Walktober

Inspired by Eliza’s post, I set off with Miss E, Master R and Little Miss M to record our walk yesterday, a glorious October morning.

This Autumn is truly deliciously spectacular.

Little Miss M reminded me to put Strava on so that we could record our distance to add to our target of 500 miles.

This is one of our favourite walks and we have been doing it since they were all babies, but it has been a long time since we were here  ….

….. imagine their delight when they spied the river and remembered the swing!

Miss E was first to get there

But of course they all had a turn  I think we could have stayed there all day

whilst they explored in their own inimitable ways

walks are never dull with this lot!

But we had to cover some ground if Little Miss M and I are going to reach our goal – onward.

and upward.

Whilst they were looking at the cows and chatting together I went up ahead

wait for us Granny!

There is something magical about sunken lanes lined with old knarled trees, contorted by their history

is this one a camel?

or a hare?

Fairy fungi everywhere – we had to look up the name of this one – Fly Agaric

and do you think this one might be the rare: Iodine Bolete

It looked the perfect home for an evil elf!

At the top of the hill we found coconut-scented gorse flowers to nibble and were treated to some glorious views

Here we sat for a drink and a snack. We all thought of three words each to describe our walk so far, and as we walked on the children composed little poems using the words – it all got very giggly as they created weird and wonderful rhymes.

And then we found ourselves in a prickly gorse tunnel where the path had become overgrown

I was hoping it would end and we would come out on clear path so we battled on for quite a way getting stabbed with prickles and feeling like badgers in the undergrowth. We sent Master R ahead to see if there was light at the end of the tunnel – but no – we had to turn back and make our way back the way we had come.

Our batteries fully recharged by the wonderful views, the sunshine and that blue sky

Oh the joy of autumn sunshine through trees and walking the sunken lanes.

Happy sigh!

Back to the car and Little Miss M and I checked Strava. We had added 2.4 miles to our total. We have now done 54 miles – only 446 to go!

I hope you enjoyed scampering along with us.

I’m joining Robin at Breezes at Dawn for her annual Walktober Gathering

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Knolling, Flat Lay, Assemblage Art

As you can see I’m learning even more new terms.

The honeysuckle in my garden is having a second flush of blooms and the scent is heavenly in these sunny Autumn days. It inspired this Flat Lay piece of Assemblage art which includes a few verbascum blooms and birch leaves.

And did you know about Knolling ……… no? Nor me ….until I was enlightened by Instagram

knolling is “the process of arranging like objects in parallel or 90 degree angles as a method of organization”.

I’m so fascinated by the markings on these leaves

Leaf love!

Yellow and grey are In!

(Mini birch forest)

Yesterday’s spiral of leaves were drying out but still looking gorgeous enough to adorn with some Marigold petals and Honeysuckle

Oh! Ah! Oooo! the morning dew on Marigolds!!!!!!  I’m just loving this Autumn.

I’m not a fan of yellow flowers in the garden as a rule, but couldn’t you just dive into this buxom bloom.

Why not add some honeysuckle berries

I did 3 hours of digging in my garden yesterday in the Battle Against Bamboo (and bindweed!) So I could enjoy some guilt free playtime with petals and leaves.

A Flat Lay extravaganza!

Not In a Vase, but all from my garden, I am once again joining in the IAVOM Garden Party this week.

and

Cee’s FOTD.

Silent Sunday: Autumn

 

Rosslyn and Crochet Butterflies

Rosslyn variations.

I am making a Lap Blanket each for my twin granddaughters who have a birthday coming up.

It has been fun making them the same but different, and playing around with Helen Shrimpton’s excellent Rosslyn Pattern.

In order to make them rectangular instead of square I added a few rows and some butterflies at each end, before adding the edging.

Twig’s Lap Blanket

The first pattern for a butterfly border I found was this one by Debi Dearest

I left the antennae long until just before I was going to finish them off by snipping them and melting the ends next to the flame of a candle to seal them.

Debi’s method of making the bodies so that they do not move around can be found here

Then I found another pattern for Twiglet’s butterflies

Twiglet’s Lap blanket

 

Crochet Butterfly Stitch

 

To make the body and antennae I found that wrapping the yarn round twice on each side and then knotting the two ends together after the intial reef knot gave a slightly better finish, giving the butterfly a head and keeping the antennae in line rather than going off at odd angles.

The yellow one above is made as in the video and the pink body is made with my variation.

Next I seal the ends of the antennae by holding them near to a candle flame to melt them together so they don’t fray.

Washing and blocking these two blankets with all those butterflies and picots round the edge – as well as the roses took a whole day.

I still have some roses to sew on to Twiglet’s blanket before the blankets are ready for packing and posting.

In a Flat Lay on Monday

I’m learning all sorts of new terms through Instagram hashtags. I had no idea that arranging things like this had a name – it is called ‘Flat Lay’ apparently. I have done this ever since I was a kid – I just love arranging things, now I have a proper grown-up name for it.

Joining in with Cathy for In a Vase on Monday.

Silent Sunday: St.Catherine’s Chapel

In a Vase on Monday

I have picked all the flowers off my pelargoniums and lifted the plants.

In the past I have tried to dry them out and then repot in the Spring and planting out after frosts have finished – this had very limited success.

For the past couple of years I have dug them up and kept them going inside all winter, then planted them out again – each time removing the blooms and taking cuttings.

It seems to work and I get the bonus of flowers all winter.

I feed them with a little Tomato feed each week.

What do you do with yours?

Joining in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden

and

Cee’s Flower of the Day