21 go down to the sea...

annual summer camping trip time again...our largest group outing to date...11 adults and 10 kids all went down to Dorset for a weekend of fun, frolics and fossils...

...chesil beach in the mist...

we managed to celebrate two birthdays

with home made cake...now a pre-requisite for any camping trip for me I'm afraid

...fit in some walking...

there be a baby in that there purple scarf refashioned into a sling apparatus

we visited some rocky beaches

the girls jointly invested many weeks pocket money in an inflatable

(versatile that scarf!)

and my lovely friend Jane (one of the Birthday Girls) even made a dress over the weekend...
a rather small dress, but a dress, nonetheless

go camping...it rocks!

going and returning...

I can't quite believe it has been over a month since I last wrote here, I wonder what to do...should I stop altogether? this blog seems to be the last thing to get attention in my crammed full existence...but I love it...I love the friends I have made...I love the fact that I have somewhere to show my creative endeavours which somehow stimulates me to keep them up (although this has suffered much of late, hence the resounding silence I guess)...I love the knowledge that there is a little space out there over which I preside, where I can witter to my hearts content and no one can tell me not to...so I guess I'll keep it going for now, but as things remain crazy in my physical domain the posting is likely to be sporadic for a time...I'm sorry about that...

things are changing...I am changing...it's interesting and frightening and enlivening and liberating...but that's probably enough to say here, am not quite sure I am ready to share my soul completely...my crafts and other nonsense...absolutely, for sure!

so, not much crafting... Mr G flew away to Australia leaving me in sole charge of the smallfry...I did what any sane 40 year old mother of two would do...ran home to daddy!!! luckily I have a wonderful father who put his home and car at my disposal so we three ran amok on the highroads and byroads of the emerald isle. It was blissful.

Highlights of the trip:

spending Easter with my sister and her family in Co. Kildare...

Visiting the beautiful Japanese Gardens there and watching her two sons play Gaelic Football (not in the Japanese Gardens I hasten to add)

Walking on the gorse covered Curragh and smelling that evocative scent of coconut that magically emanates from those bushes...

visiting Fota Wildlife Park with my brother, his wife, one of my gorgeous grown up nephews, his girlfriend and her daughter...

native to Ireland? err, don't think so...

Laughing so much with my sister in law that tears were rolling down my face and I nearly had to pull the car over (dad, it's not true, really, I swear)....

Being cooked the most amazing curry by another of my gorgeous grown up nephews...

btw if you want to know more visit the company Eoin cooks for : Green Saffron. Their spices are incredible and I believe they are about to start selling into Selfridges, Harrods and on Portobello Market

visiting the beach with my old friend Lisa and spending two hours or more in a beach side playground while the smallfry hung and jumped and swung and we chatted...


driving around East Cork where the sky seems bigger than in any other place on earth and the hills do roll and the tiny men who stop you to divert you on country boithrins (roads) tell you "ye're a fine pair of women, have a great day, all fine women deserve that" which stimulates the older of the smallfry to wonder why...for quite some time...

visiting the home of my other gorgeous grown up nephew, seeing the beautiful photographs he is working on and being impressed yet again by his talent (and his kindness)...

going to Summercove with my father and the girls and sitting on my raincoat on the grass overlooking the water eating apples. Bumping into my sister there by accident and having an impromptu lunch at the pub sitting outside in the sunshine...

meeting my four oldest friends for dinner (the "big party this year girls on tour" as Siobhan calls us), getting drunk and planning further 40th birthday celebratory weekends...

coming home to find my apple tree had blossomed...


hope you have all been well too...

