Happy Hallowe'en!

 

Happy Hallowe'en! By the magic of the Internet, I am posting this while travelling back to Norfolk! I have a pair of spooky socks on the needles - Roxy socks in a fun self striping yarn in the colourway 'Leaky Cauldron'. It was a lovely gift from a knitting friend, Judy. It's currently nestling in my Zombies bag from ThreeBagsFull - I love the print! 

The lining is great fun - when you open the bag, hundreds of pairs of zombie eyes are staring at you!

Here's my sock, snuggled inside.......

And here's the whole sock and bag ensemble.........

Now excuse me while I eat a spooky cake or two! See you in November! xxx

Day 6 - Castle Howard

We saved a visit to Castle Howard for our last day in Yorkshire. Listed in Lonely Planet's 1000 Ultimate Sights as 'one of the world's top ten greatest mansions and grand houses', we knew we were in for a treat. Although the weather was a little damp, the grandeur of the architecture was impressive and we thoroughly enjoyed spending the day there. Here's a taste of our visit. Tomorrow we head back to Norfolk. I cannot wait to see a certain little black cat again! xxx

Day 5 - Dalby Forest

Another beautiful day dawned, although there was a definite nip in the air today. We decided to go walking in Dalby forest. Plenty of paths for both walkers and cyclists kept us entertained and clocked up more than 20,000 steps on the fitbit too! 

Tea and cake in the pretty village of Helmsley completed another lovely day. Tomorrow is our last day in Yorkshire and we are going to Castle Howard. Can't wait! xxx

Day 4 - York

We decided to take a trip to explore York today. York is an historic, walled city; founded by the Romans and in Medieval times, it was an important centre for wool trading. The city centre is dominated by the magnificent York Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe. The Minster was our first stop and we began by climbing up the 275 winding stone steps to get to the top of the tower. From the top, you get a fabulous view over the city. My legs were like jelly when I got to the bottom again! There is a great deal of restoration work going on and windows dating back to Medieval times are being displayed at ground level once all work is complete. To be able to look so closely at individual windows and admire their craftsmanship was quite a privilege. If you haven't been to York Minster before, here's a taster........

We walked through the heart of the city, taking in The Shambles - an ancient street mentioned in the Domesday book. Butchers had their shops here and the name of the street comes from the word 'shamel' which is a stall or bench on which meat was displayed.

Although I did pop in briefly into Ramshambles, I resisted the urge to buy any yarn. However, I was unable to avoid the sweetshop-like temptations of Duttons button shop! What a fantastic collection of buttons they have there, I don't think I have ever seen quite so many different buttons in one place!

Tomorrow we are planning to go to Dalby Forest. I'd better dig out my walking boots! xxx

Day 3 - Ryedale Folk Museum and Nunnington Hall

We decided to visit the Ryedale Folk Museum today. We were the first visitors there and it was brilliant to have the place to ourselves. We could spend as long as we wanted exploring all the exhibits. It was an absolutely fascinating place consisting of a collection of buildings and their contents, giving an insight into the lives of our ancestors. My favourite place was the village shop, with the shelves packed full with everything you would have needed including cleaning products, sweets and sewing things. I even recognised some of the packaging from my youth.

I love this card full of buttons. I have a couple of similar cards on a much smaller scale that I inherited in my grandmother's button box. 

It was fascinating to see so many of the old crafts and skills all in one place. Our lives are so full of technology, it made me nostalgic for the simplicity of the past.

The museum also has an incredible collection of antiques and curiosities forming the Harrison Collection, put together by two local brothers over fifty years. So many unusual and interesting objects here, I spotted a couple of carved wooden knitting supports. These were practical tools, used to support a third knitting needle, tucked into a belt or under the arm. The two in this photo date from 1686 and 1746. I had never heard of these before so did some more research if you're interested.

We spent the afternoon at the National Trust property of Nunnington Hall. There was plenty to look at throughout the house before walking through the gardens. Mr JK and I played Pooh Sticks on the bridge leading to the Hall - it was Mr JK's first time! Tomorrow we might head in to explore York. xxx

Day 2 - Eden Camp and Scampston Walled Garden

First stop of the day was Eden Camp, a museum housed within the grounds of a WW2 prisoner of war camp. Both Mr JK and I find the Second World War interesting, and Mr JK was especially keen to see the setting of the museum as his father was in a similar camp in Wales.

There is an absolute wealth of information there, too much to take in during one visit. If you have an interest in the Second World War, you should definitely go! 

After a cuppa in the officers' mess, we headed a couple of miles down the round to visit Scampston Walled Garden. This garden, which has been featured on BBC Gardeners' World, is described as a 'plantsman's paradise'. We entered the gardens via the drifts of grass, which definitely had the 'wow!' factor. There was quite a breeze blowing and the movement in the garden was wonderful to see. 

There are a number of different gardens within the walled garden, and we enjoyed the peace and quiet of each area as we walked through, The colours of autumn were so vivid - beautiful reds, oranges and yellows.

In the silent garden, the columns of yew rise up and are reflected in the rectangular pond.

After exploring the gardens, we walked through the parkland. I managed to find a secluded spot to knit!

Back in the cottage, about to enjoy a hearty beef and carrot casserole and plan what we are going to do tomorrow. xxx