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Category Archives: craft

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

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.

Thank you, Mary.

8 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on December 19, 2025 in baking, Christmas, Christmas decorations, crochet, friendship, Happiness, Humanism, Kindness, poetry, Postaday2025

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

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.