Some Japanese Yarn and A Day Out.....

Shamefully, this Shoshenshi linen paper yarn by Habu has been languishing in the bottom of a bag for nearly a year now as a half-knitted bolero. I re-discovered it while sorting out some of my extensive yarn stash (discovered some other yummy yarns too!) and after studying it for a while, realised I couldn't remember where I'd left the pattern or how on earth to take it up again without making a mess of it. So I unravelled it down to the ribbing and started again in simple stocking stitch and made the above waistcoat in about 3 evenings. The yarn is amazing, it really feels and sounds like thick tissue paper and knits up beautifully with a lovely texture and drape. Hopefully, it washes like linen and should come up as good as new...fingers crossed! It's a pity no-one in this country seems to stock it, although there is a source on eBay.


I had two paintings accepted in the Best of Hampshire Artists Exhibition this year, held at Hillier Gardens in Romsey. Yesterday, my dear partner decreed he would whisk me away from potatoes for the day (hooray!!) and we went down there to see the exhibition, have some lunch and a walk around the lovely gardens. The Art in the Gardens exhibition was also being held, with such interesting pieces as the above horses made entirely from chicken wire.


There were several of these pensive little copper statues dotted around - I love the little boy on the right and could imagine him peeking out from some long grass under a tree in someone's garden.


We saw a pair of deer just beyond the wire horse sculptures and watched them for a while before they noticed us and trotted away at high speed. (The stag is behind the large bush.) It was a pleasant change to be able to look quietly at some deer without restraining a slavering saluki!!


We hiked up a big hill to some woods to see some pigs that had been introduced for the summer in order to clear the undergrowth. They were fit and happy and digging huge holes under the trees, better than any JCB! Unfortunately my photos of them are pretty rubbish and the video I took is too small to reproduce here. On our way back down, we found this enormous eucalyptus tree with a completely smooth and naked trunk, the bark having all peeled off on to the ground.

So today it is back to normal, with a couple of potatoes awaiting their portrait to be painted, but I feel better for having had a day away. Today's Spud picture is Number 70 - can you believe it?