Crochet update and a Fungi foray

Weaving continues!

Tinker helping

I've been weaving a few rows of the blankie each evening and finally I'm over half way across.  Phew!

It's nice to see the pattern emerging at last and I'm very pleased with my colour choices which are beautifully light and airy and feel all summery.  I know it's Autumn now but it is a blanket for Summer.

Fungi

It's that time of year when I start taking photos of the amazing mushrooms and toadstools we have around here.

This first one has appeared in the orchard in the long grass near to a pear tree.  I've never seen it here before and as yet I can't identify it even though I've scoured my book. Now identified as a Yellow Fieldcap mushroom, Bolbitus titubans.

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3 from above

Stage 3 side view

Stage 4 from above

I think that last photo looks very much like a flower.  It's interesting how the colour has changed over the days from that sulphur yellow when it emerged to this beige.

The next ones I think are some variety of Oyster mushroom and they appear in several places.

On the compost heap (in shade)

On the shady side of the orchard

Close-up

These next ones always appear about now in large groups near to the Oak trees.  They are a form of Boletus.

Group of Boletus

This next one doesn't usually appear quite as early as this but at least I know what it is - a Scarlet Elf Cup.  Isn't that a perfect name for it?  I can just imagine the elves drinking out of them!  It grows on decaying wood and really shines out against that moss.

Scarlet Elf Cup

Speaking of "cups"  here are some cupcakes I made yesterday -  made with fresh lemon and poppyseeds with a lemon buttercream filling.  They won't last for long, thats for sure!

Catching up

Doilylicious!

I know doilys are out of fashion and have been for many a year but I still like them; there, I've said it!  I don't have them all over the place nowadays but I do like to use them as a centrepiece in certain instances.

We have a small table in the lounge which is home to a large plant and I felt it needed a new doily.  It had been sitting on an embroidered teacloth all summer but I wanted a change - even though I have many doilys already I wanted to make a new one.

I rummaged around in my collection of crochet cottons and found this medium weight cotton in an off-white colour.  It's really soft, rather like dishcloth cotton only a bit thinner.  I didn't bother with a pattern and just let it progress in its own way.  I had to undo the scallop bits a few times as I kept miscalculating the number of stitches required!  It's about 17" across.

There aren't any complicated stitches in there as it's mostly dcs and trebles but I think it's quite effective.

My Old Cap

Here it is in all its shabby glory.  This cap was crocheted in the late 1970s from 2 strands of acrylic yarn (black and brown) held together and is still going strong! 

It orginally had a matching scarf which was really long and I made the set to match an afghan coat I used to love at the time.  The scarf has long since vanished but the cap has prevailed although it has been in and out of fashion throughout the years and is now confined to cool autumn/winter days when I'm out in the field with the horses.

But, it's so stretchy now that it keeps falling over my eyes and so I'm thinking about making another one.  I didn't use a pattern for this and looking at the top of it shows that I just did a spiral increasing from the centre.  I remember that the peak was made from an old Fairy Liquid bottle that I cut up and flattened under a pile of books for ages (I was always a Blue Peter girl at heart!).

Maybe this time I'll try a different pattern as there are so many fabulous designers on the web.

Running

Just ticking over now but actually feeling quite good this week.  Apparently the conditions on the Beachy Head marathon course are pretty dire thanks to all the rain we've been having so I may have to resign myself to just getting round in one piece rather than worrying about my time.

A welcome Visitor

This beautiful Painted Lady butterfly paid us a visit on one of the few dry days we've had recently.  They migrate here from Africa each year but it's only the 2nd one I've seen this year so I was very glad to see it.  I've recorded my sightings on the Butterfly Conservation website as they monitor all the different butterflies spotted here in the UK.

Dark days but a glimmer of hope from DeNDRoN

Dark Days

As the days grow ever shorter I am always reminded of this poem by Robert Louis Stevenson from 'A child's garden of verses':

Bed in Summer

In winter I get up at night

And dress by yellow candle-light.

