July Pinterest Challenge by the Pin chicks

Hi,

Sometimes you see something and you really want to make it,   but its in crochet or something you cant do,  Well thats what happen with this months Pinterest items,  It was in crochet and I cant crochet well all I can do is a chain,
So what do you do next..................
In my case find a knitting pattern that might do the same job and with a little help from The Hive (my local wool shop) Daisy found a pattern for a Sea Nettle,   which I have adapted into the Octopus,   Actually it was easy to make and I did enjoy this months pin.  The wool was from stash and I don't know the make but it is shades of blue with multi colour bits every so often.  The pattern I used is by hansigurumi called Juvenile Sea Nettle.  When I make another one I am going to make the arms the same length as it is they were different lengths.
So there you have it one Octopus similar to the one on Pinterest.
Do pop over and see the other ladies creations,
Link to theirs blogs.  Suzanne,   Muskaan,  Carollyn,  Margaret 2  Two Shuttles has not done anything for the last two months so I have not included a link
Hope you have a lovely weekend
                                 Hugs
                             Margaret

Baby's Cardigan

Hi,
I have just made this baby's cardigan for a friend,  its been a bit of a headache as I miss read the pattern, my fault,  and I had to re knit most of the back again.  It was lovely wool and her choice.
Its for her daughter whose is expecting the baby boy at the end of August.
I did manage to match up the fronts and the cuffs and around the hems,  but the wool with its different colours and patterns made matching a little difficult, anyway this is the result and she was delighted with it. The wool I used was King Cole Cherish double knitting.
Hope you are staying cool in this hot weather
Until we meet again take care and stay cool
                                        Hugs
                                     Margaret

CD Sunday Challenge - Fab 'n' Feminine

Hi,
This fortnights challenge on the CD Sunday Challenge is Fab 'n' Feminine,  oh have we got some wonderful DT cards for you this time,  the team have really found some great designs.
I based my card on a design I saw on Pinterest where the card was shaped as a bow,   I did not want to make a bow shape but I used the idea of using the ribbon bow.   The image and the backing paper came from CD Glitter and Glitz by Debbi Moore Art Deco Christmas CD. I used feathers at the back of her 3d her image and place a pearl on her hat.  It was an easy card to make but something different.
Here's a link to CD Sunday Challenge site, I am sure you will love the DT designs,  and if you feel like joining in you are more than welcome

Have a lovely weekend
                            Hugs
                        Margaret

Craftree 2016 Year long Snowflake Challenge

The Twelfth day of December

The Thirteenth Day of December

Hi,

I am writing this on the hottest day of the year, and scheduling it for a couple days time.  It is very hot but a beautiful day and I am not complaining.
Above it my 12th day of December tatted in Lizbeth  no 20 white,  did I like the pattern not really but now its pressed it looks better than I thought. I did it in one pass.
To the left is my 13th Day of December, I was fed up with white and I had this on the shuttles,  did I like the pattern, not really too many long chains that got longer as I went around,  I used Green Coral Sea Lizbeth no 20,  I this one in one pass.

Both snowflakes are from the book 24 Snowflakes in tatting by Lene Bjorn

Well thats it for today,  I am actually taking my husband to the hospital today,
I hope you have a good day
                                 Hugs
                              Margaret 

Austria - Flirsch am Arlberg

Hi,
This is the village of Flirsch and we stayed at the Hotel Basue,   A real Tirolean hotel,  it's a pity on the one free day we had that it had not rained. We did venture out for a little walk when it eased off and took some of these pictures.
The church was within yards of the hotel and at seven o'clock every morning it started off for the day,  plus the priest also rang the bell for the morning service.   Our room was on the top floor second window along.

We had a free day on the Sunday,  there was only one shop in the village and it was closed,  plus it rained all day,  we did take a little walk around the village as you can see it did not take very long,  This picture of the swollen river down the rapids just shows how much rain they had had.

This beautiful craved wooden eagle in the hotel recpetion was totally amazing and so life like.

Here's a better view in sunlight the next day,  rain in the village but more snow on the mountain tops,   I will let you take in the view from our balcony over the next few pictures,

This is a very special dress its over 61 years old and I was given it when I first went to Austria in 1955,  Just before we went I found the dress and showed Vernon,  but to my amazement one of the waitresses was wearing also the same dress,  the style is the same but the apron was a different material.   It still has its label in made in Saltsburg.  It looks quite large in the photo as Vernon hang it up in the door and then took the photo its actually a size 1,

I thought you might like to see the coach that took us around Europe,  It was a lovely coach, comfortable and the pussy cats on the side of the coach were adorable.
Now for a little story on our way back to the hotel one day, there was a shorter way into the village,  with a steep left hand bend then over the bridge,  and then a right hand bend only on this day, a car had parked right on the right hand bend so the coach could not move,  he could not go back because the bend behind was too steep to turn, we were stuck,  A woman on a push bike said she would try and find the woman who parks there and walks her dog.  She went cars and vans wanted to cross the bridge but we could not more,  Alan our wonderful coach driver moved a bit forward but he could not go very far because there was an underpass for the road above and it was not wide enough,  so the cars behind could get pass,  So there we are another man on a bike came along yes he knew the woman and he thought he might know where she is, so off he went.    Well after a while the woman came back and she said she could not find her,  anyway who arrived but the police.   Now there was a weight limit on the bridge but the coach not fully laden was just inside the limit,   no said the police they have lowered the weight limit you are above it.   After a while the man on the bike came back and went to the car and looked on the tyres,   She had left the keys on the front tyres,   he moved her car and then we go get going.  They did not book us for the weight limit but I don't know how the woman got on,  I don't think she will be parking her car there again in a hurry.  You could not write the script for it if you tried,  half an hour we were stuck on the bridge.

