do you mind if i knit

Sharing makes the web go round.

Hello! A day of sunshine for you too? I hope so. It's been very sun bright here today because the wind has been strong enough to blow the clouds away, leaving a bright blue sunny sky for us to enjoy.

I was thinking today about the web, the crafting world, and blogs, and feeling amazed and a bit overwhelmed by it all. There is so much creativity being shared isn't there?

It is AMAZING how the web has opened up our worlds and connected us. I'm always astounded at the interest in my corner. When I look at my stats, which show me how many hits on my blog I get each day, there is always over a thousand, and lately it's creeping up to two thousand people dropping by on a daily basis! Amazing, part of me doesn't quite believe the numbers I see before my eyes.

This happens because people like to share things they've seen and like. Links are given, word-of-the-web is in operation, and slowly an awareness grows. It certainly makes me wonder at the traffic that must go through the famous blogs out there. Mind boggling.

So today I'd like to do a bit of sharing.

First, the doily, (in the photo above), made by a lovely lady called Joanne as a thank you, and sent to me as a gift.

Joanne is on ravelry here. She's given me a link to the yarn she used to make the doily here. Can you imagine opening an envelope containing such a thing of beauty and intricacy? I did gasp (with delight) when I saw it! To be gifted this felt astonishing! I will be framing it, and putting it on the wall.

I'd also like to share Jane Brocket's latest book with you. 'The gentle Art of Knitting', I just know, is going to sell well, it's just a wonderful, charming book. There isn't a single pattern I don't like in the whole book. It's full of interesting patterns that aren't too hard to follow, and I think that's where its success will lie, the whole tone of the book is about stress free knitting, but knitting things you'd want to make.

I love the pattern for the apron, very much, love it!

And there is a sock pattern where Jane gives you a few options for wine to drink whilst you're knitting, I do like that, it's quirky, and different.

There's already reviews of it in the press. The new magazine 'Mollie Makes' shows it in two areas of its first publication.

Aren't these cushions glorious!

Jane's book has been my recent bed time reading material, and it's a very enjoyable read, her writing, like that in her blog, is very engaging.

I have so many knitting and crochet books, that I rarely buy them these days, but this one I had to buy, and I'm very glad I did.

I said that Jane's book had got a big plug in the new magazine 'Mollie Makes'. I've seen people talking ecststically about this hot off the press brand new crafting magazine, and I was curious. I thumbed through it in the newsagent and soon realized why it's so popular.

When you first pick it up, after seeing the enticing cover, you're struck by the quality of the paper, it's very high quality, just like the whole magazine itself. Beautiful photographs, exquisite photos.

I think it must be quite hard for crafting magazines to come up with new and interesting ideas, because we all get to see so much originality on people's blogs. In a way, the pages of this magazine seem quite familiar. One thing that the web can't do is give us that experience of holding the pages of a magazine or book, having the pleasure of not having to open our computers to look at beautiful images like these in this mag. I think they've made a good decision to give us a quality tactile experience, with quality content, I won't be putting this magazine in the recycling.

I haven't read it through properly yet, but the pattern for the necklace (in the mosaic above) caught my eye, very much caught my eye!

And before I go off and get on with my sculpture making, I wanted to end, last but not least, with showing you a gift from a fellow maker and blogger.

You see the lovely headband above? It's made by Jane Smallcombe of Applique. The link to her etsy shop is here. I've bought some pieces by Jane in the past, and I love her sense of design. All her pieces are beautifully made too, it's really worth having a look in her shop.

So there we go, my bit of sharing as part of the bigger sharing picture! Well, every little bit counts!

Love Vanessa xxx

 

 

Fall.

Hello! Either I've been cooped up inside while this has been going on, or it's happened 'just like that', sneakily. Leaves everywhere. Littering the ground. It's crunch time underfoot.

I've always liked the American word for Autumn............ Fall......... it's beautifully evocative don't you think? fall.............. a lovely soft ..................gentle word, evoking an image of brightly coloured leaves ...................spiralling to earth. Beautiful.

I've not long returned from the library, and on the way home I collected these leaves above. Are you a leaf collector? I'm a bit of a hoarder of leaves, I found a stash of them the other day, each leaf placed between kitchen paper, dry and brittle. I think I prefer them when they're curling like these one's, with a little of their colour remaining.

