An ending.

I am coming to the end of a season in my life. Julia starts Sixth Form tommorow and I will no longer be a Home-Edding parent!
Feels a bit strange, not sure what I will fill my days with yet, but I have some ideas!
I have already volunteered to help at the Toddler group that runs at Church. Phil wants us to walk regularly and have days out together.
I'm sure my house will be a lot cleaner, my garden tidier and my yarn and fabric stash smaller!
The other ending will be to this blog- Phil says Pumpkin has been out of our lives for long enough now to have a new blog with a new name.
This is it Maid of Kent ,come on over and see me!

A summer of sewing!

This summer has been a very productive one sewing wise!
My tally so far is:
Another pair of bubble pants for Isaac and a pair of bubble pocket shorts for Sophia! Isaac's were from some check linen from Ebay and a blue men's t-shirt from Sainsburys, and Sophia's were made from some left-over fabric from Julia's dress!

I must take a picture of Julia in the dress as it is a triumph( if I do say so myself!) It is this pattern which I think is now out of print, I should have checked the position of the cut out before finishing as it is a little low!! We covered Julia's modesty by a white black dotted tulle 'screen'!

The second dress for Julia was from this pattern:

I made view C in a pale blue and white table-cloth type gingham! Fitting the top was a bit of a challenge.

I made view A for Julia last year in a ditsy print and this year I made one for Lydia in black and white gingham with black trim.

For Lydia I made a robe/dressing gown whatever(?!) from a vintage yellow flowery sheet using this pattern:

The end result met her requirements for a cover-up for lounging around her house!

Not to be left out I made this dress from the Great British Sewing Bee book:

I made it from some fabric I bought on Ebay .Brown background with large tropical flowers!

On the mannequin and ironing board is my Cambie, I'm making view A, a narrower skirt made of this:

Phew, that seems a lot!! But I've enjoyed it, and I've nearly finished my Flaming June!!

It’s a Yarn-Madness Cover-up! (Mystery KAL)

It’s a Yarn-Madness Cover-up! (Mystery KAL)


I have signed up to this KAL! Need to have a rummage and see what I have yarn wise!-No buying allowed!!
I have some lovely sock yarn in my stash, and some sport-weight that I bought for a scarf/shawl but perhaps need to be used for something more exciting!

A Stash Addict Giveaway!

I have bought yarn from the lovely Danielle before- some lovely rainbow yarn that I used to knit hats for Isaac and Sophia

I also have a ball of another rainbow variety( earthy tweed) waiting to be knitted up into something lovely!

So I couldn't resist joining in her give-away, especially since I have started using a spindle to spin with! I'm a bit inexpert but I'm persevering! The chance to win more fibre and a new spindle to play with has to be snapped up! I will post a picture of my current spindle and my spinning efforts soon!    

Yarn Along- Flaming June!

Here I am again sharing with Ginny, can't believe I haven't written here since November!

I am knitting this cardigan which is rather appropriately called Flaming June- given that the sun is finally shining in the UK!! Knitting an adult size cardigan in 4 ply doesn't make for a speedy knit but I'm pleased with how it is progressing( I might feel differently when I get to the sleeves!). I am just finishing 'A Circle of Quiet' by Madeleine L'Engle and have enjoyed it very much- a gentle but thoughtful read.

Hello again.

So here I am again after a very long absence. In between my last post and now we have had Christmas, Easter, various birthdays, Lydia to and froing to University, Hannah and co moving off the boat and into a house in Topsham and Julia sitting IGCSEs twice!
We await Lydia's return for the summer at the end of her second year of Uni. Julia has one more paper to sit, and a place awaiting her at Sixth Form in Kingsbridge. Phil has his ML assessment in August and in between we have holiday bible club, Creationfest and a camping trip to the Lake district! I am going to try and be a more regular blogger( how often have I said that!!!) especially now we are coming to the end of our Home-Ed journey- all that free time- ha-ha!!

KAL completed!

Here is my finished hat! There is more green than shows in the photos, but I'm very happy with it!

2012 Mystery Hat Knit Along

I have signed up for Woolly Wormhead's 2012 Mystery Hat KAL, the idea is that you buy some suitable yarn and knit as instructed- the instructions come in installments- and at the end of November you have a hat!
I'm planning on using this, but I have yet to buy it! Unfortunately I don't have anything suitable in my stash!
Will post photos as I go along!( As if I didn't already have lots of things to knit!)

(Trying to) Learn to Spin

I spent a day last week at the lovely shop in Modbury that is Hulu, I have shopped there in the past both online and in person, but this was the first time I signed up for a day-long workshop on learning to spin and colour blend.

We started the day by choosing some fibre and then using the drum carder to blend it and make a batt ready for spinning.

We broke for lunch before turning our attention to the spindle! Having had a go once before and also watched Youtube tutorials I had a vague idea of the method! We practiced on some white fibre and ended up with a small skein and then had a go with our own batts! A slightly slubby thick/thin yarn ensued! I have more of the batt to spin before I can knit anything, I am awaiting my newly ordered spindle, this could become addictive! My efforts on the spinning wheel were a bit erratic, I'll try and master the spindle before I think about that again.

