Friday 24 June 2016

A funny ole week

So much has happened this week.  My lovely thing 1 turned 19 on 21st June, which was the same day thing 2 finished his education at gcse level sparking Celebrations all round.  Chinese takeaway enjoyed by all.  We were going to spend the day walking on the beach (and yes it was sunny enough) but thing 1 landed himself a summer job and has worked hard all week.
The biggest event of all had to be the referendum to opt out of the EU for which we voted 'out' making an historic moment in Britain's history.
And on the same day the rain came down,  and come down it did.  Just look at my pics.  Taken of my patio, just outside the French doors.  Have never seen it like this before

Getting submerged

 A little bit later

View from above
Rain rain go away! 

Bob's water bowl is submerged.  At least I won't have to refill it



Saturday 18 June 2016

African flower time

Well I haven't ditched the blanket,  but I have seen so many lovely items made with African flowers on pinterest that I've been temporarily side tracked.

Perhaps it's the awful weather that East Anglia seems to be having at the moment that makes me want to go back to my bright colours for just a little while.

What do you think?



I've used all Stylecraft special dk, the middle is Lavender,  the petals are Fiesta,  then Sage, with the surround in turquoise.

I have done pattern instructions on a separate page.  It's based on 2 or  3 flower patterns from pinterest but I changed or combined them.

Happy African flowering xx

Monday 13 June 2016

Happy 5th birthday


The Bobster turned 5 today,  we always find it amazing he makes it to another year.  He's had tin cans and crisp packets stuck on his head,  chewed through cables (it was interesting conversation with talk talk about no internet before we realised), got lost for 5 days during the coldest spell and turned up with 30 plus ticks attached to him (February?  Ticks?), shut in next doors house for two days,  amongst many other adventures. 

He loves cardboard boxes although I think the treats that Thing 2 put in there helped.  

At the moment he's snoozing the day away in a big red bean bag. I'm guessing he will mysteriously wake up when the roast chicken comes out of the oven for tea.  Obviously it's always cooked just for him. ...

So happy 5th birthday Bad Bob (he's been that since the internet cable moment), you are a pain in the bum but we wouldn't be without you. 

Ps....don't ever get a white cat. ...grrrv white hair lol





Saturday 11 June 2016

Meet the Bobster

As Monday 13th heralds Bad Bob's 5th birthday,  a birthday we never thought he would get to,  I thought we would take a look at a few recent pics if the mischievous bobcat




Biscuits always taste the best just at the point when the box is opened and the tub refilled 


What me? 


 I know I have fresh water put down for me daily but it just doesn't taste the same as this stagnant water,  in a mucky dirty dish outside.


Hide and seek


Then they won't spot me taking another drink of that lovely water 


If I just back my bottom into here they won't spot me 


Aah not quite as stealthily done as I thought

Is anyone there to let me in?  I know I've been out less than 5 minutes


They will never spot me in here!

Thursday 9 June 2016

Just a quickie

This is blanket progress so far


 If you look closely you can just see that the squares stitched together represent those that have been crossed through on the colour chart.
Still a lot of stitching to do.  It's tricky,  quite infuriating at times but actually not so boring as standard squares.  It should hopefully look lovely when finished and edged.

And just to give you an idea of how many squares there are left to crochet. ..well that will be anything that's still not coloured in Orange. ..eek


All in all this blanket is proving a challenge because you need a plan.  
First which squares will be placed where,  what colours will they be,  have I done too many pink and not enough lemon.  Have I got two the same colour joined together.  Am I stitching them all in the right place.  
And. ...grrr I seem to have run out of twos already. ..





Wednesday 8 June 2016

Can someone stop the merry go round...i want to get off!

Sorry I haven't fine an update for a few days.  The blanket is going well but the Sun came out so I made the most of the  sunshine time reading in the back garden.
I will try and take a photo off blanket status soon. ...I have started to sew together so not crocheted much but its definitely a fiddly one to bring all the different sizes into the equivalent of a patchwork blanket.

