Never Say No to New Ways...

My mum’s favourite hobby is watching TV, especially soaps, movies, the news, sports..... Okay, okay everything on TV.  Well, that has changed and she is knitting.  Yes, my mum is knitting.  The story goes like this:

She came to stay with us for a week.  During this week, my mum started to suffer from TV withdrawal symptoms, so we rushed to the TV store and bought a new TV.  Yeah, I didn’t have a TV: we are old foes, and if you are wondering what happened to it, let’s just say a while ago, it was taken into pieces and placed outside and taken away by the bin men.  Bless its soul.

Well, the week was extended to a month.  I love having my mum to stay with us, but I think I was beginning to suffer from peace withdrawal symptoms with the TV, so it had to gooooooooooooo!   Before it met its fate at the back of the dustbin truck, my mum declared that she can survive without TV, so it was merely switched off.

As the 2^nd week went on, the TV withdrawal symptoms returned and my mum was suffering badly, but she wouldn’t give up, bless her fighting soul.  But a miracle happened and my daughter managed to convince her mama (grandma) to take up knitting.  My mum, knitting???  I needed to see this before I believed it.  However, she proved me wrong and she started to learn.

The cliché is that mothers teach their daughters to knit, but in my case I was teaching my mum to knit, and I was so proud to teach her.  Learning and laughing has given our relationship a different dimension and I love my mum’s sense of humour and her kind nature. She is 75 years old, but she never says no to new ways.  Now, after a month, she loves knitting and she is hoping to knit a blanket.  Way to go, mum, I love you.  Yes, the TV is still OK. We just watch it from time to time.

This is my mum’s first finished creation.  Yes, I know what you’re thinking.  As a matter of fact, we started by few loops, as seen at the base, but by a miracle of God, some more few loops were added to the work.  I said miracle of God because my mum insists that she has added up no more loops and she was only knitting the original ones.  So, when she saw the finished product, she said “praise the Lord, by miracle of God, the little blanket has turned into a lookalike of the map of the United States of America.”  You see, knitting miracles still happen.

I love you, mum  :D xoxo

By the way, I have a new collection in my Etsy shop; Happy Shopping  :D

It all started with the closing of route A6...

 

  The journey started with us going to Chatsworth House for a picnic.  For those who don’t know, Chatsworth House is a grand hall in the Peak District of Derby, and was once the home of John F. Kennedy’s little sister, Kathleen.  It’s one of those grand houses that I adore, where the aristocrats live and we imagine how our lives would be if we lived there.  My mother always says “rich people have money, and poor people have imagination and that’s a fair deal”, do you think so?... Up till now, I still can’t make up my mind how fair this deal is.

A view of Chatsworth House

  Ok, so that was the plan, but, because of a massive (and I mean MASSIVE) fire at a plastic recycling warehouse, there was a diversion on the road, enforced by the Police.  Well, we diverted as good citizens do in this situation.  The only problem, we were miles and miles and miles and miles... and miles from our next route to Chatsworth House.  So we settled down for the nearest option: Matlock Bath (it’s a name of a town, not the wash bath).  Now that is clear, I can show you some HANDSOME pictures.

  The landscape is very hilly and breathtaking.  The road is narrow, and believe me, the only thing you can compare it to is a theme park rollercoaster... just this one has speed cameras. 

You think this is a drop? Wait till you see the next photo.

  There was a huge massive drop ahead, just take my word for it, because I don’t have any photo to prove it because, at this time, I was clinging to the wheel for my dear life, while my daughter thought it was hilariously funny and started to whoop and abandoned the task of taking photos.

And yet another drop.

And it goes on...

...and it goes on...

...and on...

...hooray, we made it, and just in case we were in doubt whether we have dropped off the end of the Earth, the flags reassured us that we were still in our dear England. FLAT ROAD!!

The place was charming... but this phrase only revealed itself after 2 cups of coffee to calm my nerves.

A war memorial...

...a river...

...a bridge...

...cable cars...

...a random!!!

  Matlock Bath is a haven for motorcycle enthusiasts.

  My daughter loves classic scooters and aims to own one by the time she leaves for university.  Well then, time to check how the piggy bank is doing.

These were the quirkiest ones out of all the motorcycles, but there were also some "whoa!" ones.

 All's well that ends well, our picnic journey started with a plan, followed by a diversion, then a discovery, and ended with a delight :)

TRAIL OF LOOPS...

  Knitting is about order and rhythm.  When I knit, this trail of loops creates a sense of comfort and peace.  The rhythm of my hands and needles channel my thoughts to a path of harmony.  These loops that congeal into patterns and textures fill me up with a sense of pride and contentment.

  Knitting is not a tedious repetition of loop after loop, because each loop is unique.  It is the closest thing to magic. It transforms strings of yarn into creations that witness our feelings, memories, movements and sounds of that special moment.

  Knitting is about passion, connection and love.

  Knitting is about the celebration of a newborn.

  I knitted this little cardi for my friend who is expecting soon.  This is the first time that I have created a pattern for such a small item.  I dearly wish that she and, of course, her little bundle of joy will like it :)

Creations of Beauty are Forever

Happy Easter Everyone

At the start of the month my daughter and I visited Wollaton Hall in Nottingham.  It was a warm sunny day, and although the clouds kept coming and going, they were a welcome shade from the heat of the Sun. 

With the vast land and sense of history, you cannot help but to wonder about the glorious past of this majestic building, and how many carriages have crossed this path, with their glamorous passengers clad in their finest.  The building itself is a testament to the craftsmanship that went into building it. 

Oh, I adore the place; it’s a dream.

I wouldn't have minded living in this place, would you?

Every Paradise has it's Troubles

However, the peace on the water was disturbed when one of the swans decided to chase a goose around what seemed the entirety of the lake.

I hope that these photographs can at least partially convey my passion for this blissful place.