Greetings lovely friends & readers
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As mentioned in my last post I have been helping my friend Gail prepare for the local Garden Ramble. She asked me to dump this rusty old birdcage in the rubbish hole at the farm & - of course - it had to come home with me 😉 I sprayed it with CRC rust remover & then spray painted it in my wood shed (out of the wind) 2 coats Coastal Green. I am thrilled with how it came out & when I sent a picture to Gail she replied "Great I'll have it back now thanks!!" (sorry No)
When I revamped this thrifted table & chair set in * this post * last year, I wasn't sure how it would last being that it was so rusty. I've kept it on my deck out of the weather & it's still looking good. I touched up a couple of spots on the chairs while I had the spray paint out. The birdcage looks great hanging above it & I plan to put a small plant pot in it when I can find the right size.
- Knitting -
I'm not a very good knitter & am painfully slow, but I do enjoy it at night when my eyes are tired & I can knit the dishcloths - I find it methodical - plus I can watch TV at the same time. Next year I plan hope to learn to knit an actual garment 😵
One of my daughter-in-laws favorite colours are orange & pink. I bought this gorgeous teatowel for her to tuck in with her Christmas gifts & knitted 2 dishcloths to go with it. I know she uses these, as I've witnessed in her kitchen.
The usual pattern I use is the diagonal one, a free download from * here * I also tried out this moss-stitch pattern (above) which I really liked - another freebie - go * here * tho' I made mine not as large.
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On my way to the Sewing Retreat back in June, I purchased a ball of this Abbey Road cotton yarn in Taupo. I liked the variegation of it & so far, I've knitted 4 dishcloths & it looks like I still have enough left for another two. The four I've shown are all from the same ball of yarn.
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Last week I decided to knit some scrubby cloths to use up the scrub yarn oddments that I had. I made matching dishcloths as I thought they'd make nice gifts along with a cake of soap. I loved the Christmas colours sitting in my soap dish, top right. Very festive 🎄
After I'd used up all my scraps I went online to purchase some more & saw this colourway called "Jolly". How beautiful - Yes Please 💓
I've made one scrubbie so far & will be interested to see how many I get out of the ball. Again, these will be wonderful tucked into christmas parcels.
I've just about mastered the art of knitting with a large ginger furry being parked on my lap at nights now, tho' the odd stitch gets dropped!
- Looking Back -
Spring is a busy time in my garden with so much to do. When it feels overwhelming I've found it helpful to look back at some photos from this time last year when we had the Septic Tank debacle. It helps me to see my progress & realise that I've actually come quite a long way.
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Looking down the section towards the depot yard - last year left pic, last week, right pic. I did sow grass seed but the birds ate most of it so I still have patchiness but it's okay, it's better than a sea of dirt.
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As I wait for my foxgloves to bloom I remember this garden last year with its holes & the trenches all the way down the driveway. I also had a nice flowering of bulbs in here this year as I painstakingly sifted every single bulb from the dirt the men dug out.
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This photo below shows the lavender hedge I had leading up to the Pond - this is an old photo from December 2017, & I had removed the right hand side lavenders as they were woody & just left one side planted.
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These plants above right are the healthiest & I planted them out a week ago. I am hoping as they increase in size I can take more cuttings in the future as this was always such a lovely variety of lavender.
Thank you dear friends, for your ever-welcome visits here today,
Wishing you a wonderful rest-of-the-week,
Sending much love & friendship to you all,
I love this site for so many easy designs of dishcloths. They make great gifts. And did I say easy… yep … https://daisyandstorm.com/free-washcloth-and-afghan-square-knitting-patterns/
ReplyDeleteJust click on a category and you get a great selection.
Love you birdcage, table and chairs too.
Hello Julie, I think the work you did to restore your border where the men did that digging looks so very good, lavender doesn't take well for me so Im surprised you go those strikes and the foxgloves - well I love them! it looks very pretty. The bird cage is delightful, it has a very nice shape and goes well in its setting. I like lilac too but it makes hubby's nose itch. I just dug a lilac tree out on my allotment - it was inherited and taking the light and nourishment from 1/4 of my plot so had to go, but I felt sorry. There is another similar tree two plots further along so butterflies won't lose out. I can knit, but can't make garments either, I find patterns very difficult. There's a craft group in my town I am thinking of joining, maybe they can help. Its getting cooler here, we have lots of rain (which I like) and a big storm on the way today (storm Benjamin) yet Mollie is determined to be outside, she's a real outdoor girl. I am doing a little crafting this year for Christmas, thinking of some felt birds and have started a giant dried wreath. Betty x
ReplyDeleteGreat work on the birdcage and it does look lovely hanging above your table and chairs. Will look pretty with a trailing plant in. That tea towel is gorgeous and I love the matching dish cloths. Lovely to see how your garden is recovering after the devastation of last year. xx
ReplyDeleteOh Julie, Yes, Spring time does bring so much work in the garden - I too love lavender, and the plants I have growing originated from cuttings from plants that that my mother grew - she "inherited" some very old gardens, including this particular lavender - I estimate that the original plant was probably planted close to 100 years ago... Thankfully it grows well from cuttings, and the perfume is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThe changes in your garden are massive, and overall it has recovered very well from last spring's mayhem!
