St. Catherine’s Chapel

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Celebrating Narcissi

From the field that surrounds my daughter’s new home

There is also a cherry tree, so in homage to last week’s vase from Greenway House:

looking good against the colours in the sitting room and adorning the golden locks of the resident flower fairy

Joining Cathy for In a Vase on Monday

and

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Worbarrow Bay Blanket

Last year, in April, I was in a quandry about which colours to use in my Coastal Cosy blanket – and you dear readers helped me out – pinks or no pinks that was the question.

I finished the blanket back in the Autumn, but have been waiting for a suitable sunny day to take it to the beach for its Ta Dah! moment.

Yesterday was the day and we went on a fabulous walk at Tyneham before getting to the beach

there was a bit of resistance to climbing that hill but after seeing this sign

chatting about exploding cows got us to the top

walking through coconut scented gorse bushes towards Flowers Barrow and looking inland at Lulworth Castle

and then the most glorious view of the steep descent to the beach

oh my aching knees! but Oh! it was so worth it.

The blanket had found exactly the right place to be photographed

and because it went so beautifully with the colours there, it has been re-named the Worbarrow Bay Blanket.

Master R and Little Miss M were happy to help me with the photo shoot.

and came up with some novel ideas of their own …

blanket angels

“we are a rock”

“it would look good on this rock over here Granny”

and then back to hunting for sea glass

our haul after about an hour and a half

tiny pieces of treasure.

We walked 3.8 miles bringing the total number of miles walked by Little Miss M and me to 65 of our 500 mile target.

More details of the colour order and the edging of the Worbarrow Bay Blanket to follow in a future post.

Edit

In case you would like to visit Tyneham and Worbarrow – here are the Opening times for this year.

Click on any photo to see it full screen.

 

In a Vase on Monday: Greenway House

This bowl was catching the light beautifully at Greenway House (Agatha Christie’s holiday home) in Devon.

I visited on a glorious spring day at the time of the Camellia Festival and completely fell in love with the place. You can see more posts about it full of camellias, in the drop down list top left of the page.

The garden is huge with wonderful meandering paths giving views of the River Dart

One of the entrances to the Camellia Garden

And looking up –  a view of the house and the most spectacular magnolia

You can even stay there in the South Lodge

which gives you free access to the grounds after the visitors have left

and this is the view of Dartmouth

A white magnolia covered with lichen caught my eye

and wouldn’t you just love to have a greenhouse like this one!

It is a wonderful place – visit if you can!

Joining the others for the In a Vase on Monday party.

Fernery Fountain and Camellias

 

The charming little fountain in the Fernery at Greenway House in Devon

and some more of the gorgeous camellias

 

I hope you are not getting bored with Greenway House – as you can tell – I’m besotted!

In this You Tube clip, Agatha Christie’s grandson talks about the time he spent there.

Here’s another view of the house and its position on the banks of the River Dart, click on the photos to see them full screen.

Along one of the high paths, a cute little cherry tree

so compact and absolutely covered with deep pink blossom

Joining Cee and her Flower of the Day

Camellia Festival at Greenway House

It is a long and winding road to get to Greenway House, the holiday home of Agatha Christie. Don’t believe the Sat Nav as it takes you into a cul de sac in a village about 2 miles away. You must book your car parking space online or by telephone before you arrive or you won’t be let in – so already you know you are going to a very special place.

It is all worth it – just LOOK! this is the view from the car park!

And further along the tarmac drive you see more of the River Dart

I was lucky enough to be there on a gloriously sunny Spring Day – they have been precious and few! (As I write this post there is rain, wind, cold and sleet, beating against my window – I neeeeed this post to cheer me up!)

In front of the house,  the enormous magnolias took my breath away!

Below is the view from the front door – imagine waking up to this on a sunny spring morning!

and looking up from a path that leads down to the Camellia Garden

The gardens in general are completely splendiferously, romantically, beautifully gorgeous! But I have to say the area described as the Camellia Garden is a little underwhelming – beautiful blooms had to be searched for and the arbour has definitely seen better days

everywhere there are beautiful views of the River Dart – shimmering in the sunlight

Click on any photo to see it full screen.

I would have taken all day to record the names of all the Camellias but in my mind I could hear Cathy of Rambling in the Garden asking me the names and so I recorded my favourites

and

 

This one is Marjorie Davis

I hope this post has conveyed some of the beauty of the gardens ….. there is more to come.

Yarn Along with Ginny

The Scrap Happy Throw is coming along. If you remember I started this as an easy project I could take with me whilst travelling to Egypt. Great to make on the plane and anytime I did not want to have to think about what I was doing.

It is a great project for using up all sorts of scraps of yarn of all different weights – all tied together with a Reef Knot. I will be leaving the ends on show.

I am making it as a throw to protect a kitchen armchair (not this one) in my daughter’s new house. Perfect for her farmer husband to sit in when he comes in for lunch covered in farm grime.

It needs about 10 more rows before adding a one coloured edge.

I have also just completed a little 6″x6″ cotton doily as a housewarming present for a friend.

Made with a 2mm hook in Scheepjes Sugar Rush crochet cotton, Capri Blue.

This is the second time I have made this pattern – it is not the easiest to follow, I probably won’t make it again.

#1 Favorire on Ravelry.

I’m joining in with Ginny and other Yarny Crafters in Ginny’s Yarn Along.

I’m not reading any books but I am listening to The Horn Section on Radio 4 Extra .