A [not quite] Wordless [Wednesday] Thursday

A [Not quite] Wordless Wednesday Thursday

Long time no post!

Jacob and his ladies!

Amazing how a kind gesture can brighten a miserable day.

Lots of crafts ready for our Christmas Sale - here's a sneaky peak! (More about that later).

Busy busy! Not liking the wind and cold today, looking forward to a fire this evening. 

Summing Up Sunday 19th July 2015

This was a week in which everything GREW: the first sunflowers, the first gladioli, the first tomato and LOTS more currants and gooseberries.

And today was Book Club (Flight Behaviour, Barbara Kingsolver) hosted by our members who have moved to Bath, so it's their turn to host once a year, and we visit for a summertime weekend lunch. 

We harvested the mini carrots and beetroot:

and pickled them:

and added a courgette:

and added vinegar, salt,  honey and fennel seeds:

and then had some of the soft fruit:

The book discussion was good too.

Apart from that, two family visitors over the weekend, lots of time spent in the sun, a private visit around a show garden! (... next door's), and frantic crocheting as one baby came a little earlier than expected!

Happy Sunday.

Crochet at Craft Bee

Today E, with A as the support act, went to Craft Bee in Beckenham to learn crocheting. Ever since E discovered Lucy's blog at Attic 24 she has wanted to make Granny Squares so today we got a last-minute place on a Satruday workshop. We've been to Craft Bees before - Tilly, Es new blue machine had her debut here with the tote bag creation, and we also Lino printed last year...

So A relaxed whilst E and 6 ladies under the tuition of Clare talked of trebles and slip stitches, loops and foundation rows, and chains and holes.... The sun came through the window and clouds scudded across with the rumble of the traffic on the High street. Many peculiar shaped 'rectangles' and some rather fine Granny Squares  and flowers were made! 

Learning to hold the yarn, very different to knitting!

Dodgy grey squares...

Much better! A granny square emerges! (And nicer colours too...)

Everyone's finished creations!

The beautiful blanket raffle

Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed to this fund raising event for Studio Upstairs. Today the beautiful blanket left Coombe Cottages for our village Community Associations annual Michaelmas Fair. It is well travelled. Not only did the individual squares come together from many individuals in different places in their lives, but the blanket itself has been on tour to be with Ellle and to a friendly gathering in Lyme.

Lots of people pledged money before the fair, for which we are very grateful indeed. Prior to the event we already had many donations pledged but overall we sold £489.70  worth of tickets (some odd money collection error here as the tickets were 50p each or £2 a strip)  -  a minimum of 1275 individual tickets! Wow! Thanks must go to friends from Somerset who joined me at the fair and to all those who helped E sell tickets at Bethlem. 

The draw itself was done as the fair came to an end beside the willow ' dome ' which adjoins the Michaelmas field on the edge of the railway walk in Winscombe. The woodcraft group A E and T were involved in for so many years planted the living willow structure there in 2000 and A prunes it annually to keep it as a house like structure for the children of the village and particularly the neighbouring playgroup. One of the children playing around the dome was asked to be our independent verifier. He chose a green ticket from our old blue basket and it was unwrapped to reveal 117 and K's name and phone number. As K actually did the crocheting together of all the squares it did seem very appropriate. So now Beautiful Blanket is off down the motorway again to Wellington and its final home. It feels very good to think of it being appreciated and understood as well as having raised so much money.

So E is going to talk to Studio Upstairs and work out what the money should be dedicated too and we will report again. Meanwhile here is the unfolding of the raffle...

The raffle's home at the fair was in the Art Shed next to the photography exhibition and some great paintings.

The tickets looked rather wonderful all massed together...

The jewel colours of the blanket looked so beautiful against the grass that we decided to do the draw against a green backdrop with the help of a very kind and totally independent adjudicator (ie. a bemused random child!).

And the winning ticket was .... ( The suspense was huge..) 

Once home the kittens decided - in the night - to do the raffle themselves so first thing on Sunday this is what I discovered! They have been very discerning as I am findIng tickets they have carried (proudly as 'prey') to other rooms of the house. My cleaning isn't great so I guess I will be reminded of the raffle for some time with tickets under and in various pieces of furniture.