Year of The Sheep

2015 is the Chinese year of the sheep.

The first day is on February 4th, with the Chinese New Year day on February 19th.

For the Chinese New Year celebrations China Town in London's Soho goes into carnival mode and the streets are filled with much gorgeousness and festivities. It's a great place to be, the atmosphere is high energy and the food and 'dancing dragons' make it a very special celebration.

Because it is the year of the sheep, the Campaign for Wool has collaborated with the Michelin starred Chinese Dim Sum tea house Yauatcha, and will be transforming the restaurant by designing a pop art window display. There will also be an unconventional art gallery and woolly make over of the restaurant space. All sounds jolly interesting to me.

At home my woolly endeavours are still going apace, working towards the completion of my knitty blanket.

I'm working on my forth strip of knitty squares, 36 squares in each strip, with one more strip to go. Then I intend to sew the long strips together and finish off with a fancy edging of some description in black Lopi Icelandic wool, which I bought during my trip to Reykjavik last year. I have been sewing ends in as I have been knitting so it's nice not to have to do that all at once.

I have been using up my stash to make the blanket, so it sort of feels as though I'm getting it for free. I have to admit though it doesn't seem to be making much of a dent in my yarn supplies. But it has stopped me buying more yarn for the time being, which is defo a good thing.


Welcome to my latest Google Friend Connect follower, KimmyKimmy 07, who I don't think has a blog for me to mention.

Handmade is Best

The shift in the weather has prompted many makers and crafters to start their Christmas projects. I've got my thinking cap on re some handmade goodies, for gifts and decorations for the house, but I'm finishing off some other projects first.

Yesterday the Mister and I visited a friend who always helps us a lot. I thought I would make her a wee gift to show her our appreciation of all she does for us. The yarn I used for her present - a cowl, was a good quality one and just the right shade of blue for her. Now, in the best thrifty tradition the cost to me was only my time, seven hours. The yarn itself had been part of a Rowan subscription offer that another chum bought for me as a birthday present a couple of years ago. This is the second gift I have made from the yarn and I have enough left to make one more item. My time is precious, so although the yarn for the gifts didn't cost me any hard cash, I have I think given a gift of value. It also helps when the recipient is delighted with the result.

It is the first cowl I have ever made and I'm so pleased with the result that I'm making myself one now, albeit in a different weight yarn. This blue Rowan yarn is a pure wool 4 ply, which is considerably thicker than the yarn used in the original pattern. It is made on a circular needle, which is always a bit fiddly to start with but works well once you get going, as long as you remember to mark the start of your rows. Seen here with a small red marker.

I pinned and blocked the finished cowl but it still seemed to take on its own different idiosyncratic look, nonetheless beautiful for that methinks. After all a pattern is only a guide and everybody brings their own creativity to handmade items.

Here is the link to the free pattern which is listed on the ever so useful Ravelry site. 

Immersed in Craft

Bear by Heather Drage

Had a fun and full on day with the knitty group at the Knitting and Stitching Show at Ally Pally yesterday. The rain first thing put quite a few folk off, but that was a bonus for us, as we could walk around the show without being squished to death. It was great.

I got a good deal on the tickets by booking early, then booking as a mini group, then adding a discount code that Texere Yarns had very kindly sent through to me. So instead of £16.00 per person we only paid £10.50, what a bargain!

I only made a few necessary purchases, which I will share with you another time. Small items that I needed for my projects list and one C*******s present.

Looking at and buying gorgeous materials and yarns is only part of the many pleasures of the annual show. I get so much more from experiencing other peoples work and understanding their inspirations. This show offers a large and varied body of work put together by artists and makers from all walks of life. Fascinating.

We Are What We Eat by Helen O'Leary

Closer to home, a local maker Polly Kettley, is opening up her studio for a one day 'Introduction to Lampshade Making', on Thursday 16th October. Using the most amazing vintage fabrics, you can, with her help, create your own bespoke shade.

Polly has actually made a few shades for me, which sit mighty prettily in my studio and drawing room. So I'm confident you will get good value, in every sense, from the experience.

So if you are within easy travel distance of Lewes, East Sussex, pop over to her site for the full details.

Also don't forget to enter my exciting 3rd anniversary blog giveaway. Remember you have until this Sunday to participate. Good Luck.

Fabulous Knitters

I don't have much time to spend on my Pinterest boards, but occasionally I log in and have a good ole virtual rootle around. I'm reliably informed you can lose days like this and develop a huge wish list for the beautiful things that you find.

Lately I have been searching for Fabulous Knitters and have found oodles of them.

