Sparkly Fell Elf
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sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
Sparkly Fell Elf
@sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
130 followers 51 following 5.6K posts
Fond of fabulous frocks and all things glamorous
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sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
It's basically how crap we are at correctly judging people's characters, no matter how clever or psychologically astute we are and how we ignore doubts and red flags about people because basically we are programed to believe people are mainly honest. (More in Alt text)
Red front cover of the paperback edition of Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell. It illustrates how we get hoodwinked, even if we think we are good judges of character with thrilling tales of espionage and double agents and less thrilling tales of how world leaders got taken in by a dictator in the 1930s (the big mistake was meeting him face to face) . There is also accounts of experiments and research into our inherently trusting nature. Basically a deep dive on how Alan Carr was able to win Sleb Traitors so easily (but not using that as an example because the book was written before Traitors was conceived)
November 12, 2025 at 9:49 PM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
Today I counted crockery, cutlery, pots and pans. Then I was door person and bar person for our music night. After the official gig and all but staff had gone home the various bands and musicians (inc our manager) got together and jammed. It was incredible (video file too big to post)

That's my job
A trio of musicians (2 male on guitar, one woman on a drum box- though she also played guitar and violin) sitting and playing in the lounge of a youth hostel framed by fairy lights
November 6, 2025 at 12:10 AM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
Found in Lost Property when we were clearing it out - any ideas of it's purpose/function?
Mystery object which is a wooden T-bar on a wood base, with string coming down from each end of the cross bar. At the end of the string there are two metal hoops. On the stalk of the T there is a metal hook on either side. It is possible for the hoops to hook onto these. But why? Same as the previous photo but the hoops are seen attached onto the hooks. Answers on a postcard
November 4, 2025 at 3:16 PM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
Today I had to help at another site. When I returned to the Mothership I collected a colleague to go on a booze cruise in Booths. After that we got busy making pies and sides. We stuffed ourselves like it was Christmas then played pass the parcel and played with the prizes.

Thats my job
Two pies. A very large square one containg chicken, leek and mushroom amd decorated in pastry with the words "Windy 2025). The other is a smaller round pie containing sweet potato, red pepper and red lentils with coriander. It's simply decorated with pastry leaves
November 2, 2025 at 8:19 PM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
This was posted by askylitocean.bsky.social but quote posts and replies disabled so I couldn't interact.

I just want to know who the artist is because I love it. The style is beautiful and I'd love to see more of their work
Unknown artist (I want to know who it is!): woman sat on wooden chair in front of a window knitting. She wears a long dark dress that could be from any era. A fox is sitting on her lap. There are various objects on the window sill and a footstool in front of her, including a teapot and large mug of tea, a ball of yarn and some candles on the windowsill, and a pile of folded knitted items (blankets? Jumpers?) with a pumpkin perched aloft on the footstool. The colour palette is brown with red, orange and yellow accents. Cosy and autumnal. There's something otherworldly and a bit magical about it. It's just lovely
October 29, 2025 at 6:11 PM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
🧶 Made some hats at the weekend to sell at work to raise money for our Breaks for Children programme.

One sold already 🥰
A selection of homemade, crocheted stripey hats in bright colours, nestling in a display basket
October 26, 2025 at 6:20 PM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
Morning from a small hill in the Lake District.
Here's what greeted me when I got to work just before 7am
Dawn: pinky purple skies above green fields with dry stone walls, the Lakedale fells in the background. In the foreground there's a line of fluttering prayer flags
October 26, 2025 at 8:40 AM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
This is mine - quite different!
A knit Pro crochet hook with a mauve plastic handle with "3.5mm" stamped on it in black (it also says "E/4" which I believe are sizes in US and othe countries, but unlike the hook I'm not a pro, so I can't be sure)
October 25, 2025 at 6:15 PM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
*whispers back* its ok, I'd omly heard of her in the context of being a guest judge previously on Strictly until Wicked last year. Now I think of her as woman who needs her finger held support and comfort
The tiny, bony fingers of Ariana Grande holding the long, skinny forefinger (with very long spiky green-painted fingernail) of Cynthia Erivo. The rest of Cynthia's hand is resting on the arm of her chair. It's as bizarre as it sounds
October 12, 2025 at 8:29 PM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
Can you make me get with my reading shawl? I always struggle with attention and focus and commitment when things get bigger and bigger. I'm about a third of the way depth-wise, but of course, in terms of what's left to crochet, I'm only a tiny bit on my way. It's interminable.