Whilst I was browsing in the library, I found this book on the library shelves, "Three-dimensional embroidery" by Janet Edmonds, it's absolutely fascinating. I'm finding myself more and more interested in textile art, the shapes and textures, they draw me in, and give me ideas for my knitting.

A thing of beauty, this nest, don't you think? It's a "just because" piece. No function, other than the things it might make you feel and the thoughts you have when you look at it, I suppose you could call that a 'function' perhaps.

I love these vessels, and I feel excited at the thought of making something inspired by them. Who knows what the outcome will be?

And what could be the result of me seeing this structure above? Who knows hey?! Who knows how these things could influence you, now you've seen them? Maybe not at all, or maybe they'll have sown the seed of a little something, a little idea.

Anyway, back to the real world.

This weekend I hope we'll have the time to watch this DVD of the film 'Fanny and Alexander', which I've wanted to see for years.

There'll also be some curling up on the sofa, infront of the wood burning stove, reading my newly acquired download from Sarah London, an issue of her Hip to Hook publications, which I love. Isn't that tea cosy a bundle of joy? I have to crochet this, I have to.

Hugo and I have been invited to a 40th Birthday party this weekend, and we have to dress up as zombies. I've never dressed up as a zombie before.

I'm sure there was something else I was going to mention, and I can't remember what it was now. It will come to me. That's what happens when your husband is watching a programme on the t.v about Eddie Stobbart lorries. Nope, can't remember. Or maybe this is the effect of doing my accounts all week, unbelieveably. I've finished last years, almost, I just have to get up to date on this years. Now I know why I was looking at leaves on the ground as though they were beautiful sculptures, earlier, it was the effect of being tied to the computer with figures swimming before my eyes, the world outside seemed miraculous. Well, I'm off now to take a running leap into the swimming pool of my weekend. Love Vanessa xxx

Whizzzzzzzzzzzzz..........ing by.

Hello, just whizzzzzzzzzing by............... like the day, which has passed in a flash. All of a sudden I realised I hadn't taken the photos I was going to take for you, of my stripey dress that I'm knitting.

I had to pop in, to say hello, despite my rush, and I skimmed through my photo files looking for something to show you.

Bunting! Just the ticket before I head off to my Wednesday night knitting group.

This bunting had been put up for the Smailholm fete I went to about a month ago. It was a tiny affair. I love the smaller fetes and country fairs, everything is so much more homemade, and the people are often more jolly and personable. There's often a 'make-do-and-mend' ethos to them, where people chip in and donate or re-purpose, which gives an immense charm to the event.

There was a smattering of stalls in the village hall, and generous cream teas on offer. A lady near the exit had a table with her handspun yarn laid out. I bought a couple of skeins, sorry I don't have a photo of it for you just yet. The lady was spinning some yarn as I approached, and I couldn't help getting engaged in conversation, she was so friendly. She has a shop in Folksy, which you can see here, and a blog here.

I love handspun yarn, there's always so much love that goes into the creation of each skein, and every skein is different, with it's own personality.

Mia, who hand dyes and spins yarn, has a magic touch. I wasn't going to mention her untill I'd photographed the gorgeous skeins I bought in her etsy shop here, but as I'm on the subject of handspun yarn, I thought I'd mention her. Her blog is called Min Inspiration, and you can reach it here. I just had a quick look at her blog, and it looks like she's spinning some delicious colourways at the moment, the brighter combinations make my mouth water.

I really must dig out my small collection of handspun fibres and let you have a look.

I've always been quite reticent about buying handspun fibres, even though I love the stunning results you get in each skein, because I've never known what to do with it. Just gazing at the yarn in it's skein gives me a lot of  satisfaction. Part of me doesn't want to undo the skein, and then there's another little urge, to use the yarn, be practical.

I think that what I need to do is knit, or crochet, (probably knit, as crochet uses so much more yarn than knitted fabric), some swatches with each skein, see how they look, and then try out a little idea that has been forming in my mind, to put these handspun yarns to some use. And I need to take some photos for you so you can see all this yarn I'm talking about, don't I?!

Gosh, the time! I really have to go! I've been talking longer than I meant to. See you Friday. Love Vanessa xxx

Wallpaper?

Hello! I'm wearing a yellow dress I found in a charity shop, today, and I'm much chirpier than I was on Monday! Hurrah!

Today I'm going to dip my toe into the subject of wallpaper, which I'm not planning on buying, but I could be manoevred into planning to buy some, if this wallpaper idea of mine was available.

