Update On Finishing Projects

So after writing my list yesterday and thinking that I only had 4 unfinished projects to complete, that's not quite true, realised there were another 4 projects in the cupboard, oops

1. second panel of knitted throw.
2. finish sewing L's blouse (fabric from stash)
3. grey wrist warmers, not sure if I like the pattern in the wool I am using from my stash, so might unravel them and start again!
4. have just started a white cardi for L again wool I already have.
5. patchwork quilt
6. dolls pyjamas that I had cut out of scraps of fabric
7. cat cross stitch that I started a while ago
8. a skirt, needs the zip put in and waistband finished, I got tot his stage last year and hoped I might loose a bit of weight, tone up, so didn't finish it!

But have today finished L's blouse, pleased with it, it's from the spring edition of Ottobre magazine, looking at it now, I should of made the yoke a double layer so hiding all the seems, did this with the last top I made from this magazine but didn't think about this time. 

Met up with a friend and her son yesterday and we all had a lovely walk around the woods, lots of bluebells out and plenty of butterflies.

Spotted a lovely peacock butterfly sunning itself on some brambles, there were a few blue butterflies flitting around too but not staying still long enough for a photo. I talked to the children about though they might not like the nettles, the peacock butterflies do as they lay their eggs on the underside of the nettle leaves.

Linking up with Frontier Dreams

Finishing Projects

Last week was a busy week, catching up with friends who are now on Easter holidays, O had his follow up appointment with the consultant after his emergency op last month, he is really pleased with his recovery and has been discharged from hospital care, which is brilliant news.

In the meantime the girls have been busy planting lots of seeds, a tray of sunflowers and beans, then we have direct sowed lots of peas, and scattered a mixture of seeds round the flower beds at home. We ended up with Californian poppies, cornflowers, love in the mist, zinnias and red poppies, the Californian poppies usually do really well and we get a lovely display most years. They usually seed themselves really well but this year only seem to have had only a couple of plants come up this year, so time for some new seeds and fingers crossed we get a lovely display again this year.

We've had a go at some wet felting, they all enjoyed the process, think it needed a bit more working than we did but they enjoyed the process and are pleased with the results, so that is the most important thing.

My girls have enjoyed making patterns with the glass beads and L made paths for her fairies to walk along.

Now I have been determined to try and finish some of my craft projects before I start something new and use up some of my wool and fabric stash, not sure exactly how well I am doing! So finished the birthday cardi in hayfield  blossom, simple pattern but pretty soft wool.  Loved the way the pattern knitted up, there was bit of juggling to get the pattern to match up at the front, just my personal preference, don't mind the sleeves being different but just felt the pattern across the front needed to be in the same place! Now bought some lovely purple wool in the same range to make L a cardi, oops, so much for not buying more wool!

And another birthday gift finished and in the post, just hope it arrives safely, always get nervous when sending something you have worked hard on through the post!

I am now halfway through the second panel of my throw, it's a lot of cable work on each row, so slower going than the first panel.
So projects to finish are

1. second panel of knitted throw.
2. finish sewing L's blouse (fabric from stash)
3. grey wrist warmers, not sure if I like the pattern in the wool I am using from my stash, so might unravel them and start again!
4. have just started a white cardi for L again wool I already have.

Which doesn't sound too bad but sorting through various fabric, I have sorted out enough purple fabric to make L a winter coat, made one 2 years ago that she loves, so same pattern just bigger size, found some white wool to make myself a cardi and some stretch jersey to run up some leggings! So knowing me I will probably start at least another project before I finish the above but least they are all from my stash of craft materials!

I am halfway through reading Honeycomb Kids, just read the chapter on Getting Dirty and the benefits of gardening, so adding to the list I made about what children learnt from gardening with me, the book talks about the benefits of healthy pesticide free food, vitamin d from being outside, reducing our carbon footprint, the skills children learn through growing food, to name a few. Have just been passed a copy of Connect with Nature, looks a beautiful book, having a quick flick through, I think a lot of the stuff we already do but you never know on a closer look might fond something new. The photos are beautiful and think it will be nice for me to sit and look at, especially for those times when you need a positive inspiration moment. Have also treated myself to copy of Alchemy of Herbs, it looks great, really informative, each chapter covers one herb and talks you through the different uses, health benefits and some recipes, looking forward to trying some of them out.

