F i E L D y

A Lethargic Post.

Just a quickie with a peek at a couple of the things I have been working on for the craft fair on Saturday. Hand crocheted flowers with recycled felt leaves........

I have made other things. I have even photographed them and sucked them into the computer. However I can't seem to summon up the energy to make them suitable for posting. It seems to be the way at the moment - short bursts of energy and frantic activity interspersed with long stretches of lethargy. Ah well..............back to my book and a comforting hot chocolate - I'm shattered!

Crochetbot.

I. Am. A. Crochetbot. Must crochet, must crochet, must crochet.......yes I have turned into a caffeine and chocolate fuelled crocheting crazyhawk.

A couple of weeks ago the Wednesday Knit Nite was given over to a crochet 'Master Class' given by MJ. There were 5 of us in total, all blogless except Susan and all of us crochet virgins. It was great fun - drinking wine, stuffing our faces with Portuguese custard tarts and we even did some crochet!
After a few false starts and a few sweary words I feel I have got the hang of the basics and now I CANNOT STOP. I have signed up for a craft fair and need to make some things for the stall and also try out some new ideas but I can't seem to get motivated - all I want to do is crochet, crochet, crochet. Which is great because I have wanted to make corsages for ages and now I have the perfect accompaniement (is that how you spell it?) to my felted Harris Tweed and recycled felted jumpers. I just hope the good people of Killearn are as into corsages as I am - Rose corsages at that, as that is all I know how to do at the moment!
I have been collecting the odd ball of Twilleys 'Spirit' for a while with the intention of making more of these as gifts. I have found that this particular yarn lends itself to crocheted flowers big style. I love all the colours and how they accentuate the stitch pattern...

(apologies for the rubbish photo - must work on my photography skills)
I have also used some of the New Lanark Yarn...

I must get this out of my system or else that is all I will have to offer at the craft fair is a table full of corsages!
I have been finishing off a few things as well including (for all you felting junkies out there - yes, you Monica) these felted bowls.
Here they are on their formers drying in the sun .....

and the finished articles........

I am pleased with them as a first effort but they are still quite squishy. I personally like felt when it is really dense so I have bought some yarn that is 85% wool/15% mohair to try. I am hoping that the 'hairier' yarn will felt more. Any advice on this would be appreciated!
Now, where did I put that crochet hook?

Inspiration in unlikely places.

I met some friends for lunch on Saturday and we decided to take a walk around the neighbourhood in order to visit some of the local shops that normally we do not have time to visit. We are lucky to have an eclectic mix of shops nearby (Hampden Hardware being a favourite of mine!) one of which is called Tackle and Guns which, as you can tell by its name, sells everything you need for huntin'. shootin' and fishin'. It looks pretty unassuming from outside but open the door and inside is an Aladdins Cave, a veritable hive of activity. As I tiptoed in feeling like the proverbial "fish out of water" (excuse bad pun!) 5 or 6 keen anglers were standing around chewing the fat with their dogs in tow - retrievers and terriers of course....what a great vibe they had going - what a great shop! I love places that specialise in something that attracts the real anorak enthusiast - I especially like saddlery and hardware (don't judge me!) Did you know that there is a shop in Edinburgh that only sells brushes! A brush for every situation!
I was tempted inside by the sight of these.......

which of course I had to have as they would be the perfect embellishment for ........something I have yet to design and make! I love mixing textures and metal and tweed go so well together - I already use alot of these metal flies to decorate my wares.....

but I would love to find other insects/animals - any recommendations?
Finally a picture of some beautiful flowers.......

just because.

One step closer to Monkey heaven.

Look! Look here! Look what I done!

My first thing knit on dpns! I am so excited - can you tell?! I am doing a course through K1 Yarns where I, along with 3 others, am being shown how to knit a small bowl which will eventually be felted. We met at Northstar on Weds eve for a couple of hours, drank max strength coffee and ate cake - I had the most gorgeous chocolate tart EVER! Oh, and we did a little knitting and talked about art and craft and how the two should complement each other etc....I have done one of their courses before and the great thing about them is that not only are you learning something new but you meet some really lovely people. Fired with enthusiasm I raced through my bowl and knit a second.....

...and I have a third on the needles! Not bad - 3 bowls out of one ball of Noro Kureyon! I feel like I have made a breakthrough with the mental barrier I had about knitting in the round - I really didn't think that I would be able to do it! Oh yes, those Monkeys are within my grasp now!
I spent some of the time over the weekend finishing off a few things so that I can start with a clean slate on Thursday which will be my first full day of freedom (job has finished!)
I FINALLY finished this scarf I have been knitting (second time lucky!) out of Noro Blossom Shade 15..