Patchwork wallpaper. I haven't a clue if it exists, but I'd like my wallpaper to be exactly like one of Hen's cushion covers. She's a master of mixing pattern and colour, using the most gorgeous vintage fabrics, and each cushion cover is made up of about 100 small squares. One hundred, yes.

I'm in the fortunate position of owning one of Hen's beautiful cushions, it was a Birthday gift from my parents this year. Such a wonderful present.

Every time I look at it, I see fabric squares I hadn't noticed before, so it's a constant joyous surprise staring at it whilst I'm drying my hair each morning, when I should probably be paying more attention to my hair in the mirror.

I thought I'd photograph some of the squares to show you, and give you a similar happy experience! Then as I was putting the mosaic together, it occured to me that this patchwork cushion would make the loveliest of pattern repeats on wallpaper. Probably not like my mosaic, more like Hen's actual cushion cover.

A bit like this above?

Or like this photo?

If I was suddenly blessed with an immense stash of fabric, I suppose I could always sew my own wallpaper together, out of little squares of fabric.

I'm off to knitting group now, but before I go, I see it as my duty to direct you to something that may well make you smile, laugh too. A real pony who lives the high life, look here, at Jenni's blog post (scroll down a bit till you get to the video). I must show it to Hugo later, it's a real gem.

Well, toodle pip and all that. Love Vanessa xxx

A great big smile!

(JUST A NOTE: THIS POST IS ACTUALLY FROM AUGUST 20TH '09, BUT TYPEPAD HAVE BEEN MESSING ME AROUND, AND NOW I'VE HAD TO POST THIS TODAY). It's a funny old world, the world of Typepad.

Hello dear friends! And a very happy hello to you, plus a very big thank you for voting for me on the Dorset Cereals little blogs awards site. Just had a little peek to see how many votes I've received so far, and found that 94 lovely people have voted for me! 94!!!!!!!!!!!! Makes me feel ever so happy you know!

(If you haven't voted yet, and you feel you'd like to, just pop over here, and cast a vote for me, I'd be ever so thrilled to get more votes than I already have!)

I've only allowed myself to look at the ratings twice today. (Self-control expert, me, don't you think?!) Each time I've looked, the numbers have jumped upwards quite a bit. And you've been telling me in your comments what number vote you are, so I've been getting an idea of how things are going that way. The excitement! I feel like I'm in some sort of game, where I'm the main player, but my moves all depend on you dear readers! It's fun, and it goes on till the end of the month. This is the closest I'll ever get to running in an election.

Shall I move on to what I really wanted to tell you all about then? The subject of having a penpal.

I have a penpal. (Don't think I ever had one when I was a young girl, so I'm coming to this a bit late on in life). My penpal is Hen, at Hen House. We've just started a little correspondence, accompanied by gifts.

Hen got the ball rolling, and was the first to send a parcel.

The postman rang the door bell, (just after I'd waved off my sister and her family on Monday), and handed me a pink package. And in that package were more packages, lots of them. And a letter inside a card, and magazine clippings. And, well, it was a very, very, very, very, nice thing to receive and open. Each gift was wrapped in candy pink tissue paper, (gorgeous). Hen must be one of an entirely new breed of penpals, which I thoroughly approve of, utterly!

Perhaps the new breed of penpals should be named pen-and-gift pals?

My pen-and-gift pal knows my tastes exactly. Or should that be, we have exactly the same taste? I love everything Hen has sent me, it's all spot on. I'm a very fortunate and privileged person.

There were some extra special gifts in the parcel, handmade by Hen. Hen knows I'm partial to wearing an apron, and so she gave me this fabulous apron she made (the one in the photo above). The coasters in the first photo, the one's with the lovely big blooms on them? She made those too, I love them, they're beautiful.  Unexpected gifts these, a complete surprise, I'm absolutely thrilled with them, and I love, love, love them! 

Every gift was a pleasure to receive, from the spotty pink nail file, to the beautiful notebook, the little flower candles (which it's going to be almost impossible to light), and the lovely cup cake cases. Opening the handmade gifts was special, partly because I'm a huge fan of receiving handmade gifts, and partly because I think they're beautiful.

Receiving a hand written letter felt special too, it's not so common these days is it? I love a hand written card, whether it's me sending, or receiving, I love both. Seeing someone's actual handwriting, after only communicating by e-mail is rather wonderful, and a very human experience. I wonder if having a penpal will make a 'return', and be more widely practised, like crafting is getting to be?