In summer, quite the other way,

I have to go to bed by day.

I have to go to bed and see

The birds still hopping on the tree,

Or hear the grown-up people's feet

Still going past me in the street.

And does it not seem hard to you,

When all the sky is clear and blue,

And I should like so much to play.

To have to go to bed by day?

In summer I'm awake before the lark and raring to go and yet as the dark days draw in I have to drag myself out of bed.  I sometimes think that hibernating is a sensible option.

I have done very little knitting or crochet this week because the cold damp weather coupled with playing around with clay at ceramics class has aggravated the arthritis in my left thumb.  Boo to getting old and decrepit.  I have however managed to weave a lot more of my crochet blankie as I haven't been able to get out in the garden because of the rain.

Thankfully, running has been OK and now I'm tapering (cutting down my mileage) ahead of the Beachy Head marathon 2 weeks today.  It's going to be tough going on the South Downs after all this rain!

A glimmer of hope

This week I attended a meeting organised by DeNDRoN (Dementias and Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Network - that rolls off the tongue doesn't it?!).  I was very excited as this meeting was to take forward an idea that was originally mooted at the Government Dementia Research Summit that I attended in July 2009 - to set up an on-line Research Register by which people with dementia and their carers will be able to volunteer to take part in clinical trials and other research studies.

I've attended so many conferences/presentations etc where much is promised and then nothing delivered that it really gave me a lift to think that something good is actually going to happen at last.

How fab is that!

Overlay Crochet Cushion & more excitement

So here's the beautiful overlay cushion by Melody MacDuffee I mentioned before.  Isn't it stunning?!

I have chosen my own colours as I want it to co-ordinate with my curtains so here they are:

I've swapped the oranges and rusts for pinks and reds.

They are a mixture of embroidery cotton and cotton perle as I like the idea of having different textures - 

smooth and twisted.

It may take me some time to do as it uses a 1.75mm hook and I haven't used one that small for years as my eyesight isn't that good!

Is it a heart or a bottom?

When I was checking over the plum trees I spotted these 2 plums that had fused together.  Being an old romantic I immediately saw a heart shape................

........Mike saw a bottom!

A fantastic find

I've been searching for a terracotta  chicken or duck for months.  Why?  Because I want to adorn it with shells!   I saw an example in an old book of handicrafts and thought it looked amazing.

I don't often write about my obsession with shells but I have an enormous collection and I love making pictures with them.  Last time I posted about them was my seahorse frame.

The other day we were pottering around the Charity shops in a local village when a lady was bringing in a whole load of boxes that had belonged to her late father.  There were boxes and boxes of sheet music so Mike had a good old rummage for any interesting piano music and then I spotted this -

It isn't a duck or even a chicken but the shape enthralled me.  It's a beautiful swan designed as a planter.  

The lady said it's very old and the store manager thought it was Staffordshire pottery.  There were bits of damage on it but that really didn't matter to me.  It's about 15" high so quite substantial.

I absolutely love the shape of the neck and head and those feathers will be a delight to cover with shells.  I can't wait but I think I might save it as a Christmas project.  We always have a project that we each devote all our attention to during the Christmas holidays and I can spend the next couple of months thinking about how I'll decorate it.

What a wonderful find!

Very excited!

Oh yes indeed I am!

Crochet Club

First off, I've just joined up for Crochet Club 2013 with Jane Crowfoot.  I am so excited about this even though it doesn't start until the middle of February next year.  I loved the things they did in 2011 and 2012 and the teaser for 2013 looks beautiful.  It was Jane who taught me how to hold my yarn for Fair Isle when I first tried it several years ago.  I'd signed up for a Fair Isle class at Kangaroo.com (which used to be in West Sussex but is now based in France) but there weren't enough people interested so I joined the Intarsia class and took the Fair Isle glove I was knitting along for some advice.  Jane explained the 2 handed technique really well and my tension has always been perfect since then.

