Five Reasons Why I love Blogging

1)   Other Bloggers are so lovely. 
 I received this little parcel in the post from my Blog Buddy Carol.  Carol likes to Smile At the Flowers so much so that is the name of her blog.  She has been enjoying the Spring sunshine and tending her garden in between all the crafty projects.  Carol mentioned she had some 'Honesty' seeds that she would be willing to post to Blog Buddies.  I love 'Honesty', tall, vibrant pink flowers then best of all when it goes to seed, you get translucent 'pennies' containing the seeds.  My Mom would use 'Honesty' in dried flower arrangements when I was little.  Not only did the package contain 'Honesty' seeds but also some lovingly wrapped little plants.  Complete with plant labels to help the novice identify the goodies.

Jacobs Ladder

Helleborus Oriental

Helleborus Corsicus

Aquilegia

Valerian

 and Hesperis Matronalis.

Euan and I got out in the garden yesterday and planted these babies and gave them a drink.  I really hope we will be 'Smiling At The Flowers' soon.  I must thank Carol not only for the lovely parcel but also for her ongoing support in 'The Pasty Power Protest'!

I have made some great friends in Cyber Space and they even spill over into the 'Real' World like my Blog Buddy Claire at Simply Life.  Huh, still can't get over Claire is only 10 minutes from my house!   

2)  I find lots of great recipe and cooking ideas.

This weeks favourite recipe came from Kashi's Corner.  It is her recipe for Raspberry/Plum Oatbars.  My little plum tree has got lots of blossom on for the first time this year, so I have high hopes for a plum or two.  Then maybe next year there will be enough for Plum Jam.  I used a jar of homemade Plum Jam that my friend gave me to make these bars and they make a good snack for hungry boys on Easter Break.  The good news is my Jam making friend is about to move house and the garden has another Plum Tree.  I could live off Blog Recipes for the rest of my life I am sure.

3)  Reading Other Peoples Blogs Make Me Happy.

Actually more than that, they often have me laughing out loud!   Knits and Crosses has to have my favourite 'Cookery' posts of all.  They are usually timely and I find them when I am in a grouchy, tired mood.  They have me belly laughing in no time.  Not only is Sarah clearly bonkers, (if you click the link you will see what I mean, in the nicest possible way of course), I think her writing is brilliantly comical and the recipes are very tasty and practical too.

I also love to look at other peoples Crafty Projects and gain a lot of inspiration and ideas from Bloggy sharing.  Gothy and Her Crafty Stuff has some amazing journeys from fibre, to yarn, to finished projects.  Yeah I lose sight of that!  The finished projects!

I think this is a great post too from The Smiling Robot, not only is Grace showcasing 'A Rabbit Disguised as a Zebra' with one ear up and one ear down, which in my opinion is a genius little creation, but she is also showcasing her finished pair of 'Granny Chic Granny Stripe Wrist Warmers' Made using my pattern.  

4)  Surely Everyone Loves a Blog Give Away?

I find Blog Give Aways a bit too exciting and if you win, well it is the highlight of the week!

There are some really exciting ones at the moment if you enjoy crafty stuff.

This one from 'According to Matt' is really exciting, you can win a Beautiful Rainbow of Yarn, perfect for Summery Projects of Lovliness.

Here is another one at 'Show and Tell' I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Just look at this adorable 'Wabbit' made by 'Marmalade Rose'.

5)  I learn a lot from Blogs.

I had never heard of 'Extreme Crochet' until I came across 'Fiddly Fingers' Blog.  I love the giant crochet projects, Granny Squares the size of cushions and 'Chester' the Cat who is bigger than me!

           I also learn about other parts of the country and the world via blog reading.  I have learned all sorts of things over the year from Teresa Kasner.  Teresa lives in a beautiful part of the world and shares her knowledge about the Natural History and Heritage of her area on a regular basis, including Native American history, accompanied fantastic photography.

           I also learn about others perspectives on life and blogging helps me to slow down and smell the roses.  I recently enjoyed this post from Different Choices and this post from Chicken Stitches.

I learn about gardening, crafts, cultures, cookery, places, people. . . blogging has turned me into a proper clever clogs!  I could go on and on with more 'Reasons Why I love Blogging' but I am sure I have gone on and on enough already. 

I hope you check out at least some of the links that I have posted as they are sure to give you a smile or two.  

March 2012 Photograph Collage

 Another great month in Blogland passes by, I have had fun, hope you have too :) 

Porky Pies and The Cornish Pasty

I know this is my second gratuitous 'Pie Post' this week but it is important 'National News' that is worthy of 'Lucy In The Sky' Blogging Attention.  Here is our Prime Minister posing as a hard up Pasty Eater!

With all the Porky Pies he tells he better be careful his pasty doesn't choke him!

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/david-camerons-attempts-to-pose-as-a-pasty-eating-775431

It takes a good old 'Pasty Row' to bring the Parliamentary dignitaries to my home town, I don't think they would have been brave enough to go to Cornwall, where Pasties and tourists are the mainstay of the County.  Cornish Pasties have European Union 'Protected Geographical Status'.  They have crucial place in History and Culture.

The Cornish Pasty Association Website  has a great video explaining the Cultural Heritage of this humble 'meal'.

Here is Ed Milliband the Labour Party Leader and Ed Balls (The Shadow Chancellor) Posing outside Greggs the Bakers in my home town this week.

Sometimes I sneak in here for a 'hot' Sausage Roll (but don't tell anyone).  I would have been mortified to be caught on national news, sneaking my unhealthy snack.

This shot is just to prove to my 'Local' Blog Audience  that this was in fact 'our' Greggs '.

