Thursday 20 April 2017

Creation and growth

A special young woman, of whom both Best Beloved and I are very fond, will marry in a couple of weeks time. For the menfolk, their attire is straightforward. Trying to find elegant and suitable clothing is just that- trying- for the females of the species. The dearth of lovely clothes has led me to dust off some old skills. And to play with a new toy....an overlocker.
 
A couple of days has seen an outfit on it's way to completion.
 
The Tulips have been glorious. A little early, as they had to be brought on in the Greenhouse, in order to avoid their being eaten by the local Squirrels.

This Rosa Banksia lutea is a joy. It was grown from a cutting by my lovely sister-in-law, Deb. It had languished in a ( large) pot for over ten years, and was beginning to suffer. At the end of April last year, we finally constructed the bed it was meant to inhabit. Since planting it there, the Rose has grown more than ten feet in height. Now it has produced it's first blooms. As I said, a joy!

Thursday 13 April 2017

More socks!

Another pair of socks completed. That makes nine pairs I have knitted for myself. For someone who did not ever want to try making them, and does not enjoy the process, that is not a bad number.
BUT..... I will happily admit that there is nothing so warm, or as comfortable, as a pair of hand-knitted wool socks.
The pattern is my own adaption, or mash-up, of three patterns. The yarn is 'Fivemoons' 4-ply sock, in 'Summer Marmalade' and 'Spring Green'.
( Socks are the one thing I will not knit for Best Beloved. He goes through socks like wildfire).

Tuesday 11 April 2017

First flowers

                      The first bunch of flowers from the Cutting Garden, this year.

Monday 10 April 2017

Making colour

A wonderful day, spent at a Dye Workshop run by the Devon Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers. The Guest Tutor was Barbara Spicer, of the Somerset Guild, W,S & D.
 

It was tremendous fun, messing about with water, colour and wet yarn. Having said that, a lot of preparation of tools and equipment, and information sheets, had clearly been done. All attendees ended up with samples similar to mine. Barbara steered us all through the necessary processes with a firm hand, tact and much good humour. I shall happily sign up, should she run a follow up course.
Top photo - from the left, 3 skeins in primary colours, 3 skeins in 0.1% colours, 3 skeins primary colours with black ( shades), 6 skeins secondary colours, 6 skeins secondary colours overdyed, 3 skeins random.
Bottom photo - from the left, BFL roving dyed in my own dye mix, coloured ( grey) fleece with the same dye as the BFL, right top random dyed wool yarn with my own mix, bottom BFL roving with a different dye mix.

Saturday 8 April 2017

Scent of Summer

I love Lily-Of-The-Valley. The delicious scent, the purity of the white flowers, the elegance of the leaves. Once indoors, this little planter -full will soon fill the room with the scent of early Summer.
 
 
 
 
 

Tuesday 4 April 2017

Spring Beauty

The Magnolia has been stunningly beautiful this year. I planted it as a small stick about fourteen years ago. The intellectual knowledge that something so small could become so large, and so quickly, does not prepare one for the reality. It has the potential to be double this size, eventually.
 

Last year, a hard frost blasted all the buds, over several successive nights. This year the unseasonable warmth has allowed us to enjoy a bounty of these gorgeous chalices.
 

Saturday 1 April 2017

Time passes...

Many things have happened since last I wrote a post. Some good, some bad, some very sad indeed.  Time has passed, and life goes on, during which I have had to accept those happenings.
Now, Spring is happening all around, and it is time to celebrate some of the nicer things in life.

The Icelandic sweater for Nicky was finished in April 2915, so took about fourteen weeks. It was knitted during the evenings, and odd spare hour, unlike my own 'Idun', which was knitted while incapacitated.

 
I found some lovely woven ribbon to use for the steeks......

 
and some black leather buttons to finish.
 


I also finally finished the Aran cardigan at the end of August 2015. It was a labour of love and took a long time. I am delighted with it, though. The buttons are handmade wooden ones, from Wales.


 
Some of the many things I have made during my blog absence will appear over the next few weeks.