Plymouth my way!

Here's a few of my more unusual photos of Plymouth... they are a little grey, but the weather was overcast and drizzly so I think it gives an atmospheric feel- my way of saying there wasn't much I can do about it!

We wanted to do the Plymouth wheel but didn't have time before we had to check out of the hotel.














Loved the way the bird was just sitting there... maybe it understood what it was about!








There were loads of amazing statues and monuments on Plymouth Hoe.



















We really enjoyed the Barbican area- it strikes me as a weird mix of old and new trying to look oldish- but it works for me.


My favourite photo of the day---- John








... and here is my favourite of me- sometimes I do let someone else have the camera!







Have a look at out family blog Adventures in Geoland ( http://adventuresingeoland.blogspot.com/) for more about our day in Plymouth.

So until next time
Gillian

This Week...Changes...New Phases of Life

I've had one of those weeks you sometimes just have to live through and endure. On Monday I was told that all the teaching assistants at my school would have to reapply for our jobs as the school was cutting 50 hours a week TA time- this in reality is 2 full time jobs or, as few of us have full 25 hour a week jobs, it could mean several people get put on zero hours (which basically seems to mean that you still have a contract but obviously no pay and they don't have to make redundancy payouts). I love my job and really want to keep it; the pay is not good but I really believe it's important to give the kids the best education possible and I want to be part of that. So, as the deadline for applications was Friday, I have had to put a lot of time into that this week, which, combined with not enough sleep due to the stress, has left me pretty worn out. Anyway the application was done on time and now it is a matter of interviews in a couple of weeks- horrible as I am directly against my friends for jobs!

In the meantime life goes on...

Yesterday my wonderful husband John took me away to Plymouth so that we could see the Illusionist and Menatlist Derren Brown at the Plymouth Pavillions. It was an amazing show. As Derren requests I won't give anything away to spoil the fun for anyone else, but, if you get the chance to see it, then I'm sure you won't be dissappointed. It is a three hour, packed show: the pace never slackens and it is non stop entertainment. The best show I've ever seen...

Instead of travelling back from Devon to Cornwall late at night, we stayed over at a hotel. It was the first time in 18 years we've been away together so this was something special. I think it marks the start of a new phase in our lives. Kieran, 16, left school on Friday (though he should be returning to 6th form to do A levels in September) and Tom, 18, left 6th form on Thursday (though he is hoping to go to University in October), and as they are now young adults they can take the responsibility of looking after their younger brother Sean for the odd weekend.

I'll be posting more about Plymouth later..
So until next time
Gillian

More family photos from the Clay Trail

These are are family photos from our first Wherigo geocache, Treskilling Trek...


My boys...

A photo of me I like...

Me and Sean, complete with my windswept hair...

I love photos with the scene and my family admiring the scene...

























For more on this walk go to our family blog Adventures in Geoland (http://adventuresingeoland.blogspot.com/ )


Until next time
Gillian

Family time

Sean horse riding!

We went on a lovely walk today and took some sweet photos of each other that I wanted to share.

Father and son

Mother and son!

We don't always remember to photograph each other, I particularly usually forget to ask someone to take a photo of me, so today I wanted to make a point of getting some new pics.

Until next time

Gillian

Starting something new

My favourite book of the moment

Time for a new project. I'm going to make a Sea Fairy doll based on the Daisy Livingstone Doll in Annette Hefford's book Knitted Pirates, Princesses, Witches, Wizards and Fairies. 

The legs so far...

I'm adapting the pattern so that the dolls body has a colour change so that she looks as if she is already wearing leggings and I'm thinking of also doing the same to make an integral strapless cami type undertop.


I've started the dress before finishing the body so I have two different elements going at the same time, one (the body) I can do while watching TV or talking, the other (the dress) requires lots of careful counting so I have to do it when I have no distractions... it might take a while therefore!

The first two petal panels of the dress.

The fairy will be dressed in pale sea greens and blues and will have a floaty petal panelled dress and jacket. There will be twelve panels altogether in the dress in varying tonal shades from sage to turqoise to pale green to a light lilac blue which sounds a bit weird but really matches well. The pattern is not overwhelmingly difficult, but is complicated simply because it is tricky to keep your place with several repeats that are different according to the panel you are on- a friend helped with this last week by just telling me to keep a record of exactly where I was in a pattern by writing it in a notebook- the simplest of advice, but I hadn't thought of it!!!!

It's going to be fun doing this one...

So until next time

Gillian

Finished!

I've finished my first Annette Hefford doll. Hooray!!! I have to find a name for her and I think Sarah suits, so this is Sarah!


My first ever knitted project finished- not as originally planned, but then that is the way I do things, they go in the direction that feels right.


So instead of a long skirt I had planned, the underpants have become shorts which I combined with a jumper that is a variation of the witches jumper pattern from the book (Knitted Pirates, Princesses, Witches, Wizards and Fairies). I also made a tie belt and shoes to match. 

I've learnt a lot making this doll and feel pleased with the result- that's not to say it's perfect and I suppose that's why I want to move on to a new doll which I will be able to do better now I know some of the basics of knitting.


