Titty's Secret Project Revealed

Hi again, Titty here in my new summer frock among the primroses.

Auntie and I finished the secret project, and John and I climbed a local mountain for the launching. It is the Swallow flag for our sailing boat in the books by Uncle Ransome, but as we don't have a boat here, we will take the flag to new places we are going to conquer.

John helped me put up the flag but here I wanted to pose alone with it, as it is my idea and my design, Auntie Ulla just helped with the sewing.

Yesterday it was like it was snowing in bright sunshine, just click the photo and you can see yourself. It was just the hairy seeds from the aspen! They flew in our teacups when we had afternoon tea on the veranda.

These violas or pansies appeared on the gravel by the front steps, growing from the seeds of last year's summer flowers in a planter just a meter away.

We have been living quietly without any adventures to mention, so there is not much to report. I do like my new frock! It has daisies printed on the fabric and tiny green buttons on the back. Next on our wish list are a summer skirt or frock for Susan and a shirt for Roger. Auntie just keeps cleaning her windows and washing laundry and ironing and cooking and when she is not busy like that she is just lazy and reads books when she should be taking care of us and our clothes. Window cleaning n the middle of the pollen season and with rain forecasts for the rest of the week! I'm just saying. It is not very comfortable to sit in a wool sweater and long trousers waiting for a summer outfit, when the sun is shining and the temperature is almost 60 degrees higher than when I got the winter clothes. - Sorry Auntie, but it is true. I could help you pick nice fabrics to get you started. I hope you will let me write here again some time, I would love that.

Yours,

Titty Walker

Yarn bent on different curves

 My first attempt to make a shawl with a very hairy mohair yarn was a) too long and b) impossible to unravel, so I decided it will be a scarf for dark winter days, wrapped around my neck 4-fold and three times round. It looks rather like something you could draw from the vacuum cleaner hose when it is clogged, dust caught by a long piece of yarn.

The rest of the ball was used for this shawl. This time I started with the desired width and crocheted as far as the yarn reached. A nice mosquito net for cool summer evenings, don't you think?

The pattern is Solomon's knots or Lover's knots. Easy to crochet, but also easy to crochet too many loops or too few, and then you need to un-crochet.

I had this lovely hand-dyed merino/polyamide yarn for my birthday and found a nice new almost lacy pattern to try on. French heels almost done!

On the 3rd of May we had already tiny leaves on the silver birches but also new snow for two days. Some parts of Finland had more, up to 6", and it snowed on top of old snow so it must have felt like proper winter again.

But today we have a sunny day and the ground is covered in white again, but this time it is wild wood anemones. Where I grew up we didn't have them, but hepatica was what we picked for Mother's Day in May. Here wood anemone is the spring flower for Mother's Day or "just so". Sometimes I miss the beautiful blue and purplish shades of hepatica.

Spring projects

Raspberry filled chocolates came to my mind when I knitted these socks for myself. Not that I could actually eat any milk chocolate, but I still remember the taste. I had cherished this yarn for many years and finally decided to use it.

At Villa Cooper a client has asked if I could make a small pouch like the ones for headphones I made last year

but with the zipper at the top edge. I tried, but making them look neat is more difficult this way.

For this lot I used the smallest scraps of Japanese fabrics from the big stash my DD Kaija left for me.

Spring is here but the only flowers in the garden so far have been the snowdrops, crocuses and now in bloom the Scilla Sibirica. I bought these Easter lilies at the florist for Easter. In the garden they will be up in a month or so!

Greetings from abroad

Hi everyone,

this is John writing. It looks like we have taken over Auntie Ulla's blog, but she has really not finished, or even started, anything on the quilting front, and all she has knitted lately has been stuff for us. I think anyone can imagine how much clothes four children need! She will be back some day, this has not changed into a doll adventure blog.

Thursday last week was sunny, and the ice had finally melted so I had a beach photo taken in my travel clothes. We saw the first butterflies and chaffinches!

Have a closer look, I got to borrow Roger's scarf as I con't have one yet and he didn't need it.

Mr K. and Auntie Ulla took me along on their traditional trip to Germany! I had my own luggage, and naturally my birth certificate. We don't need a passport when visiting Auntie L.

She is Mr K.'s sister, and she has a big balcony. I had to climb up her trellis when I saw the dangerous lizards! Maybe she has trained them to look after her and protect her from wasps or something. I was scared anyway.

We visited the big fly fishing event Erlebniswelt Fliegenfischen. I was just hanging around Rio and half expecting to see the Amazons there. It turned out that this Rio was not the river but a brand name for some fly fishing products.

