frayed at the edge

Satisfied customers!

This morning we headed east again, this time to the Berwickshire town of Duns.  It's Wednesday, so of course that means we had lunch out.  Today, we went to Pearsons Garden Centre in Duns.  The coffee shop isn't overly pretty - but the food .....

 

As you can see, we thoroughly enjoyed our soup.  I had carrot and courgette, which was lightly spiced, and Malcolm had tomato and basil, and we both had a crusty brown roll, hot from the oven - delicious!

Before lunch, we had a walk round Duns, where we spotted this quirky house ...

 

I wonder if the people who live in it are tall and narrow too?

I can't go to Duns without visiting  a wonderful shop called Albany Courtyard, which sells all sorts of gorgeous things .....

 

As well as all these goodies, they also make curtains, upholster furniture etc ... and this means ... remnants!

 

I couldn't possibly have come home without this beautiful fabric, which is reversible - I think it will make wonderful cushion covers - or maybe a bag (or both!)

When we arrived in Duns, we popped into another favouite place for a quick cuppa - a gift shop/coffee shop with the wonderful name of Fantoosh.  The owner wasn't there, so the two lovely ladies who were serving let me take photos, which I promised not to post until the owner says I can.  I hope she does say it's ok, because it's another shop full of beautifully crafted goodies!

Last night was a wonderful moonlit night - or as we Scots might say - a braw, bricht, moonlicht nicht (or something like that!)  This is the best of my many attempts to take a photo of the moon shining above the back garden wall ...

 

I have knitted a bit more of my cushion cover - which just wouldn't co-operate when I tried to arrange it artistically over the back of a kitchen chair!  Although I didn't use flash to take the photo, I think the colours look a bit washed out ...

 

I haven't quite decided how to make the cushion cover, but I think big buttons and I-cord could be involved ......

A wooly good day (part two)

We were sitting watching tv last night when I said to Malcolm that I hadn't put in the link when I wrote about Woolfish - I'm very sorry and it won't happen again!

So, to continue with yesterday's day out.  I think you know us well enought by now to know that if we were out for the day, lunch would be involved ...

   

We walked down to the harbour to this delightful cafe.  Unfortunately it was too cold and windy to sit outside, so we sat upstairs, with a view out to the harbour.  We had excellent cheese and ham toasties and somehow a bowl of chips with chilli dip got ordered as well .... Malcolm had a very large cup of coffee and as usual I had a pot of tea.  I do sometimes drink coffee, but I want another drink afterwards - it just isn't thirst-quenching!

 

In this photo of the harbour, you can see the cafe on the right.  Unfortunately it was a bit dull, so the photos of the scenery don't do justice to St Abbs.

 

I don't think they will suffer from coastal erosion here!

 

The white specks are birds - but as the binoculars were in the car, I can't tell you what kind of birds (probably boring seagulls!)

 

As we walked back up the hill from the harbour, we stopped to look at this memorial - although the biggest figures are only about six inches high, you can feel the anguish ....

 

I was too busy (sewing) today to find out more about the fishing disaster, but I will try to find out for a future post.

 

On the way back to the car, we saw this stone head.  Fortunately, Malcolm spotted a leaflet at the National Trust information centre, so I can tell you about it.  It is a carving of Aebbe, daughter of Aethelfrith, the first King of Northumbria  She was sainted for helping to spread Christianity, and her name was given to the headland and village.

Well, I must end now, as Malcolm has almost finished cooking dinner (I did tell you I was very sensible and married a man who is a good cook!).  I hope you have had a good weekend - come back tomorrow for more of this nonsense .....

A woolly good day! (part one)

  This morning we headed east to St Abbs in Berwickshire, for the Woolfestival organised by Louise ...

 

who owns the wonderfully named Woolfish ...

 

As you can see, it was a rather windy day, which was unfortunate, as the wonderful giant-sized knitting outside the community centre got in a fankle ...

 

When we arrived, our first stop was the tearoom, then Malcolm, suitably fortified with coffee and scone, went off for a walk, leaving me to peruse the delights on offer.  First stop was with Lindsay, aka The Border Tart, who had lots and lots of lovely things ... 

   

would you like a closer look ...

 

Next to Lindsay was Laura Brittain with her beautiful felted bags - you can view more of her work here.  I love the little felted shoes ...

 

This is the stall of Cairndinnis Alpacas ...

   

I know that's not very interesting, so perhaps you will prefer to see the alpacas ...

 

... you can have a pale one or a dark one ...

 

Or you might prefer to go llama trekking ....

   

But I think we have to finish today with the cute picture of Angora kids - do you think if I'm a good girl for the rest of the year, Santa will bring me one!!

 

Come back tomorrow and I'll tell you about the rest of the day, and I might even show you what I bought!

