B for daffodils

The sun is shining. Bournville is very beautiful at the moment, with carpets of snowdrops and crocus. In a minute I shall take Fig for a walk to enjoy it, but so much is happening here I thought I'd better share!

First of all, the Crafty Bees. Our second meeting took place over half term so we had more children. Most of them knitted, except Harlie who made a super chick out of pompoms!



Caroline took some photos of the babies; you can see Louis, but not Oscar. The whole meeting was punctuated with lovely cooing noises - from the babies, although the ladies did plenty, too.



Last week some people carried on with squares, which Gillian (what a heroine!) has taken to start sewing together; other people had fun making Easter chicks. This week we have patterns for daffodils for those who would like to try them: it's Marie Curie's Daffodil Day in March, and you will be able to buy the hand-made ones from the shop. We will also use them for our own Marie Curie fundraiser in June.

Last year's daffodil tree metamorphosed into a poppy tree, so another tree is taking shape.

The basic cone is made; now just the frills to do!

I was going great guns on daffodils etc until Heidi Bears produces a new pattern. This is the most amazing Stegosaurus, which can be found on www.ravelry.com. First thing this morning I was down at the shop, begging Caroline to help sort out the colours, so here are the bags of Stylecraft Special waiting for me to start.

I need to make two - one to raffle for Marie Curie, and one for Rhiannon's friend Fern, who is soon to do the London Marathon and has to raise some money. Updates will be posted.

Last week's workshop was Crochet flowers. I had a great time and Fiona, Penny and Sandie produces some lovely blooms. Here are Sandie's.

In among all this busy-ness there's scant time for housework. I keep promising myself I'll do some, but then something else REALLY IMPORTANT comes up and that gets done instead. 

Tonight is Stitch Bournville, down at the shop. It's always a really happy evening. Why don't you come along? 

Bournville bees

This is what we've been up to in the last fortnight, getting ready for the launch.

It all began with the poppies. Remember we made what seemed like millions? That was started by Anne Linley in memory of her son Brett. But, she thought, how much better would it be if more than a handful of people were involved? So she talked to her friend Anne Walker, and ...

... The Bournville Village Trust, in the person of Anne Walker, and Christine's (aka www.cityknits.co.uk ) built on her idea; so the Crafty Bees group came about, for local people to get together to share skills in knitting and crochet with each other, and pass them on through the generations, while we make 'stuff' for charities.

The BVT are funding it; we have a room booked at Dame Elizabeth Hall for a year, and they are buying supplies of wool etc. Julie and Caroline are organising the various supplies we need, and coming up with suggestions for how to go on.

So last Friday morning I turned up at the Hall. The weather was foul, and I was horribly afraid no-one would turn up. Inside I found:



The three crates of supplies we'd packed ready. Tables were being arranged. Gillian and Sandra, both on the committee, set out the things they had made for various charities.



And then people started to arrive! We had youngsters with a teacher day there knitting, young mums with babies, a real mix of ages. Over 20 people turned out on a morning when the wind was howling, and the rain lashing down, and enjoyed crafting together.



Everyone is making squares - they can be used for all sorts of things, and it was the first time so we had to set something up.



This photo is from early on, before everyone had arrived. We had to get more tables out!



And we even had time to join in. Here we have Jules, in blue, and Anne Walker from the BVT in the foreground. And the white head and grey cardigan is me!

We're agreed that next Friday we will start work on Easter things - lambs, bunnies, ducklings -  which we can sell to raise money. Here we have one of Caroline's cheeky chicks:

There's a lovely sheepy pattern in Landscape magazine which I'll try out with a view to making them, and a free pattern on the Rowan website for chickens to sit on the edge of window sills etc which is knitted and waiting to be sewn up; The pattern suggests this for weight under the stuffing!

I've been making the Blue Bird of Happiness, the penultimate of Heidi Bears patterns, and experimented in making him with granny squares - well, OK, pentagons. I'm wondering if people might like to make some; the happypotami I made last year were very popular.

We are, of course, building up towards the Marie Curie Day in June; one of the ideas is to make daffodil pins and fridge magnets. Yesterday Jennifer brought this lovely one into the shop to show us. With some tweaking it's the nicest I've seen.

So it's been a busy week, with a beginners' workshop on Saturday, and Caroline and Julie off to the trade fair at the NEC today. Our bees are busy, as well as crafty.

And one last photo, since there's no smellerama yet. This is the pot of hyacinths Maureen bought me for my birthday. They are beautiful, and are filling my room with their scent.

Teasers.

This weather makes me want to hibernate. I'm not complaining exactly - there are too many people having a dreadful time for that - but the wind is howling and the rain is washing down the patio doors, and it's a day to curl up by the fire.

Life continues to be full, with preparations for workshops in the here and now, and discussions about the LYS day in May, the Marie Curie Day in June, not to speak of the Crafty Bees. Who/what are the Crafty Bees? you'll have to wait for the grand launch.

Last weekend's workshop was beginners; later the same day Marie shared a photo of her work with us at Christine's; very impressive!



This Saturday is intermediate crochet. There is so much to share that it's hard to narrow it down to a lesson's-worth. So pattern-reading will give an overview of crochet, and there will be some stitches to try which are formed in interesting ways. Sandie mentioned corner-to-corner, so that will be one:

This is Katia Degrade DK cotton; I love the colours! This is destined to be the back of a cushion.

Then I think we'll have a play with drop stitches.

This week I'm trying to organise my space (again!) So here we have a pile of baskets, each of which represents a workshop.

Reading from the top down: intermediate crochet, flowers, Mother's Day, moving on from granny squares. The Easter Workshop one isn't in the pile, but it's started! More photos will be taken when I've acquired more storage boxes, to remind us all that for a fleeting moment all was tidy ...

At least there is space now to block.

This is a very long Mobius wrap that needs to be blocked in stages because of the twist; I'm pretty pleased that two stretches will fit side by side, otherwise the shop would never see it again! Because it's so long I don't want to increase the size, so it's just blocked to open out the pattern. It's held in place with blocking wires and T-pins, and then sprayed with (quite a lot) of water. When it's dry, it can be unpinned and moved around to block the rest. It's not my knitting - but I (sometimes) have the facilities to block stuff.

Last Monday was my birthday and I thought I'd share some things. How about these quite beautiful tulips?

They are the most delicate of shaded pinks.

And then there's

It's a cushion; a little dog looking very  like my Fig as an Elvis impersonator. I've been an Elvis fan since I was 11, especially of the rock'n roll years. Even now the opening bars of Jailhouse Rock have me screeching.

And finally, one of my cards.

A Phil Davis original, with the trees I love and which he paints brilliantly.

My life at the moment is full of interest, and I feel very lucky.