green

All sorts of things are springing up in my garden. This clematis is growing at an incredible rate. With a bit of luck it will have big purple flowers in the summer.

I went to a willow and hazel garden structures course with my mum on Saturday. It was fantastic fun. Really hard on our hands though, my thumb nails are suffering this week. We made tall plant supports. The hazel provides the uprights and the willow twigs are bent round them and woven to hold the whole thing together.

The willow twigs were soaked for a couple of days beforehand to make them easier to bend but it was quite warm in the room so after a few minutes work they started to dry out. Here is my mum weaving one of the circular ties. We had time to make one of these teepees each and a sort of basket type plant pot.

So the clematis now has a hand-made plant support to grow up.

I will take some pictures of the finished articles in my garden soon.

pink

I walked into town this morning. Along my road there are a few small apple and cherry trees clipped into hedges. They look so pretty. This one has been allowed to grow a bit more wild. I took a few photos at the beach too but the sun had already got quite high so they didnt come out too well. Might try to get up early tomorrow and give it another go.

In town I found a really great dress and a top in Monsoon - neither in my size. So just came home again.

yellow

Tiny daffodils brightening up my dining room window.

I have been planning holidays recently. First is a trip to visit a friend in Holland. I'm hoping the bulbfields will still be looking good in May but they will probably be over their best. After that, a long weekend climbing Snowdon and then maybe a week away in the sun in June. I have to fit in a trip to Sweden to visit my new niece or nephew in there somewhere. The last couple of months have been very long and it feels great to have a few things to look forward to. Its going to be busy.

yarn

Stardustshoes is having a giveaway of some really beautiful yarn and these handmade bags. Go over and have a look!

red

My amaryllis is celebrating red nose day.

I have frogged and re-knitted the sleeves of the tiny baby vest. Now all it needs is a ribbon threaded through the eyelets around the neck. Will it be blue or pink??

Phew! thank goodness its Friday. And payday too. I have a horrible deadline at work in 2 weeks which is taking all my brain-power. Roll on the end of March.

I spend all day at work helping people, busting a gut and apologising if something is half an hour late. Today I asked someone at head office for a small bit of information. He didn't reply, just sent an email to a colleague complaining about me, and copied me in!!! Enough ranting, I'm going to get a glass of wine.

auricula

Spring is coming, and my Auricula is flowering. I have been looking out for more of these in the garden centres around here but they seem to be quite rare. I love the contrast of colours in the flowers. They look like they are made of wax. I finished a tiny knitted baby-vest in white cotton this weekend. No pictures because I'm pretty sure I have to redo the sleeves even though I sewed it up already. The pattern says decrease over several rows towards the tops of the sleeves. That can't be right can it? I checked the pattern several times but I think I have to redo them anyway or the vest will cut off the baby's blood supply to its arms.

pants

This morning I bent down to tie my shoes and my trousers split. Unfortunately I didn't notice until I was at work. I would have been less embarrassed if I hadn't been wearing bright purple pants. So I have spent the day walking backwards out of rooms and letting people past me on the stairs. The nice young man who sits opposite me drew a smiley face winking and stuck it on the partition. Oh god. This little chap is brightening up the geranium on my dining table. I am trying to resist putting plants outside. Some days are quite warm but then suddenly it gets cold overnight, frosty even down here on the coast. Its probably just about time to start planting seeds under cover though so I might get going on that at the weekend. Broad beans - yum!