Garden

Pyjama Patrol and daring to dig

For days on end I have been out very early in the morning and peered down at very unpromising flower pots. Day after day nothing seems to appear. I was getting a bit concerned. We have had a very cold spring and I have been worried that I had planted out my dahlia tubers far too early. The cold and frosty winter ‘did-for’ last year’s tubers. Even though they still had their summer soil keeping them cosy and were wrapped in newspaper, their hibernation in the garage was disastrous. Not one tuber survived. Unwrapping my precious collection was like a very soggy version of a rotten potato Christmas.

So I started my collection again – some very reasonable sale bargains. My ‘Cafe au Lait’ tuber was a must at any price. All were placed in a pot of soil to ‘start them off’. But I have gambled with weather and with no cold frame or greenhouse, resolved to just place them near to the house on the patio.

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So there we are daily pyjama patrol checking on the promise of floral glamour for the summer. Finally tiny, tiny little lime green shoots appeared on the surface…hurrah. Then like nothing I have ever seen. The shoots grow almost visibly. Another debate appears on the horizon. When do I turf the tulips out of their pots to make space for their summer cousins; the sweet peas, the cosmos and the dahlias. This weekend has seen the great change over. The whole process takes much longer than I think.

I allow myself to indulge in pure hobby inefficiency. It you were watching – you would witness how random and cluttered the whole process appears. I revitalised old compost with some new peat-free (OBVS) and dig deep into the pots to find hidden bulbs. Hours fly by and I almost forget about meals. Finally everyone is in their new home. Yes I have too many sweet pea plants. Surely they are the courgette of the flower world. Yes, in their new home the sweet peas are sulking. They always seem very unhappy to be moved in to larger, pots of beautiful yummy compost. Proper mardy.

The pot collection has grown… I don’t know how… really I don’t. But I do know that growing in pots has given me confidence with plants I would never had the courage to raise. I would never have put the tulips in the borders had I not seen the success in the pots.

I have added hollyhocks and and delphiniums to my collection this year. It is a daring thing to do. I love their cottage garden prettiness so much, that I can’t bear it when they get eaten. It is heart breaking, But we will see. If dahlias have taught me anything it is…who dares wins.

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The image are some dahlias and cosmos from last year. I always forget how big they get and so I have put in the ugly supports in already – it will save me snapping stems unintentionally. I have top dressed the pots with Strulch. I love it (no ad/or gift here) I genuinely love it for my beds and copied my local nursery who have used it for top-dressing.

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The Flower Patch

It has been too long my friends. Too long since I popped in here to chat about creativity and design and whatever is inspiring me. Lots of reasons. Mostly I have been completing designs and commissions. Things I can’t share. Then…a thing happened that I never imagined. Two commissions, destined for two different customers got lost in the post. A total of 6 crochet items. Just as I was about to raise my head from my secret making, I had to rewind and make all 6 things again. Speed crochet style. Well that is enough to make you want to go and sit in a corner and ignore your hook for a while.

The garden is my alternative ‘good place’ to melt away any concerns or stress. But it has been a very cold spring and for so many weeks, way too wet to be furtling about in the flower beds. Deeply frustrating.

The boots were a birthday gift from Poddy and Black

As Easter dawned the weather seems to turn a corner and I flung myself into long garden days. We spent time refurbishing the pond and adding a new marginal plants. I went mad a cleared a large bed of weeds and plants that were not pulling their weight. The cooped up energy burst out. in frenzy of planting, pruning and clearing. Good for the soul.

Last year in the early summer

I am always so grateful when I have remembered to plant bulbs in the Autumn. The late frosts have ‘done-for’ some of the tulips, but new daffodils are a triumph and I have resolved to start make some notes now – be a full adult – so that I can plan for next year. I don’t think my colour combination is as successful as last year but then every bloom is so very beautiful. I get to try again another year.

I know that I have mentioned it before but I must say that the wonderful book The Flower Yard by Arthur Parkinson has transformed my flower growing. Growing in pots seems to me far less intimidating and I am delighted that I can just move a plant which is just past its best.

