Red or white?

No, not wine but poppies.

Here's my red poppy. Just click on the link to find the pattern I used.

And here's my white poppy, which is sometimes known as a peace poppy. Read more about them here.

Two different patterns and two words to think about - remembrance and peace.

Today let's remember those who have given their lives in order to gain the peace we all wish for.

Just a thought - Do we need war to make peace?

xx

PS A very warm welcome to my new follower.

Last time

Last week a friend and I visited the Fylde Angling underground boat store which was open to the public for one last time before being filled in as part of the new sea defences.

There were quite a few underground areas around this part of the coast and this was initially an underground car park.

It was a must see and a last see trip to view what will now be a piece of history.

It has been flooded a few times and was dark and dingy but definitely atmospheric.

The tractors which pull the angling boats out to see are going to be re-housed in a brand new building.

The area was vast.

These boats will never be stored here again.

Many other people came to view.

At one end there was an escape hatch to the surface.

Back out again into the daylight we meandered over to the Art Deco club building.

This building used to be used as changing huts for bathers.

The new boathouse will be attached sometime in the future.

Around the walls of the club house were pictures of boats which have been wrecked off the coast and outside can be seen the remains of one of these nearly submerged in the sand.

Bye bye - soon there will be a brand new coastal promenade here.

Here are more pics from a YT video.

xx

PS My computer is going back to hospital as it's still not right so I'm postponing the 'Virtual Party' until further notice as I don't know when I'll be getting the machine back. More crocheting to do I think. I'll probably get my blanket finished in record time!

M - you asked if you could follow this blog by email and I've managed to put a 'Follow this blog' gadget in the side bar which should enable you to do so. Welcome.

It's surprising ...

… how much crocheting can be done when the computer is poorly sick.

Happily all is now well - touch wood.

I have a lot of blog reads to catch up on now.

xx

PS Did you miss me? Thanks for all the comments while I've been 'off line'. Susan, the hanging racks are hot pan racks. They are just hung up out of the way. A very warm welcome to my new follower.

Opposite the Kitchen Window - October 2014

It's a working surface today. Spot the following.

*bread rising

*tinned steak and kidney pie for tea (not a planned tea)

*Christmas cakes maturing

*cat catcher

*containers not put away

*cat food

*flour sifter

*tea towel not hung up

Here's one of the cakes. I'll give it a liquid feed next week. It's got enough booze in to keep it content for this week!

xx

Easy Ripple Pattern

I cannot find out where this pattern originated so if it belongs to anyone out there please let me know so I can give you credit. I'm sure it's not from a book. I must have taken it from a blog somewhere and I saved it in my pattern files. I have worked out that the foundation chain should have a multiple of 10 stitches plus 6 - e.g. 86 stitches, counting all the chains.

I think my blanket started out with 166 chains.

Easy Ripple Pattern

Row 1: 1 treble in 4th chain from hook.

I insert my needle in the stitch underneath the v.

1 treble in next chain.

 *1 treble in each of the next 3 chains,

 Make the valley

 ( v yarn round hook, insert hook in next chain, yarn round hook, pull yarn through, yarn round hook, pull yarn through 2 loops on hook, leaving 2 loops on hook. Without finishing off this treble, repeat from v in next 2 chains, which gives you 4 chains on the hook. Yarn round hook and pull yarn through all 4 loops to finish this stitch - should look like a triangle). 

Now 1 treble in each of next 3 chains,

Make the mountain

3 trebles in the next chain. 

This completes the pattern. Repeat from * to the end of the row with 2 trebles at the very end.

Basically 3 trebles, a valley, 3 trebles, a mountain. The beginning and end of each row are 2 trebles.

Row 2: 3 chain (this is the first treble), 1 treble in first stitch then 3 more trebles followed by a valley, 3 trebles followed by a mountain. At the end of the row you should make sure you have 5 trebles.

I always crochet in my ends as I go along. Whenever I change a colour I break the yarn by hand rather than scissors so that it will crochet in smoothly.

Then I crochet over the top of the end.

I hope you find this pattern easy to follow. Once you've completed the first row it's really easy. Just remember that there are always 5 trebles at the beginning and end of each row. The 'mountains' are crocheted on top of the underneath 'mountain' and the valleys are crocheted on top of the underneath valley. I know that's obvious but sometimes it isn't when you've not got the pattern established.

Happy Crocheting.

xx

Autumn Jolly

My Autumn blanket is coming along nicely. I'll put a link to the pattern when I can find it. I'd kept a copy on my computer and hadn't put which blog or site I'd got it from. Even copying and pasting the text into the search engine hasn't come up with the original post. I'll keep looking. It's a very easy pattern and the repetitions are extremely relaxing.

My friend and I had a relaxing Autumn Jolly walk along the sea front at St. Anne's with a quick saunter down the pier.

Not many people out and about at the end of the pier today.

No hurricane or winds either.

Just peaceful views out to sea.

It's only a short pier and this link will tell you why.

Very interesting!

The cat think's it's very interesting too!

xx

PS Please let me know if you wish to join in the 'Party'.

Party Time

I mooted the idea of a virtual party a few posts back. We have plenty of room in the Bloggysphere to accommodate everyone and everyone's ideas so wouldn't it be good if we could wear what we like, do what we like and eat what we like? Our party can start at anytime, the early nighters could arrive early and leave before it gets late and the owls could have an all nighter.

Soooooooh!

Mum invites you to a blog party on
Saturday 22nd November 2014

Time - anytime during the day.

Please post on the day and do one or more of the following as you wish -

1. dress up in whatever takes your fancy
2. bring a guest or guests - real, stuffed, alive, dead or imaginary!
3. bring a party food plate
4. suggest some music
5. suggest a virtual present for another guest or reader
6. offer a suggestion for a party game
7. supply a party decoration
8. perform a party piece
9. provide scintillating conversation!
10. visit all the other party goers and leave a comment or have a chat
11.  read, laugh, sing-a-long, enjoy


I shall provide a link to all the party goers who are posting on the day. All welcome.

xx

PS - if you are posting a party post please put the date in your diary. I hope I've given you plenty of time to prepare.

xx