Five on Friday - August

It is difficult to believe it is September already and time for Five on Friday with Amy at Love Made My Home. Looking back over August it has been a quiet, gentle month with no drama's (thank goodness!). There has been time to relax with a few days out here and there but mostly peaceful days at home enjoying the garden, spending time with my mother and lots of knitting and stitching. 

The month began with
1. Amazing skies

2.  A Visit to Stowe Gardens

The vistas across the landscape never fail to delight. 

Stowe House looking majestic across the lake.

The deep rich green of the trees at this time of year are a wonderful sight.

The Temples create focal points.

Capability Brown must have had remarkable vision when he planned the landscapes of the gardens in the many historic country houses he worked on. To be able to see how the trees would work when they were fully mature is extraordinary. It must have looked very different when they were first planted and I often wonder what people thought of it then. 

It is the 300th Anniversary of the birth of Capability Brown this year and several National Trust properties including Stowe have collaborated with the Embroiderers' Guild to create exhibitions inspired by his landscapes. The exhibition at Stowe, 'Capability Found' is in the Temple of Concord and Victory. This is a lovely Temple with a view across the Grecian Valley but sadly the exhibition does not have disabled access. Although some of my work is in the exhibition we did not go to that area of the garden as it is a bit frustrating when you cannot get in!

3.Garden Flowers

The garden was in full bloom during August

Lots of daisies with Day Lilies popping up

The pots and hanging baskets were full of colour too. They needed regular watering as it has been quite dry here in Buckinghamshire. My mother likes to have lots of pots in her garden too, so there were two gardens to water. It was easily solved with a routine of watering my pots and baskets in the early morning and my mother's in the evening. We would then sit in the fading light enjoying the garden and spending time together. 

The Fuchsias have done really well this year

Apparently, this is a Comma Butterfly and is an endangered British species. I was surprised when I looked it up and felt privileged it came to visit my garden.

4.Ascott Gardens

Friends and I went to Ascott Gardens one day, which I had never heard of before, although it is only a short distance from home. Ascott House is a half timbered Jacobean farmhouse, transformed by the the de Rothschilds towards the end of the 19th Century. The house and gardens are now cared for by the National Trust although I understand the family still use the house at certain times of the year. It is a wonderful place with great views across Aylesbury Vale. 

Aylesbury Vale

The gardens are divided up into 'rooms' with different styles of planting.

The Venus Fountain

The Eros Fountain in the Formal Gardens

The planting in the Formal Garden was very beautiful.

Fairy Grotto

The Grotto had been roped off because a wasp colony had taken up residence and built their nest in there. I can imagine fairies living in the grotto, flitting about the flowers when no one is watching.

5. Knitting and Stitching

There was plenty of time for stitching and knitting during the lazy days of August.

As mentioned in a previous post I was determined to make a pair of socks for the Yarndale Sockline. The lovely Christine (Winwick Mum) organises this at the Yarndale Festival in Skipton each September. The socks are used as decorative bunting and then donated to a number of charities for people who need some warm footwear. You can read all about it here. 

Even though I am very slow at knitting socks I was delighted to post a parcel yesterday containing three pairs, yes, three pairs of socks. Okay, so one pair was baby sized but I am still very chuffed.

The baby pair was an experiment as they needed to be made on the dreaded DPN's. There are probably lots of people who find DPN's a breeze but I seem to tie myself in knots with them. Apparently I pull very strange faces when knitting with them.

I am very pleased with the result and might, just might consider making more with leftover oddments of yarn. If they keep a little person's toes warm it will be worth the stress.

Some stitching has been going on too, creating a new range of notebook covers

This one was shared in my last post.

There appears to have been an invasion of sheep. I so enjoyed making Shirley the Sheep and her friends back in July it has started to influence my stitching. 

This one was a special request from a friend - Sew Happy and a sheep - 

 which resulted in a stitching sheep - what else?!

This Herdwick and her friend were made as gifts.

Looking back, August was a happy month. I hope you had a good August too and like me are looking forward to what September will bring. If it was not so great for you hopefully September bring better things.