So I created a board and my it has been popular. Every time I switch the pooter on I have more followers, great eh?

Spreading the word about the wonders of yarn and crafting pleases me greatly.


Which links me nicely to my knitting workshops of course.

And talking of followers a very warm welcome to two new google friends connect, Jo who blogs at awholeplotoflove.blogspot.co.uk  And Mona Lisa who blogs over at mona-lisacarryingon.blogspot.co.uk.

(Sorry I couldn't do the linky thing girls, blogger keeps telling me it has snapped and can't link.)

Christmas Knitted Chains

I have very fond memories of making paper chain Christmas decorations as a small girl. Sitting quietly and concentrating to make sure they looked perfect. The house decorations signalling the slow build up to Christmas and the much anticipated visit from Father Christmas.

I haven't made any for over twenty years, not since my son Jack was a boy. But I have been inspired this year to make some knitty chains, and I think they are going to turn out quite nicely.

The two woollen cones cost me 10p each, so VERY thrifty indeedy.

How to Knit an Elvis Scarf

I thought I would share what I'm up to on the knitting front. I have made one of these scarves before as a gift for one of my all time favourite English eccentrics, Debo the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire.

I absolutely adore everything about her, including her love for Elvis. Which explains the scarf. 
And dear reader I have it on good authority that she has been seen wearing said scarf , too thrilling :)

Anyway I'm knitting another one. I have some of the wool left over from the original scarf and as it is fairly quick to knit I can fit it in before the two other knitty projects I plan to complete before Christmas. 
I'll probably sell this scarf to get some pennies towards my annual pilgrimage to Chatsworth. Yes, I have to go EVERY year.

It looks a little bit crumpled and curly here but all will be straightened out when I block it once complete.

I made the design up myself using graph paper, it's a fairly simple process, and would translate to other designs if you have an idea in mind.

The Most Loved Owl in the World.

I think this must win the prize for the cutest owl ever, in the whole owl wearing hat category.

But I'm hoping my knitted owl door stop, which I have to say has been much admired at my knitting group  this morning, will be the most loved.

As usual what started out as a 'quick' project has taken much longer than I thought. But I'm still on course to give it to the birthday girl next week.

I've been very good and blocked it all out, which has helped with the front being slightly smaller because of the Fair Isle work.

The second image is the inner and outer wings, and the 'bow tie' is actually the beak.

This morning I finished sewing up the main body, the square flap hanging down isn't a medical problem , it's the base of the door stop which will be sewn under once I have all the stuffing inside.

I'll show you some pictures of the finished creature before the weekend.

TTFN. x

Knitted Projects

Hello all, thought I'd post a pic of my finished New Zealand wool cushion, now laying resplendent on the spare bed in the garden room.

I was very pleased with the way the honeycomb pattern turned out, very tactile, everyone at my knitting group loved it. It would be a nice stitch to use for scarves and bags methinks.

So what's the next project? Well I had a mind to do some crochet, but then spotted a very cute pattern in my Rowan subscription magazine.

To be honest I have never made a knitted toy in my life, but I do know someone who is mad about owls, and it is her birthday soon. Not that I'm saying I'm making it for her of course :)

Orwell The Owl Doorstop. I have some lovely yarn in my stash just right for this little boy, and heaps of vintage buttons to choose from for his eyes. I'm not sure his beak looks right though, maybe it's the angle of the photo, I might have to effect some rhinoplasty.

Souvenirs and Knitting with Cable Needles.

Just back from the knitting group, thought I'd hop on the pc and show you my latest project.

It's the first time I have used cable needles, and although they are a little bit tricky they give such a wonderful result. You may remember dear reader I'm trying to increase my knitting repertoire this year. Well look at this.

A honeycomb pattern. I love it. This will be the front of a cushion for the bed in my spare room, I'm thinking of putting a gorgeous vintage floral fabric on the back. If it all works out beautifully I might make some to sell too.

The yarn which is 100% machine washable wool,  super soft and very cosy, is one of the three things I bought on my recent long holiday to remind me of the splendid time I had. The yarn is from New Zealand, you can imagine how fabulous their yarn shops are. 

The other NZ purchase was this scrummy poster advertising the Art Deco week end that takes place every year in Napier, which is a town built totally in the Art Deco style following a massive earthquake there in 1931.

My last holiday item was a totally irresistible vintage teapot purchased during our stopover in Singapore. It has a little lid with integral filter,

and has the most delightful retro images of Snow White and the Dwarves.

Funny choices for souvenirs I know, but they won't end up being recycled in a charity shop any time soon :)