Pink and Red

Hello Lovelies,

yesterday dawned bright and just a little frosty. Perfect November weather.

I've been joining my circles in the evening and was slightly despairing at the developing blanket. It looked so busy and I wasn't at all sure about the colours.

But seeing it in the daylight, I was so relieved to see it actually looks quite pretty...........

I laid my WIP on the bed, where the light is best, and took a couple of happy photos .

There's no red in this blanket...... which is quiet unusual for a red lover like me.......but there are three pinks.

I'm loving the way they look, without any hot red to overshadow them.

Soon the sunshine was calling me outside. I needed to go to the library to renew my reading book.

I'm really enjoying Little Women, but it's a long book and I don't get a lot of reading time, what with the above blanket vying for my attention.

I  love living within easy walking or cycling distance of the local library.........

After I had renewed my book I couldn't resit a bumpy ride down this dirt track.........

It always feels so good to get out in the countryside....it's a simple joy I never tire of.
 I can feel myself unwinding after time spent cooped up indoors.... at work especially. A big smile spreads across my face and my shoulders relax.

Lots of plants and trees are bare and brown. But there are a few pink leaves left on the Elder......

and this gorgeous pink Rose in the thinning hedgerow made me smile......

But all too soon the sun had been hidden by clouds and the brisk November breeze made my nose run and my cheeks tingle.....time to head home.

My fingers were going numb by the time I got indoors and I decided to light the fire for the first time in months..........

 And get out some yarn for a quick project that wasn't my blanket.

With Remembrance Sunday only a few days away I decided to make a crochet Poppy.

 I bought a little enamel Poppy pin at the supermarket the other day.....from the sweetest old gentleman.
 While it's not so easy to loose as the paper ones it lacks impact, and I love all the crochet and knitted versions that I've seen around this year.

A quick google for a pattern threw up THIS one by lovely blogger Lisa at Kandipandi's Pad. I loved the shape Lisa had cleverly created and set to work on mine straight away.

Lisa has, just yesterday, updated this tutorial to make it easier to follow.

For some reason the leaf got the better of me ....and I fell back on the lovely Lucy to provide an easy to follow tutorial for a similar one  HERE.

I copied  Lisa and used black felt for the centre.......cutting around a penny to get the desired size.......

Then I got out my beads and chose some tiny black ones to add a bit of shine and interest to the felt centre..........

In the end I was really pleased with how it turned out.

ta-dah.........

Oh, the light was terrible for photography though.....I tried my best.

Having mastered the pattern it was super quick and easy to made a second one for Mum.......

I havn't forgotten my promise to share the pattern I'm using for my blanket....I'll be writing it up soon.
Jacquie x