Just a few words

Hi all

I am just quickly dipping by to say, that I will be taking a bloggin break for a few weeks.  There is a lot going on at the moment and I have that "overwhelming" feeling - I am ok don't get me wrong but several things happening at once and I feel the plates may be falling off the spinning sticks!!!!!  So my friends worrying about blogging is at the bottom of the list at the mo.  My love to you all, I will try and dip into your blogs at some stage and say hi and then hopefully I will be back.

Speak soon xx

Coil Pot Ta Dah!

Hello there lovely peeps, I hope you enjoyed the weekend, here in England we had a loong weekend, I like loong weekends very much indeed, in fact I would love them to be even longer!!

Coffee and homemade shortbread biscuits were the order of the day, I felt like "chillin" and "chillin" I did. 
That is until I could "chill" no more and just HAD to continue with a project of some sort, I carried on with the coil pot I started last week.  After a very fiddlesome start, trying to get the knack of twisting the fabric round the springy coily stuff, I began to make Progress.

It is quite interesting how the fabric takes on a different pattern as the pot evolves until you get this effect

Surprisingly it makes quite a strong pot, it was fun and different to make, hope you like it!

Speak soon xx

Unable to leave Comments

Morning, just to say along with most others using Blogger I am unable to leave comments - it is so frustrating!!!!  Has anyone explored others like Typepad or Wordpress - I know they cost a little but would it be worth it?  But then I suppose I would have to start again and not transfer my blog over - dilemma - don't know why I am asking after all, no one can leave a comment either hey - ho! 

Have a great day!!

Speak soon xx

Coil Pot Making

 Last night I was searching through my stash of "Things To Do". I felt figety and didn't know what I wanted to do, Nothing was appealing to me!  I didn't want to crochet, or knit but wanted to do Something.  Then I found the "Something"

A Coil Pot making kit - I have had this in the cupboard for about 2 years and finally it saw the light of day.  A book by Helen Deighan, the doyenne of coil pot making, soon had me reading up on how proceed. 

There were lots of pre cut fabric strips (always a help) and I had loads of the plastic cording. 

You start by twisting the fabric around the cord and securing it with the yellow clip - then you begin by making a spiral the other end and oversewing the coils to make a circle.  The beginning I did find Really Fiddly but after some trial and error I got going.  You can join in another strip by overlapping with the first strip and carrying on winding. 

As usual for me I want to run before I can walk and expected it to be easy from the start, and it did take me a while to get the hang of it, but it is coming along now

The effect is quite pretty don't you think?  Once you get the base to the size you want then you gradually build up the sides.  I will show you the progress as I go.  However, I have found that sewing over the coils does annoy my thumbs, but I am NOT giving up and am determined to finish at least one pot!!!!!!!

Have a lovely day

Speak soon xx

Lazy Sunday

At the end of last week I went to a little Decorative Living Fair - you may recall I went last year too.  It was the sort of day to put on a floaty dress - grab a basket and "waft" round the stalls!!!   I did wear a summer dress, but my basket is broken and I am not too good at "wafting", not dainty enough!  Still my friend and I had a very pleasant afternoon, and I have decided that "Vintage" or "Old and Rusty" still seems to be "in" , we sat and enjoyed our sandwiches drinking in the lovely view

The warm sun on our faces and the bunting fluttering in the gentle breeze, so calming.

I was quite restrained in my purchases (not out of choice, but necessity) but I couldn't resist some lovely herbs which I have now arranged on the front door step (gets lots of sun)

Lovely fresh Mint, Thyme and Dill mmmmm.

That wasn't bad was it - I resisted the packs of bunting, the clothes, the soaps etc - Well Done Kimbles!

We had a rather lazy Sunday yesterday, browsed round the garden but didn,t do anything, read the paper and ate lovely cake my Mum had made, could practically watch my cucumber plants creeping up the canes in my conservatory.

If felt like a re-chargin the batteries day - doesn't happen very often but boy, did I enjoy it!

Speak soon xx

Crochet

Good Morning, you see I am trying to become a good regular blogger again!  I have been indulging in a little hookiness lately, not as fast as I used to be, but hey that's no problem.  You may recall on one of my previous posts I started this project

Well after making half a dozen squares I just wasn't "lovin" it, it just wasn't working in my mind. It's quite a decision isn't it when you have to decide whether to abandon your hard work or limp on!  Well it had to be abandon I'm afraid and I don't regret it for a minute.  So it was back to the drawing board.  I was combining colours and thinking about what would go with my lounge. I wanted to Keep It Simple and traditional.  So now I am working on these

I am loving the colours and the simplicity of this pattern, I think sometimes I look for different and fussier stitches but there is something so comforting and scrummy about traditional grannying!  I have been signed off from the hand clinic ( have done all they can for me) so I have to be really careful, do special thumb exercises and rub in pain relieving cream.  Hey ho never mind - I just have take more notice when they get a bit painful and STOP!!!   I did invest in a soft touch crochet hook and that has helped me with the crochet thank goodness so all is not lost! 

