Hello! I hope you’re doing okay and have had a good week so far. It’s heather season here, and as it’s been too hot to even think about knitting this week, I thought I’d just chat a bit about a felt butterfly I’ve made and take you along for a stroll to enjoy the purple gorgeousness.
In some places the heather carpets the entire ground, in other places it grows in tussocks.
Most of the heather here is common heather, or ling, but there is some erica as well.
Even though it’s still morning, the highland cattle that have been hired to keep the heather free from encroaching trees and purple moor grass have retreated to a shady spot.
The sheep with the same job description can stand the heat better but they, too, prefer to laze about in the shade today.
The bees love the heat, though, and the entire heath is abuzz with them. The butterflies fluttering about are mainly cabbage whites. It would be great to see a silver-studded blue, known as heideblauwtje (heather blue) in Dutch. As it’s a red list species chances are slim, but hold on, what’s that blue speck?
Yes, it really is a silver-studded blue,
only it’s made of felt, with embroidery and beads.
Designer Marianne of Lindelicht has captured its essence really well. My stitches are not as neat as those on the shop sample, and I had to replace the tiny blue beads with slightly larger ones because I dropped the original ones in the garden and was unable to retrieve them all, but still my butterfly is also clearly recognizable.
This is the fourth of her butterflies I’ve made so far – lovely little summer projects.
Writing this reminds me that I also have several hanks of Marianne’s beautiful hand-dyed yarn in my stash. Maybe it’s time to knit some of those up into a shawl or scarf. But first I’ll finish the socks and the cardigan that are still on my needles. Perhaps there’ll be something to tell you about one of those next week. Hope to see you again then!
Beautiful! Thanks for taking us alongto see the heather and the felted friend.
You’re welcome – it’s good to have your company, even if it is virtual.
Just lovely! It has been hot here too so I understand how those sheep feel.
Compared to the sheep we’re lucky – we can take off our woolly coats! I hope the weather will cool down before too long where you live.