I Can't Sing a Rainbow!

But I can spin one!

I've been pedalling away whenever I get the chance, in between less creative chores, and feel happier to have some stock made in time for the forthcoming Open Studios event and November's Woolfish Festival. I've been experimenting further with needlefelting too, though nothing that will ever come close to the excellence of Gretel's menagerie!
I feel I should be reporting on lots of other creativity but the reality has been huge piles of bedlinen to iron for the cottage, form filling for more online 'presence' for said cottage and for the new website being built for Crossing Borders, and picking a steady stream of courgettes!
Fast approaching is the annual Southdean Show SATURDAY 22nd AUGUST where we will be Hurling a Haggis (no animals will be hurt, only surgical tubing filled with cooked rice!), making puppets, eating pancakes and trying to win dodgy bottles on the tombola - and I'm on duty in the tea tent this year. Ah, the rustic life....

Progress Report

Progress indeed! As I write this our very first let of the cottage is underway - and the sun is shining on our holiday makers so all is right in this corner of the world.
Construction is happening too. This house has a slightly silly carport/covered entrance way which is not big enough to get a car under. It has a proper pitched slated roof, like the rest of the house, and one solid wall. Those have been its only attributes; most of the time it has taken misplaced pride in acting as a wind tunnel.
But not for long! Hugh is busy forming a front and side to it, which will be weatherboarded to match the porch on the cottage and before long we will have a wonderful store adjacent to the house. No more tripping over wellies and wet waterproofs in the rainy season (!), no more jam packing the hall cupboard with everything from a sack of dog food to a Kenwood and spare tins of tomatoes. Order WILL prevail.

Do you like the two images above? They are by the Morag Muir and I saw more of her gloriously coloured and detailed works at Pittenweem Arts Festival last Sunday. It was the best day out I have had in a long time. Good company, great picnic, sunny day, picturesque harbour village and masses and masses of open studios/houses/garages/church halls with fantastic work to view and buy. We were each tempted by different pieces and now that I know what to expect, I am determined to have pennies in my pocket next August...

From the sublime to the slightly ridiculous,
I just had to show you a couple of pages from a quirky 1950s embroidery book [Contemporary Embroidery Design by Joan Nicholson] given to me by Janis. It is very dated and curiously lacking in, well, sense really. I love the ideas and the dinky little drawings but the same images occur throughout the book and there does not seem to be any sequence. Ah, but so what? You can't help but smile at the illustrations, and the enthusiasm for oddly shaped animals...

Poison arrows

Now, I know you have all been desperate to see what a bumble bee poison arrow froggie looks like so here's a lovely shot which I borrowed from iPhotograph's flickr page. Isn't it a beauty? Sadly quite deadly and not at all cute in real life, but stunning design! This sort of bee is rather more common round here, fortunately.
I've been reading TLC's blog and marvelling at the range and quality of fruit she has growing in her Washington garden - puts my strawbs and few rasps to shame. I have high hopes for my first attempt at blueberries, though. Here they are looking refreshed after a day and half of torrential rain. It is still drizzling now but at least we can venture out in it without fear of being washed away...
And now a tasteful shot of my Lakeland purchases. Star of the show is my Herdy sheep bank, produced by these stylish folk who introduced Herdy mugs at last year's Woolfest. I coveted a sheepy bank this time but due to a regulatory hitch they could not sell them to us then and there. So I took advantage of the money-off voucher I was given to buy one on-line. I chose original Herdy grey but they are available in wilder shades too. The website is full of lovely images and all purchases help to conserve the Lake District - it's not just for tourists. after all. The delicious handthrown bowl, bought in Hawkshead, is made by Mary Chappelhow. It's a very neat shape and allows for my morning meusli/granola to have milk added without drowning any fresh strawberries sitting on top. I shall endeavour to take care of it, but sadly my 'enthusiastic but clumsy' attitude to dishwashing does lead to frequent chips and cracks.
Underneath is my new buff - also sheepy. Buffs are great in this part of the world - they stop rain dripping down my neck and cover the gap between jacket and fleecy hat in cold weather. Handknit cowls are lovely but need rather more care than I generally treat my clothes to.

