3 Happy Hookers

Today I have had so much fun making a mess in a public place!  It was my first experience of yarn bombing, and a first of my partners in crime: 2 Sarah’s and Kathy! 

I know it’s not good to just cut to the chase, but above you’ll see one of our finished pieces on the back of a bench.  One of the Sarah’s had to leave by the time this was taken but from left to right: moi (yes really! I must have had a good day if I’m happy to show a pic of li’l old me!), Sarah and Kathy. 

The basic plan was to cover a bench or the back of a seat in the Waterside Plaza in Sale, south Manchester.  We had some panels already made by others and a few other bits and pieces.  My contribution was a pretty little piece made to look like a lawn with daisies on it.  

My favourite image from the day

• Realising one of the trees had no leaves on it and crocheting some to make it look better.

• The look on people’s faces when the realise what you are doing.

• Stopping  for tea and cake and more crochet at Bean and Brush (where Sarah works) and deciding to decorate their tree while we were there.

• Plotting the next time!!

We did learn a few things too!  Mainly that next time we will do it without being part of another event.  Today there was a community event being set up while we were doing out thing.  We got the impression that everyone thought we were there as part of the event, and thought we would stay to teach people to knit and crochet, which was never our plan on this ocassion.

And one other lesson, we spent a lot of time standing and admiring our handiwork!  That probably isn’t the idea so next time we plant the bomb then get out of there, or at least stand back at a discreet distance and watch!

Supplies

Preparation!

Tree cosy (and it matches Kathy's cardi)

Public crochet

I whipped up a pocket for leaflets and Sarah gatecrashed an art class to make a label!

The day wouldn't have been compete without tea and cake (and more crochet)

After tea we anonymously passed by, and loved people hanging around our work!

How’s this for a Valentine’s card for a tea lover to give their Valentine?  I got it ages ago from Storeyshopon Etsy, having seen it on another blog.

Caveman and I aren’t known for being the most romantic couple in the world, but I do love him more than tea!  I’ve wanted to post about this card since I got it but I really had to wait until I’d given it to him!  He also got a massive bag of wine gums.  Like I say… we’re not very romantic!

Happy Valentine’s Day!  I hope yours has been filled with love, or tea!

Friday was just such a day when I went to see Kathy for come crochet and catching up.  About 2 years ago Kathy and I were both knitters and trying to find someone to teach us the basics of crochet, but didn’t succeed.  We then, separately, discovered and took the day course at Fibre and Clay and have both spent a lot of time crocheting since then.

Kathy is a fiend for going to auctions and ‘finding’ things and has some lovely and interesting old sewing boxes full of goodies:

We were wondering if our sewing boxes will be discovered and drooled over in years to come when sewing and handicrafts have another renaissance!  I can’t imagine so but I guess the women who had these boxes originally would have said the same.

We took Kathy’s fostered (yes, really fostered) dog, Monty, for a walk round her allotments which was really an eye-opener!  I have never been on an allotment before and now I want want want!  As I live in a flat I have no garden and an allotment seems like a great idea.  However, maybe that’s just a dream because I have time at the moment. 

Brussels sprouts, leeks and onions all getting big and tasty underground:

Back home we had yummy tea and toast and set about the inaugural meeting of our newly formed crochet group.  There are many knitting groups locally but none that just focus on crochet. Between us we know a whole 5 people who crochet and decided it would be great if we could get together from time to time to share ideas, skills, projects etc.  Maybe this will grow and along the way we will discover other people to join us.  Do you live in South Manchester and fancy getting together with other crocheteers?  If so drop me a line.  We don’t have any definite plans yet but if we do develop I’ll set up a Ravelry Group and take it from there!

So our first meeting was two members and a dog called Monty.  Great things from small acorns grow!

I want to finish with showing you just one of the lovely things that Kathy has in her home.  A little tawashi (Japanese dish scrubber) in the shape of an apple slice.  Unused of course, because it’s just too darn cute to get dirty!!!

But is it a dark and wet day here in Yorkshire.  Dreich as one would say in Scotland!

It’s the last full day of our holiday today and although we didn’t have an actual plan, the weather really would have put us off doing anything outdoors or driving too far.  Instead we had a drive out to some pretty villages, coming home via the supermarket to pick up some cake, something for dinner and to put petrol in the car for tomorrow’s drive home!  Boo hoo!

