In a Vase on Monday: Snowdrops and Ivy

Something has had a good old nibble on those ivy leaves, providing must needed food in the depths of winter.

Joining Cathy for In a Vase on Monday.

Victorian Snowdrop Garden

I have been beavering away at a new blanket: Lost Garden, another gorgeous pattern from Helen Shrimpton. This one really is a joy and very relaxing to make.

The yarn is Stylecraft Special DK and the colours are, from the top: Lincoln, Cream, Stone and Parchment.

The hook is 4.5mm

Helen has taken her inspiration from the Lost Gardens of Heligan – a favourite place of mine, full of history, magic and delight.

This blanket will be a wedding present for the daughter of one of my closest friends. The colours are to go with her sitting room – a lap blanket to fold over a sofa and use for romantic snuggling in front of the TV. ❤ ❤

Not a palette I would have chosen, but I am finding it oh so calming to work with.

The photo above shows the truest colours and was taken in Egypt. It was my early morning project before the rest of the house was up and doing.

The colours and their placement have got a lot of attention in the Helen’s Hookaholics Facebook Group. Some have said it looks Victorian, like a Meissen Plate and like Snowdrops. I love all these references – especially the snowdrops.

This is just before I start to square the corners.

A few people have asked me to give the colour order, so here goes:

Rounds 1 – 10: Cream

Round 11: Parchment

Round 12: Lincoln

Round 13: Stone

Round 14: Parchment

Round 15: Stone

~

Rounds 16 – 18: Parchment

Round 19: Lincoln

Round 20 and 21: Cream

Round 22: Lincoln

~

Round 23: Lincoln

Round 24 – 26: Parchment

Round 27: Stone

Round 28: Cream

Round 29 – 32 : Parchment

~

Round 33 and 34: Parchment

Rounds 35 and 36: Stone

Round 37: Parchment

Round 38: Lincoln

Round 39: Parchment

Round 40: Lincoln

Round 41: Cream

Round 42: Lincoln

Round 43: Cream

Round 44 and 45: Parchment

~

 

Rounds 46 – 50: Parchment

 

 

and just in case you were wondering what it might look like in just two colours:

It could look rather sophisticated in just grey and white don’t you think?

And for the next bit – the corners, see this post.

Forde Abbey

On Sunday a friend and I went to visit the snowdrops at Forde Abbey.

Click on the photos to see them larger.

It is on the border of Dorset and Somerset and just an hour’s drive from where I live. The house is not open until April,

but the gardens are a lovely place to wander in.

and having poured with rain the whole way there, the sun shone for us

and the skies cleared

This Cornelian Cherry (Cornus Mas) was really in the spotlight.

so sunny! but no scent.

with a circle of snowdrops beneath – what a gem!

The star of the show for me, but the hellebores came a close second

There were enough windows on the building to last for the whole year of the Monthly Meet-Up Photo Challenge

So you will be seeing more of this place on Tuesday the 5th March.

Edit: for a gallery of amazing photos go to the Forde Abbey Instagram page.

 

In a Moss Ball on Monday

Joining in with Cathy’s In a Vase on Monday

A rooted cutting from a ‘Money Plant’ or Crassula Portulacea (I think?), just right to make into a piece of Kokodama as a gift for a fellow blogger with a penchant for succulents.

I had the most brilliant day yesterday – all due to commenting on Noelle’s Snowdrop post a couple of weeks ago. Following an exchange of comments and Noelle’s generous invitation, Noelle, Alison and I all met up at the Bishop’s Palace in Wells for the Snowdrop Celebration.

The day was cold but the sunshine bright

Look at that sky!

So much beauty to see

and Cathy – so many wonderful witchhazels

 

We had the best time – more photos to share in a future post

So, thank you from the tip of my toes to the top of my head to Cathy for her fabulous Monday meme which brought us together, Noelle for the suggestion and generous hospitality and Alison for joining us to make it such a wonderful day.Noelle  ~  Alison  ~  Me

Kokodama Snowdrops

You might already know how much I love all things Japanese. I came across the Art of Kokodama on @tranquil_plants on Instagram and just had to have a go.

The snowdrop moss ball dangles in the window next to the pelargoniums that have flowered for over a year now – ‘Winter says hello to Summer’

back lit by a sunny Golden Euonymus outside in the garden.

Joining Cathy with her ‘In a Vase on Monday’ meme. It is always delightfully uplifting to see what she and other gardeners pop into a vase – or other container – each week.

I’m new to Instagram, not sure how to use it yet, but if you would like to see what I put on there here is a link.

A Good Day

Some days go by and I feel I have done very little and then other days – like today, I feel full of energy having achieved much – it is no coincidence that the sun has been shining ALL day:

I woke early and cleared out some 150 or so emails from my Inbox – my how they increase when you are not on it! (up to just over 900, which is ridiculous!).

Checked in on Ravelry and Etsy and answered emails and messages.

Finished off a knitted Hat Wig (or Wig Hat – which sounds better? hmmm?) with a 3 needle cast off, my new favourite finishing technique,

I rarely get up before doing a bit of knitting or crochet, with my first cuppa of the day – green tea.

Charged phone, lap top, and camera ready to go to a meeting at work (this is some work I do with groups of children) and set off for the weekly market in my local town to buy snowdrops ‘in the green’, and some wonderful local produce.

I bought 20 little bunches of snowdrops from a local grower

and he kindly threw in a few extra and some advice to plant them at least 5″ deep to prevent them from being dug up by mice and squirrels for a tasty snack.

And then to work – I was a bit earlier than I needed to be so I sat in the car listening to ’12 Years a Slave’ on BBC Radio 4. and carrying on with some knitting – I was so engrossed in both that I was nearly late for my meeting – oops!

I’ve come up with this kinda wavy pattern for the Flick Wig – it’s probably a well known pattern, but it pleases me because it is a cable that does not need a cable needle,

and it gives the wig a bit of texture and creates a snugger fit, which is especially important for chemo caps/hats/wigs.

A very productive meeting at work, and then back home to plant snowdrops in the sunshine

I am planting them in front of my new espalier pear trees – Concorde, Conference, Clapps Favourite and Baronne de Mello which I got from Thornhayes Nursery in Devon. They were planted in early December.

And in front of the snowdrops will be a mass of forget-me-knots, from the seeds I was given last year and grew in my fabulous Veg Trugs

The heart is made of poppy seedlings, the ‘kisses’ are black cornflowers, and the sprinkling around the edge is the forget-me-knots.

I love how the shapes grew

I planted the snowdrops with a little of my own home made compost to give them a good start – you can see the amazing whizzo black rotary compost maker in the background

There is very little that gives me more pleasure than using my own compost! It ticks so many boxes for me – using up waste (the hoarder in me LOVES this!), environmentally fabulous, creative, and just so magical how kitchen waste can turn into rich earth so quickly to give my food and flower plants such a good start. Heavenly bliss!!! My children roll their eyes at my glee and delight!!!

And now the sun is going down so it’s back inside for a currant bun, vanilla chai and a cosy log fire – and more knitting of course!

How was your day?