The flowers in my garden are blooming well.  I went with thing2 to a local car boot in Aylsham on the Saturday of bank holiday weekend and we brought a few more plants and tubs.  It's lovely having so much colour around us.








We also collected thing 1 from uni Saturday.  It's been excellent news as he has passed his first year exams.  Not so good that there seems to be a mountain of stuff that has to be put away until September. ...Mmmm
But he is now looking forward to his next field trip to Switzerland before uni starts again.  Lucky boy! 
It is so good to have him back for 3 months. Happy and proud mum. 
Just need thing 2 to finish and pass his gcses now. Getting there! 



Thursday 26 May 2016

Colouring in

Am slowly getting there with my blanket, I think I'm virtually half way.
I enjoyed a nice hour this morning colouring squares in on my template so i can see where each square will go and how I will sew it together.

I have done another lot of streaming and blocking so nearly ready for sewing up the first squares.


 The above shows my overall progress


The above shows my colouring in. ...was like being back at school.  Such fun!

Sunday 22 May 2016

Quintessentially English

One thing I love about the summer,  amid all the fetes and fairs that crop up around us in abundance, is the beautifully colourful bunting.  With all the pretty colours of the rainbow,  it brightens up everywhere and gives a sense of  joyfulness.

A few years ago,  while visiting around the harbour,  quay area of Poole (south coast in beautiful Dorset), I wandered into a gift shop and found some very Cath Kidston style bunting in plastic.  Although I've used it a couple of times to decorate a gazebo,  I'm aware that it  sits in a draw unseen for most of the year. Conscious that we should always enjoy things now rather than leaving them for later (because what if later doesn't come), I dug it out and strung it up along the fence.

Over the winter I had also made lots of crochet triangles and so,  I strung them all together on a chain stitch chain,  and hung them on the opposite fence. I figured even if it rained they would soon dry.



Now my garden looks bright and colourful,  just like a village fete without the white elephant and tombola








Wednesday 18 May 2016

A study of daisies

I am considering adding daisies to my blanket so have been doing a little study.






I've produced two crocheted daisies in a very rough format so far but still think I need to change them a little bit 

I tried two different yellow centres but definitely think the yellow on the right is closer to the real thing. 

I took a few other photos of the garden which I've added. I can't wait till they are all out in bloom. Hopefully it will be a cacophony of beautiful colours.



Pretty honeysuckle



 I love sitting in my duck egg blue chair,  in the Sun,  reading a book and having a cheeky cuppa between clients.
Yesterday a little bumble bee came to join me.  It's really lovely knowing the plants are helping the bumble bees.



And just having flowers inside makes the room so pretty and colourful. 




Sunday 15 May 2016

Summer blanket

Well I have been crocheting my heart out last couple days and this is where I am now.
I have completed 67 squares, a mixture of the four sizes and colours.
This morning I have blocked and steamed them. ..gosh that's a really tedious job but it has to be done

Here are my steaming photos


And the next lot


And the next lot


And the next lot



I took this picture (above) to illustrate the difference between those that have been blocked and steamed and those that haven't. You can see how much more curled up the unsteamed ones are.  I did mine on my ironing board with pins, then you hold the iron just above the wool and press the stream button,  moving iron slowly across the area


This is my progress so far.  Above with squares done so far and below the amount covered so far.  I think I'm nearly a third of the way there. 


Thursday 12 May 2016

One day until the weekend

Yay,  as much as I love my work and clients. ...I still get happy when we get close to the weekend

New jars of wax bought



I always buy the zest one in the Summer for my lovely ladies. ...it smells so fresh fruity and like summer.  The men don't like smelling lovely so just a plain one for them.  It's an excellent medium to work with and a natural product so good for the skin. Especially my hands!



In truth I don't have many people snore because of the type of massage I do, more corrective than relaxing,  but it happens occasionally!