Celebrations

I'm beginning to think, looking at my diary for the next few days, I may be more busy than an 'it' girl.....in fact, I'm beginning to worry I may forget to go somewhere!

It's been a busy home this week, starting with today when small and middle had a jubilee celebration complete with picnic in school. With chance to dress up in red, white and blue, the boys decided they wanted union jacks on their t-shirts.

I always encourage the boys to try and do everything themselves, sometimes this means that their things don't look as polished as some of the other parents' childrens' handiwork......but they are always very proud to wear their own creations......and again their creativity shone through.

Even small, at three, painted his t-shirt just filling in between the lines I drew for him.

Here they are all striking small's hair fiddling pose which he does when he's tired, we all like to 'take him off' to make each other giggle.

The bunting making has started, although I have a lot to make if I'm going to fulfil the picture in my mind's eye.....I started on these and then got a little carried away and decided I wanted a matching picnic blanket to go with it.....I have the material, the idea.....now just need a little more time!

It's middle's seventh birthday tomorrow and being a huge star wars fan, he's requested a star wars cake......I have to admit, cakes I make taste good, but never quite look like I hoped they would. I thought for a brief moment and figured the best way to go would be a light sabre..... So this evening I've made some Swiss rolls, ready to be assembled and iced tomorrow.

We have official birthday tomorrow, friend birthday Saturday with a trip to a local zoo, my in-laws jubilee BBQ Sunday, and big family gathering for middle's birthday tea party Monday, by which time, I think I will be slightly frayed at the edges!

I have soooo much baking to do, but then I love to bake so that is no hardship......the sewing is begining to come, but the flower borders? Still weedy....oooooppppps!

I will be back with further pics of all things as they unfold and as I begin to unravel!

Year of projects 27.05.12

It's Sunday, so here I am with a brief YOP update and then a quick tell of a couple of things we've done this weekend.

This is the progress on my Colour Affection shawl, and as you can see I have now added in the third colour, which is the darkest blue coming in on stripes on the left hand side.......oooohhh, stripes, how I do love thee!

I am having a bit of a wobble actually, as when reading Sarah's (Crafts from the Cwtch) post on Thursday, I see that she was referring to a modification in the pattern that a lot of Ravelers have been using.

An added wrapped stitch at the beginning of the rows means there is a looser edge...... I have a feeling, having not done this, it is why I have a 'ripply' edge.  This is when I wish I didn't just dive into things, but planned a little better......as I am so far in, there is absolutely no thought to ripping it all out, so I am just hoping that blocking may make things a little easier......fingers crossed!

It has to be said also, it is very difficult to get a true picture of what the shawl will look like when it is on a short circular.....so I will plod on (sometimes holding my breath) hoping all will come out in the wash!

Not a lot of crochet going on this week, but I did make a quick start on Annaboo's CAL and started making a cat......well.....I think it will be a cat, as the pattern can be modified to be a doll or a monkey, or many other things I guess, but I think this one will be a cat.  Why don't you take a look at her simple and brilliantly written pattern......its being posted in stages, so there's plenty of time to still give it a whirl!

Well, with such wonderful weather we've made the most of it for the past couple of days, today with a long walk in the woods with Chester and Ned and yesterday in the Brecon Beacons ......these are mountain ranges which are Welsh National Park land , so plenty of places to walk and wow at the views.  Just looking at the sell for it, 'Brecon Beacons.....one of Britain's breathing spaces'

The intrepid mountaineers.

'No, Daddy, please don't make us climb another mountain'

I've added this last picture for future reference. 

Just as we approached this hill/small mountain after we had been walking for about an hour, Middle announces that he wants to run up it (just over the road in the picture)  I'm not sure if this photo actually captures it, but it was steep.....very steep for my long legs let alone a six-year-old's legs!  So sure to his word, off he went!  He briefly stopped twice to turn and see where we were, but he just kept going till he was at the top where there is a standing stone......unbelievable! 

The view from the top.

Not to be normal.....Middle then decided to run all the way back down, the road being just below the green field on the left..........impressive eh!

We had a glorious day, in fact, it has been a sublime weekend (although, I have to admit to being a little achy today) I am so blessed to live in Wales........it is a real gem!

Well, I should love you and leave you all, as there is knitting to be done and tv to be watched.  Hope you all have a great and sunshiney week where ever you are!

Dream big!

