A little photo tour of the local (I love that it’s so close!!) Wool Museum!! 
Category: Day tripping
Day tripping!!
We originally made a pledge to go out and learn something new about our local area or visit somewhere each month…. well we missed a few, time got away from us, jobs came up, regular chores took over…. and oh yes we had a beautiful new baby!!
So we have made up for it recently with a few trips!! All disguised as plant or poultry sales!!!
A day trip to Aberaeron for the plant and craft show!!! Maybe I’ll be a stall holder next year!!
We came away with some lovely plants!! An acer, some heathers, and a few more bee friendly plants!!
An afternoon out to the smallholders boot sale and poultry sale just past Llandysul!! Where I tried to persuade James we need bunnies and ducks as pets for the boys!!! Starting him small!!! Maybe then I’ll move onto pestering for horses of our own!!!
Finally I took the boys to the Welsh Wildlife centre in Cilgerran to explore a little, have a picnic and Oo yes another plant sale!! So as I had gone solo…. no we have another fab collection of wildlife and bee friendly plants to add to the beds and banks!!
Three marvellous outings, lots of new plants meaning lots more work for us prior to getting them in!! And a few more ideas for what I want to get done around the place….
Willow maze anyone?!
Botanical garden trips
Each Wednesday we trot off to the botanical garden for Welly Wednesday!!!
Each week there is a different theme and each week little man really enjoys himself!!
He gets muddy…. he gets soaked…. he has fun… he gets worn out!!!
Here are some of our adventures!! Enjoy!!
Crafty Catching Up!!
Well a fortnight has vanished since my last post!!! Well more than a fortnight!!! That’s what new babies manage to do…. and toddlers… they eat time!!!
So…. now I’m a captive on the sofa with a post immunisation snuggler….
Where was I….
Wonderwool Purchases!!! Those of you that follow me over on Instagram will have seen these beauties posted there!! But look!!!
A good mix of mainly sock yarn and some spinning fluff for my breeds log cabin blanket!! Hurrah now I just need the time to knit them!!
In other news I was lucky enough to test knit the fabulous Peeky Cat socks, a colourwork double knit socks pattern by An Caitín Beag!! Wow these knit up quick!!! I used some deep stash Sweet Georgia merino DK yarn that I bought an age ago with plans for a top for me…. two children later….. and seriously limited knit time…. and it’s now becoming snuggly gorgeous cat socks!!!!
This pattern is amazing!! And she has set it up on Ravelry ready for release on the 25th!!
Other than that I’m plugging in with James’ socks….
And I’ve finally finished the reknit of my hazels shawl in RiverKnits in Indian Giant Squirrel!!
Now I need to block it and finish writing the pattern and get it off to the wonderful tech editor!! Any interested parties for the test knit?!
So that’s the crafty catch up… for the mo!!!
I’ll post again with some farm happenings!!
Wonderwool 2018
So Saturday last Mum and I took the tribe of smalls to Wonderwool at Builth Wells!!
I love this yarn show and have attended every year for the last ten plus!! Apart from the year William was born as him arriving and Wonderwool were just that wee bit too close in dates!! (He would have been a week old!!)
So here are a few photos I managed between yarn fondling and toddler wrangling!! 
Best way to travel in the sling right next to the mobile buffet!! 
Look a snap snap!!! The toddler was very impressed with the crocheted croc!!!
The wonderful wall of poppies I commemorate the end of World War One 100 years ago this year!
Truly beautiful
And then something else beautiful some started smiling!!!!
More about my multiple purchases in another post!
Farm update
Soooo in lieu of a podcast which I may not have time to do or enough content for, for a few weeks…. here is the farm update for recent weeks!!!
Sooo…. back at the end of March on his due date we became a family of four when baby Mathew put in an appearance!!
All 7lb 15 of him and the birth itself went that well I should have been in and out in the one day…. but I decided tone dramatic and have a rather nasty PPH which saw me lose nigh on 3 pints of blood… so overnight obs… what a joy…. opposite the nursing station…. and at one point I’d just gotten the baby to sleep and in they came to do his obs…. ugh!!!
Anyway he is now a gorgeous chunky 11lbs!! (He didn’t have to wait for milk to come in as I still feed William) and he is four weeks old!!! Not sure how that has happened!!
Soooo we have had LOTS of visitations from family, but whilst the female portion of the family cooed over the small people and helped me to keep on top of washing and housework and William in the early days… the menfolk fought through the tiredness and….
