Temptations

I called at my local Laura Ashley shop earlier this week to pick up their new catalogue.

As always it is full of the most gorgeously tempting must haves.

Don't you just love this cerise combination for a summer picnic in the garden.
I couldn't leave the shop without taking a quick look at the curtain fabric, and guess what? The winter sale was still on and fabric was marked '50% off'.

Here was an offer too good to resist and I was quick to spot just what I'd previously drooled over for my spare bedroom.
Now half price, this palest pink and aqua was the perfect match for the bedspread I'd bought last year.

So I returned home with my 7 metres, packed away my knitting, and set to work making curtains.

Before I hang them at the window I shall give the wardrobe and chest of drawers a fresh coat of paint and then ....well .....a new carpet would nice!
I guess I'm going to be busy for a while!
Until next time,

Eli

Sunny Thoughts

Greetings friends. What joy!.....We've seen blue sky this week and a friendly yellow sun has popped out from behind the clouds to say "hello".

Birds started singing and suddenly I felt that winter might be giving way to an early spring.
So, I decided to do a bit of early 'spring cleaning'. You know the sort of thing...taking everything out of a cupboard in order to lovingly sort through the contents and then put it all back a little more neatly than before.
Needless to say there were a few 'treasures' in the cupboard, not least this little bag that I made for my daughter over 20 years ago.

 I didn't have to ponder long on the reason for making it as a quick look inside revealed all!

Daughter had taken it to a family wedding the highlight of which had been picking up handsful of confetti to fill her bag. Well, what else would a little girl use a wedding bag for?

This is the little matching dress I made for her all those years ago. Over the years I've given away quite a few of my children's clothes but I do have a habit of hanging onto the handmade ones.
Squirrelling away these things is a family failing that I inherited from my mum. 

Mum hated parting with the little dresses she'd lovingly made for us. Here is a cutie she made for my sister when she was two. Many years later my daughter delighted in wearing it. Needless to say it's been laundered many times but is still as pretty as ever.

How nice it was during a week of sunshine to receive a 'sunshine award' from my blogging chum Carol at Wee Cute Treasures. A very big thank-you to you Carol for considering my blog to be a worthy recipient.

I'm going to pass my sunshine award to some little girls and their mom.

They live in the States and whenever I visit their blog I find them wearing the prettiest dresses. I really love the little poem I found on their blog this week and if you have a passion for wearing dresses I think you'll love it also so do take a look. You'll find it at Sweete Felicity.
I hope the sun is shining for you wherever you live.
Until next time,
Eli

Seeking Colour

The snowy interlude has been lovely and produced great pics but I now long for some warming colour.

Happily, by March our rhododendrons and azaleas will be blooming again in the garden and we can look forward to being dazzled by their vibrant shades for several months.
Until then I'll surround myself with indoor colour.

I bought this book last year and what a joy it is. '100 Flowers to Knit and Crochet' by Lesley Stanfield. If you haven't seen it do try and take a look.

Her blooms are really lifelike

The book illustrates some clever ways to use them and so I'm currently experimenting with ideas.
Meanwhile, over the weekend I gathered together a few cheery shades and wouldn't you know it......

my needles produced more little smiling faces!

Until next time

Eli

Wordsworth lived here

Christmas has passed and I feel as if I've eaten more than I should.

What should I do? I know.......

I'll take a brisk walk down a snowy lane to the village of Grasmere.

 In no time at all I'll find myself outside

the prettiest little ancient dwelling known as Dove Cottage...

.... the one time home of William Wordsworth.

And here is the view from Mr Wordsworth's parlour window.

 

I wonder what he would have thought about it?

Well ...all that walking makes a bear quite hungry.

Just enough time to feed the ducks and swans and then....

......back home for a tasty snack before tea!

By the way, my name is Toffee Ted and Eli has just listed my pattern in her Etsy shop.

And here is the large hotel named after the famous poet

Cosy knitted shoes for babies and teddies

I think global warming must have been and gone because Britain is now being ravaged by a mini ice-age. I'd almost forgotten what snow looked like as we've had very little in recent years, but the feathery flakes started falling before Christmas and everywhere has remained white ever since.

It's bitingly cold outside and so I've had the perfect excuse to stay indoors and knit.

Searching through some very old 1940s patterns that my granny once used I found the sweetest little baby slipper/shoe.

It looked so cute I read the pattern, added a few ideas of my own and knitted a sample. It would have made just the right gift for my friend's new grand-daughter if only I'd been able to find enough yarn of the same colour to knit another shoe!

And so I started again. Pale pink this time with satin ribbon bows as a finishing touch.
No sooner had I finished than a mischievous little bear arrived.

he seemed very interested in the shoes

and decided to try them for size

In he climbed

and slid right down into the toe.

Doesn't he look cosy.

As the sun goes down on another freezingly cold day

I shall remain in my cosy place beside the fire and

knit!

Patterns for the little shoes and tiny teddy are now in my Etsy shop if you fancy knitting either or both. They are done in DK yarn on 2.75mm needles (US size 2). The sole of the shoe measures 10cm (4in) from front to back so would fit a foot of similar length.

Best wishes from a very cold and icy Britain, until next time,