Winter Woollies

I didn't get as much stitching done as I would have liked on Sunday. By the time I tidied the spare room (my craft room) and sorted out which fabrics were suitable for Christmas decorations it was after one o'clock - then lunch - a bit of stitching - and then the Grand Prix (Wow, what a race! And well done to JB!!!).

I'm still fiddling around with the Christmas tree decorations, but I think I've decided on a half dozen shapes which I'm going to do in various colourways, with some lovely embellishments and embroidery. Hopefully I'll get a lot more done this Sunday, and then I can show you some nice photos!

In the meantime, a couple of items which I've finished in the last few days are these fingerless mitts - something which I've not made before, but I think they came out quite well. I've added a couple of buttons to each cuff as a bit of an embellishment.

A couple of people at the Grainger Market craft fair that I attended recently asked if I sold gloves so I thought I'd give them a go. I've got another pair on the needles now so I hope to have a few pairs to sell at the next craft fair in November.

The other recent 'make' is this gorgeously soft, stripy scarf. I've added long tassels to the ends of this scarf because I think they give a lovely drape and movement to the finished item.

I love the variegated green stripes in this yarn and the textured stitch - so simple, but very effective.

I hope to take some better photos at the weekend when I can get outside in daylight (and hopefully no rain!), and then I'll list them in my Folksy shop.

Creative Crafts for Christmas

I had a great day at the Creative Crafts for Christmas show at Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena today, along with my mam, sister and one of my nieces.

A lot of different crafts were catered for at the show (knitting, patchwork, paper craft, cross stitch, beading, parchment craft and so on) and there were demonstrations and workshops too. There were also a lot of stalls selling ready-made gifts: from chocolates to jewellery, and secateurs to soft toys!

There were a LOT of people there, shopping for Christmas pressies and supplies to make their own handmade goodies. Unfortunately many of them left their manners at home, as there was a fair bit of shoving to get to the stalls and very few apologies. Why are people so impolite and selfish nowadays? I thought crafters were better than this!

Ok, rant over. Aside from some gorgeous Christmas pressies, which I bought but can't show you yet as the receipients may be reading, I also bought some lovely black/white/grey mixed yarn - another scarf will be on the needles soon...

And a gorgeous blue mixed yarn (though it looks more of a grey here) - for another scarf, no doubt...

Some neutral, chunky buttons, which always come in useful but some of these are destined to be fasteners for scarflets...

Some sparkly beads in lots of delectable colourways - I have a tonne of beads already but I couldn't resist buying these as they were such a bargain price and will be perfect for embellishing Christmas tree decorations...

And finally, some bargain-priced ribbon in pretty colours, for my floral brooches and possibly Christmas decorations too.

Everyone who pre-booked a ticket for the show received a cheaper entry - and a fab goodie bag from the organisers.

The bag itself is big and strong, with a flat base so it doesn't fall over when you put it down - but that advertising is pretty major so I'm not sure if I'll be using it on an everyday basis! It was great for using at the show though - unfortunately I went along with the premise of 'It's a big bag so I may as well fill it up!'

And these are some of the goodies that were inside the bag. There were also some decorative papers, ribbon roses, small paper flowers and a tiny travel sewing kit in each bag, but the girls in my party did a bit of a swap for the items we'd find most useful so I managed to get all of the lovely ribbons and buttons.

And not being one to resist other people's Christmas decorations, I bought these two sweet wooden reindeer.

I love decorating the house for Christmas and can't wait for 1st December when all the boxes and bags get dragged down from the loft. The tree in our living room is covered in handmade decorations only (mostly my own) and each year I enjoy making a few different ones; it always draws appreciative comments from visitors.

This year I'll also be making some to sell in my Folksy shop and at local craft fairs. So, after getting lots of inspiration at today's show, I'm hoping to spend a lovely day tomorrow surrounded by all my fabric, buttons, beads and ribbons, making some festive decorations that I hope you'll love. I'll keep you posted with what I come up with...

