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Category Archives: craft

Curtain, Garden and A Poem

Having finished the curtain for the back door, I had reason to go to my box of bits to make something else and re-discovered a piece of the Laura Ashley fabric I showed you the other day. There was enough to make a curtain so I have made another one for the back door in a fabric we love more.

This was the view from the dining room window as I was sewing this afternoon.

If you have seen the film, Hamnet, you may have wept over the twins. Having twins myself, when I read the novel by Maggie O’Farrell, I found the chapter heartbreaking. One of our twins was very ill as a tiny baby and when we visited him in hospital every day, I always put his twin sister in the cot beside him. I love this poem by Helen Farish.

4 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on February 27, 2026 in family, garden, poetry, Postaday 2026, sewing, Uncategorized

Tags: Helen Farish, Maggie O'Farrell., twins

Curtain, New Jigsaw and A Poem

04 Feb

I’ve made the curtain for the back door today to hang on the new rail put up last week.

We have a new jigsaw, a present from my lovely Mr S’s brother at Christmas. It is a street map of the part of London where they grew up. We’re not sure if it’s going to be very hard as so many pieces look alike or easy because the road names are all so familiar. I’ll let you know.

I love this poem by Simon Armitage, so few words that tell the whole story. It is taken from his collection, ‘Dwell’ inspired by The Lost Gardens of Heligan.

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Posted by mybeautfulthings on February 4, 2026 in poetry, Postaday 2026, puzzles, sewing, Uncategorized

Tags: Simon Armitage, street map

Cathedral, Project and Supper

28 Jan

Here’s a different view of Truro Cathedral, taken from the window of the coffee shop where we had excellent coffee and a toasted tea-cake. I was pleased to catch the gull in my photo just before it took off. Just look at that lovely blue sky as we are between storms, another due tomorrow. .

I love a new project! Today we bought the fabric for the curtain to go over the new back door.

We had a delicious veggie chilli for supper tonight with sour cream, guacamole and cheese.

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Posted by mybeautfulthings on January 28, 2026 in Cornwall, Postaday 2026, sewing, Truro, Uncategorized

Carnations, Seeds and Snollygoster

24 Jan

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

Card, Chocolate and A New Word

09 Jan

One of my birthday cards is a cut-out greenhouse, just delightful!

Inside the colourful crackers made by LiveWire no 4 were some delicious and very beautiful hand-painted chocolates. They were not quite as big as the photo suggests!

I love this new word celebrating the joy of listening to bird song.

The winds have settled for us and we have been remarkably lucky. All around us, friends in local villages have suffered power outages that are expected to last until Sunday. Many trees have come down and blocked roads but we have been able to stay safely indoors.

8 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on January 9, 2026 in art, craft, nature, painting, paper, Postaday 2026, Uncategorized, Words

Happy Christmas to All My Readers

24 Dec

12 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on December 24, 2025 in art, collage, community, painting, Postaday2025, Uncategorized

Tags: community roots

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

Three Gifts – A Snowflake, Cookies and A Poem

19 Dec

A snowflake arrived in today’s post, beautifully crocheted and a gift from a follower. It has gone straight onto our tree.

Thank you very much Judith

Another gift came today, one we were instructed not to keep until Christmas but to consume soon. So this evening we have each had a delicious Raspberry and White Choc Chip Cookie for dessert.

Thank you S and E, absolutely gorgeous!

A fellow Humanist has written the following poem which touched me and she kindly gave me permission to share it with you.

‘

It’s Our Christmas Too’ by Mary Fletcher

Christmas comes just at the darkest time of year

flashing lights

a twinkling tree

some time for lovely food

for friends and family

for children to be given too much stuff

for those of us with no children

to realise what we lack.

We look forward to the New Year

warm sunshine and green shoots will come back.

Those of us that do not believe in god

and worship no one

but put our faith in hope,

In folk to do their best,

we do not go to church.

we do not believe we’ll live after we die,

But we can light a candle,

share in singing,

pass some treats around.

Its our Christmas too,

Our Solstice,

Our Midwinter,

Our humanist joy,

That celebrates and treasures

Every baby girl and boy.