I shall be sending Hen her package next month, exciting to get that together! I have already started, but naturally it's all top secret, sorry about that.

I really must take the doggies for a walk, and stretch their tiny little Miniature Dachshund legs, even if they do look like they're not really up to it, snuggled up on the sofa as they are. Maybe I'll give Hugo a call at work, and organise to walk the dogs to his office, and collect him, then we can all have a leg stretch together. Better get moving then, hadn't I? Well, lovely to see you, nice to chat, and hopefully, see you tomorrow.  Love Vanessa xxx

When table cloths are a joy!

Hello, happy beginning of the weekend! Yes, it's Friday, and I've just come upstairs to do this blog entry. Downstairs Hugo is keeping an eye on the tennis match between Andy Murray and Andy Roddick. I just needed a break, because I'm feeling exhausted from all the tension of the match. Well, I wanted high drama, and now I've got it, I'm feeling like I'm not quite strong enough to handle it! When I last saw the scores, Roddick was leading by two sets to one, and there had just been an excruciatingly close tie break. Phew! Being a spectator is hard work! It will be a miracle if Murray wins, to be honest I've lost hope of that....................
Anyway, some of you reading this won't be into the tennis, so what I've just been saying will be irrelevant to you, so apologies for that!
And anyway, I was going to show you table cloths from the open garden I showed you yesterday, wasn't I?

As we walked into the entrance to the garden, we saw tables covered in cloths, looking inviting, beckoning us to sit down and have a cup of tea and a piece of cake. So we did just that! Good thing we did too, because not long after we'd finished our tea and cake, it started to pour with rain.

Hugo's calling me! We've got to go and visit Hugo's sister, Tamsin, and give her daughter Cassie, her Birthday present. Won't be long. Hope we don't miss much of the match!

Hello again! We're back! I've got a bit of a fixed grin on my face, because while we were visiting Tam, and all the family, and joining in the general merriment, Murray lost to Roddick. Poor Andy Murray, he must be feeling devastated. I'm a bit devastated, and now I've lost interest in seeing the rest of the matches at Wimbledon! This is what it must be like when people watch a football match, or any match, and the team they support loses.  I think I must be coming down from an adrenaline rush! I truly never appreciated the ups and downs of supporting a team. I've never been into watching sport, so supporting Murray, and getting involved, was all new to me. Although I'm feeling flat as a pancake, I'm glad I had that experience, as I like to try everything once. I don't know if my constitution will take another battering like that! I can't quite believe I got so caught up in it....................... sometimes I surprise myself!

Well, I've just given myself a good talking to, and told myself to buck up! So, moving on in a brisk, British stiff upper lip fashion, lets get back to table cloths.

Yes! let's get back to the beautiful table cloths!!!

Just look at the colours, and the embroidery, isn't it a joy? I made a bee-line for the table with this cloth on, as I thought it was the prettiest, and luckily noone was sitting at it. All hand embroidered, all beautifully embroidered.

I liked this one too, and managed to take a photo before some people came and sat at this table. I'm not sure what the blue flowers are meant to be, but they're very pretty don't you think?

So pretty too!

There was another table, it had a pretty cloth on it too, but some people were sitting at it, and I judged it might be a bit much to disturb them while having their tea and cake. That probably demonstrates just how sacred I consider the whole peaceful afternoon tea ritual is, doesn't it? Because I can be brazen about taking photos sometimes!

I'm feeling completely recovered form the tennis match disappointment, after seeing these table cloths again! The power of beautiful things hey?

When we went to visit Tamsin and the family earlier, we arrived with two dogs.
We departed with four doggies! We're looking after Tamsin and Nick's and the family's two Jack Russells for the weekend, they're going away. So it's going to be a little chaotic over the next couple of days no doubt, especially as Douglas gets very jealous. A teensy weensy bit like having four furry, four-legged children. Hopefully I won't have any dramatic stories to relate to you on Monday. So, have a good weekend, and think of us walking four dogs at the same time! Love Vanessa xxx

Julie Arkell ....................... sculpture.

