I’m excited and buzzy again today. You’re probably not even interested, but I’m going to share it with you anyway because I just have to put my thoughts down somewhere. Here’s what I’m all abuzz about (ooh, that’s a nice alliteration!). Anyhoo. Three things are causing the buzz:

Lavender

Hubby and I were in Norfolk this weekend. The highlight for me was Saturday’s visit to Norfolk Lavender where we bought 12 small Imperial Gem lavender plants. They really are very small, and we know they won’t start growing until next year, but we just had to have them.

I’ve always wanted a row of lavender in my back yard (visions of purple lavender fields) and we did have lavender plants when we first moved in. We planted them against the garage wall so that I could look out of the kitchen window and see them neatly arranged in a row of purple. Unfortunately they didn’t last. Now I know it was because 1) the neighbour’s tree was so big that it blocked the sunlight and 2) the ground is too clay-e (is that a word? You know what I mean.).  Since then the neighbour has trimmed his tree which means lots more sunlight, and after a chat to the lovely man at Norfolk Lavender, we know we should mix pea shingle and gravel into the ground so that the lavender plants can keep their feet nice and dry.

However…. in stead of planting the lavender in the ground again, we are going to put them in long wooden planters! The planters are being custom made for us by the lovely James of Goods from the Woods in Devon. We bought two of 1m each, which we are going to shove side by side so that it looks like one 2m planter. But wait – in stead of varnishing the wood a sensible brown, we’re varnishing it in Bluebell blue!!!!!! So even in winter when everything stops growing, and in the first year while the lavender plants are still very small, we will have a burst of colour in the back of the garden! Our front door is already painted “Hawaiian Blue” so we definitely have a theme of bright blue running through our garden.

 Afraid of colour? Who me? No way!

Crochet cowl wrap

In the Talking Crochet newsletter I saw a very small picture of a red draped cowl this week. I actually saw a woman in Fleet street last week wearing something similar and I immediately loved it. Of course I had no idea where she bought it but I did do a quick search on the internet and then gave up. Low and behold, the newsletter arrives and there is the perfect long draped cowl for me to crochet! This one is even better than the lady in Fleet Street’s, as hers was fabric, and this one I can whip up myself! The pattern contains three cowls, but I think this one is the best!

Unfortunately Annie’s Attic will only only post patterns to US or Canadian addresses. What is a girl to do? Write a wall post on the CrocheTime facebook page!  Now I’m just hoping someone from the US (postage to Canada seems to up the $ price considerably) will agree to buy the pattern on my behalf (of course I will refund the purchaser) and send the pattern to me by email/post.  Fingers crossed.

Drive-in

Hubby and I will celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary this December, but we’ve never been to a drive-in movie together. Never ever. That’s all going to change on Saturday. I’m sooo excited! It’s feels like we’re going on a date! Slumdog Millionaire at Stubbings Nursery, with Papa John’s pizza delivered to our car. Soooo looking forward to it!

It probably won’t go down very well with my date if I take along the Identity Crisis blanket to crochet in the car… Nope. Better not.