Quarter Of A Century On

  Where were you twenty five years ago?  I was getting married, October is quite the busy month celebration wise I was married eight days after my twenty-third birthday.

That’s me in the big ivory frock, surrounded by family and friends.

These days I am a quiet, contemplative person and prefer a modest celebration with my nearest and dearest to that of a raucous party.

As the day itself fell midweek, Big Daddy and I decided to mark the occasion with a walk along the spectacular Northumbrian coast.

A beautiful and unspoiled stretch of beach.

This breathtaking coastline also has the weather to match. The bracing winds in your hair and salty spray on your lips always leaves a lasting impression. 

 

Delicious autumn, my very soul is wedded to it...  George Eliot.

My latest bear, he has probably made himself quite at home in his new surroundings, no doubt.

Till next time. 

Forty-Eight And Counting

I celebrated my birthday last week.  I am twenty-one again, multiplied by two and add six as my son who’s a stickler for accuracy kindly pointed out.

I was the grateful recipient of many kind and thoughtful gifts.

I, like my hero Kaffe Fasset, have a passion for the cabbage.  In one of my favourite books, ‘Glorious Interiors’ by the colour king himself; he pays homage to this humble leafy vegetable using various mediums such as needlepoint and rag rugs  not to mention a vast china collection, which he devotes to an entire dining room elevating it’s modest profile to the realms of art.

 I on-the-other-hand, content myself with this glorious bouquet of roses and unassuming cabbages, the latter do rather steal the show I think.

My fibre cache was further expanded with the addition of some silk dupion and satin in wonderful deep lake and teal shades.  I would like to note that although I adore all colours I do have a particular soft spot for green, which is obvious to everyone but me.  It’s rather mystifying, although I don’t wear it I like looking at it; maybe it’s because it works as a perfect foil for all other colours.

I was also treated to several balls of Rowan Kid Classic yarn in natural tones, the perfect combination of lamb’s wool, kid mohair and polyamide for softness, luxury, warmth and durability.  The only problem I have is deciding what to do with them.

To the unsung champions of the needlewoman’s tool box; I cannot emphasize enough the importance of working with quality equipment and sharp tools; as this can be reflected in the overall result your work.  Therefore, I was delighted with this package replenishing my ever dwindling supplies of notions.  I am completely fascinated with little packets of this and that, I could and do spend hours in haberdashery departments the length and breadth of the land.

Instead of the usual chores I frivolously decided to spend my day on idle pleasures and added some distinguishing features to these little guys.

It may be hard to tell in this photo but I was trying to create a suitable face for a possible Father Christmas doll.  As it stands the hair and beard are obvious issues that need adjusting to fit the stereotype.

The challenge with this little man was achieving equal sideburns, which was incredibly difficult.  I shall have to give some serious thought to a replicable and a secure method for attaching facial hair that is equal to the wigs I make; which  I am sure is going to cause a few bad heads.

 I had a great day spent doing what I love with the people I love and consuming a great deal of chocolate cake, which incidentally my son made, no mean feat when you consider I don’t do dairy.

Finally, I would like to wish anyone else who is celebrating this week a 'Happy Birthday'.  

We Flocked To Yarndale

I have clearly entered my second adolescence, there is nothing like the excitement and anticipation of a festival; however my taste seems to be less rock-n- roll and more knit-n-purl these days.

Yarndale; we came, we saw and we spent, rather too much in my case.

Yarndale is a significant event, now in its second year that attracts a collective of entrepreneurial and creative individuals to celebrate and promote all that is good about the wool and yarn trade.

The day commenced with the yarn walk from Skipton town centre through the park, which proved to be a novel and an amusing warm up for the headline act.  I suspect the bicycle sculptures were in no small part due to the regions associations of this year’s Tour De France.

There was a genuine sense of community spirit.

The sculptures were generously donated by local schools.

At the venue we were greeted with the soft sounds of a traditional brass band playing on our arrival, which for me is synonymous of the region; this was both unexpected as it was charming.

The array of festooned, crochet bunting was an exciting explosion of colour that set the tone for the entire day. 

As well as the obvious retail opportunities the festival offered a range of participatory workshops and classes. However, if like me you didn’t take advantage of this some stall holders found the time to demonstrate their craft and passion, as well as providing a running commentary; I definitely learnt a thing or two about how the Romans spun fibres into something useable.

During the course of the day I overheard several comments intimating that the show lacked diversity.  Although there were yarn producers and stockists as far as the eye could see, I’m not sure if it was to the detriment of any artisan alternative.  In fact I found that the scale of specialism’s exhibited ranged from pasture to product and everything in-between.

The alpaca was also a well represented category, some would possibly argue to saturation point, but who doesn’t like alpaca?  There was a minimal presence of rare breed’s yarn, which I would have liked to see more of.  However, a yarn that was new to me was a camel fibre mixed with mulberry silk and cashmere which gives an exquisite rosy champagne colour with a fabulous lustre and gorgeous soft handle.  I do have regrets now not having bought any at the time.  

  

Although I can appreciate the vibrancy and clarity of pure colour I personally prefer a muted palette and was delighted to find a beautiful range of gentle and subtle tones achievable exclusively through the use of plant dyes; I just wish I could remember which exhibitor it was. 

I am a soft touch for the old and interesting therefore; it should be no surprise to learn that one of my favourite stalls stocked an extensive range of previously loved knitting memorabilia and other curiosities of a bygone age and all at very little cost.  That was the beauty of this festival, there was something to suit everyone’s pocket ranging from original artworks at £800 to yarn tasters at 20p per micro skein, indeed mementos of a grand day out for one and all.

I returned home with a modest addition to my stockpile of doll maker’s notions. I am trying to avoid buying things and squirreling them away, just to rediscover them at a later date when I’ve completely forgotten the reasoning that initially informed my choice.

 My discerning purchases consists of three micro skeins of 2ply alpaca yarn in ivory, fawn and grey all with a lustre suggestive of silk; I plan to make miniature bears with it.  My three remaining treasures are a selection of fibres that I plan to use for wig experimentation; they are natural shades of Wenselydale Topps and a hank of flax.

 As a doll maker I’m always looking for alternative natural fibres for hair and beards. I like to inspect the fibres personally for lustre and suitability, which is not always achievable from the high street; in fact I’ve never managed it yet.

My time at Yarndale was an exploration of colour and texture; meeting and sharing with like-minded people, by the end I felt quite fatigued and a little overwhelmed.  It has left me with a collection of memories, emotions and awakened possibilities, all in all a great day out.  As for the lack of diversity, I am not sure I can agree with that.  I may have felt initially besieged but a little perseverance revealed the subtle treasures that lay quietly among the profusion of brightly coloured yarn.  Anyway, wasn’t it the express purpose of Yarndale to showcase yarn in all of its glory?  I personally derive a great deal of pleasure from a simple arrangement of wool, oddments or otherwise.  However, all good things must come to an end and as Yarndale closes its doors on another year’s successful event I say kudos to those who made it possible.

‘I’ll be back.’ Arnold Schwarzenegger, 1984.

Till next time.