Tuesday 29 July 2014

Summer Holidays - Week 4 - The week of the heatwave


Those weather forecasters got it right after all, last week. The heatwave did hit after all and every day saw temperatures of nearly 30C, which for us Scots is pretty hot.


I think the heat maybe did something to the internet though, as all over the island there were patches where the internet was down!


At the beginning of the week Alasdair (5) helped my dad out in the garden for a bit. Under the watchful eye of Fraser.














Also earlier on in the week, my husband took the three older boys to help take the peats home for an old friend of his. His old friend also happens to be a journalist who then wrote an article about bringing his peats home, and so I'll share more about 'the peats' in another post this week.

He had enough peats to give a generous amount to my parents as well and so David (8) was only too keen to show us how he could work the tipper on the lorry they used to collect them.







Alasdair managed to pick up the smaller ones and helped to sweep up the mess.









We called in to visit some other old friends of ours one evening. The dads and older boys went out on their wee fishing boat while the younger children stayed with the mums. I tried to to explain the basics of crochet without Fraser grabbing hold of the wool too much!

When the fishermen returned with about 10 mackerel, some of the children stayed out bouncing long into the evening.








By the middle of the week we decided the best way to beat a heatwave is to hit the beach. Again.


This beach is the one from the village my dad is from. The best beach on the island - if you ask my dad! It is a rather lovely one, and not the easiest to get to so you can almost guarantee to have it to yourself. Or if there is anyone else on it they are probably relatives of mine! 



























That sea was gloriously warm to swim in!



















The boys love the freshwater springs at this beach and always bring a bottle of it home for my dad. 












































Another day we headed to the west of the island, to the village where the Cbeebies programme Katie Morag is filmed. Alasdair is a big fan and wanted to see Katie Morag's house.







For those who haven't heard of Katie Morag, it is a series of children's books. They are set on the fictional Island of Struay but Lewis made the perfect match for filming the TV programme based on the books.










The animals used on the show belong to friends of ours and so we popped in to say 'hello' to them too. Here are some of the boys with Katie Morag's Granny's dog.








In a couple of episodes there are some highland cows and these are the stars of those episodes.
























While we were on the west of the island we also spent the afternoon at another beach.










Don't you think these waters could pass for tropical ones? The sand was even so hot that you could barely walk on it!






















The sea on this side of the island is the Atlantic ocean so there is nothing else out there until you hit Canada.


The waves are also much stronger there too, although they don't look it in these photos, with some strong currents, and so despite it's beauty this beach wasn't as good for swimming as the previous ones we have been to.

Still, it was lovely for cooling down in if you didn't venture in too far.

































Fraser found the splash of the waves hilarious.



















































When they had had enough of the sea the boys raced up the giant sand cliff so that they could throw themselves down it again.
















And as well as all those beach trips there was also plenty of shinty around the house.


















Some more barbecues.









Some tired out little boys.






















 And the chance to spend time with family. Like great granny, seen here with Fraser, who despite being a little unsure when sitting on other peoples knees, always behaves impeccably when he sits with great granny.






It was quite a week!

Monday 21 July 2014

Make it Monday - Holiday Crochet

 

I'm still making my way through my year long crochet mood/memory blanket and took the colours I need for it away on holiday with me.

 

Since we've been away though, I've taken a break from granny squares and hope to play a bit of catch up on it soon.

 

Instead of the plain squares from my blanket I have been working on a couple of different patterns I have had pinned on my Pinterest crochet board for a while.

 

The first was these doilies.

 

I was quite pleased with them because it is the first time I have made something using only a chart pattern rather than a word pattern. You can find the pattern here. It is only the chart but it's actually pretty straightforward to work it out.
 
 
I really love the next doilies I made. I'm planning on making quite a few of these up!
 

 

 
Again, the pattern for these is available online and you can find it here. It includes quite a few pictures to help you out.
 
I can't decide which of the colour combinations I prefer for this one. All of the colours are from my blanket project!
 
 

 

 
I didn't take a break from squares completely because I wanted to try out this own square. Calum is wanting me to make this square for the blanket to represent his birthday.
 

 

 
 
And finally, I've been making up a batch of these Maybelle flowers and turning them into squares using this tutorial here. I wasn't too happy with this square here, my first one, as I think it's a little too big, but I've made quite a few more with a smaller hook size and I'm much happier with how they look.
 

 

I'm thinking of making them into a cushion or something smallish rather than a blanket.

 

 

The snippets of crochet I've managed these last couple of weeks have been largely outdoors, enjoying the beautiful summer we have been having.

 

 

 
A blanket on the grass for myself and Fraser, while the other boys play football or shinty beside us.
 

 

 
 
And the reason that I only manage little snippets of crochet here and there is because this little man mastered crawling forwards a little over a week ago. Which means that this is the view I often face as he decides he would much rather head off for an adventure than sit on the blanket with his toys.
 
 
 
After all, it's so much more fun to go off and touch this grass stuff!
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

 

Life just got even more exciting for him now!