A quarter of the way through this year and it’s good to see Spring has started. Today has seen David and I doing some Spring cleaning and making things in the house a bit fresher.
31 March 2025
End of March
16 March 2025
Stitching the Past.
Last Monday at Dorset Creative Embroiderers group we had a go at Dorset Feather Stitching. A few of us in the group have an old book called Dorset Feather Stitchery by Olivia Pass which was printed locally by The Friary Press in Dorchester. It was first printed in 1957, with reprints up to 1984. This was published by the Dorset Federation of Women’s Institutes, which was then based in the town, but the office has since moved to Poundbury. I have the last reprint, which was in 1984, which I bought at a charity shop when I worked in Dorchester over 13 years ago, more as a reference book than to make anything from.
There are no colour pictures in the book and there are hand drawn diagrams and the language is a bit old fashioned to our eyes now. It has influences from old English smocks, from Dorset, Wales and Staffordshire and uses ‘pine cones’ the tear shapes from the Peacock’s Eye of Persia for example. In the book is a Trial and Error sampler to try out the different stitches.
Here are a few pages from the book
The Trial and Error sampler
A couple of aprons (remember the pinnies that tied at the waist?) along with a needlecase and (I think) an embroidered tea cosy.
We made bookmarks with some fine cotton cloth, backed with wadding to provide stability. One of the group demonstrated and had samples and some templates from a lady she knew who sadly passed away last year (although the workshop was already on the list for the group).
Below is my practice piece. I didn’t have my blanket stitch going on the outside of the curve so clashed with the blanket stitch around two of the pine cones. I also had a go at couching the ricrac, which is another feature of the embroidery as well as chain stitch with a ‘tip’. It was enjoyable way to spend the time with hand stitching and chatting.
Below are a few more samples
08 March 2025
March 🌼
Here’s my monthly marker for this month
On the last day of February I visited Kingston Lacy with my daughter and spotted a camellia with a bee (the black spot in the pic), which stayed on the flower for some time collecting nectar. A sign that things are getting a bit warmer (even though the temperature drops at night).28 February 2025
That was February
It now seems Spring - like but it has been a cold and grey month, so there has been quite a bit of sewing, knitting and crochet going on.
In the evenings I’m working on the Canalboat Blanket. A bit late joining in the CAL (crochet a long), design by Lucy of Attic 24, I’ve got as far as week 3, so it’s coming along. I’m making the lap blanket size and may stop around week 4’s colour guide. I will be making another which will use up the yarn pack (that’s from Wool Warehouse). The crochet is quite a relaxing project in the evenings.
The pick up/put down knitting project is the Colour Burst jumper using the yarn by Stylecraft. I’m using a school jumper pattern to provide the basic pattern and am looking at using a cable pattern on the front, but I’m currently working on the back. It’s been good to take to the weekly Knit and Natter group. The colourway, Catherine Wheel, is really pretty.
Also on the needles is a top down jumper for me with short sleeves. The yoke pattern has been done and I’ve just split for the sleeves and work on the body. The pattern is by JST Designs on Ravelry and the yarn by Attic Spin Dye (on Etsy) in Plum. I purchased the yarn at Yarndale last year. It looks a little dark as the light is beginning to go this evening.
For the sewing I’ve been making cushion covers and table mats from orphan blocks for the local housing association, which will help brighten up living spaces. I’ve passed these onto the housing association who are pleased with the items.
Still enjoying shiny new things, last month I subscribed to a monthly mini skein collection and I’ve received February’s last month and March’s just this month from Blue Fern Yarns. Mainly in blues but now going into beiges. I was impressed by the mini skein set that I bought at Yarndale last year and I’m sure I will make use of them. I will probably look at Advent projects which use a lot of mini skeins.
I haven’t done any paper crafting except for this ATC, for which the theme was birds and I made this quirky blackbird one on a paper patchwork background.
Today I’ve spent time with my daughter at Kingston Lacy near Wimborne. It’s noted for lovely spring flowers and the snowdrops are just passing over but daffodils are now starting to flower. It was lovely to see camellias with a couple of bees buzzing around.
So that was my February and looking forward to March, with Spring well on the way and hopefully getting more out and about.
15 February 2025
Shiny ✨ New Things
With all good intentions of using what I’ve got, which I’m doing mainly, sometimes it becomes hard to resist the new stuff.
The week before last I saw my friend at knitting and natter who is currently making 2 lap blankets following the Canalside CAL by Lucy of Attic 24 and seeing the colours used in real life very quite vibrant. Thinking about this I thought it lap sized blankets would make a good Christmas present (this Christmas is the intention) so ordered the colour pack from Wool Warehouse. (Even the spellchecker thought ahead of my typing!!).
This is the start so far, only a few rows in.
However I thought the book was worth exploring so I ordered it from World of Books and it came yesterday. The condition was described as good, but it looked like new!
01 February 2025
End of January 🎍
And the beginning of February. So here’s a round up of what I’ve done in January.
Above is a photo of the snowdrops and cyclamen at Kingston Lacy, near Wimborne over a weekend ago.
I have two finishes this month, both knitted. Some sewing and a lot of drawing.
First off, started and finished in just a few days is this beanie hat with pom-poms. I was looking for a child’s beanie hat for my granddaughter and found a pattern in the current issue of Simply Knitting (on Readly) which is actually a dinosaur hat but I omitted the spikes. Nice and easy so I will write the pattern out to keep for reference. This is to go with some mittens that I finished in November.
Second finish to a bit longer and was just finding last night and it is a cardigan in James C Brett Aurora in what I would call unicorn colours. This is knitted for another granddaughter as it’s the sort of colours she wears. I decided I would sew on different coloured buttons to finish. The pattern is Stylecraft 9707 and I did the V neck version but the sleeves are knitted plain stocking stitch instead of the lace pattern.
A bit bright, isn’t it. Enough to brighten these grey days.