I LOVE lunch...and other people's birthdays

in a concession to our new found position as parents of a combined total of six smallfry and the incompatibility of such a situation with late night dinner parties (with smallfry in attendance) the Dinner Circle has recently mutated to Lunch Circle. Inaugural meeting today at the home of my good friends Ms. D and The Wolf. The King and Queen of the Dinner Circle, Anna (who totally stupified me by at the initial DC meeting by whipping up from scratch only the damn finest ever chocolate brownies for pudding WHILE we were sitting around the table relaxing after our main course - I tell you - that's a hard act to follow!) and Fraser were there too, along with their adorable new addition, Ms Martha. Cue gratuitous photo of me with Ms M...(cause it's always nice to have a baby photo when you can)

though she is wearing the kimono cardi I knit her so maybe not so gratuitous after all...
(aside :: the knit I am sporting is a 20 year old creation by Ms D...I am a cold body and had to snatch it while there...it's an amazing fairisle which has worn incredibly well over the years)

Ms D claims she has been suffering a dearth of home entertainment opportunities of late and so in a frenzy of making up for lost time presented us with the following ::

• Jamie Oliver's Caponata as a starter starter while the kids were tucking into their mini version of our main course (see below) - this alone would have made me thought I'd died and gone to heaven
• Fresh beetroot and mozzarella Salad as a starter proper
• Home made tagliatelle (yes, you read that right, the pasta was hanging out in the garden to dry when we arrived - I cursed when I realised I didn't have my camera to hand) with melt in the mouth Lamb Shank and ragout as a main course
• Fig and Almond tart (with thyme...very interesting, not to mention totally delicious) for pudding
• Milk and White Chocolate Easter Egg ring for the kids pudding...somehow I find myself able to vouch for its deliciousness too...hmmm

I am telling you all this as the Lunch Circle members demanded a blog entry of their own...happy now folks?!

It's Ms D's birthday on Friday (Happy Birthday my darling friend) so I rustled up a little soya candle in vintage teacup gift for her...




see that cake in the background there... that was only the bloomin' children's pudding (can you tell I am in total awe of people who can bake?)


Other other people's birthday news ::

I finally sourced the yarn for Nich's socks (which I mentioned in the last post)...

super chunky araucania, in a suitably hippyish hue

finished the dropped stitch scarf for another dear friend's 40th (we are falling like flies I tell ya) - whose name I can't mention in case she reads this blog - made from handspun handdyed yarn from Rosalinde the alpaca which I sourced here...

the yarn came with some photos of Rosalinde (which my animal mad pal will love) and wrapped in with it were two organza bags full of dried lavender...I tell you that scarf was the most relaxing, enjoyable knit I ever had...I was swooning on a cloud of heavenly lavender scent with every stitch...mmmm

Final installment (I promise!) on my own birthday news ::
Lovely, thoughtful, perfect gift from my ex-workmate Midori who I met for sushi during the week (random factoid - I managed to get out for Sushi three nights out of six last week, a record, particularly for me...)

Midori lived for six years in Japan so when she discovered my new found love for Japanese tea knew exactly what to get me...

Tea Tray with Green Tea Caddy and Genmaicha

isn't that tea caddy simply the most gorgeous ever seen?

Thanks Midori, you ROCK!

I'll be back to show what I made for the Time for Tea swap and my Project Improv log cabin square as soon as I know they are safely delivered. In the meantime enjoy yourselves, whatever you are up to...

jammin'...and yarn searchin'

so... there I was Saturday night hanging around in the kitchen at the birthday party of this really lovely man I know...drinking, chatting, getting a bit drunk (it's this thing I do at parties)...next thing Mr G introduces me to a pleasant man wearing a nice blue scarf (don't think it was handmade, unfortunately - that would have been really good)...we chatted....it emerged he was ONLY ONE OF MY ALL TIME MUSICAL HEROES...blimey, knock me over with a champagne cork.


