Bloom

So happy to find plants quietly flourishing in the allotment at this time of the year. Quince flowering at the top, then an unknown plant Freecycled to me a couple of years ago flowering for the first time and I've included the Bronze Fennel too, just because it's lovely. All those pretty feathery fronds sprouting from the base of the dead stalks. At some point I'm looking forward to getting out there and having a good clear out of all the winter debris and seeing what other gems are lurking in there.

macaroni

Hope

Yes! We finally had some sunny days at last.... We made the most of it, spent a lot of Sunday at the beach with all the other smiley folk and their dogs liberated from their rained-in indoors lives... Jess had her first go on a proper bike without stabilisers which I'd picked up a few weeks back on Freecycle and was full of her achievement! Milly also had fun scooting about on the little bike outside for a change (she normally cycles through the house). And I spent a good hour knitting in the sun while Tula snoozed in the car. Win win! 

A stray ray of sun striking my heart!

I'm finally at the stage of sewing the long strips of blanket together using mattress stitch. It's a very slow process so I'm glad I still have a little knitting left to do for when the novelty has worn off. 

I'm quite pleased with my progress so far; I don't mind the odd wobble, it's part of the joy of handmade, after all! It is a little frustrating that so much of the blanket is knitted purlwise because it is recommended that instead of picking up two stitches at a time from each side (as you would for a knitted side) it's best to pick every row, so obviously it will take twice as long! Still aiming for June...

And on a slightly random note, I was admiring this jar of macaroni in my larder the other day and wondering whether it might turn into something quilty... I love all those circles!

Have a good week! xx

January

Hibernating as much as possible: evenings by the fire to warm us and lift our hearts

Listening to Cat Power's 'Sun' over and over (and over)

Holding poorly children   all    day    long

Thinking about rainbows and spectrums

Eating 'Grand Mange' sarnies with salami and spinach

Feeling the endlessly grey January sky weigh too heavily

Reading and enjoying 'Surface Detail' by Iain M. Banks

I've been AWOL for a while, sorry! All the girls have been poorly; Tula being the worst and still no cessation of snot in sight. It's been a real struggle these past few weeks: this is my worst time of year when I find it hard to be a human being let alone a mum to three little ones or a wife or housekeeper. I don't like writing negative posts, but this is just how it is.

Jess is in France with Granny and Grandad, having a fine old time I'm sure. I miss her dreadfully, especially as when she returns she'll be straight back to school.

Trying to stop myself from plunging into any new projects until I've finished something first... I'm itching to start another quilt but can't stand the thought of having yet another pile of fabric hanging around for ever. I just don't have enough hands. So, I'm determined to finish the knitted blanket hopefully in time for Granny's birthday this year. So only a year late.

Not much left to do, but then I still have to sew it all together and knit the border too:

I bought this lovely patchwork skirt in a charity shop before Christmas and then caught it on a cupboard handle, so I'm hoping to add this new piece of silk (second pic) to cover the rip, though I have to say I'm struggling already with it, silk is near impossible to keep still!

And sticking to just dreaming about future quilt projects for now...

Here's to spring on it's way!