I needed something to stretch me in my crochet as I'm a bit stuck in a rut.  I've crocheted since I was a small child and I've made countless shawls, cardigans, coats, skirts, granny square/hexagon/ripple/flower afghans, we have enough vintage doilies (mum and I made many years ago) to stock a shop together with tablecloths/tea cloths/table mats with crocheted edges.

I've dabbled in free-form which I enjoyed and I loved making the flower cushion a few months ago but I wanted something different and the Crochet Club fits the bill nicely.

Of course now I can't wait to get started!

Pottery classes

I've signed up for a series of 10 ceramics evening classes in a village nearby.  I dabbled in pottery in 2005 after mum died but those courses were not repeated and I've been searching for another ever since.

The first session was last week and I am buzzing with ideas which is brilliant.  I'm starting out as a beginner again as I've forgotten a lot since I did it before.  Back then I made several pots, vases, candle holders, wall plaques and 2 lasagne dishes (that we use a lot).  I also made this birdbath which, so far (touch wood etc etc) has survived in one piece and has had lots of use as you can see -

Heart birdbath

 As usual, it features a heart motif!

Frequent visitors

 I've seen 4 ducks crammed in there at once.

Tinker

Tinker uses it as his outside drinking bowl.

We were given a notebook to record ideas and sketches and I've already drawn lots of things and pasted in some inspirational images.  I know Pinterest is great but I love having a scrapbook that I can doodle in.

Running

My long run at the weekend went well and I ran at a decent pace without mishap.  Today I did an interval session on the treddy and my breathing wasn't too bad.  I didn't push the pace too much but I was pleased with how I felt.  As it's only 3 weeks until Beachy Head marathon I really need to get my confidence levels up.

Crochet and knitting WIPs

My mandala is blocked and awaiting it's backing.

The woven blanket is getting a couple of rows woven whilst I have a coffee in the morning.  It is starting to look lovely but the process of weaving is a bit tedious, especially as you have to weave each row twice.

The jumper is coming on slowly as I've been spending a lot of the daylight hours outside getting some planting done inbetween showers.

I know it's really naughty to be thinking about another project when these are still unfinished but I've just got Rowan Parisian Nights and I want to make several things straight away: Burgundy and Chablis have my name on them (and I have enough Kidsilk Haze in my stash to make them so it's not really naughty!) but the one that's calling to me is Chenin as I have the right amount of yarn in the most beautiful blue, shade 593, now discontinued I think, and it would make a lovely cardigan for evening wear.

I shall try to resist but I can't promise I won't succomb............

Beautiful crochet mandala

I've finished the mandala and I absolutely adore it!

Finished mandala - front

It was completely absorbing from start to finish and fascinating watching the pattern develop.

Finished mandala - back

The weaving-in of ends wasn't too daunting as I'd done a lot of it as I went along.

It still needs blocking just to finish it off completely but I was so pleased with the end result I just wanted to show it now!

Close up of toning shades

Mandala, cushion and curtains

I'm going to stiffen the back, probably using iron-on interfacing and hang it behind the chair to brighten up the corner.

Details:

Pattern: By Carola Herbst at Etsy.  A very well written and detailed pattern full of step by step instructions, photos and charts.
Yarn: Rowan Summer Tweed, aran weight, in colours to match my dining room curtains and crochet cushion.
Hook: 3.5mm
Technique: Overlay Crochet.
Finished dimensions: 30cm diameter.  I wanted a much larger mandala than in the pattern, hence my choice of yarn.

I can't wait to investigate this technique further!

Asthma update

After weeks of feeling grotty and struggling through 2 marathons in the process, I went back to the doctor.  Thankfully it was my favourite doctor who listened to all the problems I've been having (sore throat, night cramps in both legs, running nose, headaches, generally feeling grotty) and changed my medications on a trial basis.

