I did think at the end of my last entry I would try and fit a mid month one and I had the photos and everything planned and just ran out of time and here we are 30th of the month again. I really must look at my time management as I feel days zip past in a blur and 'me' time is becoming ever scarcer and that leads to misery and moaning.
Anyway lets see what I managed to do during April. I did bunk off work one afternoon and took the dogs to Chillwood in Iron Acton for a walk as I knew there would be bluebells. Part of the walk takes you along the river Frome and past Algars Manor which opens it's lovely gardens at certain times of year. You walk past part of the old mill race.
The cave.
Wood anemones and blue bells.
Celendines were enjoying the sunshine as were the bluebells.
It did me good to get out and do a different walk than I normally do and see what was happening elsewhere locally. The pussy willow was literally buzzing with bees feasting after the long Winter. And although its not a huge walk, there is the river, woods and meadows to enjoy.
I started work on my shawl design by knitting through the pattern again.
The colour choice above was a little bit too 'electric'.
And again, to try and get the stitch count right. Badger and Bodger are helping with yarn colour selection.
We managed a Sunday out and felt awfully guilty as we left the dogs at home as we knew were going to visit shops, and it's no fun taking it in turns to hold the dogs outside and makes agreeing on a purchase nigh on impossible.
We stopped at Cirencester Roman amphitheatre. I had missed visiting here on a school trip when I was about 8 so it seemed about time I did it. It seemed so odd that this vast structure was nestled among houses and a dual carriageway. I do love a little bit of ancient history and I sat a while imagining just what went on here.
What did the Romans do here? What did 'entertainment ' mean? Apparently after the 5th century when the Romans went home it was used for a market, fortress, grazing and a rabbit warren!
Now this lovely fella would be hanging on the wall right now, if only the studio had been open in Burford. But then again there was no price and if you have to ask.....
I brushed Edward and hung his fur out for the birds to use in their nests. Seems only fitting that little baby birds should be kept warm by Norwegian cat fur. It's proved very popular and I've filled it up again since then. The brushing of Edward's winter coat once it starts to shed is a looooong process as he gets quite cross about it.
LOOK AWAY NOW IF YOU DON'T LIKE SPIDERS
This is not what you want to see next to your wellies. I do apologise to any arachnophobes , but she is chilling and fascinating in equal parts. I looked her up and she is a funnel web spider, usually nocturnal and the largest female recorded in the UK was 3cm. She was a dash over 2.5cm which was big enough for me! I have started shaking my wellies before putting them on now.
The weather made skies like this
Then there was the much anticipated trip to Wonderwool in Bluith Wells......yippee, lots of yarny, felty, woolly goodness!
Julia and I set off across the second Severn crossing which has these huge barriers so it can stay open in high winds but doesn't let you see the river. I have a huge love of our muddy estuary as it's sometimes the sea and sometimes a river. It is a wonderful ecosystem and has a great history of all things river and sea.
Anyway I digress from yarn!
I just love textile art and wish I could do it, but mine always looks as though a four year has done it so I just appreciate others efforts. This is exactly the kind of thing I would make. Scraps of rainbow bright fabric and little treasures of bits and bobs all colour co-ordinated. I looked at it for a long time as there is so much to see, just stop and look a while. I caught up with my friend Jo and we cooed over yarn and other woolly wonders.
At last! My pompom yarn. My biggest regret of The Bristol Wool fair last year was not buying this yarn as it's just ME. I was so excited to see it there as it hasn't been available on their website either Ananuca. I happily passed over the money and fell in love with my new yarn pet, who has been stroked regular since. Its far too expensive to knit with! I'm thinking bunting.
There have been plenty of sunny dog walks too which involved lots of running.
Cats have been spending sunny afternoons with me, completely hindering my attempts at work.
Sunshine was just to much for Chloe.
Indiana..... went off to sea in a beautiful pea green boat.... with the owl, herself being a pussycat.
Flowers from Julia's Cutflowers. It's just great having a sister who grows flowers!
And we had a lovely walk along the little river Avon. How like the Shire, or tales from the river bank is this? Just lovely to still your soul and listen to the river trickling on past. It's all calm and tranquil until a giant lurcher jumps in the water and starts playing, here endeth the peace.
I've been a wee bit obsessed with bluebells this year after not seeing any last year. I've had us driving to several well known woods to see them and have been frequently asked if I haven't seen enough yet? NO. Something about the smell and the colour is making me want to capture it somehow, but I can't find the right beads or yarn yet.
Then there was useless but pretty dust catchers. I mean who wouldn't want this owl tree? We had a lovely afternoon in Wotton under Edge an old wool town nestled against the Cotswold escarpment. There is a lovely selection of quite crafty shops and Fish out of water is a gallery that sells recycled art from around the world. I could quite happily spend hours and a lot of money in there. But contented myself with an avian theme of the tree and purple hens.
Sunlight through the newly unfurled beech leaves. Spring I love you.
And I have been busy making and helping knitters around the world mark and count their stitches.
Rainbow row counter was a new item. Should be totally snag free as nothing to catch delicate yarns on, and made for smaller needles than my usual ones.
A chance question from Agnetha in Sweden about greyhounds led to me making this little progress and paws markers. Seems quite a few knitters are owned by hounds that lounge about on their sofas! I've never used a progress marker until the 3rd knit through of the shawl, then it was good to see how much of the body I had managed to knit in a session. Expect to see more designs popping up in the shop as inspiration hits me.
I couldn't leave out cats. I just love these buttons.
Owls too...blame the owl tree purchase for this!
Then much excitement....my fruit salad markers were featured in the May edition of Homemaker magazine. How exciting to see my little Etsy shop address in a proper publication with surrounded by such big names. I had a big grin all day and felt really grown up!
The month ended with yarn shop day. I popped over to see Jen at the Woolstop as she had posted pictures...
.......on Instagram of a very yummy looking cake that was she was never going to manage on her own!! So what better way to spend Saturday afternoon, knitting, chatting yarny tales and eating cake. Plus I came home with a new yarn. A wonderfully squishy, soft, heavenly coloured DK merino from Cuddlesbum Yarns. Now I just have to decide what to knit with it. Jodi is right on my colour spectrum of bright and bold.
I'll finish up with the usual images of what nonsense the crafty cats have been amusing me with this month.