So what about crochet? Well yes… sorry. I currently in between projects and so I am making a new blanket for the home. Inspired once again by patchwork. (One day I will make a quilt). I have been making a simple hexagon blanket in a ‘Grandma’s Garden’ pattern. I think I will call this my Flower Patch blanket. I have returned to pastel colours and a lovely cream as the contrasting base. Strangely I have been building the pattern in rows. It is giving a lovely idea of how the pattern will grow.

All well and good until I realised this morning that I am not happy with one of the colours. The lightest green looks sickly against the cream and has to go. Arghhhh! This is the mess that ensued. You might think I am mad to rip this out now, but if it is not right. It is not right. I don’t want to fall out of love with a project. So this evening I will be repairing the void. Tricky business where patience is required. Have you ever done this? At one point I wondered if the blanket would be irrepairable.

Crochet and gardening have so many similarities. Hobbies that require time and patience. Plus, if a flower is not pulling its weight, it needs to be hoicked out the patch. Make space for just the right flower. The flower patch will be better for it.

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Hello Beauty – late summer joy

I have waited and waited…and finally she has bloomed in her full glory. They do say that it take faith to garden. I think that is correct. Isn’t she beautiful.

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So last year I wanted to grow a huge Cafe au Lait dahlia because the size and the colours of the petals were so beautiful. I absolutely love dahlias as a cut flower but it is so hard (and expensive) to buy them. The only thing for it was to try and grow our own. I was really worried about slugs. Isn’t it strange the a small fear of something going wrong can stop us going on the bigger adventure? Last summer I bought the original dahlia as a plant and we got one flower, quite late on in the season.

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Encouraged by reading Sarah Raven’s book A Year full of Flowers and Arthur Parkinson’s book The Flower Yard I overwintered the dahlia tubers in the garage and then brought them to life in the spring. Please believe me when I say. I had no confidence in what I was doing.

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We do have a garden with a pond, grass and borders and if you have been following me for a while you will know that I do love my roses, hydrangeas and shrubs. But it has seems to me that in order to grow dahlias successfully I am better off planting them in pots. In the spring I turfed out the tulip bulbs and began placing the sprouting dahlias and weeny cosmos into the pots. I put in some plants supports, and yes they look a bit ugly to start with but now it is impossible to see them.

I do love following Anne Marie Powell’s instagram feed – My real garden. Her weekly updates are like a very quick reminder of what you can be doing in the garden. She has reminded me each week to feed the pots and honestly this has made a difference.

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This week everything looks very green, and I am waiting for the full blush of the cosmos. It makes me wonder if I have fed too much. But I know that for September at least we will still have cut flowers inside the house. That is the dream.

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Listen…what would I know about gardening…but something occurred to me this week. Many of my most exciting ‘hobby adventures’ have started with me going…’I love that. I wonder how you could make it?’ This is true for crochet, marmalade….cut flowers. Honestly I could fail at all of these and I make so many mistake. But for every slug eaten leaf, there are many more flowers that give me so much joy.

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I’m a big fan of Libraries. Few people realise that they have the most up to date books stocked and if they don’t have the book you want they will borrow them from other libraries. Ask you local library for the Sarah Raven and Arthur Parkinson book. They are fabulous and if you like them then buy them for your own reference. I am so pleased I have them to encourage my cut flower journey.

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No clashes in crochet – or nature

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Colour choice can be such a difficult thing. I think we feel the need to fit within fashion. We might like reds and greens but know that currently grays and dusky tones are the most fashionable. I have long since recognised that I am attracted to bright, strong colours.

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I like them in our house and I love them in the garden. It is these colour choices which appear in my crochet designs as well. I admire more subtle shades. I can appreciate them. But they do not make my heart sing.

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When I am making something for myself I feel free to play with colour. In the last few weeks I have been balancing design and writing my new book and completing a few commissions. I don’t know about you but I usually have about 3 or 4 yarn projects on the go. This year my default project for the handbag is a pair of socks. I think I am now on pair number 6.

