Five On Friday

Five On Friday time again and as usual I am joining with Amy at Love Made My Home.  


It has been another busy week and once again I am apologising if I haven't visited your blog and left some comments, I am still endeavouring to catch up and I would like to thank everyone that has left comments on my posts recently.


So what have I been up to this week:-


Firstly I finished my latest charity blanket, this one is again part of SIBOL (Sunshine International Blankets of Love) and will be donated to a local residential care home at Christmas.

I have now made a start on my next one, this one is made using the Maybelle flowers and making them into squares, I am sure I will be sharing my progress on this sometime soon.

Still on the crochet front I have also joined many hundreds of crocheters in honouring a well known crochet designer - Marinke Slump (known across the crochet world as Wink) who very sadly lost her battle with severe depression last year. In her memory a crochet-along (CAL) has been created, this CAL was the last thing she was working on at the time of her death and a group of friends decided to finish designing it - it is called Last Dance On The Beach and comes in three different colour ways. I have chosen Dance in the Rain, beautiful colours are used in this kit and this week I crocheted my practice tension square and the first square which was released on Wednesday. I have three more of these squares to complete this week and then it will be back to my charity blanket until the next square is released.

Yesterday was a lovely day, we combined some retail therapy with a lunch out at the Brigadier Gerard at Horton Heath where they have the most bright and cheerful floral displays.

We followed lunch by taking a walk in Stoke Park Woods (I apologise if you are tired of bluebell pics but I couldn't resist taking yet more, my excuse is that it is in a different wood from last weeks pictures)!!! 

Please go and visit Amy's blog where you will find links to more Five On Friday posts.

A Mixed Bag

I seem to have so much to show you today of events over the last few days. Sorry I know this post is going to be picture heavy but hope you will stay with me. We have had a few glorious days with bright sunshine and frosty mornings where you just want to get out and walk in the countryside.


The first such day was last Thursday so we set off to St. Mary Bourne, I am sure regular readers will recognise some of these views but the great delight this time was the River Bourne. It has been a dry river bed since the end of May last year but the water is now flowing again, a welcome sight.

Two weeks before when the river bed was still dry

 

What a difference two weeks make!

Now for a change of activity - over the weekend I completed the second of my charity blankets, this is another Sunshine International Blanket of Love which will be donated to a local residential care home.

You might remember me showing you these squares on my blocking board ready to be joined. I have tried a new way (to me) of joining this blanket using the continuous flat braid join which I have to say I really like and now I have got the hang of it I will definitely be using it again. It is great to be able to join the whole blanket plus crochet the edging without having to break the yarn and sew in those dratted ends!


Blanket number 3 is in process but I will keep photos of that back to show you next time.


Yesterday dawned another cold and sunny day so we set off for Hedge End where there is a big retail complex. Because of my weight loss I needed some smaller size clothes (how great is that) so we spent the morning shopping and spending far too much money before stopping off at one of our favourite eating places, the Brigadier Gerard at Horton Heath for a delicious lunch.

Having eaten far too much what better way to walk it off than go for a walk in Stoke Park Woods on our way home.

And finally (you might be relieved to hear) we get to this morning where we enjoyed a walk around our local patch.


I love the sunlit tangled branches on the tree below and the crocuses and snowdrops in the park were beautifully displayed in all their glory with the sun shining on them.

I hope I haven't bored you completely so if you are still here many thanks for reading and viewing my blog. Until the next time .....