Introducing Bellamy, a Fairisle Hat

 I'm very late writing this post... again! I actually published my latest hat pattern back on May 1st, started writing this post on May 8th, and finally finishing it now, May 25th... Better late than never though, I suppose! 

Early in 2020 I heard that David Bellamy had died. If you were a child of the 70's & 80's in the UK, then you will probably be familiar with the great man. 

He was a botanist with an enthusiam that was infectious and made a great many childrens programs on the subject. He was definietly a childhood hero of mine, and I looked forard to watching him.

It was his influence that made me realise how beatiful the world around me was, especially if you took the time to get really up and close and personal with nature.

I wanted to design a hat in his memory/honour and actually started it immediately after publishing Hope Springs Hat. But it wasn't quite working the way I wanted, so I put it to one side for later. It turned out to be MUCH later - but finally I got him finished. There were a few tweaks along the way, mainly around the fruit/berrries between the big leaves on the crown. They changed shape several times - I wanted ginkgo leaves to start with but changed them to clover leaves. Then maple leaves.. then cherries, and finally, simple fruit/berries. Work them in brown and they could almost be nuts!1

But I'm very happy with him now and he was well received when published I think. Here he is, in all his glory - and if you click on the first picture, you'll hop across to the pattern on Ravelry.

I've gone a bit overboard on the number of colours used! But then the natural world is full of colour! The hat on the main photo had 17 colours I think - the pink themed one below took slightly less. But I have also tried using just two colours and that was Very effective too (scroll down).

I hope you like my tribute to a very great man and should you choose to make it, I'd love to see your version! I wonder what colours you would choose to use??.... Don't forget to use the hashtag bellamyhat

Happy knitting everyone!   T  xXx

Bluebell Walk 💜💜💜

 It's that wonderful time of year when the woods are full of glorious, beautiful bluebells! 

I really missed being able to go and walk amongst them last year  - we were still under  full lockdown and weren't allowed to travel anywhere for our daily exercise. And the best wood I know is 15 miles away....

But this year there was no way I was going to miss them! 

I got up early last Saturday to go with a friend (actually, I was so excited I'd been dreaming about it and was awake at 5am! I got up at 6 and we didn't leave it until 9!!!) and we headed out to Micheldever Wood, just northeast of Winchester. 

We knew it would be really busy, hence the early start and we were at the car park before 9:30 only to find it was virtually full already! We squeezed into the last space and then  crossed the road and went into a different wood, not Micheldever! 

We discovered 3 or 4 years ago, chatting with a dog walker that actually, the best walk for bluebells is across the road in Itchen Wood. It's literally opposite - but hardly anyone goes there! Admittedly, there's no car park, just a little pull in at the edge of the road but oh my, the bluebells! The wood faces a different direction and is a well managed woodland. You won't find fallen trees and overgrown brambles. And definitely no pine trees! And you can't hear the motorway either! 

Some areas are on a slight gradient and as you approach from the bottom edge there's just a bank of shades of blue and purple in front of you. Simply beautiful! 

And the fragrance was divine! And I have a poor sense of smell! 

I took a million photos, like you do, on both camera and phone but trying to get them onto my tablet is hard work! But here are just a few. 

And if you would like to visit them yourself and you're in Hampshire in the UK, just look up Micheldever Woods and when you get there,  park in the car park if you can,  then walk back out to the road, turn left & cross over, walk 100 yards and the entrance to the wood is just there, on the bend of the road.