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Then I have a few long-term knitting projects: a blanket and a jumper. It occurred to me that it might be useful to make a shawl for our summer holidays. I have dreams of sitting outside early in the morning or late at night with a cosy shawl around my shoulders. Deliberately I wanted it to have a festival vibe, and decided the best inspiration would be found in our garden.

Colour Choice

In essence, the colours I have chosen do not make sense – reds, pinks and oranges. Yes from the same side of the colour wheel, but lots of clashing tones. But there, right there is the beauty of crochet. It looks more inkeeping, more itself when there is just little hint of vintage madness.  The yarn I used was Stylecraft Special DK. This is perfect for a garment which is going to be hardwearing. The yarn stays soft even after a trip to the washing machine.

I love our bright and colourful garden. It is more cottage style haphazard than the white style of Vita Sackville West. But then I cannot do without red pelargoniums, pink roses and purple allium. If you ever feel stuck about colour choice, my best advice would be – look to nature. Find a garden, a picture or a pattern that makes your heart sing and match your yarn choice to the tones you find there. You will make something that brings a smile to your face and a song in your heart.

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Gift Ideas for Gardeners – Enamel Mug Cosy

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I do love being in our garden in Winter. In the long dark days we often end up leaving the house before the sun rises and returning in the inky dark of the evening. At the weekends I get the opportunity to see what is changing. To view the shrubs, see what is dying back, glimpse those promising wee shoots of new life.

There can be nothing better than standing, in the frosty morning, mug in hand, dreaming, planning and appreciating the stillness of a winter morning. When I have been fertling in the flower beds for a few hours a coffee brought to me is heaven sent. You can of course use old ‘unfavourite’ mugs which you don’t mind chipping or getting very dirty. But many gardeners like to rely on an old fashioned enamel mug for its robust utility.

I find the shape nostalgically pleasing. But let’s be practical, its metal nature can make the mug way too hot to handle with a piping hot brew. The best idea is to make a lovely cosy. This small addition not only protects your fingers but also keeps your coffee warmer for longer.

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If you would like to make one of these cosies for a gardening friend, the recipe is below:

Enamel Mug Cosy

To fit: One standard enamel mug

You will need: Some chunky weight yarn, 4mm crochet hook, 2 shell buttons.

Foundation Row: Chain 41 stitches.

Row 1: 1 htr in the second ch from the hook, 1 htr in each chain stitch to end. (40 sts).

Row 2: Ch 2 sts, 1 htr in the back loop of each st to end. (40 sts).

Repeat row 2 five times. Fasten off.

Loops: Attach yarn to the top side edge of the crochet, make 10 ch sts, fasten off. Sew the tail of the chain stitch to the edge, to form a loop. Repeat at the bottom edge. Sew two buttons to the other side edge of the crochet to correspond to the loops. Weave in all ends.

(Abbreviations: St(s) – Stitch(es), Ch – Chain, htr – half treble stitch)

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For an ideal present buy a new mug for your friend. I have found a good range of enamelware in my local hardware shop and market. However I have also found some great examples on line from Dot Com Gift Shop – some even with candles inside. An alternative can also be found at Garden Trading – lots of lovely ideas for gardeners.

If you want more ideas for your gardening friends why not pop over the the wonderful Middle Sized Garden Blog, my first place to visit for gardening hints and tips.

 

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Craft in the Garden

Very occasionally I get interviewed by a magazine or a website and they ask me what other hobbies I have. Well it is not so easy to fit in much beyond my many hours with the crochet hook. But when stressed and needing to clear my head I will most often disappear into the garden.

Our garden is not huge, but it is large enough to have broad range of flowers and shrubs and a happy place to eat and play. It can be no surprise that my crafty making has rather crept into the outdoor space.

Each year we have a little summer gathering for friends. The bunting, the blankets and the garlands come out of storage and we enjoy changing our space from basic back garden into a festival space. You can have a quick look at previous years here and here.

