Lime trees avenue 

Views and colours Sunday am

The pictures posted are all from today and most are just yards from our home:) Days like this don't half make you realise how lucky you are. And Marianne, you see in the shawl pictures that we still are using the hot air blower loaned us to keep warm. The stove is here awaiting fitting, we just have to wait for legs to arrive. Then the mog will be able to keep warm and to keep a kettle or pan of soup a bubbling on top of the woodburner. I used to love that about living on the narrowboat, the stove just fit a stewpot or kettle atop as this will:) The ice house is the original one for the castle and has a barrier across to keep the sheep out, sheep being nosy and liable to damage themselves as the ice house of course goes underground. Thats how they stored food prior to fridges and also how they kept the ice frozen

Green Goddess,Gaia finished:)

She is finished and I've named her Gaia the green goddess . I loved making this shawl and the colours don't quite show as they are. Almost but you don't get the sheen and you can't feel how soft the finished item is. Yarn details were 2 balls of green eyelash mohair from Jo of Celtic memory(thank you Jo) and 2 balls Colinette mohair in Cezanne I think. Needles 8mm. Pattern Nannie Effies favourite stocking stitch with first and last 4 stitches garter stitch then YO.Took 4 days just knitting at night for maybe 2 hours max per day. Not bad going I don't think. I'm thinking shades of blue mohair now and not sure whether to do throw or another shawl. Another post to come with views of the colours here today

48 things meme

Saw this on someone's blog so thought I'd give it a whirl and yes the mog is home:)
48 things
1. FIRST NAME? Amber
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? my favourite semi precious stone
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? an hour ago whilst telling afriend about my favourite uncles getting cancer again
.4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? yes it is mine
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? topside pastrami
. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? But certainly
.7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Yes apart from this blog:) I haven't written much in it lately though.
.8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No way
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? malted wheaties but I much prefer porridge with syrup
.11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF yes
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Sometimes
.13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?Green and blacks chocolate
14. SHOE SIZE? UK 4 to 5 depending on fit
15. RED OR PINK? Definately red, but occasionally deep deep pinks. Pastels never.
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? inability to get rid of pain
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? my nannie effie and sooty my black cat
18. WHAT FOOD WILL GET YOU OUT OF BED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT? none but hot chocolate would
19. WHAT COLOUR TROUSERS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?tiedyed pants, patchwork top shades of blues socks and thick slippers
20. LAST THING YOU ATE? Ikea meatballs, hash browns and peas an hour ago
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? rain on the trees
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? amber, orange or red
23. FAVORITE SMELL? Bal a versailles
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Kia customer service person about their M&S offer
25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? eyes, after all they are the window of the soul
26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON YOU STOLE THIS FROM? Don't know who it was so many have posted it
27. FAVOURITE DRINK? Hot chocolate or red wine
28. FAVOURITE SPORT? None
29. EYE COLOUR? blue
30. HAT SIZE? Dunno
31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No
32. FAVORITE FOOD? Lasagne or sirloin strips in oil and lime with assorted herbs
33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy
35. SUMMER OR WINTER?Autumn
.36. HUGS OR KISSES? Both
37. FAVOURITE DESSERT? sticky date puddings or ginger puddings with creme fraiche
38. WHAT SIDE OF THE BED DO YOU SLEEP ON AND WHY? The right I can get out easier that side
.39. IF YOU DIDN'T MAKE THE DECISION TO GET MARRIED AND HAVE A FAMILY, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING TODAY? travelling the world by narrowboat and gipsy caravan
.40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? The Belgariad David Eddings, Wood wife Terri Windling and Onion Girl Charles de lint - do we see a theme??
41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?Don't have one
.42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? Nothing
. 43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Cat purrs, stormy nights, drumming Cds
.44. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Has to be Stones
45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Egypt
46. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? You'd have to ask someone else. I think I'm a good listener
.47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Preston Lancashire at home
.48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Nobody - I stole it.

