ON VIOLETS

The eyes of violets are filled with dreams.......

I picked another another bunch of tiny violets this morning, this deep pink  one is flowering really well this year however  I don't know its name.......below is "Greyfriars Bobby" a wonderful gray- mauve shade and a special favourite and it is even more grey mauve in the real thing..

Others I have and know by name are Suffolk Lady a soft mauve and Lancashire Lad a true purple, these three are  from The Kerry Carman violet collection.  I enjoy having tiny posies of violets on my kitchen window sill, beside some special pieces of china. This tiny cup and saucer belonged to my sister's tea set that our mother played with as a child, only a few pieces are left and I treasure these piece Joan shared with me. It is tiny, the cup is only 3cm  high.

The  little jug that insists on being at the bottom of my posting and not where I want it  is  "Victorian Violets" from the Englands Countryside Collection by Hammersley China also sit on the window sill with its sugar bowl.      Do you know the violet "Freckles" ? white with what looks like ink spots on the petals? I noticed that after a long effort to get it to grow, it has this year seeded freely,  specially up against the stepping stones in one part of the path, and from the look of the buds there will be a good showing of blooms shortly.        Violets have a wonderfully long flowering season as long as they are picked frequently, and once the weather warms up the summer flowering ones will mke their appearance.    For my embroidery friends, here is a chart of pink violets for a card or book mark,

My recommended colours are DMC 3687 pink; 3688 light pink; 743 gold; 3346 green; 3364 light green.

If you wish to stitch this design as dark purple violets use 550 purple; and 552 light purple.

The stitch count is 80 h x 18w.