I seem to spend all my time trying to play catch-up at the moment......  Please tell me I am not the only one?

Just over a week ago,  this lovely card and package arrived for me, from Jill over at Stocki, it's not often I get gifts through the post, so it was a very exciting event.  I am not the type to dive into things immediately, so I waited until I had my jobs done and a bit of time to myself and then slowly opened my pressie.

Now, Jill, being the lovely friend she is, had made quiet note of my gripes with a circular needle I was using and thoughtfully sent me a posh new one, which I am very excited to give a whirl, and she also gave me a ball of this lovely sunshine yellow cotton, which is also spot-on as I love to work in cotton.....ooooh, what to make?

Thank you so much Jill, you have been so thoughtful and hugely generous in your lovely gifts.  My words of thanks don't come near to show you how happy I am with my new things!

Maybe the first project off my new needles will be yours.........I will think up my new knitting project very carefully ;-)

My middle boy will be seven on the 1st June and while we will do cake, friends and day out, we always do a big family tea party too.....I can't help the impulse to make copious sandwiches, cakes, biscuits, cheese and pineapple hedgehogs.......but this year.......with the Queen's Jubilee next weekend, my dreams have gone up a gear, and I now want....

• A red and blue layered cake, with white frosting...........

• Red, white and blue bunting strung from the apple tree above.......

• Glorious sunshine

• Weed-free borders

To be fair, if I had more hours in the day, I may just pull it off, but honestly, I know it will be an hour before everyone is due to arrive and I will still be frantically trying to weed the borders.....I love to make lists, but I am, it has to be said, not the best manager of time.

We will see!

I was reading the lovely Jooles' blog earlier, Sew Sweet Violet and agreeing with her, how lovely it would be to enjoy the garden rather than just work in it.  I love the idea of having a beautiful garden, but it tends to escape me around May time when the weeds start to flourish.  Anyway, against the grain, I went out an hour ago, just for a stroll and I discovered to my surprise I have a beautiful garden! 

I look out of my window and I see the work needed, but if I spent a little less time stressing about it, I may see the loveliness right there......

The problem is, as I said, I dream big and then obviously don't quite get there.....

It strikes me that I spend a lot of time dreaming up big ideas, but don't really ever see the whole thing happen.....

In the past, I have been tetchy and disappointed with myself for not doing it 'all'....but I'm beginning to wonder, that if you aim to do lots of things, you will probably get more done than if you didn't aim at all.......make sense?

So....admittedly, I may be hopelessly unrealistic and laughably disorganised, but, I'm a better person for trying......

Next week at our ' Birthday/Jubilee Party' I may not be wearing my dress that fitted me two years ago, with my new Colour Affection shawl (which is 1/3 way through) draped over my shoulders, but I will still get up at a ridiculous time to do my 'shred yourself' DVD every day and knit like an idiot......in the hope..........

This week, I will also start Annaboo's CAL.....will it be a cat/monkey/doll?

I will have a lovely day out walking with my family.

I will do school runs,  swimming lessons, football, cubs.

And........ I will dream big!

Year of projects - 20.05.12

Another week has whizzed by, and despite the fact I have loads to blog about, I haven't sat here since last Sunday.

I've turned my hand to both a bit of knitting and a bit of crochet this week.....first and foremost, I finally got around to picking up the baby blanket I started crocheting a couple of months ago, and finished it off.  To be honest, as I said at the time, it wasn't really my favourite project for more than one reason, which made me really slow to going back to it.  I'm glad I did though, as a few hours graft and it is done and ready to packed off to my cousin.

The pattern is from Ravelry here......and the yarn is Sirdar Snuggly Kisses.  I do like the way the stripes have appeared in the yarn........ making it a little more interesting to work on.......but only a little!

I've continued working on my Colour Affection and am now nearly onto the next section where the darker colour is introduced, it is a nice project so far, if not a little long-winded, but I'm still enjoying it, so in the words of my friend Marigold it's all good.

The weather has been superb today, our church took the service outside  this morning, and the sun shone its little heart out....this afternoon, we took boys and dogs for a bomb around in the same woods as last Sunday, but in a different part. I think we wandered off the path a bit, so we were doing our Ray Mears best to trudge through the undergrowth. 

Yesterday we took a lovely walk along an estuary with plenty of trees to explore and water to fall in....all the best walks should contain these elements I think.

Taking a little rest.......

