dottyspots

… WIPs that is. I finished the purple cotton angora cardi:

Nin wouldn’t stand still long enough to take an unblurred one of the front, but I did get another couple of photos of her and a couple of Ned:

I also fixed Nin’s button jointed doll (the legs had come off) and have embroidered a face onto the first Waldorf doll I’ve had a bash at making (I bought some black mohair to knit a wig when I get a spare mo’). I sewed up the rip in Woody’s trousers (and restuffed him a bit).

Continued WIPs are:

The Waldorf doll (needs that wig knitted and some clothes made)
A pink lace shawl (which is knitting up quite fast really)
A blue ‘pram blanket’ - with textured trees and houses on it (from a Lucinda whats-her-name book)
The cowboy print shirt that has been cut out ready to be sewn for Ned
I *still* haven’t finished embroidering the rosette I felted about a year ago…

There’s a lot going on here atm and at some point I will blog about it, but it’ll be a bit of a marathon (or should that be Snickers) blog and it’s just getting it written down in a bit of peace.

An Irish Craftworker has been needlefelting lovely stars She also makes felt birds, fish and bowls (I really like the birds).

Yes I really should stop mooning over other people’s talent and get off my bum a bit more and do some more for myself, but it is so much easier drooling over other people’s work

Funnily enough, yesterday I had a mini splurge at Ottakars yesterday and bought R. and me (as R. wants to have a go) a book on Feltmaking and a Beginners Guide to Stumpwork. I also bought Vols. 11, 12 and 13 of Ultimate X-Men

R. had an appt. with an Ed. Psych yesterday and I will be complaining She asked questions as if R. wasn’t sitting next to me and at one point told me that: “Children cannot be taught at home.” When I pointed out that R. had been taught at home for a good few years now, she said, “So the LEA has arranged a tutor.”

NO! NO! NO!

Arrrrrghhhh!

So I quoted some law at her, but don’t hold out much hope on the report at the multi-agency meeting next week.

Ho hum.

*Still* I know that the two of the people who will be at the meeting are supporting HE, although a possible p/t attendance at school is possible (and tempting at times). It’s all so up-in-the-air atm.

Still, grrrrrr to bloody annoying psychs.

Is it just me who hasn’t been able to see various photos and graphics on this page for a few days?

Poop-scooping Barbie, well I never I read about it here and had a good old laugh.

… this will be a short blog. Ned is asleep on me and his weight is pulling on my neck. R. came 5th in the Junior Bowls comp. at the weekend:

It was only the 6th time he has ever played bowls, so we’re very proud of him.

Yet MORE chillis (grown by Rik):

I finished a sock (just need to do the other one now) made from lovely handpainted yarn:

I’ve also been busy knitting this:

It’s in Debbie Bliss cotton angora and is wonderfully soft. The edge is lace, with twisted stitches up into the main body that will form the basis of stalks for embroidered flowers. I’m currently finishing the second sleeve ready to sew it up and pick up stitches for the collar etc.

The boys have also asked me to post this:

A large bubble - well, we thought it was impressive.

Over the past few days I have made some bramble and apple jelly (and have more apple juice waiting to be made into jelly on the hob), re-organised my paperwork (on the children’s info./OfSTED front) and been helping with the clean up effort at the local closed-down school which is where I’m hoping to take the family-learning centre project forward.

It’s looking increasingly likely that there will be space available at the ‘closed-down’ school for the family-learning centre to use which means that there will be space for a HE group if other local HE-ers are interested, space for the Pilates class a friend and I are trying to organise (not to mention the Indian dancing her daughter is keen to see take place), a possible location for Donny Nutters to work from (on a community level) and the various other classes that I’m hoping to organise. At the very least it is a venue that can be written into the feasibility study that I’m, now we, are applying for. Should that come back positive we will have a good base to apply for further funding from.

I’ve a meeting on Thursday to show the funding-support bod who has been working with the group the possible venue and then the week after next with the lease-holders to try to negotiate a good deal on taking on space. Signing the paperwork for the bank account on Thursday afternoon and from there we can go for the funding for the feasibility study - really excited!

Once things have moved forward a bit more I will put together a website with information on the project.

I forgot to gloat:

Wooden kitchen bought for £3 - consisting of sink (with tap and a little plastic washbowl that can be removed), fridge (with pull down egg holder and also a foldaway shelf on the door, plus inner shelves) and a washing machine. Salvaged whilst helping with the clean-up at the school they asked for a donation of £1 a piece. Nin is thrilled.

After a hard day:

… do you like it?

I made the header myself - that’s R. up ahead, followed by Nin and Erk. Ned isn’t on it as yet.

There’s loads more links etc. still to go up, but as I’m on dial-up I think I’ve hogged the phone-line enough for a while.

I feel really boring and repetitive saying that we’re really busy here - because I know I say that every single time. It is busy, but to brighten things up a bit, I have a few photos:

On a walk out blackberrying, Erk took a picture of a swan from the lane. We found 3lb of blackberries - although we could’ve picked more, but didn’t bring more containers. There were also sloes, loads of elderberries (some of which I’ll go back for) and a few early hazelnuts, with the promise of more to come.

Erk and his friends regularly visit some friendly horses and ponies across the river:

Rik’s had a few days off so has been ‘catching up’ with various things, like painting with Nin. These were ‘blow paintings’, where they blobbed paint on and then blew it out into patterns with a straw (yes that is a Spear of Destiny t-shirt he’s wearing, for anyone who is straining to see).

I made jam with the blackberries (adding some apple to it) and these are going with the stash of pickled beetroot and squash chutney. I need to pickle some more beetroot and get down to what is now probably a rather pitiful allotment, as the rain has put me off going down there. I need to put in some kohl rabi, but have recently started making enquiries about finding a small piece of land instead. The plan is to share it between a few local families and the hope is that we can have a few goats, another family want some bees and the idea of a couple of pigs has been tossed around, amongst other things, so enquiries are being made. It’s a big step, but I’ve wanted goats since I was a girl (I really love them) and so, for me it would be better and I would transfer ‘growing stuff’, which has sort of put the allotment up in the air atm as I’d prefer to share a space that I could keep animals on.

Also HEADS UP on an order. I’m planning to place an order with Kate Quinn Organics (the clothing that I included a few posts ago) again. If anyone would like to add anything in particular to the order (size or colour-wise) do have a look at her website and let me know and I’ll make a note to add it.

… has arrived. Thank you to the Angel who stepped in at the last minute, so very kind! I hope my original Secret Pal is ok too!

Some lovely Louisa Harding yarn - which is so incredibly soft (we all had a stroke against our cheeks). I’ve not held any before, so was rather pleased with this :0) Some interesting R2 paper tape - again, something I’ve not seen before. I really like the colour, but am a little unsure what to make with it, so will have a good think - it’s great to get the opportunity to work with new yarn! Some sweet Patons Flower Garden, which I think will make a lovely scarf and hat set for my daughter (or possibly me - I really should knit something for me!) Some buttons - I *like* buttons, they appeal to my inner-hoarder (I have boxes of ‘ephemera’ - little bits and bobs, so buttons are wonderful!) Also some Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer - I recently read some good things about Burt’s Bees and had already been to have a look at the website, so clearly this Angel is psychic and tuned into that It has peppermint in and makes my lips tingle

Thank you so much!