frayed at the edge

Breaking news......

.....it's snowing again .... and again ...... and again.  This was this morning's depth check

 

 

and this was the scary view from Malcolm's study window - snow sliding off the roof

 

 

But enough snow for the moment, let's have some knitting instead!  I couldn't show you these mitts before, as I knitted them for a swap with my bloggy friend Lynne.  She had admired the mitts that I knitted recently and had asked about the pattern, as she wanted to knit a pair for her daughter.  However, when she said that she wasn't sure if her knitting skills were up to it, I offered to knit them for her.  That was soon organised into a swap and she is going to crochet a mat for me.

 

 

Of course, I didn't just knit a pair for Lynne's daughter, but a pair for Lynne as well

 

 

I also popped a couple of extra things in the box (this is now a well-travelled box, as Meg sent my birthday present from Italy in it, and it has now gone to Germany!)

 

 

I have almost finished my first sock

 

 

I just have a few more rows of rib to do.  I think I prefer this toe-up method ...... no dreaded kitchener stitch to finish to toe, and no picking up stitches from the heel flap

 

 

I have had another day in the studio - I don't know when I last did so much sewing!  I have done some more quilting on Alison's panda cushion

 

 

I have almost finished the Christmas cushions - I found a fat quarter to use for the binding .....

 

 

.... and fabric from a sample curtain (I get them from a shop in Hawick) to use for the back

 

 

I watched a dvd this afternoon while I handstitched the binding on the back

 

 

And now, back to the snow.  Malcolm made a start to clearing the drive this morning - as you can see, there was rather a lot of snow on it!  Fortunately our neighbour Billy the farmer (brother of Jim the farmer who gave me the apples and plums) arrived with his tractor and moved a lot of the snow for him.

 

 

These horses had been turned out of their stable for the morning and were enjoying the freedom ......

 
 

 

....... even when the snow started (yet) again

 

 

Don't worry, they hadn't been abandoned in the field .... the owner, her children and dogs were all having fun too

 

 

I have taken lots of snowy photos, but I can't compete with this one taken by my Roving Reporter (aka Stuart!!).  He was unable to get to work, so this afternoon he walked along to the Falkirk Wheel, and took this from the canal bank above the Wheel.  You can see that the canal is frozen!  In the distance, the Ochil hills are covered in snow - remember you can click on the photo to enlarge it.

 

 

Looking on the bright side of this enforced staying at home - I haven't been out since Saturday, so I haven't spent any money!!  I have also been very strong and haven't succumbed to all these wonderful deals on Amazon for things I neither want nor need!!

Inclement weather!

Well, what can I say .... it's still snowing!!  This morning I stuck Malcolm's yardstick in the snow on the patio table ........

 

 

....... so how much snow have we had?

 

 

The birds were on the feeders from early in the morning, but they had to wait until I had showered and dressed before I put more food out.  However the robin found a stray seed

 

 

Having had the disappointment on Saturday of the Christmas Fair being cancelled (it might go ahead this Saturday), I was anxious about my dentist's appointment this morning (I've got toothache again!).  We had decided that we wouldn't go, but before I could phone to cancel, the receptionist phoned me.  She spoke to Malcolm, as I was in the shower .... he asked when I could have another appointment and she said that it would be sometime in the New Year!!  He then explained that I was suffering some pain, so her advice was for me to phone for an emergency appointment as soon as I can get there.  But as this was the state of our road this morning ...... I might have a long wait!

 

 

However, I have been making the most of my time at home!  I went into my stash of Christmas fabrics, and found this panel

 

 

I decided to cut it up to make small cushions.  This is the first one, ready to quilt

 

 

I decided to use YLI invisible thread for the quilting ...... I don't usually use it, but I am pleased with the result.  Here is a detail ......

 

 

....... and here is how it looks on the wrong side

 

 

I had asked Stuart for some ideas for Christmas presents for Alison.  Amongst other things, he said that she likes pandas.  I could picture a magazine that had a panda block on the front cover, and for once I found it quite quickly (usually when I am looking for a specific magazine it's the last one in the pile!)  It didn't take long to make the cushion front

 

 

After my success using the invisible thread, I decided to use it on this cushion too - here is a detail

 

 

and here is the back

 

 

I have been busy kntting as well - but I'll save that for tomorrow!

