This morning we squidged through the mud and shuffled through the ground cover leaves to find ourselves a possie in the spring sunshine, down in the back garden where the fantails flit & other (borrowed) sun-baskers happily emerge from the bushes.
We haven't been able to mow (or should I say, Rob hasn't) the back lawn for an absolute age due to an over abundance of the wet stuff. Looking more like a meadow just now, but the self-sown primulas are happy & my largely neglected orchid has managed to produce four pretty flower spikes..Why ever are orchids called spikes & other things are called sprays, I wonder?
The tentative advent of spring was so welcome & embraceable we drove out to Havelock North yesterday morning, on a whim...& found the most magical place to walk and picnic!
Plum blossom is always so eager & fragile & passes all too soon.
Back home, I found some more in our own garden.
Isn't it so fresh & bright?!
We had more rain earlier in the week & keeping picnic inspirations firmly in mind, we decided to gather all of our vintage blankets from everywhere they have been hiding & sort them in to piles.
Some are needing some care & repair (master of the blanket stitch!)
Many have delightful, story telling labels..
Eventually we sorted out a perfect picnic pile.
Some are personal favourites, of the boy variety.
What do you think..this seemed like a good idea for bundling up blankets & whisking off on an adventure?
We fiddled around with colours & combinations of picnicinalia..it was fun.
I found the blue English china in St Vinnys. There were 16 pieces in all, for $10.
I like the plain pastel blue & pleasing shape of the cups.
I love this tiffin tin...it's going to be very handy I'm sure.
I'm not very good at being a girl.
I'm forever getting grubby & doing silly things with my clothes, like getting green paint on my sweet pink (op shop) top, when re-painting the fruit sign!
There is a pocket either side so I made these teeny tiny hearts from Lucy's Attic24 pattern & I think they've managed to save the day..who knows what I'll manage tomorrow!
When I made my crocheted wreath a week or too ago I ended up making lots of pretty crocheted flowers. I have kept going & made enough to encircle this lovely old tapestry. I have attached it to some nice thick vintage green blanket & made it in to a cushion.
Crochet Jam Jar Cover
Start with a loop.
Round 1. 8 double crochet into loop. Slip stitch together to close round.
Round 2. 3 chain, 1 treble. “ 2 chain, 2 trebles together, 2 chain”
Continue to end repeating “2 chain, 2 trebles together, 2 chain.”
Slip stitch into top of the 1st 3 chain.
Round 3. Slip stitch across to the 1st treble of round 2, 3 chain, 1 treble,
one chain, one treble. 1 treble into the two trebles together of previous round.
Continue on with “1 treble, 1 chain, 1 treble.”
Slip stitch across to the first 3 chains. You will have 24 trebles.
Round 4. 3 chain, 2 treble, “1 chain, 5 treble.”
Repeat “1 chain, 5trebles 7 times.”
1 chain, 2 trebles. Slip stitch to top of first 3 chains.
You will have a total of 40 trebles.
Round 5. 3 chain, 3 trebles, 1 chain.
“7 trebles, 1 chain, 7 trebles.” Repeat “7 trebles, 1 chain, 7 trebles.” 7 times.
1 chain, 3 trebles.
Slip stitch across to top of 1st 3 chains.
You will have a total of 56 trebles.
Round 6. 3 chain, 1 chain, 1 treble, 1 chain, 1 treble.
Repeat until end.
Slip stitch across to top of first 3 chain.
You will have a total of 32 trebles.
Round 7. 3 chain, 3 trebles into the 1st treble.
Double crochet into the next treble.
4 trebles into the next treble.
Continue around to end.
Slip stitch to the top of 1st 3 chain.
17 patterns on final round.
(Round 7. on actual pattern.
3 chain, double crochet, 4 trebles on next treble together.
Total 16 pattern on final round.)
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I have figured out better how I actually made mine...a little bit made up as I went along, I think & I like it so here it is too:
1. Centre: 3 ch sl st = O
2. 2 ch sc into circle x 7 = 8
3. 3 htr 3 ch x 8 = 8 sets (24 htrs)
4. 4 ch, 2 htr between each htr cluster, 1 htr in gap, 1 ch repeat
5. 1 htr all way around= 40
6. 1 htr 2ch 1 htr...
7. sl st to next gap, 3 ch, 2 tr, 1 htr, 1 ch 1 dc 1ch, 1 htr 2 tr 1 htr...sl st to close.
Weave in ends & thread ribbon through the 6th round.
Hope that all makes enough sense.
Have a lovely week dear ones.MUCH
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