Two Angels - angels & petals AND crafty angel

Lay the blanket on the ground..............

When I photographed the blankets below, I fully intended to lament about the glorious weather we're having and how great they'd be for a picnic. However, I hear this morning that winter is set to return. Snow and temperatures of -7C are forecast (although I didn't quite catch where for), but what I can tell you is, it's definitely time to load the log basket and get the blankets out again.

So, I now offer you a selection of beautifully hand crocheted blankets ideal for chilly weather or picnics!

You'll never be short of a cheery colour with this one.   SOLD

Light weight and perfect for keeping in the back of the car for impromptu blanket moments!

Almost too lovely for laying on the ground, this sage & burgundy beauty, like all the above is fully washable and priced at under £40.
 

 
 

Sheep everywhere

Where ever you go at the moment, there seem to be sheep. Inside the shop is no exception, we have some lovely sheep including this very pretty pin cushion, with free pins!

and these ever popular ceramic buttons & sheepy fabric.

and good old Shaun the sheep - cross stitch bookmark kit.

Don't forget to bring your fleece (ready spun of course!) to knit & Natter tonight. 7.30pm.

What to do ???

On beautifully sunny days like today, when the shop is officially closed (it being a Monday), I always have a bit of a dilemma. Should I open the shop for the one or two visitors who might come to Hatherleigh and find everything closed? or do I enjoy my day off and the sunshine? Quite often, as was the case today, I have a walk through town to see just how many people are about. Not many - so off went Floss & I.

We are extremely fortunate to live in Hatherleigh as we have so many pretty and virtually traffic free lane to choose from. Today we chose Sanctuary Lane.

There are signs of spring everywhere now. These buds are just about to pop!
 

Not always a sign of spring, as lambing can now take place 2 or 3 times a year. But for these little chaps spring means the land dries out and grass replaces mud.

 
Not a bad view whether the grass is growing or not!

The alternative way back - but there is a goose in the field and I'm never very happy with that!!

'hurry up - stop taking photos'

'yes, but don't you just love a 5 bar gate?' This one has Christmas trees growing behind it.

That's what we were looking for. Fresh new nettle tops, perfect for a delicious soup.

Here's a recipe

 

 

 

 

NETTLE SOUP

 

Ingredients

½ carrier bag full of nettles, tops or young leaves
55g butter
1 large or 2 medium onions, finely sliced
1 large carrot, chopped (optional)
2 celery sticks, chopped (optional)
1 large garlic clove, crushed (optional)
1 litre good chicken, fish or vegetable stock
a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
3 tablespoons cooked rice or 3 rice cakes
2 tablespoons thick cream or crème fraiche
salt and freshly ground black pepper


To Garnish:
A little extra cream or crème fraiche
A small bunch of chives, chopped
A few sprigs of wild chervil or parsley, chopped

Method

Pick over the nettles and wash them thoroughly. Discard only the tougher stalks, as the soup will be liquidised. Melt the butter in a large pan and sweat the onion, plus the carrot, celery and garlic if using, until soft but not brown. Add the stock and pile in the nettles. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the nettles are tender. Season with salt and pepper, and with nutmeg if you wish. Puree the soup in a liquidiser with the cooked rice or rice cakes (you will probably have to do this in 2 batches). Return to a clean pan, stir in the cream and reheat, but do not let it boil. Check the seasoning, then serve, garnishing each bowl with a swirl of cream and a generous sprinkling of chopped herbs.

To serve cold:
An alternative is to serve this soup cold. After liquidising and adding the cream, pour the soup into a bowl and leave to cool, then transfer to the fridge for a couple of hours before serving. For accelerated cooling, fill a large basin or saucepan with ice cubes and water and place the bowl of soup in the iced water. Stir to chill, adding more ice cubes if the first batch melts. Stir well just before serving and ladle the soup out into bowls. Garnish each with a swirl of cream and a sprinkling of chopped chives and wild chervil.

Serves 6

Additional notes:
This is the basic recipe for nettle and other 'wild greens' soups, including fat hen and chickweed. It will also freeze extremely well. For a variation mix the nettle leaves with watercress or Cos lettuce. The carrot and celery are optional but make the soup more robust and full-flavoured. You can also add a few fresh or frozen peas, to give sweetness and improve the texture. Using fish stock will give a more unusual taste. If using a stock cube the best ones are monosodium glutamate free. If you prefer you can use a medium potato to thicken the soup instead of the cooked rice (or cakes) - peel and dice it fairly small and add it just before adding the stock.
 
  
 

Pretty Flowers to crochet this week.

 

 These pretty flowers are made using the following pattern - perfect for a quick corsage.

1st round Ch1, work 15sc into circle. Ss into first ch.

2nd round Ch4, * skip 1sc, 1dc into next sc, ch1, rep from * 6 times more. Join with a ss into the 3rd of the first 4ch. Break off the first color.

3rd round Join the color you wish to use for the petals to first ch loop with a ss, ch1. Into same ch loop, work 1dc, 1tr, 1dc, 1sc, * into next ch loop, work 1sc, 1dc, 1tr, 1dc, 1sc, rep from * into each ch loop, making 8 petals. Join with a ss into first ch.

4th roundWorking behind the petals made in the 3rd round, make ss between 2 petals, ch 4, * 1sc between next 2 petals, ch3, rep from * to end. The ch loops made lie behind the petals of the previous row. Join with a ss into first ch.

5th roundMake the next row of petals by working 1sc, 1dc, 2tr, 1dc, 1sc into each ch loop. Join with a ss into first sc.

