Mayfield Lavender Farm

Yesterday Spot and I met Franney  and Lukey at a lavender farm. Free entry and a little tea van..... you can't go wrong really can you? We took sandwiches and sat on a picnic table in the middle of the lavender field..... glorious!

12 down 18 to go

It must be a good thing when I have to stand on a chair to get them all in a photo......no?  Still hoping to get thirty squares from the pack .… we'll have to see if i make it. I'll need to buy more anyway for an edging as I don't think I'll be able to decide on an edge colour til I've seen all the squares. But I'm hoping for 30 to make it 6 squares by 5.  I still think it's sunshiny!

An unheard of occurrence is happening this weekend. I'm missing the grand prix!!!! This is because my friend and damm fine musician TJ Johnson and his band are playing at Ronnie Scotts on Sunday lunchtime. It's such a coup to get a gig there and I can't wait to be there to support them

Have a great weekend everyone xx

Sent from my iPhone

Blanket of Sunshine Part I

The first 5 squares are done

Doesn't that just make you smile?? (or is it just me?) ;)

Cameo

Well I'm obviously on a bit of a roll lately! Here is the newest finished article from the Doris Chan Everyday Crochet  book.

The Pattern is Cameo, made in 5 1/2 balls of  Drops Cotton Viscose (very splitty yarn :( ), on a 4.5mm hook.  If I made this again, or any of the variations on this pattern, I would stop the body just below the bust, and go back and do the armholes and straps as it'd be  much easier to get a good fit and try it on along the way then. I made it longer than the original pattern, and added one set of hip shaping as in the pattern Somnambulista which is based on the same design.(and which I think may be my next "must-have") I also needed the straps way longer than the pattern - an extra 10 stitches, and it still could have been longer. (But then I have always known I was a bit "thick set" around the shoulders!!!!)   All in all very happy with the finished article. The yarn had been frogged, and I also had to re-do a few bits of this (mostly the straps to get them the right length), and it became very very splitty because of that. But it's made up nicely.

Finally,  I have made my first sunshine square:-

After a few false starts I have decided on the Willow Square from the 200 Crochet Blocks  book.  I should have enough yarn to make 30 squares, which will make a throw 48" x 40" - It's going to be a slow process tho' so I'll just mosey along with this as and when.

Now I'm off to watch the British F1 Grand Prix - I won't be moving from the sofa for a few hours!

*Squeee*

My Lucy Colour Pack of Rico Creative Cotton has finally arrived. Doesn't it just look like sunshine in a bowl? I think the girls at First4yarns have done a sterling job, they have been totally inundated (which I'm sure is a good thing) and have depleted both theirs and the manufacturer's supplies several times over. But patience has won the day and I think most orders have been completed now.  Now, what to make in it??! LOL

Sock Blockers!

I have been promising myself a pair of sock blockers for a long, long (long?!) time! - I never have the money - because I spend it on sock yarn!! But then I make my socks and look longingly at how lovely everyone elses look, all properly shaped and photographed on their blockers, whilst mine are all crumpled and don't show their gussets off nicely!

So, Now I have some,....

it's not easy to find sock blockers at the moment - I have no idea why not. But here is where I got mine from:  Whorldropspindle

I have to just tell you that whilst I am typing this, I am watching a female blackbird have a proper wash in our make-shift bird bath/drinker.  We have a big plastic tray that is used for mixing cement on so as not to ruin the garden, and I filled it with water the other day in the hope that Spot would lie in it as she is feeling the heat a bit this year. Unfortunately she has all but ignored it (depsite me standing in it and calling her!), but the birds love it, and often bring the children for their evening baths! - They even wash under their wings! LOL

Evening Walk

On my evening walk today.......................

I noticed that the wild foxgloves are out.  Now I have a bit of an aversion to foxgloves (I think I may have been poisoned by digitalis in a previous life ) but I have to admit these shocks of colour look amazing amongst the green and brown of the dry woodlands at newlands corner.

Also just a quick photo of the natural swimming pool that gets made at Hayling Island when the tide goes out - I had a little swim with Spot last week! ;)

Sorry photos aren't great, they're just taken on my phone. But you get the idea I'm sure!

Jewel in the Crown

This is Jewel (Ravelry Link) by Doris Chan   (blog link!).  Fantastic pattern and the first quite complex crochet pattern I have followed.  It's crocheted top down with raglan sleeves. i had a bit of trouble to start with as I was over complicating the pattern, but once I understood the way it was written I was well away.

This won't be the only pattern I make from this book!