After 2 days of trying them I am starting to feel a bit better so I'm hopeful that they might be more successful.  As one of them is in a purple container, which is my favourite colour, they must be efficacious!

New meds!

World Alzheimer's Day

Today is the 18th World Alzheimer's Day.

It makes me sad that dementia has become such a problem that it has to have a special day but at least it is spoken about more openly now.

People often ask me now why I am still campaigning 7 years after my mum died and it's simple - so little has changed since I first started out on my journey.  Research into this devastating disease is still desperately under-funded but at least David Cameron has listened and has promised to make it a priority.

I would like to be able to focus on the good times with my mum but I know in my heart that I must still tell her story so that others become aware of how dreadful dementia is both for the person themselves and for those around them.

Today I shall be remembering how ghastly it was for my mum as she descended into the dark world of dementia and thinking of all those who are suffering now, together with their families and friends.

I miss you mum.

Rosehip Syrup & other bits and bobs

I've taken a week off everything physical to try and beat whatever is bugging me and making the asthma worse.  I traditionally do this after my last marathon of the year as it allows me to recharge my batteries both mentally and physically.  But, with the Beachy Head marathon in just 4 weeks I really need to be in good shape and there is no denying that I am feeling grotty at the moment!

So I've taken to stalking our hedgerows as a gentle form of exercise.  They are laden with enough sloes to start a small distillery.

Sloe gin growing nicely!

The blackberries and hawthorn berries are glowing like jewels.  I've already made rosehip and bramble jelly which I hadn't tried before, which is sublime and I'll write up a recipe soon, and I am toying with the idea of trying hawthorn jelly (although the taste when they are raw doesn't really appeal so I may not bother!).

The haul of rosehips this year is phenomenal and I don't think we've ever had so many that I could be really picky and only choose the really beautiful and perfect ones.  I picked 2kg and there's at least 5 times that amount left for the birds.

I've been making rosehip syrup for years, whenever I could find a plentiful supply of hips as it's such a wonderful source of vitamin C to help ward off colds throughout the winter months. In our last garden we grew Rosa Rugosa which produced the most beautiful round hips and they made a lovely syrup.  Our hedgerows have 2 forms of Dog Rose, one with white flowers and one with pale pink flowers and the hips are a slightly different shape.

So, here's my recipe for Rosehip Syrup:

Ingredients

You can halve the quantities successfully as it's not always possible to gather so many hips.

1kg of hips, nice and ripe and no mushy ones

1kg of sugar - I've used caster sugar and granulated in the past with excellent results.  I've seen recipes using dark sugar but I think that might overpower the flavour of the hips.  This time I've experimented with Golden Caster sugar.

Boiling water (quantities within the recipe)

Warmed, sterilised bottles or jars with lids or corks (small bottles are best for this as once it's opened it doesn't keep well)

Gather the hips carefully as the thorns on our native Dog Rose are vicious!  I use a pair of secateurs or scissors to snip the hips off.  Wash them and get rid of any dried brown bits on the bottom of the hips.

A beautiful haul of Rosehips

Boil 2 litres of water (I use the kettle for this rather than a pan).  Most recipes tell you to chop the hips.  Well, I'm sorry but life is too short for that so I just toss them in the blender with a some of the water as it makes the grinding easier.

Chopping rosehips the easy way!

Tip all the minced rosehips and all the water into a preserving pan.  The mixture looks a bit like red lentils. Bring the water to the boil again then remove from the heat, give it a good stir, cover the pan and leave to steep for 30 minutes.

Chopped rosehips and water

Scald a jelly bag and tip the mixture into it with a bowl underneath to collect the liquid.  If you haven't got a jelly bag you can use a couple of pieces of muslin to line a colander but be careful that it is strained properly as the rosehip seeds have hairs that can irritate the gut.  Strain for 30 minutes then remove the pulp from the bag and put it back in the pan with another 1 litre of boiling water.  Stir, cover and leave for a further 30 minutes then strain this through the jelly bag/muslin into the other juice.

