TWIRLING!

It has taken me a little while, but after my last post, I have been making my twirl necklaces.  Unfortunately, my photography here is not good, for which I apologise - I think my camera is ageing a bit - like me!  and so I'm not sure which of us is to blame!

However, I am really pleased with my necklaces - the colours are deeper and richer in life and my favourite is this one which is in rich blues and lemon with bright green vintage beads in between.

This is the Blossom which is for those who like gentler hues!

And this is the Rose - again the colours are much richer.

More good news is that I have, this morning, sold the last of my stalls for my next Hand-Crafted Home Fair on Saturday 13 April, and so all we need now is some GOOD WEATHER  !!

WARMER WEATHER KNITTING - WE HOPE !!

Thinking what sort of things to knit for my Fairs in the Spring and Summer is always something of a challenge.

So many people associate knitting just with autumn and winter and of course, you can go overboard with hats, scarves, mits, socks etc.

But there is so much more to knitting than that -

I do like my tea cosies, and another one is on the way - Lemon Curd  !

But some time ago I made some knitted twirl necklaces and they proved very popular and so some more are on the way.

Here are some I made earlier!

Apple 

Holly

Rosebud - (Holly and Rosebud look very alike here, but Rosebud was definitely more pink than red).

So I'm off now to make some more twirls  !!

SATURDAY'S FAIR

The weather forecast was for a deluge, but we were lucky as although it was very cold and wet underfoot (everyone coming in from their walks for coffee, lunch and tea were VERY muddy!) it stayed fine and we were quite nicely busy!

Old friends were present - Lesley, Pauline, James and Jamie and our new arrivals were Anna, Helen, Jungyi, Hayley, Belinda and Carla/Rebecca.

All of the stalls looked really great - thank you everyone for all your efforts - and thank you Stanwick Lakes too for your ongoing support.

Here are the pics:

Belynda

Anna

Carla and Rebecca

Hayley

Helen

James

Jamie

Jungyi

Lesley

Pauline

Me

I have only 2 stalls still available for the next Hand-Crafted Home Fair on Saturday 13 April and no jewellery stalls I'm afraid and so if you would like to book don't delay in getting in touch!

HAND-CRAFTED HOME FAIR - Saturday 9 March

My next Hand-Crafted Home Fair is getting very close again.

Find us, as usual, at Stanwick Lakes from 10.40 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. this Saturday 9th March - JUST NICELY IN TIME FOR MOTHERING SUNDAY  !!

We will have new crafters bringing their original work to show you all, as well as old friends including:

Jamie with his super jewellery,
Carla with her flower arrangements
Pauline and just beautiful children's clothes
Cynthia - natural skin care products
Anna - beaded clay and silver jewellery
Jungyi - cake-pops and biscuits
James - animal and human pencil portraits
Hayley - fimo clay and resin food jewellery
Helen - artwork on board
Lesley - incredible greetings cards
and me with my knits, of course!

If you are in the area - drop in and see us - you never know what you will find - and everything hand made by us - what more could you want?!

PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL PRODUCERS

TIME FOR TEA ?

The Knitting Pattern below which was in my Mum's huge stock of patterns, looks very unpromising, and in fact slumbered away in a file for years until RETRO came back  !!!

I think we can really understand why two of the patterns have never been revived! but the third one called in the instructions the 'Batchelor' tea-cosy is the one that we are learning to love again - with various toppings - some people favour a pompom, I've seen flowers, but I like the rings as shown.

Interesting to note too that this pattern cost 4d. - that's old money - not pence!

And so, my work in progress at the moment is my Battenburg Cosy - doesn't it look good enough to eat?

And here is one I made earlier - and this is in the colours suggested in the pattern - sorry it is not actually shown on a teapot, but too late now as it was sold quite a long time ago!

I have also made a scarlet and cream version which graces my son and daughter-in-laws kitchen, where I'm told it gets of lot of admiration - hence my Spring Revival!

A SPRING IN MY STEP!

A little bare, but tidy and hopeful!

Tulips pushing through

More bulbs on the way - and celandines - yes I know they are theoretically a weed/wild flower, 

but in my garden most things are welcome as long as they are pretty - 

and these will be sun on the ground!

Yesterday was Super Sunday - just really because the sun shone, the sky was just a vivid blue and I had my first foray of the year into the garden - and I had great company - 2 Red Kites soaring overhead - round and round and so low - and calling to each other - the sound that spells summer.

I know I mustn't get ahead of myself and the forecast for later in the week is very cold again - 3 degrees on Thursday and Friday and with wind chill - -3 degrees!  OK so we are not thinking about that at the moment!

However, my little courtyard garden was brushed and swept and tidied of things which had accumulated through the winter - new bag of potting compost deposited in its permanent home under the brick barbecue -  very handy, dry and hidden, leaves all swept up and deposited back where they came from - under the trees in the lane, the last of the dead wood taken off the peonies, and the chairs arranged in a friendly manner in case it comes warm enough for a cup of coffee outside!

As I'm sitting here at my computer now, the Red Kites are calling again - heaven  !!!

HAND-CRAFTED HOME FAIR - REVIEW

Here is my review of my new and expanded Hand-Crafted Home Fair - the first of 2013 with lots more to come!

First of all, a huge thank you to Stanwick Lakes for all their support, and advertising - it has made a huge difference to my venture.  Of course, a massive thank you too, to my super, so talented stall holders and their wonderful crafts, without whom the Fair could not happen, my wonderful husband for all his help and support, and also not forgetting - MOST IMPORTANTLY - our lovely customers.

Really super to see returning faces from 2012 and some new people too - and more and more, people seem to be interested in discussing our individual crafts and showing a real interest in what we are doing.

So here are the pics:

Margot - with huge apologies !

Daxa

Jamie

Me

Jamie, Daxa and I were the sort of taster in Reception before the Main Show where you could find:

Lesley

Ron

Sue

Sandie

Sam

Sandra

James

Pauline

If anyone would like more details from any of the producers above, please get in touch with me.

PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL PRODUCERS