Loving all your various knitting projects - I also find knitting relaxing, and I enjoy doing it when travelling and others are driving, or I am flying... I have only done "peggy squares" for ages, as they are made into blankets for charity. I used to do all the knitting for the family, and as I liked a challenge, there were some pretty complex patterns found and knitted over the years.
Blessings
Maxine
I love your inventiveness. I love the before and after pictures.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Ilona. I love revamping old things like the rusty birdcage - it brings me great satisfaction. 😊
DeleteI really love your birdcage and your revamped border is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that you can buy yarn made especially for knitting dishcloths. Every day is a school day!
Thank you Tracy. Yes you certainly can buy yarn especially for dishcloths - cotton yarn washes up the best or bamboo/cotton. It can be washed many times. They are such fun things to knit. Have a great weekend Tracy xx
DeleteThe bird cage is beautiful and will look lovely with a trailing plant in it. Your lavender path was so beautiful and will be again, I'm sure, with new little baby plants.
ReplyDeleteoooooO! 'Julie....'The rust destroyer' HeHe! Bless! :).
ReplyDeleteThe cage looks lovely Julie, but isn't it a bit small for
Blackie..!x
And..Miss Pippi...having a nice long rest, after a days
crafting...Bless..!x
I'm a bit passed it to knit now~a~days...though l still
prefer a hand made/knitted garment...it gives out style
and effort, and always looks nice...especially in 'Pink'.
My daughter knitted me three dishcloths, when you
first mentioned them Julie...l pinned them together,
hung them on one of the kitchen walls, and there still
there to this day...unused...l think there to good to use..! :).
Best get on..Just got back from town, suns out in all it's
glory, after a day of rain, yesterday...! Few things out on the
line drying...Job done...!
And, l always like lavender, no matter where it's growing...
It always looks nice and the smell of course....Lovely...!
🌸 🌼 🌻 ✿ ❀ ✾ 💐 🌷🌸 🌼 🌻 ✿ ❀ ✾ 💐 🌷🌸 🌼
Julie, lilacs! Oh how lovely. My one bush is so tall and scraggly I plan to chop it off at the ground when the sap is down
ReplyDeleteand if it comes back OK and if not, that's the way it goes. Deer love to eat them so I'll have to cage it again. Your view of you garden from that cute table is so pretty and makes me glad to see. I have orange leaves on trees and a yard of them. I would not relinquish the cage either, with or without a canary. I like the vivid color of the tea towel so your knitted clothes are a real compliment. Little One and Miss Pip look content. I try to read in the evenings when I have a lap full of cat. Hard to turn the pages, lol. Lynn and Precious XX
Hi sweet Julie and the furry ones! The birdcage is so cool! You can improve anything, I think! Lilacs are so lovely and smell so delicious! Happy Spring! xo
ReplyDeleteI love lilacs also, your place is so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Kim - you are so kind. xx
DeleteYay! Little One and the Lilacs. What a gorgeous cat he is! You have done a wonderful job on the birdcage and I think your knitting will be so appreciated at Christmas - and in all the right colours too! I love the photos of last year and this year - it's good to remember how much you have done and it is all looking lovely. It's good that Miss Pippi is looking after you and keeping you warm.
ReplyDeleteHave a good rest of the week
Best wishes
Ellie
I was somewhere just the other day and saw a bird cage and thought Julie would love that! Your garden has recovered so well....have you? I know it was a stressful time.
ReplyDeleteHi Julie, I love birds, nature, cats and lilacs! Your photos are beautiful and heartwarming! Great work on the birdcage! Warm greetings from a retired lady living in Montreal, Canada.
ReplyDeleteI just finished lots of dishcloths as well. So easy to knit in the evenings. Once I get some other projects out of the way I will be back to knitting mitts of an evening for Kurt's school.
ReplyDeleteI bought a bird cage a few years ago from a friend and really need to change the colour and find something to put in it.
God bless.
Julie, the rusty old birdcage has found the perfect home with you and your clever hands have done wonders with it. Lilacs have the most divine scent. The ones here are just beginning to think about blooming. You have done wonders with your garden after last year's nightmare. I think I would've sobbed to witness my garden's destruction.
ReplyDeleteJulie, what a mess your garden became through all that drama. It takes time to landscape everything again. It's looking great again. The wash cloths look great. I love mine and use them all the time. xx
ReplyDeleteAlways love your posts , love to see what you are decorating and making .
ReplyDeleteI must make more dish cloths , my ones need replacing , so I now need to sort out my chart and cotton.
Have a fun week hugs June.