Postcards from Brittany

 We sailed home across the sea last night, and found ourselves finally pulled up outside our place today with a hilarious ( I mean it would really have been funny if we weren't so tired : ) amount of unpacking, washing and sorting to do after two weeks camping in France in all weathers.

Driving on the road home I just wanted to take the whole island of Ireland in an embrace. I am convinced we've got the greenest green of any land. Great to go away and great to come home right? ; ) 

If you've been following my blog awhile you might have spotted that as well as green, I'm very in love with the colour blue. The first place we stayed on our trip, the fishing village of Le Conquet seemed to share that passion. I never did find out whether there was a general concensus amongst it's villagers to paint most every shutter, window frame, door, railing and boat in varying shades of blue, or whether it was all a beautiful coincidence. Either way, it was a feast for the eyes as I pedalled through it on my trusty old bike.

Intricate lace curtains hung in most every window, the detail of which fascinated me.
And boy, do the French love their flowers.

These last four images are from other Breton areas we explored and everywhere the pride of place inspired us. 
More to come x M

Yarn Along and a Giveaway!

I wondered when my smallie would be ready to knit... I was so looking forward to that but I just waited to see.

 He wanted to make a pair of  his own needles when he saw the children at school were making them with me in handwork, then we put them aside for a while. We also made tree branch buttons with a friend, they've just been sitting waiting to be used on something special.

Some weeks ago he told me he wanted to knit, and it seems to me that when kids are ready, they are really ready. He got right into the swing of it and decided he wanted to make himself a treasure bag for our upcoming trip. Nana knit some of the rows for him in the evenings when he stayed with her. He even loved the decreasing, despite moments of panic when he dropped a stitch or something else went awry!

 A little milestone, but one very dear to me : )

My own knitting this week has also put a smile on my face. Knitted gnomes are on the curriculum for one of my classes next September. I'd never made any kind of knitted doll so I wondered how it worked and whether it would be fun.

 It is! This is just a first go, more are coming to my mind's eye and I'm suddenly flooded with all kinds of ideas about telling gnome stories to the children and building a little world around these characters and the little things we could make for them.
Eyes are often stitched in thread, with fleece being used for hair, but I like the idea of doing everything in yarn, the children get a wide experience of all that you do with just yarn, how you can fashion and create a character using many different stitches. It also makes a really trusty toy then, hardy enough for play as well as storytelling.

Inspired again : ) and excited about bringing this project to the children and just watching where they take it.

I'm happily joining Ginny and the gang over Small Things for this week's Yarn Along.
To celebrate one year of my blog : ) and to thank all my readers and especially all you regulars whose lovely comments I've so appreciated over the months, I'm giving away one of my needle felted figures!
A Toadstool Elder, pictured below.
 Leave a comment and I'll randomly pick a winner by the end of this week and be in touch. (Comments are now closed) As always, thank you for your visit x M

Thank you for all your lovely comments : )
And the winner is...Svenna of Stitch and Purl!
"The gnome is beautiful, you are inspiring me again..
And well done, little guy - may you have many happy hours of knitting!

Happy anniversary, Mia! I always look forward to visiting your space and beautiful creations. I'm in love with your toadstool elder, honestly!"