Have a good day

Speak soon xx

Sneaking back into Blogland

I just realised my last post was actually 1st April.....gawd what a useless blogger!  The last few weeks have been rather manic, I will try to give you a little update, I was whisked off to London to be supportive to Hubby and help man an exhibition stand.  This was quite good fun if a little hard on the feet and legs! 

Then came the Royal Wedding, and I was able to put my feet up and put my cup of tea on this spendid coaster the lovely Sue sent me and ooooh and aaaaaah for hours, yep it was a real 'feel good' day.  Then we went off to a BBQ to carry on the celebrations.

Seeds have been planted and are already poking their little heads out much more since I took this photo.

I have also been enjoying the Being Creative group on flickr and my contribution to last month who's theme was 'Dessert' came out better than I thought, I spent one splended quiet afternoon just scribbling away - I LOVED it!

I have also been looking after my niece and nephew and two doggies for a week - went to live in with them in Windsor, so the weeks have flown by.  I have dipped into blogland a bit, but am looking forward to spending some time catching up. 

I have been a little productive on the crochet front, and I will update you with that with a second "catch up" post!

Hasn't the weather been amazing!  The roses are already stunning this year, when I left to go to Windsor my lovely rose out the front of our house had no roses on it at all, this lovely sight greeted me on my return

Don't you think everything is flowering early this year due to the dry weather, I think we may experience Autumn in August this year!!

Have any of you seen this "yarn"

It is called "Salsa" and is like a knitted ribbon, you knit it up but really it is just a series of loops to make a scarf - my dear Mum bought it for me for a treat and it makes a lovely ruffled effect when knitted up.

Only trouble is, it is very hard on my hands so that I can only do a few rows at a time.  One good thing we have a few months until winter, so I can take my time!

Well I hope you are all well and I am so glad to have dipped back in.


Speak soon xx

Country Living Fair

Hi all, just bobbing by - its weird I have a free afternoon this afternoon, and because I have been very tied up with work this last few weeks, I am finding it hard to wind down - do you know what I mean?  I actually thought - free afternoon what shall I do?  Nuts I know, but anyway I have decided to sidestep the obvious like wash the kitchen floor, catch up with the ironing etc.  "I know" I thought, "I'll blog" so here I am!  After this I am going to take my mum out for a cuppa and a stroll round the shops, sadly she can't walk too far at the moment as she is waiting to have a second knee replacement. But we will spend some "quality Mother and Daughter" time together. 

Last week I managed a day out with a friend to the Country Living Fair - bit of a contradiction this because to get there I have to leave the country and face the busy crowds of London and the dreaded Tube, I was hot and flustered by the time I got there and didn't feel very "country" at all.  Still a nice cup of coffee and a scrummy cake soon solved that and several hours were spent wandering around the stands.  Vintage is still huge and quite a few crochet items are surfacing too.  It did make me think "I could do that" you know make a few blankets etc and sell on a stall - imagine selling something that you had crocheted - I would be over the MOON! 

The Spring Fair guide is a useful tool to have, because now that I am back I can look up the online shops and have a serious browse.  I am always too careful when I am at these Fairs - The little Devil on my left shoulder says "buy, buy, buy" and the little Angel on my right shoulder says even louder "just look, just look, just look!" In the main the little Angel wins, but the little Devil won with these two items

A sweet little jug with hearts on, love, love love ♥  Of course this isn't for me oh no, ...... its for the... Camper, hubby never minds if I buy stuff for the Camper ♥

The next item is for me, to make me feel like a domestic goddess!

An Apron!  Haven't had one since I was a little girl. The hearts on this one called out to me - and I find myself wearing it most frequently!!! Sadly the domestic goddess thing is yet to materialise! This is from Susie Watson Designs, check out her website  here she has some scrummy things to tempt you.  I also got some supplies from the Jam Jar Shop, I got my jam making stuff from them last year, they have a great online store and deliver super fast.  So I was quite good really wasn't I?

Tuesday evening of this week Hubby and I popped up to London to meet and feed our youngest son on his birthday. He is at Uni up there, so we met him at the O2 arena and fed him steak (a rare treat for a poor student!)  then he pootled back to his mates and we got the Thames Clipper back from the O2 to the London Eye.  High speed boats, some with coffee shops on (sadly we picked the one without - darn it) but London by dusk and night, I am going to show you these photos, some are a little blurry because of the motion of the boat, but you can get a feel for London at night.



 As dusk fell, even the industrial area took on a softly lit aura.

O2 from the Water



View to Canary Wharf



London Bridge

 It was much better than going underground!

Before I head off, thank you all so much for such positive comments about my Daffodil pastel painting.  I am going to use the Be Creative challenges to develop my art and maybe collage, anything that I don't usually do.  Why don't you join in?

