Monday, 11 May 2015

A Brooch a Day in May

My latest brooch choices, a pretty selection of my laser cut brooches and a pretty ceramic bird brooch by Virginia Graham, I love her work so much and picked this up from the Contemporary Craft fair in Manchester a couple of years ago. 
I'm starting to notice quite how much red I wear...

Saturday, 9 May 2015

My Week

I do so enjoy a week that starts with a Bank Holiday, and on Sunday we used the time wisely to pop along to the Machynlleth Comedy Festival to see Rob Newman, and visited all of the lovely shops and a delightful cafe for Butterscotch and Walnut cake and tea - they had the most beautiful teapot and mismatched crockery, it was heaven! I spent the evening finishing a scarf I started a very long time ago, and I feel pleased to have completed my first ever lace pattern. I've also been working on Granny Squares and socks this week, made with my lovely WonderWool haul, I was too excited not to dive straight in! 
For Bank Holiday Monday we went on a city adventure to Liverpool, we went along to the Leonora Carrington and Cathy Wilkes exhibition at the Tate, which was really very interesting and I'm already planning a return visit. We had a lovely wander around the shops and had lots of tea. 
On Thursday we voted in the General Election, and although I don't want to mull on Politics here, I feel more than a little let down by the result. I had hoped that five years of aggressive targeting of the most vulnerable in our society would have been enough to change the way people voted, or that it would have been enough to convince people to take an interest and actually go out and vote. I worry for our NHS, for our elderly and vulnerable people, for the people who can't make ends meet no matter how hard they try. I worry that hateful propaganda has poisoned people who should know better, that we will go backwards instead of forwards in eradicating intolerance. It has taken me a day to be able to articulate these thoughts - yesterday was just too sad. 

Thursday, 7 May 2015

Brooch a Day in May

My latest "Brooch a Day in May" choices! 
The mushroom was one of the very first brooches I made when I tried out a laser cutter in my second year of uni, almost seven years ago (how time flies...) and is still one of my favourites. I do so love acrylic jewellery, such lovely colours!

Tuesday, 5 May 2015

Brooch a Day in May

I feel like my brooch a day challenge is off to a good start! I've worn some of my laser cut brooches, and a beautiful Lucite brooch that I bought in January but hadn't worn, and of course that was the purpose of my challenge, to enjoy the beautiful brooches in my collection! 
I'll be back on Thursday to share my next choices, I really am rather enjoying picking out the perfect brooch for every outfit!

Sunday, 3 May 2015

Readings...April

My April books were just lovely, as always I wish I'd made more time to read, but the month just seemed to fly by. 
I read...
  • Denis Theriault - "The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman"
  • Arthur Conan Doyle - "The Lost World"
  • Jojo Moyes - "Night Music"


I'm reading "The Rabbit Back Literature Society" at the moment and enjoying it so far. I've added more books to my "to read..." pile, I can never resist buying a book.

Saturday, 2 May 2015

My Week

I am ever so glad that I made the most of the beautiful weather at the start of the week - today is dreary and rainy and Wintry, but I am making the best of it with plenty of tea and knitting. I spent most of the week in the post-WonderWool wind-down, enjoying my lovely new stash and mooching around the online versions of the beautiful stalls I had visited. I took time to knit with my WonderWool buddy on Monday and we discussed the day and our plans to use our lovely purchases. I spent a little time tending our garden, so pleased that my husband had the foresight to plant beautiful wallflowers and tulips. 

On Thursday I went walking with my dad and his little dog, wandering through the woods and along the canal, stopping to admire the bluebells and wild garlic that lined our way. We mooched along and chatted and managed to avoid the April showers, and it was just lovely.

Friday, 1 May 2015

My Month In Makes...

This month saw a sock knitting innovation - I picked up some Drops Big Fabel chunky sock yarn, and using a combination of two patterns I made some cosy socks! I used the Quick and Chunky Sock Pattern as a starting point, and took some bits from my favourite Beginner Sock Pattern, and now I have two pairs of very gorgeous socks, that take very little time to make! I've started another pair for my sister too.
I finished two pairs of 4ply socks - some stripy ones and some Frankensocks, and I'm working on a third pair, with Drops Fabel yarn that looks like fancy Fairisle. 
I'm making progress with my 2015 blanket, I've finished seven rows now, and I love it so much! I finished my granny square blanket, and it's currently on my sofa being adored by my kitties. At the beginning of the month I started a new stash-buster blanket, I'm not using a pattern, just making it up as I go along, and it's coming along rather nicely. 
It's been a lovely month of makings!