A walk in the Woods

Our walk around the Sculpture Trail in Grizedale was done in steaming hot weather - quite uncomfortable for us northern types! Fortunately it was too hot for midges to be out, otherwise we would have just travelled direct from car park to cafe... Lots had changed since our last visit a century ago and several of the older creations are damaged or gone but this wonderful flock grazing by a stream were waiting to be stumbled upon. There were giant metal spiders too but I thought you might appreciate them less. There's a huge new visitor complex nearing completion so the air was rent by Stihl saws and the like. However, inside this very posh cafe was another treat (not just the cakes). An exhibition of work by Edward Acland (environmentalist and small holder who lives in the Lake District) who has used old double glazing units and, well, rubbish, as his medium. The windows are framed in wood, as you can just see, and he jam-packs the gap between the panes with layers of all sorts of discarded items. There are layers of, for example, sawdust, sheep's wool, soot, baler twine, toast (!), swarf (the tiny corkscrew metal shavings off lathes), dust and other sweepings. They make abstract shapes and are inspiring in concept and appearance, in my humble opinion.

I have not photographed my haul of dyed wool tops from Woolfest but I may yet do so, or better still, gather together my other few treats from our holiday to show you. Time has been in short supply the last few weeks. I have been very busy behind the scenes with Crossing Borders as we have been applying for grants, and inviting companies to tender for the further development of the website. And we have new permanent display and selling space for members' work at Paxton House near Berwick which we all take turns to look after for a day. I was there on Tuesday this week and as it was a quiet day for visitors I got lots of spinning done!

Lakeland

Woolfest was the excuse but we managed to escape for a few days to the Lake District, towing the trusty ol' caravan (which I have named Bessie). We arrived at the Ritz of caravan sites, Skelwith Fold, just west of Ambleside. Situated on a wooded hillside, completely invisible from all roads and with lots of landscaping within the site, it was quite an eye opener. At the site shop you can order croissants and petit pains au chocolat to collect at breakfast time the following morning - now that is seriously posh.We had the oldest caravan by decades, no hook-up, no fancy schmancy satellite dishes, barbeques, remote control parking gadgets - no siree. But we did indulge in quite a bit of people- and 'van- watching on the site. Hmmm, I bet they said a few things about us too!The weather was fantastically hot (too hot for us softies) and so on Day One we indulged in a cruise down Windermere to the Aquarium of the Lakes. This involved four different vessels and was pretty fine relaxation. We visited the aquarium ten years ago and one of the attractions we wanted to watch again was the sight of ducks diving underwater. You are situated at the bottom of the 'lake' and can watch through the glass the ducks propelling themselves down to search around for food among the carp and other fishes. Other tanks hold scarier stuff and a slightly curious collection of 'non native' critters like scorpions, and tarantulas and fantastic 'bumble bee poison arrow frogs' which were my favourites. Another day found us beside Coniston where we resisted the temptation to take one of the delightful old steam gondolas across the water to Brantwood - one time home of Ruskin. We had been to Grizedale to walk the sculpture trail - but I'll show you some images from that next time...and I may just mention my Woolfest purchases.

Woolfest beckons...

A week today I shall be surrounded by happy smiling people and lots and lots of wool; on the hoof, in the fleece, dirty, scoured, bagged, combed, carded, dyed, felted, spun, knitted, on the cone, in skeins, balls, oh and on and on - textile heaven - and all this in a Cumbrian auction mart.

Woolfest Rocks! For those of us who cannot justify a major trip south, the fact that the Woolclip took the plunge a few years ago and launched into the relative unknown by holding a wool festival in the north west of England is a decision we are heartily thankful for. And it has grown and grown in popularity. We love it! You get to see old friends and make new ones, to learn fascinating skills from Europe, the US and beyond, to take classes, and see and feel and smell and discuss the merits of every item on show or sale with enthusiastic and knowledgeable folk who are happy to share their experience.

Last year I bought delicious fibres to spin with and this time I am going back for more. I'll probably also succumb to beautiful buttons, some interesting yarns to dye up, useful tools and bits and pieces, a few presents and maybe some luscious sheeps' milk ice cream. Hugh may join me- he's not averse to a bit of colour (or ice cream) or he may explore the delights of the area before gathering me and my haul of goodies up and heading back to our wee caravan. Yup, we're making a mini-holiday of it and soaking up some Lake District sights for a few days.

