Theme park knitting

I discovered rather late in life that I love theme parks.
But I do not love waiting in line.

So today I took my knitting - with something fun to knit, the waiting flies by!

(Walibi with our teenage visitors).

Late bloomer!

Lintilla and Noro - a great combination.

The plastic bag monster

Noro salmon

This is a test knit for sarahtomic.

When it's laid out, it reminds me of a salmon:

Noro swirl

This is the latest pattern by Martina Behm (Hitchhiker).

I love how it makes the Noro colours swirl.  

Look what was on the wall !

We took the quilt to be long-arm quilted by Myriam.

link to quilt studio website.

Just look at the fabulous quilt she had on the wall -

And a close-up so you can see some of the stitching!

Lyn's quilt

Going off to be long-arm quilted tomorrow!

More peonies!

Purply red velvet

 

That  Shakespeare rose again 

Targeted advertising works!

I have been knitting for over 30 years and have always used

loops of yarn in a contrasting colour as stitch markers, 

but when I saw these on ravelry I just couldn't resist.  

Ready to burst out

Heathery handspun !

This beautiful yarn was spun for me as part of a swap!

Finally flowering !

Not the most perfect specimen in the garden, but finally blooming, after relocation.

.

Beautiful weeds ?

I know these are weeds, but look how pretty dandelions can be:

This is going to be my next quilt - yet another from the Jelly Roll book!

Lupin-loving bee

Hide and seek !

Owlie socks

Just finishing the second sock.

Daisy

Are these really weeds?

Red red rose

 

David Austin William Shakespeare 2000 rose 

Peonies in the sun

My daughter took this fabulous photo.

David Austin roses

Discovering David Austin roses is a bit like discovering luxury yarn - you wonder what you did before and there is no turning back.

(and you can save the labels! )

They are bred to be deliciously scented and resistant to insects and disease.

So like with the yarn,  there's a bigger initial investment, but the payback is well worth it.

This is Abraham Darby - with fabulously shaped petals that make it look a little like a peony.

This year it was the second rose to bloom.

Yes, this is the same "first" rose - and it smells beautiful too.

Every year I am surprised by these roses, they start off looking orange, but as they open they fade to a beautiful pink. I love the way that they look sun-lit even when there's no sun because of their shading.

It is a parfums de provence Regatta van Meinimo by Meilland.

Here you see three of them, the "first" one is the shy one right at the back.

Peonies for Mother's Day !

 

Lucky me! 

Peonies inside and out !

Bluebells

The bottom of the garden is shadier and there are still some bluebells there - set off nicely by the Weigela "rumba" and the peonies, which will be blooming soon.

First rose of the year

Hiding right at the back behind other plants I spotted this:

If you peel back the leaves you see more of its splendid glow!

There are many other buds, but this is the first rose to bloom this year.

Royal wedding knitting

I had planned to knit with this "Truly, Madly, Deeply" yarn, as a tribute to the royal couple on their big day:

But I needed something I didn't have to look at or think about, so in the end I went with this (at least it's the right colour with bits of royal blue).

ravlery link for royal wedding hitchhiker

No-fuss shade-loving shawl

This is another version of the pattern which is being tested.

It works particularly well with shaded yarns with long runs

and will be available before the end of May.

no-fuss-shade-loving-shawl on ravelry