Matlida Jane - I love you!

I can't tell you how much I love this cardigan and pattern.  I just love, love, love it!  Ysolda Teague is a designer genius.  I have so loved knitting this cardigan, it's been a pleasure, and so very clever.  You knit it from the top down.  There are raglan sleeves which mean that there are no seams to sew and I'm sure it has made knitting that much quicker.  Ysolda also has a total eye for the shaping - wonderful.  I was a little worried that I had knitted a size too small, but it fits like a dream.  There were a few fiddly bits, like lifted increases and casting on in the middle of a row which I haven't done before, but a quick response from Ysolda and everything made sense!  B and A lifted increases, before and after - of course!  There were little  things in the pattern that I loved like the knitted buttonhole facings and the shaping to give you a mitred corner at the bottom corner.  So here it is, my Matlida Jane and enough wool left over to make some fingerless gloves - for those chilly days when forearms might get a bit nippy!

Three generations craft project

It started off as a Granny and Granddaughter craft project.  My mum had given Flopsy Bunny this gorgeous book on how to make princessy type things.  Flopsy Bunny had chosen the castle and we got everything together except we didn't have any paint.  Not to worry says my mum we will cover the boxes with fabric - ahh can you see where I get it from?!  Anyway, during this whole process Flopsy Bunny lost interest and decided to take on a more supervisory/overseeing role and somehow it turned into a mother and daughter project instead.  Which was lovely, I must say we both really enjoyed ourselves a lot - Flopsy Bunny came along to put on the finishing touches and here it is!  A princess castle!

Corners of the house

We've been having a bit of a move around at home.  The dining room has been moved round and we've created this little corner which shows off my grandfather's desk beautifully.  Which, as you can see, is slightly battered but very beloved!  The picture on top of the desk is by the very talented Flopsy Bunny.  I think there is definately some synchronisity going on in our house.  I've been looking for ages for a picture like this, an abstract, sort of stripey with those kind of colours and lo and behold my little gorgeous Flopsy Bunny created this last year.  Doesn't it just look fab - or are my rose-tinted glasses a bit too rose-tinted in this matter?!  (I do have thoughts along the lines of  - when she is a world famous artist I can say - "well this was her first piece, aged 5!" hee hee!!)  Anyway, I love it!  It will be making it's way up the wall just as soon as I get out to the garage to find a hammer!

Of course looking at this photo you can clearly see a need for those cushions to be changed and my mind is already whirring, a bit of linen, some applique - watch this space . . .

On an entirely different note, we had a lovely sunny autumnal walk on Sunday, through some beech woods above our house and DH captured this beauty.

MIA

I'm not quite sure what has happened this last week, but it seemed that I was VERY BUSY!  Looking back I'm not sure what I was actually doing, but never mind, the long and short of it is that I haven't posted for ages.  So here's a quick update.  Grape Jelly!  You might remember last year I tried making Mosto Cotto with the grape harvest from own little vine.  It was lovely, but alas did not last as long as I was assurred it would do and started getting a nasty film on it - I did wonder whether I had sterilised the bottle well enough.  Anyway, I thought this year I would try something different.  The lovely Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook has a great receipe for Grape Jelly and with our bumper crop of grapes this year I managed to make three jars.  I'm not sure how well it has set as I was a little impatient . . . !  Here's hoping it tastes yummy.

My underwater girl

Flopsy Bunny could have gone to school as a mermaid for her underwater topic day - we'd borrowed a lovely costume - but no it wasn't quite the look she was after!  Instead on Friday I was faced with conjuring up a new outfit.  After a quick think, a hanging basket, some pink fabric and ribbon and a few hours later we had the ta da moment - a jelly fish outfit!  Flopsy Bunny is VERY pleased with this outfit (thank goodness) and she will be chasing after her friends all day today trying to sting them . . .!