I did witness all this kerfuffle as I drove past but I was unaware as to who and what it was, as I was on my way to err. . . . ummm. . . do my bit for the 'Panic Buying Petrol Crisis'.

Strange times we are in indeed.  I am sure at some point today I will be making Pasties and I won't be driving far!  

The Humble Pasty Hits the Headlines - Pie Day Friday

The good old Pasty has hit the headlines this week in the UK.  We have endured our Government budget and one of the changes is from the first of April if you go to a bakery and buy a 'Hot' Pasty it will have a 20% tax increase on its cost.  Fancy that?  The Chancellor defended the decision for shops selling hot food,to be inline with the Tax that 'Take Aways' have to charge the customer.  The suggestion the Chancellor has made for increasingly impoverished Brits is If you can't afford a Hot Pasty buy it Cold for 20% less cost.  Blimey only posh folks can now buy a hot pasty, the rest of us who count the pennies are resigned to the fact our pasties will be cold!  It would be enough to have an old Cornish Tin Miner turn in his grave!  I would not usually comment on religion or politics, I don't vote because the Politicians always get in!  I think this government is stooping very very low indeed though, with speculation and resulting panic about fuel shortages, the 'Royal' Mail making considerable increases to postal costs and now hitting us where it hurts with the 'Humble Pasty'.

Fraser Mcnish sums it up

I would suggest making your own pasties, this is my recipe Here for the Cornish 'Style' Pasty, You can eat them piping hot to your hearts content, Tax Free!

I also make a mean Vegetable Pasty (Tax Free of course).  Vegetarian Pasty.

I am not afraid to stand up and be counted!

The Chancellor can stick his rotten, stinking, low down 'Pasty Tax' where the sun don't shine.  I will continue to bake my Pasties at home and I won't even complain if they are so hot I burn my tongue in my cheek.  The peasants should be revolting.   Bake Your Pasties at home!  Communities Unite for Pie Day Friday!

Crochet Rock Chicks!

I have been crocheting more Easter Eggs to hide fill my basket.  Then imagine my surprise when I looked more closely and saw I was lucky enough to have a hatchling!

Well, well, well.  I was delighted with this surprise.  Never can have too many chicks.  A little later in the day, I looked again and imagine my astonishment. . .

Rock Chicks!  They are going to fit in just fine in this house.

This little fella is sporting a fine Mohawk;

This little fella is more of a Hippy Chick.
I am secretly hoping for more hatchlings of the cool and groovy kind.

They were great fun to make using the 'Easter Egg Pattern'.  Then before they were stuffed I attached two 6mm 'Toy' eyes.  The beak was a little bit tricky:

The Beak:
I used DK worsted weight Orange yarn and a 1.75 mm hook.
4ch, draw a loop through the second loop from the hook then the 3rd loop from the hook and the 4th loop from the hook, you should have 4 loops on the hook pull yarn through all of the loops and fasten off.  I sewed the end in and firmed up the beaky shape with the stitches.

The Wings:
Pick up 3 double crochet in the position you would like the wing to be in.  In the first DC work 1dc and 1tr, in the 2nd dc work 3 tr, in the 3rd dc work 1tr and 1dc.

The Hair:
I used a fine crochet hook to draw short strands through the head into position and fasten off with a slip stitch.  I snipped to the required length and separated the strands of yarn.

Groovy Chicks

Crochet 'Granny Chic' Chicken - Free Pattern

There is only one thing better than a crochet chicken and that is more crochet chickens.  These are great fun to make for Easter.  

Crochet 'Granny Chic' Chicken

Materials: Scraps of Double knit Yarn in the colours you require for your chicken.  I chose red and brown.

Hook Size:  4mm

6mm Pair Safety Eyes

Abbreviations: UK Terminology

Chain - ch

Double Crochet – dc

Treble Crochet – tr

Treble Cluster – tr cl

Sl – slip stitch

Instructions:

For The Body:

Make 6 CH.  Join in a loop and work CH. 2TR, 1 CH, ‘3TR 1CH’ four times into the loop.   Join the round with a SL ST

Round 2:   Continue for the second round working 3CH 2TR into the CH space below the 3CH, 1CH, TR CL into the CH spaces of the previous round.   (You should have five clusters in total this round).  Join the round with a SL ST

Round 3: As Row 2   

Round 4:  3CH 2TR into the space directly below the three CH 1CH 3TR (2 TR CL in the same space), 1ch 3TR into the next CH space twice, 1CH 3TR 1CH 3TR into the next CH Space.   Join the round with a SL ST.  Fasten off.

For The Head And Beak:

Make two the same:

Make 2 CH, work 8DC into the 2^nd CH from the hook.  Join the round with a SL ST.

Round 2:  3CH, work 1TR into each DC, do not join the round and join in red yarn for the beak.  Work 2TR into the same DC as the last ‘brown’ TR.  Fasten off.

For the Tail and the Wings:

The tail and the wings are worked the same.  The tail is worked into the TR stitches of the 3^rd TR CL on the 2^nd Round of the body.   The wings are worked into the TR stitches of the 3^rd and 5^th TR CL on Round 1 of the body.

Work as follows:

Into the first TR work 1DC and 1TR, into the 2^nd TR work 3TR, into the 3^rd TR work 1 TR and 1DC.

Making Up:

Sew in the ends on the body, tail and wings.  Place an eye in the centre of each half of the head.  Pad out the head by stuffing in the ends, align the head and beak and stitch the two halves together.  Sew the head onto the top of the body.

For the Comb:

Using red Yarn for the comb:  Join yarn into the 3^rd TR from the beak.  CH3, 2TR, 1DC, work 3TR and 1DC into the 4^th TR from the beak, work 3TR and 1 DC into the 5^th TR form the Beak.  Fasten off and sew in the ends.