Mousy Brown's House-Creating, crafting and collecting. Enjoying Life.

Spinning Happy.

Valentine's weekend was a little different for me this year.  My friend Emma finally tempted me to join her at a spinning retreat at Plas Tan Y Bwlch in Snowdonia and we spent the weekend nurturing our love of yarn...not sure it was really necessary but boy was it fun!

We arrived on Friday afternoon and met the six other "students" we were to spend the weekend with, over our evening meal.  There was time for some fibre play before bed and Ann Campbell and Chris Jukes, our tutors for the retreat, spent some time introducing themselves and getting to know us better. Saturday was packed full of spinning, learning and laughter (and lots of amazing food too!) and ended with a quiz...where Em and I won a prize for coming last! Sunday included a few more challenging techniques and we kept on spinning right until the last moment, when we almost had to be dragged away from our wheels to drive back to reality...

It was a magical weekend.

It was a wekkend full of laughter and giggles.

It was a weekend full of amazing people, who were knowledgable, funny and kind.

I really didn't want the weekend to end (so much so I booked myself on next years retreat before we left!)

We spun lots and lots of yarn and I'll be back soon to show you some of what I made...just as soon as I can drag myself away from the wheel long enough to take some photos...

 

 

Holiday Knitting.

I've fallen behind again...

We have been to Dorset and I have lots to show and tell...

And before that I visited the "Festival of Quilts" with my friend Em and I have many, many pictures to share (and a few purchases too!)...

And I've been sewing again lately...

But for now, with the time available and my eyes drooping with tiredness, I'm afraid all I can manage is some teasers of my latest knitting projects...lets just say I took longer planning and packing them than my clothes before we left for our holiday.  Well you have to get your priorities right, don't you?

Project One = Dawlish Socks by Rachel Coopey, Yarn = EasyKnits.co.uk, Deeply Wicked sock in Vampires Kiss, Project bag purchased here.

Project Two = Brown Eyed Susan by Juju Vail and Susan Cropper, Yarn = Natural Dye studio Phoenix sock, Eden Cottage Yarns BFL sock and Fyberspates Twizzle 4ply, Project bag purchased here.

Lots of fun with a special friend....

 

This picture makes me think of magical sweets in big glass jars and it is just a short step from there to the fantastical factories that would make them...

Today I would like to invite you to come and join in with an adventure that started, for me, back in March, when I travelled to Paris to share the celebrations for a very special project with a very special friend...

Valarie and I got to know each other first through our blogs and then when we had the joy of meeting in person.  She travelled half way around the world to join me for my 40th birthday and my trip to Paris was to join her for a celebration of the "birthday" of this book....

 

Throughout the time we have known her, my children and I have become committed "Book Jumpers" and have been inspired to try all kinds of ways of bringing the pages of our books alive...

...This week there are exciting adventures for you to share in too and I would love you to visit Valarie and take part in all the fun!  You can sign up here to take part in all the birthday celebrations and discover some new and innovative ways to enjoy reading with your children, creating delicious (and often educational) treats to eat, making and playing along with the story...and there are opportunities to win some amazing prizes too! 

You can find out even more on the Charlie blog here: jump in and see what fun reading and playing together can be!

End of Summer...

::On the beach

::knitting

::Purchase

::Visitors

::Inspiration!

::Making

::Visiting

::Harvest

::Stitching

Well, it's the last day of August and the last 6 weeks seem to have sped past super quick...I had so many things I meant to show you but somehow the doing has rather taken over from the computer this Summer (and if I'm completely honest the not doing anything has had quite a good run for its money too!)  Just a few days remain before we are back to school and we have plans to fit in a last minute trip in the canoe, finishing at least one more book (I think between us we are well into double figures), binding a quilt, labelling uniform, a possible outdoors performance (very weather dependant) and an attempt to get back on to a bit more of a normal sleep pattern!  I'll try and make up for the lack of posting over the Summer and be here a bit more over the next few weeks, especially as I am hoping you will join me at the end of the month for a special celebration of 3!