Gardener's autumnal delights

After a fairly crafty past couple of weeks, I've neglected the garden somewhat. I managed to clean the pond of fallen leaves and clear away all the decaying hosta leaves on Sunday but the weeds are multiplying on the drive and patio, and there's all sorts of seedlings growing on the bark path (some which I'll rescue and pot on to make into nice big plants). Aside from the multitude of weeds though, there's still a lot of colour, texture and interest in the garden.

It was gorgeous and sunny on Sunday and I really enjoyed pottering in the garden for a couple of hours. I find the ever decreasing sunlight quite depressing at this time of year and I hate not being able to come home from work and just sit outside and enjoy the plants growing and the bees buzzing.

But I do still enjoy the pleasures that autumn has to offer. I love the ripe fruits and the wispy grasses, russet leaves and shiny conkers, crunching through fallen leaves and harvesting plump tomatoes and juicy onions from the garden. The colours are so much richer and the textures more apparent in the low autumn light. I really seem to appreciate the delights of autumn more than any other season; it's almost as if my senses need to take in every scrap of colour and texture and pattern because I know that it's not going to last, and the cold dark days of winter will soon be on their way (but then winter has it's own delights too!).

Pyracantha 'Teton'

Cotoneaster horizontalis

Aside from the juicy berries and rich autumn colours and textures, there are still a few bright blooms around, determined to survive for as long as they can. This is the gorgeous Rudbeckia 'Irish Spring' which I grew from seed in the spring. It's flowered non-stop from July so I'll definitely be growing it again next year.

After the weekend sunshine, today we've had a day of horrible drizzle. The plants do look really pretty though with droplets of water settled on their leaves, and I managed to capture a few photos tonight before it got dark.

Leucothoe axillaris 'Curly Red'

Plain old ivy

Spirea japonica

Stipa arundinacea

I hope you're still finding some pleasure in YOUR garden right now!

Craft fair number 1

It was my first time selling at the Arts & Crafts Fair at Grainger Market in Newcastle yesterday. It went really well. I only sold a few items (three scarves, a keyring and a corsage) but it covered my costs with a bit extra. And I also got two commissions (a scarf and a floral brooch) - and lots of lovely comments from the public and other stallholders.

My table was massive (much bigger than I've had at previous fairs), so it was great to get all of my stock out and on show (people won't buy it if it's sitting in a box where they can't see it!).

The bunting looked great. Not many people noticed it, but those that did loved it.

The stallholders were lovely and friendly. Most of them seem to come every month (and have done so for years) so they all knew each other - but were very welcoming to the 'newbie'. They all thought that this fair had been quite quiet so things will hopefully pick up at the November and December fairs; if that was quiet I'm really looking forward to the busy ones!

Predictably though, people asked for things I don't sell - hats, mittens, tea cosies, shawls... (and I could have sold my wooden cat model about 50 times!) so I may attempt a few new things for the next fair, if I find some spare time. I want to make some more of the ribbon scarves that sell so well at Christmas time, some sparkly corsages too (perfect to wear with that 'little black dress'!) and I thought some Christmas bunting would be fab - plus I have those two commissions from the fair, a commission for some bunting for a nursery (from a blog reader), baby knits for my great niece due in a couple of weeks, Christmas pressies for my family... oh dear, I better get a move on.

Thanks for all the lovely comments on the bunting (and other posts!) - your thoughts are always very welcome and appreciated!

Goodwill Bunting

Hurrah! The bunting for my craft stall is finished. The photos here don't really show off the colours very well but I'm really happy with it. (Click on the photos for a close-up.)

The plan was to crochet some individual letters spelling out BLISS KNITS and stitch them individually to each flag but I haven't got time to do that for the fair on Saturday - I'll do that in the 3 weeks I've got until the next fair in November.

Sorry this is such a short post but I'm spending every spare minute when I get home from work making extra items for the fair.

I'd love to know what you think of the bunting - please leave a comment if you have the time. Thanks!