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This year my super crafty friend Gemma made me some very pretty felt flower hoops to hang in the trees. Utterly gorgeous and they matched rather well with a crochet mandala I had made earlier in the season. I had hoped to make a few more but ran out of time. I keep thinking that they must be more of a cross-over between our crafty world and the outdoor space.

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Coincidently a brilliant gardening blogger, Alexandra contacted me. She writes the amazing Middlesized Garden Blog. This blog is one of my very favourite Sunday morning reads and over the years her hints and tips have greatly improved my plant care. Alexandra queried if I had ever crocheted with ‘plarn’. Essentially ‘plastic-yarn’.

She visited Spain this year and spotted some beautiful awnings and sunshades which create shade on the Spanish Streets. Essentially the locals make crochet mats out of upc-ycled plastic bags and then suspend these sunshades between the buildings to create colourful protection from the sun. The image she sent me peaked my curiosity and I began a journey of discovery of how people turn discarded plastic bags into mats and baskets. Please read her fabulous blog here

Here in Britain the plastic bag is becoming thankfully quite rare. I had to raid a forgotten stash to find some bags to experiment with. After a couple of hours I had made this plant container using some supermarket carriers. Don’t get me wrong, this is not easy work. Essentially I created a core strand of plastic bag and then made a long strip of plastic and crocheted round the core to create the spiral of the basket. Anyone who has worked with t-shirt yarn will tell you that your wrists to ache rather after a while and you can feel like you have done a few bouts of wrestling once your basket is finished.

Many people believe that working with thick yarn and large hooks should be easier than working with much thinner yarn. In fact it is much harder on the hands. But I cannot deny I had a lot of fun experimenting. I decided to sacrifice two bin bags to see how easy it would be to create a plastic granny square. I made a small mat quite easily but it would be lots more fun to collect a wide range of colours to create the most authentic granny square vibe.

This little experiment has got me thinking. Recycled plastic is impervious to rain and makes brilliant weather proof decorations. I think there maybe more projects to think about and there should be more crafty decoration in the garden.

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Garden top tips: 10 things my parents’ garden

My parents are quite frankly awesome gardeners and cheeky though it is I thought I would share with you the 10 top tips I have gleaned from watching them. My love and appreciation for gardens first developed when I spent an extended summer holiday with them about 20 years ago. They had just moved to picturesque Somerset and their new garden was vast and ripe for a new vision. Together we spent many days touring the important and influential gardens of their local area. We saw the inspirational colour palette Hadspen, when it was at the height of its power. The cottage garden of Margery Fish at East Lambrook, the statuesque hedges of Montacute House and the lovely Tintinhull House and Garden.

In the past two decades my parents have invested huge amounts of time and skill into their space. It is a private joy to them and any friend who has the privilege of spending time in it.  The garden could very well be a visitor attraction of its own.

Different gardens, different scale

There are some major differences in our gardening experience. Their plot hats many levels and many acres. Our garden is a relatively small suburban garden. My parents spend huge amount of time and effort working their land and their experience and knowledge is extensive. We on the other hand spend little time in the garden and a fraction of the investment. But there are some valuable lessons I have learned from watching and listening to them.

1. Create views

The very best gardens break up the space available to them to create different rooms and a variety of views. When I look at my parents garden I catch a glimpses of a very well considered scenes. There is something to look at and appreciate in the foreground, middle distance and background. Perhaps one of the best investments we made was our fairly inexpensive white garden bench. It creates a focal point at the end of our garden, a bright contrast against the dark green backdrop of the trees at the bottom of the garden. We also have somewhere lovely to sit at the end of the day during the summer.  A happy place for chatting and relaxing.

2. Feed and Mulch

In previous years we have not done enough of this, but I think the principle is finally getting through. I believe that our soil is much easier to work than the unyielding clay of my parents garden. But my, oh my have they invested in their soil. After years of digging compost and manure into their borders you can certainly see the benefit. Their plants are like monsters; huge, robust, disease free. If they were athletes you would say they were on steroids. The investment and sheer effort that has been made to improve the soil pays dividends. I promise that this year I will try to do better.

