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