Grabbing a fine day

Despite fog and frost most mornings we grabbed the opportunity for a 4 mile walk around the lanes yesterday. Still, bright but hazy.

 We admired the vast areas of spring cereal crops already green and doing well.

Totally puzzled by the ridges in this field. Too early for potato ridging? Its a bit solid looking? Eventually we spotted the green shoots of daffodils! Its a flower field! The next field over, behind some thick hedging,  was more advanced and you could see rows of green tops. 

By the time we left the road and took a path between fields, copses and hedges we had warmed up and had to loose hats and gloves and loosen woolie scarf.

Home in time for lunch of carrot soup. Our carrots are getting a bit old now and I have found a bit of ground cumin when softening the onions really improves the flavour and colour of the soup.

On the very miserable days I have been pursing my rag rug making. I have concentrated on longer lengths and used wider strips of thicker fabrics mixed with jersey fabrics or rayon to give colours. Each strip is folded in to conceal as much of the raw edges as possible. This is giving a nice thick braid when plaited up.

I have been stitching them together in pairs in front of the TV in the evening and I think I will need 20 pairs to make a big rug !  The odd bits hidden in cupboards and drawers are rapidly getting cleared into this project - old cushion covers and tablecloths as well as old clothes and pillowcases!

How have you been using your time in this cold weather?