AMSTERDAM INSTAGRAMS

These aren't all strictly from Amsterdam, but in the interests of rhyming...let's pretend. Exploring the Netherlands for two weeks was a fantastic experience. It's a beautiful, laid back country and everybody cycles everywhere. Being on tour is tiring work, but it was so interesting to see another country from a work perspective instead of just being a tourist. I saw five different towns in two weeks, lots of beautiful countryside and not nearly as many windmills as you might think. 

Clockwise from top right: I only spent one day in Amsterdam, but I fell in love with it / colourful graffiti in Amsterdam / bikes, bikes and more bikes / I stayed near a town called Loosdtrecht, surrounded by the beautiful lakes - perfect for cycling along / my colleague Emma snapping photos on our lakeside bike ride / wooden boat moored on the Loosdrecht lakes

Making promo videos at Stadstheater in Zoetermeer / the actors just before the show in Almere / M is for...making Manual pose everywhere we went / sunset on our last night in Almere / starlight projection at Schouwburg Almere / doodle wallpaper in the restaurant at Schouwburg Almere

The green room at Stadstheater in Zoetermeer was my favourite of the trip / doing some promo work in a restaurant in Enschede with Manuel / it was great fun watching and photographing the show every night / cute bird box in the Stadstheater green room / at the Wilminktheater in Enschede. Seemed like such a cute town, wish I'd got to spend more than a few hours there / being cheesy tourists at the airport

Can you believe this trip is the first time I've left the country in five years? Too long. Gav and I are planning some city breaks this year - I'm thinking Paris, Berlin and Barcelona for a start. Any recommendations are very much welcome :)

LISTENING POST #6

Kurt Vile - Wakin' on a Pretty Daze / Devendra Banhart - Mala / Iron & Wine - Ghost on Ghost / Atoms For Peace - Amok

So much great new music is coming out right now, it's going to be a great summer for tunes. I'm listening to everything a hundred times to make sure it all reminds me of this particular time and place. It was hard to pick just four albums for this LP, especially since I finally bought some new headphones so I can listen on the move again. I'm a long time Iron & Wine fan, and since Ghost on Ghost came out I've not listened to anything else. Gav bought tickets for a little group of us to go see them at The Barbican at the end of May. What a treat that's going to be. He's never forgiven me for going without him to a solo Iron & Wine show at Union Chapel a few years back and heard Sam Beam sing Flightless Bird, American Mouth acapella. Toner.

NICE STUFF

1. Michelle is inspiring me daily at the moment. She's launched a new business venture, Posts Production, with her fiance Tim to provide video workshops for bloggers. It looks great.

2. I came across this beautifully curated shop, Restored, when I was in Amsterdam last week. I want to live in it, and/or buy everything. 

3. Stunning photographs of peonies by Jamie Beck.

4. This Birks Works satchel is a little pricey for me, but so very nice to look at.

5. Vintage astronomy full moon print from The Antique Print Store on Etsy.

6. I'm getting into using rhubarb at the moment, I want to add this Rhubarb Mojito from Not Without Salt to my rhubarb repertoire.

Strangely, it feels like I've been away for such a long time as well as feeling like I've never left. Two weeks touring Holland have flown by. I worked so many hours I didn't even have time to read a blog post let along write one, but of course I still took two huge books and three notebooks with me... Being on tour was so much fun and has really blown the winter cobwebs away. I tell you though, there's nothing quite like being away to make you appreciate coming home. 

I hope you're enjoying the onset of Spring, at last! I'm looking forward to catching up on some blogs this week and getting back into the land of the living. Happy Wednesday, friends.

GOING BACK TO MY ROOTS

I was sad to hear of Richie Havens' passing this morning. This song is one of my all time favourites, such a great groove. Zipping up my boots, get on down to my roots... RIP Richie, thanks for the tunes.

TODAY IS A NEW DAY

Hi there, it feels like it's been quite a while...it's April already and this year has felt like a blink. I think we've all been hibernating from the cold and wet, all this staying indoors is no good for us I'm sure.

I flew to Amsterdam yesterday as I'm touring with the theatre company I work for. I'll be staying in my boss's house in Hilversum, a town not far from Amsterdam, for two weeks. It's very much a work trip, not a holiday as I'll be glued to my laptop and spending most nights at our shows. But, it's great to be on a little adventure and take in some new surroundings, very refreshing. Not to mention trying to navigate Dutch supermarkets as a vegan. They put meatballs in the strangest of places!

I hope you're having a lovely week so far, especially now that the Spring is creeping in. Dare I say.

I made this picture using the new Phoster iPhone app. You can make your own 'posters' using your photos and their templates. It's quite addictive, have you tried it?

END OF WINTER SALE

I'm having a clearout of any pre-made stock I have left in my shop, now that Winter is almost over. Almost. I also have quite a bit of yarn left over, mainly in brown, navy and teal so if there's anything you'd like in those colours I'll happily cut you a deal and make you something from scratch. Just drop me an email or Etsy convo.

The Ruskin Cowl in baby fawn/chocolate -  was £35, now £17.50

The Kemerton Scarf in teal -  was £40, now £20

The Camberwell Cowl in sea green - was £65 now £32.50

The Ruskin Cowl in baby fawn, The Kemerton Scarf in teal and The Camberwell Cowl in sea geen are all going half price. I also have a Ruskin Cowl in chocolate ready made as well. There's only one of each available, and they're ready to ship right away.

I've been working a little on some new things for this coming Autumn/Winter. Mostly researching different kinds of non-wool yarns, collecting ideas and trying out some new patterns. I think I'll edit a bit of what's in the shop already, offer less colours and tweak some of the patterns. I feel like I haven't knitted, or even made anything in so long that I'm itching to get started again. Where does all the time go?

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EARLY MORNING COFFEE

It's a new little ritual of mine to go for an early morning coffee whenever I have a day off, or as a reward for getting up really early and doing some work before 9am. I love that feeling of getting home at 10am on a Saturday knowing I've already been out for a few hours and I still have the whole weekend ahead of me.

The nearest cafe to me is Love Walk cafe in Camberwell - a nice 10 minute stroll through the park and down Denmark Hill. Sometimes I read the paper, sometimes I take a notebook, and sometimes I do nothing much at all but watch people and think about my shopping list. A soya latte and mushrooms on toast are my keys to happiness.

I hope you're all having a lovely week. Don't let the rain get you down too much, the sun MIGHT come out soon. Maybe.