Helped lambs in the barn…. being born…. putting them into separate quarters to bond with mums…. etc
Skinned the Polytunnel!!!
Hurrah!! On with the planting!!!
Moving and placing and cutting tractor tyres for the kiddos play area!! And planting potatoes we have had chitting for an age it seems!! Both in tubs and bags and out in a large potato bed James prepared!
Sorted the chickens who are now huge and ready for their new accommodations!! More about that another time!!
Made teeny fires to cook over!!
Then we as a group have been…..
Wrangling sheep to get them into the right field!! Te he!!!
Charging round the fields and feeding Wanda!
We’ve been to the botanical gardens for Welly Wednesday!!
We have tidied up the front garden and planted seeds both for flowers and for the Polytunnel !!
Plus we found a worm!! Fascinating!!!
And the other big news!!!
Young man turned TWO!!! I have a two year old!!!! More about how that feels in another post but look how happy he is with his digger!!
And I made my first attempt at icing a cake other than slapping a small bit of buttercream in or on!!
So busy times!!! Hopefully things are starting to settle…. and will improve further when we all kick this latest cold that has struck myself and the boys!! Ugh!!
Hope to at least write more soon and maybe I’ll squeeze in a podcast at some point!!
Whirlwind of a time
Well our whirlwind of a month and a half started back in June with Great Granny’s 90th birthday party!!! Little man got all dressed up for the occasion!
We have had a good few weekends at the farm…… some of good weather
Some more ominous looking….
The buzzards have been out and about at the farm and one landed on the nearby pylon!….. oh to have a long lens for the camera
The small pickle has been poorly on and off for the last month and a half, as well as teething…..
He had a ear infection, requiring antibiotics, then was riddles with chicken pox….. then a cold…..
But he soon recovered and resumed normal service now of climbing everything!!
He has been enjoying “helping” daddy in the garden….
We had a trip over to Tredegar House park with Grandma and Grandpa, where he learnt a new word….. “again”
Somewhere in between all of this I have managed to find time to be full time in work, for the last few weeks of term, getting my resources packed up in my classroom, have two leaving dos (one afternoon tea with my team, one curry night) and I have still found a little time for crafting, yarn winding, pattern writing…… so hopefully now over the next few weeks there will be some exciting new things appearing in my shops on Etsy, Ravelry and Loveknitting.
I hope to podcast now in the next few days….. so until then!!!
Glorious autumnal days
Recently Cheeky Chops and I have been out on lots of wanderings to enjoy the wonderful autumn sunshine we have had!
Lots of walks to and around the grounds of Tredegar House! We are so lucky to have this on our doorstep!!!
The farm hasn’t escaped the autumn glory either!!! The mists regularly wisp across the valley!
The Great London Yarn Crawl 2016
Last weekend William, myself, Mum, Jennie from Owl About Yarn, and Zoe from Pinsandneedles went on the GLYC 2016!!!! We took the baby in a variety of slings!!! Go team steek!!!!
Mum and I caught the train into London!!! Baby bear’s first train ride!
We then tubed to West Hampstead, baby bear’s first tube ride!!
Before meeting the team in a coffee shop where Jen and Zoe met us too, having bussed in from Cardiff that morning!!
A quick drink and we were off to our first shop!!! The Village Haberdashery!!!
Ahhhhhhh all the pretty fabrics!!!!!
Next stop was Ray Stitch over Islington way! More pretty fabrics!!!!!
Then Loop!
Unfortunately between my rucksack and carrying a baby bear I didn’t snap too many photos!
Jen then took a turn toting the baby bear!! And he promptly nodded off!!
Last stop was Knit with Attitude in Stoke Newington….
And Zoe’s turn with baby bear!!
Then over to the Telegraph pub in Moorgate for the after party and a sit down/drink!!!
Baby bear even helped Jen filming!!
By the end of the day we were all pretty exhausted!!! But happy and with lots of new crafty bits!!!
Last weekend…..
….. We went to see a lady about alpacas, the animals, the upkeep, the costs etc etc
We met some amazing beasts and their babies!!! William was enthralled!!! And one of the alpacas Seraphima was utterly enamoured with James and kept trying to kiss him!!! She was however a little perplexed by William attached to my front in his sling!!!
And a gratuitous shot of cheeky chops and a rare one of me for you guys!!
Tyddyn Bryn 