Wednesday 21 June 2017

A Meander Around Lincolnshire


Beautiful scenery, friendly people, pretty market towns, antique/vintage shops, windmills, coastal walks - we greatly enjoyed our tour! An 11 night trip by virtue of attaching a Thursday night and Friday to a week ending in a bank holiday week end. Someone asked why on earth we were having a holiday in Lincolnshire which they didn't consider to be a tourist destination - the point entirely!!

We decided upon Lincolnshire to continue our exploration of the east coast, having visited both Norfolk and Suffolk in recent years. We kept a  sketch map and a list of possible destinations compiled from snippets of TV-based information (the likes of Countryfile and Escape to the Country can give a tempting insight) added to some on-line research. Our motorhome would provide our accommodation and most of our transport (with additional bus journeys where more practical).

Many of the towns we wanted to visit still have active markets so we planned a route with market days in mind. We feared we might see the same traders several times but we didn't!

We set of in the evening of Thursday, 18th May and travelled to a campsite we have used before, near Sudbury. A pleasant farm, site with a beautiful border collie who appears, hopefully, with his ball, as soon as he spots a new arrival. We re-heated a stew and settled to try and sleep. It poured with rain - I've never slept in a drum but I think I know how it would sound!

The following day we set off to Belton House a property in the care of the National Trust. These two trees were such beautiful shapes I added them to my library of images for reference purposes.








A few of the park residents caught my eye:



We left Nottinghamshire and drove to Baumber, Lincolnshire. Bricks have very commonly been used for building in Lincolnshire. We knew we had booked a fishery campsite but I hadn't given a thought to its origins. There were originally two brick kilns end to end. One is now very much in ruins but the second is listed and has been renovated.



The fishing ponds were originally the clay pits and we saw other similar fisheries whilst on our travels. There were many wild birds, we carry a portable support for bird feeders and enjoyed watching our visitors - mainly blue tits, great tits and coal tits - which were particularly entertaining. I always feel a bit sorry for the bemused birds the day after we have left. The ponds were beautiful and home to several families of ducks.


I couldn't compose a shot which showed the scale of this fish. They were several duck lengths long and the ducks were certainly very wary of them!


Horncastle, Lincoln and a Lincolnshire hare in my next post.


----o0o----

The first four of the brooches from my last post have now been listed in my Folksy shop:






Saturday 17 June 2017

What is it about knitting ......

..... that compels me to put other work on one side and find a pair of needles some yarn and an excuse for a project?

Perhaps its the 'clickety rhythm' of the textile production, the textural possibilities, the feel of the yarn - probably all of these. I crochet and weave, and enjoy both, but seldom get the same 'need' to get started. I have knitted since I was a child and I don't think I've done my hands much good - they certainly feel a little stiff and creaky now but I still enjoy knitting.

Whilst on holiday a week or so ago, a lady on our campsite, a few pitches along from ours, was knitting. The yarn was a deep coral pink and there seemed to be a little mountain of it. The needles carried many stitches and I imagine she was making a garment. She came out in the early morning with a canvas chair, a small table a mug (tea?) settled down in the sun and clicked away (I'm sure I couldn't physically hear the sound but my mind was very aware of it). I had crochet with me - I had been enjoying it and now all I wanted was some knitting.

On our return I had numerous projects to finish but none requiring knitting needles. I looked at my shop inventory. Stocks of daisy brooches (sometimes knitted) and bookmarks (previously never knitted) were a little low. The excuse I needed!


Some bookmark strips and these 'brooch-beginnings':



The bookmarks are still work in progress but this is the batch of brooches:




I am all 'knitted out' for the moment. I must be more disciplined! I have many other items to complete and stock to replace - why do I have a resistance to replacing items which have sold and a preference for trying something new? Not a very commercially successful attitude! I just love what I do so I'm very lucky - if not very rich!

Update
18 June

The first three of these brooches have been listed in Lynwoodcrafts' Folksy shop.