I've loved the high llamas since I was knee high to a llama myself (and I suffer a bit from musical amnesia so only those close to me know what a miracle it is for me to even recognise a piece of music nevermind remember who is responsible for it)...believe me when I tell you this man is a genius. Anyway, we chatted somemore and then my friend whose birthday it was called us all into the living room where he had gotten his guitar out and had started a singsong. Being the natural shrinking violet that I am I didn't immediately start shaking a jingly shaker in time (NOT) to the music. Nor did I appear to be enjoying it all so much that a random (very sweet) stranger went and found me a tambourine so I could make an even bigger noise. Nor did I then decide it would be a great idea to press gang another poor soul into joining me in an official capacity as backing percussionist up next to the birthday boy who actually has musical ability. Nor were we then joined by the man himself. NOR DID I END UP JAMMING WITH SEAN O'HAGAN.

well, er...I did actually. Last Saturday night.

Enough of all that, back to the crafting. I am looking for recommendations for a good, bright, hippyish variegated chunky yarn (he wants them bright and cheery) to knit these socks for my friend Nich who so nicely requested some in exchange for the "1 Hand Knitted Item Of Your Choice" voucher I rather lamely presented him with for his birthday.

Your recommendations, please...(all the ones on ravelry seem to be done in yarns more easily available in the US)

greetings from beyond the hill...

so, I find myself landed on the other side of a significant birthday. The significant number is divisible by 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 20 and... ahem...40. Cor blimey, how did this come to pass? I ask myself (and anyone else who'll listen)

beautiful japanese teapot and tea bowls from my sister Catherine...crazy birthday brunch by moi

Not being content with going over the hill metaphorically I headed to the Alps to mark the occasion more literally. It was a wonderful idea, would recommend it to anyone. I played in the snow, drank plenty of tea and ruminated on the state of things (as you do when you reach this sort of age).

Will be back (once the shock has worn off properly) to share details of beautiful owlish swaps and some fat quarters that made their way to me from stateside.

Until then...
another gorgeous teapot, birthday gift from my lovely friend Nich (he of teacosy fame - discern a subtle theme?)...can a girl (ooops, sorry, woman of a certain age) ever have too many tea making accoutrements? I sincerely doubt it...

beautiful italian yarn, another lovely birthday gift courtesy of my colleague Mia with whom I have recently set up the (two strong) "work knitting club". I feel some tea cosies coming on, or maybe a bobble hat...

ps new all time favourite tea - Genmaicha - mmmmmm...mmm. Thanks Cath!

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london at a standstill...a kimono for Martha...some slippers for some feet

we had some snow...it brought the country to its knees...apparantly 6 million people couldn't get to work yesterday...that's some "duvet day"! those of you used to snow must be hysterical with laughter...

a street junction just up from my house...

the bird house in our back garden...

poor birds must be having a rotten time...mind you we ran out of bird food so they got to enjoy some of my organic super omega wonder food seed mix (at a cost of approximately 10 pence per seed I reckon)...I hope they enjoyed it

there were people snowboarding and skiing (yes, really) in the central London park down the road from where we live (while my kids descended the hill on a small tin tray which they had to fight over...poor sods)

I had my laptop at home so was able to work from there...this is my favourite bit about working from home...mmmm, proper breakfast...


other news... my good friends (fellow campers and dinner circle founder members) Anna and Fraser had themselves a bonny baby girl...as is my wont I had to indulge my love of knitting baby kimono cardis with this result...


NORO Cash Iroha yarn - silk, cashmere and merino - yum yum yum

(I made a change to the pattern this time and only put one button - I like it)

(that little Martha is fairly scrummy too I can tell you - was nearly tempted until I remembered I'll be 40 next week and more nappies might just hasten my end...) (can't believe I just shared that particular piece of info)

(what's with all the brackets?)

(must be imminent senility)

and finally, a visual update on the now felted slippers...


sweet huh?

nice knitting...knitting with alliteration...

