Blooming Marvellous workshop with Carol Meldrum
The first workshop for 2022 has just finished, and what an amazing week it has been, how lovely to have a house full of knitters again.
The arrival day was a little fraught with one cancelled flight and a few delays but by Sunday evening all were safely gathered in.
As the workshop had a floral theme we started the week with a visit to the flower sale and brocante at Aulnay on Sunday morning for a bit of inspiration.
![22 may carol 39jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/e9/a9/e9a9b96e-6460-4b62-997f-1252eeef0db5.jpg)
![22 may carol 38jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/6d/c1/6dc12772-f698-480f-8fa5-026535160475.jpg)
![22 may carol 40jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/3b/73/3b731beb-5504-4c6a-8d58-9bf53969cb8b.jpg)
After lunch Carol started the introduction to the workshop, showing her beautiful knitted and crochet samples for inspiration. Guests had the choice of working in knit or crochet or combining the two crafts. Carol provided plain calico bags to embellish or notebooks to cover, using cotton yarns in 4ply and DK.
![22 may carol 32jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/9b/e4/9be413f3-5e72-4f59-9845-32f212ff7f4e.jpg)
![22 may carol 34jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/27/1a/271a66ca-fdc2-4faf-abd6-c07be4a494d7.jpg)
On Monday everyone spent a full day designing their project and experimenting with various techniques.
Tuesday morning was a half day workshop and some of the designs were starting to come together.
![22 may carol 8jpg](https://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/6e/8b/6e8b6bed-5b0e-447e-a1ba-0afdd1cfb9e0.jpg)
![22 may carol 3jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/29/1a/291a20e2-2db2-46b9-9bc1-07d9a8b86e2f.jpg)
In the afternoon we went to Saintes for fabric and yarn shopping, a visit to Maison du Monde and a coffee in the sunshine at the lovely museum cafe.
![22 may carol 33jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/1f/56/1f56572a-e4f8-4bca-99e3-9f9ac8ac5a65.jpg)
![22 may carol 37jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/67/19/6719b590-69d6-4cb6-bfd5-2f9867117f95.jpg)
in the evening Carol stumbled along this little visitor at the end of our garden.
![22 may carol 4jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/0d/77/0d77dd15-1c9a-412f-b29a-398c778f3ab0.jpg)
On Wednesday morning we had a wander around the market in St Jean d'Angely
![20190612_103940jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/fe/6b/fe6bd6de-2a55-4952-8cf2-571323463c51.jpg)
![IMG_6166JPG](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/a3/fd/a3fd16b7-b916-4163-86d8-9b52a3e97f03.JPG)
And a trip to the chocolate shop
![20220427_105431jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/18/4b/184bedf5-4d97-4b6c-869b-41dbf9012bf7.jpg)
Interestingly the fabric shop in town had the same idea as Carol with a window display of bags embellished with crochet flowers, but we decided they were a bit boring compared to the ones being created at Bercloux!
![20220427_104112jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/41/73/4173f3f0-1a0b-4465-af9a-246155b5212b.jpg)
In the afternoon it was warm enough to knit in the garden and two brave souls even ventured into the swimming pool.
![22 may carol 11jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/90/d5/90d54809-77bd-4e3c-89b8-2f3bf20feefb.jpg)
The weather is definitely warming up and the garden is full of butterflies and bees.
![22 may carol 21jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/b4/cb/b4cb6fbb-5161-461e-93d5-5e0d1889844e.jpg)
On Thursday the pressure was building to finish projects by Friday evening
![22 may carol 1jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/2c/e4/2ce44470-13d9-40ca-b263-8376d334302d.jpg)
![22 may carol 12jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/e2/ab/e2ab2124-e13f-4135-8eb7-9c3fdf8924a9.jpg)
![22 may carol 35jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/9e/49/9e49b9b3-ebbe-4dc6-8856-3ce539cb0069.jpg)
![22 may carol 22jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/81/31/81313500-5481-425d-99fa-6c78a73909e0.jpg)
In the afternoon we went to Cognac to visit the yarn shop My Little Mailles, but disaster Stephanie was on holiday and the shop was shut for the week! This was a shame for Margaret our guest from South Africa as her daughter Bridget supplies the shop with some of her beautiful hand dyed yarn - Cowgirl Blues. We had to make do with peering through the window and a promise that I would take some photos for Margaret on my next visit.
On the way home we stopped at Egreteau our local Cognac producer to buy some Pineau and Cognac and have a taste of all the different varieties.
![22 may carol 20jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/b7/0c/b70ca4ec-fb55-455c-9ac6-0af83cd10f50.jpg)
Friday was a full day workshop to try and finish projects and then a show and tell. All the designs were lovely and so varied.
![20220428_205810jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/23/be/23be4c9c-c850-491c-b6d7-e620879e287f.jpg)
![20220429_210840jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/a8/b2/a8b2ec6c-19fb-4bfb-a7c5-ff47dc4f3d89.jpg)
![20220429_210809jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/d4/a8/d4a860f2-6f8e-4352-80f5-a150eceb9d5a.jpg)
![20220429_210918jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/b5/b7/b5b7f2f1-44ef-4e03-b33a-a489d9c1e54c.jpg)
![20220429_210944jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/55/03/5503d47e-e306-48ee-b661-4ee87d1923b6.jpg)
![20220429_211005jpg](//files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/ca/c5/cac5f9c9-2038-4492-8f3a-76bc35721558.jpg)
The arrival day was a little fraught with one cancelled flight and a few delays but by Sunday evening all were safely gathered in.
