Summer Holidays.......

......and it is raining, of course! Even though I was busy and exhausted last week, I managed to find the time to knit up a little pink shrug - this is it drying in the sun (on Saturday!) after being blocked. It is knitted in some gorgeous Adriafil flat cotton yarn called Papua, which is sadly now discontinued. I bought a load of it straight from the manufacturer in Italy when I was commissioned to crochet a floral wedding corsage as the lady thought she might want a matching scarf later on. She didn't, but I don't mind using this yarn for myself - better than it languishing in a box for years!

Now that I am officially on holiday for 6 weeks, I thought I would get on with some of the jobs which have been left undone over the past term. One of these was to scoop the duck-weed out of the pond. However, on going down there this morning I was greeted by these little faces -



I didn't have the heart to send their little world into turmoil by poking around with nets and sticks, so that job can wait for another day.


I know I live in rural Hampshire, but looking at the garden this year you'd think it was somewhere closer to the Mediterranean. The grapevine has gone mad and spread over the whole pergola and we have more grapes developing that I have ever seen. I think last year we had three meagre bunches - this year we have about fifty. Perhaps it's time to re-think brewing....a nice Chateau le Retour de Jardin.......


I've probably bored everyone on many occasions with lily pictures - sorry, but I just can't resist them. I love the shapes & colours, just crying out to be painted.


Talking of painting, I might even get back to doing some now that I have the time....those poor flamingoes have been on hold for far too long!

Be Careful What You Wish For!

I'm in a bit of a panic - a very nice panic, but a panic nonetheless. For years I have been banging on that I would like to make my living from my artwork - it's been my dream since I was a child I guess. Over the last few days, that dream looks like it might possibly become a reality - in a small way at least.

Remember those potato paintings? Well, I now have a commission to illustrate a book about potatoes, which should take a year or so with about 100 illustrations to be done. Funny thing to get your breakthrough with but I'm certainly not complaining!

I also have several craft commissions on the go, also a lot of fun. My panic is over time-management - I have to sit down and work out how to sensibly fit all this in while still being carer to my daughter, keeping the house running, and come September going back to the day job. I'm sure it is all feasible once I get a routine sorted - and very, very exciting!


In the meantime I have been frittering away my evenings making the above. You may recognise the yarn from the fan scarf - this is how it knits up and I think it is so cute! This little shrug is for me (wearing it now!) and was also an experiment to work out a pattern to be used on some rather exciting Japanese yarn that is currently winging it's way over from New York.


And previous to that, I was frittering away my time on the above shrug, made from soft grey mohair with deep pink knitted roses around the neckline. It hasn't photographed well unfortunately.


Here is another view showing the long sleeve with the flared ribbing around the wrist. I'm still not 100% happy with this, I feel it may need more roses or perhaps leaves but that will have to wait for a while as I really have to PRIORITISE!!