Autumn Colour

No, I can't believe it either - two blog posts in ONE WEEK! Just like the old days! And don't be mislead by the title - this isn't about fallen leaves and gloriously hued trees - though there is much evidence of fallen leaves to be fair. It's about the colourful things in the cottage and garden which are still providing me with pleasure as the season gets a little murkier.

In the header photograph you can see my favourite cardigan - and no, I didn't knit it, don't be silly! But I DID crochet the little bag which tones so well with it. This is Lucy's (Attic 24) Weekend Bag and I chose the Heatwave colour scheme specifically to go with the cardigan. It's made using chunky wool and worked up in absolutely no time at all. A real joy to crochet.

Off out into the garden, and - aside from the profusion of fallen leaves still littering the place despite Jim's hard work with the leaf blower - there are still so many flowers hanging on in there long after they should be gone. A real delight, especially the fuchsias.

I was amazed to discover that last hollyhock, hiding behind the bins! And it hasn't been long since the rose decided to call it a day.

And speaking of crochet, HOW long have I had this granny stripe on the back-burner? The actual blanket was finished ages ago, but the ends needed darning in and the border put on. I finally sat and did the darning over the weekend, while the rugby was on, and began the pistachio border, but have run out of wool and am waiting for a delivery. Behind it over the back of the chair is one of my ripple blankets, also an Attic 25 pattern. She gives such full and clear instructions and detailed photographs of every stage, just what I need! It has been very soothing trebling along round the border, and I have another two rows to go - bliss!

Some more gorgeous colour which delights me each time I go into the kitchen.

On my lovely trolley I keep some of my favourite ceramic bits and pieces, my lemon/eggs/garlic storage and this fab food cover, isn't it pretty in pink? My blue and white salt pig we bought in Sienna many many years ago;  the lid is cracked and repaired, and the rim has a few chips taken out of it, but I will never part with it.

And how about these beauties! The spoon rest we found in Larners, up in Holt earlier this year, and the five small dishes I bought there also. When we were in Mallorca in September we found a shop selling the same patterned ware as the spoon, so we snapped up the three dipping bowls, and yes, we do use them for all sorts of things. (I have to say they were a lot cheaper in Mallorca than Holt, but you'd expect that!) It pleases my eyes immeasurably to glance at these items while I prep and cook. To my mind, colour gladdens the heart, and we could all do with a bit more of that these days! Toodle-pip, I won't promise to be as quick with the next post, but you never know!

An Eventful Month

I'm in a really strange position of having cleared a lot of "stuff" out of my life (not necessarily for ever) in order to calm things down a little, and yet still feeling I'm on a roller coaster, because the weeks are flying by and I'm barely keeping up with what's going on. Sadly I'm not making much headway on the music front, just can't find my way back into it, and we've been so so few gigs lately I've forgotten what's happening where! Also, I had to cancel two craft fair events due to stuff happening at home. So that's two things I really enjoy doing which seem to be very much on the back burner at the moment.

I did finish this latest appliquéd blanket cushion cover, I love the colour scheme, the wool felt appliqué really "pops" against the deep blue blanket. The header photo shows a cushion cover and a throw I crocheted to go over the back of my chair in the summer house going up in the garden. Speaking of which, here's a photo of the concrete base, waiting for the guys to build the rest of it. I can't wait to start putting in the things we've discovered on our tour of the junk shops, though some of them still have to be cleaned up and painted. I'll be sure to show you the results.

 On the baking front, I've been experimenting with sourdough again, and, armed with a starter gifted to me by a friend, I've made a couple over the past two weeks. They were quite tasty, though I didn't get the rise I'd hoped for. Since then I think I've managed to kill off the starter, unfortunately.

Back to the garden, we've still got a few flowers hanging around, though they are mostly struggling to show their heads above the sea of fallen leaves. And in the plastic bins are some parsley and chard, rescued from my Square Foot Garden which has had to be re-sited because of the sumner house.

In the space of half a dozen weeks, we have celebrated my birthday, Jim's birthday, and our 45th Wedding Anniversary. We're still amazed to be able to say that, it's a bit of a record these days, but we know how lucky we are to still have each other, because very sadly a good friend of ours recently died unexpectedly at home. It's taking a while for it to sink in to be honest; for a short guy Dave had a very big personality. Coming suddenly like that it certainly makes you pause and count your blessings. I hope you all have lots of wonderful things to find yourselves blessed with!