 

Shadow Shot Sunday

I thought I was going to have to go into the archives for some shadows, but at the last minute the sky cleared and the sun came out, so I can share with you my snowy shadows.  This is the earliest it has snowed here for 17 years, so we are not very happy .... especially as we should have been at a Christmas Fair this afternoon, selling our wares!  To see more shadows, preferably with lots of blue sky and warmth, visit Hey Harriet, where Tracy as always has wonderful collages of the best of last week's shadows.

 

a faint glint of sun in the front garden

 

 

a cold horse in the field in front of the house

 

 

the view from the back garden gate

 

 

did you spot the little bird?

 

 

our neighbours' garden office looks like an alpine chalet!

 

I'm not sure if there is a shadow in this last photo, but this was the view from our bedroom window first thing this morning!

 

Cosy toes!

After I finished last night's post, I started reading the instructions for the Magic Cast On for my socks.  My eyes started to glaze over and my brain started to hurt!  So I went back online and watched a video on how to do it.  Perhaps it would have helped if I had turned the sound up, but we were watching tv, so I just watched the demonstration.  There seemed to be a lot of winding wool round needles, without any recognisable form of casting on.  When my wool fell off the needles yet again, I gave up on the Magic Cast On.  But there was a little tickle at the back of my brain ....... socks, after all, are just tubes (with shaping) and I know how to cast on and knit a tube with two needles.  So I adapted the method, and hooray, the first sock was started

 

 

I got the idea from the way I knitted the sock for my mobile phone

 

 

It's a very simple pattern - you cast on an even number of stitches, then every row you work p1,sl1 to the end.  If you went on knitting, a tube with a closed end would form.

 

 

As I didn't want to go on knitting a tube, after working two rows, which meant I had worked all the stitches, for the third row I purled the first stitch, slipped the next stitch onto a needle at the back and repeated this to the end of the row.  This gave me two lots of stitches, joined in the middle.   I could then go on with the sock, working increases on every second row .... just the other way round from normal sock knitting when you get to the toe and decrease!  My increases are slightly untidy, but with practice, I'm sure I will improve (and nobody sees the toes of my socks!!)

It is still very cold, but we haven't had any more snow.  The birds are spending far longer at the feeders ....... they need to eat a lot more food to keep warm

 

 

The horses didn't look very happy, grazing in the snow

 

 

The birds make sure every last little bit of seed is eaten

 

 

Just like the climbing rose in the back garden, this one on the front of the house is determined to go on flowering

 

 

Tomorrow (weather permitting) it's the Christmas Fair ..... I'll tell you all about it on Monday.  I hope you have a good weekend, love Anne

Winter wonderland

The snow arrived during the night - just a little bit later than forecast.  This was the view from the lounge window when we opened the curtains

 

 

It wasn't fully light, and apart from the faint tinge of pink on the clouds, the photos look as if they were taken in B&W

 

 

It was a bit brighter looking out at the back garden

 

 

As you can see from the scaffolding, the new house next door still isn't finished

 

 

Of course the weather made the birds even more eager for food - there was quite a queue sitting in the hawthorn tree

 

 

We had planned to go to Gretna today, to do some Christmas shopping (there is only a month to go!), but of course the weather put paid to that.  So instead, I had a whole day in the studio, getting on with the Christmas sewing.  Fortunately I didn't have to worry about keeping the studio warm, as the log store is full

 

 

I have organised what I need to start my toe-up socks ......

 

........ all I have to do is master the Magic Cast On!

Tiny bunting

I headed out to the studio this afternoon to make a start on some Christmas presents ....... but I had a little bit of fun first, making some tiny bunting.  I started with some pages from a tatty old song book that I bought at a car boot sale, some red and white string and a diamond template

 

 

I used the template to mark cutting lines on a page

 

 

After cutting out the diamonds, I folded them in half

 

 

To save time (and also because I usually end up with glue all over me!) I used glue lines to stick the bits together .... you can just see the glue line on the bottom of the diamond

 

 

I put the string in the middle of the diamond, then folded it over and stuck it down ...... and in no time at all I had a string of bunting

 

 

I like my old paper bunting, but of course you could use any sort of paper to suit the occasion

 

 

I have finished my crochet shawl.  I enjoyed doing it ..... and didn't have to frog too much!!

 

 

The snow that was forecast for today hasn't reached us yet, but it has been very cold.  If the weather stays like this, I will be glad of all the shawls and scarves that I have knitted (and now crocheted) recently

 

 

I bought this yarn some time ago - two 99p balls from the bargain basket in my local wool shop!