(This is the pattern)
Back of a shawl on a dressmakers dummy. The shawl is half a hexagon so that the back has a straight edge and comes all the way down the back. The one shown is in shades of pink and purple in a varifated yarn. I am using a solid mossy green colour, which is lovely, but I wish I'd used something like this yarn to hold my interest
October 11, 2025 at 10:49 AM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
Mary Fedden is the artist. Her still lives were all about colour (and often pattern and texture of the textiles and pots) and positioning of the components ans she didn't seem to worry that in real life her things woukd slide off the table. The discovery of her work was a life-enhancing experience
A still life by Mary Fedden. A white plate of fruit, a white vase and a small white lemon-shaoed object are on a maroon surface. The plate has a wavy pattern on the edge. All the fruit has a lot of space between each other so that it stands out on the white plate. In the vase is a purple thistle or artichoke flower. The wall/background is a bright mid blue which sets off the redness of the apple on the plate. Between the maroon surface and blue wall is what looks like a piece of rucked fabric of yellow stripey swirls on a white background. The objects on the surface, especially the plate of fruit, are drawn so they look vertical on the page and thus would slide down in real life. And this is why I love Mary Fedden's work!
October 4, 2025 at 9:36 AM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
I want this:
September 29, 2025 at 7:28 PM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
Withnail in Withnail and I
Dvd cover of the film Withnail and I showing Richard E Grant as Withnail and Paul McGann as "I"
September 25, 2025 at 10:18 PM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
When September's good, it's very, very good
View from Troutbeck looking towards the Conuston and Langdale fells. The foreground is a gently rolling field/paddock with Sparky the horse grazing and ignoring the two jumps that are put. It's a bright blue kind of day with sun, clear air so the fells can be seen in great detail and a few fluffy white clouds in a blue, blue sky
September 22, 2025 at 4:04 PM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
You've been without a duvet? 😲

I've just returned to adding the shoulder season fleece blanket to my 13 tog duvet and was a rizzla paper away from putting the winter heated throw on, which is double thickness as well (I try to hold out until Nov).

We had the first fire of the autumn last night
Woodburning stove all aglow with roaring logs. A copper kettle sits on top (it was singing). On the red-tiled hearth there's a pair of thick red heatproof gloves and a large box of matches. Fire surround is black and there's a pair of antlers (nope, I don't know why either, there just is), a candle, a greeting card and a thermometer showing 22.5 degrees. The fire hadn't been lit for that long and it subsequently rose to 27°! (It's 2-3 degrees cooler if you're not sat on the mantlepiece directly above the the fire!)
September 15, 2025 at 9:57 AM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
Sadly my flowers had past their best so I got rid of them a couple of hours ago, but your vase seems to be my vase's sister! 😍
September 12, 2025 at 6:19 PM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
You're probably run down. I invite you to Sunny Meadows Convalescence Home. I'm going to prescribe 3-5 days there, but we'll reassess after the first 3 as you may need longer. We have gorgeous pastel bed jackets but I feel you may be after a more Dan Draper vibe so... here you go (see alt text)
Chap of Mad Men era wearing a quilted smoking jacket in an in an indeterminate dark colour - let's go with v dark chocolate. It has red piping round the collar, cuffs and pocket. The gentleman is wearing a creany/pale yelloe cravat with a pattern of coloured circles and is looking mighty pleased with himself. Which is odd, because he's without a pipe or cigarette and itsa smoking jacket. Maybe he's smug about giving up smoking? (Also weird for the era where smoking was the very symbol of manliness. Still, he has a v manly cleft in his chin. So that's all ok)
September 12, 2025 at 10:33 AM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
Please, book into Sunny Meadows, my newly reopened convalescence home where I too am nursing a cold. You will be pampered and soothed and given nice old fashioned drinks and sweet treats. A bell will be provided along with one of our finest pastel bed jackets (may I suggest lilac or maybe acqua?)
Woman from 1969s rocking a slightly longer Jackie Kennedy bouffant hair do. She's lounging in bed in a pale blue bed jacket with a ribbon tie and big bow at the neck. She's reading a letter and looks happy (it's probably from her mother saying she's extended her stay at Sunny Meadows and the kids are staying at the farm for another 2 weeks when she gets home)
September 12, 2025 at 9:58 AM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
Whatever happened to convalescence homes?

