I just had to post this picture of my magnolia tree with all its lovely blooms. Isn't it just absolutely fabulous? I've been able to look at it from my bedroom window every morning for the last couple of weeks. This pic was taken week or so ago when it was in all its blooming glory. It's fading now, but the azaleas are all out, in their incredible pink floweriness so I don't feel too sad.
Anyway, first of all I would like to say thank you for the concern and good wishes after my fall. I am recovering okay now, although the knee is still bruised and swollen and painful in certain places. At least now I am walking reasonably well again. I took Phaolin along the bridle path at the weekend, the first time since the fall and it was okay. We had a couple of moments and I cut about half a mile off the walk but we did it and I felt much better afterwards. All this recovery of course is very timely as I have to journey north to visit the folks tomorrow. I had planned to go back end of the week as usual but they are both ill and have been for a week now and father is struggling so I am going earlier to do the usual, fill the freezer, clear any ironing backlog etc. *sigh* At least going during the working week means I will miss all the religious stuff at the weekend. I plan to return home on Friday afternoon. Bad time for driving I know but I'm back in 'the smoke' next week for a visit from one of the US CIOs and I want to get a couple of days peace at home before being away again. Think I'm gonna have to change the timing on the parental visits as they keep coinciding with work travels and I hate hate hate hate hate being away from home. Absolutely hate it.
On other fronts I've managed to be quite busy...
The Rico Creative Cotton that I bought at Wonderwool is turning into a ripple cushion cover.
The colours are really gorgeous and they go together rather well. I am experimenting with this cushion and making an envelope style. Its a new departure for me because I usually make a front and a back and join them together so making it all in one piece feels kinda weird. It will be interesting to see the outcome.
I decided while I was movement challenged that I had far far too much cheap acrylic DK toy yarn in all the old Robin colours. I do knit toys still, quite a lot of them, for the hospice etc but I bought the yarn wholesale and it is taking up almost the entire drawer space in the front porch and needs to get used. I can always get Robin DK on the market in town and some of the new colours are much better now. So... what to do with all this not so soft acrylic yarn in rather neon shades. I spent a day thinking about it and then inspiration struck after an hour or so sculling around Flickr. I spend a small fortune on cheap fleecy throws for the couch in the small sitting room so that Phaolin can sit on it with his Dad without getting mud, and general dogginess all over the actual couch covers. I buy the fleece ones because they are easy to wash and tumble dry. Wouldn't it be much nicer to have lovely home made crochet covers sometimes instead, made from equally washable acrylic yarn. And... why not hark back to the seventies and make a granny blanket in brightly coloured squares surrounded by black borders or white borders... like so...
I thought I would hate it, but actually I love it. Really really love it. This is the one I will take up to the parents to work on while father watches endless sport on TV. I am making it in sections because I want to try and make it big enough to cover the entire couch rather than having to use one blanket for the seat and back and one for each of the arms. Will see how it goes. If I get fed up of the squares I can always make a pair of ripples for the arms or even a pair of huge grannies. I have to admit I'm enjoying this project far more than I thought I would.
I also got a lovely delivery of some Drops Paris yarn that I love love love love love to bits. The colours are fabulous so I set about some hexagons because I've always fancied a hexagon blanket but never ever got around to making one.
I am totally besotted with this yarn. Sooo many people give it a bad press for being too splitty to work with, but I've hardly had a problem at all and the colours are to die for. I actually prefer them to the Rico. However, although it isn't obvious on the picture I have a definite tension problem with these hexagons so unless it is corrected by blocking they will have to be frogged and redone :( I don't mind too much because the yarn is lovely and not silly money and I have plenty of it.
Finally, at the weekend I managed to get started on this...
Lovely Lucy Lavender made from the pattern created by Flutterby Patch. Isn't she a total cutie? I love her already and I will have to give her away next week :( Guess I can always make myself another one! How I wish I'd had children then maybe I'd have lots of grand children by now to make lovely toys for. Anyway, she's nearly done, just the back of the dress and the apron to go, Oh, and the straps for the shoes.
Well that's about all from Oran's Place today. Hopefully I'll have time for a visit between travelling jaunts over the weekend. Take care. O. xxxxxxxx
