The view from the (hot) tub

We’re staying in the Lake District for this post, and more specifically the hot tub from our cottage stay back in June. I’ve yet to share the cottage interior, and that’s good, but the view from the hot tub was exceptional. Even getting to the hot tub was more unusual. Though it was sited on the back of the cottage, access was by walking around the building.

Though it really wasn’t a hardship.

Remember those stones for later.

How’s that for a gate post? With the blossom on the slate, the traditional stones and the well worn wood, the first time we visited we knew we were in for something special.

We weren’t disappointed. It was a gorgeously private and dramatic space.

With everything you could want - the outdoor shower, and somewhere to hang your robe and towel.

And the view.

A purposefully included (or should that be excluded) window, giving the perfect view of the rock and the stones I shared earlier. And the view up the hill of the field. And completely private, and relaxing.

The ferns against the darkly painted walls though.

And just to show it really is private here’s my best shot at trying to look over the top - and failing!

It’s clear that a lot of thought went into the planning of this space, and it truly paid off.

Adding a flowery touch to my handbag

I love colour, and quite often my handbags are colourful too. I do have some more sober ones, but they get used less if I’m honest. During the past year and the various lockdowns handbags have become kind of superfluous - as has lipstick - and it was way into the summer last year that I realised my purse and keys were still in my ‘winter’ handbag.

Since then I’ve mostly used a vintage tan handbag - which I’ve had since new! - and my favourite bright yellow Joules handbag, with a few excursions into bags for special outings, which at points during the past year or so could have been simply visiting a restaurant, afternoon tea or seeing family as special occasions have really been few and far between haven’t they?

But both the tan handbag and the yellow Joules bag have started to show signs of wear. I’ve bought some leather nourisher for the tan bag, which I have yet to get onto the leather and I know it won’t do any good until I do. It’s the straps though on the yellow bag, the top coating of the surface is peeling, and it’s not a good look. Since I’ve been wearing the bag on my shoulder more it’s taken to leaving the peeling yellow vinyl on my shoulder, so it looks as if I have a special kind of yellow dandruff on my left shoulder. So this needed fixing, but the bag’s too good, and too much loved, to be retired or fully replaced.

As it’s yellow buying new straps is possible, and I think will be the ultimate solution even if they’re a different colour but I needed something now to get me through. And so I’ve taken a slightly left field and creative solution.

The straps are the buckle sort, not the clip sort, which I think helps a bit. So detaching them from the bag, I’ve glued some pretty yellow and orange flowery bias binding around the straps (having first removed as much of the vinyl that was peeling as I could).

As I was gluing - just PVA craft glue - I realised it would be best for the straps to dry as they’ll be used, rather than dead flat. With the use of some pegs and the bannister on the top landing, I was able to recreate the handbag strap shape. I was quite pleased with myself!

I wasn’t sure how I’d finish the ends tidily, so I took a different approach and decided to stop the fabric just short of the buckle hole that I use. I looks a little peculiar without the buckle, but I was confident that it would look better when the straps were back on the bag.

And I’m really happy with how it turned out.

The next few days I’m going to be out and about for work more than I have since March 2020 and now I’m confident that I’ll be able to use my summer bag, which I know is big enough to chuck everything I need in, without the weird yellow dandruff - which is a very good thing!

And I get a individually styled handbag at the same time.

My mustard campfire granny

This crochet project has been on our last two breaks, so it’s already well travelled. I took it with me to the Lake District but didn’t get around to starting it, and then took it with us to Ticehurst with the intention of sewing in the ends. That didn’t happen either, but I did get to use it while sitting outside on the deck of an evening, and I couldn’t resist photographing it with the woods as a backdrop.

You’ll have to excuse the threads, but I think you’ll agree the photos are pretty special.

The blanket is a simple continuous granny square and the colours have worked out well. Originally, in my head the constant colour was going to be cream and I planned to use up wool that I had for the contrast colours. But the cream wool I had was heavier than the double knit of the contrast colours, and as they were the main reason for starting this throw I had a rethink.

I had a couple of balls of the mustard, which I’d bought because I liked the colour and I think I spent most of our Lake District holiday talking myself into using it and wondering how it would work. As it turned out I’m glad I did.

I had a rainbow of colours to use but again didn’t really have a plan, so before starting I spent some time working out a rough colour progression. I knew that I had more of the pinks, reds and oranges so it made sense to leave those for the outer rows.

I’m really pleased with how it turned out and am even more pleased with the photo backdrop too. For something that didn’t start with much of a plan I can see this being well used, and I think I’ll be making another with a navy main colour, but not just yet, as I’ll need to accumulate some more contrast colours first.

My unplanned plan

Hook size 4mm, using a mixture of double knit wool - from the centre:

• Hobbycraft: Knitcraft mustard cotton blend (main colour)

• Vikki Brown Designs: Blackberry Sorbet

• Vikki Brown Designs: Image of You

• Vikki Brown Designs: Ombre One (green)

• Vikki Brown Designs: Blue Raspberry

• Hobbycraft: WI Soft and Cuddly green/yellow mix

• Drops Cotton Light: Mint

• Vikki Brown Designs: Potion

• Vikki Brown Designs: Ombre Four (green)

• Drops Cotton Light: Ice Blue

• Vikki Brown Designs: Senecio

• Vikki Brown Designs: Ombre Five (green)

• Vikki Brown Designs: Ombre Two (blue)

• Vikki Brown Designs: Ombre Four (lilac)

• Vikki Brown Designs: Ethel

• Vikki Brown Designs: Claude

• Vikki Brown Designs: Ombre Five (pink)

• Hobbycraft: Knitcraft pink cotton blend

• Vikki Brown Designs: Seeing Red

• Hobbycraft: Knitcraft coral cotton blend

• Hobbycraft: Knitcraft orange cotton blend

Now, to sew in those ends!