Preparations for Grainger Market craft fair

My first craft fair of this year is next Saturday (10th Oct) at the Grainger Market in Newcastle. The Grade I listed building was Newcastle's first indoor market. Designed by John Dobson and built by Richard Grainger, it was considered 'the most spacious and magnificient market in Europe' when it was opened in 1835.

The Grainger Market is still a very lively place, with around 250 shops and stalls, in two distinct areas:

The old 'Flesh Market' is largely still in its original state, set out in a grid system the stalls here sell everything from meat, fish and vegetables to pet accessories, haberdashery and books. The classically styled market also houses the oldest surviving branch of Marks & Spencer - the Penny Bazaar which opened in 1895 is thought to be the smallest M&S in the world!

The roof of the old 'Vegetable Market', now known as the Grainger Arcade, was destroyed in a fire and the present steel girdered and glazed roof dates from 1901 (see photo below). Here you'll find local nurseries selling their plants, an oriental food store, and cafes, as well as the Arts & Craft Fair which is held on the second Saturday of each month. I'm really looking forward to this fair; it's in a lovely setting and I'm hoping that the shoppers will be in a buying mood!

More info here and here and lots of photos here.

So this morning I sorted out everything I need for the fair: business cards, leaflets, shelving, stand, table cloth, cash float, tissue paper, sellotape, bags, paper, pen, and stock! There's still a few things that I need to do, but essentially I'm ready and raring to go. One thing that I do need to finish though is the bunting. I think that the bright and cheery bunting will look really attractive draped across the front of my stall, and hopefully it will attract some prospective customers to come over and have a closer look. Here's what I've done so far:

A half-knitted flag showing the SSK decreases on the right (stitch slants to left), and K2tog on the left (stitch slants to right). The pattern for the bunting can be found at Green Mountain Mama.

A finished flag (curling up at the edges!).

Ten colourful flags, all ready to be flattened!

Flag slightly stretched and pinned out.

Ironing the interfacing to the back of the flag.

A nice, flat flag - no curly edges!

Attaching the flags with a little bit of crochet.

I've nearly finished the bunting now - only two more flags to attach. I'll post a photo of the finished bunting in my next blog. Watch this space...

A crafty lunch

I spent a lovely lunch hour today with fellow crafty colleagues. There are ten of us in the group who meet every three weeks at a local cafe for our Knit & Natter session. Even though we all work for the same company we work in different departments so tend not to see each other on a day-to-day basis, and it's great to meet up with like-minded people for a coffee and a chat. Due to work commitments and holidays there were only seven of us today, but one of the girls bolstered numbers by bringing her sister and a friend along.

Today I showed off my bunting work-in-progress. Everyone loved the bright colours and all agreed that it would look really cheery on the stall and attract people's attention. The separate flags are curling up quite a lot though so I'm going to have to use iron-on interfacing or stitch some felt to the back to stablise the individual shapes. I'll try and take some photos over the weekend to let you see how they're looking.

So what about the others in the group?

Anna is a really prolific knitter and always has some new garment on her needles. She has even been known to knit in presentations at work as she is one of those clever knitters who doesn't need to look at her work as she's knitting! Today though she was teaching her friend how to knit with chunky needles and a gorgeous, soft blue/pink/cream mix yarn.

As well as knitting a few rows of my latest bunting flag, I helped Rebecca to take up knitting again today. She vaguely remembered the odd knitting lesson at school but hadn't done it since then, and her interest was sparked when she came to our last K&N session 'just for a look'. The memories were obviously waiting quietly in the filing cabinet drawer of the mind marked 'knitting' though, as she picked up the different basic stitches straight away - cable cast on, knit and purl stitches. She's going to spend the weekend experimenting with making stripes and ribbing by alternating the knit and purl stitches.

Sue has a habit of forgetting when our group meets so she rarely brings along anything on the day! She's been inspired to take up crochet again though. Her enthusiasm is infectious; she's so interested in other people and what they're doing, asking about different techniques and crafting materials.

