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Category Archives: craft

Party, Knitting and Supper

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

Tree, Wreath and Sunset Sky

10 Dec

I’ve put up our first decorations, both fabric, both beautiful gifts from family. I hang them each side of the glass in the inner door.

Tree, a gift from family in Warsaw, Poland

Wreath of fabric hearts, a gift from family in Atlanta, USA

Walking home this evening the sky was lovely, gentle pastel colours in the sky behind the Bassett Monument and the castle on Carn Brea.

Happiness Calendar, Knitting and Flowers

01 Dec

I have had the loveliest afternoon, first singing where we rehearsed for our part in Thursday evening for the ShelterBox Christmas concert in Truro Cathdral followed by a couple of hours with a delightful young friend who has asked for help as she learns to knit.

She brought me a very pretty little bunch of flowers as a thank you.

The Christmas concert we were rehearsing for this afternoonwill be livestreamed around the world ,so if you would like to join us, you can register here.

Please do tell me if you register to watch. It would be lovely to know that some of you might be ‘with’ us.

4 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on December 1, 2025 in Christmas, community, Cornwall, craft, Postaday2025, ShelterBox, Truro, Uncategorized

Cake, Krowji and Earrings

28 Nov

I baked a cake for the Christmas Lights Switch-on market and put white stars and gold spray on to make it Christmassy.

My choir had our first Christmas gig this evening at the opening night of Krowji Christmas Open Studios in Redruth. We were collecting for our charities, Penhaligon’s Friends and ShelterBox. There is some wonderful work in the studios. If you are local, it’s a brilliant place to find presents and lovely cards.

I gave my new Christmas tree earrings an outing.

Crocheted earrings

6 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on November 28, 2025 in art, baking, community, Cornwall, crochet, Penhaligon's Friends, Postaday2025, Redruth, ShelterBox, Uncategorized

Tags: Krowji arts studios

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

We Love Our Town!

08 Nov

In Redruth today we had such a good time (and did the shopping!) We met a young DJ, Redruth Ben, whose programme on local radio we listened to this afternoon, went into gallery 89 and saw some delightful art work and our favourite busker, Sam, was in town and sang ‘Streets of London.’ All in all, a brilliant morning.

And, last night’s not quite full moon, first night without clouds since the Beaver Moon on November 5th.

6 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on November 8, 2025 in architecture, art, community, Cornwall, craft, music, nature, Postaday2025, Redruth, singing

Tags: Redruth Ben, Roy Callow

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.

Thank you so much, Judith. I love how the knitted pumpkin is such a perfect replica of the ones in the photo above.

6 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on October 24, 2025 in America, craft, Georgia, knitting, nature, Postaday2025, Uncategorized

Tags: Atlanta Botanical Gardens, Hallowe'en

Bay Leaves, Oranges and Wreaths

22 Oct

I joined a group this afternoon to make bay leaf wreaths. They are intended to hang in a kitchen so that the cook always has bay leaves to hand for recipes. I think a bigger one, maybe with some red berries, maybe little lights, would be lovely as a front door wreath for Christmas. The ones we made this afternoon will be on sale at the Christmas lights-on market.