Home...

...in body but not really in spirit.  Four days spent in Cornwall, enjoying time with family and friends (lots of it on the beach!) just doesn't feel like long enough.  Today it was straight back to work, I have loads of washing to do and the rain is pouring down outside.  Can you guess where I'd rather be?

This week...

...has gone in a flash!

:: there has been crochet (kit bought at Woolfest, from here).

:: extra work days to make up for my weekend away.

:: meals in the garden in between the rain.

:: the start of some solar dye pots (one kit bought at Woolfest, from here).

:: lots of rushing in and out with the washing...trying to catch the hot sunny bits and miss the VERY wet bits.

:: an opportunity to do something new and the big decisions and juggling that a return to study + work + family + blogging + life will mean...

:: some time seeing how busy some others lives can be.

:: a little bit of hanging about with my Hubby and my stitching for here.

:: A long and humid cycle to school with Sam, which was the last thing I wanted to do but was just what I needed.

:: and lots of other stuff packed in to any spare second...

This weekend we are meeting up with family we haven't seen in 10 years and getting to see a new nephew/cousin for the first time.  Beaches and sea will be visited, deep breaths will be taken and a whole lot of stitching needs to get done before next weeks class. I'll keep my fingers crossed for a bit of blue between the black clouds for all of us...wishing you a happy, laughter filled weekend where-ever you are!

The wishing tree at Madron Baptistry.

Whilst in Cornwall over Easter, we took an opportunity to show the boys a rather magical place we discovered on a wet afternoon before they were born (it's funny how that time seems impossibly long ago!)...

The Madron Baptistry and Well is an ancient, celtic, sacred site and being a "Clootie well"  it has a nearby tree covered in offerings of various kinds.  We found it the same way this time as we had previously...by pointing the car in a general direction and coming across it as we drove around. The boys were as intrigued by it as we had been and spent ages looking at all the things tied to the tree.  The Baptistry itself has a very special feel, peaceful and calm and you can't help but feel somehow closer to the past.  We hadn't thought to take anything to tie to the tree but we came up with some improvised tokens, woven from nearby leaves, to go with our wishes...

Closer to home...things here are still wet, although I am managing to get through the laundry slowly with a lot of running out to the washing line in between showers.  The knitting is progressing, only another few inches to go but at 400+ stitches a row it has slowed down quite a bit.  We have sleepovers and parties to fit into the next few days before returning to school but I'll try and return soon with some more photo's of what we got up to over Easter or have you had enough of pictures of eggs now?

Back...

We popped down to Cornwall for a few days of beaches, family and Easter celebrations.  Now we are back and I am trying to figure out a way to dry all the laundry in the rain, while wondering if we'll ever get rid of all the sand...

Back with some pictures when things settle down (and if I am totally honest when I finish the knitting which keeps calling to me from it's bag!)...

Cakes, candles and beaches...

:: We had breakfast outside (junior pikelets, crispy bacon and eggs).

:: Cake discovered here (I used coconut oil and coffee - it didn't taste of either but it did taste delicious!)

:: The birthday ring had some new pieces (ordered here).

:: We visited our favourite beach and played cricket, built sand castles and tried out a giant catapult.

:: The sun was out (and so was the moon!)

:: Yesterday the rain was back and we spent all day in our PJ's recovering from the sun, sea, sand and too much cake!

 

In Paris...

:: We strolled in the sunshine.

:: We enjoyed beautiful music at every street corner.

:: We were spoilt for amazing buildings to admire.

:: We were also spoilt for amazing food! (especially here!)

:: We giggled and talked, and talked, and talked....

:: We walked until our feet hurt and weren't quite brave enough to try one of the free bikes...

:: I marvelled at how everything sounds so much more romantic in French!

:: I wished I could buy flowers.

:: I loved spending time with my special blogging friend (and her gorgeous and amazing children!)

:: We visited this stunning yarn store  (which wouldn't allow photo's!) and I knitted a bit.

:: Time past so slow and we did so much but the weekend was over too fast....