Bailiwick buttons part 2

Well I loved my button, but they didn't love the coat, it just didn't work.

So back to the drawing board.

But one of my project over the winter was to knit my first (wearable!) garment, with the much needed help of Christine and all the other lovely knitters at Creasys Thursday Knitting Mornings,

such a fountain of knowledge, and able to get me out of any mess I had created!

Well this cardi-project was the right colour, had buttons - but 5 small ones. 

So with a bit of help, some maths and one restart, the button hole section was adjusted.

And I am so pleased with how it turned out, its a little looser that I anticipated, but not to bad.

And I think the buttons finish it off well.

 

Now next winter, Crochet or Tatting?  Tatting or Crochet?

Bailiwick buttons

This winter I wanted to replace the buttons on my new coat,

but these were going to be special buttons, they were going to be Bailiwick buttons!

 

First I should probably explain what a Bailiwick is. 

In the Chanel Islands it is an area governed by a Bailiff,

you have the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey and

in the last 800 years the two have never over lapped. The Bailiwick of Guernsey consists of

Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Herm, Lihou, Burhou, Jethou and Brecqhou. Simple!

 

First I thought I was commission some cut out of metal, but understandably because of the complexity of our coast line, this turned out to be a very expensive option.

 So I resorted to what I know best.

Embroidery

One button for each of the main four islands, stitched in green on a silk linen mix.

Self cover buttons were definitely the way to go, but because of the amount of detail I wanted to include, I went for the largest button available with a 4cm diameter.

I drew the outline of each island free hand in biro,

you can see the edge markings on the picture below 

Then when they were all stretched, I washed them with Vanish which removed all trace of the biro and had the other good side effect of tightening the fabric over the button.

There were problems ahead, but am really pleased which the finished button, part 2 coming soon!

see I am not the only mad one in this family!!!!

I am opening the Tapestry Gallery for the Summer Season on Monday, and that means I will be working most Saturdays.  So as the fog had at last gone, Chris and I decided to make the most of this and headed over to the island of Herm for the morning

Coffee on board Travel Trident, with loads of Lycra clad cyclists and Annette Henry heading over to take a Hen Party on a guided tour, now if those two meet it could be interesting!!!!

Now seeing bikes heading to Herm is rare as hens teeth, as they are not normally allowed, but this group had been given special permission to have a race round the island before the main tourist season starts in April.

Wanted to show you this boat 'Little Herm'  its owned by the island and if the weather is too rough for Trident and the children cant get home at the weekend (from school) this little work horse will go and get them.

quick pit stop for a cup of tea, we always come prepared, just wait and see!

Next stop was to whip up a gorgeous breakfast

Scrambled eggs and smoked salmon!!!!! Hope you are impressed, I was!

kept getting over taken by cyclist powering past us, felt abit lazy.....

Seals!!!!!

Or so we first thought, but they didn't move just bobbed up and down, came to the conclusion that they were 95% flotsam.....

Now for some arty shots, above is L'etacq at the south end of Sark, and below is Puffin Bay

At the north end of Puffin Bay is a small islet accessible only at low tide, its abit of a hairy climb down, and I didnt feel brave, so enjoyed watching Chris climb down and up it.

Then after his climb he wandered along the beach....

Then the next think I know he's stripped off

And joined me in becoming a March swimmer!

Then once Chris had got his fix off icy water and dried with the smallest towel known to man (literally the size of a flannel!) we set off again round the cliffs

past the beautiful Belvoir Bay, though very empty because it lost the lower part of its steps in the steps in the storms, so you cant get down and so has been closed, hope they get them fixed soon.

And on to Shell Beach and a very very low tide, later discovered it was an ormering tide, so there will be loads of islanders out in their waders foraging under rocks, up to their waists in seawater looking for delicious molluscs, yum!

Made it back to Rosaire Steps in time for the Trident, along with all the Lycra clad racers!

November Nuttiness!!!!

Chris's good mate Ewan has a tradition that every November we go over to Herm for his birthday.

And today was a beautifully atmospheric day, with stunning light coming down over Castle Cornet as we left the harbour on Travel Trident. In the run up to Christmas TT do Herm shopping Saturdays where the boat is free, and so it was packed with families and very happy dogs!

Beautiful

It was a low tide so we landed at Rosaire steps in the south of the island

and headed off up on to the cliffs.

The big legs had to walk slower so the little legs with us could keep up!

This little island off Jethou, Crevichon, is missing a chunk, I was always told when I was growing up that it was a granite quarry and that the stone from there was used to build the steps of

St Paul's Cathedral.  Not totally sure if that is true but its a good story!

These three are the November Nutters, and you will see why soon.....

Belvoir Bay, a big clue!

Ewan checking out the waves

And Chris just double checking again....

'Come on Chris lets do this!'

And they are in!

Max was in too, I would have been, but still got this damn cold,

and that's my story and I am sticking to it!

Lovely out here isn't it?

Just floating around pretending it isn't freezing,

but in that strange way the sea is warmer in November than in May I think.

All to do with absorption of the heat from the sun all summer, and it only looses it in Jan/Feb, then takes ages to warm up again.

Mad!

Then home to warm up and get cosy by the fire after a mulled Rocquettes cider in the Mermaid, very good day.

The clowns and dogs of the sea

Feel so lucky today.

Julia and David invited us out on their boat to go Puffin watching!

I had seen them from a distance before, but once we were off the South Coast of Herm in aptly named Puffin Beach, we were surrounded by 8 of them.

You can totally understand why they are called 'the clowns of the sea'! Especially when they start to fly, so un-aerodynamic, flapping wildly to try and start airborne!

This one on the left was having a good old wing shake, not the easiest things to photograph!

They are moving, the boat is moving, and you have the take into account the tide!

So did end up with a fair few photos with beaks or tails disappearing out the side of the shot....



 And they are surprisingly tiny!

 So gorgeous, I could have watched them all day, they just make you smile, as they circle the boat.

 Then we headed to a rocky outcrop north of the islands.

 Cant tell the difference between shags or cormorant?

and look what we found, SEALS!

 they were definitely checking us out,

What a fantastic way to end a beautiful day.  Thank you Julia and David