Hooking again

Quite a while ago I found a pattern via My Rose Valley called 'Maybelle Flower'.  I made a few garlands from this lovely pattern. Later Annette wrote up a pattern to turn the Maybelle Flower into a square.  I tried a sample:

It was filed in the back of my mind for a later project as I have a number (ha ha) of projects on the go.  Just recently Annette published a free pattern on her website for a baby blanket made out of these lovely squares. Well it being pay day and all I decided to treat myself to some of the yarn she stocks in her online shop.  To cut a long story short the colours were out of stock but they should be delivered this week.  But of course I had an urge to crochet which had to be satisfied so I got my much beloved and long term hexagon project out this weekend.

This is a project where the pleasure is very much in the making. I have no time scale for this.  I did however decide that I needed to have some idea of the size, or rather create a straight edge. Mostly people seem to leave the shape as it is but I would like to have a border on this. I could find a few half hexagon patterns but none that looked right with this particular hexagon.

I decided to try my hand at making my own half hexagon to match.  The first attempt wasn't very successful but the second one (on the right) fits perfectly.

The original patten for the hexagon is in Susan Pinner's book 'Granny Squares' and is edged around the shape of the hexagons:

So now I have to work out how to straighten the top edge.  I found some instructions on Polka Dot Cottage  for half hexagons and the little filler along the top which is the next experiment.

Apart from that I have done very little this bank holiday weekend. I went round to help Steph with the boys (Max is still poorly - he's been on antibiotics for a few weeks) and I played with Ben while she put Max to bed.  Ben said "Brendie, can I come to your house to sleep tonight?" (Big hazel eyes....) He was already in his pyjamas and I had walked down but the night was fine so Steph packed some clothes in his bag and we wrapped him up in his Spiderman dressing gown.  Along with Sandy the extremely dog-eared dog (under left arm), we walked round to my house.

We had fresh eggs and soldiers for breakfast - the columbine hen lays lovely green/blue eggs with deep, deep golden yolks:

and then Will brought Flossie in for a cuddle. She very kindly behaved herself (she bites me) but she wouldn't be tempted with the spinach leaves.  She'll take your arm off for dandelion leaves.

This morning I went off the the dentist.  We have a saying in our house - "you don't have to floss all your teeth - just the ones you want to keep". It is so easy to keep your teeth healthy I don't know why  people put themselves through the pain and smelly breath thing.  The trouble you have when you don't look after them is not worth it. Anyway I got a clean bill of health - excellent oral hygiene and number ones all round. If only I could apply the same principles to my weight loss regime. Back to the drawing board on that one, sadly.

It was really windy yesterday and there were HUGE amounts of seeds scattered up and down the road.

Happily the little tiny plums on my trees were not blown off!

Well it's Max's first birthday on Friday - how quick did the past year go? I'm back to work tomorrow but off again on Friday.  It's been a very lazy weekend - just what the doctor ordered.