My darling Ms Reva fights sleep every night. I lie there beside her, wondering why the heck* this should be so, why should a tiny 6 year old who is quite clearly exhausted beyond belief both physically and mentally not fall to slumber with grace and ease. My wondering has thus far yielded no results. We have some of our oddest and most intimate conversations at this time of day. As well as some blooming irritating ones where she is obviously just racking her brains for anything to say to keep herself awake and I am like a broken record with my refrain (in increasingly stressed tone) of "no more talking now dear" (I don't really say the "dear" bit - I just put that in to make me sound nicer than I really am at that time of night after a long long day. I normally stop, sternly, after the word "now"). Anyway, I digress. One night last week it emerged that Ms Reva now knows all about alliteration, she's learned it at school. She delighted in repeating examples of said grammatical feature while I wondered about sleep deprivation and its long term effects on the under tens. And their mothers. It emerged she also knows all about similes now too. (Tautologies? no, I reckon I am safe... for now). Don't they grow up fast now though? I seem to remember learning this kind of stuff in secondary school at about twice her tender age.

So, in the spirit of alliteration, I share with you:

some fingerless mittens for Maaya (my lovely Japanese friend) who recently turned an age with a 0 on the end and threw a wonderful party


these are Evangeline (you need to be a ravelry member to access the free pattern I am afraid - another great reason to join eh?) knit in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino aran on size 5.0




and a capelet for Katy (I checked, as long as the sound is the same it counts, apparently) who is far too young and needs to celebrate a 0 laden birthday before I can possibly take her seriously^. Katy has been having a rather unpleasant time of it with a wicked teacher who ignores the needs of young children when it come to the notion of Father Christmas and so it was nice to (hopefully) cheer her up.


in Rowan Cocoon in kiwi on size 8.0

Great patterns both


I have plans for another capelet in a kind of purple, as well as some mittens for myself for those days I want to knit in the park, however I am in the throes of frantic secret gift knitting at the moment so those will have to wait...

I hope you are all bearing up well in this season of insanity (if truth be told I'm getting more manic by the day...)

*"why the heck" being Ms Bester's favourite phrase of exclamation which she reckons is just the right side of proper swearing to earn her no more than an indulgent tutting - I LOVE it!
^joke

stories from Hibernia...

apologies for the long absence...I was trapped like a spider by the the mist and rain of Ireland...they diluted my brain to such an extent that I was rendered incapable of writing. But I've recovered now. I arrived to find some wonderful packages from various people, but that will have to be the subject of another post as my laptop won't allow me to upload any new photos at the moment...however I do have some images of Ireland to share, if you can bear to browse through random holiday snaps...

We went up a mountain to visit the Staigue Fort which is fairly randomly located in the middle of some farmer's field, surrounded by sheep, and mountains. Very beautiful, although extremely misty the day we went. Could have been built anytime from 1st century BC to around the 4th century AD. You can just wander in and have a bit of a gander...

we got down the mountain and found a lovely old pub in which to dry ourselves off and drink some Guinness. That Ms Bester looks like she has her eye on mine!

Lord Dunraven's Summer House - at the start of the walk

we did our favourite walk in Kerry, across an old "mass path" hewn out of rocks along the coastline beneath the eyes of the Cromwellian forces who were tasked with enforcing the ban on Catholicism in Ireland in the seventeenth century

People would take this route to the "mass rock" on which a priest would preach mass secretly, out of doors, in all weathers. It's a fabulous walk from Derrynane to Bunavalla, with some absolutely amazing scenery along the way. Ms Reva generally leads us, her being of the mountainy goat persuasion.

a random sighting en route - one spade is turned around differently to the others - was it a sign? there was no-one for miles to ask...


we did have some sunshine...and a barbeque on the beach at which Mr. G taught my best friend's son how to play beach volleyball...



while myself and Katie turned our ingenuity to the matter of keeping wine chilled in the absence of the silver buckets we are more accustomed to (ahem)...


and her hubby tried to catch us some dinner...



but the rain returned as we left "the kingdom" (as the county of Kerry is fondly known) and our August drive across the border felt like it could have been in midwinter...

