Yarn Along, with lots to say!

Today it's Yarn Along over at the Small Things blog written by Ginny, very beautiful and worth a visit (although you have probably here via her link!). http://www.gsheller.com/2012/01/yarn-along-60.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+gsheller%2FqXrF+%28small+things%29

Big knitting plans for 2012, I have just started my first following a pattern. Everyone is so inspiring and cam knit almost anything, I'm desperate to be alble to knit something wearable for myself (no more leg warmer though!) So here it is my first pattern chosen for it's beginners capability, also I think it's rather cute.

As you can see I have only just started and I'm using the same colour as the girl in the picture.

As for books, I'm always surrounded by those to flick through, those to read more of and those to devourer!

The chakra bible is to assist with my yoga that I'm trying to fit in 3/4 practises a week. But in doing this I want to be more mindful rather than just Miss bendy sstretchy. The second boo is the Colette handbook, I got it for Christmas it is a dressmakers dream, I am planning to join a sew along that covers the whole book! I your interested please look on my sewing blog http://charlottesewfarsewgood.blogspot.com/ and follow the post or button. Finally not shown here but I am reading Possession a romance, by A.S.Byatt.

A few other bits and bobs in my life, it is a beautiful morning here so Arthur and I climbed the nearest hill called Raddon top to look at the breathtaking spectacular views. That's what you need when you've been kept awake for hours with teething toddlers, something to lift the spirits! The photo doesn't really show it's glory but on a good day and a good camera you can see the full 360 degrees of Devonshire countryside. I think those of us that live here are feeling a little proud of out Dartmoor as the opening of the War Horse opened at the cinemas a day or so ago, a story of a boy and his horse, based or starting in Dartmoor. I really want to see it, maybe next week?

And finally we have our winter king on the seasonal table, with the little addition of Jack frost who dances around! I finally finished him last week.

I hope your week is going well .

Valentines Swap.

I joined in with Linda's Christmas ornament swap and it was so lovely. To make something special for a new friend, is all very exciting. So I am jumping on board and sharing the love with Linda's Valentines swap. You can too, it's such fun! http://naturalsuburbia.blogspot.com/2012/01/valentine-swap.html

2012 - Welcome.

I like to start the New Year with a plan, a theme, or something to work towards for  the year coming. I wouldn't really call it a resolution rather than positive thinking .
2009- we had Arthur our youngest son.
2010 - we got married, 1940s style!
2011 - we took more weekend breaks and holidays of sorts/ living life, taking adventure.

Unfortunately I have been busy, too busy to really give the proper time a yearly theme needs. On New Years eve I had a terrible sense that I simply wasn't ready for 2012!

Well that is the answer in it's self. I have been too busy. Although we have had a wonderful year it has had struggling moments with Mr PBs work and the thought process of running my own child minding business. The there's the usual, kids, dogs , life! I have been spreading myself too thinly and after a really good heart to heart on New Years Eve, I woke with a new sense of how things could be this year.

The answer is simple although we will have to live on less money, yet again. But I have always thought that when I have been at mt poorest I have been my happiest and most creative! So I am cutting my working hours to two days a week. I can not exclaim the sense of relief I feel to be able to keep up with the house work, the kids the garden, time to think!! This will be more helpful than ever as Mr PB will be working away during the week for the next three months.

By doing this I am also having more time to work at cycling. I have always wanted to reduce the amount of car use. So this month I will be getting a new seat for Arthur, and a basket for the front of my bike and start on getting myself fit. This is no mean feat! In Devon there are hills every where and I wouldn't consider myself fit, BUT I will be.

So with a new sense of freedom 2012 is already looking positive and challenging in a good way.

So any plans for yourselves, how do you find the yearly transition?

Were Going On A Bear Hunt !

I know we are all super busy and the festive fun has started but I wanted to mention quickly that today we went on a bear hunt! This was a little something extra for our festive fun, a trip to the theatre, in fact our first trip. Wow what a success! I am totally inspired to do this again and again.

In praise of a marvellous production that engaged a two and a half year old for an hour. Music, excitement, just the right amount of scariness held us all captivated. If you see this near you I whole heartily recommend a visit.

A very merry Christmas to you all.

Yarn Along, a day of completion.

A day of completion! I am joining Ginny over at Small things for her weekly yarn along http://www.gsheller.com/2011/12/yarn-along.html

Well I gave manged to finish the moss stitch scarf for my Dads Christmas present (it's shorter than I expected but it will tuck in nicely into his motorbike jacket). I have also finished my book the Distant Hours this morning in bed with a cuppa, what a treat.

My managing to complete things doesn't end there, I have had a good few things hanging around and this morning I have been on a mission. I have finished another padded hanger, they are Christmas presents, also a little gnome that has a little bed which will go in Arthur's stocking. I've also thrown in for good measure the felt ball that I made at the Steiner mother and baby group I run, we all really enjoyed the felting and I think we are all hooked!

Well that's my morning sorted,now to get on and finish my Christmas party dress you can see my adventures in dressmaking here http://charlottesewfarsewgood.blogspot.com/

Hows your day going?

Crafting in the community.

During my blog time of just under a year I have come to really enjoy this past time. I feel that I have some real friends in a cyber world, I feel supported, inspired and encouraged along my journey of crafting, dressmaking, family and anything else that happens to come along. But what about 'real life', do any of you get involved in crafting projects within the community you live?
Recently I have started a community quilt project which is a massive task, and I'm just not ready to explain it all yet but there has also been some wonderful light relief too. The back ground to this post is that my local town holds a Christmas tree festival in the church where all sorts of groups, charities and business decorate their tree, over sixty in total.
I have been really luck to be involved in two trees. The first being Shobrooke angels (shobrooke is my little village). We had a workshop in the village hall (all 1940s fans would adore it) and we made peg angels. It was a lovely experience of young, old newcomers and old timer all getting together and having a real laugh!

Here we can see Arthur's little angel, who looks as if she has had a little accident!! He was very insistent on making it all himself, I just managed brief moments of putting it together. Some of the others really made some beautiful angels.

The second tree I helped to make decorations was WEN the women's environmental network they are a very worth while group and I urge you to take a look http://www.wen.org.uk/ . So for this group we wanted to up cycle our clothes or fabric stash to make hearts and stars. here was my offering

it was also a real enjoyment putting our decorations up and then bringing the family back to have a look at our own and every ones elses efforts.

                       the lace makers made about fifty of these and it took all year to do.

It has been a wonderful experience and I will now seek out opportunities to craft as a community or group again. Does other communities have projects that you get involved in?

Christmas Swap.

Not only is it a very exciting day, the first day of Dec on the advent count down, but my postman bought me a very special delivery today. The most amazing Christmas gifts from Suzanne at Down in the meadow http://downinthemeadow.blogspot.com/.

These are the most cutest decorations ever, Suzanne take such care over her crafts ( have a look at her blog, she lives in the most wonderful home too). I hope she will like her slightly more rustic offerings from me and that it gets to her Christmas home soon.

This has all been possible thanks to the lovely Linda at Natural Suburbia http://naturalsuburbia.blogspot.com/2011/09/christmas-ornament-swap.html 

I have hand on heart truly enjoyed this swap, it has bought the joy of Christmas !

Thank you again Suzanne.