last of the lot

Ordinarily, today would feel like the true end of my holiday because I'm sharing the last of the lot - holiday pictures. Ordinarily. But not today. Today I'm in London and so I can't be sad. well, technically i can but i choose not to be.

Back to the holiday. Our final port of call was 

The south rim this time (we camped at the north rim the last time we visited). 

{having sunshine and a cloudless sky on holiday is all well and good but sometimes, clouds make for more interesting photographs. I LOVE the interplay between light and shadow.}

I thought the gift shop in Desert View Watchtower would be of interest to fellow crafters so I took some photos of that too!

{sheepsies! in a row}

{These are mostly reproductions of Native American pieces}

I hope you've enjoyed sharing my holidays with me. I'll be back soon with my vanilla socks which have eased me back into knitting.

antelope canyon + horseshoe bend

{the bear}

{"Abe Lincoln"}

{Leon, the bestest tour guide eva!}

{The Cathedral}

{Horseshoe Bend}

{towards the car park from Horseshoe Bend}

This was almost wordless but I couldn't let you leave without mentioning that I've picked up sticks again. I'm knitting a pair of socks.

bryce canyon + sand dunes

My next few posts will be holiday shots in chronological order. Last week was spent trying to find the right words to describe these places without success. 

Last night I came to the conclusion that words are overrated anyway. So without further ado...

p.s. I am VERY happy to answer any questions you ask, I just didn't want to bore folks with routes travelled, the weather, all my feelings, what we ate, how amazing it all was...if however you'd prefer me to ramble on, I will happily oblige in holiday related blogposts to come. 

"More holiday related blogposts?", you ask. 

Why yes m'dears, there's ample to be had! :-)

temple square

I had hoped to blog through my week in Salt Lake City but having a car meant that I explored the city in the day, while evenings were reserved for time with S. One downside to driving around was not getting to engage with the city in ways I would have on foot: I don't know what their public transport system is called, I've no idea of what the trams look like, I didn't ride the buses, didn't catch snippets of conversations that have absolutely nothing to do with me, I haven't a clue about the end of the line, nor how far west or south the tram/bus/train goes...these are the typical ways in which cities leave their mark on me. 

The weather was very nice. Though it was winter, there were clear blue skies which take the sting out of the cold - do you find that too? Previously, things synonymous with SLC were: Sundance Film Festival, skiing/snowboarding, Winter Olympics 2002 and Mormons. I'm pleased I now know more about the place and people. Before I left home, Sarah told me to be sure I checked out Temple Square and as she is a rather sensible friend, I obliged. Below are a few shots from the place.

{The Assembly Hall at Temple Square}

{The Salt Lake Terbanacle, home of the Mormon Terbanacle Choir
where you can enjoy the choir practice free of charge}

{The Terbanacle and North Visitors Centre}

{a gorgeous couple on their special day}

{The Temple and its reflection}

{Salt Lake Temple taken from the top of the Joseph Smith Building}

My thoughts on Temple Square:

• their volunteers are friendly, welcoming and very well informed
• picture taking is encouraged
• there must be an amazing PR machine at work behind the scenes
• EVERYONE we came across seemed deeply happy

I'm not trying to ram religion down anyone's throat but just being there was such a positive, uplifting experience which I highly recommend to anyone in the vicinity.

100% handmade, ilkley

Today, S and I visited Ilkley for the 100% handmade Designer Maker Fair which I found out about through dear emma designs' tweets. There were a fair (see what I did there?) number of stalls present and, as I've come to expect, many impressive wares to admire. My favourites are pictured below.

{l-r: the owner of Cakewalk, Cathy of Dear Emma Designs and friend}

{Cathy with her designs. If you're wondering about
the name "Dear Emma", both her best friends are called Emma.}

{here's the fabric bowl I couldn't bear to leave without. Though it's unusual for me to buy things
I can make for myself, Cathy's bowls are so well made I simply couldn't resist.}

{emma garry with her oh so pretty items and patterns}

{i snagged a fab bag pattern that i can't wait to make}

{Sarah of felt beautiful with her bags, purses and cards }

{alison of alison young jewellery had some truly stunning and unique pieces}

'twas a lovely way to spend a day!

Tomorrow, S and I will witness the christening of two little cuties before heading back to their home for a hog roast! i LOVE a hog roast! This weekend cannot possibly get any better!

have a good one folks ;-)

Quilting in Salt Lake City

If there's one craft that thrives in Salt Lake City, it's got to be quilting and boy, do they know how to do quilt shops!
First up is Quilts Etc., where I took a class on quilting techniques.

Quilts Etc reportedly has the largest single collection of 100% quilting cottons in the States! And this was just a fraction of one half of the store - the other half sits across the road. They joke that it's the only quilting store with a road running through it! But that wasn't a joke, the pesky road does get in the way.

Then there is Piper's Quilts, another cute quilting (and, to a lesser extent, knitting) store.

And Whimsy Cottage, where I had another class

and my absolute favourite quilting store in Utah, The Material Girls Quilts,

All these stores had an impressive amount of fabrics, books, patterns and notions; though it seemed to me that most craft stores were impressively stocked and with lots of samples (on every spare bit of wall) to touch and admire. These samples included displays of skills one could acquire through classes on offer. But most impressive of all were the staff: professional, friendly, knowledgeable and happy to double check - i HATE when sales people sound unsure yet can't be bothered to double check! 

There was lots of eye candy, with every nook and cranny crammed with goodies galore, all so prettily arranged. 

I spent ages in each store, simply taking it all in. I really enjoyed being in the spaces.