Sunday, November 16

Top to Toe

Well, necks to socks really. The thing on the needles in the last post was this neckwarmer to go under my jacket on these chilly dog walking days. Just offset 2/2 rib with some increasing to sit over my shoulders. As it's me it's done on two needles instead of an obvious grown-up competent knitter's circular needle.
And here we have knitting by others more talented by far. Anne knitted socks using my Peppermint Patty hand dyed yarn and send me this pic, and the wonderful sainted Jess knitted these gorgeous RPM socks for me in my Rhubarb and Custard yarn. Happy feet!

Only a few days to go to our wee local Christmas Fayre. Busy people (David and Hugh) have installed a new kitchen in the Hall and there's just some plumbing work to be done (this week, we hope) before it is ready to rock. The stalls are fully booked (all eleven of them!) so there will be lots of quality craft and cooking up for grabs on Saturday. Sadly for me, I will not be doing the Paisley one the following week after all but we will still drive over before Christmas to see niece and grand-niece. I do have a nice date to look forward to in ten days' time - leading a paper decoration making workshop in Ayton for the ladies of the SWRI. An excuse for scissors and glue, as if I needed one....

Sunday, November 2

cut, stitch, knit, cut, stitch, knit...

Yup, creativity rules here, and I am having a fine time, thank you very much. There's the annual Christmas Fayre here in the village hall in three weeks' time and the following weekend I am going to Paisley as the school where my niece teaches is having a fair then and it seemed like an ideal time to catch up with Marie and hopefully sell to a completely different audience.
This week I have made little stockings from 'boiled blanket' and simple wool stitchery. The little bunnies in sleeping bags I made last month and they will be appearing in the Textile Directory's Christmas promotion. There's been much card making too - elephants seems to feature in them this year - possibly not the animal most frequently associated with Yuletide, but we like to break a few rules here now and then!
Some of you have seen this birdie in progress already. He's finished and needs to be stitched into a cushion now which will probably grace the cottage when it's finished. I have had the stencil forever, and the kantha work I have blogged about in the past, but I still enjoy this kind of 'no rules, just running stitch' work.
The only place I wanted to be last night was near the stove so I decided to knit myself something small. If it works, you may see the finshed object!
Now I must grab the moment and take the dogs out while the sun is shining. Before I forget, though, there's a Wool Festival in St Abbs on the Berwickshire Coast next weekend if anyone local-ish fancies a treat. Find out more at Woolfish (great name for a business)