summer garden tours

One of my favorite things about spring and summer is all the gorgeous garden tours. I did several in Spain, primarily in the Alhambra and Generalife, but also just wandering through the Royal Gardens in Madrid, a random garden in the center of Malaga, and a few gardens in downtown Dublin.

Last weekend, I got to tour Wing Haven, a serene little backyard garden near downtown Charlotte, NC. Wing Haven was created and cultivated by Elizabeth and Edwin Clarkson. 

They started in 1927 with a house on a bare clay lot and exchanged bricks, bird baths, trees, and other plants to create a green haven for birds and butterflies and other wildlife. As time passed, they purchased the lots next door until they had 3.5 acres of gardens. 

They also took in birds that neighbors and friends brought them that needed care when they were injured or abandoned by their parents. 

One bluebird in particular, Tommy, was more of a house bird and remained a favorite family pet as he flew around the gardens and always returned to perch on Elizabeth's or Edwin's shoulders. 

The garden was full of elegant symmetry, which was juxtaposed with the rambling trees and vines that grew overgrown to provide shelter for the wildlife. 

Fountains were at every turn, with birds (and bugs) bathing in the refreshing water. 

And Peter Rabbit stopped his munching the grass to stare at us until he decided we weren't a threat, and then returned to his grazing. Because it was designed for the animals, the staff encourage everyone to be very quiet to promote a sense of peace. It's refreshing for people and I'm sure the bunnies and other creatures decide to stay within the walls because of the protection and food offered there.

If you get the chance, it is a lovely haven from the noise and bustle of the city. Just wear bug spray. I didn't and I definitely regretted it. :) Where have you gone this summer? What are your favorite summer retreats?

Vitamin D

I haven't actually been crafting that much these last few weeks. Finals and papers kind of prohibit that. I am studying outside, though, and soaking up some Vitamin D. It is 75 degrees here in Greenville! I can't remember having a December this warm. I could really enjoy having a seventy degree winter, but we've already had several cold weeks. 

I'm sitting underneath this stunning old magnolia that grows outside my dorm, studying chemistry, or rather, taking a study break. 

Below is the view from my window. The porch roof of my dormitory collects rainwater, which means that many of the little birds come to drink and splash around. 

Here is a dried hydrangea from my grandmother's garden.

This is a pair of hand warmers I knit this fall from the remaining yarn from the In Threes Baby Cardigan in that lovely blue and beige variegated. The yarn was purchased at the yarn shop, Unwind, in Rhode Island. 

What's the weather like in your town? What are you making? Please leave a comment below! Merry Christmas!

Autumn Knitting and Trees

Fall has come in all its glory to Greenville. The trees are stunning and fill me with an excitement to see all the blazing colors as I do the ordinary, everyday things of life, walking to class, going to the dining hall, or reading on the mall.

El otoño ha venido en todo de su gloria a Greenville. Los árboles están impresionantes y me llenan con la emoción para ver todos los colores llameados como hago las cosas normal de la vida, caminando a la clase, yendo a la cafetería o leyendo en el campo en el centro de la universidad.

I have had some knitting time during my classes. Below are some of my creations and fall crafts.

He tenido algo tiempo para tejer durante mis clases. Debajo hay unas de mis creaciones y mis artes del otoño.

I am enjoying having the cool weather to wear all my knitted hats and scarves. I am also slowly getting ready for Christmas gift knitting. Have you started on your Christmas knitting? Are you enjoying the weather?

Me encanta el tiempo fresco para llevar mis sombreros, chulos y bufandas tejidos. También estoy preparando para tejer los regalos para la Navidad. ¿Has comenzado tejer los regalos para la Navidad? ¿Te encanta el tiempo del otoño?

Spring Projects

I have almost finished another collection of hats for Rex Hospital. I only have to weave in a few ends and find ribbons for the drawstring hats, like the ones I did last time. I decided to do this photo shoot outside in the beautiful, budding garden. The red buds and dogwoods are some of the most faithful heralds of spring every year on my street. What more fitting place than a garden in spring to take pictures of baby hats, which will cover the heads of infants who will each have a unique role to fill?

I also have been delving into my other crafts, primarily sewing, in the past few weeks. I am working on a spring dress made out of 100% cotton. It is a lovely coral and pink floral, rather fitting for spring. 

As I still have to finish the armhole binding, hem the edge, and finish tailoring the dress, pictures of me wearing the garment will be shown later. Below are a few pictures of the fabric. A friend of mine made a purse from the exact same fabric. Having only one JoAnne’s in our area makes it not uncommon for duplicates, but that will be fun. I’m only hoping that once I finish, my dress will look as professionally crafted as my friend’s. 

For sewing details, it is a pattern from Elegant Stitches, a cute and creative shop in Cary. When I saw the pattern, I thought it looked absolutely perfect. However, I have so altered the dress in order to make it actually fit me, I don't know that I would be able to reproduce another one of these dresses. This is partially my fault, because I chose to go with the larger size when I was in between sizes. Hence, I have learned how to sew darts. Because of my alterations, the neckline won't be perfect. That bothers me (though I'm almost sure no one but a seamstress would notice), so I'm already planning a project to sew a light-weight scarf with it in one of the corals or pinks from the fabric. This may prove more difficult than expensive; pinks can be so difficult to match.

What are your spring projects? Are there certain crafts you tend to do more of in the spring? 

Happy Spring and Happy Crafting!

Rose

Signs of Spring and Poetry

When spring begins to come, I always have this great expectancy for the daffodils. The daffodils and snowdrops in my garden are primarily from my paternal great-grandmother’ and my maternal grandmother’s gardens. Both women had incredible gardens, always bursting with life when the weather began to warm. The daffodil bulbs we got from my great-grandmother’s garden, we dug up from her garden which has been abandoned and free to spread rampantly for the past decade or so. I’m so grateful to have that connection with both these women in my garden. 

I wrote these haikus in response to my slowly awakening garden. The pictures were taken in my garden this afternoon. March probably is my favorite month of the year.

6

Leaf unfolds, bursts open,

Breaks its seal, feels the sun rays

Fresh wet dirt and rain bring spring.

7

Warm sunshine tingles

Through icy boughs thawing for

Fresh life and blossoms.

12

Yellow daffodil,

Herald of resurrection

Dancing in new hope.

A craft update: I am still busy crocheting baby hats to donate at Rex Hospital. I will post pictures of them when I finish this bunch and find ribbons for the girls' hats. In the meantime, I hope to get to take a nature walk in my local park. Happy Spring!