Normal service has been resumed

Hello, did you miss me?  I know it's only been two days, but it seems so long since my last post.  Let me tell you all about it ...

On Tuesday we went down to Northumberland, to meet up with Malcolm's sister Jennifer at their Dad's house.  We are gradually clearing out all the accumulated junk and getting the house cleaned  and organised, ready for selling.  Jennifer and I had a session of sorting out curtains and bedspreads.  Almost everything is floral - wallpaper, curtains, carpets - so we are trying to introduce some plain fabrics to tone it down and in doing so make the rooms look more spacious.  I have moved house so ofter, I could do all this standing on my head - and perhaps even teach the 'House Doctor' a trick or two!  I'll take  some quilts and cushions to 'dress' the rooms and hopefully create the look of a wonderful home, so that someone will fall in love with it and want to buy the house.  It's not going to be easy selling it in the current economic climate, so fingers are firmly crossed.  In the afternoon we went in to visit Malcolm's Dad.  He is settling in well in the home, and has some of his own furniture and bits and bobs in his room.  Jennifer got him a tiny fridge, so he can even have somes cold cans of beer!!  His room looks out on to a busy road with a bus stop, so he can spend time people-watching (don't worry, the double-glazing keeps out the noise).

When we got back home, I just had time for dinner before I set off down the road to the village hall in Chesters for this month's 'Rural' meeting (Scottish sort of WI).  The speaker was a local GP, Emma, who told us about all the long years of studying and training you have to undertake before you become a GP - and if that wasn't enough, she gained a few extra qualifications along the way.  She and her husband also spent a year in India, he helping local businesses, she helping in the local hospital.  They finally moved here and she settled in to a part time job in one of the local surgeries - oh, and along the way she also found time to produce two children!  The thing that struck me most, though, was that she said it's not the academic qualifications that make a good GP, it's the ability to listen to your patients - and most importantly, to listen to what they're not telling you!  Very often people come to see her with a seemingly trivial complaint, but very often they hesitate on leaving, and that's when she knows there is something else to be said - that they have something much more serious to tell her.  On a lighter side, she then judged the competition - this month we had to bring along our favourite cup and saucer ...

 

... mine is the black and white set - I was most upset not to win!  It was too late when I got home to do a post, so ...

that brings us to yesterday ... we knew the power was going to be off for a large part of the day for maintenance work on the supply, but it was off much longer than expected, and when it finally came back on and I tried to log on to aol - it had gone awol.  Malcolm phoned up this morning and finally got it sorted out - the long break in the supply had done something to the broadband router - all too technical for me.  The aol account is in my name, so before the lady in the call-centre would deal with him, she had to speak to me, to get my security password - it's just as well it isn't a video phone, as I was lying in the bath at the time (reading a book and drinking hot chocolate!

So you are getting yesterday's post today - and here is the last bit.  Yesterday was knit'n'natter afternoon - I've been having a bit of a rest from knitting because of my sore arm and hand, so decided yesterday I would do something with bigger needles and thicker yarn, as it would be less of a strain ... so I started this cushion cover (another make it up as you go item!!) ...

 

I love the colours in the yarn and the random size of the stripes - and it's nice to do something which knits up quickly!

Now that I have caught up with my blogging duties, I have to go and do domestic stuff - especially the ironing.  If I don't reduce the mountain in the ironing basket soon, we won't be able to get into the utility room!

Woolgathering

Yesterday, it was off down the road to Chesters for another Woolgathering, organised by Lindsay.  There were 10 of us there, including Jennifer, who came along with her Mum.  We had a very productive day, with lots of knitting and sewing.  Of course, there was also constant pots of tea and coffee and Lindsay as always brought along some of her wonderful home baking. 

Fiona spent the day knitting a cardi for her aunt, but she had brought her felt ram for us to see.  She made him at a workshop with Moy Mackay.  Isn't he wonderful, he just needs a little bit more work, then he will be ready for Fiona to give him to her brother for his birthday.

   

Lindsay was embroidering small squares of felt - her stitching is exquisite.  She hasn't decided what she is going to do with the squares, but she is thinking about using them as pockets on a wallhanging/ organiser - maybe you'll see it soon in her Folksy shop!

 

Ali brought this wonderful piece with her, although she didn't do any work on it, as she was enjoying relaxing with her knitting.  Again, the future of this hasn't quite been decided, but it will probably be framed.

 

I was working on Sunset over the Bay.  I finished the basic quilting of the leaves, the started on the sand.  I am stitching curves, which I hope look like the ripples left in the sand when the tide goes out.

 

This detail shows the big stitches and raw edges - I'm enjoying working on this - it is just so completely different my usual work.