Ash and Midge will be well catered for - their very own high class dog-sitter is coming to stay!

Once I am back I already have another list of things to do. First up - what can I sell at the Curly Kale and Cream Cakes day? The first Sunday of July, August and September, we're holding produce days at the village hall - if you make it, bake it, sew it or grow it you can come along and sell it at the hall (no charge for stalls) and enjoy a cream tea too - or just buy the products of others' hard work! First date is from 2.00pm on Sunday 5th July.

I'll also be turning my mind to the Crossing Borders Art Trail - I'll be running mini-workshops but I'll tell you more about them another day.

Taking Time

This little corner of the world is bathed in sunshine again today - the dogs are happy, Hugh is off-road driving over in Lanarkshire and he's happy. I am in the middle of a few domestic chores to be followed by a period of reading a book and drinking a cup of tea, so I will shortly be happy too!
In this household we are forever trying to reach a destination instead of enjoying the journey - you know, endless lists of stuff to be done, either written down or in your head, items scored off, but more always being added.
Today I am just in apprecation mode - of all the wild birds making their homes in the garden, of the impressive number of courgette and tomato plants growing well in the polytunnel, of the wonderfully spoiled life of Ash and Midge, of the hens scratching away in the grass. As I type this I see I have an audience of no fewer than seven sparrows lined up on the edge of the guttering, peering in.
Here's something else for me to appreciate! These stunning socks, knitted for me by the Jess, my sock star! I dyed the main yarn and Jess used scraps I gathered from Janice to do the toes and heels and tops. The cabling is fantastic - she tells me the sock pattern is called Paraphernalia. The colour scheme is quite 'old school tie' I think, though the wearer is anything but.

And finally my kantha work birdie cushion is finished. The bright and cheerful one behind it is the real thing, which I treated myself to a few years ago.

May flies by..

Well, Ash has updated her blog after many months' absence, so I'd better get on and do the same...

The cottage is finished and ready for visitors. It has been thoroughly tested out by Hugh's aunt, cousin and dog and a few minor additions made (like, how exactly did I expect anyone to clean the laminate floor without some sort of mop..)

David B has PAT tested all the electrics this morning so we are all proper and correct now. A bit of tidying and planting at the front of the cottage would not go amiss but comfort-wise, it's pretty fine (said she, modestly)

My spinning wheel and I have been reunited lately and we are working well together to make lovely new yarns. I've got a guest spot at The Crafters' attractive shop in Melrose for June so I want to make sure I have tempting goodies to offer.

Before that it's Woolgathering time on Sunday and I am looking forward to catching up with everyone over needles and pins and biscuit or two.....

Waylaid in Blogland

Still here, still paddling furiously to keep head above water...
No textile masterpieces to show off, just paint spattered clothes and a headache from some very smelly floor tile grout today!
VERY SOON, the cottage will be finished. Meanwhile, if you promise to give useful feedback, you can read all about The Old Tearoom right HERE!
There will be more pics on the site soon, just need to iron some curtains, concrete a ramp, paint the corridor, find some...

Rainbow Daze

Spring is sprung, the grass is riz. I've seen my first primroses, the snake's head fritillaries are out in a wee corner of the garden, I've had a birthday and I still have not planted any seeds.

Today was a Woolgathering and we managed quite a few stitches between us, in all sorts of different projects. I came away with more yarn, and a knitting magazine, sold eggs and fibre, ate cake and biscuits and drank tea. The sun streamed in the window onto a big jug of daffodils gracing the work table.

I feel altogether lighter after a day like today (in mood, not in body, due to the cake and biscuit element). Mind you. with socks like these to have and to hold, can you blame me? Knitted by the lovely Jess from yarn dyed by Wild Fire Fibres, they remind me of rainbow drops sweets we bought when we were kids.

A whole new experience

by Tamzin

byAbigail

by Matthew

by Evan

I had a lovely couple of hours on Monday. One class at Denholm Primary School are studying how the Vikings lived and they have been doing some simple weaving with wool yarns. I was chuffed to be asked to come along and demonstrate carding and spinning so that they could understand the process from fleece to yarn.

This was my first viewing of the new school - the old one was demolished by fire a few years ago and the teachers and children had to make do with a very few temporary buildings in the yard of another school in Hawick until the great day when their brand new school was opened. This one is so well designed that it is a treat to spend time in. Great facilities for the four different classes and views of the Borders countryside from every window.

