Scavenger Photo-hunt ~ APRIL

Joining in with Kate for the monthly scavenger photo-hunt.  You can see the other photo-hunters in the April link-up post on Kate's blog (I live, I love, I craft, I am me)

 The words for April  were :-

 

Edge

Loaf

Bridge

Mine

Black

My own choice

 

 

Edge

 

Standing right on the edge of the platform to take a picture

(DH took this one, he's the train buff!)

 

 

 

 

Loaf

 

Playing Happy Families card game with my granddaughter. 

I had the loaf family in my hand :-)

 

 

 

Bridge

 

The Humber bridge

 

 

and here we are driving across it on our way to the seaside 

 

 

 

 

Mine

 

The feel of sand between my toes

 

 

 

 

 

Black

 

That would have to be my mood one day this month.  Not possible to photograph that, but what I can show you is the black tape hubby put over the window that was smashed on my car

 

 

 

 

My Own Choice

 

Signs for the community garden newly made children's own growing area. 

Drawn by my granddaughter when she came for a sleepover this week

Laminated by nanny and all ready to put up when we are next there.

 

 

 

 

Love and blessings

 

Julie

 

 

 

 

Gifted Gorgeousness - April (and Easter exchange)

I hope you all had a lovely Easter.  It's been very warm and sunny here in the UK, it was lovely. 

We had a nice family Easter.   An egg hunt for my granddaughter and fun and games played.  Far too much food eaten, but I was good and limited the chocolate intake.

I took part in an Easter exchange at Needlecraft Haven and am including that into my Gifted Gorgeousness post here (for those who don't know about GG you can read about it here on Jo's blog)

 

This was my parcel  to Mary.  The brief was to stitch an Easter ornament, any shape or size, add a sweet treat and send a card.  This time we were allowed to sign the card, often the exchanges are anonymous and we wait till the reveal. 

 

I stitched on some yellow/white gingham which I thought would make a lovely Easter background for this sweet bunny design.

 

 

 

This is the lovely parcel I opened from Clare.   A cute little bag containing two malteaster bunny chocs. Clare also included extra chocs and some sweet bamboo Easter egg decorations together with a pretty card.  Thank you Clare.

 

 

I received a great gift from a friend at my knitting group this month to hold my knitting needles.  It made me smile.

 

 

Regular readers will remember a parcel I received from Justine a while ago with a collection of magazine free card kits for me to stitch for the knitting group 'For Sale' table.  I've stitched up another one of them.  This one is so pretty.

 

 

There are a few online friends who are experiencing difficult times at the moment so sending {{hugs}} to you.

 

Love and blessings

 

Julie

 

 

Cough, splutter, sniffle, sneeze

Ten days into April and i'm here playing catch up.  

 

A drs check up visit and subsequent trip straight off to the A&E dept to be checked out further where i think i must have picked up the cough and cold germs that have been doing the rounds for a while and lots of you have suffered with.  Golly, it's been awful.  Over two weeks later and it's still here, but i'm feeling a lot brighter these past couple of days. 

 

I totally missed the end of the month 'How did I do this month' post

 

So, a quick collage of the books I read in March.... 

 

 

and the few finishes I had.   

I did stitch an Easter exchange but that remains a secret till opening day

 

 

The Scavenger hunt photo challenge end of March that Kate sets, that got missed too. (Sorry Kate, I have taken note of the April words)

 

 

I'd casted on this shawl and have been knitting the odd row here and there. Easy to pick up and add a few stitches/rows inbetween coughing bouts and sleeping!  

 

A free Pattern called Grain from Tin Can Knits

 

 
I saw this wool on Christine's blog back in July when she made a stunning shawl herself (here) and really liked it.  It's James C Brett - Northern Lights and so very snuggly and soft.  

 

Feeling a bit better these past couple of days and the shawl finished, i've casted on some socks.  Simple rib pattern and it keeps the hands busy.  Itchy fingers so i must be on the mend but still sitting a lot to keep the coughing at bay.  

 

The wool is hand dyed from Snuggly Stars Yarns. 

It's called Russet Sunset and is 70% merino with 20% Yak and 10% nylon. 

I've never knitted with yak before have you?  

It's nice and soft and knitting up beautifully.

 

 

 

I've got a good book to keep my company as well.  The Moon Sister by Lucinda Riley, the 5th in the Seven sisters saga came out in paperback last week and DS treated me to it for Mothering Sunday - i hope you all had a lovely day. 

 

DD bought me the most lovely and very different type of gift.   She had named a rose after me and the box comes with the seeds to grow it yourself.  A great gift for a special birthday, thought it might interest some of you.   DH has put the seeds into his propagator so we wait for new growth.

 

 

 

Love and blessings  

 

Julie