A.W.A.L

A very sunny, warm and happy 'Good morning' to you all! I thought I'd better explain why I've been absent from my blog for about a month now. It's not through lack of love for my blog or that i've moved on, it's simply that I've no camera! Mine is completely bamboozled, so please bear with me and as soon as I've sorted my camera issue I'll be posting like never before! xx

A new smile....

Its kind of sad in a way how your child's smile changes over the years. When they are born its a gummy smile, then they break a tooth and its a  toothy smile, sometimes they do that tooth thing where they like to stick their tooth out at you, do you know what I mean? Like they are so so proud that they have a tooth! Then they finally grow all their teeth and the smile changes yet again. You get used to that for years, then this happens........

Yes little Miss Princess looks like she's been in a fight! A Disney villain, Daddy says! Hehe. And its getting worse, that other top tooth is already loose! Another mile stone in my Princess's little life :-)

losing a limb........

My heart is breaking, I feel like I am losing a limb, a vital part of my being. My dearest, most beloved friend has told me she has to move away. This isn't just any friendship, which would be bad enough, she is the nearest I have to a real sister, she came into my life at a time when I needed someone the most, when I was heavily pregnant and disabled and so very depressed. She just breezed into my life just at a time when I needed someone to lean on. I truly believe that God knew I needed her right then and sent her. She is the one who showed me the way spiritually, showed me how to understand the bible better, she taught me how to be a better wife, a far better mother, she took bags of washing when it just got too much, cleaned my kitchen when I had no strength left, brought me fruit, veg and vitamins when I was ill, painted my house when I just could not do it, took my children when I needed help. She's halved my burdens, given me strength, encouraged me with some of the most important things in my life..... the list goes on but most of all, most important of all she's always believed in me no matter how low I am, how beaten I feel she's always believed I can accomplish anything I put my mind too. she brought sunshine and rainbows into my life and now she's going. The darkness and emptiness that will be left is going to be huge. I will miss her terribly, my heart feels so heavy and so full of mixed emotion. No one could possibly fill the huge expanse she will leave in my life. I wonder if she realises how loved she is, how much sunshine she brings to everyone in her life, how much I have learnt from her, how missed she will be, just how important she is to me.

{ This moment }

A Friday ritual inspired by SouleMama. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Yarn along.

My 2nd ever yarn along! my photo is terrible, as had baby on my lap asleep and was unable to move :-). The chicks and I visited the library last week, so here is my new book! I do love a good historical fiction. I am Woking hard on my rainbow shawl but its very slow work, I can only do a bit now and again when Chicks are absent. The Elsa cardigan is awaiting buttons and ribbon, and blocking. What are you reading and working on?

the book is called 'The forbidden Queen' By Anne O'Brien. 

Slugs and snails.....

Today was .... Interesting. You see in our garden we seem to have an infestation (if such a thing exists)? Of slugs and snails. Hmm you might think, but I kid you not they are everywhere! If we come back home at any time from dusk onwards, well its seems the whole districts slimy beasty population has decided our garden is wear the cool bugs hang out. This will give you some idea of the scale, we came home the other evening and it was still fairly light, but had been a damp afternoon, our path must be say 6m long, every inch of it was covered it slugs and snails, it was like something I've never seen before. Now little Miss Princess is absolutely terrified of them, she goes into panic mode. There she is screaming so much she's almost blue! If only the slugs could run, I'm sure they'd have legged it! I had to find a path through these beasties, on tiptoe I add as they hardly left any gaps for us to tread through them. Mr Incredible had to play the knight in shining armour and carry Miss Princess in, the boy, my Hero just braved the tiptoe path after me. Little Miss Curly locks also had to be rescued. This slimy situation has been going on for a while, but that night, well it was like something Mulder & Scully should be investigating, very yukky and very weird. When we got in and settled panicked girls down, I decided the time had come, I proudly announced to the chicks 'Mummy is declaring war on the Slimy critters'! No longer can we deal with these out of control yukkies. Children are funny though, all that screaming and when I declare war, they are get fretful that it means we have to kill these beasties, which shows how kind hearted the chicks are......hmmmm now I could catch them all and quietly disrepute them in small random groups all over the village, but I really don't think the neighbours would appreciate new pets moving in. I really try to see the best in things and I am thinking that of these creatures, God created them, for a reason I am sure, and he knows why he made them so slimy and ugly, I must confess thought I have to just trust him on this one because well YUK! (I really should research into this more, like what they do for our gardens). So now war has been declared, what  method do I use to get rid of these pesky things? (If you have any good ideas, please let me know in the comments). I think well there are slug pellets, but I have children and a dog (not to mention some locals cats have also decided our garden is the cool place for them to hang out too) Also I worry over the little birdies who might pick up a dead slug or snail for breakfast and get poisoned too, slug pellets are poisonous, lethal to us and animals too. I went to the garden centre and thought there must be some that are safe for kids and pets? No such thing in this shop! The man advised me wool pellets, or gravel, I am looking at these small containers filled with said wool and gravel thinking 'right.... I have to cover the whole garden in these bits because we are not talking about one or two slugs here. Also it must be a very painful end for the beasties, it must hurt. Salt was suggested, I thought about poor slugs kinda being painfully dissolved with salt, not to mention the waste of salt, nope, no good either. Then a slug pub was suggested, bait a trap with beer, slimy monsters smell it and can't resist then get drunk, fall in and drown..... Still, not a nice end. But far better that dissolving, burning, poisoning, or sharp gravel tearing their tummies up. I think out of said choices I'd much rather die via the beer method. I want to get rid of them in the kindest way posible, they are only making a living after all. so beer traps it is!

