Waiting...

It is coming... there are clues if you look hard enough for them.

Everywhere you look, nature is slowly getting ready...

Good things come to those who wait...

Becky x

Emma - thanks for waiting! Next post, I promise ;)

Bring Me Sunshine!

I have been completely fed up with the rain. Persistent and endless, it has been so heavy our roof has sprung two leaks. Thank goodness the sun came out over the weekend.

We were becoming stir crazy and every attempt over Christmas to get some fresh air had been rained off! I should have been glad for the excuse to cosy up and get some hooky, felting or spinning time but we seem to be having such a long wet season that I'm left yearning for some dry and warmer weather.
So yesterday we donned our wellies and headed off to Portreath beach, just a 10 minute drive from home. The sun was shining and we filled our lungs with fresh air as we raced across the beach.

Heaven!

Unusual stones were found and waves were paddled in.

We blew away the cobwebs and recharged our batteries!

I hope you all got to enjoy some fine weather this weekend too.
Did anyone have any snow?
Becky x

New Crochet Magazine

Have you seen the new magazine Simply Crochet?

It is produced by the same people who make Mollie Makes and Simply knitting. I received an email in November to say I could subscribe to the first 3 months for £5 so I thought I would give it a go!

It is full of crochet patterns, ideas and advice and is produced in the same colourful and familiar way that Mollie Makes readers are used to.

There are a range of patterns: clothes, both dinky and full sized, accessories, jewellery, furnishings and a toy dragon!

I suppose it has left me wondering whether it is really offering me anything more than I could already find for free on your lovely blogs, but I have 2 more to go before I need to decide whether to continue a subscription.

Have you seen it yet? What do you think?
Becky x
PS I am using my new Xmas pressie to do this - after agreeing to not buying each other too much for Xmas my husband surprised me with an ipad mini! I'm struggling with the blogger app a little and have no idea if the photos are where I want them to be in this post so I hope it's ok!
PSS Sorry, all pics at the end and apparently nothing I can do about it! How annoying!

Pinspiration

Pinterest.
I'm hooked. Sometimes for hours! I just can't help myself. (I just popped over there to grab the Pinterest button to link this post and lost myself for another 10 minutes!)

There are so many inspiring images on there and lots of links to free patterns. Here is a round-up of some of my favourites...


Crocodile stitch booties - from BonitaPatterns, Etsy


Apparently there is a similar pattern on Ravelry for free.


knitted snowmen

I'd like to come up with a crochet pattern for these.

Pine cone elves

How gorgeous are these?! I fancy making these with a Nordic twist.

free pattern for mini star bunting

What a great idea for Christmas bunting.

knitted owls

Owl puffs! Pattern available on Ravelry.

crochet pear coasters

Handspun art yarn - Etsy

Beautiful art yarn. I hope to be able to spin like this one day! However, many seasoned spinners look down on this inferior type of spinning! I just LOVE it!

Such sweet little needle felted matryoshka.
Just a few of my favourite pins. If you'd like to see more you can click the Pinterest button in the sidebar.

Pinterest have just introduced 'secret boards' that you can share with your chosen friends only. I would, of course, share them with all of you but I need some ideas for 3 new boards. Any suggestions?
Have a good week,
Becky x

Scandinavian Style Christmas Brooches

I wanted to share my latest design of brooches with you.

I love, love, LOVE Scandinavian style design, particularly for a Christmas theme, and I LOVE how these have turned out!

Both are listed in my Folksy shop and I'm hoping to make a couple of reindeer this weekend in the same style.

Must remember to keep one back for me though!

I have started a Scandinavian Style Christmas board over on Pinterest if you want to pop over and have a look.

How are your Christmas makes going? I've been popping onto flickr to see everyone's Monthly Makes for November and it's looking good!
Becky x

Spinning Saturday

Another month has passed and Lulus and I have attended our second Spinning Guild meeting. This time was a bit special, though, as it was her 7th birthday and she took her new wheel with her. We were so busy spinning I forgot to take pictures!

Now it has been sanded and the broken parts replaced or fixed it's a stunner! It took a bit more work than I had anticipated and I had to ask another family member to do some carpentry on the wheel itself which had been terribly over-oiled and no glue would hold it.

She is delighted with it and enjoyed showing it to everyone. She has also spun some amazing yarn, a chunky merino blend of purple and pink and another of blended blues.

 I am teaching her to crochet but she is finding it a bit tricky, unlike the spinning which she can whip through much more quickly than her mummy!

 

I got busy over the half-term break making some more Christmas brooches.

I really enjoyed making these last year and hope to extend the range with a few more designs soon.

The wet and cold weather has given me more opportunities to sit and make things and it must be said - I'm loving it!
Hope you're getting some craft time in too!
Have a good week.
Becky x

Dye it and spin it!

Last weekend I was invited to attend a fibre dying session with the Cornwall Spinning, Dying and Weaving Guild and Lulus was invited along too! Audrey, who ran the spinning workshop I attended, told me I should come to the guild meetings where I would meet others who could help me to develop my skills! This sounds great in theory, but my husband works Saturday mornings and I look after the children. Audrey suggested I pack Little Mannie off to Granny's and bring Lulus along and when I suggested it to her she was very keen to join in. However, before she went, she wanted to have a go at spinning, to see what it was all about.

Mmmm.... here began the snowball effect. She was good. No she was a natural! And since then I have struggled to get any time on my wheel! As soon as I start selecting fibre or take a step towards the wheel its "Mummy can I have a go?"

Then I took her to the session with the guild. She was a star! Everyone was praising her first efforts (my first efforts were completely overlooked!) and she was soon having her photo taken to be in the next guild programme as their newest and youngest member!

I was incredibly proud and it was lovely to see these ladies make such a fuss over her. We had a great time dying fibre too. Here are some really rubbish  photographs of our dyed merino (husband's camera again).

She loved the dying bit too and I'm looking forward to spinning them to see how they turn out.
I realised, quite quickly, that if I ever wanted to use my wheel again Lulus woud have to have her own and, conveniently, she has asked for one for her 7th birthday at the end of the month!

This broken and dirty thing is going to be lovingly restored and once again will sing it's happy song. I've bought the parts that are missing or broken and, once finished, it will be beautiful and have cost a snip of the usual price for this type of wheel.
The next meeting is on the day of her birthday and she has decided she wants to go so she can show off her new wheel! She added a condition to this - that she can go to the local theme park the day after! We tried to keep the spinning wheel as a surprise but she saw it in the garage - it's a bit big to hide!
Next post should have pictures of this wheel in its restored condition - hopefully!

Enjoy the rest of your week.
Becky x