Liebster Award

I'm really excited to have been awarded the Liebster Blog Award by the lovely Lisa from Needles and Wool (you can check out her amazing blog here) Thanks Lisa! The aim is to get to know new blogs, and to grow our own blogs in the process :)

Rules:

1. Post 11 random facts about myself

2. Answer 11 questions the awarding blogger has asked

3. Nominate 11 blogs with less than 200 followers, add their links to this post, and let them know that they have been nominated

4. Create 11 questions the nominated blogs have to answer

1. 11 Random Facts about myself


1. I sneeze embarrassingly loudly and can never sneeze only once
2. I love houseplants.... but never seem to be able to keep them alive
3. I cry rather easily at books and movies. When I read Good Wives by Louisa May Alcott on a family holdiay when I was little I cried so much I got hysterical and my parents thought my younger brother had hurt me. I was incapacitated so they thought that for a while...
4. I have an obsession with Germany. I love the country, the people, the language. I've studied it at uni and spend as much time as possible over there. C even proposed to me at a Christmas market in Cologne, combining all three of my great loves....
5... I love Christmas. It drives everyone mad. I was in Australia last Christmas and as wonderful as that was I can't wait for English Xmas next year. I will be so excited the world may implode...
6. I'm really messy. People seem to think I'm quite organised so are very surprised at this fact/
7. I can procrastinate to an Olympic standard (I should be doing at least 5 other things whilst writing this ;))
8. I really wanted a younger sister or older brother growing up. I was 5 when my younger brother was born and wanted to send him back, and when that didn't work wanted to call him 'yukky toilet boy'. Now we are very close and I would do anything for him
9. I have far too many clothes. It contributes to fact 6.
10. I have two black cats, Bella and Izzy, although I'm quite allergic. As soon as circumstances allow I want a dog. I love dogs. If I see them on the street I say hello to them and not their owners.
11. I love potatoes. It's probably a slightly unhealthy obsession. I think it's my Irish blood coming out (my great grandmother was Irish). Before he died my Grandpa and I used to have roast potato races at Xmas. He always let me have the last one :)

2. 11 Questions...

1. what is your favorite thing to either knit or crochet?

I really like crocheting blankets (although I have yet to finish one!) I love choosing all the different colours and where to put them, it makes me happy coming up with all the different colour combinations, and I like the fact you can work on them gradually.

2. what is your favorite season?

Definitely Spring. My birthday is in May, and I have so many happy memories of that time. I love bluebells and other Spring flowers appearing, the longer days and the smell of freshly cut grass :)

3. what is your favorite book?

Mmmmm difficult question, can I choose three?! In which case... Pride and Prejudice, The Book Thief and The Time Traveller's Wife

4. when did you start knitting or crocheting?

My fling with knitting was short lived and disastrous, lasting about 2 weeks in February. Crochet I started shortly after so am still a newbie

5. what do you like most about knitting or crocheting?

How relaxing it is... and that you get homemade wonderfulness at the end of it! I've cross stitched for years, and enjoy the fact that for some crochet you don't need to follow a pattern constantly, you can hook and easily watch tv or chat.

6. what is your favorite food?

I love Mexican and Italian food the most. I regularly make Chilli non Carne (veggie house!) and risotto. Having said that I do have a potato obsession.

7. what would be an ideal day for you if you could do anything all day?

Read. I don't get nearly enough time to read for pleasure any more.

8. what kind of wool do you like to knit or crochet with most?

I seem to have picked up a lot of Robin acrylic DK, it's quite cheap and works up quite nicely.

9. what will your next creative project be? 

I really want to crochet a piece of clothing. Once I have more time I'd like to make a simple cardigan or shrug or something!

10. When did you start blogging and what gave you the inspiration to blog?

About Feb, I started using Bloglovin and was so inspired by all the crafty people out there I wanted to join in!

11. What is your favourite colour?

Blue or purple :)

3. 11 Nominations :)

1. Liv of www.livjaa.tumblr.com

2. Sarah of www.boredflower.wordpress.com

3. Bliss of www.crochet-bliss.blogspot.com

4. Faith of www.faithfullygeeky.blogspot.com

5. Kerry of www.kerrycogan.blogspot.com

6. Mary of www.bookwormmar.blogspot.com

7. Ruby of www.moleymakes.co.uk

8. Heike of www.heikeherrling.com

9. Bec of www.handmadeandhome.com.au

10. Heather of www.lifeatmylittleredsuitcase.blogspot.com

11. www.forgetmenotsblue.blogspot.com

4. Questions to answer

1. Do you prefer knitting or crocheting? Why?

2. If you could learn any new craft which would it be?

3. Which part of the world do you feel most at home in?

4. What is your favourite film?

5. What are you currently making?

6. What will you make next?!

7. Do you prefer Birthdays or Christmas? Why?

8. If you could have dinner with any person dead or alive who would it be?

9. Do you have a favourite flower?

10. If you were an animal which one would you be?

11. Do you have any favourite crafty tips?

Camping in Rutland

We finally made it out for our first camping trip of 2014! As we only had one night we decided to stay fairly local and went for a mini road trip around Britain's smallest county, Rutland.