Rainbow shawl

Here is my new project, I've been itching to get this one cast on. I could bear to wait no longer! So far I've only had to rip it back and restart once, hehe. I am finding the yarn (100% wool) not too bad to work with, although its not as soft as I'd have liked, the colour of it is a total delight! The way each colour changes into the next is art in itself. I have to wait and wait until I get a quiet few minutes, children free to sneak in a few rows so I don't get lost on the chart. Although the rows are getting longer and longer soon I'll have to find a quiet few hours! (Yeah, right)! I am thinking of this project as a long term work of art, its not something you can do with distractions around you. I dream everyday of the future with this creation, imagine wrapping it around me and snuggling into it. I imagine wearing it on my head when I pray, for this really is what it is my rainbow prayer shawl. Isn't God amazing? How he made us to be so imaginative and creative, for we are made in his image, and just look what beautiful creations he surrounds us in everyday. Look around you everyday, even when your sad, look for the best, see the beauty, just one thing everyday that makes you smile. Be it a flower, a rainbow, a book, your child, a friend. It could be something big or something really small and simple, but if you look for it you will find it. When you feel low it is a hard thing to do, because we naturally see the bad that surrounds us. But it is worth it, sometimes only you can pick yourself up again. What beautiful, blessing have you found today.....?

{This moment}

A Friday ritual inspired by SouleMama. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Yarn along

So here is my first yarn along, I thought it would be nice to link up once in a while to the guys over at yarn along .My work this week is finishing up the Elsa cardigan, I am on the lacy collar now, almost done. My read this week is Paradise Valley by Dale Cramer, have just started this. I have a tad of an obsession with the Amish. I think its their simple values and simple, peaceful life. What have you been reading this week? What is your project this week?

Excuse the rubbish pics, my book is a kindle version so hard to take a photo with my project!

Magic!

I took this..........

 And turned it into this!

I seem to have found a new love, the spindle span so smoothly, and whirled so perfectly, the fibre was a total joy to touch and work with, it just flew through my fingers. I felt like I was born to do this! If I believed in reincarnation I'd have said I've done this before. Its so relaxing, natural and ever so satisfying. It felt like working some sort of ancient magic. I get such a kick out of the fact I am learning an art that is over 5000 years old! That's incredible. My Princess and Miss Curly locks wanted a go too, which made me even happier. I sit and wonder who thought of this? Who got sheep's fur between their fingers and started twisting it? Who thought 'hmm I know if I keep twisting and wind it around this stick, I might be on to something'? Was it a shepherd, lonely watching over his flock, under the star lit sky, and he was just playing about and by chance this happened? Maybe it was his wife, who looked at her husbands sheep and thought 'hmm that fleece they have would make such a warm covering for my man, when he's out on the cold hills with the flock at night'? (Memo to self.... I really must research this). Either way its an amazing art, one I hope to master, one I absolutely love and am so happy my chicks think its great too, today in school they learnt (among other things) to take some roving from a sheep, draft it and turn it into yarn, now what mainstream school teaches that?!
Next when my wonderful husband, Mr Incredible allows me some more pennies I shall buy some carders and raw fleece, I can't wait to try the 'dirty' work and make it into roving, oh the fun the Chicks and I will have (not to mention the mess)! Choosing colours and dying it ourselves. Now my next ponder.........what do I make with my first skein of hand spun yarn? Any ideas?

So I think I have a problem...........