looking for Mountain Colors yarn to trade or purchase

Subject says it all:) The mohair shawl in my previous post was with some what I thought was hand dyed mohair. I now stand corrected(VBG) it was hand painted and it is the alpine colourway from Mountain colors yarn. I traded with someone ages ago for it and just now on my second ball found the label tucked inside. I am hooked on this yarn it is one of the best mohairs I've EVER used and even better than Colinette for me. Now you all know how much I adore Colinette yarns right?? This is nicer, feels gorgeous knitting it and will feel even better when worn I am sure. So I am after more. I've checked the website and they are wholesale only and no suppliers in UK at all that I can see.
I would there fore like to purchase or trade for some if anyone has any going spare? I can trade Colinette yarns, hand made elemental figures or??
The colours I specially love in the mohair are
Crazy woman,
firestorm
evergreen
huckleberry
larkspur
moondance
mountain twilight
moose creek
redtail hawk
thunderhead
wilderness
yellowstone
Get the idea I love this yarn??
So if you have any of these shades in mohair or have access to them I'm open to trades or purchasing if not too expensive? I can't see a price list at all

our pumpkin 

next shawl yarns from ebay 

yarn to trade 

Noro silk mountain bag 

Hand dyed mohair shawl to Nannie Effies pattern 

Finished objects, yarn p0rn and more:)

A selection of viewing goodies today and in no particular order because I've used Hello to upload them. Blogger does not like uploading pictures for some reason.
Any roads here I am again back from the wilds of Lancashire and only one more week to go:)
We didn't go down til Wednesday so we could spend Samhain in our own home. Great night with a fire outside and lots of good friends to share with. The tale BTW I was and am honoured that I had this experience and wasn't making light of it in any way I just thought it was ideal to share a little of the event with you on Samhain.
So the week was very exhausting and although we came home at almost midnight Thursday evening , last night especially I felt so tired and cold that I was in bed by 8-30pm. The pump that was just fitted isn't pushing enough heat around the house so all the pipes were cool, the fire was throwing very little heat out also. The mog loves the warmth and the cold makes me snarky and miserable. Pool Mr Mog caught the brunt of it sadly. I've made it up to him today though with lots of apologies and cuddles.
While away I started a simple mohair shawl in some hand dyed blues I've got. My Nannie Effie, who was my dad's mum, used to make this pattern when she just wanted something to while away the early evenings. Its a garter stitch border and YO then stocking stitch so simple but her shawls using this were lovely. She hand spun and hand dyed her yarns and I loved to see the finished objects. She called the shawls her courtesan clothes because I blush to disclose that my dear Effie was what she called a strumpet:)) Her shawls had a life of their own when Effie twirled them:) Even til the day she died in her late 70s she flirted with any male who came within her view. She had a great stock of bawdy songs and when she had a drink or two would entertain all who listened with" Roll me over in the clover "and others far more saucy. She had cancer twice in her life first time in her early 20s. Apparently she kept all the ward in stitches with her antics both times. She came through with a great outlook on life. Enjoy each day as much as you can and as long as it harmed no one in doing so, something I try to do. As witches say "An it harm none, do as you will". A great loss when she left us.
But I digress. The shawl you see before you and also a finished bag in Noro Silk garden(think I captioned it wrongly as silk mountain), this is to keep my crochet in.
Then we have a selection of blue mohair yarns I purchased on ebay to make a throw or shawl with. Sadly the seller omitted to mention that someone smoked so I will have to freeze these before use to get rid of the smell.. The last yarn is some I purchased and blush to say isn't me now I have it within my grasp. Its artyarns so if anyone wants to trade???
Last picture is our pumpkin, I meant to upload this Samhain but forgot. Mr Mog loves giving the pumpkin people glass eyes:)) as you can see. Well I'm off to read my favourite blogs and adopy an animal for my grandson on his favourite wildlife park. He was 10 yesterday and this was one of the things he so much wanted.