire?

Well I hope that everyone is enjoying this extra long break, oh my gosh it's been just wonderful. As it was promising to be a rather lovely day, my hub volunteered to take me to the craft and food fair at the magnificent Gawsworth Hall in Macclesfield. On the way we saw the sign to Alderley Edge, I wanted to see how the other half (mainly footballers) lived. Hub blazaily informed me that he had been there on business many times, been there got the t shirt so to speak and my (very large) hint fell on stony ground. Ah well much better pickings at the promised food and craft fair.

Well the food fair lived up to its name by offering wonderful home made cakes, which two of, I puchased. I would have shown you picks of them, but unfortunately they are no more having been eaten by me.....yum!

But I have to ask how can crystals and some smokey amber coloured rocks, which boldly advised that they were from some far off country, be craft? Likewise silver jewellery, the likes of which I have bought from various different garden centres whilst on my travels.

There were some genuine and beautiful hand mind items, however the majority of which, were very expensive. It was the ladies who had crafted their own items, which had been very sensibly priced, who did the best. One offs, lovingly made.

Well moan, or my point of view, whichever you see it as is over.

I purchased a book from Amazon on Saturday called, How to Knit 20 Bears. It is a great little book, and I made the bikini bear and added my own touch. I hope you like her, my husband said she looked like a bloke in drag, but once I gave her pink painted toe nails, a jewelled belly bar and hairband, she definately came into her own.

I have decided to make some new cushion covers today for my lovely new kitchen diner, pictures of which, I will post as soon as. I don't have any updates on the baby swans at the moment. Last I heard was that mum and dad were safely bobbing around on the canal with their beautiful babies snuggled in together on mum's back....how lovely.

Enjoy the rest of your Jubilee weekend, which I don't know about you, has made me proud to be British!