Monthly Archives: April 2018

Amsterdam

Hello All

I will come clean I am not a huge fan of the city of Amsterdam. But this time in the company of No 1 Daughter – an Amsterdam lover – and staying in a hotel near Vondelpark and away from the centre I warmed to the place and we spent a pleasant day there.

After a night on the ocean waves and traveling straight to our hotel to dump our backpacks our first port of call was Coffee and Coconut

A quirky cafe (Amsterdam does these really well) inside a converted cinema which serves fresh coconut juice, refreshing iced teas and a range of goodies to eat.

From Coffee and Coconut it was a short walk through picturesque streets, along a huge market and via lots of indies (some with familiar names!)

To reach the giant Amsterdam sign so popular with postcard printers,

(There’s always one …. actually there were hundreds!)

Until we reached the Museum Quarter. We skirted the Rijks Museum (huge so it will have to await another trip)

To the object of our visit Moco, a small museum housing a humongous exhibition of Banksy works.

It might seem a bit odd to view an exhibition of works by a Bristol graffiti artist in Amsterdam but it was an amazing collection spreading over three floors and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. I particularly like the wall devoted to a group of ‘Riot’ Police skipping through a meadow…

This is where modern information technology came into its own. We found out about the Moco Museum and it’s exhibition because No1 Daughter could see where friends had visited and this came recommended. In addition we love the Banksy piece used on the advertising as it looks very like Peanut!

Footsore but happy we wandered back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep before the next day’s mega-(several)-train journey to Copenhagen….

Until next we meet

Moke xxx

Trains and Ferry Boat

Hello All

The adventure begins. And as it often does it began with catching a train. But oh-ohh! What does that departures board say? Delayed!!!!

Missing connections, missing ferries …. it all flashed through my mind but thankfully only the connection was missed. No 1 Daughter and I soon found ourselves on a PACKED train to Newcastle – passengers almost popped from the train when the doors sighed (with relief) open at Newcastle.

Once returned to our normal shape and size after the crush and refreshments taken we found our transfer bus to the DFDS passenger terminal for the overnight ferry to Amsterdam.

Yahoo! Soon we were relaxing …

(Not a usual photo from me I know … I prefer a cup of tea … honest)

… and exploring the ship. Brace yourself here is a very very rare photo of yours truly (you’ll see why) and beautiful No 1 Daughter (she gave her permission).

While we are talking No 1 Daughter an apology to those of you who follow her on Instagram. As chief family photographer many of the photos in the posts that follow are hers so you may see some re-appear on her Instagram ‘stories’.

It was a demographically strange crossing as most of the passengers were men, had there been a football match? Don’t know but apart from several fellows who obviously don’t get out much cringingly ogling No 1 they were a well behaved bunch. In fact when we were the only two women in the cinema I felt the male audience were on very best behaviour. Bet they were dying to hoot and holler as comic book heroes rampaged across the screen. As to No 1 and I…?!

The sea was calm and apart from someone knocking on our cabin door at 1am, “Dawn?…Dawn?…are you there Dawn?” It was an uneventful crossing and back packs on we disembarked ready for a day in Amsterdam.

Wonder if he ever found Dawn?

Until next we meet,

Moke xxx

Wandering

Hello All

I have done my research

And then some more

Indulged in a little guilty pleasure

Say nothing.

With all that under my belt

and my bags packed I am off with No 1 Daughter on another Inter Rail adventure.

Copenhagen here we come!

As to what this dynamic duo did next be assured I will keep you posted.

Until next we meet

Moke xxx

Lochinvar

Hello All

Having lain down in a darkened room for a couple of weeks after the over-exertion of 3 posts in one week (three posts!) I thought it was about time I bobbed back up to pester you all with a quick post about a knit that I have been working on…for longer than I care to say.

Thankfully the old Lister pattern for the Lochinvar children’s jumper ( a snip at ninepence ) is aimed at children over three years old as Peanut has just about grown into it while I have been knitting.

I started out full of enthusiasm to have a go at very very very basic Fair Isle and everything was going so well.

Until I realised that my ‘Fair Isle’ looked nothing like that in the picture on the front of the pattern. I knew it would mean a whole load of pulling back and so I stalled. From then on it was snail’s pace. But eventually a front and back – with matching panels of ‘Fair Isle’ – emerged.

And there it could have stopped if a visit from a couple of crafty friends hadn’t nudged me to finish the sleeves (long enough for an orangutan I swear). And now I have block pressed

Sewn up and … finished!

I confess I don’t think it anything special, my seams do not bear too much scrutiny and I have had offers on eBay from parky orangutans who love the sleeves. BUT as Spring does not appear to have sprung it will certainly give Peanut a cosy warm layer and I have the satisfaction in knowing I worked through my woolly ‘Wall’ and finally got my ‘Fair Isle’ right and even – sort of – lined up.

Have you ever had those projects that feel like pulling teeth? Time to take up my crochet hook again I’d say!

Until next we meet

Moke xxx