Anyway, teacher Diane was very gentle with me, and the children were impeccably behaved and sat crosslegged in a semi circle as I talked them through the process. Later they divided into little groups and we had some 'hands on' with fleece and tops and carders.

Then yesterday what was waiting for me when I came home but a thank you letter and a little drawing from each and every one of them! Here's a small sample of their wonderful artwork. I'll save you from viewing the accompanying photograph of me spinning.

Wool Heaven

I'm just coming back to earth after a great day at the Woolfish Wool Festival on Saturday, a small but perfectly formed textile treat in tiny St Abbs. Louise and her daughter Trudi run the rather fine Woolfish - a shop of sumptuous yarns, nicely placed beside the wonderful Number Four Gallery and the tearoom - and last November Louise ran the first Woolfish Festival. It was a success (of course!) and this time I managed to grab myself a table to spread out my wares. If I looked out of the high windows behind me (old school building, now the community hall) I could see these critters:


Angora goat kids playing on their straw bales, and alpacas posing nicely for the camera. Behind them you can see bunting and after that there's just the North Sea! Well, there's a harbour too but you get the gist.

Anne over at Frayed at the Edge was busy with her camera so you can see my wares there, and Louise and some good shots of St Abbs - in fact, she tells it all much better than I am doing!

There were lots of lovely woolly enthusiasts there, stallholders Laura, Janis, Natalie, Janice, Fiona and more besides- like Robin Elliot whose wool throws are definitely going to be making an appearance in our cottage when it's ready to let. Then there were the equally delightful customers! I met folk whom I've only known on Ravelry and they were enthusiastic about my 'stuff' so I came away at the end of the day tired but very happy.

I'll leave you with a shot that means a HUGE amount to Hugh and me - this is evidence that, after a year without central heating, we now have a wood burning stove in the kitchen and three big solar panels on the roof, all connected to a new hot water tank. Sadly at the moment the existing radiators refuse to give out any heat and Hugh has the delightful job of disconnecting each one in turn and flushing it out then reconnecting it, in the hope that this clears whatever blockage is stopping the hot water circulating. So we are nearly there - a warm kitchen and hot water so far, and any week now, warmth in other rooms too. Ash and Midge are fairly happy about the whole stove thing too...

Spin Span Spun

I've been busy dyeing and reskeining fingering yarns in wool/nylon and wool/bamboo and also washing my latest handspun yarns, all ready for the Woolfish Festival in early March. And I've had a lovely time making up sampler packs of delicious hand dyed fibres for spinners and felters. I'm hoping it'll feel like you've been let loose in a sweetie shop - lots of little bags to add to your fibre stash, ready to inspire your next projects. I've dyed angora fibres in brilliant magenta and a rich purple, there's tussah silk space dyed in golds and pinks, Lincoln lambswool locks in rainbow shades and more, LOTS more! Brooches from old textiles, embellished with beads and other treasures, badges, cards with vintage knitting images, bags purses....
And, Tara, I've made a stack more fabric and paper collage cards too - I'll be taking them for my stall but I'll send you pics first so you can stake your claim!

Your Very Own Rainbow

Was just snooping about and found this fun little quiz on Pollianicus' blog which intrigued me. My rainbow is rather indigo-hued as well as red ,and skipping the bits I don't agree with (!), I am apparently passionate, and my fresh outlook and vitality are admired. Hmmmm, really...

Industry

Blimey, soon be February... This afternoon the sun is shining and maybe I should be outside, and then again maybe I should be updating this blog and keeping warm near the stove. I've been spinning for a good chunk of the day in order to boost my stock of handspun hanks for the next Woolfish Festival. Yup, I'm taking a stall at Louise's next celebration of all things woolly in St Abbs on March 7th, and really looking forward to it. More yarn to dye and other goodies to create and package up.

It's always great to catch up with textile-minded folks and meet new people. The Woolgathering last weekend was good fun and we had two new faces joining us, which was even better. My lemon cake and cheese scones got munched up as we stitched away, and it was fascinating to see what everyone is making and what nice books/patterns/yarns they got for Christmas. Janice brought along some of her stash to sell - other people's stuff is ALWAYS more interesting!