6th roundWorking again behind the petals made in the previous round, make ss between 2 petals, ch 5, * 1sc between the next 2 petals, ch 4, rep from * to end. Join with a ss into first ch.

7th round Into each ch loop, work 1sc, 1dc, 3tr, 1dc, 1sc. Join with a ss into first sc. Fasten off, darn in ends, and voilà ...a pretty flower, all done! But beware, making them can be addictive...

Continue in this way if you want to make more rows of petals.

ch = chain; dc = double crochet; lp = loop; rep = repeat; sc = single crochet; ss = slip stitch;tr = treble crochet

Ifound this pattern the other day on Rosehip's blog and just had to make this pretty flower. If I manage it I'm going to make enough to turn it into a summer scarf. I'm using Debbie Bliss Baby-cashmerino so it's super soft, but they work well in cotton too.

Love is in the air

Have you noticed all the birds fluttering their tail provocatively these past few days? Spring is definitely in the air. I collect my scraps of wool over the year and hang them out in a net bag. The birds take them to line their nests. I feel it's my contribution to keeping their eggs warm! It always surprised me that they select the Debbie Bliss scraps first. N0 they don't!! They couldn't care less who made it so long as it's cosy.

 

Talking of birds made me think of these pretty ceramic buttons. I've probably mentioned them before because I am a huge fan. Not only because the range is so diverse and every one of them gorgeous but because they are Fair-trade too. These little chaps are just crying out to be used on a springtime project. They are washable and priced at £4.25 per card.

Have a Heart

Another beautiful lavender filled heart, by the very talents (all hand sewn) Jane. I think this is my favourite so far. I love ticking fabrics. Close your eyes & breathe in the scent of the lavender. Bliss.

Ok, don't get too comfy, you've probably got stuff you need to be doing??

Well, that wasn't so bad

Trust the weathermen to get it wrong again! The weekend wasn't nearly as bad as they had forecast. We managed to get out and about quite a bit including a thoroughly exhausting day of clothes shopping in Exeter to try to find something my 15 year old son would not only look smart in, but would feel happy in, for a family wedding. Not easy - but we managed it in the end.

I enjoyed the fact that I could drag my basket out from the depths of the cupboard again. Waterproof plastic bags may be functional, but they definitely don't have the same feel as a smart basket.

I love the colour of this lime basket, so bright and spring like - I might just have to have one!!

Hope you all had a lovely relaxing and chocolaty Easter.

What to do with a wet weekend

Oh dear! looks like another wet weekend in this lush and green county of ours.  I heard an interviewer ask a weatherman where he would go this weekend for the best weather and he replied 'Scotland on Friday (yesterday), West Wales Saturday & Sunday and anywhere but the West Country on Monday'. I can't say that filled me with any joy!! So, what are you going to do this weekend? Eating chocolate and watching a couple of dvd's whilst knitting or crocheting sounds pretty good to me, but what about the children?

At times like this, ideas books really do come into their own. Give a bored child an inspirational book to flick through and they'll soon come up with a list of materials needed - most of which you probably haven't got!

So, here are a couple of ideas using what you are sure to have to hand.

Peg dolls. You can't go wrong here. Children (and adults!) love creating them and then they can actually play with them too. Everyone has a couple of dolly pegs and some scrap fabric - but in case you haven't, I've put some kits together in the shop which contain, pegs, fabric and hair in it's own little storage bag all for £2.99 - bargain!!

Ever wondered what to do with the slightly sad veg at the bottom of the fridge? Be creative! If you choose your veg carefully you could roast the little fella whole and eat it.  Bound to appeal to boys!!
 

And finally, should the sun actually shine on us, a quick trip to the beach, between the showers, to collect some shells should get the creative juices flowing. However, if the rain never stops, I find pasta shells (or Penne for threading) make a good alternative. Have fun.
 
 
 

Send in the teenagers

Thankfully we now have nice shiny new glass in our window and our hanging fairies are no longer fluttering around in the force 10 gale, that was blowing through the boarded up gap. It is business as usual.

The boy who broke the glass and his group of friends were very keen to help me clear up on Wednesday evening, and whilst they were all on their hands and knees in silence guiltily tidying the mess up, a girls voice said "Wow! I know it's not the time or place, but those earrings are wicked". I stopped and looked up to see what had caught her attention, and it was the wacky colours of the earrings pictured below. "Haven't you been in the shop before" I asked, "No, I didn't really think there would be much for me", came the reply.

So, my request to you kind readers of my blog and frequent visitors to my shop, is please to pass the word on, especially to the youngsters, for whom I do cater, they just don't realise it!!

 Thank you.

Above  -  Jazzy coloured earrings - priced at just £1.65 a pair.

Below  -  Fun brightly coloured button earrings, suitable for all ages (great little gift for fabric fanatics too) Priced at £1.75 a pair.

 

 Please remember that the Craft Fair we were due to hold in the Old Schools tomorrow is cancelled.
 
 

Angels & Petals bought out by major international

As if!!!

Happy April Fools though!

Actually the most recent development in the A&P saga was a rugby ball through the window last night. The only saving grace was the boy involved was absolutely mortified. Me too, when I saw the mess!

However, we will be sorted this morning (I hope) and definitely open for business as usual. We have some lovely daffs to brighten up your Easter and if you fancy making an Easter Tree like the one below, we still have some eggs left.

Pussy willow, bursting open to reveal their fluffy insides. I used to pick them & keep them in my pocket, when I was a child, pretending they were pets - well we didn't have Pokemon etc in my day!!!

Have a good weekend, whatever you're up too, and I hope the sun shines on you.