3. Borrow the landscape

One of my favourite views in the world is the view from my old bedroom in Somerset, across the garden and then into distant fields. Utterly English, utterly peaceful. Often when we think about our garden we forget that we do not live in a secluded box, but the distant views and trees have a borrowed benefit on our private landscape. In our own garden we benefit from the most glorious magnolia tree next door. From the back of our house we also enjoy the views of an elegant and huge eucalyptus and a tall silver birch. If you are able to consider the gardens around you and use the distant trees and shrubs to inform your own patch then your garden will feel so much larger.

4. If you don’t like it – ditch it

The garden we inherited had some rather good mature shrubs. But I have to admit I didn’t always warm to them. However I felt guilty at the thought of digging them up and throwing them away. Watching my parents garden, I witness that when a plant has overgrown its welcome or doesn’t fit into their planting scheme it gets the heave-ho. Obviously if you can remove a plant without destroying it and find a welcome new home, all to the good.

5. Watch your neighbours

There is a vast climate difference between the sunny hillside of Somerset and the slightly colder weather of the North West of England. Some of the plants my parents grow very successful are just too tender for our weather. Our climate and growing palette is far more akin to the Lake District. Ferns, acers, rhododendron, azaleas all do well. I have often had a quick nosy in the neighbouring gardens to see what is thriving and surviving. Whilst I might covet that large and healthy agapanthus which thrive in the ground down south, I know they will only survive in my garden in pots. Quite a bit of heartache can be avoided by choosing the plants that will survive and thrive in your plot and then celebrate the diversity of visiting friends and family whose garden in a different weather.

6. Think about the small delights

Ornaments in the garden often get a bad press. I believe the gnome is still banned from the Chelsea Flower Show. But a few well chosen artifacts or small garden sculptures strategically placed can bring a little joy and amusement to your space. I can still vividly remember the excitement of trying to find all the garden gnomes in my grandmas suburban garden. There are no such ‘items’ in parents garden. But they do add in the odd well chosen feature or ornament. These things add a sense of play and interest. Quite simply they bring a smile to my face.

During the summer we have a party for friends and I really enjoy hiding small wooden animals, painted stones or wire birds in the undergrowth.  Our garden treasure trail is a hit with young visitors and has even become a bit of an institution. Have a look at my blog post from last summer Let’s not get too po-faced about our space and instead create a bit of surprise and delight.

7. Give you plants more space than you think

When we re-planted our garden about 3 years ago I felt unnecessarily affronted by bare earth. I crammed far too much in our borders and didn’t give each plant the valuable space it needed. Gardening is not an instant art and three years on, the plants have really filled out. Patience is indeed a virtue, as is reading the plant label to see how large your mini-specimen will be when it grows to maturity. I need to now make some painful decisions to thin out some our our borders. It would have been far less expensive if I had listened to the sage advice of my stepmother.

8. Before you plant – soak

Oh this is absolutely a top-tip. Give your new plants a thorough soak in a full bucket of water before you transplant it into the soil. I have followed my Father’s instruction on this matter and I know it has benefited the plants I have introduced to our borders.

9. Can I have some of that?

Being cheeky can help you enormously when you need to develop your garden. My folks are brilliant at sharing their plants and will give me sound advice on ground cover and what we call in our family a ‘good doer’. This is plant which is disease free, helps to suppress the weeds and has a long growing/flowering season. I have pulmonaria which has made its way from my Granny’s garden, to Somerset and is now admirably covering a dodgy corner of our garden in the wet North West. Now that plant is a survivor and an admirable ‘good do-er’.

I have also benefited from some beautiful roses and geraniums which have outgrown their position. The cheapest and most delightful garden centre you could imagine. Check out the plants in the gardens of your family and see what you might be able to ‘borrow’.

10. Enjoy it

Having fun in the garden, celebrating, playing, eating, chatting and dreaming is so important. I have precious memories of my parent’s garden; our wedding, my son and my nephew playing, parties and family lunches. All of the work that goes into that garden is born out of love. Perhaps the most potent horticultural skill. I will never have the vision or design skills of my parents, but I have inherited their love of being in the garden and that is a gift I hope to enjoy forever.

