Ruby's birthday

This weekend, we have all been invited to a tea party to celebrate our friends' little girl's first birthday.  I've often done a painting as a present for various people, but since discovering crochet, knitting  and blogging my painting has been tucked to one side, and to be honest, I really miss it.

Painting for me is very reliant on my mood, and not something started on a whim.  I thought I would ease myself back in with a small fun present for the birthday girl.

I've done a handful of these pictures before, as christening presents....hopefully, its a present that gives enjoyment for years.

I start of with a faint sketch onto heavy watercolour paper, and then when it starts to take shape, I use watercolour inks to 'colour in'.

What starts off looking a little unpromising, can soon start to come together.

Until, you are able to look at it and feel the balance is there.

It's always surprising how adding the mount and frame is all it needs to make it look good enough to give away.

Last year, I sketched up some ideas for a local branch of agricultural advisers, they encourage farming that takes care of rare plants and wildlife.

A simple sketch became a banner that is used when they do agricultural shows.....how cool is that!

On other subjects....of the more woolly kind......I have a confession........I'm not sure how it happened, but last night.........

....I started another crochet blanket.  I am joining in with Little Woollie in making one of her gorgeous multi-stitch blankets..........awful I know....how on earth am I going to fit this in!

I've got to say though, it felt wonderful to be zipping along the rows.......ooooh, I do love a crochet blanket!

Well, we are having an away day to day to the local agricultural show.....we are going suited and booted as the past week has been torrential rain and wind (as is to be expected when it is show week!)  The boys are champing at the bit to go and I'm sitting here typing. 

I have a fraught couple of days ahead, as the deluded parents of Ruby, have for some outlandish reason asked me to make the birthday girl's cake and a big batch of cupcakes......I have no idea what they have based their decision on....but anyone with any great tips.....step right up!

Catch up soon with pics of THE cake!!

Year of projects - 12.08.12

Well, it is Sunday again, so time for the week's update on my YOP work.  This week has been full of all sorts of activities, but maybe not so much knitting.  I am keeping on with my ten stitch twist, although this week admittedly, maybe not a complete rotation.

I am nearing the end of the first ball of King Cole Riot, so ordered a couple more..... incidentally, this website I've used a few times, has an offer on Riot at the moment....very handy, and quick delivery too.

Other knitting this week, has been a new project from my list, which has taught me a brand new skill.....I can now (kind of) cope with DPNs....

This is the main body for the Big Snowy Owl...my version will be a Not Quite So Big Snowy Owl as I'm using aran weight not the super bulky called for.  I am pleased as punch with my new found skill....I would never have guessed that DPNs were used like that......thank goodness for google.....who knew you had to.....stand on your head before you could do it......actually, I did think that all four needles held the stitches and you went round from needle to needle....I've got to say to all you sock knitters, I'm not sure how you do it, I was definitely all fingers and thumbs!  Do you ever find that one of the needles you are not holding, ever falls out?  That would be reason for a small meltdown in my mind!

Well, that's about it for this week....my hubby and kids are drumming their fingers waiting for me to finish so we can get out walking, so I must tarry no longer.

Just one quick pic of the fruit I put into another summer pud yesterday........doesn't that just scream summer?!

Looking forward to sitting down later and reading about all your  progress too.....thanks for being such a great group to be part of!  Hope you all have a great crafting week.x

Five go adventuring again!

Biggest boy and I have been reading Enid Blyton's Famous Five books recently.....I do enjoy them, the words seeming so familiar from my own childhood....and don't get me started on some of the quite frankly weird books that pass as childrens' stories these days.....Enid Blyton is just fine by me!

Well, in very Famous Five-esque style we took our own family adventure today to an island.....not too unlike Kirran Island......complete with a picnic lunch..........

The boat trip was about 20 minutes, just perfect for fidgety boys, on sparkly water with blue skies to boot.

I had been to this island when I was a young thing, but as I remember, it couldn't have been more different on a grey, cool day.......today was just perfect!  The beaches were soft pale sand and the sea was beautifully clear.

The island is home to some Cistercian Monks, who live and worship in this big abbey

Here are my boys looking through the gates, most of the monastery is not accessible to women....I wonder if my hubby is thinking 'imagine how much simpler life could be!'

There are a couple of churches on the island and one of them housed some beautiful stained glass.

Tree of Life, designed and made in 1924 by one of the monks...Theodore Baily.

This glass depicts Mary,  baby Jesus and St. Helena

Also made by the same Benedictine monk, this fish glass has a very modern feel I think.

After taking a leisurely walk around the island, we headed back to the beach for a roll around in the sand.

Sand Angels

A couple of glances back as we get back on the return boat

Who needs Caribbean holidays?

We didn't wash our sandwiches down with lashings of homemade lemonade, but we did round the day off with some rather delicious ice-creams (sorry, no pics, I was too busy eating!)

Such a wonderful day....thanks for stopping by to share it with us!

Year of projects - 05.08.12

Ten stitch twist in King Cole Riot

I'm not sure if my progress has slowed on this, or if its  just that it takes longer to go around now..........still loving the colour changes and I think I will aim for blanket size, rather than just cushion size.  The answer is probably to do it alongside other projects and say to myself there is no rush....as I've said before, I'm not a long-haul kinda gal, but I think this one may be worth it, as it's rather lovely.