 

 

I have started another one, but as it is a present, I can't show it to you yet.  And of course I can't show you my Christmas present sewing ...... I will have to have two sets of projects on the go, so that I will have things to share with you!!

My winter garden

I was pottering back and forward between the house and the studio this morning, getting ready for my friends arriving for my house group, when this little rose caught my eye.  Although it is a bit battered about the edges, it is still hanging on, despite another frosty night

 

 

In our last garden, we had two castor oil plants, which sat in pots outside the dining room patio doors.  When we moved here, we decided to plant them out in the garden, as they were getting a bit big for the pots.  We put them in the back corner of the garden, which is shady and damp ..... a spot which they obviously like ......

 

 

..... because not only have they got rather large, but for the first time they have put out flower spikes.  This one hasn't quite opened

 

 

but the top of this one has

 

 

The chickens look better, the rustier they get!

 

 

There is still a splash of colour from this clematis

 

 

My little 'lace lady' tree had decided to put out some new leaves

 

 

Our old sinks, which Malcolm turned into miniature alpine gardens, have filled out nicely over the summer

 

 

 

 

At the front of the house, my car windscreen had lovely frost patterns on it .......

 

 

....... but at the back, the gate was gently steaming in the sun!!

 

Soggy!

Yesterday was a bit damp and grey, but we managed to have a short walk after having had a cuppa at the Waterwheel cafe ...... which of course meant I had to take more photos of the eagle owls!

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we walked along to the river, we noticed several burrows - we think perhaps it's a badgers' set

 

 

We could hear the river before we saw it ..... it was running fast after the recent rain

 

 

When we got back home, I headed out to the studio to  ...... yes, do a bit more for the Fair!  When I'm in the studio, I most often listen to music (either on the radio, or a cd) ...... but at the weekend, there is a tv channel which shows Star Trek all day (but why does the Captain always transport down to the alien planet, instead of sending a minion?)

 

 

I looked out these four gift bags which I had left over from a previous fair - they have a bar of oatmeal soap and a body puff in them.  I wasn't happy with the way they looked (I forgot to take a photo!).  I added the ribbon on the front, cut the top with pinking shears, and tied them up with red and white string.  Once I added pretty labels, I was pleased with the new look!

 

 

Do you remember in the summer, I won a First and two Third places with my photos at the Southdean Show?  What I didn't know at the time, as I left before the end, was that I had also won the Cup for photography.  I was especially delighted to win it for two reasons ..... first, the cup was given by my friend Lorraine, and second, this was the first year that it was presented!  There followed several delays - Lorraine was on holiday, then she forgot it, then we were away, then she was away again ...... but finally, I have the cup (which I keep until next year's show)

 

 

For the moment, I have it sitting on the mantlepiece, until I decide where to keep it

 

 

I phoned Janome today, but unfortunately there isn't anywhere else I can go for lessons ...... so perhaps when I have mastered all the stitches and feet on the machine, I can set up as a teacher!! (But that may take some time!)

Shadow Shot Sunday

What is it about shadow shots that ensnares us, and has us looking for them wherever we go?  At least I'm not alone in this addiction, and you can visit Hey Harriet to see what my fellow addicts have posted this week.  I took today's batch when I was shopping in Hawick on Monday morning ...... walking back to the car, I saw the sun shining on the Congregational Church, melting the frost and creating shadows

 

 

As I got closer, I saw these strange crosses on the front of the church ....... the saltire, Scotland's flag, has a diagonal cross on it, as St Andrew, our patron saint was crucified on a diagonal cross

 

 

This cross lit up the beautiful leaded window

 

 

So where did these bright crosses come from?  I don't know, I couldn't see anything shining or reflecting light on the church.  This last photo shows the building facing the church ...... as you can see from the shadows of the satellite tv dishes, the sun was shining on that building, not the church ..........

 

Who stole the field?

We've had a foggy day .....when I looked out this morning, the field across the road had vanished!

 

 

However, the fog didn't stop the birds popping in for breakfast

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There hasn't been much craft work done this week!  I have done some more of the crochet shawl and hope to finish it over the weekend.  This afternoon at patch'n'chat, there was too much of the latter, and not enough of the former, but I did make a start to embellishing the houses on my row quilt, adding some curtains and blinds on the windows

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the weekend, I will be chained to my worktable, putting the finishing touches to all my goodies for the Fair.  Whatever you are doing, I hope it all goes well and you have a good time!  Love Anne