My Fyberspates Scumptious shaw design

Hi fellow bloggers, sorry I have not posted for quiet some time.  Sometimes other things take over in your life and I didn't want to just post for the sake of it.

Anyhow for those that know me and my knitting will know I have been working with lovely Fyberspates yarn designing my own pattern.

I am really pleased with how it has come out but would love your opinion on whether you feel it is a pattern you would like to make yourself?

My wife has kindly agreed to model it for me as I wanted to show it being able to be worn in different ways.  I have also showed the close up detail of the edging which I finished off with crotchet.

I really hope you like it.

2.8.11 For anyone that would like the pattern it is available from my Ravelry site .

 

What a sunny weekend.

Oh my goodness I think the whole of England had the joy of hot sunny weather yesturday.

We took the dogs out early on the usual walk what glorious sight such blue sky against the green green grass.

On the way too and from the field is a lovely sight of chocolate, tan and cream Alpaca's running around the field, they have had their coats shorn (would love to know what they do with the fleece) and they look like they are sporting little socks, so sweet.

In anticipation of my exciting purchase of a teapot, I have narrowed the hunt down I have the teapot stand which I purchased on a school trip with my boy to the Black Country Musem which was a fantastic day out with 50 children.

I love the stand made from local slate and of course I had to pick a sheep design!

The garden is so colourful now I wanted to share it with you and keep a record for myself.  I have to confess I have no idea of either the Latern or English names for many plants in the garden, plus we are gathering seeds from various places and just throwing them in the garden and seeing what takes and what doesn't so it is always a surprise what we get!

For the first time we have really got into to trying vegetables on our patio.  My dad was a star and planted a great purpose made potato planter for us which is coming on great and H brought home from school some tomatoes he is growing in gardening club, it is the little things at times that bring you pleasure.

Lastly as it was too hot to paint the trellis in the garden I decided to wind another ball of my lovely Fyperspates yarn for my ongoing project.

Have a lovely week, long may it stay warm :)

 

Time for tea with Pinterest

Hi folks,

I haven't been on for a wee while due to my "creative" projects being long slow ones that will take a while to finish and share.

However I just wanted to share another ongoing enjoyment I have found in the world of Pinterest here is my boards I have created so far which I add to weekly.

My other bit of news I wanted to share was my big dilemma with a teapot!! You just don't realise how many lovely teapots their are out their till you start to look for one! 

This came about as my better half was due to buy tea bags as per normal on the weekly shop, but came home with "tea leaves", so then I bought a tea strainer last night, only to realise this morning I need a teapot to go with it!!  So I start the search on ebay to find a whole list of the lovely goodies and now can't pick from  Ebay teapots for one.

A friend also pointed out with a teapot must come a tea cosy!! how right they are :)

A little blog

Hello my lovely "followers" who have pressed that infamous button and to those who dip in and out of my blog.  Thank you for taking the time to look.

I apologise for not posting for a while as I have been working on a new lace project using Fyperspates Scrumptious DK yarn that I have designed. I am wanting to complete prior to trip to Turkey in August, although I'm sure it will be far to hot to wear it! but I like to give myself deadlines to work too. 

I have also sorted my next "jumper" project, from this months Knitting Magazine for the better half am just sourcing the yarn.

In the meantime I have also been slowly working on my lovely crotchet project, which is a mammoth project as I am making a blanket that goes round and round till it is double bed size!

Here are a couple of little pictures to show how it is growing.

So I shall keep knitting/crocheting and taking more pictures along with this weekend visiting Cheltenham Science Fair and watching the amazing child achieving his orange belt in Karate.

Till next time....

Cotswold Farm House

This week I had the absolute privilege of being able to photograph the truly beautiful house and gardens that is Cotswold Farm Gardens.

The house is part of the English Heritage due to the incredible history found within the building.  The original part of Cotswold Farm comprised of "a cowshed, with a granary above and cart-shed below."

The original building dates back to 1729.  In 1925 the house became home to what has been three generations of the Birchall family, whom originated from Yorkshire were they traded in the woolen industry.

Upon moving to their new home the Birchall's asked several architects for ideas on extending the home, but settled upon Sidney Barnsley, whom had been a pupil of Norman Shaw a renowned architect who had studied Byzantine Architecture and was largely influenced by William Morris.

On the outside of the building can be found dates recorded for history.

Within the building I came across to me what typified the "Upstairs Downstairs" with these adorable bells and which room it related to when rung.

The house itself has several aspects it can be admired from.  This is the front entrance to the home.

But I also loved the Terrace view and looking from the big lawn down to the south courtyard.

For me however my favourite view was from the shrub garden looking across and through the delightful flowers found on the Loggai Walk.

Then finally to round of a perfect morning I had the great joy of being able to photograph a few flowers that adored this garden which is featured in National Garden Scheme Gardens along with British Red Cross Open Gardens when they opened their doors in February to a display of 70 varieties of snowdrops.

So here is a snapshot of a few of my flora images.

 

I hope you have enjoyed viewing my dip into the history along with a trip into a glorious Cotswold home.

Until next time....

The finished lace number.

It all started with Fibre Flurry show 2010 where I came across the gorgeous stall that is Posh Yarns. 

I was drawn to the gorgeous individual dyed  Diana 2ply, lace weight yarn, 80% merino / 20% silk. Each skein is 875 yards (800m) per 100g. The colours are so beautiful reminding me of autumn.  It was put in the "stash" for a while until I found the "ideal" project to use it for.  I then decided to blend it with Rowan Kidsilk-Haze as I had the Marmalade colour shade in my stash and hay presto the idea was born.

So then all I had to do was design and make a lace scarf!!

Here is the finished project....

This final picture was taken against a backdrop of one of my own photographs 

I hope you like the scarf as much as I love it and feel I shall have many years of great pride wearing it.

The power of Mother Nature and Felted Slippers!!

Ok so this may sound dull talking about the weather in a crafting blog!!! But stay with it.

We have had the most amazing weather for weeks and weeks now in terms of perpetual sunshine, which is great for being able to sit in the garden and craft but not good for the lovely plants and veg trying to grow!

But last week we had the most amazing thunderstorm to the point when I told little fella to turn off his TV as the thunder and lightening was so close together.  I then explained to him about counting between the flash of lightening and the sound of thunder and if it is very close together it means the storm is very near.  Also why he needed to turn off TV and not to stand near/under trees.  Anyway low and behold the next day took the dogs for a walk to the usual park where their is a variety of very well established trees.  To our shock one had been struck right down the middle by lightening!!

Yet this is what it used to look like.

It was amazing sight.  Me being me and cheeky from time to time just had to ask the guys who were sawing it up if I could take a peace home for posterity.

So ha presto worked out beautifully as it is perfectly flat for holding a cuppa on.

On Saturday I had the pleasure of attending a workshop run at Kingshill House nearly Dursley.  It is a lovely grand building

The workshop was run by Lucy from Along Came Polly shop in Stroud.  To say she is an inspiration and so knowledgable is an understatement!!

We spent 6 glourious hours knitting then felting our lovingly made slippers.

Here is mine pre felt.

They were so cute, wish I had tried them on pre felting.

It was very funny as I drove home in my slippers with shoes on top to keep the shape and then stuffed them with paper to dry out.

Very sadly though I have found out that not only do you have to make sure you knit the slipper correct first, but the wool you used too has a hugh impact on the final result.  So mine being Manos Del Uruguay it shrang dramatically.  But unfortunately they are not high enough on the back

Finally here is the latest on my granny square, have a way to go!

Thanks for dropping by, till next time.