Glorious Mud

My friend took me to see her allotment yesterday and I fell in love with it- the birds singing, the fresh air, the feeling of community and the satisfaction of seeing all your hard work (well her hard work) paying off with lovely green shoots springing up and the promise of  crops of peas, sweetcorn, cabbages, potatoes and many more lovely vegetables. They had a plant sale and scrummy cakes for sale! I came home with a cayenne chilli to grow on my windowsill, 2 cabbage plants, mangetout, a courgette( a present from my friend), a lupin, geranium and a very cute plant whose name I don't know.

So you can guess what I have been busy doing this morning! I never knew I could enjoy getting muddy hands so much!

 I will take some photos when the weather brightens up, but it is very grey and damp here today. (I didn't want to leave you with just a load of type so I added a pretty picture!)

Dyeing to be Pink

Thought I'd give you a sneak preview. I was very disappointed that my hair has faded so quickly this time so I'm going to try a new brand and shade of dye, recommended by a lovely lady from Ragamuffin in Skye.http://www.facebook.com/pages/ragamuffin-clothes-and-knitwear/117049108326255

http://www.hairdyegallery.co.uk/sfx-virginrose.html

Click to see how fantastic I am hoping it will look. I'll show you when it is done, but you have a little wait as I'm getting it done for a special party in July. Can you stand the suspense?

Happy Hooking!

I have finally finished crocheting my skinny circle scarf, using Sirdar Click Double knitting yarn in a shade called "Blazer". I loved making this and I'm really pleased with the finished product, as modelled (a little grumpily) by my lovely daughter.

I added 2 lovely large, bright pink buttons (bought from Titchables' shop at www.titchables.etsy.com) to the end so the scarf can be worn in a loop.

It also looks good with the ends loose. I think it is going to be chilly this week so I may get chance to wear it! Next job is to finish the socks I started making in February.

From Foxgloves To Furballs

The rain stopped this morning, so I have been for a mooch in the garden. The seedlings are looking good and the onions and carrots have started peeping now too. We have several foxgloves about to flower and one white clematis flower.

Can anyone tell me what this is? It is growing alongside my strawberries, but I'm not sure if we planted it or if it just appeared!

Alfie always likes to help me to "tidy", which usually means he brings a load of dirt, dead leaves and twigs back into the house with him!

Retro-Reminder

As predicted, I am feeling a little slower today after a burst of energy yesterday.
Tomorrow, I am meeting members of Tenplus Textiles to visit our retrospective exhibition in Salford and to have lunch. The exhibition is only on for a little longer and details can be found here:

www.tenplustextiles.com

Beginnings and Endings

BEGINNINGS
We had a very productive weekend, clearing out the loft, going to the tip and reorganising wardrobes, which felt very cleansing. My positive mood meant that I was amenable to persuasion and I finally gave in to my older children's requests to have Facebook accounts. I have set boundaries and we will see how it goes, but it means I will have to make the most of computer time during school hours- I didn't get a look in over the weekend!!

I have been similarly productive today- Pilates, shopping, baking and gardening- I will probably slump tomorrow:S
I have been thinning out my little seedlings, a job that I found surprisingly difficult to do. I'm not generally sentimental, but I feel so proud that the tiny seeds I planted are actually sprouting up abundantly, so plucking them out of the soil felt very wrong! I know why I am doing it and it is for the best, but it made me feel a bit glum! I replanted some of them where there was more space to make myself feel better.

ENDINGS
I was very pleased to finish binding this quilt, which I made from a "Park Avenue" Moda layer cake using the Tipsy Tumblers pattern from the Quilt Room (www.quiltroom.co.uk). It is a lap quilt to snuggle under in front of the telly in the winter months.

I have been working on it on and off for ages, though the quilt itself didn't take very long. I machine pieced it in a week and quilted it by hand.Strictly speaking it isn't a "quilt" as it only consists of two layers- the patchwork top and a lovely soft fleece backing.

The quilting pattern is very simple, but I enjoyed hand stitching it. Now I just need some chilly evenings so I can use it, but I'm not speeding them along. (Oh, and it is strictly a dog free zone!!!)

Growing Up

I think I may be growing up- just a little- as I am really beginning to enjoy gardening.
I am a bit rubbish at it, so I get very excited when things begin to grow!

                                                 The first poppy has just burst forth
.

My seedlings are appearing in the raised bed I set up-these are rocket and radishes. No sign of the onions or carrots yet!

You can't see my dogs footprints from this angle!

Crocheting

I'm finding it difficult to get back my routine after the holidays and start creating again. I took lots of knitting and sewing away with me, but found myself gazing out of the window at the beautiful view, pottering or reading. I decided to let go of the feeling that I must always be doing something and just enjoy the rare experience of not being busy. It was bliss!

I dabbled a little with some crochet that I had started a couple of weeks earlier and I have picked it up once or twice when I have sat down in the evenings this week.

The scarf is made from strings of crocheted circles like the one I made for my Mum (see a previous post).

I am making it quite long and skinny- possibly only two rows of circles. I can't wait for it to be finished, but as the weather has warmed up so much there is probably no hurry!

Where Fairies Dwell

I didn't want to post while the Royal Wedding was on as I had no relevant photos and there are millions of them out there, but it was all lovely, Kate is beautiful and I wish the Royal couple every happiness!
So, from real life princesses to mythical fairies. My very favourite place in Skye is the Fairy Glen in Uig.

 We spent a wonderful day there while we were on holiday. It is very peaceful and has a farytale, "other-worldly" feel. There are many legends and stories and many believe that fairies really do dwell there. Whilst that isn't my experience, it is very easy to imagine that they do. I like to sit awhile and watch the eagles soar!
It is also fun to run up and down the little conical hills.

Or follow the little pathways through the trees.

The Fairy Glen was the inspiration for this mixed media piece that I made and exhibited with Ten Plus Textiles (www.tenplustextiles.co.uk).

I bet the fairies' houses can be seen there if you look hard enough!