Sparkly Wool...

The wool has metallic thread through it, so it sparkles.

Also, made some wrist warmers in the sparkly wool too - think I'm in a Christmas mood with all this cold weather!

Wool Week

It's been Wool Week this week, highlighting the wool industry, supported by Prince Charles & The Campaign for Wool. In The Woolclip we've been running demonstrations all week & I did knitting this Wednesday.

I'm teaching long-tail cast on - we got there in the end!

I use long-tail cast on all the time for lace knitting as it's elastic, so when you're blocking it's stretchy & is less likely to break. It's also really great for the tops of socks & any ribbing, try it & see!

I'm Back!!

Well, been a while since I blogged as we've been on holiday, in Spain. Best weather we've had in years, missed the Gotta Fria by days. This is a tremendous storm that they have in October every year in the Valencia region. The rain goes on solidly for about a week, rivers burst their banks, people are swept away & roads are washed out. Last year it came in September, when we were there & it washed away part of the mountain & motorway to Alicante. But, after the storm's passed, that's it for the year & normal service is resumed, warm, sunny weather. The Spanish don't know how lucky they are.

Typical view of what I've been looking at for a month! 30 degrees + each day too.

Spent the month eating either fish, shellfish or salads - so nice - so stodgy food, soon changes once you're back in the UK though - need the carbs to keep warm!

My favourite meal of the holiday was a skewer with monkfish & prawns, wonderful. It was in this restaurant above, Republic, which overlooks the marina. Husband, son & friends, Ocho Platos & Boozio are pictured!

I won a Cup at The Loweswater Show!

Well, am very surprised & delighted that I won a cup for the "best exhibit in knitting". I also won 3 firsts & 2 seconds! All for my knitting, sewing & drink-making capabilities, nothing at all for baking & jam/jelly/chutney - that really does sum me up! Would far rather be making things than cooking!

This is the shawl that won first in the double knitting category & "Best Exhibit in Knitting".

Then I won first in the 3/4 ply category with another shawl, unfortunately the socks I knitted for my husband didn't win anything - he's now allowed to wear them!

And in the knitted scarf category I won first prize for my curly-wurly scarf, which I designed myself, so am very chuffed about that!

These were all the entries in just the knitting & sewing categories! This was my cushion that came second, in the "home made cushion" category & then finally my elderflower cordial came second in the "summer drink in a jug" category.

I'm not even going to bother putting pictures of my jam/jelly/chutneys as they've been deemed "ungraded"! Must try better for next year, shame about my cheese scones, as I thought they turned out were rather nice

There the ones on the far left - look nice don't they? Think maybe they weren't big enough....

Anyway, it was a sunny, warm if windy day & thankfully the Show went ahead after being cancelled for the last 2 years because of wet weather. Looking forward to 2011!

Could do without the Morris Dancers though..........

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me!!

Well, I've had a lovely & unexpected day with lots of friends dropping by with pretty cards, pressies & flowers.


Ooh, what could it be....
from a favourite shop in Penrith...
a lovely bracelet.



It's so thoughtful, I was there on Monday with friends & rather coveted this & wished afterwards I'd bought it, so it was a really nice surprise to be given it by the friends I was with, so very lovely. You know you should have bought something when later you're thinking about going back to get it.


Then I got some flowers and tonight my husband's going to cook me 1 of my favorite meals, Scallops & Chorizo by Nigella,

Loweswater Show

Well, my entries are in for The Loweswater Show, 5th Sept, I do hope it goes ahead this year as it's been rained off for the last 2 & if it doesn't go ahead this year I'm not sure whether it can take another year's cancellation.

I've entered loads in knitting, 3 cheese scones, victoria sponge & then jam, jelly & chutney, so fingers crossed!

Had a lovely day today in Penrith with friends, mooching around wool & sewing shops! Bought some wonderful Rowan Kidsilk Haze, the colour matches my glasses perfectly,

Have written up a pattern for a Shetland Inspired Scarf, it uses a basic lace design, which in Estonian lace knitting is called a small strawberry or in The Shetlands is called a roundel, for the body & has a scalloped lace edging grafted on afterwards, am quite pleased with it, have knitted it in 100% lambswool, which you could dye a different colour maybe...

or you could knit with a different yarn such as mohair

I learnt the grafting technique on a lace knitting course at Higham Hall, which is so easy & I now use for everything, so much easier than kitchener stitch.