A handmade Valentine card

I like handmade cards and this year for Valentine's Day I thought I'd carry on the tradition I started last year (with the lino print handmade card) and make my own.  I originally thought I may try something I'd seen on Pinterest which involved putting wool in glue and then shaping the gluey-wool into hearts and bought some wool in preparation, on eBay no less. However it seemed a bit messy for me and as the day approached I started to have second thoughts.  Left looking for alternative inspiration, would you believe it an email popped into my mailbox from Love Knitting urging me to knit a quick heart - well, it seemed just the inspiration I needed so I dug out my knitting needles.

The heart was quick to knit - intact I knitted eight of them in a couple of hours last Thursday afternoon, and for the record I only sent one Valentines Card!  I had hoped to make an impromptu garland with the remaining hearts but was stumped for the actual garland part as I didn't want to use a length of wool, or string, or ribbon.  On Friday morning I knew exactly what I wanted to make the garland and that was a crochet hook... I can't crochet, well not anything that is recognisable but my forte is a crocheted string.  Or it would have been if I'd found a crochet hook.  I looked in all of the usual places and some of the more unusual ones too before giving into the thought that I'd put the small selection of hooks that I did have in the charity shop bag, because I never used them.  So my garland was scuppered for this year, next year I'll be more prepared!

So I chose my best heart-shaped heart and weaved in the ends.  I'd left them long enough that I used one of the ends to sew the heart to the card.  I used a darning needle which was sharper than I expected so real blood, sweat and tears went into the production of this card.

It's quite a simple design, but it's the simplicity that I like.  That's clearly a theme because if you remember my 2014 Christmas cards they were simple too.  I decided to add a kiss in the bottom right corner, though I was conscious of how it would look on the reverse. 

I like the detail of the running stitch heart visible on the inside of the card

And I think it held it's own alongside the card MOH bought me.  Actually I think he does well choosing cards I like and I was spoilt this Valentine's Day with a pink champagne afternoon tea to be booked for a future date and a pair of pink cycling gloves, which I shared on my Facebook page.  In return he's now expecting two new tyres for his bike - how romantic - for the other love of his life!

For the hearts destined for the garland after weaving in the ends, I added a loop to attach them to the garland.  It's just that I'm saving the garland for next time!

Did you make anything for your Valentine?

Black & White photo: There's a hole in my roof

Well not mine, thankfully.  This one, and it looks quite serious.  You may have seen a larger colour version in yesterday's post when we walked to the windmill in Odeceixe in Portugal.  I thought this would make a nice black and white image, with the texture of the tiles, the hole and the window.  Apart from that "small" hole in the roof it looked perfectly normal and habitable.  

Characterful, wouldn't you agree?

Black & White photo: Furled up Fern

I took this photo in the glasshouses at Wisley when we went to visit the butterflies. I was hoping to squeeze it into that post but somehow didn't manage it. Now I've given it the black and white treatment I'm glad I didn't! 

I do have a minor obsession with ferns, especially the furled up sort. But I think it's understandable. I'm intrigued as to how they unfurl, and at what speed...

Given the time to do it I'd happily sit and watch one - especially in the warm glasshouses at Wisley - so I could let you know firsthand. But until then, isn't nature wonderful?