greetings from afar...or, the wonders of modern technology

isn't it amazing what modern technology can do for a woman...here am I sitting on the top floor of my friend's wonderful Georgian riverside house in Cork City in Ireland (which she restored from a total ruin to sheer amazingness, almost singlehandedly) having a little holiday while working for my London "day job" and blogging. That this is possible is thanks to the equipment you see above, and not much else...(well, a hospitable friend or two does help)

I am in Ireland for a month in total but couldn't afford such a lengthy spell away from the "day job" so volunteered to put in a week in between my Hibernian travels. Intense rain on the West Coast meant that week should be this one. I left Mr G and the kids on a sodden beach in County Ciarrai (Kerry) having fun with their cousins and high tailed it back to civilisation.

I did get to have a 50th birthday celebration day out with all my sisters and my one and only brother last weekend. I can't remember the last time we were all together (we are flung about the globe and it is tricky to catch us all in one spot). It wasn't my birthday I hasten to add, but my darling brother Derek's. Happy Birthday Bro' - you are the best!

we had just had a delicious lunch in the pub behind (oooh, the crab was good) and I believe I was being berated for having my shades on...again!

No great photos of my travels in the beauty of Kerry to share yet, due to inclemency of weather.

But here is a snap of my pretty new shoes in case anyone is interested...

'cos I know you'll all be dying to see those...

and some lovely orchids I found in my friend's house...

Finally, news of a robot swap which I think you should all sign up for. I love robots. Just hope I'll be able to participate as I won't be back in the land of my fabrics, ribbons and threads for a little while yet.

right, I'm off to plan my evening with an old friend in the hostelries of Cork City tonight and my return trip to Kerry on Saturday...cross your fingers for a break in the rain!

(any internet villians out there - you may stop rubbing your hands with glee at the prospect of emptying my house while I am away, the Owens-Fernandos from Luxenbourg with their many beautiful children are in residence - I warn you : they are fierce!)

right on cue...

one week on...

big news of my week is that I managed to have breakfast at home and alone yesterday...it was a totally tranquil moment, I almost had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming...I normally have breakfast surrounded by manic children husband and cat or at my desk at the day job in front of a pc checking emails at 07.30...so imagine my delight when I found myself in a quiet, empty house in front of this...
imagine, once upon a time all breakfasts were like this, or something close to it AND I NEVER EVEN NOTICED...in fact I was probably SOMETIMES BORED by the quietness...what a waste!

unfortunately I had to do my back in and be off work in order to experience this moment of nirvana, but hey, silver linings and all that...

so, I have finished my first ever doll for the doll swap I am involved in and it is on its way to Norway as I speak...I hope Emily likes it ( I am very nervous as Emily only makes fabulous dolls and sells them on etsy!!!)

I realised I forgot to show the little quilt I made for Marie as part of that swap so here it is...I was working to a rainbow theme as she had said she loved rainbows...


and while I am on the subject of swap items I forgot to blog I may as well show you what I sent to Diane in Texas as part of a vintage swap...she told me she liked autumnal colours...and coffee...



Finally, I may have mentioned before this little dinner circle I am part of (a grand term for a very casual, informal arrangement, but we like to talk ourselves up... it strikes us as amusing for some reason)...well, recently the dinner circle turned all oenophilic and we had a Riesling tasting evening under the direction of our great expert The Wolf (he took it very seriously as you can see and had a blackboard and swordy pointer and everything - we even got a special badge when we pronounced those tricky German words in anyway approximating correctness)


it was wonderful evening and I promised (after one too many glasses of delicious wine) to start up a dinner circle blog. Ahem. I now find that I do not have capacity in my already full to bursting life to do this but I share some pictures here in the hope they will enthuse my dear friend Ms D to take on the mantle of dinner circle blogger extraordinaire...go on Ms D....you know you'd love to...
Ms D's wine tasting glasses, labelled in preparation for the inebriation that was bound to unfold that evening...(it wasn't really that dark, we were just on a not-using-the-flash mission)