On a childminding planning front, I have put together some of the spring activities into a more structured plan this month. Sometimes, I just have lots of ideas bouncing round in my head, sometimes I just list ideas and other times, I like to write up a more structured plan like the ones below, the second plan is just my ideas fitted into the eyfs, which might be helpful to some people. It really varies on what and/or how many children I have, how busy I am etc, as to how or what I do, it's just what works well for me at that moment in time.

Joining Frontier Dreams for Crafting On and as Kat Knits for Unravelled wednesdays

Colour Theory and Gardening

We have been enjoying the warmer, dryer weather and getting outside lots, seedlings are doing well and today we have planted loads of french bean seeds and a mixture of flower seeds, some more sweetpeas, then morning glory, nemesia, snap dragons and nicotina.

 Have been thinking lots about the different conversations we have while gardening and the amount the children learn from them, as well as it being an enjoyable relaxing activity. There is so much science that just occurs without any effort, we cover a variety of life cycles of plants and insects, how seeds develop, parts of a plant, the jobs they do, pollination, how they interact, how earth worms, bees, slow worms and frogs are good for the garden. Nutrition, the impact of farming on the environment, soil erosion, composting. The time spent observing the plants developing, the various wildlife, listening to the birds and crickets and learning to be still and watch. Observing the weather, the change in the sky, seasons and what it means. As well as the health benefits from the exercise while gardening, the positive mental benefits, co-ordination - small motor skills while planting seeds, planting on seeds, gross motor from using tools. I'm sure there is loads more but that is what has come to mind now.

In September 2014 we acquired an additional bit to our allotment, which was fairly over grown and four compost bins made out of old pallets, the bins were full of rotted carpets, weeds and rubbish, it was a lot of work clearing it and then trying to decide what to do with it all.

We decided that we could go for mainly fruit, we have some very dwarf fruit trees apple, pear, cherry, then blueberry bushes, jostaberry, red and white currant bushes and a thornless blackberry. We added in a couple of lavender bushes, some wallflowers and lupins along the front edge, to help attract bees and other helpful insects, so two and a half years later it now looks like this, we've spent the last week weeding and mulching it all and if a may so myself it is looking very good.

Strawberry's are doing well and their new bed is nearly ready for them, front tubs are sweetcorn, planted last week, so a little bit early to see any signs yet.

Cucumbers are potted on and are doing well.

Broccoli and brussel sprouts are doing very well, we've planted some more broccoli seeds today.

On a school childminding front we have been looking at the colour wheel, primary colours, secondary colours, complementary, warm and cool colours and then creating a day and night picture using cool colours for night and warm for day, will hopefully finish them of this week but we have all enjoyed creating these.

M has been attending an anime drawing course, the teacher is wonderful, very enthusiastic, this week they were looking at movement. Over the weeks, they have created a character and a short story piece for their character. Now they are spending time getting to know their character, facial expressions, movements etc.

Mothering Sunday

We spent Sunday morning at the allotment, the weather was lovely, if a bit windy, managed to weed the gooseberry patch, raspberry beds and add a new layer of mulch to them. We have partly weeded round the fruit trees and added some mulch to that area too, will finish of the rest another day. L loves to rake, so she happily raked the mulch all over the beds for us, then enjoyed transporting a small amount balanced on her rake to different patches around the fruit trees. She wanted to know why we were doing this, so explained that adding a layer of mulch kept the weeds down, so we didn't have to spend so long weeding, it helps the soil keep moist when the weather gets hot but also protects the plants in the cold, also as it breaks down it feeds the soil so the soil stays healthy and therefore the plants healthy as well. I'm sure there are more reasons but thought this was enough for her to think about for now. She was fascinated with this and was busy chatting away to herself and telling the plants why she was putting the mulch around them.

I disturbed an ants nest and we spent some time watching them,  L sat their and said to them " I am sorry ants Mummy didn't know you had a home there, I am sure you can find somewhere safer to build your home, the vegetable patch isn't the best place" when we came home I found out some more information to show the ants eggs, their tunnels etc.

Started the unicorn embroidery last night and really enjoying it, makes a change from all the cross stitch I have done recently. This is present for a friend's daughter, the kit came from Hawthorn Handmade, the fabric is lovely and it came beautifully boxed too all wrapped in pink tissue, which means when I come to wrap it all up I already have all the materials I need to wrap it beautifully. Happy days.

Linked up with Frontier Dreams for crafting on

Australia

Had a lovely walk this morning spotting all the trees with blossom on them and the children trying to jump over all the puddles they found. Then home for a snack and to read this weeks story which was from Australia, we had a look at some Aboriginal art . Then left the children to come up with their own patterns, using paint and cotton buds. I was given this box of cotton buds, when O was born nearly 19 years ago, think they sat with the baby stuff for a while before migrating to the art box, I'm sure we must come to the end of them at some point but the box always seems to be nearly full, however many art projects we do!

