Oh, How I Love the Knitty-Stitchy Show!

As dawn broke on Sunday morning (well, it was 8 am, but it felt like dawn) our little mini-bus drove out of town and off to Harrogate for the Knitting and Stitching Show.  Excited ladies began knitting and crocheting the moment we turned the corner, unable to wait any longer.  I managed to crochet half a baby's knicker by the time we arrived and joined 59 million ladies and 5 blokes in the International Conference Centre. 

Here is my little montage of the day:

 Big pins!  I bought one of the peg looms on the right, a nine-holer.  Can't wait to get weaving!

 This board stood in the doorway of the Traid and Upcycling section.  Horrendous factoids...

 Yay, peg looming!

A pile of old clothes, deconstructed and being upcycled on a round loom.

 An example of an old T-shirt given a new lease of life with embellishments

 Crazy knitting, including fab red dress.

 Ladies who Lunch (where they can!)  I was in my own little space behind a door.

 Knitting Dudes!  Great to see.

Afternoon tea was taken at 4 pm at Betty's Tea Rooms.  How very civilised!

 Mine, all mine - mwah-hah-hah!

 Our little party, still neat and polite before we launched into the provender with gusto.

 Christmas is coming ... and we'll all be getting fat on this kind of fayre.

So very British

A Good Yarn goes from strength to strength, I'm pleased to say.  Kate is having difficulty finding enough room for all the glorious things in the shop.  Just drool over these lovely wools:

The knitting group all made a little something for the Christmas Crib scene.  My contribution was the Green King (typical that I chose the one that sounds like a brewery!)

Next thing will be lots of hearts for St Valentine's, I guess.

The Countdown is On

It will soon be December and the "C" word can be spoken.  The windows in my diary are filling up with craft fairs and evenings out, just when I'm feeling more like staying in and hibernating.  Still, it will be fun.  

The countdown has already started with a seasonal fair a couple of weeks ago, but I always feel the festive season begins with the Knitting and Stitching Show at Harrogate.  I'm going on Sunday with colleagues from my knitty group and am super-excited.

www.twistedthread.com

I have been making a few things which are "c" word based for the coming craft fairs, all from left-over scraps and recycled bits and bobs:

 Polystyrene balls covered in scraps of festive fabric, awaiting further decoration, for tree ornaments

 Bleached cotton and lace stars with a vintage-style Santa decoration.

 Double bag packs, which can be used together or separately for popping pretty little gifts in.

 Scandinavian-style red and white felt hearts.

 Felt gift bags with printed cotton Santa pics.

  

Today is Bridget's birthday.  She's thirteen and slowing up a bit.  Well, it is 91 in dog years.  She's still our beautiful little puppy but there's a bit more grunting and wheezing when she jumps up onto the settee, and she does like a bit of a lie-in in the morning.  Hang on, I think I'm describing myself!

Mr C's special little girl

Gratuitous Small People Pictures ... and a few other bits

I'm in the middle of making items for the forthcoming Christmas Fairs and so have many UFO's but hardly any  finished items to show you.  Therefore I'm padding out this post with gratuitous photos of The Girl Genius and Miss Peach Pudding.  Please feel free to go "Awwwwww" ...

 And now back to more mundane things.  The lovely Bibbitybob and I have done a couple of vintage/craft fairs recently and sold quite a few items, which is why we're both trying to get the stock up.  Here's another handpainted box from the dismantled and tatty sewing box mentioned in a previous post.

A zingy £2 charity shop vintage pinny  

I have finally finished knitting my first pair of socks!  Hurrah for me!  Cosy but itchy as they're made of wool but they'll last forever (unless some ickle moths decide to live in them) 

Must get on now as I've just washed my hair and let it dry naturally.  Help!  Need...straighteners...NOW!

Just a Couple of Makes

I'm baking a chocolate and coffee loaf for my first Crochet Club workshop, which I will be delivering tomorrow at A Good Yarn, so I've only got a little bit of time to blog unless I want to take a small lump of charcoal out of the oven.  So ... 

After a very long time I have finally added a new girl to the Fashionista Sisters.  She's a bit of a fifties sweetie.

Baby Williams - they're only 9 cm high.

 Before - half of the top of a broken sewing box

After - groovy retro box with a vintage button.

Now to save the cake.  Have a great weekend, everyone!

And the winner is...

 Cyril the tiny pumpkin begins the random draw for the giveaway ...

... by being gently bowled at the slips of paper.

 And he lands!

 Oh, the anticipation!

 Well done, Loo!  Jumbles and Pompoms wins the Teatime Giveaway!

 Please check my email on my profile, JandP, and send me your address so I can send you your treats. x

 On the knitty front, here is the completed Christmas jumper for Miss PP, made from lovely cashmere-rich Sublime yarn.

 Here is my very first sock!  Okay, it doesn't look like a sock yet but it's a start.  Can't believe I've been knitting for so many years and haven't yet tackled footsie-wear.

Today's makeover.  Three very manky, rusty tin bracelets covered in complementing ribbon and braid.

 Love 'em!

 Finally, to prove I'm not the only craftsperson in the house, Mr C completes his matchstick boat (though not without much mumbling, grunting and cussing!)

 He's sitting on The GG's little chair, for all the world like Goldilocks at the three bears' house.  Luckily baby bear's chair didn't break ...

Once more, congrats to JandP and thanks to all who entered.  xxx

I loved your biccy/cake choices!  

NOM, NOM, NOM!