Blackberry picking

Through the gate:

Past the way-marker:

Down the lane:

Stopping to show off (the doll MT is newly knitted and crocheted and Nin is really pleased with it and currently carrying her doll everywhere in it):

Just a bit further:

And finally: blackberries!

Not much of a haul at this point, we we did pick enough to make some blackberry jelly (the project for tomorrow, I was too tired today).  On the way home we stopped at another park (we have a few in the village):

And up and down again and again:

And a bit of a child crash on the slide (there’s not many pics with my eldest son in):

I promised to take them a while ago, on a lovely sunny Sunday when we happened to pick a few sweet blackberries.  “We’ll come back tomorrow.”  I promised and then it rained solidly for a week - typical for this country (although it’s also an important part of what keeps our countryside so green and beautiful )  Nin has been waiting patiently to go blackberry picking for quite some time now.  She’s seen the apples budding and then swelling on the trees and she knows that’s a sign that it’s time for blackberries.  We’re now waiting a little longer for the apples to ripen so we can pick some of them too.

The plan for tomorrow is to make some jelly from the blackberries (blackberry jam is a bit to pippy for my tastes) and perhaps an apple and blackberry crumble.

Posted in Days Out, Family Life | 4 Comments »

Walking the dog on Sunday

  

 

 

 

You can tell it was Sunday due to the cricket match on the Green

Posted in Days Out, Family Life | No Comments »

I love this spider!

Look at this wonderful spider knitted by Kathrine Ivy. 

Isn’t he fabulous?  Do please go through to her blog and leave a comment about him (and see all the other lovely things she’s made - plus some great patterns!)

Posted in Sites I've found, Things to Make | No Comments »

The Zero Waste challenge

Pledge to recycle more and win some prizes, including a gift voucher for yours truly’s Ninny Noodle Noo to use to buy some of our fabulous range of wooden play food, Ostheimer wooden animals and figures, wooden cars, organic children’s clothes and handmade items some of which are made from recycled felted jumpers.

Find out more on the Zero Waste Challenge page at Janey Lee Grace’s Imperfectly Natural site.

Good luck!

Posted in Competitions, Ninny Noodle Noo, Specials | 2 Comments »

The Knitted Bendy Doll pattern is now online

The pattern is written up, but I still need to post up some photos, plus a tutorial for the bendy body and sewing up the doll.  Still, it’s something to be getting on with and I’ll post up further instructions for making the inner-body and sewing up soon!

Anyway, here it is in it’s basic form: Knitted Bendy Dollshouse Doll pattern.

Rather delayed as I found myself knitting a further doll for a little boy who was adamant for a, “Me too, Mummy!  Doll, me too!” 

Who can resist a 2 year old, especially one who has seen his sister get a number of small dolls made for her recently and is desperate for a doll of his own to drive his wooden truck with.  Bless him, he kept shoving the unfinished doll into my hands and even though the doll hasn’t got any hair yet, Ted grabbed it as soon as the head was sewn on.  That particular doll has been knit in the round as opposed to in separate pieces and I will post a pic of him once his hair is sewn on.

I will also be adding a pattern for a mermaid tail soon too - I promise

In the meantime, here’s a little buttercup faery I’ve knitted up:

Posted in Knitting & Crochet, Ninny Noodle Noo, Things to Make, art and craft | 1 Comment »

EYFS Too Much, Too Soon (The Open Eye campaign film)

One of my other, lesser-known hats is Registered Childminder (the UK equivalent of Family Daycarer) although I tend to offer part-time and temporary places (due to my family committments and of course Ninny Noodle Noo).  Except just recently I’ve been reassessing that role and the reason for this is the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) which will come into practice in September 2008.  As a Registered Childminder I will be expected to adhere to the EYFS and will be inspected upon it.  I have my concerns, along with many other people working in Early Years and here are some of the reasons why (courtesy of The Open Eye Campaign)

Edited to add: Meanwhile in the D*ily M*il: More than a third of 14 year olds boys have a reading age of 11 or below (kindly sent to AEUK, I’m not much of one for reading the papers and it’s great that there are people out there who will flag up articles like this). 