We had an excellent teacher in Terri Bate she was great fun and very patient! Will post a picture once I have spun the yarn and knitted it up!

Visit to Brighton

Despite my best efforts Isaac kept crawling off the rug!

Sophia modelling my latest knit for her!

Up a tree- Hannah in a long dress! Nothing changes!

The Sophia trap!

Left the madness that is Dartmouth in the run up to Regatta, to visit Brighton and the Pinafore crew. Had a lovely few days, visited Stanmer Park and went Blackberrying on the Downs. There were plans for jam but it might just be crumble this time!
Thanks for a lovely time!

Fibre Appreciation Thursday-again!

Last time I participated in this I hadn't bought any of Danielle's yarn- but now I have!!! Some lovely classic rainbow DK. I have plans to knit for my grand-kids! Should get a hat (or vest) each out of the two skeins!

Yummy isn't it!! Thanks Danielle!

Fibre Appreciation Thursday

I have reading the blogA Stash Addict for a while now and although I haven't bought any of her lovely yarn yet, I plan to!! I enjoy seeing the beautiful yarn, especially the Rainbow! But the chance to win yarn, particularly in such a lovely colour is not to be missed!

Torch Relay

Joined a group of others to see the Olympic Torch run(walk!) up College Way and hand over to another runner . Looking  at the live coverage no body seems to carry the flame for very long. An awful lot of accompanying police bikes and support vehicles.

Ten Tors 2012

Team Captain and Navigator for the Sea Cadets' 35 mile team

The starting guns have just been fired.

Little Bo Peep and his 5 sheep!

Medal presentation.

Phil and I enjoyed a very sunny weekend at Okehampton Camp in support of the three Dartmouth Ten Tors teams. There were 2 teams who completed 35 miles and 1 who completed 45 miles.Much exhaustion and many blisters ensued but it was a huge achievement by the young people and a great privilege to see it close up.

Julia is already planning to do the 45 next year! 

Yarn Along

Joining again with Ginny at Small Things, not a very good picture I'm afraid!
I have just finished reading 'The Help' by Kathryn Stockett ( which has just been made into a film), I enjoyed it very much. Once again I have two projects on the needles! The green yarn is going to be this, a lovely thin scarf. The grey is for my youngest daughter a sweater with a stranded work yoke,looking forward to finishing the rib so I can move up a needle size!

Finished objects!

Hannah,Sophia and Isaac came to stay last week and Hannah very kindly dressed Isaac up in a selection of  my knits! A pair of stay-on booties which are just out of shot ( and apparently they really do stay on!), an Aviatrix helmet (such a sweet pattern) and a Baby Surprise Jacket( my first! ).He is very cute! The photo above ( don't know why blogger rotated it?) is the finished 'Get Ziggy'- plenty big enough!

Yarn Along

I am joining in with Ginny of Small Things again this week. I have the yarn to knit a sweater for Julia, but as Hannah,Dan,Sophia and Isaac are coming to stay this weekend I thought I'd use up some yarn from my stash and knit Get Ziggy for Isaac. I love the envelope neck and cables. I'll start Julia's once I've finished!
I am reading 'Farewell to the East End' by Jennifer Worth, it is the third in a set of books about the author's life in the East End of London in the 1950s when she worked there as a district midwife and nurse. It is a fascinating insight into life after WW2 and into the history of midwifery in Great Britain.The first book has been turned into a BBC TV series entitled 'Call The Midwife', if it makes to your screens in the USA I'm sure you will enjoy it, and if not the books are well worth reading.

Yarn Along!

Here I am joining with Ginny of Small Things for Yarn Along.
I am reading 'The Reason for God' by Timothy Keller, I bought it for my daughter who is at University, I thought I had better read it first and my husband wants to read it too! I think she will find it helpful when talking to friends who question her about her Christian faith.
I am knitting an Oatmeal pullover from Rowan Purelife Renew. I am on to the first sleeve, so nearly finished!

Home Ed and Exams

It was very remiss of me to fail to mention that Julia took her first public exam in October last year, the results were published towards the end of January. She took CIE O level R.E. and got a B- so well done Julia!
For all of Lydia's IGCSEs we used an exam centre in Bristol which was very expensive in time and money although we had no complaints about the centre itself. We used the same centre for this first exam for Julia.
After a bit of Internet searching I found a school in Torquay which accepts external candidates for Edexcel IGCSEs. Julia and I went to visit the examinations officer and all is now in place for her to sit 3 IGCSEs in May/June this year. So lots of Physics, History and English Language work going on at the moment!

Visiting Isaac

 We have just come back from a week in Brighton, visiting the Durdin clan, and meeting our grandson Isaac for the first time.

Here is Sophia cuddling Isaac( don't worry there were adults nearby!)

Isaac 

Sophia's new boots!

Sophia breakfasting!

 He is a lovely calm little baby, his big sister Sophia is very loving to him- lots of kisses and cuddles.
The arrival of three extra bodies was more than Pinafore could stand so Hannah and Dan's friends Matt and Jo very gallantly offered to swop living spaces so that the week was spent in a flat and not on a boat!
We are all looking forward to our Easter holiday, in the Lake District, with all the family( including Daniel and Sara- but no dogs!), it will be the next time we see Isaac and I'm sure he will of grown loads!