Hello All

Yesterday was wonderful. Cast your mind back…way…way back and you might recall me leaving the library and the lovely gifts my kind and thoughtful colleagues gave me. Amongst those presents was one I have long anticipated using 

and May 13 was earmarked as the day! But when my good friend JG offered to take me I don’t think either of us anticipated what a diverting sort of a day it would be.

It all started well. Straight up the M6 and turn off at Junction 41 but then… 

we were diverted all the way up to Junction 44. Now that’s some diversion. Infact if we hadn’t seen the signs

(there were plenty of them) we would have doubted ourselves. But after a few worrying moments and turnabouts we arrived at Caldbeck 

in time for a much needed relaxing cuppa in the Priest’s Mill cafe. Eldorado awaited. 

But not for long Wool Clip here we come…. 

Oooooooh the joy of wool…….what a pleasurable time looking around and selecting my purchases, what a staunch friend JG keeping tally and what thankfulness to everyone at the library that allowed me this deferred delight. Sooooo what did I get….

I got two sets of needle felting needles, Herdwick and Ronaldsay fleece for felting, Herdwick rug wools both natural and dyed, buttons and sheepy notelets. I bought the latter because No 1 daughter lives away and we are pen ‘friends’. These pretty little cards will remind her of home.

My head is still buzzing with what I can do with these goodies… needle felted sculpture, rugs, cushion covers….. that should keep me out of mischief….

Having spent up my voucher and stored everything safely in the boot of JG’s car it was time to explore the beautiful village of Caldbeck.

The Wool Clip is based in an old water mill and running next to it is the picturesque Cald Beck river,

further along there are picture postcard cottages and a babbling brook,

But no self respecting village would be complete without it’s church and antiquarian graveyard. Caldbeck did not disappoint.

Infact it even provided JG and I with a guide, an elderly gentleman who in his gentle Cumbrian accent regaled us with tales of the tombs and ghostly goings on in the village pub where of course he had found himself by accident… he left us with a smile and a warning not to lean on the tombstones because they would probably fall over!

Famously the churchyard of St Kentigern in Caldbeck houses the grave of farmer and huntsman John Peel. It has been said that the song which immortalises him,

D’ye ken John Peel with his coat so gay? D’ye ken John Peel at the break o’ day? D’ye ken John Peel when he’s far, far a-way. With his hounds and his horn in the morning?

is the Lakelanders’ anthem,

perhaps not so good for a veggie Lakelander…..but hey the times they are a changin’.

Leaving the churchyard to go for a bite to eat we passed the Roughton Stone

which our ‘guide’ had informed us is extremely rare so I thought I had better snap it for posterity and your better knowledge…..

Feeling educated? quick bring on the wooly stuff for a short crochet intermission. In case you thought I was just expanding my wool stash never fear I have been striving to use up some of my oddments. Thanks to Lucy at Attic 24‘s idea to make a Blooming Flower Cushion I turned to the 1946 Pretty Petals Potholder pattern a couple of days ago and started practicing the stitches I want to use with my Herdwick wools,

it was very addictive and now I have a round large enough to make a cushion in it’s own right. All I need to make is a plain circular back,

and in a day or two I should have a colourful cushion gracing my rather staid sofa.

Meanwhile back in Caldbeck refreshed by more tea and victuals JG and I thought we had better start the return journey. You would think that having survived the diversions to arrive in Caldbeck unscathed getting back to Kendal would be a doddle. Think again. It seemed like our destination was getting further and further away and losing track of where the interminable signs were sending us I couldn’t tell whether we were just going around in circles…

then, at last, the hum of traffic… I have never been so glad to see a motorway in my life! and all seemed well as we neared home in south Kendal but then what is that I see NOOOOooooooooo, 

the last turn off was CLOSED!!!!!  We just had to laugh!

I’m off to dream sweet dreams of Herdwick wooliness without a diversion in sight.

All the best Moke.