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7 ideas for party craft in your garden

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Craft doesn’t just have to be a indoor pursuit, there are plenty of things that you can make which will bring fun and colour to your garden

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For the past few years we have invited friends round to our house and garden at the end of the summer holidays. Although a big gathering takes some planning and is all ‘go’ on the day, the memories we have made on those sunny summer afternoon are priceless.

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Bring in the colour craft

Strangely the garden can look quite green by the end of August. Some of the best of our flowers have gone over. No matter,  it is easy to bring more colour and craft into your garden by making some simple pom-pom garlands.

I had brilliant fun using scraps of neon netting to make very fluffy pom-poms. I tied these to the trees at a child-friendly height and they create a real sense of fun and wonder.

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A festival welcome

To get the party atmosphere I chose a festival inspired colour scheme. Just to make sure our guests knew where they were going we hung paper fans, pom-pom garlands and ribbons onto our garden gate. These blew in the breeze and brought a party atmosphere to the patio.

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Cosy Comfort

It is really important to create lots of comfy seating areas so your guests can chat and lounge about.  It is also a perfect excuse to show of your crochet skills and get out all your handmade blankets and cushions.

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Going on a fun hunt

We have lots of young friends and I enjoy making things specifically to entertain children. Firstly Little B and I like to set up a garden trail. We had animals and characters within the garden and set our guests the task of finding all our hidden creatures. If you promise a small prize for a completed treasure hunt you will find there are oodles of willing participants. In addition, we really enjoy making the search fiendishly difficult.

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Say it in words

Why not set the tone and mark out the party areas with a combination of signs. A welcome sign is always inviting for your guests.

I was also inspired to use some coloured masking tape to write playful words inside our garden den. Play and fun is the name of the game and hidden messages which only they will see delights young minds.

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I used my new Posca pens to write on our kitchen window so that no-one was in doubt where the music was coming from. This looks more difficult than it is. Firstly I sketched the words on a piece of paper. I stuck this to the outside  of the window and then traced the shapes on the inside with the Posca Pens. Quick, simple and effective

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Dressed for the occasion

Let imaginations run wild with a few items available from the dressing up box. This year I made a few quick and easy tutu skirts, by knotting strips of netting around headbands. Let me warn you – don’t get disappointed if a five year old turns down your offer of wearing a fairy tutu because she has made a very deliberate choice of her favourite party dress and doesn’t want to spoil the look. Never mind, the pom-pom and flower headbands were popular with all our little girl guests.

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A little night light

Don’t forget to bring a little romance to the evening by dotting some tea-lights around the garden. From mid-spring I start collecting jam-jars so that I can begin the cover them in crochet, bringing a little sparkle to the proceedings. All these ideas are a bit of colourful crafty fun which provides a focus for my evening makes and allows me to dream of balmy summer evenings filled with giggles and fun.

If you are looking for more outdoor crafty inspiration please have a look at the books in my previous blog post here, and also have a look at the excellent Middlesized Garden blog which has a fabulous post on garden parties here.

If you have any crafty ideas for the garden please do leave your suggestions below.

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Top 4 books to inspire outdoor living

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I have chosen my four top books that will inspire your outdoor living and creativity as we edge into an Indian Summer. I always find that September can be one of the best months to enjoy entertaining in the garden. Even though the holidays have to come to the end, weekends and evenings are still deliciously sunny.

Firstly lets look at crochet. I simply love this book Granny Squares by Sue Pinner. Sue is one of the Stylecraft Blogstars and her Carousel CAL is going to be a huge favourite. Her colour combinations in this book are fresh and vibrant.

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There are a fine range of projects. Her jam-jar tealight cover is very similar to the one I made last year for our garden. If I can in the next week, I will be making some more. I do really like there blanket patterns in this book and there are a few that I would put on my must-do list.

If you are on instagram I would certainly recommend following Sue’s account. She shows you the pretty designs she has in progress. It is also worth mentioning that this book is up for an award in the Knitting and Stitching Awards 2016. A top recommendation for your crochet book library.