The picture shows Janet knitting, Tricia quilting, Ali doing a mini-rug and Anke admiring someone's patterns as a rest from her knitting. I was spinning and most others were knitting. There were two examples of the gloriously dyed yarns from Helen at DropOne, one of which I dutifully helped Liz wind into a ball so she could get started. Anne was just casting on the socks that you can see on her brand new blog - Frayed at the Edge.

In other news, as they say, the cottage works trundle on. More paint on walls, living room floor getting cleaned up as Hugh is going to lay laminate flooring down. We did envisage ceramic tiles but it's a big area and this will be quicker and give a warmer result. Electrician was out to discuss the fitting of a hard wired smoke detector system and a new extractor fan in the bathroom. Pretty exciting stuff, eh?

I did finish the patchwork loose cover for the armchair - you wouldn't miss it in a hurry, would you?!

New Year, New List

Hello, welcome to 2009, which is particularly chilly in this little corner of the Universe. Surely the most prolonged cold spell we have had since the year we moved here and were snowed in for a week - funnily enough we had no central heating then either....

Did you have a good festive break? Did you get new books for Christmas? I DID!

• A great US book by these folks on recycling old stuff into new stuff, but very stylishly put together with a good few quirky ideas to try
• The best preserve making book I have seen, from River Cottage - lots of information and lovely recipes for Britain's fruity bounty
• A fantastically inspiring collage book, with lots of new ideas for me to try
• A book I feel drawn to...! The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein by Peter Ackroyd - yeah, weird choice maybe but I only recently read (well listened to an unabridged version) the original novel and found it compelling. I am saving it for the lighter nights....

I also scored for a quite a bit of quality chocolate, and there's even some of it left.

Having spent since mid-December with a cold/hacking cough/sneezes - the symptoms vary daily - I am well sick of it and have achieved much less than I would have liked. A few more bits have been finished in the cottage, and Hugh removed the old porch with a chainsaw before digging out foundations for the new one. Now the ground is so frozen he can't get the concrete laid or it will crack. I am staying warmish by working mainly in the living room, laboriously stitching a loose cover for an armchair destined for the cottage too. It seemed a good idea at the time to make a patchwork using remnants I had squirreled away. You may get a pic of it when it's finally finished.

Ther will be a Woolgathering on Sunday 18th January at the village hall - you're welcome along if you are in driving distance.

Seasons Greetings

What a strange expression that is! Compliments of the Season, anyone? I hope you all have fine holidays, whatever form they take. My aim is to spend at least one afternoon with the stove on, an old black and white film on TV or DVD, and my knitting! I know, I know, it fairly makes your heart race, the height of my ambition!

I'll try to be a better blogger in 2009!

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....

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)

All the news that's fit to print

Back in the summer, Hugh and I had a fine day visiting artistic folks on The Art Tour in Northumberland. We went to Horsley Printmakers where Carol and Rebecca create stunning etchings and collagraphs. And lo, they run courses! As soon as I could, I signed up for a two day introduction to making collagraphs. Last weekend was IT! Off I drove on a rainy Saturday and a sunny Sunday, across the border down towards the Tyne Valley. The view above is looking back into Scotland from the border at Carter Bar on the Sunday morning.
There were seven participants, some of whom had been before and were back to hone their skills, and a few who, like me, had no previous experience. On the first day Rebecca took us through the basic principles and had us experimenting with our first 'plate' which we inked up in one colour. I had good fun exploring textural effects with everything from carborundum to tile grout, wallpaper and PVA. On Sunday, Carol showed us how to ink up plates using two and three colours. This long skinny work of mine is flawed, strictly speaking, as there was so much PVA soaked into the little piece of hessian I had used that it squeezed out under the pressure of the rollers when I took a print. You can see the runs into the orange section all too clearly below.
The workshop we were using is the old church hall in Horsley so we had the bonus of the sunshine through these cheerful windows.
The drive down and back on the Sunday was particularly glorious - autumn colours just starting to show and the lovely pure quality of light you get at this time of year. The village below is West Woodburn in Northumberland in the late afternoon light. I had a fine two days, trying new techniques, enjoying different company and eating well at lunchtimes in the adjoining coffee shop. It was a wee breathing space in my complicated little life!