What's occurring?

A little update from Tuesday's Knit and Chat. Carolyn is making the crocheted shrug in Rowan's Cotton Glace.

Jennifer is making one in Debbie Bliss's Prima.

Dany is also making one (in red Cotton Glace), but has put it aside in order to finish some 'bigger buns' ready for the exhibition coming up this weekend.

Jo is making stylish napkin rings in Handknit Cotton.

Karen and Linda are both making black crocheted shrugs in Cotton Glace.

And Naomi is making a super jersey for nephew Leon.

Three cheers

for Mark and Mark who finished their journey from John o' Groats to Land's End today at 1.15pm. It took just over 22 days to cycle the 1253 miles and they have raised an impressive £9,000 for Action for Children and The Prince's Trust. There is still time to donate www.justgiving.com, enter Mark Armond or Mark Sterling under 'sponsor a friend'. The guys are having a few days deserved rest after which we look forward to welcoming them back to Walkern next week.

Another winner

Even though it is June, Linda made gorgeous apple and blueberry tarts with frangipane from the fab winter cookery book, Long Nights and Log Fires - for Father's Day tea. Mmm!

Please note, new fluoro summer nail polish colour.

Nick was impressed with tarts but seriously unimpressed with the nail varnish!

Nearly there..

The intrepid cyclists are on the home strait now. Today they are pedalling from Barnstaple to Padstow and should reach their destination at Land's End by early afternoon tomorrow. Well done, chaps!

What IS it you do all day?

Linda and Poppy made an amazing coffee cake this afternoon - just because. What about all the washing, ironing, shopping, cooking, gardening, dog walking etc? Let alone a shop to run!

Bonnie Scotland

Karen, Linda and Dany had a great weekend visiting Hellie up in Fintry, in beautiful Sterlingshire. We spent a lovely afternoon in Perth.

Hellie made a delicious lime and coconut cake for tea and

Linda fashioned the tablecloth into a dress.......

We were out and about ....at the Killearn Hoolie...

...where ladies had pipes and gentlemen wore skirts!

We visited Jane at Snapdragon in Balfron, who was taking part in The Forth Valley Open Studios event. Jane grows beautiful cut flowers and makes and designs lovely textiles with freehand machine embroidery in her airstream trailer workshop/shop (see link on right).

I love the old Citroen HY van in the garden.

I bought an embroidered felt lavender cushion wth George on it to take home.

Oops, so busy 'shopping' forgot to get joint of meat for Sunday lunch. A quick rummage in the fridge produced a groaning table and some cheesy dreams for Linda.

A little more shopping at the Scottish Arts and Antiques Centre at Doune before we leave.

Just time to get the washing out before dashing off to the airport. Thank you Hellie and Rob for a great weekend.

Green is the colour

We delivered Hellie's birthday present from Donna. A pretty, lacy scarf knitted with love in Louisa Harding's Willow Tweed and beautifully presented in a cute little green suitcase with a matching brooch.

Tour de Force

The cycle route - avoiding as many hills as possible.

The boys are now over the border - they've had a tough few days, got extremely wet and the strain was beginning to show.

Near Holmfirth (Nora Batty country), 669 cumulative miles so far. Fancy stopping here?

M & M have now reached Tewkesbury (that was quick?) and are on their way to Bristol where they will be joined by young Tom Armond. And it's down hill all the way now surely....

The good life

Collected our new pullets at the weekend. They are hybrids; we have a Coral, a Silver Nick, a Magpie and a Speckledy.

They are already laying eggs of various different sizes and colours. Corals apparently lay coral coloured eggs - not sure whose are whose at the moment.

In only a few days the egg cupboard is full again...

...and it's potato and herb omelette for lunch with homegrown rocket.....just call me Barbara!

How refreshing

Fresher than fresh mint tea - hand picked to order!! Served this morning at Knit and Chat.

Knitting and crochet exhibition

To celebrate our 5th birthday we are holding an exhibition of work by our talented customers at the United Reformed Church, 11, High Street, Walkern on 26th and 27th June. 11am - 4pm.

Come and see some fantastic work in the setting of this lovely church, which is celebrating its 200th anniversary.

Refreshments, home-made cakes, jams and chutneys, white elephant stall and raffle (all proceeds to URC). Hope to see you there.

Cycle news

The cyclists (now 3) reached Rob and Hellie's 'b&b' in Fintry (nr Glasgow) at the weekend, for a good rest and a few good meals and a game of scrabble! 380 miles so far....and doing well inspite of a couple of soakings...

Midwest modern Amy

Beautiful bright new colours in Rowan Belle organic wool cotton dk from Amy Butler; Hibiscus, Robin's egg and Tomato, £5.25 a ball. And her new book - Midwest Modern Knits includes 21 patterns for pillows, cushions, fingerless gloves and a lovely wrap cardi all with her unique sense of colour. £9.95

Linda's quilt.....

Managed thirteen patches this weekend (well, I wasn't taken out anywhere...!!!). Need some help from Beryl now....HECK did I really start this mommouth project?

John o' Groats to Land's End

After a great send off (and a few pints!) Mark and Mark left Walkern on Sunday night to start their epic cycle ride from John o' Groats to Land's End (1213 miles), starting on 1st June from John o' Groats and hopefully reaching Land's End by 23rd. They are raising money for the Prince's Trust and Action for Children. If you wish to support them please go to justgiving.com and type in Mark Armond under 'sponsor a friend'. Balfour Beatty have promised to match the eventual total raised.

The intrepid pair set off on 1st June - on the long way home. We will keep you informed of their progress.

Summer crochet

Linda is also working on the Mykinos shrug from Rowan's Summer Crochet book (in stock and only £7.95), which includes 12 up to the minute patterns in 4ply Siena and Cotton Glace - and not at all 70's!! Oh, how very addictive - four rows to the pattern achieves a really striking design. I don't think she's going to stop at one...more happy days.

Busy, happy day off

Linda's vintage hamper, bursting with embroidery pieces came out in the spring sunshine. Stuffed to the brim with leftovers that look good enough to eat...finally she's made a start on this much discussed heirloom quilt with some sound advice from Beryl and Sandra.

Dany's weekend in bella Italia

I spent a fabulous long weekend with my mum, staying at a beautiful farmhouse b&b in the Mugello district of Tuscany, just north of Florence. The b&b Le Due Volpi is run by Heidi and Lorenzo, friends of ours, who gave me this beautiful painting of their house.

http://leduevolpi.it

The garden is lovely with lots of terraces and so many flowers.

I lay in the hammock -

- and on the terrace. Mmm ....prosecco, vino rosso, limoncello, prosciutto di Parma, melone, mozzarella, pecorino - my Italian improved over the weekend.

We spent a day in Pisa before coming home and stayed at The Royal Victoria Hotel. I thought I was in A Room with a View - this hotel has barely altered since it opened in 1837.

Gelato, biscotti, cioccolata calda, caffe con panna, semifreddo.....prosecco, vino rosso, vino bianco. The Italian got even better! http://royalvictoria.it

A lovely place to write my postcards, by an open window overlooking the river Arno.

In the pink......

Rowan handknit cotton for summer, in shades of sugar, slick and shell pinks.

It was a pink weekend - down the 'swanny'!

and too hot Teddy retreated into the shade - of pink.