July Garden

 Our garden has been looking lovely recently, despite the heat that has threatened to wilt everything.  My Husband has been busy with the watering can making sure that everything survives.

The stars of the July Garden have been:-

The Roses - The centre rose is Joie de Vivre, which I planted last week in the front garden.

The Dahlias - Clangers Mix which I grew from seed this spring.  They add splashes of colour throughout the garden.

 The Poppies - The big poppies have self-seeded from last year and the Californian Poppies and other orange poppies I grew from seed this year.  I have to confess that the orange poppies are from a "pinched" seedhead!!!

 The Clematis - Not new to the garden, but continuing to put on a wonderful show again this year.

Now if we could just have a little rain please! :)

Days 195 to 204

I'm getting worse at posting these photos!  I don't know where the last week has gone - somewhere in my head I have lost a week and suddenly today is the last day of the school year.  So here are 10 more photos of my 365 project:-

Day 195 of 365

First thing in the morning, releasing a White Plume Moth that had flown into the living-room the night before.

Day 196 of 365

Gorgeous sunset.  My Son and I stood on our lawn admiring this view over the garden fence.

Day 197 of 365

Ella at the foot of the stairs, trying to keep cool in this heat.  Here in the South of England temperatures have reached 31.5'C recently.  Too hot for furbabies!

Day 198 of 365

My wisteria is flowering again.

Day 199 of 365

Apologises for this ugly photo!  The previous night, whilst planting a new rose in the front garden, I was bitten on the ankle.  Unfortunately I had an allergic reaction and I have been limping around with a swollen foot.  This happens every summer!! Grrrrr!!!

Day 200 of 365

The butterflies have returned to the garden.  This Gatekeeper was warming up in the sun early that morning.

Day 201 of 364

An evening shot of our back garden.  This is the view from our living-room window.

Day 202 of 365

My Husband dug up some more of our Early Potatoes "Rocket".

Day 203 of 365

Our garden is looking very pink at the moment.

Day 204 of 365

This morning - as well as lots of bees, I get lots of hoverflies in the garden.  These two were busy in a poppy.

All caught up again!  Roll on the summer holidays!

Days 192 to 194

The next three photos of my 365 challenge are garden related - maybe it has something to do with the heatwave we are experiencing!  If it gets any hotter, I'm getting the paddling pool out - I don't care how old I am! :)

Day 192 of 365

The first courgette of the season.

Day 193 of 365

A new David Austin rose for the garden - Falstaff.  Planted in the evening once it was cooler.

Day 194 of 365

It's too hot for working in the garden, so I have taken my crochet out onto the lawn and I am sitting under the parasol making more CAL squares for my next SIBOL blanket.

My First KAL

This is a series of firsts for me:-

~ My first KAL ~

~ My first shawl ~

~ My first time knitting with 100% silk ~

~ My first garter tab start ~

I saw Deb's post about her new shawl and the KAL she had joined and I just knew that Dragonfly Wings was the shawl pattern I had been looking for.

A couple of years ago I purchased this silk yarn - Blea in Mexico colourway, by Nimu Yarns and I have to admit to being slightly reluctant to start using it, as it is rather special and I didn't want to spoil it.  I took the plunge and joined the KAL immediately before I could get cold feet and started knitting straightaway.

 The pattern starts with the ingenious garter tab cast on, something new to me.  I found this video very helpful.

 I had several false starts, another first!  I just wasn't happy with the tension, it seemed too loose, so I frogged it a few times.  Then I wasn't happy with the centre increases - frogged again!  I think I've got it now or at least this is the best I can do!

I'm hoping that it will smooth out once blocked, but I'm getting way, way ahead of myself there!  I am a slow knitter and I won't be working on this every day.  The KAL will probably be over by the time I block my shawl, but I am okay with that.  I think the most important part of this is to enjoy it and to admire everyone else's shawls.  I've already got my eye on Cloud Illusion and Sweet Dreams ...

Getting carried away again! :)

Canny CAL

Week 13

This Scallop Flower Square was designed by Beverly who is organising the Canny CAL on Ravelry.

 Week 14

 The Love and Honor Square is a sweet ring of hearts.

Week 15

Yarn Clouds Square  I used DC's for the final two rounds to keep my square to 6".

Also, I have crocheted another Week 1 square as I am making blankets for SIBOL and each blanket consists of 25 squares.  

I have now mostly used up my stash of bright colours, so I have chosen 25 of my squares and joined them together, using DC's.  Some of my squares had more stitches per side than others, so I have eased them together.

I have edged my blanket with a version of Pattern Number 32 from Around the Corner Crochet Borders by Edie Eckman.  I little bit of "fudging" was involved! :)

I was worried that the colours would clash, as I have been working outside of my comfort zone with these colour combinations, but I am pleased with the result and hope that it will brighten someone's day as well as keeping their knees warm.

I have saved some of the pastel squares for another blanket and will be continuing with the CAL using pastel yarns.

Days 184 to 191

I'm now past the halfway point of my 365 photo challenge!

Day 184 of 365

The roses are in full bloom in our garden.  This one is Abraham Darby - a real beauty!

Day 185 of 365

My Husband and I are going for walks around the village each evening.  We spotted this caterpillar crawling across our path.  It will "grow up" to be a Peacock Butterfly.

Day 186 of 365

I couldn't resist!  I have joined a KAL!  I'll let you know which one in a separate post.  I use the arms of my rocking chair to hold skeins of yarn as I wind them into balls.

Day 187 of 365

Serving up the loaf of bread that I had baked the day before.  We ate some of it with our BBQ.

Day 188 of 365

Spotted by Jay when we stopped here, on an attempt to get to the beach.  We didn't get to the beach as the world and his wife had the same idea!

Day 189 of 365

Can you spot the bee hidden in this poppy?  The bees are enjoying the poppies and foxgloves in our garden.

Day 190 of 365

It is the end of year play "The Pirates of the Curry Bean" at school and in between scenes the library is full of pirates, islanders and cats reading books! :)

Day 191 of 365

Blocked!  My first blanket for SIBOL using the CAL squares.

My June Garden

June has been and gone in a flurry of activity here at The Snail Garden house, but I have still managed to take lots of photos of my garden throughout the month, in the sunshine and between showers of rain:-

Incoming bee! :)