Adventures in Geoland: Birthday Geocaching

We also did some birthday geocaching so take a look at Adventures in Geoland: Birthday Geocaching: "Sean wanted to go for a little walk when the rain stopped on his birthday so we included geocaching and found a couple of local caches. We ..."

Happy Birthday Sean

Sean is nine today. His favourite present was from his brothers. An Arsenal football shirt with his name and age on the back...

He was delighted and enjoyed posing for his birthday photos.


































He particularly wanted us to do a surprise party so we all had to hide and jump out shouting 'surprise' so we did! (I'm not really sure about there being much of a surprise in that!)


We did a party style tea for him...


...with a cream tea (Cornish style with jam before clotted cream on the scones)

... biscuits and mini cakes
















... and a cake with trick candles that wouldn't blow out

 ... it was really funny and had Sean in stitches with laughter.


Until next time
Gillian

Adventures in Geoland: Geocaching in Wadebridge

Adventures in Geoland: Geocaching in Wadebridge: "Todays Royal Wedding Bank Holiday has given us the chance to take another day out geocaching. We went to Wadebridge with a list of 15 nearby..."

Knitting update 2

Here's some photos of my knitted work in progress.

This is the top half of the body and the head with the arms either side.











This is the lower part of the legs and one foot.


I've still to finish knitting the second foot and both hands. This look really fiddly, with five fingers on each there is going to be lots of casting on, casting off, increases and decreases in a really small piece of work.


I'm currently putting off sewing up the seams, but will have to tackle them soon... I have sewn and unsewn the head seam twice already because I didn't like the way it looked- my invisible seam was very visible! Today I bought a hands free magnifying glass to see if that helps- it should make it easier to see what I am doing at least. 


I want to spend the evening tonight trying to do either hands or seams, I haven't decided which yet...


Until next time
Gillian

Knitting update

The knitting is going quite well- hence no time for blogging yesterday- I really wanted to make some progress and somehow when I looked up it was about when I usually go upstairs to read before bed...

I've now done the legs, body and head, plus both arms. That only leaves the feet and hands to do. I've left them until last as they use a much finer needle and look very fiddly. Oh, and I have to sew it all up. Invisible seams look tricky and I keep scouring 'you tube' for tutorials... So some difficult bits to conquer yet... but so far this week I have learnt to cast on, knit, purl, increase, decrease, pick up dropped stitches, untwist stitches and cast off- all curtosy of other peoples help tutorials. I particularly like an app I've downloaded called KnittingHelp.com. So thank you if you ever do tutorials, there may well be someone like me benefiting from them!

I can now see the end in sight.... then it will be onto the fun bit of making the clothes- I found some gorgeous wool in shades of green yesterday so of course got them straight away so that has decided my theme colour. Now I just have to get on with it...

Until next time
Gillian

Our Wedding Anniversary

It's our anniversary today. We were married 19 years ago on a breezy day in Surrey. Three years later our second son Kieran was born on the same date so our anniversaries tend now to be low key though obviously precious.

Our children gave us some gorgeous gifts...

beautiful flowers
































and a very yummy looking chocolate champagne bottle

John and I make cards for each other so we can make them personal.
Here is his to me...

It may be unorthodox but it is just right. He cleverly made a decopage using a photo of me on a plank bridge and an image from a google search for dangerous bridges. (the message inside made it all make sense, but that is just for me!).

Until next time
Gillian

Adventures in Geoland: Easter geocaching and walks

Adventures in Geoland: Easter geocaching and walks: "On Saturday we walked around the Lanhydrock estate which gave Sean a chance to go to one of his favourite playgrounds. It's a very natural l..."

Knitting!

I am loving knitting at the moment. The legs and bottom of the fantasy doll are done and I'm working up towards the waist. The only bit I'm really finding tricky is the tension. I think I'm mostly keeping it too tight but I don't want to see the stuffing when the doll is done.


I'm getting a little faster but it is not natural yet. This afternoon I suddenly couldn't remember how to purl, yet I've done 80 rows of it! 


I'll take another photo in a couple of days to show my progress then.


Until next time
Gillian

Easter egg hunt

Thomas decided to set an Easter egg hunt today so after tea he hid all the eggs and the rest of us went into the garden to search. We hunted high and low and between us  we found 17 chocolate eggs. The thing is, Thomas thinks he hid 18... and none of us can find the last one... Oh well. Sometime in the summer we'll probably find it...



Until next time
Gillian

Flickr photostream

gillian966's photostream on Flickr.

Some photos I've put on flickr

Adventures in Geoland: Earth Day

Adventures in Geoland: Earth Day: "Earth Day is the day we are supposed to appreciate the Earth's natural environment. We spent it geocaching around Bishops Wood, near Grogley..."

Knitting!

I can't knit. I can crochet- and I find that easy- but I've never got the hang of knitting. I've learnt the basic stitches a few times but have never managed to put it all together to make anything. It just doesn't feel natural to me.

The other day I was in Waterstones looking at the craft books when I saw this amazing book 'Knitted Pirates, Princesses,  Witches, Wizards and Fairies' by Annette Hefford, publisher Search Press. I loved the fantasy doll designs, they are a step up from anything I've ever seen before. I showed my husband the book and he kindly bought it for me. So I considered trying to convert the designs into crochet- OK that's not realistic!!!  So now I've decided the time has come for me to conquer knitting...

No more "I can't knit", now I will learn. I may have to keep looking up each new technique on the internet but I will learn. (Notice the 'I will learn' - I'm going to keep repeating that to myself so that I convince myself!).

My first 4 rows are shown in the photo. 54 stitches completed successfully in stockin stitch. This may take some time but I will learn!

This morning I saw the most beautiful moon at dawn... stunning!

Until next time
Gillian

Favourite quotes

Some bookmarks I made

Did someone look at my blog aims...


"We are judged by what we finish, not by what we start." - Anonymous


Another reminder to finish what I start.




So today I'm sharing a picture of some inked and stamped bookmarks I made using Tim Holtz grunge paper.








Until next time 
Gillian

Life is in the details part 2

Another walk along the Camel Trail and more 'details'.


















1. A common lizard that ran across the path, narrowly avoiding being run over by a cyclist.

2. More small fungi growing on a rotting tree.












3. A lovely spot for a picnic reached by taking a small path down from the Trail.














4. Reflections of trees in the river.













Keep noticing the details...

Until next time
Gillian

Life is in the details

We noticed yesterday that, while we were out walking the Camel Trail,  many people were whizzing along on their bikes missing so much of the beauty around them. So today's blog is to remind us of the small details that make the world so special...

These are the 'details' we noticed yesterday:-

1. The song of a chaffinch that flew to a branch just above out heads and sang for us.

2.The complexity of a dandelion head- a weed but so intricate.

3. Beautiful wild flowers scattered along the banks.

        4. The shape of this tree- unusually well rounded

















4. Little beaches along the river- seen from the path above.

5. Stretches of river you can only find if you explore the smallest paths and go off the main track.












 6. Incredible fungi on posts and rotting trees.

7. Ruined buildings hidden by ivy, trees growing in their midst.

 8. Old station platforms standing as a reminder this was once a railway line.

9. Cornish hedges- branches pulled into woven shapes from where they grow to make good natural boundaries.







10. A heron standing in the river before taking flight.

11. An otter seen from the distance running along the river bank before disappearing from view.



I'm glad we walked and looked. These little details are the most memorable little extras that are there for all to see, but which are not noticed by many.

Until next time
Gillian