Steph was knitting a Dalek today. We're all really impressed with Steph as she has only taken up knitting recently (after a brief furore with a baggy jumper in the distant past!) but being a beginner does not stand in her way. If she sees a pattern she likes, she'll go for it, no matter how hard it looks. Steph's first item was a gorgeous black cardigan with frilly edges for a friend's wedding (the deadline was too tight for the wedding but she perservered and DID finish it after a couple of problems). After the cardi, Steph turned back to her love of crochet to create a similar bag to one I did in the summer (but in lovely warm and muted colours) from Simply Knitting mag. She's now trying to have some fun with her knitting by making the Dalek. Even though the pattern calls for stitching in the round (a technique she's never tried) and knitting bobbles (a stitch she's never tried) Steph is knitting the Dalek for a birthday gift in two weeks time. No pressure then! I think Steph is such an inspiration, she's so enthusiastic and willing to give anything a go.

It's not just about knitting though; Emma spent her lunch hour working on her beautiful embroidered bookmark. It's a close-up of a forest with embroidered tree trunks and hundreds of beads making up the forest floor and the tree foliage. It was started a couple of years ago, then was put down and almost forgotten about; but Emma was inspired to pick it up again when our group started. It's going to be fabulous when it's finished!

Ruth didn't have anything with her today but she's usually working on some exquisite piece of embroidery too - often goldwork. I just found out today that she has a blog too. It's a really interesting technical 'how to' blog, detailing the fabulous commission from the Northumbrian Association that she's working on: to make a replica of a lost Medieval processional banner dedicated to St Cuthbert, for presentation to Durham Cathedral. Wow! As well as some smaller projects such as these fantastic goldwork dodecahedrons.

I find these K&N sessions to be so interesting: it gives you a chance to show off your latest project and to be inspired by what other people have on their needles; to ask for help with problems and to be able to help with ideas when someone else has a query; to look at magazines and books recommended by others; and above all to socialise with like-minded people, to take an interest in their lives as well as their craft interests - and it's fun!

Model customer #3 and craft fair plans

Still in the sunny holiday mode, today I have a 'model customer' from a very glamourous location - Sydney in Australia! Here's Angie wearing my Jade Scarf - a long, thin ribbon scarf in gorgeous shimmering shades of green with a black base.

These exotic photos were taken at the bottom of Angie's street (with a friend's Scottie dog). Wow, I wish I had a great view like that at the end of my street!

When I contacted Angie recently, she said:

"Thank you for the beautiful scarf. I love it and wear it all year round. The colour is gorgeous and goes with almost all of my clothes so I wear it a lot. I've also worn it as a head scarf too! It's one of my favourite accessories."

I'm so glad that you like the scarf Angie, and that you find it so versatile - it looks really great on you! And I hope that you've got that fantastic view back after the recent horrendous dust storm.

Since coming back from holiday I've been working away, making new items to sell. I've signed up for four craft fairs this autumn/winter and the first is in two weeks time. I've always done better selling at craft fairs than online, I guess with scarves especially some people may prefer to touch the yarns and try the items on, rather than buy 'blind' off the internet. I have quite a lot of stock already but I just don't know how well things will sell so I'll just keep making until the big day!

The first fair is at the Grainger Market in Newcastle on 10th October. It's the first time that I've done a fair at this venue, but they have an Arts & Crafts Fair on the second Saturday of every month and as far as I can tell it's well attended, and hopefully there will be lots of people looking for Christmas gifts!

To make my stall look attractive, and to catch the eyes of passer-bys, I've also decided to make some bright knitted bunting to attach to the front of the table. I found a great free pattern at Green Mountain Mama's blog today (photo above) so I'm knitting the basic triangles as in the pattern, but then I'm going to crochet some cord and attach it as individual letters to each triangle to spell out... BLISS KNITS (of course). In my head it looks really effective; I'll take some photos and let you know how it progresses.