Uncle Ransome is a keen fly fisherman, so he could also have been there, but I didn't see anyone just like him. - Outdoors there were casting performances almost all day, so a proper warning was necessary.

A Scotsman was by the river, showing his skills. It made more sense, as there can't be any fish in the shallow plastic pools put up on the lawn!

As the sun was shining, Auntie let me change into my sailing sweater and shorts.

I had a little rest and a nap under a tree, enjoying the sun. I don't think I will get a tan with this complexion. Auntie Ulla told me that white cotton will get the bright whiteness back when dried on the line when the sun is shining.

After the fair we saw another one. There was a village Spring festival in Auntie L.'s town. Was the young girls' fashion of bare ankles spreading to grown up men? We saw a couple of them like this, with only top part of their socks showing a bare leg and ankle, and very short socks in the shoes. Strange!

The parade was led by this pair of horses and it was very long, with several marching bands. and all kinds of clubs and societies represented.

When we came back on Wednesday night, the weather had turned cold here, and in the morning everything was covered in snow again! I hope the butterflies find somewhere warm to wait for the Spring to come back.

Regards,

John

Tea time

This is Titty reporting again. Auntie was not in such a good mood. Here you can see why:

She had finished John's shirt and helping him to try it on when she noticed that when zigzagging the seam allowances together in the sleeve she had caught the sleeve fabric with a fold, and then cut through the fold. She tried to undo the outer zigzag stitches to make it look OK when the truth was revealed. Well, for a couple of days John had to wear his thick wool sweater, but now the shirt sleeve is fine again. Nobody will notice that it is a fraction shorter than the other one.

See here, both sleeves are still too long, so John can grow some more!

It looks like Spring is on the way. These snowdrops came through the old snow yesterday.

The pond has been frozen through all Winter and the ice is still very thick, but now it is floating on water at least.

Susan and I had tea together. Auntie has just the one cup left from the set of 4 she had when she was little, so we took turns.

Auntie Ulla made this blouse for Susan, and I can tell you she was very careful with her scissors this time. I think she ought to sew something for me next. I know Susan needs a lighter skirt for the Spring too, but I'm stuck with a wool jumper and long trousers, and Roger could use a shirt too.

Anyway, I think Susan's blouse is pretty and I know I will get to use it when she grows out of it. Oh, I almost forgot, the "something nice I planned with Auntie" I mentioned last time, well, it is taking time. Be patient!

Yours ever,

Titty

Family photo

Here we are, finally!

From the left: John, Susan, Titty and Roger. The Walker kids, also known as the Swallows from Swallows and Amazons. Clearly you can see a family resemblance.

We have come to stay with Auntie Ulla so she can make more clothes for us and play with us. She has sent 74 dolls out to to world to be adopted before us, so it is high time she gets some dolls too to play with.

We too will be registered with identity cards from Unicef, and four more real kids out there somewhere will get their vital vaccinations against out fees.

We have not yet had time for new adventures, but Susan's cardigan is finally finished (Auntie is one of those knitters who make their yarn last longer by unraveling  the knitting from time to time and starting again) with a smaller decorative stitch. For me she knitted this scarf last night, to match my pullover, socks and beanie.

I think we are going to have some tea with biscuits soon. I'm planning something nice with Auntie, I hope we can show that to you next time.

Keep warm, the wind is still cold!

Yours,
Titty

Dolls playing in the snow

Hi readers,

it is Titty here again. The other day we had sunny weather and just a little minus degrees so we sneaked out without jackets (because Auntie Ulla has not sewn us any yet). You know, frozen snow is dry so we didn't get wet socks or anything.

Oh yes, this is our little brother Roger. He is only seven, but clearly bigger than baby Bridget, so he can join us on our adventures.

Of course he can make his own adventures as well. When I was not looking, he climbed a tree to see far beyond the garden.

This Winter there has been lots of snow. Uncle K. said it was twice as high as what is left now. Auntie Ulla said it was as deep as her quilting ruler could measure, and then some. Some snow has now melted, and the rain has packed the layers tighter too.

My new trousers and hat with the pompom are really nice and comfortable. Can you imagine, Roger has managed to get tiny holes in the backside of his dungarees! That comes from climbing trees and sliding down slopes of snow.

We spotted a redpoll feeding on the sunflower seeds on the ground, and a bank vole is hiding under the little twig in the upper left corner. He too likes the seeds. Then we had to hurry inside, because it was getting cold for us. We had some hot chocolate with biscuits, and there was a nice fire in the fireplace when we came in.

Have a nice weekend! See you next time!