More Willow and Tissue Lanterns

I promisied a second post with more willow and tissue lanterns. The one above in my son's anomalocaris. It really is a thing of beauty, and so much work. And although the Dickensian Evening Parade in Tavistock was cancelled because of the bad weather, it is now hung from my ceiling as part of our Christmas decorations. The second photo is rather out of focus, but shows its rather interesting mouth.

 

In fact the best place to hang it without blocking our route through the house is right behind my computer chair, which is making me feel a little bit threatened. 

 

And below are some of the other wonderful lanterns which were on display in the Guildhall in Tavistock, and the angel which we came across in the church. As I said there was a right old mixture. It was a shame that the Guildhall display was without the lights switched on, which is how they look best.

 

Willow and Tissue Lanterns

I've been posting with hints of willow and tissue lanterns for quite a while, and last Friday was meant to be the reveal, as part of procession at the Tavistock Dickensian Evening. Mixed feelings when the procession, and in fact most of the outdoor parts of the evening, was cancelled. Very disappointing, as that was what we had been working towards, but it would equally have been very upsetting to have seen the lanterns ruined in the rain, and possibly not to have much of an audience.

So at last I can show you my Barn Owl. Yes, I know, I am quite keen on owls.

The lanterns are going to be on display in Tavistock Guildhall this week, and will no doubt be part of our Christmas decorations at home. And as this is an annual event, perhaps if we look after them, they will be part of next year's parade. 

Planning to take some photos of the other lanterns later in the week. I would say that my barn owl was one of the least ambitious. Can't wait to see them all displayed. I will also post a photo of my son's lantern, which he was up finishing so late into the night, that it was actually the morning.

It was one of the best courses I have done with West Devon Arts. I really did not envisage that making the lanterns would more than fill up the 8 sessions, so much so that I think everyone had to do some at home. I think it was so good because we were all working towards an event, and somehow sitting around one table seemed to lead to more chat.

Lantern Teaser

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I mentioned a few weeks ago that my son and I are going to a willow and tissue lantern making course, and our final pieces will be in a Christmas Lantern Procession in Tavistock. 

Although it is an eight week course we only have two more weeks to go, so my son brought his project home, and did a bit of construction in the kitchen. Both are lanterns are going to be animals - mine fairly conventional, and his less so. Anyone who knows him might be able to guess! This is the willow stage, and the next bit is to attach lights and make the tissue covering.

Apologies for terrible photos in my kitchen. If anyone can correctly name the creature I will be very impressed.

Wire Art (Part One)

Following on from our linoprinting course, my son and I signed up for a short wire art course. Some of my London friends said there would be nothing to do in the country, and I would say they are wrong, as there seems just as much, although perhaps you have to hunt a bit harder.

We started off learning different techniques to shape the wire. We used pliers, and were also taught how to shape the wire around other forms. Then we were taught some different ways to join the wire, and the piece below is really all my learning pieces joined together. I was quite pleased when it was held up to the class, and the word "Picasso-like" was used!

That week we then all went on to work on flowers. Mine on the left is meant to be a poppy seedhead, and my son's is more cowslip. He had the inspired idea for twisting the wire at the base to make a stand, which most of the class then copied.

The following week we moved on to other projects, although still guided by the teacher. My son and I both decided to make a fish, and in this project a 2-dimensional fish was made, and then built outwards to make him 3-D.

Below is my son's fish, who is now hanging in the kitchen under a trailing plant. Mine is not quite as good, but you can see the edge of his fin.

Next we were allowed to move onto our own projects, and although the course is now finished, I still have to add legs to my creature. My son has gone for something very ambitious, which I am really hoping he will finish so I can show you in a few weeks.

Mutant Farm Mice

Once again I have been busy making mutant mice. They are really fun to make, and although my husband keeps saying "why not just make some animals" I am quite enjoying keeping them essentially as mice, but with just a few features of other animals. 