I really love the colours and texture of this and I am looking forward to wearing it this winter. I also finished of a few Scotties and my very own Knitting bag but I haven't had the chance to take any pics so until next time........

Results!!!!

First of all I would like to Say a big THANK YOU to everyone who took part in my wee competition - I really enjoyed reading your comments and suggestions - lots of food for thought there! Maris' comment "36. But you could always order more." made me laugh for ages! She is obviously a girl after my own heart! I was also delighted that Diana would think that I would buy a massive 45 balls of yarn in one go! Maybe if the car hadn't been parked so far away................
But now for the results - imagine a big drumroll! The actual quantity purchased was 32 balls of yarn.
And the winner with a guess of 33 is...... Tracy! Tracy will receive a Wee Hottie made in one of the new Tweed colourways.
There were two second closest guesses - Jaqui with a guess of 30 and Jane with a guess of 34 - so I put their names in a hat and the runner up is..........Jacqui! Jacqui will receive a Scottie made in one of the new Tweed colourways.
I wish everyone could get something because, next to actually making something, the most enjoyable thing is to see it go to a good home!
Thanks for visiting - please keep popping by now and then. I am planning to make up some of your ideas - some will be knitting/sewing related - and when I do I will be having another wee competition.
Thanks again and have a great weekend!x

Lots of woolly goodness!

Finally I have managed to get my act together to have camera, camera cable and computer in one place at one time so that I can share with you the loveliness that is my new Harris Tweed hoard. I ordered and received this ages ago but have not been able to blog about it until now. I decided to replenish my stock as it was getting rather low and also I know that I have 2 months unemployment coming up - lots of time to make, make, make for the Autumn/Xmas Craft Fairs. I also have a few dates booked for the Wee Green Market in Killearn over the summer (5th July/6th Sept for anyone reading this who might be in the vicinity around that time)
I have plenty of plain colours and so went for a few patterns to mix with them.......

and bright colours.....

Some of the Tweeds might seem a bit loud when seen in a large quantity but all my products are smallish so it won't be so 'in your face' and I will also be mixing them with plains. I can't wait!
I also previously blogged about New Lanark Mill and all the yarn I bought....

so here it is! My own personal yarn mountain!

Isn't it gorgeous! To get sample cards/order wool go to here.
To celebrate my return to regular blogging and impending creative freedom I am going to have a wee competition. To take part all you have to do is guess how many balls of yarn I bought during my yarn frenzy at New Lanark. You cannot see all the balls in the photo as it is piled up but it gives you a rough starting point!
Please leave your guess and a suggestion of what you would like to see made out of Harris Tweed (this part is optional but I am looking for some ideas so would appreciate some help!) in the comments by midnight GMT on Friday 13th June. The closest guess will receive a Wee Hottie made out of a Tweed of their choice from the new Tweed selection and second closest will get a Scottie made out of one of the new Tweeds as chosen by them. In the event that two or more people guess correctly I will draw names out of a hat to decide as this seems the fairest way to do it.
Wishing you all Good Luck!

Potfest 2008.

Every year there is a Ceramics Festival at the Cattle Market in Perth and this year, for the first time, I managed to spend an afternoon there. It is such a lovely venue (well I think it is!) in amongst all the stalls where the cattle are held for Auction. It was such a treat to see so many different styles of work and the whole experience was enhanced by the company of Caireen and Susan - fellow bloggers and craft enthusiasts.
After doing a circuit of the entire show I went back to make my purchases. I started small with this lovely bowl.......

......which I fished out of the bargain bin - a snip at £3.00! It has already found a home on my cutting table holding my pins...

I also bought three fridge magnets from the same artist/ceramicist? at a pound each....

...each one is a tiny work of art. The colours and textures are beautiful.
I then purchased some handmade buttons - thank goodness Caireen and Susan spotted them as I would have missed them completely! A mere 65p each (the larger ones were more)

My final purchase was going to be a white ceramic Rabbit. I am not really a fan of the Rabbit but this sculpture had such simple lines it appealed to me - that and the fact that it was only £12. However, when I returned to the stall it had gone - no Rabbit for me! The same artist had some sculptures of mythical creatures (yuck!) and....... something else that I am hugely drawn to, something I really love, something so beautiful it takes your breath away. Something so expensive that, although I desperately wanted it, I had to go away and think about it over coffee and cake. I am so glad that I was with Caireen and Susan as I might well have gone home without this..........

