Big Sky

Sandscale Haws. Wind. Sun. Sand. Rippling Waves. Shells. Dunes. Grasses. Big Sky.

Spring is in the air

Spring really was in the air today- we could somehow smell it as soon as we stepped out of the door into sunshine and slightly warmer air than we've been used to for so long. We headed to Coniston, to try out the Yewdale Bridleway route, which was as lovely as the description promised, taking us through oak woodland below Yewdale and above Coniston Water. It was a bit tough for us mummies, given the steep start and a path that suffered in last November's floods, leaving some rocky terrain.


The buggy passengers didn't seem phased by bumping along but were soon keen to stretch their legs and explore- knee deep dry leaves, becks that disappeared under the path, drystone walls and more signs of Spring; catkins and these daffodils, not quite ready to burst into a Wordsworthian host but surely not far off if the sunshine stays.


It must be admitted that energy levels today didn't quite carry us to the official 'turning point' of the route- you have to know when to stop sometimes, especially when you're 23 weeks into a pregnancy! As we headed back to Coniston to treat ourselves to lunch in a cafe and check out ferry times for future adventures, this tree by the path provided yet another source of fascination. Small enough for little arms to wrap around and intriguingly covered in moss, it begged to be prodded, stroked and even hugged. Around the same time two horseback riders came thundering along- thankfully slowing down to a gentle trot to pass us. Well, it is a bridleway after all.

Farm

It's a lucky boy whose Granny and Grandpa live on a farm, so that he gets to sit in the cab of a big tractor just like in his books and meet the new mums and babies. Looks like Granny is doing a great job in her SCBU...

Ever felt this way before?

Should you ever get the chance to drive along the stretch of the M6 running North to Tebay services- do it! Unless it was the middle of the night, thick fog or teeming with rain I defy anyone not to be blown away by the majestic sweeping hills before you. Better yet, try and make it so you are the passenger, then you can fully admire the views all around- you'll wish you could rotate your head 360 degrees like an owl. This morning, as a very Spring-like sun climbed above the tops, it bathed a landscape of soft green, ochre and rust, highlighted with splashes of white- sheep and lambs at the lower levels and the last of the snow in the gullies and high tops.
So what was I doing on the road, on my own at 8am on a Saturday morning? Making my way to Tullie House in Carlisle for a belated birthday present from my sister, a day's workshop in making felt bags with Debbie Lucas.
I've dabbled in felt making before, usually of the knit then machine wash variety (yes, sometimes this has actually been deliberate rather than disaster!). I tried a kit to make a sample square a few years ago but was a bit underwhelmed by the results and didn't really fall in love with the method- too messy and arm-achey. What a difference a workshop makes! I now feel I have a much better understanding of the process, from the strategic placing of bubble wrap and layering wisps of felt...

To the importance of rolling (with and without bamboo blinds) and rubbing with yet more bubble wrap. It was fascinating how all 11 of us newby feltmakers, given the same basic instructions, materials and 5 hours of workshop time, were able to produce such a great variety of bags:

This was my sister's. I loved the way she used wisps of curly natural fleece to make the pattern, as it reminds you of what the bag was created from. You can't see the vivid leaf green lining in this shot, but it complemented the muted tones of the outside beautifully.

I went for a more contemporary look. I love dots, but they can be hard to create in, say, knitting. The advantage of felt is that you get wonderful intense colours and clean lines, so I decided to take advantage of these characteristics to create a colourful, if decidedly mummy-on-the-go unsuitable little handbag.

All in all a pretty fab birthday gift. I'm inspired to look further into this, including digging out a book I have which includes 3D forms. I'm thinking soft and colourful toy storage made from all-natural materials...watch this space!

Mummy gets her mojo back

Yesterday was doomed from the start really. For a start, it was a Wednesday. For some reason, nothing happens on a Wednesday here- the library is closed, our friends are all at work, there aren't any playgroups or classes we can do...even with the sun shining it feels like a real mid-week slump. And yesterday was made worse because something woke the boy up at 3.30am and kept him (and me) up for the best part of 3 hours in a miserable state. So I would definitely say I was struggling yesterday morning. When naptime rolled around I logged on to my usual blog roll and there was this post from Hannah at A Handmade Childhood. I'd been meaning to make homemade Play-Doh for ages, not least because a certain someone still can't resist eating the shop-bought kind, which can't be good.
So, in the afternoon we stirred our stumps to go and buy some cream of tartar and I holed up in the kitchen and made some Play-Doh, veggie chilli (inspired by our visit to Wilf's last Saturday) and a indulgent Victoria sponge (just because!). A tasty supper and a good night's sleep later and things looked much brighter. This morning saw the first test run of our Play-Doh, which I didn't put colouring in as we're in a rented house with pale carpets...he didn't seem to mind and his fascinated absorption gave me a chance to sneak a few more stitches on his quilt.

His rules

Today gave us another glorious dose of sunshine so it was off to Fell Foot Park. As I've mentioned before, walking provides a welcome chance to give a certain toddler, intent on increasing his independence, the opportunity to feel he's enforcing 'his' rules. Today they included...
The one with the star-covered wellies decides which path we go on...

...even if it involves crashing through the rhododendrons...

...and making for the Lake (I caught up before he joined the ducks and swans, thank goodness!)


We ended up at the wonderful playpark, where climbing, swinging, sliding and chasing around the maze was followed by snuggling into the buggy and mid-afternoon bananas. Good times!

A kind of magic

I know I keep going on about sunshine, but it's just so lovely to see it again! Everything seems so much better with that glorious light pouring in through the window. In fact, it really was better today, right from the off when I woke up to...nothing much in the way of noise. This is in contrast to the usual shrieking. My boy is a generally happy soul but for some reason he seems to wake up and get an instant cob on. The solution I began trialling last night was to leave a little bag of toys and books in his cot after he fell asleep. This morning he woke up, found the bag and contentedly played for about an hour and a half, chattering away to himself until I came in to him to be greeted by smiles and calm. Happy baby, happy mama! My mum has offered to sew a custom made bag to attach to the cot side and later the wall for this purpose- let's hope last night wasn't a one off.
Also this morning he went to his first toddler gymnastics class, which was another success. No surprise really that 45 minutes of charging round a miniature assault course was right up his alley. Lunch was followed by a loooong nap for a satisfied little soldier.
The sun just kept on coming so as my thoughts turned to the evening meal I found I wanted to make something fresh, green and sunshiney. Pesto seemed to tick the boxes, so I used the recipe in Cranks Fast Food to make the gorgeous green goop pictured above. I don't know why I don't make it from scratch more often- the taste and the smell combine to make me dream of summer days eating fresh food outdoors...picnics, barbecues, campfires, beaches- can't be that far off, surely?!?
Being realistic, though, it's still pretty chilly and we've a way to go yet, so back I went to another old favourite cook book- Nigel Slater's Kitchen Diaries. I struggle to get past January...cheese smothered potatoes, bulghar wheat with mint and aubergines and todays double ginger cake are all tried and tested, and there are still a couple of soups I want to try from that chapter and something else I can't recall but remember I spotted today. So many good recipes, this is the book I recommend to anyone who asks, although I can't work out how to stop the sultanas sinking to the bottom of the ginger cake- suggestions anyone?