I am getting ready for another craft fair next weekend, and although I am not sure these will appeal to anyone, I am having a nice time making them.

 

Still plenty of time to join in the Ginx Woolly Linx Party for November.

Mice, Mice, Mice

I've been busy making some mice, and started off by making some Fair Isle mice from this free pattern by Yellow Pink and Sparkly. After a little while I thought about the pink sugar mice that we would get, especially at Christmas, so had a go at making one of them.

Next it seemed like it might be fun to make a few stripey mice, with different combinations of colours.

And finally after making a black and white striped mouse, I was told I had made a zebra mouse, so I thought I would add to the group with giraffe mouse and lion mouse. The family think I am bonkers!

Still time to join in the Ginx Woolly Linx Party for October.

Rabbits

I have been trying to photograph rabbits.  There are plenty around here, but it has really not been as easy as I had imagined. It is hard to get close. Sometimes this is the best I have got. 

I really think it is not the fox that is cunning and wiley, but rabbits. I have tried various techniques - sitting in bushes, hiding in an old tent. One evening there really were no rabbits in sight, and eventually I noticed that there was a large buzzard sitting in the trees. The rabbits were well ahead of me.

But I found that there is a place up behind the house, where if I sit behind a tree for a while, the baby rabbits come out in the next field. Perhaps having a fence between us makes them more confident. They are really adorable, and perhaps a bit less wary that the older rabbits. I just wish they would come a bit closer to me.
 

This one reminds me of Little Grey Rabbit by Alison Uttley

And then one evening this older rabbit came out, much closer to the fence, and I managed to get a few shots before I think he heard my camera, and disappeared down his hole.

Perhaps photographing rabbits, not just involves getting close to the rabbits, but also getting the right light. On another evening the setting sun was lovely. But it would still be nice to get just a bit closer. I think if I just keep trying, they may get so used to the weird women behind the tree that they take no notice of me at all.
 

This last one I call the proud rabbit. He just sat still like this taking in the evening air for ages.

Just a reminder that there is still plenty of time left to join in my Ginx Woolly Linx party for May. Click on the photo above or at the top of the page to find the party. I would love to see what you have been working on this month.

Changes

I've been hinting throughout the year about changes. As the year is coming to an end, and things have finally worked out, I will explain. Back in the summer we sold our house in town on the outskirts of London, and for the next year or so I will have a life split between the town and country. I had thought about renaming my blog, or even starting a new one. Seems a bit too complicated, but you may notice a few changes.

My husband retired in the summer, and now is living the country life in Cornwall (very near the border with Devon). While my daughter and I are living in a flat, close to where we lived before on the outskirts of London, until at least she finishes her A-levels.

Obviously there will still be a lot of knitting on this blog, and I am going to go on running the monthly Ginx Linx Party. But I hope there will be some new things.

What appealed to us so much about the house is that we also have several fields. The previous owners were very much into conservation, so the land has not had any chemicals put on it for many years. When we viewed the big field in the summer it was just a meadow full of beautiful flowers. So the initial plan is to continue to let nature take its course.  I am reading a Wilding by Isabella Tree, and hope perhaps we can follow the same ethos. 

We both have ideas for slightly different projects. He really wants to extend the existing woodland, and has been nurturing lots of tree saplings with this is mind. I still have my alpaca dream, although that will have to wait until we are both here full-time. I did think that perhaps we could have some beehives at the top of the field. We will just have to see.

But to start with I want to get cracking on the vegetable plot, which you can see below is a bit overgrown. I won't be starting from scratch, but really have very little experience of gardening, so may be asking for some advice. Expect I will make some mistakes, but I am going to try to write here about my vegetable gardening each month, also as a way of keeping a record of our first year here. 

I have spent a lot of Christmas looking out the kitchen window at the birds. So here is a little taster below, and expect more photographs of wildlife.