Throw away the pulp (it's good for the compost heap!).

Put the juice into a clean pan and boil rapidly until it has reduced by 1/2.  Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar until it has all dissolved.  It's important to make sure all the sugar crystals have dissolved before you boil the mixture as they can spoil the look of the finished syrup.  Then boil the mixture rapidly, without stirring, for 5 minutes.

Double, double toil and trouble
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble!

Pour carefully into the bottles or jars and seal.  I use my large measuring jug to pour the syrup into the bottles.  Store in a cool dark place.

Liquid vitamin C

Enjoy a spoonful a day throughout the dark months of Winter or drizzle it over ice cream/pancakes.

Mandala and knitting progress

The mandala is growing nicely and I'm in love with this technique as it's so absorbing.  Using an aran weight silk/cotton yarn is not the easiest of options but I love the nobbly texture and of course these colours are perfect for the dining room.  I think I'll be playing around with this technique some more over the next few months.

My jumper is coming on slowly but surely but I can only work on it in daylight as I find the dark colours of the kidsilk haze difficult to see well in artificial light.

Mosaic

Mike's just finishing off some steps from the lawn to part of the patio.  There's a bit just below the patio that is just crying out for a bit of mosaic (you can see that Mike has kindly cross hatched it to provide a key for my mosaic).  I haven't done any mosaic for a while so I'm going to enjoy it.  

Steps in need of mosaic magic

I've got loads of tesserae (glass and ceramic) but I thought I'd make use of some of the bits and bobs I've dug up in the garden.  I've got loads of bits of blue and white pottery but I also have a few bits of brown and cream and some bits of old broken glass in various shades of green so I thought I'd go for muted colours.  

Broken bits

In the bottom left there are some makers' marks which I'd like to include if possible and I've got some Shisha Mirrors somewhere that could brighten it up too.  I think I've got some diamond shaped ones as well as circles.

Bunnies!

Whilst rummaging around I found these ceramic bunnies that I made in pottery class a few years ago.  There are some hearts too (a motif I use a lot!).  They were made for a mobile but the firing wasn't right and some of the pieces were broken when someone else's pot fell on top of my things.  

The 2 small blue and orange bunnies were made in memory of Tango and Bluebelle by last 2 beautiful Rex rabbits who sadly passed away a few years ago.  I'd kept Rex rabbits for over 30 years but I decided not to get any more when they died.

Beautiful bunnies

Weather permitting, I'll make a start on the mosaic tomorrow.

Crochet mandala

Tinker and I settled down to a bit of crochet using this beautiful mandala design by Carola Herbst.  The pattern is very detailed and well  written.  I just had to remember that it used American crochet terms so I had to pay attention and change sc to dc etc etc.

In her design she used dk cotton but I wanted to use Rowan Summer Tweed, an aran weight as I wanted it to be bigger and more bulky.

There were a few false starts on the colour choices as I wanted it to co-ordinate with my curtains and cushion.

But eventually I settled on a good combo and I was off!

I'd never tried overlay crochet before and it is fascinating and very absorbing.  It's really interesting seeing the layers develop.  After an hour of hooky fun, this is what I'd done.

There are lots more rounds to crochet and I'm looking forward to watching the pattern develop.  Carola's instructions are really clear and very detailed.

I recently bought this book - Crochet Masterclass in which there is another beautiful pattern by Melody MacDuffee using overlay crochet (part of it is shown on the front cover).  Her piece uses embroidery cottons which sounds great fun as I have a large collection of many colours.

I'm looking forward to trying some new and more challenging techniques such as Clones Lace (using a .75mm hook, yikes!) and revisiting old friends such as hairpin lace - I don't think I've done that since the 1970s when I made shawls!

International Crochet day

Today, 12th September, is the 5th year of International Crochet Day which was started by Jimbo and he's having a giveaway of his beautiful crochet hooks so pop over and have a look.

I shall be crocheting a mandala today to celebrate.