(shortly after this photo was taken, this little laddy was sporting a huge egg right in the centre of his forehead........all in a day's work for my lot!)

Anyway, thank you as always for your lovely comments and support.....I really do have a giveaway up my sleeve, I just need to get around to actually doing it.....more hours please.

Hope you all have happy sunny weeks, where ever you are.  Faithx

Year of projects - 13.05.12

I am not ready for the weekend to be over yet....I demand another day!

Well, it is Sunday again and I am updating my progress with the Year of Projects work.

I am still plodding along with my colour affection that I started last week.....simple pattern, kept interesting with the change of yarns....although as it turns out my first two yarns are quite close in colour, and aren't as obvious as I hoped....but subtle will do me just fine.

Inside the colours were not really showing well, and are probably more green than shown here.

I took it outside, but this didn't really do it justice either.....I guess I would describe the paler ball to be peacock-y if there ever was such a word! 

The grey somehow blends in rather than contrasts, but I think when  the whole thing is blocked it will be just right.  I am half way through the first section I would say....so plenty more to go!


We've been out soaking up the glorious sunshine today in some woods a few miles away.  The new beech leaves were fresh zingy green against the blue sky........

Space to run, sunshine, warmth.....sticks to fight with, water to splash in.........leaves to kick up, places to hide........peace.....

We did see this merry band of tree-folk, but apart from that it was the woods to ourselves......

To see other Year of Projects progress, check out the ravelry page here.



Bits, bobs, baking and the Bahamas

It really has been a different kinda day.

Middle and small have had an 'insect' day (teacher training/inset) in their school, but unfortunately we have still been tied to school runs with Big's school being open today.

On a normal day I don't have much time at home as Small is in school for mornings only.....so today having a few hours grace, I did a little baking.

It has to be one of my favourite ways to spend an hour or so. I must admit though, it's as much in the baking as in the eating.......

I have the most horrendous memory.....really, I struggle to remember something a few months ago, I'm not like those people who rattle off tales from their childhood .......but it should be noted, refer to food at an event or occasion and I'm like a mastermind.....total recall!

Outside it's raining, it has been for most of the day, leaving me with half a mown lawn.....the grass is just about waist height....or will be when I get another free time slot.....ah well.....it will wait.

As I sit and type, Big is doing a Vanessa Mae violining impression for his friend who has come to play, Middle is playing Lego star wars on the wii (the music and sound affects make it sound very 'edge of the seat' stuff) and Small is chattering away to anyone who will listen.

...it will be time to make supper soon enough, we are breaking  house-rules by having a friend-friendly meal of pizza and chips.....the last time I served our normal weekday fare to this particular friend, he didn't go to school the next day as my cooking (vegetables) had made him ill......I was a little upset at the time, but tonight, I will swallow my standards..... and my pizza and chips, in silence!

Anyway, I am stalling and wittering...had you noticed?.....I have five boys to feed, and then ship three to cubs....hubby and I are debating who gets to do the cub run tonight, as having not refilled our oil tank, it definitely seems to be warmer outside than inside our house at the moment....and being in the car could be likened to the Bahamas........I think I may grab some yarn and hooks, my new baked goods and hole myself up in the car until the sun comes out again......see you in the summer.  Faith xxx

Year of projects - 06.05.12

Whooosh....there went another week.  Its been a busy one this week, not in a crafting way, but in a 'life' way.

At the beginning of the week, I finished my Stripe Study Shawl, but it is yet to be blocked.....so that's a job for next week.

I must admit, I think I may have developed a small obsession with this designer, Veera Valimaki and have more than one of her other patterns in my sights.  Check out her striped shawls and jumpers......right up my street!

So.....with lots of patience, achy arms and tired legs from standing, I finally finished turning my skeins from last weekend's WonderWool festival into the three balls above........impatience spurred me on and I have made a start on this.....Colour Affection

This is 21 rows in and yes, it is as small as it appears....it's like knitting with cotton......what was I thinking!

My little dip into Brioche knitting is turning more into a paddle, as I continue to be fascinated with the stripes.......I am a girl on a mission..........I will make what I can see in my head..........my head is full of lots of woolly things ;-)

Anyway......that's about it here with me.........we have just returned from a lovely day out with my in-laws lots of yummy food and a beach walk to polish it off.....just perfect, the sun is shining today, but I believe it is all change for tomorrow.

If you want to catch up with other bloggers progress on their Year of Projects work, then see the Ravelry page.