blanket coverage

Two new blankets to alleviate the evening chill, both knit using my favorite Cabled Throw pattern from Debbie Bliss' Simple Living:

I used Rowan Magpie Aran (purchased in a long-ago Liberty sale), so they feel quite 'sturdy' compared to the one I knit last year in Cashmerino Aran. But what they lack in drape, they certainly make up for in warmth!

cookie monster, part two

These Pecan Biscuits (from Linda Collister's Baking Bible) have featured on the blog before. But they're so good, I think they deserve another mention!

They're perfect for this time of year: the golden caster and demerara sugars combine with the pecans to produce a wonderfully deep flavor that's altogether autumnal. Just the thing with hot coffee on a chilly morning.

getting smutty

Our last big adventure in North Norfolk was a ride on the Wells & Walsingham Light Railway. Or perhaps I should call it a little adventure, as the train was quite small!

Here's G peeping out one of the carriage windows:

We sat in an open car, knee-to-knee, to feel the breeze and get the best views. This was a super idea on the way to Walsingham, where the driver gave the train a quick tune-up:

But not such a super idea on the way back to Wells, when we were covered in coal smuts! I had one in my eye, and it wasn't nearly as romantic as it seemed in Brief Encounter...

sea-foodie

It would be wrong to spend a week in Norfolk without eating seafood.

Can you guess which item I ordered from Gurneys' placard below (keeping in mind I can never resist a cleverly named food product)?

Cray'n'aise: as close as you can get to lobster roll without a lobster!

something blue

If we count the house as 'something borrowed', we can skip right ahead to 'something blue':

While the Wiveton Farm Cafe is just a few steps down the road from Cley, we approached it via the marshes. More round-about perhaps, but I reckon the brisk walk made our coffee and cakes extra tasty!

Even in September, the Farm was doing a brisk pick-your-own trade. Here are the punnets ready for filling:

There were also ready-picked punnets available from the shop...

and with raspberries this gorgeous, who could resist?

something new...

We've just discovered another super reason to visit Holt (not that we've ever been short of reasons):

Mrs Jones opened a few months ago round the corner from Old Town. The ground floor is stocked with home goods, from the whimsical and colorful (think Anne-Claire Petit) to more minimalist pieces:

And the upper floor is filled with fabulous French fashion. Ever since my first visit to Comptoir des Cotonniers, I've been passionate about French clothes: such sophisticated colors, interesting cuts, and always a perfect fit.

So feeling very chuffed with my new Vanessa Bruno blazer. Chic yet works with jeans: très bien!

something old...

We couldn't be so near Holt without dropping by Old Town. When we last visited, they'd sold out of Canvey Caps. But this time we were lucky: they had one left in stock, and it fitted perfectly!

I'm just a bit worried by the fact it's a large. Does this mean I have a big head?

While pondering this question (uh-oh), click here for a fabulous behind-the-scenes look at Old Town.

Nick Hand, the filmmaker, is currently cycling round the coast of Britain, raising money for the Parkinson's Disease Society. And along the way, he's been making a series of soundslide films, documenting the artisans living and working on his route.

Please visit his website to learn more about Nick's amazing journey and to see more of his brilliant soundslides, including one about Made in Cley!