 

At the end of such a busy day, it was wonderful to get home to find Malcolm busy cooking dinner- how sensible was I, to marry a man who enjoys cooking!

Today, we went for a walk after lunch.  We were strolling past the fields, when suddenly the sheep started a commotion, running to one corner and making a great deal of noise.  The reason for the upset?  There were two deer running across the field!  I wasn't able to get a photo of them, but this photo shows their friend, who wasn't brave enough to run past the sheep and stayed in the middle of the field.  Eventually he (or she) about turned and left the field at the far end, but the sheep went on fussing for some time!

Orphan balls

Do you, like me, get seduced by those poor little orphan balls in the bargain basket in your local yarn store.  You know the ones I mean, glittery, glitzy, gaudy - they sit there saying ' please buy me, all my brothers and sisters have been bought and there is just poor little me left, the last ball of this dye lot/colourway/range'.  Of course you have to buy the sweet little thing and take it home, to love and nurture it - oh, and did I mention, it's been reduced to 99p!!

 

So now you have your collection of little orphan balls, what can you do with them?  Well, here's what I did with some last year for a fundraising coffee morning.  I knitted 'cosy cuffs'.  They not only sold well, I got orders for more!

 

You can use them to brighten up a plain cardigan or sweater .....

 

.... dress up a pair of gloves .....

 

..... knit a pair to match all your jackets - it's amazing how much warmer you feel without the cold wind blowing up your sleeves! 

But, I hear you cry, how can I knit these must-have fashion items?  The answer is - it's easy-peasy.  Experienced knitters look away, in case you're insulted that I think you might need instructions!    First, look at the ball band for needle size and gauge.  Decide how wide you want your cuff (they are knitted round the way) - remember to take into account the size of your ball of yarn.  Cast on required number of stitches.  Work in garter stitch until the cuff fits round your wrist.  Now, here's a little tip - before you cast off, pop into the kitchen and weigh what's left of the yarn, to make sure you have enough to do the second cuff (I may be speaking from experience about running out a few rows from the end).  Once you have worked your second cuff, sew the cast on and cast off edges together - that's it - I told you it was simple.  If you have a large ball, you could be even more adventurous and do basic fingerless mits - simply cast on more stitches to make them wider and when you sew the edges together, leave a hole for your thumb.  If you start collecting those poor little abandoned balls now, by the time Christmas comes round, you can knit cuffs for all your family and friends!

Where does the time go?

It hardly seems two minutes since the last Kist meeting, but two weeks have gone by, so this morning saw me in my usual headless chicken state, rushing about getting the coffee machine on, laying the tea table, lighting the woodburning stove....

For most of the day, I was working on 'sunset over the bay', but as I am still doing the basic quilting, there was nothing new to take a photo of.  However, later on, I did a bit of knitting on my new project.  This is very definitely making-it-up-as-I-go!

 

I thought I would have a change from socks, so this is the beginnings of a fingerless mit.  I am using the two at a time method on the circular needle, so at least the two mits should turn out the same.  I started with 80 stitches and did ten rounds, so that the cuff would curl over.  I then k2tog to leave me with forty stitches and started the cable pattern (which is only on the back).

 

The first cable has caused a fold in the cuff (which you can just about see on the left of the photo), but I think I can solve that with a button!  I haven't yet decided how to do the thumb - vertically, by knitting back and forward for the required number of rows, then knitting in the round again, or horizontally, knitting the thumb stitches onto waste wool?  Oh, decision, decisions!

And now a bit of fun to end with.  I hope you read Helen's comment on the Show Report (if not, why not??) about when wool doesn't count as adding to your stash.  This reminded me of a t-shirt I bought some time ago in a quilting shop .....

Show report (part one)

Yesterday I went to the Spring Quilt Show at Ingliston, organised by Grosvenor Exhibitions .  They are also the publishers of Fabrications magazine, which I am sure many of you will be familiar with.  I was allowed to take a photo of their stand (you can see the 'no photography please' sign in the photo) when I said it was to put in my blog and that I wasn't trying to copy their designs!

 

Unfortunately I can't show you photos of the wonderful quilts, because of copyright issues, but I can share with you some of the super traders and their wares.

 

This is the lovely Susan Briscoe, who posed not once but twice, as she looked down to take another stitch just as I took the first photo.  You can visit her website here and read her blog here.  Did I buy something from her - you will have to wait until tomorrow to find out!

   

This, as you can see, is The Seattle Quilt Company (all the way from Aberdeen!).  The stand was constantly mobbed, so this was the best photo I could get and unfortunately doesn't show the lovely flannels that they sell.

