An Eventful Week

Well, we've had quite an eventful time since my last post.  An excellent Pitch and Stitch on Tuesday where Anthea finished her Christmas stockings for her youngest two grandchildren

and Denise basted the quilt she is making for her grandson.

There were also a few new Modular Knitters there - it really is quite addictive.

Then on the Medallion Day we were all mad about Lynne's latest Di Ford quilt

I really don't know how Lynne does it - all those tiny little pieces:

Inspiring and daunting in equal measure.

I have been working on some Christmas crocheting from my new 200 Crochet Blocks book.  I am still really only a beginner, so I was very pleased with myself, although also annoyed with the book, when I spotted a mistake in the pattern.  Clearly there had to be 12 triples, and not doubles, in the centre.  I thought I'd check on line for amendments and saw that there were already two or three there.  By now I was truly indignant and bursting with self-righteousness.  I decided I had to add the error I had come across to the list.  As I was filling out the form, and saying that the pattern had said Double crochet instead of Triple crochet, I thought I'd better check the book to get the abbreviations right. 

So, double crochet was dc, and treble crochet was tr.....but,  what's this? - dtr ?  - double treble crochet?  Never heard of it.....better refer back to the pattern "1 dtr into next st, 2ch". 

Fair enough, the book appears to be right.  Apologies to Jan Eaton - it really is a very good book and I am quite happy with my four blocks (although they're supposed to be the same size!)

Finally, we have started having our open fires again - not every night, it's still fairly mild, but every now and again.

However, we were very surprised when the phone rang on Tuesday and Flanners, who lives in the farm cottage, said, "Fire at the Farm".  What?  "Fire in the barn at the farm!." 

We raced down there and sure enough the wood pile was burning away in the barn.  With the help of neighbours running back and forth with buckets of water until the fire engines came, it was all put out, didn't spread and lessons were learned.  Never stack wood if you have been using a blow torch on it to remove metal screws - even if it looks like it has stopped smouldering, the fire can be worming away inside.

Smocking and then a Day Out!

What a very busy week!

Wednesday brought a surprise in that my Sunflowers have finally decided to bloom - in October!

And then on with the Smocking workshop - Jill Richards from Smocked Frocks (she'd just finished her 1,000th dress) took the class and she was brilliant.  Her smocked dresses are so beautiful

and we were fired with enthusiasm.  The 'other' table (as it came to be called) really got the hang of it and were making beautiful samplers.  'Our' table, which included Sandra  and me, struggled a bit.  In fact, it was rather like when my father tried to teach me long division...He'd show me how to do it, I'd be thrilled that I'd finally got it, then he'd walk away and I'd say "Come back, I've forgotten again".  Poor Jill was back and forth from Sandra and me all day!  However, we were inspired and will be furiously bidding on the pleating machine that Jackie let slip she saw on ebay!

This is Carol's sampler

and these are all our samplers

But I'm not saying which is mine!

Then, after what has really been quite an emotionally trying couple of weeks - we were thrilled to go with Miss Lemon's Wool Shop up to the Knitting and Stitching Show at the Ally Pally

So exciting - all the stands and displays and exhibits.  By 3 O'clock I was ready to drop but bursting with ideas.

I made a few well picked purchases, and can't wait to get started on the new projects.  I loved the Namolio stand - just a little stand but packed with linen fabric and threads which I have a particular weakness for:

 

Sara from  Black Sheep Wools had crocheted a lovely blanket in beautiful wool - she's sending me the pattern tomorrow - which I will start as soon as I finish the knitted blanket I'm working on

and I love Sue Stratford's knitted Christmas things

I loved being up in the Big Smoke, and the view from the Alexandra Palace across London is amazing

But, more importantly, it was great to come back home to the country with lots to look forward to!

Late Spring....

The year is whizzing by again and now it is definitely late spring; lambing is finished, the cattle are out in the fields, and Barney and Big Boy have had a trim ready for summer

 

Nice and cool!

Our 60 ewe lambs are due to be shorn at 7.30 tomorrow morning, so I'll be helping Jonathan get them down from the hill this afternoon.

My six lambs are now able to feed independently off the rack, so I only take ten minutes to feed them

 

AND they have taken a liking to their creep feed so I can look forward to weaning them.

Time to turn to the garden and we have started sorting things out.  I have cleared up the raspberry patch and Jonathan uncovered the path to the greenhouse which had been so neglected I'd forgotten we had one

(path that is, not greenhouse).

Things in there are slowly coming along; toms, cucumbers, courgettes, beans and flower seedlings.

And, most importantly, Sandra and I have drawn up our summer schedule! 

We start with a primitive stitchery on Wednesday, and of course the Medallion course is continuing.  On Saturday 13th June we have a bunting party - get a gang of six friends together and make personalised bunting,

  on Wednesday 17th June we have Helen C teaching crochet

 

Saturday 20th June Helene B will be doing a Foundation Piecing class  (not as tiny as her usual work so good for Beginners)

1st July we will be experimenting with Pentagons - which could be described as the new hexagons!  We'll be doing lots of 'fussy cutting' so, like a kaleidoscope, new patterns emerge

Lynne Johnson will be giving another class on the Yoko Saito Town Quilt on the 8th July and then on the 15th July Sandra will be making lovely big bears

and the next week we have a bit of Christmas in July when we have the Advent Elf day.

So, busy, busy, busy!