Doodles, Daffodils and it's Done!

Such a lovely weekend with really warm sunshine on Saturday. Warm enough to send us outside onto the courtyard with a cup of tea which turned into a late lunch and a leisurely glass of wine later on. So hot we couldn't bear to come back inside. I did manage to tear myself away much later in the day to finish the clean up of my sewing room and found this sketchbook, one of many I doodle in hoping for design ideas to leap out at me.



I had quite forgotten this particular book and enjoyed flicking through the pages.



Jugs of flowers feature fairly regularly, which I had not been aware of. This is odd because I have never actually used them as a design, but do have a passion for jugs overflowing with posies from the garden. There are usually several to be found dotted around the house.




Hmm, every so often I get a child (Lucy) asking for a picute of something like this Flower Fairy. Think she has something of a boxer's nose, poor soul.



And cats also tend to catch my eye, particularly as I would like to be the one curled up in the comfort of a snuggly quilt.



Still, that's enough of that. More important and infinitely more interesting things are afoot because of this....



Yes, cheers all round for Mr Davey please as he has finished knitting his first ever jumper. Isn't it gorgeous?



Of course if I could find the bit on the camera that allows action shots instead of running around after an ever-reluctant Isabella then you would see it in all its beautiful glory. Hey ho, here it is nonetheless and needless to say that it is once again an item knitted in the gloriousness that is Sirdar Crofter wool.



I love it and think my dear Davey has done an amazing job. He's already ordered his next project which is an odd ribbony wool top...for me! Woohoo! I'll share it with you when the goods arrive.



So, that's me for today.



What did you get up to? x

A Slow Unfolding (and a long post).

Signs of a waiting spring with the slow unfolding of new life. I find more sweet crocus every time I step into the garden, though the absent sun means they are not lighting the scene with their starry faces, petal thrown wide to celebrate the gentle warmth.



The first of our primroses peeked its head above the cold soil and said hello with a soft yellow almost-unfurling of skirts, deciding at the last it seems to wait a little longer before shaking them out completely. It had only stopped flowering a short time before Christmas, so I guess it deserves a little rest.



The winter flowering cherry slowly, slowly fattens its tiny buds. I love this dainty plant with its elegant branches which suddenly explode into masses of beautiful blossoms making me feel spring is truly here even if it is really too early to be so.



I received the loveliest surprise from my dear, wonderful friend Diana this week in the form of the most beautifully decorated envelope containing knitting patterns. How perfect is that! Actually, how perfect is the envelope which Diana decorated with a collage of all varieties of witch hazel, one of my very favourite plants (yes, I know I have lots).



There is the most amazing witch hazel along the road from us which is now a mass of bloom scenting the air with the most beautiful and delicate perfume. I almost crash the car daily as we pass by in my attempts to negotiate the busy road and drown in the breathtaking beauty of this most beguiling of tiny trees.



Isn't it beautiful?



And there was one of Diana's equally beautiful photographs which is now firmly in place on the fridge door where I can gaze often as I virtually live in this one room.



And knitting patterns...woohoo! I think I may have to show you these in another post as they are so gorgeous, but I am desperate to start a new project and just having these to look at gives me the incentive I need...



..to keep going with this. I have nearly finished the back - 2cm left to do - and can honestly say I don't know what I think of it. It is light, soft to the touch and warm, but so odd that it needs to be completed and made up before I can commit myself.



It certainly isn't a grabber in photgraphs taken on such a dull day is it? Well, I'll stick at it and see how it goes. I hope I like it as I can't bear wasted effort and I really could do with a jumper like this.



In contrast, Mr Davey's knitting goes on apace with the last sleeve now started.



It is so lovely and I am really proud of his first attempt at a garment other than a scarf. I do love Crofter wool!



Well, that was a mammoth post, so I will leave you now with a huge thank you to dear Diana for making my week and another thank you to those of you who made it to the end of this post without losing the will to live!



Have a wonderful weekend x

Jumpers and Jumping.

Ahh, Friday. I do so love it. The anticipation of snuggling under our new goosefeather quilt while drinking coffee on Saturday morning is almost too much. Of course, it may not be as fluffy as I hoped thanks to Miss Isabella who had a manic jumping session all over it despite my yelling at her to get off. In the end I decided to give in and try to capture some images instead.



Easier said than done as her constant need to move means they are all a little blurred.



But indulge this doting mamma please.



Ok, enough Pip!



