Reading, Gardening, Dreaming

Doesn't the cupboard remind you of something? Of course this one is much more neater than mine. There is something terribly serene about blue and white crockery on a dark wooden background. I really must dry some hydrangeas in the fall, if only to drape across my cupboard!

The table setting is lovely. And blissful. The roses with that blue is just heavenly. The tablecloth is the most divine blue. I want that tablecloth. These images are from the book Tabletops by Barbara Ohrbach. Brilliant inspiration for those that need it once in a while. I am also perusing The New Country Style England by Ingrid Rasmussen. Not really liking it so very much. A bit sparse for my liking (I tend to be a wee bit more English Country Clutter). However, the tapestries and colours at the home of Kaffe Fassett is a must see. The warmth of the colours and the combinations are truly stunning. There is a picture of hands knitting something divine but they don't tell you what it is. The man's eye for style is to be envied.

Well must go cut some roses, water the petunias and sniff what is left of the peonies.

Granny Square Love

Well here she is. The beloved granny square blanket and/or afghan. I really love it. It was a pleasure to make and it is yummy to curl up in. I tried to base it on the afghan in the "Nanny McPhee" movie. There are a few that are really similar but some of Nanny's had a real mustardy yellow which I found very difficult to find. I used the basic granny square pattern and sewed it together using the whip stitch. Up to this point, I never even knew what a whip stitch was and really not 100% sure I do now. I had to kind of wing this whole project as I do not know anyone that knows how to crochet. Does it look old fashioned? Could it have been crocheted by a little old granny two or three decades ago with the remnants of yarn from old projects? That was my aim.

I used mostly a wool/acrylic mix, just for laundering purposes but as it got bigger and bigger I needed more and more yarn. As a result there is some pure wool in there so laundering will, in fact, be a delicate operation.

My favourites are the greens, mauves, pinks and blues. Everybody seems to have an opinion on what one is the prettiest. I do like the odd black one though. They add interest somehow.

Well there you have it.

Oh, and I wish to thank all the bloggers out there that inspired me. You all know who you are. How influential you are to me. Really. Next thing you know, I'll be sewing.

Peg Bags and Pert Ni*p*ples

Have you ever seen such a post title? Certainly not. The reason for this suprising post is simple. I'll start from the beginning. A while ago, I decided to knit the French Market Bag over at Knitty. Problems ensued. This was the result. It wasn't pretty. As you can see from my wordage, I never anticipated the power of "Google". The amount of hits I get per day from people looking for porn on this site is incredible. Needless to say, the disappointment must be enormous for those seeking p*ert ni*p*ples on my little knitting blog.

Which brings me to peg bags. That is the second most sought after word search on my blog. And for that simple reason, I am here to help. The following are some of the cutest darn peg bags I have seen in my travels. Hope this helps those that end up here. The peg seekers I mean, not the ni*p*ple seekers.

The little cutie in the picture is a Cath Kidston.

Greengate also has some sweet ones.

For those in the States, visit Homespun, hers are just as adorable.

And let's not forget one of my favourtie bloggers, Plump Pudding.

Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it! Please let me know if I have helped you in your Peg Bag search.

Back From Sabbatical

Hello faithful readers. I know there are a few of you that have missed me and I am feeling a wee bit more sorted now. I have been very busy with Prom for DN1, among other things. The last week I have been looking after my father's toy store which has allowed me to finally finish sewing the Incredibly Beautiful Loved Every Minute of It Granny Square Afghan/Blanket. The sewing up was, well you know how I feel about sewing. But it is done and it is adorable. Crochet is really enjoyable and relaxing. You can put it down and pick it up again, easier, I think, than knitting. I will post a picture of it when I get the camera back...don't ask.

I have also aquired a penchant for garage sales, content sales and the like. I am accumulately a huge amount of items that I have gotten amazing deals on. There's aprons, blankets, glasses, planters, and pillowslips (or is it pillowcases?). Shall I go on? The list is actually endless. I guess the time I used for blogging was taken up with buying!

By the way, my Mum and Dad are in England and Mother has bought me something I have been yearning for in previous posts. Any guesses? She's been shopping at Cath Kidston for me. There's your hint, go for it.

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I will post again soon just thought an update was in order for those that so loyally kept me on their bloglines list. For that, I thank you :) xoxo

PS I have been playing with the layout and colour. Does it work for you?