March :: Pick and Mix

It's pick and mix time again here at the Summerhouse so help yourself to a sweetie. Just like February's Pick and mix 'here' this post is just going to be about little bits and bobs of Summerhouse living.

Views and Snowiness

Here at the Summerhouse it's still freezing, I took this shot this morning and some of Monday's snow is still lying around over in the fields.

Mondays and Tuesdays snow was the 7th dollop of snow we've had here this winter. Just when I thought it was finally Springtime and all the flowers started opening up.

The Easterly winds began to blow a hoolie and the snow fell again. So I've not been missing much in the outside world, while I've been stuck in my cosy bed resting.

Crochet and Yarniness

Attic Inspiration

As you know, since the start of the year I've been making lots of crocheted flowers for my Spring time wreath more on that  'here' here and'here' I've been using some of the flower tutorials from Lucy's blog at
Attic 24. So I was please to see a couple of weeks ago that Lucy is also making a wreath of flowers for Easter. I can't wait to see her wonderful colourful Spring time creation.

Here are so Daffodils I've crocheted using one of Lucy's new tutorials.

Talking of the wreath, I think I'm nearly there with the flower making. I took this photo earlier when I was having a another layout planning session. What do you think? I think maybe I need to make a few more blue flowers to balance out all the pinks. I'm still only about half way through knitting the background to cover the wreath, so it's going to have to be a Easter completion date as the equinox is this Wednesday, and this week is going to be a bit of a hectic one here at the Summerhouse.

While I remember these Teeny Tiny Butterflies I have crocheted for the wreath are made using embroidery thread, aren't they cute? I found the pattern on a blog here which is sweetly called 'Little Birdie Secrets'

UK crocheter's be aware it's in US crochet terminology. I didn't realise at first and I got in a bit of a pickle, but once I'd printed off a stitch conversion chart there was no stopping me. Such clever people coming up with all these adorable patterns.

Flowers

Look how lovely these Paperwhites are, I do love a spring bulb, I couldn't resist taking a pic of these lovely indoor bulbs when they flowered last week, so stunning although the pollen levels and fragrance is some what overwhelming for us hay fever sufferer. I think once they are finished 'P' is going to plant them in the garden to see if they will come up again next year.

I was also given these pretty Gerberas last weekend as a treat, such wonderful colours, how can they not cheer you're heart.

Crafting

A couple of weeks ago a friend and I attended a new 'craft club' that has recently started up in our town. It's held once a fortnight, so I'm hoping to be well enough to go along again, so I'll let you know how that goes.  This time the lady who runs the group showed us how to make this 3D card. Other than this and my Mother Day Blossom card 'here' I've not made any other cards as I've been so caught up in my yarny world of flower making.

Garden Visitors

The other day when I blogged about spotting this Green Woodpecker in the garden, I mentioned in a comment that I would tell you all a little more about the birds that are visiting the Summerhouse garden and it's many feeders. So over the last couple of days I been keeping a watch and here are some of the birds I have seen. I attempted to take some photo's but it didn't go well so here are some photo's I've found online and some I've taken myself,  you'll easily be able to tell the difference, mine are the larger more out of focus ones ;0)

Wood Pigeons

 Great tits

 Sparrows

 Coal Tits

 Blue Tits

 Flock of white Doves who are always feeding in the garden, no idea who they belong too.

Collared Doves

 Robin

 Wren

 A gang of Long tailed tit's

Starlings 

Just to name a few and of course how could I forget our friendly Blackbird.

 Phew that's quite a lot.

Just before I go, on a more serious note here in the UK from the 24th-30th March it's Tick Bite Prevention week you can read all about it 'here' on BADA UK's page.  Lyme Disease is a such terrible illness if undiagnosed and in the UK there is little awareness of it.

So this is really for anyone who spends time out and about in the countryside or in there gardens, you should really check out this link as you could be at risk of tick bites and Lyme Disease.

I hate to finish on such a serious note so, anyone for a Chocolate flower aren't they sweet ' Merli and Dylan (our cats) gave them to me last week (with a bit of help from 'P') when I was stuck in bed with a terrible cold, which also caused a flare up. Oh the fun of Chronic illness.

Merli loves to help with, well everything !!! the crocheting and the blogging, here he is helping/hindering last weekend while I was attempting to write the tutorial for my crocheted Anemone pattern, he managed to climb between me and the laptop, so he was sitting looking at the screen making it impossible to type, the little monkey.

Any road I best be off no time left to talk about music today, maybe next time.

Have a great weekend 

Clare x.