So we have butterflies and flowers

 and a rainbow exploding.

We then spent ages looking at our Maps book and talking about all the different things they could see.

We have added to our books with these too Atlas of Adventures and Atlas of animal Adventures, they are beautifully illustrated and go very well with the Maps book for extra information.

L loves being read to and we do this a lot during the day as well as several bedtime stories but she had reached the point where she had listened to her favourites so many times she wanted a change, we do use the library but she wanted something different. She loves fairy tales, so thought I would try Scottish Folk and fairy Tales, some are variations on the traditional tales others are brand new tales and she has loved them all, now on our second reading through.

I started knitting my new project, been a while since I have knitted anything in a chunky wool, it's so lovely to have something pretty, that knits up quick too, this is the  pattern, I am making the cardi. Reading a mixture at the moment, I normally have more than one book on the go, especially if the book is the type I like to ponder and act on, others like Braiding the Sweetgrass, each chapter stands alone but also leaves you lots to think about. Jane wrote about Honeycomb Kids on her blog Adventures at Tiny Toadstool Cottage and really liked the sound of it, only on chapter 4 Competitions vs Connection, how we want our children to cooperate and talk about team work but so much of what we do is about competition ,the winner and the losers, the games we play, the activities we encourage. We can build on the idea that co-operation and sharing is better than being the winner, love the example of the game musical chairs, how it encourages, shoving etc rather than co-operation. But change the rules to everyone has to try and sit on a chair, you still remove a chair each time but they need to work out how they can still all sit on the seats left, you have a co-operative game that builds connections and relationships.

 I have been trying to sort through all my books, which has been a hard process, now have lots that I want to reread before a let them go or not as the case seems to be. Reading Simplicity Parenting for the 3rd time, it's been a couple of years since I read it last, still relevant and still very aware that we still have too much stuff, we are reducing and simplifying life but when you child mind and home educate it tends to complicate the simplifying bit or at least it does for me and that's without adding in my crafts! A simpler life in many ways is an easier life and with less objects you have more time to do the things you really want to do, we will get there.

Linking up with As Kat knits for Unravelled Wednesdays

St Patrick's day and Spring Equinox

Our story on Friday from a Year Full of Stories, was The Pot of Gold an Irish story just perfect for a talk about St Patrick and leprechauns. Little ones loved the idea of the leprechauns and their pots of gold, we talked about the story of finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and read The Pot of Gold where the leprechaun had hid his pot of gold in the cabbage field and how he tricked the human and didn't loose his gold. They then spent some time drawing rainbows and pots of gold.

  This is the leprechaun with his field of cabbages.

We've also been reading Roxaboxen a favourite for sparking the imagination, L remembered how last year we drew roads on the patio with chalk and asked if we could do that again but as it was raining heavily, not an activity for that day. I suggested she could draw a map on paper, she asked if she could use one of the large sheets of cardboard I had been saving for a rainy day. M decided to join in and the girls spent ages creating a town, with shops, caves and a dragon, it's been used all week with the lego and dolls house people.

On a dryer day we made it up the allotment to do some weeding, I have bought a stirrup hoe or sometimes called a wiggle hoe and wanted to try it out, it's fantastic and now wish I had come across these a few years ago, hopefully it will make the weeding seed of the allotment a lot easier and quicker, fingers crossed. It's great to see the fruit trees all coming to life, seeing the baby leaves uncurl is always an amazing site, the children and I spents ages looking and talking about the different stages the leaves were at.  As this week is the spring equinox, thought it was a good time to talk about what this meant, came across this you tube video background music is rather loud but it covered a lot of information in a good way. This astronomical event of the equinoxes, the how and why the days change length etc. We've also learnt that some native American tribes call the march full moon, the worm moon, the time when the soil softens enough for the worms casts to appear and plants start to push their way up through the soil.

We have been looking at colour theory, the plan is to create some art using just warm or cool colours but to start with I created a colour wheel, so the girls have something to refer back to, knew M would be interested in it but was surprised how interested L was.

I have finished L's summer pyjamas, the pattern is this Burda one, in the last of the lovely pink floral fabric, now have sorted out some white swiss dot voile to make her top in and

 finished the button borders on my cardi, that was over 300 stitches to pick up, now have some very cute self patterning wool to start making a first birthday gift and a unicorn to embroider for another little girl's birthday.