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Category Archives: knitting

Carnations, Seeds and Snollygoster

There are just a couple of white roses and two beautiful carnations left from the bouquet the family gave me on my birthday over three weeks ago. .

Our gardening magazine arrived with a free packet of seeds. They suggest we plant them along with Cosmos which I love so we’ll try that. Watch this space in the summer!

Regular readers will know that I love words and here’s one I found today in a wonderful book, The Horologicon by Mark Forsyth, snollygoster. The O.E.D. defines snollygoster as ‘A shrewd, unprincipled person, esp a politician.’ It was defined in the 1890s by an American journalist thus:

I just love the phrase ‘Monumental talknophical assumnacy!” A number of people come to mind!

I was just checking which words I have used before from Mark Forsyth’s book and came across a post from 2012 which has lots of photos of my knitting of that year! I was amazed to see everything I’d created in those 12 months! https://mybeautfulthings.com/2013/01/04/weekly-photo-challenge-my-2012-in-pictures-a-year-of-knitting/

7 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on January 24, 2026 in books, knitting, nature, Postaday 2026, Uncategorized, Words

SallyBoots, Fun and Storm Warning

21 Jan

I haven’t made SallyBoots for quite a while but started knitting today having heard of a new arrival yesterday. Mutual friends will be visiting this weekend so I had to get busy and here they are. I’ve made the second size this time as the last baby I knitted for grew out of the little ones so quickly!

Here is our lovely friend, the new Father, in 2012 in the Blue Bar, Porthtowan, with LiveWire no 2 who is now 17, playing together with the froth on the top of a hot chocolate. Photo taken from the blog of that day.

Yet another storm is coming and our sailor’s barometer is overflowing again and splashing the tiles.

4 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on January 21, 2026 in friendship, Grandchildren, knitting, Postaday 2026, Uncategorized

Little Book, Tips and Earrings

17 Jan

I have a delightful little book for knitters that gives some really useful advice. I need to share it with the young friend I am helping to learn the craft.

This page amuses me.

I recently rediscovered some lovely handmade earrings that I bought in South Africa many years ago.

2 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on January 17, 2026 in friendship, knitting, Postaday 2026, Uncategorized

Tags: lanternmoon.com, pocket posh tips for knitters

Christmas Topper

23 Dec

Just want to say what brilliant treatment we had from our surgery today. My lovely Mr S was not fit to go to see a Dr so the surgery arranged for a paramedic to come to check him out. S spent 30 mins with us and made sure all was well and left a prescription with us. Hoping now that a corner will be turned.

10 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on December 23, 2025 in Christmas decorations, craft, crochet, embroidery, knitting, Postaday2025, Redruth, Uncategorized

Party, Knitting and Supper

11 Dec

Today is the 90th birthday of my very good friend and singing mentor whom I met in 2008 when I first joined The Ingleheart Singers. She took me under her wing then and has kept me there ever since! Her Family arranged a secret party this afternoon and asked for the choir to turn up as a surprise and to sing for her ,so of course we did! It was a delightful afternoon.

Jean’s beautiful cake, wish I could credit the maker.

Another friend from choir spotted a knitted crib earlier this week and sent me the next photo, knowing how much I would like it. I love the smile on Mary’s face and have to wonder why one of the shepherds is up on the roof!

A simple meal was called for this evening, Macaroni Cheese, comfort food at its best.

7 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on December 11, 2025 in Celebration, community, friendship, Happiness, Kindness, knitting, Postaday2025, Uncategorized

Scarf, Gloves and A Poem

23 Nov

I’ve made myself a beautiful scarf and matching fingerless gloves for singing at outdoor gigs over the winter months.

Fingerless so I can still turn pages if I need to.

I can’t remember where I found this poem but saved it to share sometime so here is is now. I especially love the last three lines.

11 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on November 23, 2025 in craft, knitting, poetry, Postaday2025, Uncategorized

Tags: Gary Snyder, Stylecraft, Stylecraft Elf, the craft collective

Remembrance Day, Peace and A Poem

09 Nov

Our very talented, local knitter has been busy again and made a wonderful topper for today.

We wear white poppies in remembrance of all victims of war – the wars happening now, the civilians and the refugees and as a commitment to peace. The white poppy is also worn to challenge militarism and any attempt to glorify or celebrate war. I was pleased to see a white poppy included in the topper.

I found a poem about Peace for today and first found this one attributed to Mary Oliver. Here it says that was wrong, it is a poem by Judyth Hill. Thank you for this.

Wage Peace

By Judyth Hill*

Wage peace with your breath.
Breathe in firemen and rubble,
breathe out whole buildings
and flocks of redwing blackbirds.

Breathe in terrorists and breathe out sleeping children
and freshly mown fields.
Breathe in confusion and breathe out maple trees.
Breathe in the fallen
and breathe out lifelong friendships intact.

Wage peace with your listening:
hearing sirens, pray loud.
Remember your tools:
flower seeds, clothes pins, clean rivers.

Make soup.
Play music, learn the word for thank you in three languages.
Learn to knit, and make a hat.
Think of chaos as dancing raspberries,
imagine grief as the outbreath of beauty
or the gesture of fish.
Swim for the other side.
Wage peace.

Never has the world seemed so fresh and precious.
have a cup of tea and rejoice.
Act as if armistice has already arrived.
Celebrate today.

* Sometimes mistakenly attributed to Mary Oliver

1 Comment

Posted by mybeautfulthings on November 9, 2025 in Cornwall, knitting, poetry, Postaday2025, Uncategorized

Tags: Bloggers 4 Peace, Bloggers for Peace, The Peace Pledge Union

Quince, Topper and Sunset

29 Oct

I was given more quince yesterday. Having already made quince jelly and membrillo, these I am going to roast following a recipe given to me yesterday by one of the volunteers.

Thanks W for the honey roasted quince recipe

There’s a new postbox topper to celebrate Hallowe’en and I love it!

Coming home from taking the photo, I just caught some sunset. It looks like a raging fire in the sky.

2 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on October 29, 2025 in craft, environment, knitting, nature, Postaday2025

Tags: Black cat and witch, Hallowe'en

Pumpkins, More Pumpkins and a Pumpkin Gift

24 Oct

It’s been a stay home day today as the wind howled, the rain fell and the temperature dropped so it was lovely to receive photos from my dear SIL of pumpkins in the Botanical Gardens of Atlanta, Georgia. Thank you V. perfect timing!

Pumpkins

More Pumpkins

It was very special too, to receive a gift in the post today of a beautifully knitted pumpkin which will take pride of place on our table through this Hallowe’eny time of year.