Autumn

Well, it seems Autumn has arrived.  Last Monday morning I was cleaning out the chickens in shorts and a tee shirt, and then in the afternoon the skies darkened and the rain came. And it hasn't really stopped since.  It was a long summer, with family worries constantly in the background, so I haven't been as busy as I could have been.

At least the rain meant the return of interesting fungi - although I am getting a bit tired of my friends sending me photos of amazing fungi that they've just stumbled upon, whereas I take an awful lot of effort and am rewarded with quite mundane finds.  For example,

I found this on an old stump, and had to get onto my hands and knees to photograph it, and all the while Millie was going absolutely bonkers and tying me in knots with her lead.  I thought maybe there was something bad about it that was freaking her out.  I just kept holding her down until I felt a sharp pain in my leg.  Suddenly I was aware that there were hundreds of wasps flying around us because I was kneeling on their nest, and poor Millie was getting stung.  Our getaway was made all the more difficult because the lead was wrapped around my legs, but we did get away, with me smacking away wasps from both Millie and me, and yanking at my hair because they were caught in that.  We both suffered, and had to take anti-histamine to help us recover from our ordeal.

Anyway, other than fungi hunting, I have drawn up the new schedule, and we have some good workshops coming up.  There's a couple of absolute beginner quilting workshops; hand- piecing this Wednesday and hexagons on Wednesday 6th November, some Christmas decorations to sew on Wednesday 20th November, knitting socks with Ros on Wednesday 16th October, and of course wreath making with Linda on Wednesday 11th and Saturday 14th  December - either the morning or afternoons.

And there's been plenty going on in the workshop.  Glenys is forging ahead with her seat covers

Ros knitted a beautiful shawl

and finished her stunning Janie Crowe Blanket

Louise finished her Attic 24 blanket

and last week was working on her bee skep

Barbara finished her scrappy quilt top

and Lynne produced another work of art to inspire her Medallion class members

So perfect.

And me?  I've been working on my crocheted Whirlpool Mandala Rug - an Airdale Yarns pattern which is made up with Axminster Rug Wool which is 80% wool and 20% nylon.  I bought it when I went to the wool show in Newbury and am afraid to say it was on only the second stand I went to - no self control!

Still, it brightens up these grey days!