More corners of home...

As I was cleaning the telephone table this morning, I thought you might be interested in having a look...


The telephone table was found in a junk shop and whilst I was mildly interested in it, I went home empty handed. It was in a very sorry state with the back hanging off and the dark brown varnish did not do it any favours. About two weeks later I went back to the shop and it was still there.... at £12 I thought it was too expensive! I got my husband to come and have a look.... he thought I was bonkers to even consider it. We didn't even have a hallway at the time! But there was something about it that kept pulling me back and home it came...

My hubbie fixed the back and we began sanding it and then painting it... we had some cheap white paint and used that. Big mistake. The finish was not good, so we went and got some lilac wood paint and my husband made a beautiful job transforming the tired, old telephone table.

The telephone table lived in the lounge of our old house - not ideal - and it just didn't work. I sometimes wonder if I liked our new house initially, because it had a lovely hallway which would provide such a suitable home for the telephone table! And here it is, looking so right in the hallway...

Of course the crochet cushion just finishes things off nicely... the brass bowl was found in a charity shop and is a perfect home for keys. I covered a foam pad with material left over from the dining chairs and everything works remarkably well - if I do say so myself!

The sun comes into the hall all day long
and I often do a little hooky sat here...

Of course...colour and crochet!

... so I haven't been happy with the top of the stairs. I love having the long mirror there, and its nice to see the reflection of the felt wall hanging from the hallway, but something just wasn't working.

I wondered if it was a lack of colour... I wondered if it was a lack of crochet ... I came to the conclusion that it was both those things, so I've included colour and crochet into the "revamp" and I'm much happier for it!



Surprisingly the plates are not from a charity shop... they are from M&S.

They also do a dinner service in this "Elizabeth" range, which I would very much love to own. I think I love this range more because it is called "Elizabeth"... my nanna was called Mary Elizabeth - the "MeMe" part of MeMeRose, and my gran was called Anna Rose.

They were known as Betty and Annie and they were super talented when it came to all things crafty. I often wonder if they are looking down from heaven and having a sneaky peak at my blog... and what they would make of it! It is Betty who made the granny afghan edged in black that I remember from childhood, and the reason why I wanted to learn to crochet my own granny blanket. Betty and Annie's craftwork ALWAYS looked as good from the back as the front, and I strive for this with my own work. Sometimes when I am sat crocheting, I feel as if the top of my head is being stroked, and I wonder if it is MeMe-Rose, come to make sure all those pesky ends are neatly sown in!



...so, I treat myself to three new plates and used the colours in the plates as inspiration for a little crochet loveliness to go down the side of the mirror.

African flowers - using this tutorial - worked a charm, and I'm thrilled with the results.

The African flowers are threaded with silver plated 0.3mm wire and the hanging is finished with a few beads twisted on to the end. I'm happy I found a use for one of the owl beads!

The finished result!

... you can't beat a bit of colour and crochet!

xxx



My walk to work...

This post has been inspired by No Knitted Knickers.... who asked what we all see on our way to work. This lucky lady lives in Manhattan and I very much enjoy the snapshots she takes of Saks window displays and all things “Manhattan”. Part of my heart belongs in Manhattan; we got engaged there, married there and I’ve ran 3 New York marathons, so I love to see little reminders of our time there and it is so interesting to get a snapshot of people’s lives all over the world. I also love fashion and seeing the creative window displays. My walk to work is the polar opposite to walking down Fifth Avenue!

If I take the scenic walk to work (which adds a mere 10 mins on to my journery time) then I pass the crocus field.... and boy is it worth it! It really does make my heart sing every time. I don’t know if I’ve managed to capture its true beauty here, but I’ve waited patiently for a super sunny Spring day to try and take the best possible pictures.

The nearest house to the field features the door shown here... I just love this door; it’s tiny and I love the sense of history attached to it. Further down past the field is a stream; if you are lucky you can spot a kingfisher – a rare sight. I think this bridge is an old packhorse bridge, which could date back as far as the sixteenth century. If I finish work early, then I always walk to work... the sound birdsong and the stream, not to mention the views and comings and goings of nature, really lifts my spirits. Part of me really wants the energy and vibrancy of Manhattan life, but I still very much appreciate all that is around me...

Have a happy weekend xxx

Stained glass crochet...

Hello.... today was very much a Spring day, beautiful sunshine and a feeling of new beginnings and joy in the air. I went for a walk and took some pictures of Spring flowers.On arriving home, it struck me that the colours of the flowers are very similar to the crochet blanket I am working on....both fill me with joy.

I feel exactly the same as the irises, crocuses and tulips and want to open up and bask in the Spring sunshine...

 In the afternoon sun, the crochet blanket - 78 squares so far!- reminded me of stained glass.

  



...looking blankety!