So to keep me going, I decided to make a little birthday gift for my niece who will be two next week....can you guess what it is yet?

She is a massive Peppa Pig fan so this was an obvious present!

I was a little disappointed with the patterns I found on ravelry, so decided to give it a whirl myself, and I'm really pleased with the results....I can't help looking at it and laughing!

Anyway....that's about it for today..... we have a party to go to this evening with a childrens' entertainer, which having done lots of 'scoot and skate' and 'ruff and tumble' parties recently, I am really looking forward to....Ooooh, I do hope he does balloon animals :-)

When I get back this evening, I  am looking forward to sitting down with my Sunday night cuppa and  catching up with everyone else....until then....hope you have a great week!

High tea and holidays

So the boys are now nearing the end of week two of their summer holidays....the pace has definitely slowed a lot and relaxing the routines has certainly been welcome.

With  dog-walking normally done while the boys are in school, Chester's walks have been varied and noisier recently!

Rain or shine, we've been at the beach which has been great fun taking time to 'see' the things the boys see.  We've collected pebbles, shells, fossils, smoothed glass.......

(I have quite a growing collection of little pebbles of glass now, with no real thought as to why!)

Yesterday, to ring the changes, we invited some family for a high-tea......I do love to sit and look through my cookbooks and plan a meal or party......aside from eating, it is one of my favourite things to do.....maybe it is the anticipation of the eating!

The boys got involved by making a menu for our guests.........

While I got on with the baking....Chocolate biscuit bars, Rose flavoured  cupcakes, Courgette, walnut and cinnamon cake and Mixed berry muffins

All of the recipes came from this book.....so many lovely things to choose from.  I also made cheese muffins from the recipe page on Nattie's lovely blog Florence and Rose....these have become a family favourite (and famously, some months ago, Chester, the constantly hungry beagle, ate one in less than a second off an unattended plate!)

The cake above had a mystery ingredient which I purposely left off the menu, as I knew one middle sized boy would refuse to eat it if he only knew......

Needless to say, it tasted jolly good and middle boy even tried a bit after he heard there was courgette in it!

We went the whole hog with cucumber and smoked salmon sandwiches.....washed down with a nice cuppa!  I wouldn't mind eating like this every day of the week.

What about you.....what is your idea of a perfect meal?  I like the tradition of high tea, with  crust less cucumber sandwiches, dainty cakes (to be honest none of my cakes were delicate or dainty!) and tea in a china tea-cup.

Thank you for all of your thoughtful comments on my previous post....we are blessed indeed that everyone was safe and any losses will be covered by insurance.

Stopped in our tracks

Remember me saying that harvesting is a stressful time for farmers who are watching the weather and hoping to avoid the inevitable breakdowns.......when the sun shines it is all hands to the deck and hoping that the rain stays off, until the crop is brought in.

Remember the photos of my two youngest boys in the cab with big huge smiles.

Well yesterday marked the second day of harvesting our winter barley, but it did not all go quite according to plan.

Thankfully our neighbour and my hubby managed to jump out of the cab, but there was no time to save the combine.  From the garden where the boys and I were, we heard some massive 'boom' noises which were the fuel tank and tyres blowing, followed by plumes of thick black smoke.

The fire brigade arrived quickly and dowsed the burning field and combine, but unhappily it was already too late.

What a difference a day makes!  I am so thankful that everyone is safe and well........but feel so sad to see the state left behind.

Year of projects - 29.07.12

Well, I'm being a (tired) early bird this morning, getting my update done before the start of a busy day.  We are out to a family lunch, and with church first, time is limited  to sit in front of the computer.....however, I will be sat with cup of tea in hand, reading everyone elses progress this evening.

This is my ten-stitch twist which I took to the beach yesterday,  while the children played......I think I'm getting very brave, as I do have a little bit of a 'thing' about sand getting near my yarn.....but yesterday I couldn't pass up the window to knit.

This is it again this morning, a little further along.  I have to say, I'm not sure I will have the patience to make a blanket, as although easy, I'm finding it a bit slow......I am kept going with the changing colours, which always make things more interesting, but unlike crochet, it isn't instantly gratifying.  The pattern is simple and clever, the way I like it....... maybe it's just my technique isn't as slick as it should be.

This is really all I've been working on this week, a little dabbling of my toes into some simple crochet, but I've definitely had my 'knit head' on, in the main.

We've had beautiful sunshine these past few days and have loved it......farming and sunshine brings on the mad dash to get the crops in, so yesterday the combine harvester turned up to cut our winter barley.

This is a photo after a small break down (this too, is typical and is all part of the fun of harvesting time!) which with a drill, some hammering and a bit of blue air, was  soon fixed .

As the combine was on stop, it was very difficult to dissuade two small boys to leap into the cab....it was brief and highly supervised though as my hubby and our neighbour had their fixing-fingers in the header  at the time.

Well.....as ever, thank you for all your lovely comments from last week....I'm looking forward to catching up this evening, when boys are tucked up and all the days events are done....probably with a bit of the Olympics in the background.....who knew it would be such addictive viewing!

Have a great week.x