Tag: seasons

Blogvember day 10: Colour from Sussex Prairie Garden

These are October pictures – the Sussex Prairie Garden is closed now until June 1st 2024. But, as you can see, the season goes out with a blaze of colour – really spectacular place to wander around in, way more impressive than I was expecting – very calm, relaxed surroundings, definitely to be recommended for next year. It is a ‘new’ garden, designed and planted in the 20th and 21st centuries in West Sussex. It now claims to be the largest ‘prairie’ garden in Britain with 8 acres containing 35,000 plants – all apparently put there by friends and family of the owners! Quite a vision.

I had a magic afternoon, turning corner after dramatic corner – almost enough to get us through the grim grey that seems to have surrounded us ever since in the UK – and plenty of ideas for those dye baths!

Blogvember day 8: Drama in the outlines

Not sure where this is all heading (geometric quilts? twisted stitch patterns? more dye bath possibilities?) but the pictures I am taking at the moment, from street scenes to modern art, seem to be full of lines – if not always straight ones!

I had hoped to get some decent autumn shots this year, but between the relentless grey gloom, family events at weekends and finally storm Cieràn seeing off the leaves, it doesn’t seem likely. Sheffield Park (National Trust, about 20 miles away) is probably our closest reliably dramatic woodland -some years it can be spectacular. I took these a few seasons ago.

I think it’s the lake reflections that do the trick! This was actually the photo that inspired the knitwear in the centre of the first set of pictures.

February (can’t resist ing-ing)

Yes, I know, it’s the middle of March. Keep up, SpinningStreak.

 

But I’ve been busy. Fighting freezing conditions in the way I know best…

Walking over icy Sussex Downs with my lovely sister-in-law – all about the frozen dew ponds and shivering sheep:

 

Hiding away for a week in a cottage in Rye. Entertaining family members from over 90 to under one month!

 

Visiting Tenterden, Hastings Old Town, Tunbridge Wells…

 

Listening to tales of a childhood in the early 1930s and really really wishing I had recorded it…

The weather was frankly grim. The following week, of course, was almost summer – though vanished again now.

IMG_5785Three year old granddaughter’s current favourite place to visit – ‘Pirate’ park in Reigate.

Working, reading, working, knitting, working, spinning – well, no change there.

Some Serious Planning is also going on backstage – but enough – I think I might have just about caught up!

January-ing

 

Joining in this for the first time!

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Walking over the misty Sussex Downs. Thinking Ravilious.

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Reading: three sorts of scary.

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But also dipping into these.

 

Making: wonky bread, marmalade, quince jelly and chutney.

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And making fires – LOTS of them.

 

Sorting china – plenty more where that came from…(the roof!)

 

Watching and waiting – think the narcissi are winning!

 

Listing: in the Etsy shop – cosy stuff! Cushions, cowls leg warmers…

AND plenty of time spent BlogLoving: this month I have particularly enjoyed:

https://www.frond-and-feather.com/

https://cjabovetheriver.blogspot.com/

https://www.attic24.typepad.com/

https://christinascolourfullive.blogspot.com/

Beware yellow….

IMG_2975Because it doesn’t sell!

It seems that few people (apart from me) are impressed by yellow socks…. or cowls, or mittens. But that doesn’t stop me gazing at my daffodils every Spring and thinking why not…?

This yarn above was achieved by a combination of dip dyeing and hand painting .

IMG_2968This plum and lime one has more intense colour sections and was done by injecting the dye in several stages.

The yarn below (a rather subtle colourway called crocus – note the sneaky touch of yellow…) was almost entirely painted by hand, using a small brush.

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If you are curious, take a peek at my Etsy shop (button top right) to see some other techniques.

PS. If yellow is the least popular colour, which set of shades do you think regularly flies off the shelf – and not just off Etsy? Please comment with your guess.

Answer next time!