Summer!! came and went

 Yes, for two days this week we had temperatures of 23/24 which is very pleasant summer weather and we all cast off our woolies and socks and basked in the sun. Then spring/winter came back with a vengeance and we were back to 11 degrees along with winds and April showers. 

We have had a quietish week at home with a few short outings - it's Easter holidays so we tend to avoid anywhere touristy/child friendly. But I have been cracking on with a few projects.

First up my Stitch Journal - here is April so far.

Chookshed Challenge - this is to make some snap top bags for Christmas presents. I plan to make 8 with 4 large and 4 matching smaller ones. Not having made these before I thought a trial run would be in order. So having finally found a tape measure of the right width and ordered it, I pulled out some fabrics to make myself a small one. These pretties fell into my bag at Quilt group sometime last year and have been looking wistfully at me.

So I chose two to work with.

And made this little pouch - all by hand as I couldn't be bothered to pull the machine out.

It still needs it's 'snap' but the tape measure only arrived this morning, so that is a job for this afternoon. Once I am happy with my pouch I will pull ot fabrics for the rest and have an assembly line session with the machine later in the week.

I have been a good girl and kept up with my 'one pattern repeat a day' on the Ryegrass sock and it is coming along nicely.

I have also made a start on another Winwick Mum basic sock using some of the yarn very kindly sent to me by Stylecraft.

This is great TV knitting and I am pleased with how the colour repeats are looking. A pair for the Christmas box.

The garden is starting to grow at pace.

Grand National day here and like us, Liverpool are experiencing April showers. We just watched an earlier race happening during a hail storm! Not nice. The spectators had all disappeared inside, unsurprisingly. Fortunately our showers have just been of rain.

Have a good week everyone.

April - a new month

 And they are coming around pretty quitckly now. But first, a look at the end of March.

I completed the March section of my Stitch |Journal.

And the bottom quarter of the panel is complete.

So I have moved on to the next section and here are the first four days of April.

We did have a lovely day out on Tuesday visiting Killerton where we met friends who had travelled across Dartmoor to meet us. Fortunately although they left home in thick mist, they arrived to lovely sunshine, which we had had all the way.

A few photographs of the house and lovely gardens.

And just look at these gorgeous Crested Fritillaries!

Killerton houses one of the National Trust's textile conservation studio's so upstairs in the house there is usually some sort of textile exhibition. This year there is a lovely selection of ladies garments from the Victorians up to the 60's which are beautifully displayed and well worth a visit. Hopefully I will get another chance to look around later in the year.

And finally for today - yes, the crochet cardigan is a finish. I am so glad I changed the border and cuffs as it gives the garment a smarter, more of a jacket feel.

I have a feeling that the top corners of the front band may iritate my chin and so I am going to be looking out for a couple of buttons which I can use to just stitch down those points to the front. But otherwise I am really happy with how this has turned out.

No movement yet on this months Challenge - snap bags - but I have got out my Ryegrass socks again and am determined to complete a pattern repeat a day to get them finished this month.

So, a long post from me - if you made it to the end then thank you very much and I will see you next week. Have a very Happy Easter.

March Chookshed Challenge progress

 Well, the cardigan is sadly not finished but a finish is not far away.

I have decided not to go for the ribbing look border and instead I am doing the same border as I did on the Wildshore blanket which is making a nice firm edge. Another couple of rows of dc to do all around the the bottom, fronts and neck. Then I will just need to pull out that cuff and work both cuffs for a finish.

Meanwhile #10 is our number for April and on my list this is to make some snap top bags to use as Christmas gifts. So first up I need to buy a tape measure!

Happy April!