Secondly please do pick up a copy of Ruby and Custard’s Crochet by Millie Masterton. This is such a pretty, pretty book. There are so many designs I which I had thought of myself – so there you go – you couldn’t get a more ringing endorsement. Top of my list for an outdoor party or play are the princess tiaras and the pirate play-set.

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I know some gorgeous little people who would love to romp around the garden with these little accessories. The Flower Hexagon Blanket is another favourite design. I would also point you to some great Christmas decorations at the back of the book which will make superb gifts. For a little bit of instant inspiration I would suggest popping over to Millie’s Blog, which is very very pretty – Ruby and Custard.

Next on my list is the gorgeous Happy Home Outside by Rice DK founder Charlotte Hedeman Gueniau. I have followed and loved Rice products for a very long time. The aesthetic is bright and colourful and chimes very much with my heart.

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The book does include plenty of products by the Danish company, but also has many ingenious ideas for creating fun and funky outdoor spaces for entertaining. There are a number of great recipes which I will be trying this September. This is a ‘Happy’ book which I keep permanently by my bed and helps me dream of long days spent in joy and laughter with friends.

Finally, my absolute key recommendation is Outdoor Living by Selina Lake. I have already blogged about this book a number of times, but it couldn’t be left off my list as it has been so influential in our garden over the past two years. There is a joyful spirit to all of Selina’s work and something quintessentially English about this book. She mixes flowers, with blankets, with rugs, with bunting and vintage crockery to create delightful scenes. Suddenly you feel inspired to throw a party. I have always been so glad I bought this book. It helped me convert my brain to seeing the garden is not just a green space but an extension of our home.

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With all these books the links will enable you to view and buy. But I am also an avid Library user and my top tip is to check if your local Library stock the book. Then reserve and borrow to see if I want to make a later purchase.

Finally if you are look at some additional inspiration – go to the fabulous blog by Alexandra Campbell. She has done a wonderful post on great ideas for garden parties.

Top Books to inspire outdoor living

The Emma Varnam blog is a participant in the Amazon Associates LLC, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk

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Crochet Colour Inspiration – All the blues – A Barcelona Blanket

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Finding inspiration for your crochet projects is easier than it seems. Why not use your holiday travels to spot colour combinations you might never have thought about. On our recent weekend trip to Barcelona I found inspiration amongst the fabulous mosaics of Parc Guell.

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I had a very specific commission in mind. My boy, my baby boy; Little B is growing up. He now stands next to me, eying me up – seeing how far it is, how long it will be before his gorgeous auburn head over takes mine. Not long I think, a year, maybe eighteen months. Since before he was born I have made him blankets. A knitted red heart blanket, a rather dreadful odds and end blanket for outdoor play and his most beloved ugly blanket. Recently he has diplomatically alerted to me that all of his blankets are: ‘how can I say it? Rather small…’ He has a point.

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The time has come to create a blanket for a ‘big boy’. The size of a single bed. I asked him what colours he would prefer and without missing a beat he said blue. Well it was fortunate that we were visiting the utterly glorious Barcelona that weekend. To my shame I have never visited before, but oh, what a city. There is to much to see, so much inspiration around every corner, however you cannot be surprised to learn that we adored Parc Guell, the utterly beautiful Gaudi park creation.

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The shapes of the architecture, the intricacies of the mosaic and the overall planting have been an inspiration to many. It seemed obvious to use the striking mosaic as a theme for Little B’s new blanket. So simple – so striking.

I have found using our holiday and high-days a brilliant discipline to stimulate new creativity. I am glad that we were able to visit this amazing city as a family. Hopefully B will treasure this blanket and even as a tall teenager remember this hot city adventure and the wonderful architecture he saw for the first time in the summer of 2016.

Where in the world have you been inspired by colour? Is there one colour that you associate with a special place? If so why not leave me a comment below. I would love to hear from you.

Crochet Colour Inspiration – All the blues – A Barcelona Blanket Read More »