Lazy summer days...

I've had the most lovely weekend...
both my girls home from university for the whole summer
and Ashley has now completed her study year in Spain and Portugal..
(where she had the most amazing time I must add!)
~❀~

At the beginning of each week I like to decorate
my craft cupboard with things that inspire me for the week ahead...
yarn, fabric swatches, photos, things I've made and current favourite colours
Do you like the little heart pegs?
I found them on Ebay and have some butterflies too...very pretty
~❀~ 

I used some of my yarn oddments to make this little rose...

It's from my Japanese crochet book and I'm becoming very accustomed to these books
more than any others as when it comes to crochet I love the symbol charts...
It's much quicker for me to take in a pattern this way
and these are very clear although the patterns do need a bit of deciphering
when it come to yarn amounts and hook sizes ect. but the numbers are there in English
amongst the Japanese...you just have to get used to where to find them!
I made some double twisted cords to mix with the crochet stems
and loved making the curly leaves and pompoms. Then I threaded a cord tie through the back
I think maybe a blue rose next...
~❀~ 

I must have tried most crochet hooks by now (!)
and I'm going to finally stick with the Clover ones....
holding my hook like a knife as I do my knitting needles...
(I wish I held them like a pen...it looks so much nicer I think!)
I find these really suit me as they're shorter...I've been using the Clover Soft Touch 
but I'm also going to try the Clover Amour which I've recently found
They have a lovely soft and easy to grip handle (and come in lots of happy colours..a bonus!)
~❀~ 

My small crochet projects and newly found addiction to making flowers

are a great way to use left over yarns from my stash which are just too lovely to throw away...

(can't bear to do that so they reside in baskets and drawers everywhere

...anyway, I love seeing all the colours when I open the drawers!)

~❀~ 

Finally, a safe place for my tiny doll buttons which have been collected over the years

.....in the tallboy drawers of our dolls' house (hope they don't mind!)

Being so teeny tiny they're extremely easy to lose and so are now tucked away

 in the attic room at the top of the house

~❀~ 

New yarns for a lovely summer project which I can show you in a later post...

I've promised not to touch them until I've finished my current project

and then they'll hopefully turn into a blanket

~❀~ 

Do you remember my gorgeous bag charm from lovely blog friend Jane 

which I showed you in a post some time ago? Well, I think I've found just right place now...

(I hope you like it Jane...I think it looks really pretty on here!)

~❀~ 

Although we still have work to do, our garden is suddenly becoming gorgeously colourful...
I remember showing you the Penstemon '(Hewells Pink')  last year
and it's now in a new sunnier place and seems very happy there too....
and the Salvia ('Nemorosa') which is just coming into flower
is a lovely shade of violet-blue and looks so pretty sitting next to it
~❀~ 
I was planning to include some knitting today too
but I haven't taken any pics yet (as I got a little carried away making!)
so I decided to divide the knitting and crochet and share it in the next post
Anyway,  I think maybe I've kept you long enough for one day!
~❀~

 This is a lovely time for us....a good place...

we have to slow down and enjoy these moments, don't we?

(and it would seem the sun's going to be shining for us all week!)

so I'm planning lots of time in the garden with my yarn, needles and hooks

and the lovely company of my girls and Mr.H...

enjoying the simple things

(and Ashley's cakes...but hopefully not too many!)

~❀~

Cheerio and speak soon
Take care

P.S Would you keep your fingers crossed for my Leah?
...who has returned to university this morning 
for her final exam as a second year medical student....
Summer will really start just as soon as she returns home
xXx