One of the most amazing items at the Norfolk Makers Festival, which we stumbled across in Norwich recently was this knitted version of the Golden Mile in Great Yarmouth. I thought I had more photos, than this one, but sadly I don’t. Even so, the detail is amazing, there’s people in the sea, sandcastles on the beach, which is of course also knitted, as well as the more obvious items.
And while I don’t have more photos, you can see more in this ITV News short film, prepare to be amazed.
Well, why not? Since I spotted some growing in my succulents, which isn’t as painful as it sounds, I’ve been fixated on foxgloves. Remembering those I saw at last year’s Chelsea Flower Show I thought it was about time those from the Botanic Nursery, had an airing here. It looks as if the ones below are clambering towards the top of the pavilion last May. I think it’s mostly the angle though, that and trying (and failing, it seems) to get as much foxglove as I could into a single shot.
I didn’t do any better getting these into the shot either. But I’m forgiving myself for their creamy yellowness, which starts from the fresh lime green.
When you think foxgloves, I’m sure we all think fairly similar. But in the photo above there’s the traditional downward facing bell (the white ones in the background), the creamy yellow in the foreground which is more horizontal and the more flowery purple stems. That messes with our ideals doesn’t it? Thankfully they’re all pretty, so I think they can get away with it.
My favourite though are the ones that has the speckled landing strip for bees. And they’re the ones that are most like the ones in my garden, which is lucky isn’t it?
I have a bit of a thing for crockery. That sentence felt like it was prompted by some kind of confession at a self-help group. It wasn’t meant to, and I suspect you already know about my crockery thing, or some of it at least as I’ve shared a few crockery posts here in the past, and use my own mini-collection comes out for styling posts at times. It’s not really a mini-collection either, as I have complete tea sets but let’s keep that just between you and I, ok?
In Norwich recently I was keen to take a look around the city’s independent department store, Jarrold and as we wandered around the Lanes I spotted it in the distance and steered MOH towards it and inside before he could work out quite what was happening. We headed straight to the Lower Ground floor where the homeware department was. I wasn’t expecting to be bowled over (sorry!) by the dishes that called my name, but I was.
You can see why, can’t you?
I had more time than I thought I would to peruse, and wish and wonder and plot and plan for their use and future purchases as MOH had landed in front of the gin section, and was doing his own extensive research.
While the bold geometric patterns above are great, it’s the smaller repetitive patterns that I’m much more attracted to. My problem, as ever, is choice. Too much of it appears to paralyse me, rendering me almost unable to make an informed decision. Quite often, the choice becomes much simpler, if I can’t choose then it becomes I’ll have all or nothing. And that quite often helps the decision making process, I mean, buying all of these just because I couldn’t choose would be silly, so the answer was none. For now.
There will come a time I’m sure when following that decision tree, I’ll think it perfectly sensible to buy the lot, perhaps then narrowing it down further will become more realistic. Or maybe, I’ll change tack completely and go for the bees…
Or other small patterned insect, bird or animal patterned crockery.
Who knows.
But all those decisions, or almost decisions, made for thirsty work and so this Gin and Tonic set were actually the most likely to leave the shop as purchases, but by then it was time to prise MOH out of the wine section before we ended up with a serious discussion on how many bottles we should buy.
And it was definitely time for tea and cake…