...beautiful horse sculpture. It never ceases to amaze me how such an large animal can be so delicate, graceful and gentle. It looks perfect on my mantlepiece (I have cleared alot of stuff of it to give my horse the space it deserves) and I feel happy every time I look at it. It reminds me of Rhea, a beautiful Arab mare that I used to share with my friend FJ. Rhea was injured whilst out grazing in her field 2 years ago and had to be destroyed - totally heartbreaking. I know that I will treasure this forever- it was worth every penny.
Of course Caireen and Susan also made purchases, which I am sure you will be able to read about on their blogs. Also, for the cake enthusiasts amongst you Susan will reveal the results of the Sconometer. Have a great weekend!

Wednesday night is........

Knit Nite!
Last night was the second Knit Nite held at my house. Really it started as an excuse for MJ and I to get together to catch up mid-week, watch a dvd, drink wine and talk about our knitting/crochet projects. Last night we were joined by my pal Elaine, a keen knitter, who is back from working in London. It is so good to get together and talk through ideas for projects you intend to try and to get encouragement and advice on how to do certain things. It is also good to see what other people are doing and to learn new techniques.
MJ has started her crochet squares for the baby blanket she is making out of the Lanark Mill wool.....

..she is using 4 different shades of blue and some cherry red.
Elaine is more interested in texture and learning new stitches rather than producing a finished item........

..she has frogged so many things! It is hard to fathom! She is knitting this bobble pattern scarf but on the wrong size needles with Jamiesons Shetland Wool - I think it looks great. She is also really into old knitting patterns from the 30's and 40's and I can see why!

So beautiful - so many lovely details! I am quite smitten by them myself!
Elaine bought along a ball of yarn with her which she cannot remember then make/name or what it is made out of. It has the appearance of liquid metal and feels really cool and slippery. She started to make a scarf but didn't like the look of the stitch so is stumped as to what to do with it. Any suggestions?

MJ and I both suggested a more 'holey' pattern and MJ had a go at crocheting a little bit - I think it looks quite nice - and very metallic!

If you did a garter stitch it would probably look like chain-mail.
I didn't bother to photograph what I was working on as you have seen it all before - still plugging away at the Noro Blossom garter stitch scarf which I am desperately trying to get finished so that I can start something new. I start the dpn knitting course in a couple of weeks so I want a clean slate - and I want to learn to do crochet and bobble stitch!

Cupcake anyone?

'Cos there's a whole plate of them over at mine in all their glorious Warm Fuzziness!

Bliss......

It is 9am on a Friday morning and here I am sitting in my Pj's blogging - usually I would have already been at work for the past one and a half hours! I have 3 days off and I am in a state of total bliss even though it is raining - well it is a Bank Holiday this weekend so it is only to be expected. I had 3 days off last week too and today I was planning to post about what I got up to and also show a selection of lovely Tweed that arrived during the week from Harris but, I have left my camera at work so I will have to post about a couple of projects that are FINALLY finished and a couple of new makes that I have been playing around with. I can also give you a tantalising peek at what is in store once I get my camera back.
I made a knitting bag for my friend Anna (yes that again!) and when her partner Piero saw it, he asked me to make him a cover for his new iPod so here it is.........

in the colours he likes. It only seems fair as he donated about 3 metres of the mustard coloured tweed to my stockpile. It is a wee bit lumpy but it will fulfil its function.
Next up I have finally finished a scarf that I started months ago - I have frogged it twice and reknitted it so at last I am happy with the proportions - knit from Noro Iro, it is destined to be a xmas present for someone............

I finally got around to making myself a cupcake pin cushion from Betz Whites' Warm Fuzzies book.....

It has taken me ages to find enough bright coloured jumpers to recycle and felt, I only ever seem to find earthy coloured things in the charity shops. I was so pleased with this that I made a few more and I think that this will be this years handmade xmas gift (thinking ahead) - lucky for me that most of my friends are keen crafters!
I also got some more Scotties and Hearts cut and sewn.......

so my stock is slowly but surely being replenished.
This crafting frenzy took place last week on one of my days off. Another day was spent on a day out with my friend MJ. We thought that it was time to refurbish our pots and window boxes and where better to buy plants but in the Clyde Valley - known as the 'Garden Valley' as it has more independent garden centres than you can shake a stick at. I would love to show you my before and after pics of the garden but, as I said, the camera is still at work. We also decided that a healthy walk would do us good, so to incorporate a trip to New Lanark would be the answer.

There is a lovely walk up to the Falls of Clyde which takes you past a site where Ospreys nest - you can watch them from a purpose built hide. BUT that was not really my motivation to go there. My motivation was this!.....

Yes, there is a great Yarn shop! And it is so cheap! And they do mail order!

Needless to say I bought quite alot! MJ got a selection to crochet a baby blanket for a friend. We spent so long ooohing and aahing over the yarn that there was barely enough time to eat our Organic locally produced ice cream before heading home laden with bags! I think walking is overrated anyway!