 

This is me (on the right) with the lovely Eileen .  I have to tell you, this woman could sell fridges to Eskimos.  I only stopped for a look and was swept along by her enthusiasm, the quality of her work and the excellent presentation of the instructions.  Did I buy something?  I'll tell you tomorrow!

 

This is my friend Bonnie, who was getting ready to teach a workshop when I popped in to have a quick chat.  I think you can tell from her smile that she is not only Bonnie by name, but also bonnie by nature.  She lives in the village of Twechar ... I can't think of anything that rhymes, to tell you how it's pronounced, but if you clear your throat in the middle, you'll just about get it right!

I also had a blether with the hugely talented, multi-award winning Frieda Oxenham.  I did a workshop with Frieda some years ago and using the technique I learned at the workshop, I made a beautiful ring pillow for my son's wedding, which I will show you some other time.  You can read Frieda's blog here and see the gallery of her work here.

I might have accidently bought a book as well, but all that will be in tomorrow's post.

But to finish, I have a picture of the TWO* pairs of socks I have knitted from my Totie Toe sock wool. 

 

You can see where I had to do the last few rounds of the second pair in a different yarn, but the colours go well.  They are a good match for my walking shoes - I'm sorry if you have been dazzled by the colour of the shoes - but they were greatly reduced in a sale (probably the only way they could get anyone to buy shoes that colour!).

* yes, Helen, that emphasis on TWO pairs is for you!

A mixed bag

  I spent quite a lot of today putting things in the 'dresser' in our new kitchen.  There had been a slight delay to this, as when the kitchen was delivered, the glass shelves were missing.  However, we finally got them, so I could start organising where everything was to go.  We simply didn't have enough cupboard space before, so it is lovely to have room not only to store things, but also to diplay our special bits and pieces.

 

Did you spot the cheeky monkey sitting on the dresser ...

 

Isn't he just so cute!  He was one of my Christmas presents from Malcolm and as well as being cute, he also is practical.  His tummy is made of chamois and can be used to clean computer and tv screens.

I thought you might like to see some more of the Woman's Realm.

 

I somehow don't think that boys today would wear a sweater like the one on the left (it isn't entirely clear, but those are apples on it!)

 

But this advert for Patons could be a current one.

I had hoped to finish my latest pair of socks last night, but I still have a few more rounds to go ...

 

This is the second pair from my Totie Toe sock yarn.  I don't think I have quite enough to finish the toes, so I thought for a bit of fun I would use the leftover sock yarn that I got from Lindsay .  I have made the pattern for these up as I've gone along, which is where the 2-at-a-time method comes into its own.  You don't have to write down what you did for the first sock to make sure the second one turns out the same!

Well, as I said in the heading, a bit of a mixed bag of meanderings today.  Tomorrow I'm off to the Spring Quilt Show at Ingliston (in Edinburgh) with my friend Lorraine.  Of course we are only going to look at the quilts and we wouldn't dream of buying any fabric ..... I'll tell you all about our day on Saturday, as no doubt I'll be too tired tomorrow night.

Change of plan

This afternoon I should have been heading to the hairdressers (what, you thought I'm a naturally stunning blond?)  However, that plan had to change when it started snowing while we were having breakfast .... and it forgot to stop!  Instead, I put the unexpected free time to good use, and finished my 2-at-a-time socks.

 

I am really pleased with them.  Helen's wool is wonderful to work with and the colours are lovely.  I enjoyed  doing the two at a time method.  You do have to be careful not to pull on the wrong loop as you move the stitches round, or you discover you have pulled them off the needle - yes, I found that one out the hard way!

Lunch today was a bowl of good rib-sticking homemade soup ....

 

... if I had known it was going to be so tasty, I would have taken photos as I made it - although it is a very simple soup (my soups tend to be made with what's in the fridge, rather than to a recipe).  It's roasted Romano peppers, sweet potato and red onion - peeled, deseeded, whatever, cut into chunks, sprayed with OneCal olive oil and roasted in a hot oven.  I then tipped them into a saucepan, added hot water, some salt and some veggie stock. I simmered it briefly, then blitzed it.  We both enjoyed it and it was just what was needed as the snow continued to fall.  Don't worry about the toast - I know it looks as if we were eating nasty white bread, but it is Hovis 'Best of Both' - looks like white, but with the goodness of brown!  (Could I get a job writing adverts?)

I may have mentioned that I like tea and you will have also noticed that I like patchwork, so my teapot will come as no surprise ...

 

..... I guess it would appeal to arty people too.

Don't forget that you have until teatime tomorrow (Friday) to post a comment if you want to be included in the draw for the giveaway (and there will be a little extra surprise in the parcel!).  I shall have to make sure my wonderful random number generator is fully fuelled - I think a large glass of wine will do the trick!

ps - it did eventually stop snowing and it's melting - but there's an awful still to go!