frayed at the edge

Fruity!

I remembered before dinner that I had forgotten again to take photos of the petit fours, so I nipped through to the kitchen to put that right. They will look lovely on the Christmas cake .....

 

 

....... Lorraine pays so much attention to detail (and Malcolm assures me that they taste good too!)

 

 

I put the Christmas tree up yesterday afternoon.  It was only when I looked at the photos on the laptop that I realised that I have cut the head off the fairy on top of the tree!!

 

 

The Gnome brothers and sisters love having more Christmas things on their chairs (click on the photo to enlarge it)

 

 

I also put another two wallhangings on the hall doors.  I bought these as kits the first time I went to Houston - they were the first of many things that I bought!

 

 

 

I have been working on my mini mittens.  I have now now completed eight - the next step will be to crochet a string to put them on

 

 

I received an email from a friend this morning, seeking Malcolm's advice on levelling her new shower on her old, uneven floor.  As Malcolm is both practical and a (retired) engineer, he has not only come up with a solution, but has also drawn a little diagram for me to email

 

 

There is a tv programme called 'Challenge Tommy', where builder Tommy Walsh solves viewers problems ....... perhaps I could get Malcolm a similar job!!

Drip .... drip .... drip

Hooray - the temperature has been above freezing all day!!  So everywhere we went, there was the constant sound of dripping, as the thaw got underway.  Unfortunately, the forecast is for the freezing weather to return next week, but for the moment, we will enjoy the small respite.  As our road was still quite bad this morning, I called on Malcolm for chauffeuring services.  Our first stop was Borderland Fabrics, as I needed fabrics to complete two Christmas presents (you will have to wait to see them!).  There were no other customers, so we had a cuppa with Annette and Cathy.  Fabric purchased, we then went on into Jedburgh town centre, where, having bought the newspapers, we popped in for an early lunch!  On the way back to the car, I had to get the camera out to capture these icicle displays

 

 

 

Our next stop was Kelso ...... yippee, I've been to the hairdresser, so I no longer look like an old English sheepdog!  Of course I had to stop to take more photos - this time of the Abbey

 

 

 

Last night I was busy knitting - can you guess what it is?

 

 

Yes, it's a mitten ...

 

 

...... but it's a very special mitten

 

 

In one of those little coincidences in blogland, I had been looking at a pattern on Ravelry for tiny mittens .... then the next day, Rattling on .... had posted this pattern.  I only had a ball of red double knitting in the house last night to make a start to kntting some, so this morning I delved into my leftovers box for some other colours

 

The plan is to knit enough to make some bunting to string along the front of the fireplace.  I also thought that for next year, I could knit some to make an advent calendar.

Another Christmassy thing has appeared in the house - this time a little wallhanging (except it is on a door!).  Apologies for the next photo being slightly out of focus, but I wanted to show you how I put it on the door ..... I put a little bit of Blu Tack on the door, then pin the hanging to the Blu Tack

 

 

This is a detail of the stitching

 

 

I designed the wallhanging about 15 years ago as a mystery project - that was the famous occasion when someone from the back of the room asked to see mine, so she would know what the finished wallhanging looked like!!  It did have beads and litlle silver bells, hanging from the prairie points - but I put it in an exhibition some years ago and it came back without them!  However, it still looks good when it comes out of hibernation every December

 

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!!

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!

Starting at the bottom!

For some time now, I have been working up to trying a pattern for toe-up socks ..... as the name suggests, you start at the toe, the opposite to normal sock knitting.  So this week I got organised and downloaded a pattern from Ravelry.  (I am much too embarrassed to tell you who I am on Ravelry, my page is so pathetic! ...... oh well, if I must - it's Carenza)  The next thing of course was to buy some sock wool, which I did on Monday

 

I haven't used this wool before, so I am looking forward to seeing how it knits up (all I have to do now is remember to print out the pattern!)

 

Oh dear, I've bought another quilting book .... but it was from a charity shop, so really I was doing a good thing and contributing to the charity's funds!

 

 

How could I resist a book with such a vibrant cover! The book is quite a mix .....

 

traditional blocks

 

 

a mix of techniques and fabrics

 

 

different styles of quilting (I love the one on the bottom right!)

 

 

an Amish-style doll, with her own  rail fence quilt

 

 

this is unusual - the background has been quilted before the applique has been tacked in place

 

I thought I should tell you about the Christmas Fair, in case you live close enough to come!  It's in Southdean Village Hall in Chesters, which is near the town of Hawick.  If you look at a road map, you will see the A6088, which goes from just outside Hawick to meet the A68 just before the Carter Bar, passing through Chesters on the way.  So if you live in the Borders or North Northumberland, do think about coming along on Saturday the 27th November from 2 to 4pm.  As well as all my goodies, Malcolm has stools, bird boxes and bird tables, Lorraine has fabulous Christmas cakes, marzipan petit fours, jams and chutneys, Lindsay (aka The Border Tart) will have all her gorgeous goodies, to mention a few..... and of course there will be tea, coffee and home baking.  If you want more detailed directions, leave a comment or email me (if you look at the top of the lefthand sidebar, you will see a link to click on to email me).

