Treats, lakes and crotchet

Thank you so much for your lovely supportive comments which I really appreciated.

I've been buying a few lovely things.  First some gorgeous fabric .

.... and what will this become.  Well I've been a complete cheat.  I saw this pattern in a magazine and hunted (high and low) to get the same fabric, so watch this space to see if I can actually make something akin to a dress.

A couple of new cookery books both reduced in WH Smiths.

Both full of lovely photos, yum, yum and the Paris Kitchen book led to making brunch with oeuf en cocotte 

... homemade bread ....

.... and a little froggy roll made by Dan ...

I couldn't resist this lovely cardi ... it's quite ridiculous really ... going to be difficult to wash, difficult to match to things and a colour scheme I don't have, but on the way to the dentist it was in a shop window and I loved it.

I have in mind making a skirt from this material to wear with it.

Finally some lovely wool. Two balls are going to be for my first pair of socks, so watch this space. Aren't the colours lovely together?

Crafty wise I have been into a bit of crotchet.  I have been making a round cushion using left over cotton which is coming on nicely.  I'm currently waiting for a round cushion to arrive to get the fit right, but haven't decided whether to have a cotton or crotchet back.

 I have also just completed some wristwarmers from Sandra's excellent instructions.  I love Sandra's blog - her photos are excellent and her tutorials really clear.  You can see much better photos on her blog than mine ... but I really enjoyed this project, very easy and those of you who are experienced crotcheters could whip them up in a couple of evenings.  I used Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmero which is probably my all time favourite wool and this was so much nicer to work with than the cotton!  On my own this weekend so I can't photograph the pair being worn!

And now to turn into a book and film critic!  We went to see Lincoln and it was good.  Longish and a bit worthy but I actually did find out a lot about the 13th amendment.  Daniel Day Lewis was good, though really I felt Hugh Jackman should have got the Oscar for Les Mis.  7/10 is my score.

It is good that we outlawed slavery so much earlier in Britain and without the loss of more than 600,000 lives.  (We watched Amazing Grace the next day).

So far I have achieved my intention to read a book a month.  So for February it was the Snow Child.  I did like this book it was about resliance, tenacity, hardship, love, healing and a little bit of magic.  One to read and 8/10.  Haven't picked my book for March yet.

To continue our cultural tour of Cumbria we went to Brantwood near Coniston which was the home of  John Ruskin.  Really enjoyed this, spectacular views

... a lovely, interesting house with beautiful furniture and Ruskin seems to be a fascinating, sensitive man, a real humanist

... and a garden which certainly reminded us that spring is here ...

On the way home we briefly stopped at Tarn Hows .... I do know how lucky we are to live here!!

To end ... I can't resist a rare moment of kitty-cuddling!