May comes to an end

 All too quickly it seems to me! However, since I last wrote we have had a lovely holiday in Cornwall and I will try to post about this later in the week. Now after a week at home and with the garden looking reasonable again - why does everything grow so quickly when you are away! - I have spent the last day decorating and have a few more days to do.

But sewing continues whenever possible and of course every day on my Stitch Journal. Here are my contributions for May.

Sock knitting has continued sporadically

as has the crochet ripple blanket.

I have opened a few jars that have been solar dyeing, some more interesting than others! I had high hopes of some pink from avocado skins but ended up with a deep pinkish brown

much darker than in the photograph which looks very beige.

Dandelion flowers, lavender leaves and sambucus leaves have all produced similar pale yellow results but as I found before, silk always comes out darker. Also I found some silk carrier rods lurking in a drawer and have been adding those and they take up lots of dye.

Bamboo kitchen towel has also been successful and I love that small bits of leaf become embedded into it.

I have also been playing around with my sketchbooks and following some online art courses which have been fun and interesting.

I will be back tomorrow with my Chookshed Challenge project for June so see you tomorrow.

FNWFs May and other things!

 The car was booked in for a service on Friday afternoon so I went along with some quilting to do and sat in one of their comfy chairs drinking their very good - for a machine - coffee. Two hours later, all was well and I had completed quite a bit of quilting. Sadly I cannot show you as it is 'secret stitching'!

In the evening I worked on my stitch journal - that last lollipop tree was my Friday stitching.

And my stitch journal pictures for April

Many thanks to Cheryll for getting us together on Friday - always lovely to see what everyone is doing.

This week has seen a couple of new starts, first up a new pair of Winwick Mum basic socks. And by the way, if you have knitted a pair of WM basic socks over the last year then there is a great giveaway - this is the link Winwick Mum you need to read through the post for details.

I am using King Cole Zig Zag yarn which I have never used before so am looking forward to seeing what pattern emerges as I knit.

Another new start this week has been a Ripple Blanket using Lucy's lovely pattern I aim to use up some of my autumnal DK wools. No hurry with this one, just as and when. Maybe not so much over the summer should we get any warm weather!

On the subject of which, it has been a warm week here with temperatures of 26/27 degrees. Most un April/May like. Cooling down now though but it has not rained for a while.

Completed this week was my tree skirt roundel

these sew up nice and quickly.

I just had to initiate a major search for my Chookshed Challenge #8 as it was not in the box I had expected it to be in! However, having found it I now also know where #5 is, when we get to it!

So this is my #8

and it just needs making up into a cushion cover. It's just under 18" square so a decent size. I made it many years ago when I was trying out applique and never finished it because I didn't have a home for it. But I think I may have found one now. The fabrics were all Procion dyed with hand applique and hand quilting.

That quilting looks amazingly neat and tiny but the fabrics were all cotton lawn which makes for easier stitching.

So I think that is all I have to tell you this week - hope you all have a good week.

FNSI January

 And many thanks to Wendy for inviting us again, I look forward to joining everyone on the 3rd Friday for our get together.

I was a bit lax I am afraid on the photograph front. My first task was to alter a skirt - not exciting and certainly not worth a pic!

Next up however I started quilting a cot quilt. The top is one that I made back in the mists of time and has been sitting around waiting for attention. I got it layered up last year and thought I would make a start on the quilting while I had the machine out. I have done about half which took me an hour so I know that next time I get the machine out I need to set aside and hour to finish it off. Sadly it got packed away along with the machine before I realised that I ought to have taken a photo!

In the evening I worked first on my stitch journal. Here is an up to date picture. At the moment I am working on blanket stitch variations.

Then a little bit of knitting on my lace socks.

In other news, the crochet blanket is finished. Pleased with how this turned out and hope it will give someone a nice warm hug next winter.

We have had some cold weather over the last week or so with -7 a couple of nights this week. Mild today and more rain on the way!

I will leave you with a few of my favourite frosty pics.

Saturday catchup

 It's been a cold week here, mostly grey but there were a couple of lovely sunny days. At the moment we are promised snow for next week but we shall see.

It has been an up and down week but lovely to meet up with friends today for lunch at a local farm shop cafe. Good company and delicious food too.

However, I have managed to keep up with my daily stitch journal so far and amazed to find that we are almost halfway through the month already. Here is my progress so far.

Also this week I have put the socks aside and have been working on the crochet ripple blanket that I started last year. It has now grown quite nicely and last night, after I had taken this picture, I finished the ripples and started on a narrow border.

So hopefully a finish for my next post.

Have a good week.