Babworth Needlework Exhibition

Good Evening.
Before I tell you about today's excursion here is yet another cardigan which I have just finished and sold to a lady called Claire.  It was actually ordered four weeks ago and after a very dedicated effort I finally got it done in time for the deadline.

I must apologise for the back ground which happens to be my stall.  I totally forgot to photograph it and so in a bit of a panic I laid it down and hoped for the best.
Now on with the details of our little trip to Babworth today.

This is Babworth church where a marvellous array of needlework crafts were displayed.  There were so many special pieces some of which were obviously antiques and treasured things which had been kept for many years.
My friend Lyz who's father is the church warden there had brought a collection of embroidered cloths which had been worked by her mother and had been left to her when her mother died.  Her mum is buried in the church grave yard.

After a good look round we bought some home grown carrots, parsnips and apples together with a great armful of Harris Tweed skirt lengths and large pieces of lovely cotton fabrics.  To top it all off we had a steaming cup of tea with homemade cheese scones and cakes.  The refreshments were £2.50 for the lot.  How unbelievable is that.  What a fantastic afternoon.
Must go now as Downton Abbey has just started.  Bye for now. Paula x

Seeing Double

Hi there.
Since I started trading at the market I have been asked to knit for some of my customers and above is my latest commission.  A lady called Beverley who is expecting a baby boy in January 2012 ordered two cardigans to be knitted in Vesper velvety yarn.  This is the result and they were gratefully received.  Beverley was so pleased she has now ordered another one in cream.
This particular wool is flying off the stall and all on the strength of this one pattern.
My Mums friend Anne volunteered to make a sample for my stall and I asked her to make a yellow cardigan in the same pattern as these and since then everyone has wanted to make one.  I have now sold all but a bit of the blue and will be ordering another lot next week.
Anyway, that's it for tonight.  Sunday tomorrow.  Ahhhh ...

Wonderstuff

Hello and thank you for visiting my blog.  I do usually write more often but at the moment things seem to be a bit more hectic than usual.
I had a fantastic day yesterday.  Takings on my stall were the highest yet, which is very encouraging.  Lots of people now know where I am and are sending their friends to see me, so that's wonderful.

Last night Steve and I went to see Miles Hunt and Erica Nockells.  Miles is the lead singer of Wonderstuff who were quite big in the Eighties and Erica who is an extremely pretty and talented violin player joined him around 2006 when the group needed a new violinist.
Erica just happens to be the daughter of my friend Louise who works where I work.

There aren't many girls that could pull off a hair cut like this one but she did it beautifully and don't be deceived by the pretty dress as she was wearing a pair of what looked like hob nailed boots with this outfit. 
Just so that Miles doesn't feel left out here's one of him.

There is a lot of their stuff on You Tube.  You'll have probably heard of Size of a Cow.  That was their most popular song.
Speak to you all again soon, Paula x

Our New Arrival

Hello again. Is it that long since I last spoke to you all?  Crikey where does the time go?
Baby Mya was born at 13.19 on Saturday the 10th September 2011 weighing 6lb 2oz.
Congratulations to my niece Elizabeth and her partner Ali.  They are back home now and are hopefully resting peacefully.

Mya will look beautiful in my latest creation.
Joe and Heather are now back home having had a week away in Turkey.  They had a lovely time and got in to Doncaster at 1.15am yesterday morning.  Steve and I picked them up.  Steve was sensible enough to go back to bed but we stopped up until 4.30am chatting.  Needless to say, we all felt a little under the weather yesterday.  I fortunately had the day off and ran them back to Sheffield where they live.
When I got back I busied myself making a Courgette Cake which is much nicer than it sounds. (Recipe to follow).  I also got chance to smarten my nails up.  I qualified as a nail technician last year and although I don't very often use my skills it is handy to be able to do my own nails once in a while.

I actually had them done by my mobile beautician as part of my birthday make-over but yesterday I did the infills as they had grown quite a lot.
OK that's it for today and I will definitely be back in touch shortly.
Paula x

Pensthorpe Medieval Festival

King Arthur

Hi and welcome to the next instalment of my Norfolk holiday.  Please don't think for one minute that I am boasting about my week away.  I just would like to show you what Norfolk has to offer.  I was totally blown away by how much there is to see and do in and around the area.
On bank holiday Monday we went to the Pensthorpe Medieval Festival.

In the tents above there were lots of exhibitors showing their own particular talents, be it making beer and wine the medieval way, making dipped wax candles and my particular favourite was the Mulberry Dyer who gave a demonstration on making paper and also how to spin wool with a drop spindle.  I of course had to have a go and it was inevitable that I had to buy the spindle, the unspun wool, a hank of ready spun undyed wool and a dying kit.  Oh yes, as you can imagine I was in my element.  This was definitely the best day of the whole holiday as far as I was concerned.

The farewell battle at the end was very funny with this lady (or rather man) really playing to the audience.
There were a few pretty impressive sword fights and at one time we actually thought someone had been hurt but it was all play acting.

As you can see the costumes looked authentic too.  The attention to detail was amazing.
Finally though I had better show you a couple of photographs of the birds to reassure you that we were at the Pensthorpe Nature Reserve.  You may remember that this was where they filmed Spring Watch.  I'm not sure if it was this year of last though.

Stork stood on one leg

Well that's all for tonight. I have had a new book delivered called Low Cost Living by John Harrison and I want to read a couple of pages before bedding down.  All the best. Paula x

Norfolk

Hello everyone and thank you for dropping by.
Well, we're back after an absolutely wonderful holiday.  Norfolk is amazing with so much to do and see.
When I have told people that I was going to Norfolk they automatically thought we were going on the Norfolk Broads.
We actually stayed in Little Walsingham which is a small village best known for its Shine which we didn't visit.  Lots of people did though and I have never seen so many Priests and Nuns wandering around the streets and in the local restaurants,  It made me wonder who were looking after their Churchs. The place was very atmospheric and extremely picturesque.

On our first day we went to Wells-next-to-the-sea which is a sea side town with a large harbour which leads out to sea.  This picture was taken whilst we walked along the path which lead to the end of the harbour where the sands were together with a long row of beach huts.  Amazingly these beach huts sell for upwards of £70,000.  Can you believe it?

They are so charming but they are only glorified sheds, as my husband pointed out.We had some delicious fish and chips from French's which must be quite famous as the queues to get in were massive.  I felt quite sorry for the other eating places as they seemed to be suffering from the popularity of Frenchs.  They were good though.
Anyway I'm off now to make our evening meal.  I know it's a bit late but we've been catching up today.  I've been gardening, baking, making jam and pickling beetroot and Steve has painted the bathroom ceiling and floor.  The new bathroom is lovely and I will let you see it shortly.
Bye for now. Paula x