Just a reminder that there is still a little bit of time left to join in my Ginx Woolly Linx party for December. Click on the photo above or at the top of the page to find the party. I would love to see what you have been working on this month.

The Deer in Richmond Park

 The Hunters Are Coming

I hear a gun shot, a celebratory cry.

As I look in the bushes, a gleaming blue eye.

The hunters are coming, as big and as bad,

They've seen me I know, and they're especially glad.

Up to my feet I get with a rush,

Quickly I charge to hide by a thrush.

"Deer! over there" the hunters they shout.

Will I survive? I'm, beginning to doubt!

I run for my life, over the hill.

Yes! I'll survive. I beating them till ...

I'm flung in the air to the highest tree tops,

I taste blood in my mouth as this little deer drops.

For a moment I lie there, I lie there quite still,

But the hunters are coming, ready to kill.

I try to run, as fast as I can,

But I turn around swiftly, and I'm facing a man!

I close my brown eyes and take a last breath, 

But I squiggle and squirm, not ready for death.

I hear a gun shot, a celebratory cry.

Why was it me who had to die?

As I walked in Richmond Park this week, there was a sign up saying the deer cull is on for the next six weeks. Not completely sure how I feel about this. I do know that the deer, which are in a confined space practically in London, have to have their numbers controlled, and that probably the cull is the least cruel way to do this. 

But then I got home, and saw the poem above, which has been posted on the side of my fridge for the last few years. It was written by my daughter when she was in primary school, and does tug at the heart strings.

Looking back through my photographs, I realize I do not take many of the deer. The one at the top was taken at this time of year, and I kept it mainly because I liked the framing by the trees. And the other one was in mid-summer, when I think I was trying to photograph rabbits, and came upon this deer a bit too close by surprise. I am not sure who was more shocked.

Not much to show on the knitting front. I am making socks, and they seem to taking a long time. On the second one though!

Just a reminder that there is still time join in my Ginx Woolly Linx party for January. Click on the photo above or at the top of the page to find the party. I would love to see what you have been working on this month.

"Goodbye Reading Ninja Wizards"

The title of this post probably needs to be explained. I am changing jobs, and have just come home from my last day at my current school (where I work as a teaching assistant). I am moving to a new school to work in the school office. Exciting times, and I am very sad to say goodbye to a lovely school where I have made a lot of friends.

To say farewell to one group of children, with whom I read every week, I have made them a Flat Rat bookmark, from a pattern by Susan Glinert Stevens. With this group we don't just practise reading (they are all pretty good readers), but some of the skills that help comprehension and inference. So we talk about what we have read, ask questions, try to predict what might be coming next, etc. All the things that you probably do when you are reading without even realising it. When choosing a name for the group the children couldn't quite agree, which is why they became the "Reading Ninja Wizards". 

I used this pattern which is free on ravelry, although I knitted the head flat and sewed up a seam. I also slightly went my own way with the paws and ears. 

It also means I will be saying goodbye to my lunchtime knitting club, run with the lovely Joyce, which also makes me sad. But I am also excited about facing a new challenge. 

"Watch out, we may be flat, but we are coming to get you!"

"How About You ...."

The iguana was very simple to photograph. He was so still. I am sure he knew that he looked magnificent.

I might be looking for a bit of inspiration for possible future knits?  (Actually I am in the middle of designing a little animal pattern, but not any of the ones pictured here.) 

We went on a trip earlier this week to Longleat Safari Park, which I think I enjoyed more than the kids. 

Of my numerous photos these were just a few of my favourites. 

I couldn't forget the meerkats.

The elegant giraffesl ...

King of the jungle turned towards me at just the right moment ...

.... and the majestic lioness

... we also caught a glimpse of the tigers

I didn't quite capture how cute the baby ring-tailed lemur was. I know he looks a bit crazy. They were having so much fun.

The Humbolt Penguins stood so still. They looked like they were enjoying the sunshine

The anteaters were my surprise favourites.