Mablethorpe Sand Racing

Freezing, dull and breezy. Not a good combination for taking photos at a race meeting! Big thick gloves on , hat on, large coffee to warm hands on and a dash to the chippy after watching for instant hot food (chip butty) A few photos but nothing spectacular compared with previous ones taken there.











Hope you all had a good weekend xx

Nottingham Light Night 2011

Its back, Nottingham Light Night, the festival to aimed to try and shed the winter blues. First night was last night and it continues again tonight. Warning, this will be a long, photo heavy post!! This is the fourth Light Night and once again the buildings were lit up and the city centre was dotted with street performers,art installations and light projections. Indoor and outdoor events for all ages were proving popular especially as the temperatures rapidly dropped.

As ever, the big wheel was back in the square, I love having the wheel in Nottingham especially as it can been seen from several miles away.



This year it was accompanied by a crazy golf course!



One of the large car manufactures came up with a very pink car.



The opportunity to put graffiti on the castle walls was proving popular though I must point out that this was achieved with light projection rather than cans of paint...this dinosaur slowly appeared as we stood watching.



Ian, from 'what a palaver ' was having a few problems with the fire juggling simply because it was dark and the light from the fiery end of the sticks made it difficult to see the cold end! but they were proving to be as entertaining  as ever.



Down at Brewhouse Yard, the aliens had landed and were making friends with the crowd.







These were amazing puppets, each operated by three people.

In keeping with the spirit of the night, the trees were lit up and light sculptures abounded. The local Morris Men also put in their traditional appearance but as some of the musicians commented, its b****y cold on the fingers !!






There is a secret garden in the centre of Nottingham behind Bromley house and last night it was home to Prodigal sunbeams, an installation by Tim Haynes.






Inspired by landscape, identity and place.

The castle put on music and light displays in the grounds.




We didn't get to see everything and look forward to doing it all again next year.



As we wondered home down atmospheric streets we decided that this post will finish with some music provided by the Nottingham Ukulele Club in the council house arcade last night.



Thanks to BikerTed for the video.

still a knitting newbie

I have been tried to improve my knitting skills since being involved with the shop, just seems to make sense that if you are a partner in a knitting shop, you at least need to have some knitting ability! I conquered magic loop last year and made a hat but DPNs have been a sticking point, too many needles at the same time. So on Sunday I sat down with 4 needles and some hand spun that had turned out to be a bit of a disaster and started to knit,I did pull out the wrong needle a few times but eventually I found my rhythm. This is not going to make any thing, just a tube but I feel a little more confident on 4 needles now.

The yarn is over spun wenslydale and quite coarse to the touch but I am liking the colours so may rescue the finish piece and use it somehow.

another lacey post

I've been trying to make some sort of sense of my bobbins especially the now overflowing tin full of odd ones which deserve more love and attention. So here are a few of them, not sure how old they are.





the spangles are obviously an after thought



these have rings on them



these have sadly lost their beads



although some are still hanging on



I have a feeling that some of these may have been homemade



I must find a better home for them and my newer bobbins which are probably 15-3o years old now.

they've landed!!!!

Wandering through town yesterday and spotted this.......is it a spider.....war of the worlds alien?..No It's the big wheel being prepared ready for Light Night on Friday and then remembered that one of my photos had been used on Twitter recently to advertise the event.

I was on my way to the Heart Art event being held to raise funds for British Heart Foundation and being organised by Knit Nottingham and Davenport Shop of Originality. We were asking people to make a donation to either knit a square or chose one that a busy bunch of knitters were making and pin it to a big heart.

 Kate sat in the doorway greeting customers

 passers by intrigued by the wheels being used in the shop window

 These are now known as my spinning trousers!!!

 the heart is filling up

coffee break?

Unfortunately I don't have photos of the knitters downstairs but they will appear on the shop page on face book and the shop blog. The heart is nearly full and we still have to add squares donated at the shop. Guess who has the job of making some sort of sense of it all?

Calling embroiderers, what do you think?  a bit of sparkle needed? For the background I'm thinking of using words as people were encouraged to leave messages on a board giving the reason for the donation so maybe embroidered small heart shapes. Also need to colour the background, and stabilise it...seems ages since I've had my stitch head on!!!

The local paper turned up and took photos...fame at last ? doubt it but it was a fun day.

playing again, again

Firstly, the lace is finished and will be sent off this week.



I've been working again on the use the shop yarns idea. As some of you know I don't have room for a full size weaving loom but like to play with children's looms so I dug out the Spears Weaving Loom size 2 (1960's)and a Ball of Mirage yarn.









Progress is slow but I have enough cloth now to make something (small) and have been looking through the pattern books for ideas :-)








Now , would you really want to use a childs woven cloth as oven gloves!!!