I read some of the reviews of Annette's book the other day and whilst everyone has given it 5 stars (as I did), one said it was for intermediate and advanced knitters and not for beginners- well I proved that wrong!  I believe that you can do anything you put your mind to; though I also think that the more you practice something, the better you get.


I'm pretty sure in the future I may make more clothes for Sarah but now I'm planning the next doll, which will also be from Annette Heffords wonderful book.










So until next time
Gillian

Knitted dolls

Knitted dolls, a group on Flickr.

I've just started a group on flickr. Come have a look... New members welcome

My new wools

Finally able to post properly again... Here are the wools I couldn't resist buying yesterday

I think this one is going to make some wild hair for my next Annette Hefford doll...

                                                                                  ... as a princess or fairy

or maybe I'll use this one...

                                                  ... perhaps as some kind of sea witch or mermaid's hair or dress

or maybe this one...

                                                              ... perhaps as a woodland witch or princess's hair or dress

They have such wonderful colours and texture, even if I had to spend more than I normally would on wool.

This I have in mind to make a shawl or special dress...
     ... the photo doesn't do it justice, it is many shades of gold

Aren't they gorgeous... I can't wait to use them...

Until next time
Gillian

Underpants done!

I've been knitting whenever I can this week- not as much as I'd like but it has been one of those weeks that challenge and exhaust in equal measures.


So to update: I've finished the Annette Hefford doll underpants except for the pockets and a waist cord. Plus I've nearly finished knitting the shoes, though sewing them together looks a bit trickier than straightforward seams plus I have to make woollen buckles.


[I wanted to show some of the gorgeous wools I bought today but I keep getting a server error when I try; my blogging may be erratic for the next few days until we work out what is going on with our internet connection which has been playing up for the last 3 days.]


Until next time
Gillian

More knitting

My knitting has slowed down this weekend. A combination of being out geocaching a lot and hayfever giving me puffy blurry eyes... it might seem obvious that I would be better off indoors but I do love going out walking and strangely I usually am not too bad in woodland- I think it is May Tree (hawthorn) blossom that affects me most so that my hayfever is worse in towns and parks where it is more common.

Anyhow here is my latest from the Annette Hefford doll clothes. The first leg of the underpants is done and I'm most of the way up the next.

I was knitting at 6.00am this morning as I work up a bit early and I didn't want to waste the time! - when I wake up I don't always want to even try to go back to sleep if I want to do something...





....some people might think I'm a bit batty!!!

.... or a bit dotty!!!!





OK that's a lame link in order to show off two of my home made sewn softies that my family say are pretty cool. The bat is made from fleece and of course the monkey is a sock monkey. I made them both last year when I was just getting used to making toys again after a bit of a break...

...so many hobbies, never enough time...

Until next time
Gillian

Knitted doll update

I had a rethink on the dolls hair last night. The bulky look of the loops didn't look right so I cut the loops to make a straighter look. I then decided to trim it so it looked properly layered. (I cut my husband's and boys hair so hairdressing isn't completely new to me... I just haven't cut a doll's hair before!) The hair is still pretty full but now looks a lot better.

 This is the start of the underpants. They ended up purple, not the green I planned- the green just didn't suit the doll... perhaps I'm overthinking this but I have to get everything just right.

I've found it harder to do the clothes as I'm now more aware of the need to get a more consistent tension so the clothes fit the doll. I'm also finding it hard to decide what to make first, I want to do so much... it will probably take a lot longer to do all the clothes than it did to do the doll's body. Plus I want to do another doll so that I can make it better next time....

Oh well, one thing at a time...

Until next time
Gillian

Knitting - body and hair complete!

Update on Annette Hefford pattern doll- from Knitted Pirates, Princesses, Witches, Wizards and Fairies book.


The doll's body and hair are now finished, and the face is sewn. I know an experienced knitter can probably spot all my many mistakes but I'm quite pleased with the result as it is the first thing I have ever knitted.

I made the hair/wig using loop stitch which was tricky. I found that there were different ways of making the stitch depending on the source and, being inexperienced, went with the one that I could work out easiest. I do wonder if there isn't a bit too much hair now... it all looks a bit seventies perm!

 The overall doll is tall at 45cm, and went together well. I particularly like that the hands have five fingers that actually look like fingers!

I've started the clothes too, starting with the underwear- I started the same piece several times last night, learning moss stitch this time- I kept losing track though and didn't like my tension so I kept unpicking it. I really like to get it totally right- I'm not usually such a perfectionist but this matters to me. I even changed colour three times- I've ended up with a dark purple- so much for the green I was going to use a few days ago...


Until next time
Gillian

Knitting - progress update

A quick update...


1. Body sewn up and stuffed. Feet sewn, stuffed and attached.

2. Hair/wig started. Slow going as I've had to learn loop stitch and this is a slow and fiddly stitch anyway.

 3. Right hand knitted.

4. Left hand sewn up and stuffed. Quite pleased with this one. Surprised it actually looks like a hand!

5. Arms knitted


I'm hoping to do some more this evening. I feel the doll is close to completion so I'm feeling really pleased. I've started thinking about the clothes I want to make, but so far all I know is I'm probably going to make lots of green clothes- perhaps all the walking we've been doing has influenced me so I'm choosing colours associated with nature...


... no promises though as I've also got some wool in pretty pinks and corals.


Until next time
Gillian