A garden post

Hasn't it just been glorious these last few days - I've even got some summer trousers out and flip flops - O happy days!!  Here are some of my lovely Hellebores - there are many disadvantages of living on a hill but being able to see your Hellebore flowers because your flower beds are at waist height is one of the advantages!  Must plant some more - they are obviously loving that little spot.

We've been having some work done in the garden recently - just in time for planting and playing time!  A new raised veggie bed - which is completely covered in ground elder so will see me digging away to try and get all the roots out and then potatoes here we come!!  They are all chitting away nicely inside and looking forward to their new home.  Talking of new homes we have inherited a wendy house (or windy house as Flopsy Bunny likes to call it).  It's wonderful and is getting  a lot of use already.  I have visions of picnics and possible sleepovers if Daddy can be persuaded to sleep out in the wendy house with her one night!

On my needles is some of this lovely red wool and little triangles are starting to multiply . . .

Finishing off

 

I've been having a bit of a finishing off weekend.  Here is my second attempt at my circle corsage - which I'm much happier with - well it looks more like I was hoping it would!  I also felted the hearts, but rather wished I hadn't now - they are drying on the radiator so will provide photos later this week . . .!  But they have come out a bit less heart shaped but quite cute so it might not be all bad!  

There has been some glorious weather here for the last couple of days and Flopsy Bunny and I managed to get out into the garden for a spot of gardening.  Two rows of garlic have now been planted and watered - by Flopsy Bunny and her brand new shiny pink watering can!  We are now waiting with baited breath to see what emerges from the soil.  It's been gorgeous again today and Little Roo and I have been dancing around singing 'Hey, Hey, Hey, it's a beautiful day', that's all the words I can remember - and in all likelihood have been modified by me.  Anyway, it's been fun and these beauties have been making us all cheerful and spring like.

Reasons to be thankful

My thoughts this week have been turned towards the awful situation in Japan.  Maybe it's because I have a school friend living there that makes it all the more real - but I can't help think about those poor people who have lost everything, survived the earthquake and tsunami but are now struggling to survive, with limited food, heat and power.  It makes me think how much we take for granted.  That we can turn on a tap and get water, boil a kettle and make a cup of tea - all of which will be difficult for some to do over there.

It makes me remember the importance of the little things that make up our lives, the kindness of others, little moments of happiness we find in each day and being thankful for what we have.  This week I've enjoyed

• Watching Little Roo working out how his sister's bicycle works
• Coming to bed late and hearing snoring from behind each bedroom door - my own bit of research that shows I am the only one who doesn't snore!
• Coming downstairs in the morning and discovering the glowing, still-burning embers of a big log I had put on the fire the night before.
• Leaving a comment on a lovely blog and winning (and receiving) a book from a perfect stranger - do pop over and have a look at her lovely blog here we were.  The book is called The Story Blanket and it is about a lady who has a colourful blanket that the children of the village sit on for stories.  But the blanket gets smaller everyday as new knitted items are found by villagers who are in need of, a sock, a scarf, some mittens, a shawl - until there is no blanket left to sit on.  Then the villagers all take a bit of wool from all of their blankets and give it to Babba Zarrah who knits a new story blanket.  A lovely story about sharing and giving and receiving.

What are you being thankful for this week?

PS If you feel moved to donate to those people suffering in Japan from the earthquake and tsunami then please pop over to ShelterBox and make a difference.  Thank you.

On my needles

I'm knitting circles! To be made into corsages.  Here's one I've made earlier! (Ooo a bit Blue Peterish there!!)

I'm not 100% happy with this first one as I wanted the outer circle to be more of a circle than the wavy effect I've got going on at the moment.  Although it is nice that way too.  So second attempt on my needles now - in fact I might just dash off and finish my circle off . . . !

But before I go I just wanted to show you this:

. . . very excited to get started on this one!  Freshly bought yesterday and I am just loving the colours.

PS Having written this post, I hopped over to Driftliving - O wow what a site.  Well it's definitely a spots and stripes post today - spots in the form of my circles and wait for it - here come the stripes 

 

now where did I put my purse . . .

Spring, spring, spring - must be nearly here?

 

The sun is shining today - horray.  How wonderful everything feels on a bright sunny day.  Spring is definitely on it's way.  Potatoes are chitting everywhere inside!  I've got garlic bulbs to plant out asap and signs of life are coming back in the garden.  The hellebores are flowering and my peonies are starting to show their little maroon tips, lots of fun to be had in the garden soon.

Then amongst the chicken pox and half term a special little girl turned 5. Five! I can't believe it but there we have it and here is her cake - a little bit wobbly and not as smooth as I had hoped but a feat of engineering non the less!  Flopsy Bunny had her party at the weekend and had a fantastic time - I am exhausted having entertained 24 little ones for 2 hours but it was lovely seeing her with all her friends and she was very pleased with her cake - I don't think she even noticed the bumpy icing!

Happy Birthday my gorgeous girl!

Something for the CV?

 

I was wondering - if I ever needed to write a CV again - whether I would add arranging crockery by colour as a skill or an interest?!  I do love those Pantone mugs - as you can see!  So does DH and now they are stocking them in our local hardware store he keeps coming home with a couple more - more colour arranging for me - whoopee!!  Might need a new shelf on the dresser for them soon though . . .

A Busy Bee

Despite lots of sickness lately - yes poor Little Roo has succumbed to the chicken pox and is having a miserable time of it too - I have managed to finish a few projects - all this enforced confinement!  Anyway, a quick ta-dah for my sweetheart cushion, finished - well almost  - a button or two to sew on the back when I've found something suitable.  Flopsy Bunny is suitably impressed with this new cushion because it is small (10"sq) and has a heart on it so it must be for her!

Wizard Boy

At last some dressing up clothes for Little Roo.  As requested by Flopsy Bunny - his very own wizard outfit . . .

. . . and of course every wizard needs a magic wand to cast his spells - which in our house involves turning everyone into a goat!  I used the Simplicity Pattern 5512 - which I fell in love with not least because of the girl's cape.  I have always wanted a cape like that.  I am definitely going to make it for Flopsy Bunny.  She is already asking for a Belle dress (from Beauty and the Beast) and I think she might just have to settle for a Belle cape instead.  As I have some red velvet left over from curtain making and spotted some lovely cream fur trim in Fabric Land recently!!!

So the outfit was a little bit of a pain to make, mainly because I choose some very shiney fabric which frayed a lot.  I appliqued on the stars and set to work making it up.  Lovely design but it was miles too big, the smallest size was age 3 but still Little Roo looked a bit like Dopey from Snow White in it.  Anyway disaster struck with a too hot iron while I was pressing seams and it meant that I had to chop 6 inches off the bottom.  But as it turned out that was exactly the amount needed for it to fit properly!  The purple tabbard has been a great hit with Flopsy Bunny and she likes to wear it for a dance class play.  I've been instructed to make another in pink for her!  I love the edging - silver ric rac and silver bias binding wonderful!  The wand was made from black felt and although not very straight and a bit bendy is great because it won't have anybody's eye out!