Coastal Crochet

Posted on September 15, 2020 by The Little Room of Rachell

Can you believe I forgot to bring any craft away with me, so the first thing I bought (apart from a pasty for lunch!) was a hook and 2 balls of yarn.

I know a nice little wool shop in the middle of Penzance so headed there first. The yarn I chose is Hayfield’s Spirit. It’s 20% wool and has a lovely soft feel. It isn’t the thickest DK but luckily works up well with the 4mm hook I bought. The colourway is ‘Breeze’, the blues and greys perfectly reflect the changing colours of the Cornish sea view we have from our cottage. It’s a few minutes walk from the South West Coast Path and overlooks the sea and a lighthouse.

I’ve brought my Tilted Squares blanket with me to snuggle under. That’s my one packing triumph this year; I always think I should bring a blanket away in September because it gets quite cool during evenings and at night. It’s such a cheery thing to see on a bed or sofa. All the complex patterns in the world can’t beat a bit of classic granny squaring! Ah! So why not make another?! I’m still deciding whether to go for a multi-square rectangular or one simple round and round you go square blanket.

My view as I sit up in bed in the morning:

It’s already named the Coast Path blanket, though this will probably change a few times. It won’t be tilting this time because I’m changing direction on every round.

I’m off to sip my tea, make some breakfast and discuss plans for the day now.

What are you making at the moment? Have you managed to go away anywhere?

Snowshill Manor & Garden

Posted on September 14, 2014 by The Little Room of Rachell

Yesterday we had yet another late Summer day; t-shirt, sandals and sitting outside weather. We’ve been really fortunate this week. It seems that oop north the weather is not being so kind. I overheard a couple from Yorkshire saying that it’s much warmer down here. Being determined to make the most of it we went to explore another National Trust house and garden. It’s about twelve years since we first visited and found Snowshill Manor and Garden a delight.

“Snowshill Manor is a Cotswold manor house packed with extraordinary treasures collected over a life time by Charles Wade

Inside these rooms you can discover this eclectic collection that he restored and displayed. We have maintained the atmospheric settings he created with low lighting and few labels. From tiny toys to Samurai armour, musical instruments to fine clocks, thousands of objects are laid out for you to see just as Mr Wade intended.

The garden is the perfect place to unwind and explore hidden vistas, quiet corners and unexpected delights including Charles Wade’s uncomplicated home, the Priest’s House.

“Let nothing perish” was his motto, and his life was dedicated to doing just that. From the everyday to the extraordinary, you can discover his passion for craftsmanship, colour and design.” National Trust Website, 14th September 2014.

You’re never quite sure what you’ll discover next when exploring the house. The collection is not to everyone’s taste; in one room a woman exclaimed that it was all a bit spooky. This might be due to the gloomy lighting, the strange mix of things or perhaps the many faces depicted on items, which can be unsettling. I know exactly what she meant, but it’s a fascinating place to look around. For me the garden is the best part…

I hope you’ve enjoyed these photos. I always think of people far away from the English countryside who enjoy seeing glimpses, but know picture heavy posts of outings and holidays are not everyone’s thing.

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I’ve heard that there’s a new crochet magazine coming out in the UK this coming week called #crochet. I’m trying to find who, when, where but my friend Google has surprisingly not thrown up any answers at all. If you have any info about the mag, please share!

On another island

Posted on May 7, 2014 by The Little Room of Rachell

It feels like eons since I shared any craft here but that’s because I’m temporarily unable to do any, so have nothing to share. My elbow pain has flared up and I’m trying to avoid anything that might aggravate it. I’m feeling a little sorry for myself as I’m in the middle of a few makes and watching tv with still hands feels incredibly unproductive. At the risk of sounding whiney my knee is also sore. When I sit with an ice pack on it at least I can usually listen to an audio book and make something but that’s not happening. Boo!

Still, it was a lovely sunny bank holiday weekend and we hopped over to the Isle of Wight and had a super time. The Garlic Farm is a must-see. You can go to the tasting experience room and try most of the products, then spend way too much money in the shop. My tip top favourite product is their smoked garlic bulbs. I first tried some years ago and if anyone I know is visiting that’s always my “please buy me” request. It’s truly delicious added to tomato sauce or roasted with chicken. I added some to a homemade BBQ sauce last night and I can’t wait to eat it later.

We drove to Shanklin and wandered along the beach to Sandown, collecting a trove of sea glass. Finding a few different shades of blue felt like coming across treasure! My collection’s growing now so it’s been re homed in a larger jar.

Ventnor and the excellent Spyglass Inn is a must during any visit. Lager shandy, a shared plate of whitebait and a wander along the sea front rounded off the day beautifully.

We visited a National Trust property on Monday and I’ll share some photos from the visit soon. I’ve found another Shepherd’s hut…