frayed at the edge

This one's for Badgerboy

 

Isn't this a lovely cushion I made for Badgerboy's wedding present.

 

But it's getting dark and the woodland stirs.  Tiptoe closer and see who has come out to play!

 

Badgers galore - especially for Badgerboy!

Allowed out to play ...... again

   

Yesterday morning, it was off to nearby Chesters, for the Woolgathering, a meeting of crafty folk organised by local textile artist Lindsay Roberts ,seen here at her spinning wheel.  There were ten of us there and we spent the day knitting, sewing, giving and geting advice and just generally immersing ourselves in crafts ... a pleasant way to spend a Sunday which was wet, windy and miserable! 

 

Lindsay also dyes yarn.  I knitted these socks from a skein of her lovely sock yarn which I bought last summer.  In fact it is altogether a talented family ... husband Hugh is an artist and their chocolate labrador, Ash, has her own blog - who says chocolate labs are dim!

 

I bought this yarn last week.  If you haven't yet seen it, it is 75% bamboo and 25% nylon.  It has a lovely soft silky feel, but you have to be careful not to split the stitches.  I love yarns like this, when you don't know how they will turn out.  I haven't knitted enough of the first sock yet to show you, but it's looking good.

 

I also took along my most recent books to share.  (Two of them were bought before Christmas and the other two with a book token I got for Christmas, so I haven't broken my New Year's resolution - yet!)  I enjoyed Stephanie Pearl- McPhee's book, Free Range Knitter.  There is one part where she is talking about recognising fellow knitters, which reminded me of an incident from some years ago when I was living in Falkirk.  I was walking up the High Street one day, minding my own business, when I saw a woman walking towards me.  She changed direction and it was obvious that she was going to talk to me, which was puzzling, as I didn't know her.  However, as she didn't look like a crazed axe murderer, I stopped when she spoke.  She said she had been at Purely Patchwork in Linlithgow (hmm, I wonder what they sell) and the staff had told her there was also a fabric shop in Falkirk, so could I give her directions. I told her where the shop was and we went our separate ways ..... but then I thought ... out of all the people on the High Street, why did she approach me?  I wasn't  wearing patchwork clothing or have needles and pins about my person.  Did she somehow know I was a quilter, or did I just look like a kind and helpful person?

ps - I just have the button to sew on my aran cardi, so you'll see it next time.

Allowed out to play

 

Having been a good girl, doing ALL the ironing yesterday (including the sheets!) and the housework this morning, I was allowed time off for good behaviour, so headed off to Borderland Fabrics in Jedburgh, for their Friday afternoon Patch and Chat.  The shop opened last year and has become very popular with local quilters, with lots of classes and staff who are always friendly and helpful.  There is even a "husbands' waiting area", where they can have a cuppa, while the wives shop.  As you can see, there is a fantastic selection of fabric, lots of notions and a good selection of books ... and as for the threads .... yummy!

 

I spent the afternoon stitching away on blocks for a chicken quilt which I am making for Malcolm.  This is an ongoing project (yes, that means I've been doing it for months, if not years).  However, I am now working on the blanket stitching on the last few blocks, then I have to go back and embroider the legs, beaks and eyes.  After that, there is rather a lot of sashing to piece, before the whole thing finally gets put together.  Fortunately, as there is so much detail in the blocks, it will only need enough quilting to hold it together.

 

Of course, no group of women could get together for the afternoon without stopping for a cuppa and as you can see from the photo, cake may have been eaten!  Although there is a lot of chat - and a lot of laughter - we do get a lot of work done and there is always someone who can help when problems arise.

Have a good weekend!