yet more hats

I've finally used up all of the wool I'd ordered from Germany - and made some very funky hats with it all!

New Hats!

A couple more progress photos of our developing sunroom - it's really taken shape now and the builders have just about finished up this afternoon and won't be back now until the glass is all ready to put in.

The double glazing company were out yesterday to measure up again and now we have to wait 6-8 weeks (hopefully it won't be that long) for them to get it all constructed.

We want a patio area in front of the sunroom but the builders will do all that (and any finishing up) once the windows people have done their stuff.

So I think this is it pretty much until the windows people get back in touch with us! I've put out our deck chairs so that we can still sit out there in the mean time...

Sea Synergy Centre, Waterville, County Kerry

It's really the start of the summer season now that the Sea Synergy centre is open in the village again - this will be Lucy's third year running it. It's such a brilliant idea - I wish so much that something like this had been in operation in the village when I was a child; I would have spent all summer there, trying to id my beachcombing/rockpooling finds :)

Yet again Lucy has very kindly offered to sell my crochet hats, wrist warmers etc as well as my cards - for the last two years it's been really successful for me so I'm very grateful that she is stocking my bits and pieces there again this time.

Look - we have walls! Work is really coming along with our sunroom now - the builders need to finish off the wall (the right hand side is the finished height), fill in the rest of the 'trench', pour our new floor, put in a new drain where one was missing and then they will hopefully build us a new patio area.

We'll be at a bit of a stand-still for a few days though again as tomorrow's a bank holiday here and then on Tuesday we won't have any electricity all day as the ESB are doing some maintenance work on the power line in our area, so I'm guessing the builders will do another job that day instead.

We've had the most glorious spell of good weather lately - work has been super busy just recently as there was a large funeral over a couple of days and then it's been the bank holiday weekend. I am so grateful for my two days off work now though.  I didn't do very much today apart from some beach combing, crochet and going to see my parents - but sometimes that's what it's all about...

 This was the view from my first crochet spot this afternoon - I was down on the beach for about two and a half hours and it did me the power of good: I always find it so restful :)

There was a little yacht in the bay too - lovely!

I moved up around the beach a bit further to find my second crochet spot :)

I love this time of year and am always so appreciative of my days off work  --  they are so so precious...

End of the Month Round Up!

How did it get to be the last day of May already? I'm bracing myself for the start of the busy season at work - this weekend is the June bank holiday so it'll be pretty bonkers on the ferry -- at least it looks like the sun will be shining though, which always makes things easier (if busier at the same time!)

I got a nice surprise in the post today - Peter had ordered a selkie cover for my phone :)Isn't it lovely?

I also got my 'fitbit' - I wasn't sure how to celebrate my 900th Etsy sale but then decided to get a 'fitbit' -- my Dad has one that you wear on the wrist but that isn't a very practical option for me as I wasn't sure if my crochet would count as steps or not...so I bought a 'Fitbit ONE' take a look!

 I chose a burgundy one and really like how tiny it is. I think I will keep it clipped in my jeans pocket during the day and then can use the soft wrist band when I'm sleeping :) It'll be interesting to keep track of how active/inactive I am....

Our building work has finally progressed! The builders were back today to pour the foundations for the sunroom - yay!! There's been a bit of a set back though as we've discovered a problem with one of the drains -- there's a downpipe from one of the gutters that just goes straight into the soil -- no wonder that wall in our kitchen is damp! So the builders will be putting that right, as well as mending the pipe that the digger went through - hopefully both will be relatively small jobs and I'm hoping that they will be back tomorrow as they have left their truck!

The cats are feeling really displaced whenever the builders are here - it'll be nice when it's all over and we have a sunroom, but I am expecting it to take ages yet.

I'm still waiting to catch sight of the blue tit chicks in our bird box but Mum and Dad are working flat out to feed them....

Seven Day Nature Photography Challenge

My big sister Claire nominated me (on facebook) to post a nature photograph a day and I'm always up for an excuse to take photos so here are my photos from the last few days 

This one doesn't really look so exciting but it's one of our pair of blue tits going in to feed their little chicks! I love this time of year - I made that nesting box several years ago now; following directions in Gardener's World magazine and am so proud that the birds return there every year.

 Next up is an ant's-eye view of our lawn. Yes there are lots of daisies...also buttercups, dandelions, plantain, speedwell and just about every 'weed' you can think of.

 I really quite like this one of a bumble bee and my raspberries - my Dad takes much better bee photos than I do (he's a bee keeper!) but I snapped this one and like that I caught the bumble in flight rather than on the flower.

 I just have a lone iris in my garden this year, which makes it all the more worthy of preserving in a photograph.

 I took this photo the last time I was at St. Finan's bay - most of the plastic there is now just tiny tiny pieces so I only manage to fill a bag or two at a time. As you can see, the native plants are starting to grow through it all now so I am just leaving those areas untouched.

 Oh I love this photo! Yes, it's out of focus but how happy and relaxed does that seal look??!

This was my first photo in the 'challenge' - it's ship-worm holes in some driftwood...I thought it looked a bit 'arty'!!