Happy Birthday To Me

Pom Pom magazine from a dear friend, just up my street.  My favourite Rose Creams from Miss Betsy Belle.  Tea from a lovely little tea shop I frequent.   Fabulous, gorgeous, poke you in the eye bright, Welsh Tapestry Blanket from me to me and I can't believe I found it in a charity shop today of all days, must be good karma finally flowing back to me.  The day did start with my car key flying under my car and very nearly falling in to the only grid on the car park,  I managed to rescue it with a big stick and overt disaster so even without the blanket it would have a good day to count my blessings - phew!

Creative Tuition

Another day at the coal face, I could get used to this.

Ancient High House

A Typical Shop

Is this a typical shop for anyone else I wonder?

This is what happens when I pop down to my village most weeks and it's why I love charity shops.

 I have reached 41 without needing a cutlet frill but you never know.  

Hilda the Hippo will be transformed for christmas didyoumakeityourself style. 

£3.40 well spent. 

The Bunnies Are Back

A new gang of bunnies have just been bought to life,

this time they have a pure cashmere body, 

felted cashmere face, sheepskin bobtail

 and are stuffed with proper wool, from a sheep!

It takes this much fleece to plump them up to feeling like themselves.

My favourite is of course little red tail although it's more like a powder puff.

Not forgetting a tiny - 4mm - hand stitched heart.

Cashmere Bunnies

The cashmere is out.

I am at The Ancient High House on Saturday.

Weston Park 6th & 7th December.

Alsager Artisan Market 13th December.

Etsy shop will be closing Friday 12th December.

Oversize Vintage Roses

A whopping 28" x 28"

Vintage sateen headscarf.

Backed with a bright pink cotton velvet.

The superfine pins had to come out for this one.

Residing over on Etsy.

Ride A Cock Horse

I recently acquired some nursery rhyme fabric that is printed from a cross-sitch I think? 

Anyway they are now residing on my sofa because they make me think of me and my mister!

There will be a couple more in the shop tomorrow.

Wonderful Wool Day Oswestry

Today was a truly lovely day, I met up with an old friend and had lunch at the gorgeous little

 Curious Tea Room. 

A pink gramophone, jewel fire and roller skates and excellent food,

my kind of place.

We spent most of the day in the Hermon Chapel talking all things wool.

Knitting, crochet, felting, spinning, pom pom making, needlepoint,

 you name it and it was there.

I managed to de-stash a fair bit, make some fab new purchases and still be up on the deal.

 Best of all I met some very interesting people.

Back to sewing tomorrow, no rest for the wicked!

Alpaca Socks

I am much better at knitting than sewing and I don't seem to get much time for it lately, just waiting for the dark winter nights to kick in.  I have had a couple of train journeys lately though and managed to complete a couple of already started socks.  These are alpaca - with the mandatory 20% something stronger - with a mock cable, toe up, short row.  You just cannot beat a pair of bespoke hand knit socks.  The yarn is Toft Alpaca which I wouldn't recommend, it's an absolute pig to knit with as it keeps splitting which definitely shouldn't happen for that price.

On the knitting front I have pre-ordered Kate Davies' 'Yokes' book which should be out next week, 

I think I may find a Christmas project in there?  She is a very talented and inspirational lady, I love to read her blog and have knit many of her very good and extremely well knit patterns.  

Last Saturday I went down to London to meet up with a friend I first met in Shetland at In The Loop 2, we also went to In The Loop 3 in 2013 and hope to be going to In The Loop 4 in Glasgow 2015 - highly recommended.  I visited the London Guild Of Spinners Weavers and Dyers - her guild - and met loads of very friendly creatives.  We then went on to the London School of Fashion for the Conference and AGM of The Knitting History Forum a super way to spend an afternoon if you are a knitter.

At the moment my UFO's are - 

1. A secret christmas knit.

2. Fishermans Gansey for my mister, one sleeve to do, the navy is killing me.

3. Modular shetland scarf with yarn I dyed, gets a bit boring, it might be a bag!

4. Cumulus sweater, baby alpaca and silk, started before eye surgery, just need to get back into it.

5. Heartfelt shawl, 4 ply cashmere, an easy but monotonous knit.

A not even started yet but will be casting on for another pair of socks for tomorrows day out at Wonderful Wool Day catching up with another old friend and cake.

What can I say, knitting makes me very happy!

David Whitehead

I found some of this fabulous David Whitehead fabric at a recent textile fair.

I just love the bold brushstrokes

and colours of course.

Typical Mid-Century.

 A cotton barkcloth, backed with a soft grey pure wool.

Black Swans

It always seems to take as much time to tidy up my studio before I start 

as it does to do the actual making.

A creative mess is better than tidy idleness!

These beauties have taken up residence in my Etsy shop.

A vintage linen print backed with a charcoal flecked wool.

They remind me of watching the film in a Delhi cinema with reclining seats and waiter service, in a mall - I didn't even know they had them in India.  I went with a great girl I met on a four hour bus journey from Jaipur, I should have been taking a train but protestors where on the line.  The bus journey was a white knuckle ride from start to finish, I was in the front seat and expected to be thrown through the window at any point, nobody drives like the Indians.  I also expected to see a nice film about ballet!

Harris Tweed Re-Worked

I have finally managed to get started on the first of my Harris Tweed jackets that will be for sale.  Whilst my original was embroidered to cover the moth holes the ones I have sourced to work on are in tip top condition and so I can stitch wherever I fancy.

It's all about the Bass.

He was in charge of keeping time for the whole parade!

A lot of standing about.

Looking up to big brother.

Always a serious face when in uniform.

Bloodstock

These beauties have just trotted over on my Etsy shop.

The vintage print is 'Bloodstock'.

Harris Tweed

I have been busy squirrelling away Harris Tweed jackets for my next project.

  I always go for the ones that need a bit of TLC.  

I got this one last week and took a punt because it had paint on the front and cuffs.

A fabulous green, orange and brown weave.

What a treat to find a little bit of fixing had gone on...

and under the repair someone had really put some effort in.

Found a comb tooth in the pocket lining, every gentleman used to have a comb in his pocket.

Even the pocket had been repaired a couple of times.

The back pleat lining also had some attention from

 someone who must have cared about this little jacket very much.

Now it's my turn to have a go at reviving it to it's former glory, in four hours it's been through a few soapy/dirty water changes and I'm going to let it luxuriate in the bubbles for a bit longer!