Rutland was absorbed into Leicestershire in 1974, but reinstated as a county in 1997. It's a lovely place, with beautiful villages and two towns, Oakham and Uppingham. It was raining very heavily so we didn't make it out to explore properly (saved up for next time) and thus the slight lack of photos!

Our first stop was Wing Hall (for more info see here). It's actually a camping site as well (we didn't stay here) but also boasts a farm shop and a wonderful cafe, called the Veranda (see here). Sadly we arrived too late for the farm shop, which shuts at three on a Sunday, but we very much enjoyed afternoon tea at the Veranda.

It was very yummy and the cafe was gorgeously decorated, lots of bunting so right up my street!

After afternoon tea we headed to Rutland Water, which is one of the largest artificial lakes in Europe, and one of the biggest reservoirs in the UK.

We walked around to Normanton, a small village, most of which was flooded to make way for the reservoir back in the 1970s. Its parish church was also due to be destroyed, but following public outcry it was ultimately saved (see here). Surrounded by water now it is truly stunning, especially surrounded by storm clouds!!

It started raining heavily after that so we scarpered! We stayed in a small village campsite in Whissendine, but it really rained a lot so no photos. Hopefully next time Bonnie comes out to play the weather will be nicer!

Wednesday WIPs - Projects I technically shouldn't really be doing

I've been following the Link Parties for the WIP Wednesdays for a while now, and really enjoy reading new blogs and getting inspiration from the lovely projects. I've plucked up the courage to link up for the first time with this post :)

With a wedding to prepare and a thesis to write I've tried to be really 'good' and stick to wedding crochet for the month of May, but, well, that didn't end up happening :)

I have two 'naughty' WIPs that I'm currently sneakily crocheting away (and enjoying), firstly another cowl project. I love my Spring Cowl (see here) and have worn it constantly, so I wanted to create something similar again. I'm using a simple version of the fan stitch and a nice cream yarn. It's a lot slower to crochet than the original cowl but I'm pleased with how it's shaping up.

I think it's going to be another wardrobe staple - again using up wool I ordered for another project that wasn't quite right! I love a bit of stash busting :)

My other WIP I featured here in my last post, a granny blanket that started as a distraction and is now becoming an obsession. I constantly think about colour combos! I am still undecided as to whether to make it big enough for 2 to snuggle under or make it big enough for just one. I'm going to get to 10 squares and then decide I think.

Definitely the most fun I've had crocheting thus far...

Anywho: I'm going to check out all of the other WIPs and pray I don't get so inspired I start another naughty project!

Linking up to Tami's Amis

Helen xx

Bank Holiday with Bonnie

C has been working very hard this bank holiday on Bonnie, our camper. I am hopefully arriving at the wedding in her, and she's still in the middle of an internal makeover, so he took the chance of bank holiday to progress even further. Her seats now have covers!

Our wonderful friend Noelle made the box cushion covers with me (she is an amazing sewer and masterminded the whole operation, I did some cutting and handed her pins!) We've had them a few weeks but C has only just put the bed in, so we put the covers on today and got them into place. We are so pleased with the fabric!

Izzy supervised C, making sure he was doing it right, and was sure to inspect his work. Once she was happy all was under control she had a nap in the drivers' seat...

Bonnie is nearly ready now! We just need to get the floor down and I think we're good to go! All other wedding preparations are firmly in hand, so feeling marginally in control for once!

I was very naughty this weekend and started a new crochet project, it's one I've been eyeing up for a while - I knew I'd need something to use up wool remaining from the wedding you see.... (methinks the lady dost protest too much) and well I got a bit bored of hearts you see.... and welll....

My first granny squares! I wanted to try out the join as you go method, and needed to have granny squares to do so... so many excuses :) I love the colours and think this will end up being a blanket just for me, when I'm snuggled up this Autumn. So that's two blanket WIPs... oops!