Mitts

I was intrigued by this pattern for DoubleTake Mitts so I am making them as a Christmas gift. The yarn is 100% cashmere so they should be nice and warm. I was pleased to find a pattern that included an XS size for me to knit - most mitt patterns are too big for me and mine.



Petunias

I planted mixed petunias this year and I particularly like this one.

Lilies

I love these white pollenless lilies. Lily pollen is extremely toxic to cats - so lilies without pollen are ideal for my garden.

Pink

I'm not a great fan of pink, but this poppy is so perfect I had to show it to you.

Garden

My camera is better at close ups than general views but here is part of the garden.

Lap Cat!

Sunny has been adamant that she doesn't do laps - until today when she hopped up and settled down drowsily to purr!



Futari Shizuka

Futari shizuka is the name of a picture of two people, in 10th century Japanese costume, sitting  quietly curled up together in silence. I've always loved it so, years ago, when my daughter saw this Two's Company box frame of a pair of little bears she knew I would like it. It has been a bit of a problem finding a place to hang it as the box frame is really thick, but since the redecoration I have found a place for it above my lap-top corner.

Orchids

My husband's orchids are doing really well this year.

Streptocarpus

One of my husband's numerous streptocarpus plants. They normally flower best in winter - but then as far as temperature and light levels go it has been winter, whatever the calender says!

Sunny

Sunny found a perfect combiation - a patch of rare sunshine and a good spot to stalk the birds on next door's bird table at one and the same time. Please, Sunny, in the interest of neighbourly relations, don't catch anything!

Shawl progress - border

I love it when the border pattern starts to show up!

Friends!

Ginger and Sunny guarding the cat flap! Anyway, it is too wet out there to go outside.

Thank goodness for nasturtiums!

At least they are surviving this horribly wet, cold 'summer' without dying. There are even a few flowers.

Hydrangea

Hydrangeas like water but this year's rainfall is ridiculous. Despite plenty of support my poor hydrangea is rather battered.

Happy Birthday Tigger!

Tigger is 9 years old today. Here he is enjoying his favourite activity - sleeping!

Sigh!

At this time of year I should have a spectacular display of petunias on my patio. This year the ones that haven't actually dissolved or drowned outright are too sick to flower.

Shawl progress

Life keeps throwing things at me this year so I am making very slow progress with my knitting. I have finally got the centre of my one colour version of Chameleon Shawl finished and have started the border. It is a really easy knit - just what I need at the moment!

Rain

Since it seems unlikely to stop raining any time soon - here is the view from my window. There should be lots of pretty flowers to be seen, but the plants are all struggling to stay alive. Even the lime trees do not look happy, and my much cossetted tree paeony has died of drowning.

Ginger

Doesn't he look happy!

Flowers

The weather has been so bleak that these petunias are a ray of brightness in the gloom.

Sleeping

Tigger.

Tatting

I'm still making rings only patterns in tatting. Here is another - not a very good photo (Sorry!)

Petunias

Because of the very bad weather this year, my hanging baskets are very late, but they are starting to look good at last.

Reward

My reward for coping with the repainting while my husband swanned off to China and Japan is this lovely tooled leather handbag from www.oberondesign.com .

Roses

The weather in the UK has been truly horrible so far this summer - really cold and wet. Apparently this April, May and June have been the wettest since records began in 1910. Despite this my beloved rose has flowered magnificently.

Third try

I seem to have a problem finding a pattern for this yarn. The colour is near black - darker than the photo suggests so I have real trouble seeing what I am doing. I started Dockside Cardigan by Amy Miller and frogged it. Then I started Pebble cardigan by Mari Dembrow and frogged it. Now I'm having a third try with a very simple design based on Mari Dembrow's Seed Stitch Shawl Collar without the back and sleeve cables. Fingers crossed that this one will work out!

Sleeping peacefully

Sunny.

Chaos removed!

Here's a rather dark photo of my hall just to demonstrate that I have got the clutter sorted out now the painter has finished.

Waving goodbye

This bear and the red dog are ones I made years ago. They are saying goodbye before they fly off to new homes in Japan.

Chaos!

My flat has just been repainted throughout -which meant moving everything round. A couple of views of the chaos - now happily sorted.