I have a stinking cold and need lots of tlc, soothing and sympathy. Can someone look into sorting one for me? I have powder blue bed jacket at the ready
A women from the 1960s (looks about 35 so is probably 23) sitting propped up on a frilly pillow. She is wearing a blue knitted bed jacket tied at the neck in a bow with a matching blue ribbon. The bow has unexpectedly long tails. Her dark hair is freshly coiffed into the bouffant do of the day (think a slightly longer Jackie Kennedy do with short curtain bangs). She has a letter in her hand and is smiling. (Its probably a note from her mother telling her that Great Aunt Maud has just finished a pink version.)
September 11, 2025 at 9:46 PM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
It was bloody FREEZING today. Nice weather mainly, but baltic. A five layer day
View across Tarn Hows in the Lake District towards the Langdale Pikes. Despite high, rolling clouds tinged with grey, the clarity of light is excellent and the individual peaks are very clear and detailed. Sun is shining on the trees in the foreground and sparkling on the water, belying the freezing cold temperatures
September 5, 2025 at 11:40 PM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
And this is mine. Its my own design, inspired by a Mexican mirror in tue living room of the friend it's destined for. It took a different ideas and iterations before I landed on that and the enthusiasm was good at the beginning. Last worked on it in Feb 23
September 2, 2025 at 7:04 AM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
Let's try again...

Here are some views from today:
Ard Crags from Knott Rigg
View from summit of Ard Crags
Top of Walla Crag
Trig point on Black Crag
August Heather at it's best on Ard Crags above the Newlands Valley, Taken from just below the summit of Knott Rigg View from summit of Ard Crags across the Derwent fells with the Skiddaw range on the horizon. Interesting, slightly ominous, looming clouds! View from the summit of Walla Crag near Keswick. Looking down the Derwentwater, with its little islands, towards Bassenthwaite. Derwent Fells and Coledale fells seen across the lake. Blue sky and fluffy white clouds! Summit trig point on Black Crag in South Lakes..Tarn Hows and Esthwaite Water can be seen in the distance. Clouds gathering in a grumpy, grey-tinged way
August 29, 2025 at 9:11 PM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
Hallin Fell has also been completed. 4 baby fells (which are nothing like Baby Bels) but a combined ascent of 810m, which is one decent fell such as Lingmell (a Scafell Pike satellite).

My legs are going to be having a rave later
Trig point on Gowbarrow Fell with early morning light shining on Ullswater in the background Trig point of Little Mell Fell with a view of a distant ridge of big fells A group of large stones marking the summit of Great Mell Fell with Blencathra and the northern fells in the distance Memorial at summit of Hallin Fell. Some of the previous fells can be seen across ullswater
August 23, 2025 at 4:11 PM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
This is what to look for - it stars Kate Maberley as Mary
Cover of the DVD for the 1993 film The Secret Garden. It depicts the main characters from the film seen through an archway cut in a thick hedge: Colin is in his wheelchair being pulled across a tree lined lawn from the front by Mary and pushed from behind by Dickon. A small goat, a goose and a chicken are in the foreground. At the bottom the title The Secret Garden is written in pale yellow in capitals in a serifed typeface
August 21, 2025 at 7:57 AM
sparklyfellelf.bsky.social
Let Patricia Routledge be your inspiration for starting over each decade:
August 20, 2025 at 10:23 PM