Well thats Austria but I have more to come and two big posts to write,

Christmas in July

Hi,

It was supposed to be fine and cloudy but we have had rain already,  oh well the lawn will have to have to wait another day.  
I re-potted my Christmas Cactus in May,  and it may amazement here is a flower,  I was delighted with all the new leaves but to have a flower in July, was a nice surprise.    I might add that this morning I was going to polish the windowsill and moved the plant and the flower fell off,  I am so glad I took this picture yesterday.
Oh well it was nice while it lasted.
Have a good day, hopefully the sun is shining with you.
                         Hugs
                     Margaret

CD Sunday Challenge - Summer Vacation

Hi,
This fortnight the challenge on the CD Sunday Challenge site is Summer Vacation chosen by Meg,
My card for this challenge is a scanned postcard of somewhere I love and have been a couple of times,   I used a backing paper of sky and clouds from Klever Konstruction, on the shelf, once in a lifetime disc two.   Because this area is known for their lemons and their are lemon trees everywhere,  I used a leaf dies and flower die added white and red gems in the middle of the white flowers, and cut some lemons from yellow card.   My two ribbon bow of white and yellow ribbon to reflect the lemons.
This scene is of Limone, on Lake Garde,  is a beautiful part of Italy and not far from where the previous James Bond film was filmed.
Please do pop over to the CD Sunday Challenge site and see the other DT cards, they are beautiful. here is a link
Have a lovely weekend

Hugs
                                Margaret

The Black Forest on our way to Austria

 Hi,
This is the first main stop on the second day, so far we have travelled through part of France  and into the black forest area of Germany,  This beautiful clock was outside the shop I have several pictures for you at different angles so you can see the whole clock and I might add that it plays a tune and the figures go around, sorry I don't have a video.  This is the House of the black forest clocks.

 This is a little house where she and he move in and out,  usually they have these house so you can tell the weather,  ifs its fine she will come out and if its going to rain he comes out.

 This is the wall inside the shop with all the cuckoo clocks,  they were expensive,  I just wish we had room for a cuckoo clock,   If you would like further information they have a web site which is www.house-of-black-forest-clocks.com.
If you do go and visit do stop and have a piece of their black forest cake,  its to die for,  and I loved it.  Before the coach left the owner came on board and gave us the proper recipe for black forest cake.

Now for our next stop at Lake Constance,   the lake on the River Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, this is the third largest central European lake which is between three countries  Switzerland over the far side of the picture above,  Austria,   and Germany where these pictures were taken,   If you go on the lake you need to take your passport as you will need it when you go over the other side.

 This church is the Barnau Cathedral near Maurach on the lake side and I cant remember where we were,  we did not go in the church as there was a christening going on,











Here is my husband Vernon standing with the lake behind him  and below yes he did manage to get a picture of me standing with the lake behind me.

Well thats day two as we journey onto to Austria,  so yes there is more to come,  Hope you enjoyed this quick post of our holiday.

                        Hugs

                    Margaret

Craftree 2016 Year Long Snowflake Challenge

Hi,

This is the snowflake I tatted while on holiday I think we were somewhere in Germany when I did this snowflake,  this is the Eleventh Day of December.  Its not perfect but its me and my eye again or the moment of the coach whatever.    I did this one in pure white, lizbeth thread,  as you know we are doing a challenge over on Craftree using the book 24 snowflakes in tatting and hoping at the end of the challenge in December we will all 24 .
Hope you are having a nice day
                                     Hugs
                                 Margaret

Happy American Independence Day - My Birthday

Hi,


To all my American followers and friends Happy American Independence Day,  I hope you have a nice day.
I found this great picture on Pinterest courtesy of Carollyn.
I have no idea what I will be doing today as its my birthday.  I hope you all have a nice day.

                                  Hugs
                              Margaret

Test Tatting

Hi,

Firstly I must apologise to Robin for not blogging her lovely pattern which I test tatted on holiday, Tatting on the coach while we were travelling from France through the Black Forest into Austria.  Its not the most perfect piece of tatting,  its not the pattern its my tatting.
This is Robins Square Coaster,  its done in two rounds,  I used Green Coral Sea Lizbeth thread no 20,  its a beautiful pattern and easy to tat,   and I will be making more of this pattern.
I have been having trouble with my eye again,  hence perhaps my tatting was not perfect,  I went up to Sheffield last week and after having an injection at the bottom of the eye,  I will hear on Tuesday if I am to have more surgery,  One bit of good news is the tumour has gone.
Thank you Robin for letting me test your pattern,  It was a pleasure.
                              Hugs
                          Margaret