Father's Day with my dad

We spent this afternoon with my mum and dad at their home in Cambridgeshire. Dad's garden was looking lovely. The small flowered ground cover rose bottom right with red flowers and orange middle is a very special variety named Pathfinder after 97 Squadron which my dad served a tour with as a gunner in Lancasters during the Second World War. It was a gift from Chris Keltie, author of Riding in the Shadow of Death which my father features in, along with the inspiring story of Bill North.

Here's my dad with his nose stuck into one of the books I got him for Father's Day, that'll keep him quiet!

This second book is also quite special, Lancaster Operations by Ian Reid, again dad features in it, this time it's about 100 Squadron. Dad flew his first tour of duty (again in Lancasters) with them. It first came out in 2003 and my husband, who is quite a collector of WWII historical books, saw it for sale and found dad's name it it (unbeknownst to dad who didn't know he was in it!) Of course DH bought it for him on the spot. A couple of years later, dad lent it out to someone who unfortunately never returned it. We have been trying to acquire a replacement for him ever since. It was never reprinted and consequently secondhand was our only option.

Very recently a copy was listed on EBay but the reserve was too high for our budget. However, I noted the book didn't sell and contacted the seller letting him him know I wanted it for a veteran and asked if he would consider reducing the reserve. Kind hearted chap that he is, he relisted and I was lucky enough to win the auction. Dad is very pleased to have this replacement. 

I hope dads everywhere have a happy day and as it's the longest day of the year it's very appropriate to have maximum time to enjoy it. 

Love and light to all on the Summer Solstice.

Turning green

Hiya, 603 here again. My other numbered friends and I are getting on really well together in our Scheepjes hessian bag waiting for the Scheepjes CAL 2015 to start on the 10th. Here's 606 giving me a leg up to peer inside one of my owner's work boxes to see what she's doing. She tells me it'll be our turn next and very soon! We can't wait but seeing other yarn getting used instead of us makes us envious .... at least 606 is supposed to be that colour .... there's a real danger I may become green with envy too!

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Doctor Sue

I bought this cactus at a garden centre along with some other casualty cases needing some TLC for £1 each from the bargain bench a couple of weeks ago. Some of its leaves were half eaten by slugs, it had silvery trails all over it, it was in really dry compost and altogether looking very sorry for itself. It already had some flower buds on it, presumably the stress of the lack of love made it think "quick, reproduce by making some seeds, I'm gonna die soon".

I got the compost wet again by soaking it in a bucket, gave it a feed and then repotted it into a larger pot, cleaned up the leaves and this is how it repaid me!

My dad used to grow them when I was a child, we used to call them Christmas Cactuses because that's when they used to flower. I haven't told the plant it's a bit late, don't want to hurt it's feelings whilst looking so splendid!

Some other plants needing my triage skills were these three fuchsias photographed on the day I got them, also dry and looking sorry for themselves.

At only £1 each, I snapped them up and gave them similar treatment, they've put on new growth and are looking very grateful already. I'll do a photograph of them when they're back to full health.

Don't you just love a bargain?!

At it again

I have been buying yarn again; very naughty of me.

We had to go into Oakham to do some banking so I called in at The Wool Zone again this afternoon. Julie who owns the shop confirmed Drops still had its sale on so I bought two 50g balls of Drops Delight (top right in the pic). 

I've just finished crocheting another lacey summer weight scarf, this time a shallow triangle with hanging flowers. I made it at first in two ply hand dyed lace.

I've also done a grey one in the Drops Delight I bought on Yarn Shop Day (which is blocking as I type), the yarn weight is around 4-ply so it's given it a chunkier feel, more for Autumn. I want to do an all over colourful one and as well so that's what my latest purchase will be turned into.

I think really the pattern could be adapted to any weight of yarn providing a suitable hook size is used. I'm in the process of writing it all up along with the tutorial, I'll put it on Ravelry very soon.

The other yarn is Drops Alpaca, I already have some of this in my stash, I'm going to make a small blanket for Missy out of that. When I was bead making this morning, she joined me in the studio, it was raining all morning so we didn't put her cushion out on the balcony as I normally would, I have a piece of fleece for her as it was a bit cool too, it would be much nicer for her to have a handmade blanket.

Whatever you're planning for the weekend, I hope it's a good one!

Spring into Summer - Flight of Fancy

My real name is 603, I have been in my new home for several days with a bunch of my friends with other numbers. My new owner is very affectionate, She keeps squeezing, kissing and stroking me, she tells me I am her very favourite but she can't decide on a new name for me, sometimes she calls me "magenta" and other times I'm "winey purple". I was told by my previous owner I would be made into a Peacock and my new owner tells me we will have adventures and go to wonderful places together. 

This is what me and my friends are destined for, I don't know why, but we can't get going until 10 June 2015.  I wish she'd get a move on, I'm fed up being stuck in this bag and if that scarf pin pokes me any more, I might just run away!

Scheepjes Spring-into-Summer CAL 2015 Facebook Group

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