Today has been a rather odd day for me. I've tried really hard to improve my blog and this is a huge, gigantic effort on my part as I am absolutely rubbish at anything technical! Anyway towards the end of the day I was feeling rather snappy and grumpy which made me feel very sad. I drifted in my thoughts, trying to work out what had changed my mood so dramatically. I have suffered from depression from childhood and as many of you probably understand once you suffer with it, it never fully goes away. You just have to learn how to live with it and recognise when a low is coming, try and get through it as best as you can. So I thought oh my not another low. Then I thought back to what I'd done today and realised.......... I have been messing with my laptop all day I had a spare minute, and have not done anything with my yarn! Oh dear, my addiction to yarn art can't be that bad, can it? Really? I suddenly giggled at myself, hmmm the snappiness and grumpiness must be yarn-play withdrawals! Hehe, much better that, than a depression spell coming on. Right away I took out my needles and started working on the 'Elsa' cardigan (which, by the way is coming along nicely and almost finished, another ta'dah coming soon) so there you have it, I suppose their are worse things I can be than a yarn'o'holic!

I hate to leave a post without a picture, so I thought I'd leave you with this little sneak peek, hmm I wonder what it could be? I bet you've guessed it already? :-)  It's a project I've had going for a while and have now to push myself to finish it, after all my favourite colour is rainbow!

Just beautiful!

Just take a look at my new delights! I have discovered roving, its truly amazing and so so soft. Lately I've been reading allot about spinning my own yarn and thought its about time I gave it ago. I found a gorgeous drop spindle on Etsy and its finally here:

You know sometimes in life you get that 'feeling' that an item just belongs to you? Well I got this very feeling so strongly with this spindle. I wandered through many YouTube videos on how to spin and just couldn't wait to start! Of course I had to also have some roving to spin, so I spent many an hour looking on Etsy, eBay and Folksy, searching for something that made me smile and wasn't too expensive, as I couldn't bear to spend allot on something I might hate! Anyway I stumbled on these:

 
California

Jewels

 

Zombie magic

Breeze


Beautiful, don't you think? I have fallen in love. I am so very excited over this new road in my crafting life, I cant wait to start and will keep you posted on the results, I promise. Have you ever spun yarn? If so have you got any tips for a newbie like me?

Sunshine........at last!

So the last few days have been amazingly warm, and sunny with just a little breeze. The chicks have made the most of it and enjoyed having fun with many of their beloveds. We've been to parks, river walks, rolled down grassy, green hills, sat in a pub garden and enjoyed cheesy chips (a first for me, I admit). They have been running through fields with their beloveds, a herd of children stampeding in the sunshine through the hey meadow, picking wild flowers for their mummies (not the bluebells of course). We have been on woodland walks with Lillipup, went to a show our beloveds put on and joined some other beloveds for a yummy Indian! Not to mention playing at Nanny and Grandads's house. All this packed in from Friday to Sunday! Now we just need the week the chill out and get over our excitement!

     Curly locks, playing in the sand

My son and Hero to the right, helping our beloved little blossom dig for treasure!

My Princess to the left with little Blossom's older brother Mr Boom, boom!

These beloveds and my chicks have known each other all their lives as their Mummy is one of my very best and beautiful friends.

And there they are, my brood, my family, my everything, a wandering in the woods!

And let's not forget my furry baby, here she is again, my Lillipup!

The Tiffany owl Ta-dah!

She's finished, its finally done! The project I had no mojo for. I followed no pattern, this little one is all from my imagination, and to be honest she just about made herself as in the end one idea followed on from another, and here she is:

TA-DAH!

So I couldn't decide if I should sew her wings down or not, when my Husband joked and said 'you should put buttons on her wings, then her new owner can decide'. The man is a genius, as that is exactly what I did:

 And just in case your indecisive like me you can go one open, one shut:

I also added another little 'girlie' touch and put a crochet flower on her head, and yes it was pink! Sewn into the centre was a sweet little pink flower button. I really hope my little beloved friend likes it, I hope she thinks its worth the wait, I hope she treasures it and loves it until its all worn out! Xx

Rainbow shawl

For some time now I've had a hankering to get to work knitting a delicate, lace rainbow shawl. In something like cobweb yarn. You see I am somewhat of an indecisive person hence rainbow is my favourite colour! Anyway guess what the postman brought me? You guessed it!

This is 100% wool, 1 ply. And I have 400g of it, enough for 2 shawls! I can't wait to start working the shawl, but alas I've promised myself to finish the Elsa cardigan and Tiffany owl before I start on the shawl. The owl is coming on so well, she has a head, body and eyes! Ta'da soon I feel. Back to the shawl, these are similar to what I had in mind:

Loving siblings and the Tiffany Owl!

Yet another day of rain, although at least today the chicks did make it outside to charge around between showers. Today was a visit to Nanny and Grandad's house. Something which even Lilly enjoys. She, however didn't care one bit about the rain, and spend much of the day seeing off the showers and barking at any drops that happen to land on her! She looks rather silly when she's wet, I'll have to take a photo for you, but as you can imagine, her fluffiness gets soaked and bedraggled, and you can see just how tiny her leg bones are under all that fluff.
I must show you my Mums clematis, it has grown to magnificent heights. Bear in mind that this plant started out as a tiny stalk.

