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!"

Yarn Along

Deep sigh. I am writing on this, the first morning of the summer holidays : )

My students have all finished their handwork projects, beloved teachers have been hugged, flowers and cards have been given and received. Yesterday my small boy received his golden key and walked out the door of the kindergarten for the very last time. Bittersweet.

 Lots to take in.. and let go of. But mostly, lots to feel ever so grateful for.

And so I am happily joining Ginny and the gang over at Small Things for this week's Yarn Along, and for a change I'm not dashing ; )

Having made all those handwork samples for school (phew!) I'm finally making something for us, for the home. A round cushion to brighten our couch, inspired by Lucy's pattern over at Attic 24. Only round cushion pads are not available in these parts, so I had to fashion one from a square. Which turned into quite a fluffy affair, being that I'd bought a feather-filled cushion and am a fledging in the use of a sewing machine. Suffice it to say to that I'm still coming across the odd feather floating around!

I just need to crochet both sides together now and I'll post next week. This was a project I promised myself I wouldn't buy ANY yarn for, but just work out of my scraps basket. Soooo, the colours have turned out a bit pretty, just a little bit too sweet somehow. I would go for more edgy colour combinations normally. But I think I can live with it and it will certainly bring some cheer into our living space.

Smallie finally got to bring home his 'Peter'. The rising class one children worked so lovingly on these felt puppets. One of their teachers proudly told me that the children used three different types of stitches in this project. Impressive and inspiring to me always, the teachers and the children.


 Hey, I just now realised that this month marks one year of my blog!
 I think that calls for a giveaway on next week's Yarn Along post, so stay tuned : )
Here is my very  first Yarn Along post a year ago. A beginner knitter very much aware of all I did not yet know, and working on the jumper you see my son wearing in the photo above. He has asked to wear it pretty much every day since I gave it to him. Makes my heart swell. 


Thank you for stopping by, as always x M

Yarn Along

Lovely to be joining Ginny and the gang over at Small Things for this week's Yarn Along.

These are a couple more handwork samples I made, to come up with a truly simple bag pattern for my class one kids, comprising pretty much everything they've so diligently learnt in this first year...how to cast on, knit plain stitch, change colour, decrease, cast off and seam. That's a lot, right?

I always feel that making a simple little bag is a great project for children, it fulfils the beauty and purpose ideals, but also children of this age still love to gather, collect, bring, find and carry. Though I do feel that these bags should really be lined, being that coins and stones seem to be high on the 'cargo' list  for the lads ; ) We've run out of time this year but I'll make sure to work that part in to next year's lesson plans, great to develop their sewing and seaming skills too.

 I avoid projects that seem to go on forever for this age group, favouring instead smaller projects where children who need more time can make a smaller version if they like, and children who need less time can make a bigger/longer version. Getting the children to this stage is a lot of work and I have learnt sooo much in this new role, but when I look at and hold their work I am constantly impressed with their capabilities (a couple of finished ones below) And what a joy to see their pride and satisfaction when they finish and take their work home, I do feel honoured.

Loved seeing Ginny's daughter knitting away so carefully on her previous post : )
And how about you, what are you working on..? And if you have little ones in your life who knit/crochet, what do they like to make..? Love to hear.

Thanks so much for your visit x M

Yarn Along

Happily joining Ginny and the gang over at Small Things for this week's Yarn Along.

A busy time at school, helping the children to finish their projects before year's end.

And I myself have a small boy playing through his last few weeks of kindergarten blissfully unaware of the big changes ahead, that of transition up to the main school, for class one next September. I feel both sad and excited at once.

 In fact, I will be his handwork teacher, hmmm....how that will go who can say! ; )

The children crochet cases for their wooden flutes in class two, many of them are finished now and they've moved on to making the hat I posted about here last week. Their flute bags are made to be worn around the neck during performances etc. I now wish we'd made them in wool rather than cotton, it stands up so much better to regular use and handling. So we'll line these with cotton fabric to strengthen them. (Thank you Gitta!) It's an ambitious enough project for them and once again I'm deeply impressed with their achievements.

So how about you, what yarn is passing through your hands these days, and is yet another school year drawing to a close in your part of the world...?

I so appreciate all of your visits and comments : ) Many thanks for the lovely feedback on last week's post, loved reading it. Looking forward to seeing all the wonderful things y'all are working on out there, always inspiring x M

Yarn Along

Happily joining Ginny and the gang over at Small Things for this week's Yarn Along.

I'm home from my trip to England and trying to get back into the swing of things here, phew! 

I'll be sharing a little about that soon.

 Meanwhile.........a hat for class two to crochet! Curious time of the year for it I know, but it's the time when abilities and skills have built enough to work on such a pattern. Inspired by the hat pattern in Crochet for Children.  I made some modifications (always looking to simplify) and used chunky yarn with a size 5.5mm hook.

A wonderful pattern for beginners : )

A friend loaned me this beautiful book, a feast for the eyes indeed : )

I'm also hooking up a cover for a round cushion, to cosy up a certain caravan we're taking on the road this summer. Just when I thought my caravan days were over!

So what's in your work basket this week..?  Looking forward to checking out what you're up to out there.

Thank you for stopping by x M

Yarn Along

Happily joining Ginny and the gang over at Small Things for this week's Yarn Along.

 I decided to do wrist warmers with my class two children and made up this simple pattern for them. I posted before about it here when I made a pair for my small son. (you should see them now all worn fuzzy, and sporting bits of moss! ; ) With the amount of time these children spend outside in all weathers, I love how these keep the draught out.

I had fun making up this sample pair, so quick and easy.

And while my son is quite in love with The Seven-year-old Wonder Book above,... I myself am quite enthralled with this beautiful book Essentially Irish at the moment.

                                                                         Thanks to Henneke for this photo
The children wear their wrist warmers with pride : ) 

Hey, I think I've finally gotten over my block about blocking ; ) Having been a slacker about it for ages now, I had a bit of a blocking party over the weekend with all my wool handwork samples for school (the cotton projects will have to wait 'til another day)and a few of my own bits too, including a pair of wrist warmers I've been wearing for well over a year now!


In a few days time I will be winging my way over to the South of England to visit a bigger Waldorf School there for a week, to observe and assist in the handwork department. I am excited : )

 Thanks so much for stopping by and for all your visits on last weeks post. I look forward to seeing what you're up to x M