Here we are once again cosy indoors with tea, cake and a log fire while the wind howls around outside.  We even pushed the boat out and made a pot of tea – now we don’t often do that at home!  One of my lasting memories of our holiday will be this scene, pretty much as it was last year too:

I put this time to good use and finished the pot holder I mentioned in my last post.  I love these colours!  The yarn is the Stylecraft Special DK that I used for my Granny Stripe Blanket so I have lots of colours already and the point I am at in the blanket means I have a tiny amount left on each ball before I start a new ball so I am using up the little balls for bits and bobs like this.  Now here’s a confessio!  I’m not sure if a potholder is meant as a pot stand, ie a trivet, or for lifting a pot, like an oven glove.  However, I am pretty paranoid about burning myself on the oven and hot dishes so I think I will continue to use my purpose made heavy duty oven gloves, and use this as a mat.  The thing I particularly like about it is Alice’s little shell pattern around the edge:

Sheep and crows to show you today.  The crows here seem move together in great waves, like a black speckled cloud!

Wet and windy here in Yorkshire today so we decided it was best not to venture too far into the great outdoors.  Instead we headed to Harrogate which is only about 20 minutes away.

Harrogate is veeeeeerrrrrry famous for Betty’s Tearooms which are also veeeeeerrrrrry popular.  Last year when we were in this area we didn’t even manage to go there as the queue outside was really long and we were told it would take about an hour to get in.  This year I had decided it was best to not even expect to go because I’m not very patient in a queue and didn’t want to have the stress of it, no matter how nice the tea may be.

Imagine then our delight as we approached and there was no queue!  Oh joy!!!  We went straight in and waited only two minutes for a table to be cleared for us!  Then decisions, decisions!  I wanted a coffee as it was mid morning and that would be my preference at that time!  But I was in Betty’s!   How could I have anything other than tea, and breakfast tea at that!

I chose a toasted teacake and Caveman had pancakes with mushrooms.  No pictures I’m afraid – too busy eating!  It was really lovely.  Betty’s has an old fashioned feel with waitresses in frilly blouses, polite service, cake trolleys, silver teapots, leaf tea and an overall feeling of calm, quiet and subtelty.  I did like it very much – it makes a change from the normal coffee shops where it’s all about speed and providing the basics.  Oh don’t I sound so old fashioend saying that?  I guess when it comes to tea I am!

When we were leaving there was a queue so seems we timed it just right.  Must remember that for next time!

Harrogate is great for shopping so we had a good mooch around the town and did a bit of shopping before heading home, lighting the fire and settling in for a cosy evening!  It’s now really quite wild outside so I am glad I got this picture of the sheep earlier today between rain showers.  I think this is my favourite sheep shot so far, as I love the rainbow and the deep, heavy grey of the sky.

Did you know there is an International Standard for making tea? 

Now, I know I am fussy about how I take my tea, but I think if I started prescribing it like this Caveman would have a thing or two to say!

The ISO Standard method is:

• The pot should be white porcelain or glazed earthenware and have a partly serrated edge. It should have a lid that fits loosely inside the pot.
• If a large pot is used, it should hold a maximum of 310 ml (±8 ml) and must weigh 200 g (±10 g).
• If a small pot is used, it should hold a maximum of 150 ml (±4 ml) and must weigh 118 g (±10 g).
• 2 grams of tea (measured to ±2% accuracy) per 100 ml boiling water is placed into the pot.
• Freshly boiling water is poured into the pot to within 4-6 mm of the brim. Allow 20 seconds for water to cool.
• The water should be similar to the drinking water where the tea will be consumed
• Brewing time is six minutes.
• The brewed tea is then poured into a white porcelain or glazed earthenware bowl.
• If a large bowl is used, it must have a capacity of 380 ml and weigh 200 g (±20 g)
• If a small bowl is used, it must have a capacity of 200 ml and weigh 105 g (±20 g)
• If the test involves milk, then it can be added before or after pouring the infused tea.
• Milk added after the pouring of tea is best tasted when the liquid is between 65 – 80 °C.
• 5 ml of milk for the large bowl, or 2.5 ml for the small bowl, is used.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3103

OK, so this method is for testing and scientific comparison purposes, or to give it it’s proper name ‘Tea – Preparation of liquor for use in sensory tests’, and if you’re making me tea you can be a little less precise, but just a little!