If you look right to the top left of the Pic, just where the tree is fading into the sky, you can see the very top of the clematis. Funny how it grows up the front from the right the sweeps round behind and ends on the top left. You do have to look very carefully to see it, much better in real life to see!

My eldest chick, my little artist, fashion designer, book worm and geologist came running in to me so excited and showed me a lovely bunch of wild flowers and weeds, given to her by my middle chick, my boy, my hero, my mathematician, puzzle solver and wannabe architect. He had sweetly picked his big sister a beautiful posy, which right now is sitting in a jam jar next to the luscious lilacs on the window sill.

Isn't is wonderful when siblings get along. Ahh the calm and peace. Anyway moving swiftly on to my yarn art, the Elsa cardigan is going well, I feel a ta' da moment coming on soon. I've been working on something for some time. A little beloved asked me to crochet her an owl, and although I really want to do it I am lacking any sort of umphff for this project, I just couldn't get my heart into it. I think I've started and unpicked it at least three times now. Today was the day though, I felt I could leave it no longer, after all a month to a little one seems like a year and this poor little beloved has been waiting so long. Thing is I wanted it to be different, unique, a one off. Well finally today I picked up a different coloured yarn and started amigurumi'ing!

Meet the Tiffany Owl, well the beginning anyway, its growing by the second, and I feel a splash of baby pink coming into the design in the form of a crochet flower somewhere, just to pretty her up and make her more 'girlie'. I've started making her in a 'special' stylecraft yarn, so she should be hard wearing and up to all a child will put her through also still able to be washed many, many, many times. I just want to get her finished now, so that I can see the smile on my little friends face. So watch this space!

Ahh and after a long days schooling, playing, chasing balls and picking flowers, stealing shoes and digging up Nanny's garden, here they are, partners in crime.......Lillipup and my youngest chick, Curly locks, crashed out together in dream land.

It's raining, it's pouring!

It's been a wet, yukky day. Slugs and snails invading EVERYWHERE! My eldest chick couldn't walk down the garden path, she is so afraid of these slimy beasties. Her hero, Daddy had to go rescue her and carry her in like a knight in shining armour.
This morning we spent time home schooling, learning history and ice age animals. We went on an adventure and met the real life Diago, Manny and Sid! After that was done I thought I'd take a well earned break and get on with some knitting I've started, meet the Elsa cardigan. Well part of it anyway!:

This is to be a snugly present for our friends little lovely. Its made with Sirdar, crofter yarn and the feel of it is divine, a cuddly toy made in this would be so soft and snugly. I am not a good knitter, more a crocheter but this lack of knitting skills got to me so much I thought : 'right I have to master this knitting thing'. So this is my first knitting project with any sort of lace work in it. I am so lucky in that I have my 85 year nan who is an amazing knitter and my mum who knows this new language of k1, p1, Yfwd. Without being able to bombard them with my endless questions I'd have given up long ago. As it is I am really enjoying this new found art of knitting. Hmmm my only problem is that I have to write down every row, almost every stitch I complete, you see in my home there is always someone to help with everything you do, which is great! Except when it's like this........

Meet Lillipup, our naughty, fluffy, fantastically curious miniature schnauzer puppy, or just Lilly for short. Poor thing, the chicks named her after a pokemon. Lillipup is what my husband brought me when I got broody for another chick, she's the chick who will never grow up and leave me. She is a huge part of our family, she makes herself so. And beside when she's not around to help there is always:

Our youngest chick, curly locks! Who by the way is partner in crime to Lillipup, oh the fun and games they get up to.

luscious Lilacs

To day has been fun, its been great! After waking up Ill and being sent back to bed by my wonderful husband, I woke up later feeling much better. After lunch we spent the afternoon with some beloved friends, the sun was shining, birds were singing, and the breeze was gently blowing. We spent the whole afternoon in the garden watching their hens enjoy stealing biscuits from the biscuit tin, ginger flavoured eggs incoming! The horde of children we have between us tore around the garden, through the fields and came back with dirty feet and dirty faces, just as children should be! At the moment in this area we have these beautiful lilacs growing everywhere, they seem to spread from garden to garden, field to field. They are amazing, incredible and their soft scent is better that any designer perfume. I got gifted a bunch my babies picked for me and they are proudly sitting in my front room window sill. The children came home smelling earthy, fresh, legs so tired and ready for their little beds. We will snuggle them into their soft sheets with their precious teddies and creep down to curl up for some together time with the dog too of course! ahhhh a perfect end, to a perfect afternoon.

Oh my!

So this is it! I've finally given in, I have now landed in blog land. Writing a blog is something I've been thinking of doing for a very long time, another form of brain storming, scrapbooking, inspiration. Be warned though I am very new to all things bloggy and have no idea how all this works, so please bear with me, I'll pick it up as I go along!