do you mind if i knit

A cup of tea at the end of the day.

To sit down at the end of a day with a cup of tea, and some magazines that have arrived in the post, always feels like a guilty pleasure. sipping my tea, I first turn to Country Living Magazine, and it's 'inspiration' pages. I love the styling, it's a visual feast, and I always look forward to the 'Autumn' inspiration pages each year. I know it's not reality, it's a fantasy, which I'm very happy to dip into. But the articles in which local producers are championed, are very much a reality. November's issue highlights Ardanalish, weavers on Mull. Minty and Aeneas Mackay are producing organic cloth from their own native sheep, they sound like gentle, but determined, dynamos. This tweed coat caught my eye.......... beautiful. Contrasting nicely with Country Living, is the cutting-edge, and exquisitely designed Selvedge magazine. Everything in this magazine is very contemporary, but rooted in the tradition of craft. I always like to off-set something with it's opposite. I like the old to be complemented by the new, and the new to reference and respect what has gone before. Which is what Pia Wallen does in her felted pieces, discussed in the article 'cross purposes'. Her ethos seems to be one of restraint and simplicity, using the ancient medium of felting to create modern pieces. Just another way of seeing things. I think I should start a collection of Loop advertistments, they are always so beautiful. If some interesting knitwear has been featured, I always feel like I've got my moneys worth. It doesn't have to be wearable or practical, it just has to do what I expect of Selvedge, show me something different, something to make me think and broaden my horizons. Which is what this knitwear by Sandra Backlund does. I love the way she plays with form. And personally, I would wear these pieces, I think they are beautiful. My tea cup is now empty, but my head is full of ideas............

At this point..............

I want to introduce my........................ Yes, my inspiration for this blog. "The Gentle Art of Domesticity" by Jane Brocket of blogging perfection which is the must-see Yarnstorm. Yarnstorm has an enormous following, and those followers have a huge affection for Jane and the inspiration she gives us on a daily basis. So naturally we were all thrilled to see she had produced a book based on her blog. We haven't been so thrilled to see the ill-informed, biased and bitter reaction of the British press, which attacks Jane and her wonderful book. And Jane's post today made me feel rather sad, that she feels forced to justify herself, her life, and everything she has achieved. It was in great contrast to all her other posts on her blog, where she never mentions anything negative in her life, she is only ever positive and inspiring. I am really enjoying this book, it is like a series of short stories, each one ending with something to mull over. Actually it makes lethal bed-time reading, because I'm left thinking about it so much I can't get to sleep............... So that's my tribute to Jane and her creations. Long may they continue!