Working hard making lots of these!

15p treasure

Beautiful packaging from antique days. All this gold and pomp for a twist of darning wool.

Pictured with a few other treasures. The cupcake was knitted by Rebecca Snelling and the box on the right contained a scented candle and is far too pretty to throw away.

Thinking aloud

Does anyone know what this is called? I want one in my garden.
Normally in September I would be working round the clock to get together enough stock to do the Country Living Christmas Show. This year I decided not to do it as finding the necessary stand fee seemed impossible a few months ago. Now I'm floundering a bit as the shows I have booked are one dayers so I don't need masses of stock and yet I want to be working hard making lots of new things for Christmas just as I have done for the last eight years. My notebook is full of ideas and I've got orders I should be getting on with. It's just an odd time when 99% of the population aren't buying what they don't need so you wonder whether as Christmas draws closer they will cave and buy gifts like they always have done, spend money on loved ones just like they always have done. Or maybe not.
So should I, instead of knocking myself out making things that may not be bought instead concentrate on providing Christmas workshops. Encourage people to make gifts instead of buy them. Workshops for handmade gifts, handmade decorations and handmade Christmas cards. I'm thinking about it.

Autumn Colours in the neighbourhood

Blackberrying

My friend Chris reckons she picked 60lbs of blackberries about a month ago. With her haul she has made blackberry wine, blackberry jam and put by a lot in the freezer for winter pies and crumbles. Yesterday this (pictured) was our sum total. But they will mix in nicely with all the windfall apples my neighbour has given me. Note to self: when picking blackberries it is not a good idea to wear a skirt. Arms and legs get ripped to pieces on brambles if you don't cover them up!!

Decorating for workshops

I'm painting the kitchen white. When I moved nearly 3 years ago I loved the kitchen for its sheer space and high ceiling. But someone had painted one of the walls dark blue. The worktops are the same colour. Units and worktops need replacing but that will have to be next year. I like all shades of white apart from yellow whites and the whole house apart from the wall above is painted in 'Barley White' - a yellow white. So while Dulux brilliant white is on special offer at Focus I'll try to transform as much as possible.
I want to hold workshops in the kitchen. Especially in the run up to Christmas. It's so nice to give something you've made yourself to the people you love. I'll let you know when the kitchen is ready for action!

Today in Tricot Too's windows

Design/Notebooks

In 1997 I started jotting down ideas and sketching designs in notebooks. When I sorted out my books yesterday I was amazed to discover that I now have 54 filled notebooks - a whole shelf full. Into my notebook goes appealing photos from magazines, lists of orders, records of jewellery 'recipes', crochet techniques, To Do lists and plans for the future. I like a hard back book best from Seawhites. Spiral bound books tend to fall apart. A hard back book can have things glued to the cover as well as to the inside pages.

Virgin A|tlantic visit

Apolgies that this isn't about making but it's interesting! Finding out about visiting the USA took us to 'The Base'. Here cabin crew train on mock up planes that as potential users we were allowed to sample. The one above was used for filming a scene from the latest Daniel Craig Bond movie. Part bar part luxury seats that convert into sleeping pods it was seriously comfortable. And economy class wasn't too bad either!

Trees grow inside the building's foyer.

Milk jugs in the Base's cafe. The chairs (see top pic) were examples of good design too. A memorable visit.

Back in time

When I was a girl my family lived in a converted stables called 'Dobbins'. Yesterday we tried to find it again. This sign is all that remains.

This now brackish looking water used to be a beautiful pond to the back of us. Our neighbours owned the pond and bred exotic ducks there for zoos. Now the area is home to a Tesco express and all the houses around are new builds. When I was 12 it was mostly farmland and the roads around were unmade up rough tracks. There used to be a well to the front of us. Somewhere, under the tarmac of the Tesco Express car park I guess it's still there.

This week in Tricot Too's window

Goodies for Tricot

I'm off to Tricot now with these freshly-made pieces. Hope they like them!

Glowing colours. Velvet and felt cuffs and another brooch.

Cowdray Park Farm Shop

If you're ever near to Midhurst I recommend a visit to this spanking new beautifully presented farm shop on the Cowdray estate.
The luxurious foodstuffs, expensively packaged would make super gifts. Nice books and stationery too. The only thing lacking is nice handmade gifts. Now I wonder why I said that...!

Making flowers

Felt season

With all the dark colours in fashion at the moment glowing felt feels like the right material for accessories. Although it's labour intensive I enjoy the felt making process. I'm making brooches and soft warm cuffs which can be worn over knitwear. Necklaces and bracelets are nearly ready. Then I'll be focussing on handbags.

Favourite clothes

Do you like my choices from Tricot Too's autumn/winter clothes? I just worked my last 'holiday relief' shift there and feel a bit sad, but hopefully they'll need me again soon.