 

ps - tomorrow we are going to Edinburgh, as I am going to do something very exciting ...... so make sure you come back tomorrow to read all about it!!

 

A little bit of string .......

........ was all it took to transform my empty candle jars into pretty tealight holders

 

 

I bought these lovely coloured strings in a garden centre some time ago, certain that I could use them for something!  I stuck some double sided tape round the bottom of the jars, then wound the string round.  I added some tealights, some pretty packaging and a fun label ....... a quick and easy way to transform the jars

 

 

I also solved the problem of how to attach the pencils to the notebooks.  I stuck them to strips of card with that horrible gummy stuff that free gifts are stuck to magazines with, then attached the card strips to the notebooks with tiny clothespegs.  A fun tag, and the job was done!

 

 

I may have mentioned before that my crochet skills are decidedly rusty.  Years (and years!) ago, I used to crochet ..... I even crocheted dresses when I was in my teens.  But I always had problems with my tension, and with knowing where to work my first and last stitches, so my work tended to have rather oddly shaped edges.  But having seen so many lovely crocheted things on other blogs, I decided to have another go.  I saw a nice shawl pattern in this magazine ......

 

 

It was funny buying a 'People's Friend' publication, as I can remember my Granny reading the People's Friend when I was little.

 

 

Once I had read the instructions for the special stitches several times, I made a start .......

 

 

.... but I had to frog a few rows, as there is a mistake (third row from the top, there should be three double trebles in the centre!)  But after that, I made good progress, and I've finished the first section

 

 

Weather forecasters might keep saying that it is late autumn, but it was definitely winter when I went out this morning ...... as you can see, it was minus one degree ......

 

 

....... and the windscreen took a bit of scraping!! 

 

Needles and pins

The collection of things for the Christmas Fair is growing, with boxes of finished stuff on the floor, piles of fabric on the worktable and a lovely smell of soap and lavender in the air.  After finally deciding how to package the little pails, the next decision was what to do with the knitted washcloths.  I had them folded this way, I had them folded that way .... and finally, I decided to present them like this

 

Two facecloths, wrapped round bars of soap and tied up with pretty ribbon

 

I also looked out some little baby beenies that I had knitted some time ago, and popped them into bags - again tying them up with ribbon 

 

 

The first batch of hearts is finished, and I've cut out a second batch

 

 

The next thing on the list was a needlecase.  I had a vague idea for a design ..... and it has turned out ok

 

 

Inside, there are needles ......

 

 

...... and pins

 

 

And the finishing touch - a label on the back

 

 

Of course, I didn't just make one ......

 

 

Visitors to my studio are, of course, very welcome ...... and even more so since Malcolm bought this welcome sign for me!

 

 

Tomorrow, I'm planning to renew my photo Driving Licence.  I've had it for ten years, so the photo is obviously out of date ...... but I'm a bit peeved that I have to pay £20 to have a new one issued - especially as in all those years, I have never used it for an ID check ....... I've always had to use my passport!

 

 

Some things never change!

I bought this book in a charity some weeks ago, but somehow I've just not got round to sharing it with you!

 

I didn't know that she had written a needlework book too

 

 

even this reproduction is old!

 

 

I don't know how I've lived without one of these in the house - although I do remember antimacassars on the furniture when I was a child!  I wonder how many younger people would even know what an antimacassar is.

 

 

do you think Malcolm would like these for Christmas?

 

 

how many people have a hankie these days, never mind an embroidered one!

 

But some things haven't changed over the years - this beautiful shawl wouldn't look out of place in a modern book of patterns

 

 

Our clocks change this weekend, so it will feel as if winter has arrived ...... it will be dark by 5pm!  Sunday, of course, is Halloween.  We live too far out in the country to have children come to the door (we call it 'guising', not 'trick or treat')  When we were little, we had to recite a poem or sing a song, and we would then be given apples or monkey nuts.  We also had homemade costumes, not ones from shops, and we made lanterns from turnips, not pumpkins. 

I hope you all have a great weekend, love Anne

 

Lots of knitting .....

...... and a little bit of sewing!  The star of today's post is Maia - it may have taken me a while, but finally it's finished!  I think part of the problem was that the pattern has a twelve row repeat, so I kept getting bored, doing the same thing over and over (and over).  However, as you will see, it was definitely worth the effort!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I gave my cable-cuff socks their first outing today.  They are very warm and I really like the colour

 

 

Now that I have finished Ishbel and Maia, I have been getting on with Malcolm's socks, and have finished the first one, except for the dreaded Kitchener stitch

 

 

As for the little bit of sewing ...... of course it was chat'n'patch this afternoon, and I was working on my owls (I know, there hasn't been much progress on them)

 

 

As always, there was cake - another of Annette's wonderful sponges, with raspberry jam.  I just wish I could share it with you!

 

 

I can't believe it's the weekend again - it hardly seems five minutes since the last one!  I hope you all have a good one, love Anne