Have a great weekend.

Speak soon xx

Trying to Be Creative!

I am so happy that the clocks have finally sprung foward - lighter evenings, summer to look forward to, gives me a little energy rush!  Well this last week I managed a day out at the Country Living Fair in London which I will post about later, but the other thing I achieved was a little picture for the "Being Creative" challenge.  I have to say I am a tad nervous about showing this "effort".  I love pastels and decided that the Being Creative challenge would be good for me to actually use them to try and do a little art - something I would love to have time to go to lessons, but for the future I think. 

I littered the kitchen table with the scrummy colours and then - oh my, gonna have to actually make marks on the paper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  found a picture

yes, try and keep it simple, cripes even simple things seem hard!  Soon I was scribbling here and smudging there and adding bits here and rubbing out bits there and finally..........don't expect much but it is my first attempt in aaaages.

A scrappy pastel daff!!!  Now I know it isn't art gallery stuff or anything like that, but I soooo enjoyed drawing it!  Now I have to upload it to the Being Creative flickr group -- now that is nerve wracking!! 

Enjoy the spring sunshine.

Speak soon xx

Tuesday Catch Up

I cannot believe that I haven't posted for nearly a month!  I thought that reaching my fifties would be a time for "calmness" for moving down a gear, for a little extra time for me, time to explore new hobbies, reality couldn't be further from those statements!!! I jest really, after all real life has to take precedence over my blogging life and real life has been very busy of late.  I am not going to bore you with the details, but I am glad to dip in here to the lovely calmness of blogland.  With everything that has been going on in the world of late, I feel so lucky to live in the situation that I do, and my heart goes out to all of those suffering at the moment. 

I have a couple of WIPS to show you, but first here is the Royal Wedding square I sent to Mrs Twins for the SIBOL project

I entwined red metallic thread in the heart attaching the little seed beads as I crocheted along. 

I have started another blanket, At the moment I really like colour blocks in blankets so:-

we will see how this develops!  I haven't really planned it at all, just see how it grows :)  I have also been playing around with delicate chain lacy motifs and am working towards a scarf

The wool is varigated with a silver thread running through it, it is another experiment!

I have also signed up to Be Creative in the Julia Crossland blog - I did this in a moment of madness thinking "I know, I will get out my art stuff and this will force me to paint pictures" and now I feel quite nervous at the prospect and heaven knows when I am going to produce these pictures - by the light of the silvery moon I expect!! 

Anyway I am so pleased to finally catch up and hope you are all well.

Speak soon xx

Have a Peek at these!

Good Morning everyone!  Been laid up for a few days with a bug, but now feeling a lot better ( and a few pounds lighter, every cloud eh?) its good to be feeling fine again.  Firstly a HUGE♥ Thank you for the lovely Birthday wishes and response to my short post and Amyrillis pictures, really appreciated.

Last week I was busy making squares - firstly for SIBOL and then for the Sarah London Crochet A Rainbow appeal.  Now I am quite happy making squares, you know, just squares - but I have never attempted a picture square, so I put my creative hat on and lo and behold these two squares evolved.  I am really happy with them and they make me smile so much when I look at them (daft I know!)  in fact I am having serious trouble sending them off to SIBOL but I will of course, because it is such a good cause!  I have taken lots of piccies and I am thinking of having some notelets made from the pictures to remind me.

Crikey I have built them up somewhat - I hope you like them!

This is smiley Piggy for the Farmyard Blanket

and this is my Springtime contribution:-

I never realised how much fun crochet pictures are - so ...... freeform, just crochet away and add bits here and there and there you go!

Got to put my thinking cap on now for the Royal Wedding one!

Oh and here are the Crochet A Rainbow Squares

Oh and finally

One last look - there were Six Beautiful Blooms on this beauty in the end, but sadly as with all beauty, is now fading.

Have a great day

Speak soon xx

What More Could I Need?



What more could I need on my Birthday - than the Love of my Family and Friends around me, and in Blogland, and this to greet me in the morning?

 Times may be hard, but I am rich indeed.♥


Speak soon xx

Daisy Granny Blanket

Good morning and Happy Valentines Day to you all.  A Ta dah moment for you today.  I have finished my Plain Granny Blanket, but I just couldn't call it "plain"  - I have loved making this blanket, it has worked up quickly, not much messing with sewing in ends. I worked out the design on paper first and was then able to join-as-you-go which made it even quicker. I love the simplicity of it.  It is going to live in our camper to match the cushions I made last year.  I have added some Daisies which I have made with my Daisy Maker and hey presto! a plain blanket no more!

I made this with a mixture of Bonus UK and Robin double knitting.  I find these two acrylics are the same thickness, some aren't quite the same even though they are double knit.

These are the cushions I made last year and as you can see, I have tried to pick out the colours of our camper.  I think they are all going to live nicely together!

Thank you for dropping by!

Speak soon xx