Sunday 26 June 2016

Midsummer Week

A Week Of Midsummer Maddness....

Midsummer Solstice is a special time for me, I love the longest day of the year, a time to celebrate the light and the wheel of the year turning and this year as an added treat full moon as well.
This is my new year, I like to celebrate this Equinox as the beginning of new things, ridding myself of those things that I have carried and no longer need and bringing attention to the life and abundance there is to see at this time of year.
Unfortunately this year there was no balmy walk in the meadow to pick flowers and I had to be content with warm socks and being snuggled on the sofa making flowers instead!


The best I could do was dream of the warmth and whilst I knitted stitch by stitch I gave thanks for the 
blessings I have and released all that had served me well.


Three soon became a bowlful....


They were added to hairbands ready for the school fete at the weekend, and so began fending the girls off them so that they could make it there as a complete dozen!


These were also completed for the fete.
I created this pattern about four years ago or maybe it was five,when a lady messaged me having bought one of my mice and asked if I could make her hedgehog....it was one of those moments where I typed back "of course I can" by return and then panicked just how I was going to do that!
These little creatures have now been shipped all over the world and I am still surprised each time I make one at how once their noses are felted they each take on a character of their own...


The weather here like most of the country I am sure is more like April than June....we have soggy sheep and hay waiting to be cut,  never mind the bees that are struggling to fly and forage through the very heavy showers.
I did however find this beauty of a rain trap, a spiders web collecting the drops, it caught my eye as I was getting in and out the car ferrying the children to various activities this week, each tiny drop like a jewel in the grass.


I adore the pink blush to these grasses in the meadow at the moment, the contrast to the greens is gorgeous and one I would love to capture in a yarn....happy colours.


Meadow grasses with rain clouds waiting to burst.


With all the discord that's been hanging like a cloud over the country this week I created a little love in a bowl instead....
I am delighted with these little felted hearts and my head is spinning with all the ideas of what I am going to do with them and what greater things they may become.


My last piece of creation this week was altering my eldest Prom dress, always a slightly nervous occupation but particularly when you are a bad mother and leave it till a few hours before she is due to wear it!
All was well though and it looked gorgeous on her as she made me very proud and feel old as she partied off to celebrate the end of exams.


This was just some of the creations that I took to the fete yesterday.
Again the rain played its  hand, I firstly set up in the playground in brilliant sunshine only to dismantle my display 10mins later due to the heavens opening and for the rest of the time being indoors in the dry, whilst some of the other stall activities continues to dance around the showers.
I had a lovely time, was overwhelmed by a few of the children and their comments at what I had created and given plenty to think about as was asked if I would teach one little girl to knit..



Today I have had a day off all the running around and a family day has been spent eating, laughing and catching up...
I have also cast on an exciting project for an exhibition later in the year, but that's another story!.....

I send you love for the coming week and hope we all stay a little drier....



Sunday 19 June 2016

A Week On The Needles


Since last Sunday much has happened in my yarn world....
At the retreat we had a fantastic workshop of dyeing our own yarn and the one above is 4ply that I have plans to design a shawl with and the one below is double knit that has yet to have a project in mind....


Over the last few months I have been contemplating dying some of my own yarn and designing a shawl pattern as a kit for those of you that follow my work but also knit yourselves, this week has seen those ideas come to life again and it's something I hope to begin soon.




This mermaid blanket was commissioned a while ago and I have been fitting it in around dolls and Angels, but this week saw me work the last waves and complete it.....



I was surprised at just how much yarn was involved in making one of these and how many rows were needed despite being knitted on 7mm needles and made holding two strands of yarn together....


This isn't something I shall be making many of, as to make it worth my while they would have to be priced over £100 and I know there aren't many who will pay that for a child's blanket...


So maybe I will write the pattern out instead!!

I also started and finished this beautiful shawl which was cast on at the retreat last week and I finished yesterday afternoon.


