Spring Finishing

I think Spring Finishing is a much better idea than Spring Cleaning. Actually, I've been doing some of that too but didn't think you'd appreciate photos of my scruffy house (and that's after the cleaning).

My first finish is the Tunisian Crochet scarf I told you about a few weeks ago. This was from the pattern in the book Tunisian Crochet Workshop and it was a fun, quick project. Here it is being modelled by the ever patient Mr Bennet.

What do you mean, you don't have a life size cuddly sheep in your house? What do you do when you want to photograph a scarf or shawl then? My sheep is named after Mr Bennet in Pride and Prejudice whose patience is also sorely tried.

I was going to add pompoms to the ends of the scarf but, in the end, just sewed on some bright coloured buttons instead. Which reminds me, I've started my own button Charmstring. Victorian ladies used to collect buttons on a string like this; they all had to be different and the buttons had to be given, not bought. The idea was to collect 999 buttons, at which point the love of your life would appear and give you button number 1,000.

I've got about a dozen buttons so far so I've got quite a way to go. As you can see, these are all metal buttons; I'm tempted to start another one with bright coloured plastics. It's probably as well to hedge your bets; it would be a bit sad if Prince Charming turned up with the wrong sort of button and I had to send him away.

I've also finished the crochet blanket that I started making out of some old Noro crochet squares I found in a box. I crocheted round each one, crocheted them together and then added a border. The border took a while as I kept thinking "just one more round". Anyway, it's been washed, blocked (and had the cat hairs it acquired during blocking removed) and I'm pleased with it.

I've been putting up a few decorations for Easter too, well ... the odd bunny anyway.

I'll put vases of daffodils everywhere tomorrow and then it will look more Spring - like. I do like my Springtime Wreath. You don't need much else when you've got one of these to hang up.

See that mottled effect in the top right corner of the picture? That's what you get when the sun shines through old, Victorian wobbly glass.

With Easter in mind, I knitted up some little flower brooches the other day. I've got a small collection of old china posy brooches and my knitted flowers match them nicely.

You can get the free pattern for my Spring Posies from ravelry as normal. They can be made as normal brooches or you can use a paper clip to turn them into buttonholes.

I think I'll go and do some quality control on those little chocolate eggs I bought now ...