Knitting news

Off the needles 

Summer Bucket Hat - 

Gemini Top - not sure if I really like this or not. I actually don’t have anything it will go with 😂 oh well I can wear it in the garden if not out

 Patchwork Squares - 

With the top and hat now completed I’m at a loose end knitting wise. I can’t decide what to knit next.  I spent an age winding a 300 gram lace weight skein, to then decide not to use it! I’ve spent too much time on Ravelry and going through patterns looking for inspiration but nothing really takes my fancy.  I only made the hat for something to do. Whilst awaiting a brainwave I’m making up squares, using oddments and learning new stitches.  I expect these will go the way of the crochet granny squares which still sit languishing in a bag. A case of out of sight etc etc. Who knows maybe I’ll make enough to do a knit/crochet combo blanket. 

The stitch pattern above is slip stitch zigzag, 8 rows to the pattern. Simple enough. I have all my stitch books out and have marked up all the patterns that will fit within my 40 stitch square, allowing for a three stitch garter border each side, so my cast on will be somewhere between 38-44.  This gives roughly a 7” square.

There you have it my knitting news for now. 

Weekend

 

How was your weekend?  We had the grandchildren, which is always fun. 

I managed a solitary walk yesterday. No one wanted to venture out with me and I was getting a bit stir crazy so I took a walk alone.  When I say alone, there were plenty of other people about enjoying the river walk, even though it was very breezy. 

The children had a party to go to at lunchtime today so it was a case of dropping them off and collecting them. In between times we visited the garden centre for some plants for a new planter for the front of the house.  

We’ve seen a fair bit of the children this week.  Always the way, feast or famine, still not complaining they are no bother, but the house does seem very quiet……and tidy!!

Somehow he’s 70

Easter came and went, the weather was glorious and we made the most of the sunshine.  Which was just as well as Tuesday was grey and chilly.  We had the grandkids for the day but they didn’t seem to mind the cold, opting to have lunch in their pirate ships!

When it got too cold we came in and baked a birthday cake as someone had a birthday on Wednesday

Wednesday turned out to be warm and sunny and Rachel, Stu and the children came for a birthday tea after school. We had a fun time, playing games and enjoying being able to eat in the garden. Peter turned 70, it’s hard to believe somehow. When did we get to be so old? At times our bodies feel old and let us down, but in our heads we still feel young.

Yesterday we went to the allotment with some plants and to continue keeping on top of weeds and watering.  We picked some sprouting broccoli, the first crop off of the allotment. Our  scarecrow was still standing so that was good.  We noticed a couple more have appeared onsite so obviously a trend has been started.

Walking has taken a back seat for a while whilst an injury is sorted. Hoping we can get back to our wandering again soon.
 

April colours

The borders are blooming. Blues and pinks and purples, with just a touch of yellow still.

That’s all for today

 

Good Friday

It has been a good Friday. The weather has been glorious. Garden furniture out, cleaned and setup. Lunch and dinner in the garden, just like summer.  A batch of peanut butter and pretzel brownies made (no photo as yet) We have spent the day quietly reading. I finished a book and started another. No knitting today so far.

Tomorrow is Farmers Market day so we will go in early to get produce for Easter Sunday lunch. We have a leg of Lamb which we will enjoy with Peter’s mum Anne and Pat.  I’ve not yet decided on dessert though I’m leaning toward something lemony.

The book I finished, well worth the read

Next up - Only a few pages in. So far so good 

My latest project the Gemini top, I’m actually much further on than this, having split and finished the sleeves. Also working on the next colour of this triple block top. More photos soon.

Tomorrow looks set to be another sunny day. Maybe some gardening after the market or a walk. We will see what takes our fancy.

Enjoy your Easter if you celebrate, don’t eat too much chocolate 

Meet Salad Sue

Good fun was had at the allotment yesterday.  

The smallest grandchildren declared a while back that we needed a scarecrow. So during the morning we had a team effort to build one. When I say team it was mostly Rachel and me but you get the gist.

Here is Salad Sue, thus named by Gus. We had planned Sally but he insisted Salad Sue, so who are we to argue

Lots of weeding was accomplished, a bean trench dug and lined with paper and compost. A man trap dug, of course it was! Just a good tidy up in preparation of planting.  We have seeds growing at home and once the frosts stop and the plants are ready we will get them in the ground.

Rhubarb and raspberries-

Cabbage, sprouting broccoli and chard 

Onions, garlic and broad beans

Jess stuck in the man trap! A boot was lost

Trench works 

Pink shorts don’t make for great allotment attire!

The poor strawberry plants along the large bed took a fair bit of trampling!  I lost count of the times I shouted mind the strawberries 

For some reason I can’t delete this duplicate photo, so twice is better than none.

A good day was had by all