Tulip bobby dazzlers and some knitting

I planted some tulips last October time in the hope they would survive the winter rain storms, only to find the winter was relatively good but the early new year was a wash out. I had little hope that the many bulbs would be amphibious!
But so far, most seem to be blooming or growing successfully and yet to open.

 

 There's something dragon like about these orange and green ones!

 

... and magnolia like white ones!

I bought these frilly pansies the other day to put in pots too, I hadn't seen the frilly varieties before and their petal edges are ruffled beautifully!

I'm still making things for the orchard May Day stall ..

This beret style free form hat. Free form in that I had no pattern, just grabbed some yarns that looked like they might go together, different thicknesses and opted for knitting needles that looked about right.

It works as a pull on nicely but looks much better set beret like, skew whiff.

 

 

and I made a Head Hugger, which is modelled here on one of two new heads I got from our Scrapstore!

This wooden one is remarkably heavy but formed beautifully.

 

I also got a taller, long necked black plastic formed head and a wooden articulated hand on a plinth too - perfect for showing off the fingerless gloves I make.

 

I sat and made a cushion cover yesterday, using fabric offcuts from my favourite charity shop - more wool tweed but in strips this time. Again I 40 degree washed the tweed fabrics in the machine to pre shrink them but that didn't alter them at all!

 

 

 The leaves are cut from an orange felted up jumper, an upholstery sample and finally a patchwork cotton fabric, then machine stitched to jiggery to be sure they don't fall off in the Autumn : )
Of course I have no idea how much to charge for it now but if it doesn't sell it looks quite good on my sofa anyway!

This is my Kefir fermenting away, providing me with pro biotic nourishment - thank you for the advice Mary Anne ! And it doesn't even need to be in the fridge to do its thing : )

I forgot to show you this ace cat/dog cave, made by one of our stitchy club members and shown in our members makes display,

 a month or so back.

It was wet felted on a circular resist shape, then when finally, firmly felted, on both its sides, it would have been cut open and the resist removed.

Then you hand manipulate and further felt the sides bit by bit to achieve this delightful self supporting cave shape.

A lot of work but very rewarding when the result looks this good!

The same technique would have been used to make the slippers too, using a foot like shape for the resist.