As the workshop had a floral theme we started the week with a visit to the flower sale and brocante at Aulnay on Sunday morning for a bit of inspiration.
![22 may carol 39jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/e9/a9/e9a9b96e-6460-4b62-997f-1252eeef0db5.jpg)
![22 may carol 38jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/6d/c1/6dc12772-f698-480f-8fa5-026535160475.jpg)
![22 may carol 40jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/3b/73/3b731beb-5504-4c6a-8d58-9bf53969cb8b.jpg)
After lunch Carol started the introduction to the workshop, showing her beautiful knitted and crochet samples for inspiration. Guests had the choice of working in knit or crochet or combining the two crafts. Carol provided plain calico bags to embellish or notebooks to cover, using cotton yarns in 4ply and DK.
![22 may carol 32jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/9b/e4/9be413f3-5e72-4f59-9845-32f212ff7f4e.jpg)
![22 may carol 34jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/27/1a/271a66ca-fdc2-4faf-abd6-c07be4a494d7.jpg)
On Monday everyone spent a full day designing their project and experimenting with various techniques.
Tuesday morning was a half day workshop and some of the designs were starting to come together.
![22 may carol 8jpg](https://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/6e/8b/6e8b6bed-5b0e-447e-a1ba-0afdd1cfb9e0.jpg)
![22 may carol 3jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/29/1a/291a20e2-2db2-46b9-9bc1-07d9a8b86e2f.jpg)
In the afternoon we went to Saintes for fabric and yarn shopping, a visit to Maison du Monde and a coffee in the sunshine at the lovely museum cafe.
![22 may carol 33jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/1f/56/1f56572a-e4f8-4bca-99e3-9f9ac8ac5a65.jpg)
![22 may carol 37jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/67/19/6719b590-69d6-4cb6-bfd5-2f9867117f95.jpg)
in the evening Carol stumbled along this little visitor at the end of our garden.
![22 may carol 4jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/0d/77/0d77dd15-1c9a-412f-b29a-398c778f3ab0.jpg)
On Wednesday morning we had a wander around the market in St Jean d'Angely
![20190612_103940jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/fe/6b/fe6bd6de-2a55-4952-8cf2-571323463c51.jpg)
And a trip to the chocolate shop
![20220427_105431jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/18/4b/184bedf5-4d97-4b6c-869b-41dbf9012bf7.jpg)
Interestingly the fabric shop in town had the same idea as Carol with a window display of bags embellished with crochet flowers, but we decided they were a bit boring compared to the ones being created at Bercloux!
![20220427_104112jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/41/73/4173f3f0-1a0b-4465-af9a-246155b5212b.jpg)
In the afternoon it was warm enough to knit in the garden and two brave souls even ventured into the swimming pool.
![22 may carol 11jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/90/d5/90d54809-77bd-4e3c-89b8-2f3bf20feefb.jpg)
The weather is definitely warming up and the garden is full of butterflies and bees.
![22 may carol 21jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/b4/cb/b4cb6fbb-5161-461e-93d5-5e0d1889844e.jpg)
On Thursday the pressure was building to finish projects by Friday evening
![22 may carol 1jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/2c/e4/2ce44470-13d9-40ca-b263-8376d334302d.jpg)
![22 may carol 12jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/e2/ab/e2ab2124-e13f-4135-8eb7-9c3fdf8924a9.jpg)
![22 may carol 35jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/9e/49/9e49b9b3-ebbe-4dc6-8856-3ce539cb0069.jpg)
![22 may carol 22jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/81/31/81313500-5481-425d-99fa-6c78a73909e0.jpg)
In the afternoon we went to Cognac to visit the yarn shop My Little Mailles, but disaster Stephanie was on holiday and the shop was shut for the week! This was a shame for Margaret our guest from South Africa as her daughter Bridget supplies the shop with some of her beautiful hand dyed yarn - Cowgirl Blues. We had to make do with peering through the window and a promise that I would take some photos for Margaret on my next visit.
On the way home we stopped at Egreteau our local Cognac producer to buy some Pineau and Cognac and have a taste of all the different varieties.
![22 may carol 20jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/b7/0c/b70ca4ec-fb55-455c-9ac6-0af83cd10f50.jpg)
Friday was a full day workshop to try and finish projects and then a show and tell. All the designs were lovely and so varied.
![20220428_205810jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/23/be/23be4c9c-c850-491c-b6d7-e620879e287f.jpg)
![20220429_210840jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/a8/b2/a8b2ec6c-19fb-4bfb-a7c5-ff47dc4f3d89.jpg)
![20220429_210809jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/d4/a8/d4a860f2-6f8e-4352-80f5-a150eceb9d5a.jpg)
![20220429_210918jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/b5/b7/b5b7f2f1-44ef-4e03-b33a-a489d9c1e54c.jpg)
![20220429_210944jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/55/03/5503d47e-e306-48ee-b661-4ee87d1923b6.jpg)
![20220429_211005jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/ca/c5/cac5f9c9-2038-4492-8f3a-76bc35721558.jpg)
![20220429_155849jpg](http://files.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/76/05/76054c3f-2c34-48c6-8fe7-e3dccee970d8.jpg)