I truly love it and am thrilled I have actually created something for myself for a change, there are so many memories of my weekend away knitted into the rows of this, that it will be a keepsake that I will treasure from an inspiring and nurturing time.













And so another week begins, today I have been creating flowers to make brooches and flower headbands to take to the school fete next Saturday, not to mention a couple of hedgehogs!

Whatever you create this coming week, enjoy the moment in doing so, let the thoughts that drift while your fingers work, be ones of peace and fulfilment and let time stop just for a little while to allow you to escape somewhere special. Xx


Friday 17 June 2016

A Place To Be.........

PEACE AND GROUNDING....

I am blessed to have this Willow tree a few feet from the caravan and it holds joy and energy to ground.
On days when the world feels too much, the children are too much or I in myself are too much, time spent here pulls me back to centre and allows me the focus to launch off again.



As a family this tree is thanked daily for its ability to provide us with shelter, the focal element to one of our views and the laughter that comes from being with it.

Always space to swing.....




For a child to sleep outside.....



For time to be shared together on a double swing, chatting, sharing or just being...


The life in its bark to be wondered at, used as a backdrop for my creation photos, or just to hold, feel and grasp the energy that's held within.....


To lean against her trunk and look upwards realising just how small we really are....



When her boughs break in the storm, we gather them lovingly and build new life from her....

 


But most, she is where I go to plant my feet, feel the energy from her roots and gather myself to carry on in my day....


Where do you go?.......xxx








Tuesday 14 June 2016

A TIME OF RETREAT

I am finally here in the blogging world...
The idea of creating this space has been with me a longtime and thanks to the weekend I have just spent, today it's happening.....


I booked myself onto a knitting retreat a few months ago and with slight trepidation as the weekend loomed I headed down to Rye in East Sussex last Friday and stepped into a time of blissful belonging as the weekend unwound.

This was a completely new experience for me. I am a somewhat hermit in my day to
day living and to willing put myself into the company of others, none of whom I knew,
was a big step for me.

On arrival however the calmness I need was delivered as I stepped over the doorstep and was given the biggest hug by Natasha as I was welcomed me into her home from home for the weekend.



For the first time in many years I felt cherished and nurtured in the company of these amazingly warm, funny and truly inspiration women. Yes we all arrived with yarn the focal and joining thread to us all but by the end of the weekend we had all found many more things to tie us together.

This time of escape was needed so much more than I originally realised and I have 
returned grounded, refuelled with confidence in what I am doing and the direction I
want to take myself creatively and spiritually, hence these ramblings are now here in
the wide world for you to share with me.






The retreat was the creation of Natasha from 'Taking A Moment In Time' and not only did it allow retreating from the everyday world, it allowed retreating from thoughts.
Throughout our days we meandered between knitting and crochet, workshops, the most delicious food that magically arrived in front of us, conversations that allowed us 
to be ourselves and nourished our inner souls as we collectively came together in 
likeminded unison and felt accepted for who we are.




On arrival we were gifted this stunning hand dyed yarn that Natasha had created for us and shawls were cast on.
Mine is almost finished and I shall share with you later in the week the completion photographs.



Kristina from Written In Cloth delighted us all by freely sharing secrets and technique as we took over the eating table with yarn, dye and glorious laughter and support as we expressed ourselves and created our own beautiful yarn.






Dean and Jeska Herne from Lobster and Swan and The future Kept provided very special company and knowledge in the true art of style and photography and provided one on one guidance as we touched on how to best photograph the creations we loving make.


Janice Issit bought Norweign colour work knitting to us wrapped up in brown paperbags and showed us what delights could be created with two basic colours.


Time filled with a wander around the beautiful Town of Rye which for me holds childhood memories, along with the swimming, and being able just to be with my knitting needles at anytime of the day, provided a little piece of paradise that won't ever be forgotten.

Natasha is a lady to be admired and if you ever get the opportunity to join a circle of likeminded women, please don't hesitate to take it, you will be cherished whilst there and have a part of you regained to enable new beginnings to happen.


Thank you for sharing this first post with me xx