My 20 minutes a day of crafting has gone by the wayside for the last two nights as the fireside has sent me to sleep. Wonderful company for the rest of the family as I loll on the sofa, no doubt mouth open, dribbling and snoring to boot, but I am determined to make up for it tonight with a long and happy session of knitting my new project. It is, as I said before, a jumper in a charcoal wool called Nomad of which the colour range was very limited, but I felt I needed a few items in tones that would go with anything, particularly as my dresses tend to be on the colourful side.



The images make the wool look very coarse, but it is a strange mix of fluffy and bobbly, soft to the touch once knitted without the awful hairiness of mohair (which I can't bear as it sheds so appallingly). A fine, light knit that I can already tell will be so snuggly and warm to wear making it perfect to throw on over lighter weight clothes in the coming months.



Now for the down side: it is a b**g***r to knit with. All is well if you keep track of what row you are on, but the texture means it is almost impossible to see whether the row is knit or purl. I am using a row counter to help with this and that seems fine, but I would think if you are prone to dropping stitches you would lose the will to live. Fortunately this is not one of my problems - I'm so going to regret saying that! There are tiny loops that create the wonderful texture, but again this could be a problem if you knitted into them by mistake. I can generally tell by the tension if I am trying to get the needle into the wrong bit.



On the plus side, it is relatively quick as it is knitted on 5.5 needles, straight sided and very basic in terms of patterning, worked in a stocking stitch. We'll see how it goes BUT if you are after an easy knit, quick and wonderful, this is the one for you: as requested, here is the pattern for my tank top/vest top/pullove...whatever you want to call it. Sirdar knitted in only 3 balls of Crofter yarn and it even says 'easy' on the pattern front. Please note, I chose to knit the round neck as shown in the top left hand corner by the headless model. Knew I got the idea somewhere!



That's me for now.



Have a wonderful weekend x

A Long Wednesday Wander.

Not a lot going on here at the moment apart from the clicking of knitting needles. Projects move on and new ones are started, but more of that in a moment. Last night I could be found clicking away on the camera rather than knitting pins as the fire's rich light called to me to preserve it for those dull days ahead.



The more it flickered the closer I went with the lens, the hypnotic flames curling fingers of orange up the chimney.



Hot, molten, liquidy heat....such bliss.



Anyhow, enough of that. Much excitement for Isabella this morning as a little fishing boat arrived on the quay on the back of a lorry. "That's not right," she announced to the driver, which I suppose is true really.



The tide was in and the river was quite busy with boats moored all around.



I love the contrasts of textures, the peeling paints and rough rope with a myriad of different knots, the names of which I have no idea.



Home again and look what I spotted peeping though the weeds while feeding the ducks.



Which led me on to look for more signs of spring.



And the more I looked, the more I found as is so often the way... if we only remember to look.



Ok, now it's on to the comedy part of the piece. I wanted to show you my tank top which I actually finished knitting on Sunday morning, wearing it out to lunch with friends Sunday lunchtime. I am so very pleased with it as it fits perfectly and I actually finished all the seams properly for the first time ever - what a differece that makes I can tell you. Unfortunately getting photographs has proved a challenge as it is dark early in the day and too dim again later on; this means I have tried to photograph myself! Welcome to Pip's Comic Gallery!



Please try to focus on the knitting and not the fact that I am clearly headless (deliberate I may add)



Suffice it to say that this was a very quick and easy knit, one to do while watching the tv, and is so lovely to wear that I have virtually lived in it since Sunday. It looks fab with jeans and over floaty dresses and smart skirts too. I really recommend trying it.



I'm already well into my next proect now - a jumper in soft charcoal wool with a bubbly sort of texture, but I think I have gone on quite long enough for today. Thank you to those who made it thus far and I'll get me back to my paperwork now (yes, you can see why I waffled on so long now).



Have a great Wednesday x

Some Winter Sights.

Some sights from the last few days: bright cotoneaster berries



A single berry fallen on icy crystals



Dark purple ivy backlit by early morning sunshine



Fun in the snow



Gotcha!



A little girl who couldn't bear snowball fights in the February downfall now races to pelt us all. Funny how things change.



The strangeness of delicate sugar-pink flowers of the Ballerina rose against chilly sky



Biscuit having a stretch to work out the cold from her feathers.



That's better, I am ready for my close up. She is such a pretty girl isn't she?



And finally, a snuggle down under soft quilts in even softer pyjamas



and a play on the sofa with teddies and bunnies close to hand



while dave and I knitted by the fire - me feeling sooo cosy in my new pj's...bliss.



Stay warm won't you? xx

P.S. for those who asked, the Crofter wool in the last post knits up in Fairisle type patterns without the bulk of Fairisle (though I do love knitting true Fairisle too). Pop to Tracy's pretty blog over at Cupcakes at Home as this is where I first saw it being used...just gorgeous! x