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.

Busy, busy, busy

Another shawl, using Orenburg designs

This shows the shape better but not the colour of the wool.And another arty shot....

Some wrist warmers, again using Shetland designs,

This has some lace with cable

Then some crochet.....some lace collars, which I haven't blocked yet

and a crocheted bag with lots of left-over yarn

Woolfest

Well, had the busiest 3 days of my year.

Thursday, I went on a lace knitting course by Galina Khmeleva at Higham Hall, which was good for techniques such as grafting to pieces of live knitting together, must try it out before I forget it!

Then Friday & Saturday was Woolfest, we think we had about 4,000 people come & visit, which was amazing & there were people from all over the UK & abroad as well, quite a few Americans, Estonians, Scandinavians & they're just the ones I met. So we're all exhausted but exhilarated, will post some pics when have them.

Going for a lie down........

Oh bought some yarn too, so maybe I'll have a play with that first!

Plarning

Back has been out of action for 2 weeks now & am so bored have had to do something & not having access to wool, this is what I came up with.

Plarning, I hear you say, what on earth is that?

Well, it's a cross between plastic & yarn, yep making something out of nothing! Using plastic carrier bags or bin bags, have a look at what I've made....







Amazing what you can do with some bin bags & Sainsburys bags!