Author: Aisha

A well-travelled blanket

Aisha

Photograph of granny squares blanketThis blanket started life in July on the Hot Aire! Belgium tour.  Squares were also made in Canada, Thailand, Laos and en route in France, Amsterdam and Qatar.  There are 100 squares and it measures 150 x 150 cm (approx).  For some of the time I was working on two blankets simultaneously (the other is in this post) because the first blanket was in the process of being made up and therefore too large to carry around).  I am really, really pleased with this blanket (and so is Rosie); the colours glow with warmth and it is extremely snuggly.

There are two main types of yarn in this blanket: the solid colours are Jarol Heritage DK which I bought in the local market. There is also a lot of Yarnfair Stripes DK which I bought from Wilko and a single 100g ball of a a stripy DK yarn in fairly dark shades that came from a nearby yarn shop.

Aisha x

blanket with catsblanket cornerblanket in progress

Little bits of happiness

Aisha

Lights on the mantelpiece

1) Time for fairy lights: I bought these lights last year because I loved the colours and now that it’s December I can bring them out again.  It gives me a little burst of joy to come into my office and see these lights glowing on the mantelpiece.
2) Christmas banding has started – three events yesterday (although I played only two) with the first Smiling Morn and the first mince pie of the season.
3) Foreign parts: last week I went to Thailand and Laos.  It is a real privilege to have a job in which I can do that!

This week’s blessings

Aisha

Granny square blanket  This week I am grateful for…

  1. Friends: Last Friday we had a celebration and thanksgiving for Dinah. The crematoriam chapel was so full that people were standing around the edges. The eulogies from friends and family reflected Dinah’s thoughtfulness; her creativity; her sensitivity and her wit. Her coffin was beautiful, made of cream felt with an embroidered  label for her name and dates.  Dinah had chosen music that expressed not only her personality (“I was Born under a Wandering Star”) but sent her final messages( “The Rose”). Also, the day provided a chance to catch up with many, many friends
  2. Completion: I finished the crochet blanket that I was making.  It’s full of mistakes but I think it ‘s turned out OK.
  3. Autumn: I don’t remember many autumns that have lasted as long as this one.  There are still traces of green on many trees and even though we have had strong winds recently, trees are holding on to their leaves.  Crimsons and oranges are increasing in intensity and each day contains heart-stopping moments of colour.  When I flew back into Leeds-Bradford a couple of weeks ago every tree seemed to be standing in a little pool of gold.
AutumnAutumnAutumn

Happy this week

Aisha
Demostration in Montreal
  1. Interesting rather than happy…. I didn’t do a ‘happy’ post last week because I was away at a conference in Montreal.  The theme of the conference was ‘Multiculturalism and Dialogue’ and the highlight was a lecture by Tariq Modood of Bristol University. As I was walking to catch the airport bus I encountered the demonstration in the photograph: Muslim Quebecois demanding their rights to wear headscarves.  Favourite banner:  “Judge me by what is in my head, not what’s on my head”. This illustrated something about the multiculturalism of Montreal but I’m not sure what.
  2. Coming home (even with jet lag).
  3. Spending this afternoon in the sunshine on race duty at Denholme Sailing Club followed by the AGM, fireworks and a pie&pea supper.

Happy things

Aisha

rainbow over trees

 

  • Light Cavalry and the William Tell Overture: what exhilarating pieces to play!
  • On Sunday the rain fell straight down as though from a celestial shower head but there were also patches of sunshine and in one of them, was a rainbow.
  • Working online with students: I have a truly great group this year (as always) so the online sessions are always lively and stimulating

Excitement

Aisha
New musicI am ridiculously excited today because I ordered this music a couple of weeks ago and it has arrived!  This is for a small band at work called ‘Some Success’.  Most of our music is home-arranged but for once I decided to splash out and buy some.  Can’t wait for the next rehearsal!

Happy this week

Aisha

Granny squares in progress

  • After a break of more than 20 years, I have taken up crochet again.  In any case, I’d never made granny squares.  This work-in-progress is a blanket of 80 squares and I am over half-way through assembling the blanket.  It’s full of mistakes but the next one will be better!
  • One of my colleagues wears Chanel perfume and whenever she visits my room she leaves it beautifully scented.
  • On Thursday I attended an ‘agenda-setting’ workshop on multimodal and digital methodologies organised by the MODE node of the National Centre for Research Methods.  During the day, people presented their work and this was followed by a mapping of issues in multimodal and digital research.  I felt excited and inspired by the presentations and discussions; the day was intense but happy.  Saying ‘MODE node’ makes me smile, anyway.

Counting blessings

Aisha

Autumn treeMy friend Dinah ‘went home’ (her words) just over a week ago.  She was only in her early sixties but died in beauty and happiness. Here are some of the things that made me happy this week.

  • Going to Yarndale.
  • Returning my completed marking to the office.
  • Music:  yesterday, with Hot Aire, we spent the entire rehearsal working on one piece.  Things I couldn’t get at the beginning were coming together by the end.  Satisfaction!  Then in the afternoon, I played in a concert with Hall Royd.  What a tubarrific day!
  • Autumn.  I’m not really an autumn person; my favourite time of year is May/June as the days lengthen and I feel the optimism of summer ahead.  But this autum has an astonishing abundance of berries and the russets and crimsons of the turning trees are exceptionally vivid.  I’ve stopped several times just to stand and gaze at colours against a backdrop of blue sky.
AutumnAutumnAutumn

A Yarn Extravaganza

Aisha

Yarndale banner Yarndale is a festival of yarn and yarny things: knitting, crochet, spinning, weaving, felting…  This year was the first but there is no doubt that there will be more.  Yesterday, apparently, there were queues to get onto the roundabout outside Skipton and queues to get into the venue (Skipton Auction Mart).  Police had to direct people to alternative car parks even though the Auction Mart has parking for more than 1,000 cars. The auction mart pens contained stalls selling yarn, tools, craftwork and accessories:  a feast of colour and texture.  Much of the yarn was natural and hand-dyed creating shades  with depth and subtlety. The small sale ring became a ‘Knit and Natter’ lounge (coordinated by Lucy of Attic 24).  There was some livestock: alpacas and angora bunnies.  The Settle and Giggleswick Brass Band reminded people that this is Yorkshire event with “Barnard Castle”, “Light as Air” and the “Floral Dance”.  Between the railway station and Yarndale,  the path through the park was alive with yarniness including crochet ducks by the canal. Sunshine on the trees, just turning for autumn, and views of the dales created a walk of delight.

Yarndale was organised by a volunteer group but with great professionalism.  It was a triumph! The organisers deserve several rounds of applause.  Here’s to next year!

Yarndale stall