Apparently “Falling numbers of secondary school pupils are making the grade in the core subjects of English and science despite record spending on education and initiatives to encourage boys to read.”

Could this possibly be because the government have got it wrong?  That earlier and earlier initiatives to encourage children to read may be having the opposite effect and is turning them off reading (and books)?

Posted in Education, Issues and Causes | 6 Comments »

Arthur William Wall 22nd June 1927 - 19th July 2008

I haven’t blogged for a while and there has been a good reason for this, not long after posting the last blog (the same day), I found out that my grandfather passed away and well, it felt strange to blog about other more ‘every day’ things when this is such an important thing in my life, but I couldn’t quite find the words to say anything.

My grandad was always a ‘big’ man, large in stature and personality!  He really loved being around children and my brother and I were always thoroughly spoiled when we visited (far more chocolate and sweets than my parents would’ve liked ).  In later life he worked as a ‘lollipop man’ and rather than lay wreathes at the creamation service, it was asked that donations were made to Acorn’s Children’s Hospice (a charity he supported) instead.  TBH, I’m still rather struggling for words on this, so I’ll go with a well-known poem instead.

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.

Goodbye Grandad, for now.

Posted in Family Life | 4 Comments »

Baking biscuits

A little burnt in places, but scrummy

Posted in Cooking & Baking, Family Life | 1 Comment »

I’ve been tagged

By Amanda from The Natural Dye Studio blog.

1) LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN A THEATRE?
It’s been a while since I’ve got to a cinema.  I took my older boys to see the latest Harry Potter film (so a while ago now).  I absolutely WILL be going to watch Batman: Dark Knight next week with dh (or they’ll be no hot dinners or washing done until I do!)

2) WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING?
I’m not atm, although dh has bought me a new Batman comic (unsurprisingly) to read - I just need some peace and quiet and bottle of wine

3) FAVOURITE BOARD GAME?
For me it would probably be something like Risk.  I don’t play alot of board games, having a 2 year old in the house isn’t very conducive to playing them, but every so often we will get one out.

4) FAVOURITE MAGAZINE?
I’m not a bit magazine reader, but I do enjoy Juno and The Green Parent.

5) FAVOURITE SMELLS?
The Sensitive Skincare Co.’s Tahitian Coconut Oil with Gardenia has to have one of the most divine scents!  I also like citrusy fresh smell - including fresh cut grass

6) FAVOURITE SOUNDS?
My children laughing - Nin in particular has the most infectious laugh, she laughs with her entire body and soul!  The snuffle-hoover noise my Setter makes when he’s swaffling across the floor looking for crumbs.  My cats purring.  All sorts of music, too much to list here.

7) WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD?
Amanda wrote boredom, but I have to say I don’t think I’ve been bored for years and years (certainly not since I was a professionally bored teenager).  I think the worst feeling in the world is feeling alone.

8 ) WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE?
That I need a wee?

9) FAVOURITE FAST FOOD PLACE?
Well I don’t know about ‘fast food’, but if we do have a takeout it would have to be Indian food every time, I really wish I was more capable of cooking from this cuisine at home.

10) FUTURE CHILDS NAME?
Oh I have a few, I’d love to have more children (dh isn’t so keen), but I’m keeping the next name under my hat for now.

11) FINISH THIS STATEMENT—’IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY I’D……
It depends on how much is ‘alot’.  My needs are pretty basic tbh, I don’t aspire to great riches, but it would be nice to give some to my family, some to charity and then I’d go for the pretty standard buy some land, build a house, etc.

12) DO YOU DRIVE FAST?
I don’t drive.

13) DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL?
Aside from dh? LOL.  We have a number of soft toys in our bed due to Ted sleeping with us, so a large teddy, Heddy (his doll) and atm Iggle Piggle.

14) STORMS–COOL OR SCARY?
I love storms - especially on a summer’s evening when it’s still warm but the rain is lashing down.  One of the most memorable storms I’ve seen was a lightning storm over the hills in the Dordogne, France.  I sat on the porch and watched in amazement - simply beautiful.  Once when snorkelling in Crete in rained and it was the strangest experience, because the water I was in was warm and the rain on my back was cold.

15) WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?
I’ve never owned one.

16) FAVOURITE DRINK?
Vodka, mint cordial and lemonade - it probably has a posh name, but I don’t know it.

17) FINISH THIS STATEMENT-IF I HAD THE TIME I WOULD…
Do a lot more knitting?  If I had the time and the money I’d travel more.

18) DO YOU EAT THE STEMS ON BROCCOLI?
Yes.

19) IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY OTHER COLOUR, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE?
I’ve had my hair all sorts of colours: bright blue, purple, spots (at one point) and more ‘natural’ colours.  Currently it’s a golden brown colour as I’m a bit worried about all the chemicals that go on my hair, so I decided to dye it to a more natural colour and grow it out.

20) NAME ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES/TOWNS YOU HAVE LIVED IN?
I’ve not always lived in towns and cities.   Birmingham (all over, back and forth), a small village outside of Diss, Norfolk; Terveuren (Belguim); Rhodes St Genaise (Belguim), Bedworth, Balsall Common, Tile Hill, back to all over Birmingham (all short term),  just outside of Chelmsley Wood (can’t remember the name of the place, Small something I think, yet I can remember the name of the road), Tile Hill (a couple of different places), I currently live in a village between Doncaster and the Notts. border.

21) FAVOURITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
I don’t really watch sport.

22) ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
She dyes the most beautiful yarn!

23) WHATS UNDER YOUR BED?
Probably a few orphaned socks, hair slides and fluff.

24) WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE BORN AS YOURSELF AGAIN??
Absolutely.

25) MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL?
Afternoon

26) OVER EASY OR SUNNY SIDE UP?
Sunnyside up, but it’s very rare I’ll eat a fried egg (not my method of choice for cooking eggs).

27) FAVOURITE PLACE TO RELAX?
Curled on the sofa, knitting with a large glass of wine.

28) FAVOURITE PIE?
I don’t really like pies.

29) FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOUR?
Ohh I’m with Amanda on the icecream with chocolate chunks and marshmallows!  My mother makes a lovely icecream using Dime bars.

30) OF ALL THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE TAGGED, WHO IS THE MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND FIRST?
Erm, I’ll get round to tagging people at some point - but basically I’m nosey, so whoever wants to have a go, please do and let me know so I can read

Posted in Miscellaneous | 1 Comment »

Swampy soup

Aka pea and mint soup - it might not look like much, but sometimes the simplest of meals can be the best.  Nin maintains it looks like swamp (not that she’s ever seen one), or perhaps snot - children are so lovely *sigh*.

Nin and Ted were asleep by 6pm, dh was working on the Isle of Wight, so the older boys and I made popcorn and got out Risk.  Is there a much better way of spending a Friday night?

I finished the red cushion.  Originally covered in a ‘fluffy’ cover (what were we thinking buying fluffy cushion covers with 4 children, 2 cats and a dog in the house?)  Gilbert (the Korat) took exception to them and has systematically been tearing the fluff out.  He approves of the new cushion far more.

It wasn’t the most inspiring knit, I’m rather flitty by nature and knitting two squares isn’t the sort of thing that holds my attention well, but it had to be done (well, a second one also has to be done, but I’m working up to that).

If you’re interested, here’s a close up (I need a bit of practice with close-up photos):

Whilst I’m on the subject of knitting, I finished this little doll a while ago, she’s a prototype, as I’ve designed the pattern myself, it needs a bit of a tweak:

As you can see, her tail is removeable.  Her tail fin needs to be larger and her arms a little longer - but I’m pleased with how she turned out and will be making the necessary amendments with the next one (once I’ve finished the few bits I need to get done before that - Nin needs a new dressing gown and I’m finishing off a cowboy hat for Ted’s doll).

And finally, the perfect thing for a rainy day?  Make playdough!

Posted in Family Life, Knitting & Crochet, art and craft | 9 Comments »