If you type Julie Arkell's name in to google, you'll find plenty of links to her.......... I love trawling through them. Yesterday, I said I would show you the sculpture I bought from Julie.................. Here it is, "Thinking to some purpose, by two old blue socks". What a wonderful title.......... don't you think? I think it's very amusing............. The gentle humor of her work speaks to me........... And it makes you think. The whimsy transports me to a place where life is good, life is jolly, with old-fashioned values, of caring and nurturing.................. These two characters might just have buttons for eyes, but to me they are full of character and personality..................... This piece sits in my studio, on a small shelf, so I see it every day, and have a little smile.................. I know of two places you can buy Julie's work. One in the U.S and one in the U.K. Earth Angels Toys is in the U.S. Loop is in London. And here's a link you might like to look at: milk and jam........... they have just started a company making gorgeous children's clothes, they have a vintage look to them........... I love the pinnies............

Julie Arkell.

Julie Arkell. Do you know her work? If you don't, I feel like I'm sharing something special with you. If you're seeing her work for the first time here, and find yourself connecting with it, you might wonder.............. why did I not know about her before? I know that's how it was for me when I first saw Julie's work............ I fell in love with it. I had an opportunity to buy some of her work last year, and it took me ages to choose, because I just wanted everything on display. I ended up purchasing a brooch, and a sculpture............. today I'm going to show you the brooch I bought...................I loved the way Julie displayed her brooches................... Gorgeous, isn't it? I had to think long and hard which word to choose, because I wanted a word brooch, and each word took on a huge significance. In the end, I went for this...................... "Safe". I also like the word "home", but for me, the word "safe" is linked to the good things in my life, so it's a very positive word for me, and is probably a word I'd say was, in my mind, linked to the word "happiness"..................... I'm going to show you the sculpture I bought from Julie, in my next post.....................

What goes around, comes around..............

The day after I had announced the winner for my giveaway last week, a package was pushed through the letter box, for ME!................... I'm not too sure where I start to describe my feelings as I opened the envelope................. it was all so mysterious and exciting, and totally unexpected.................. And it got even more thrilling as I pulled a lime green, tissue paper wrapped gift, out of the brown paper wrapping. Lime green tissue paper! Just gorgeous! My photographs don't do the colour of the tissue paper justice at all, shame, because I really, really want you to see that lime green. ...................... ...... What's inside? Well something so touching and generous................ so, so generous and unexpected..................... ............... A beautiful handmade, embroidered heart! ................... Made and gifted to me just because ........... by Rachel at pillar box red. You know what? I loved the huge splash of lipstick red that was revealed in the lime green tissue.............. such a scrumptious colour combination.............. Right then and there, I had to find a place to hang it............ So I pottered round the house, trying it here, trying it there............... It absolutely had to be somewhere I would see it every day, to make me feel good each time I glimpse it...................... I thought it might be nice, hanging from the door handle, in the picture above, but for some reason the bolt on the door, above the heart, seemed a bit negative, and symbolic.......... I know, I think about things toooooo much for my own good................ Then I thought of the spare room.............. which we're actually using as our bedroom at the moment.......... You see it's the room, above the room with the wood burning stove in it............. so it's a lot warmer than our normal bedroom........... our normal bedroom is like an ice box at the moment, the radiator doesn't seem to be winning against the chill................. ............ And there's a bit of a red theme going on in there too............. Receiving a gift, out of the blue................ and just because............. well, that never happens to me................. And I tell you what..... it feels GREAT!!!!!!!!

My First Christmas cards....................

Rachel at Pillar Box Red, sent me these wonderful handmade Christmas cards she made................... My first Christmas cards this year................. A set of five cards arrived, beautifully packaged in tissue paper and twine................ it was like opening a gift................. A huge amount of work has gone in to making these cards, Rachel has even decorated the insides of the envelopes..................... ........... And each card has its own special detail............. I love the sewn paper in this design........................ .............. The more graphic cards are my favourite designs............. I love the beads sprinkled over the trees.................. ..................... They cast magical shadows.............. in the wintery light............... I imagine you would get the same effect with the light from a lamp at night................... Most of the cards we receive at Christmas are mass produced, so to receive a handmade card would be very special, I think................. These cards would not be destined for the recycling, they would be for keeps........................ If Rachel hasn't sold out of her cards yet, you might still be able to buy them from her etsy shop here, it's called 'made by pillar box red'........................ I think these cards represent that true spirit of Christmas............. something made by hand, and with love, which doesn't cost a fortune, but is in many ways much more valuable than something of high monetary value................. so right for these difficult times...................