Autumn in the UK

Elastic Wonder

I went to knitting club earlier this week and forgot to take my accessories

bag. I soon realised that I needed a couple of stitchmarkers to mark the position of the thumb gusset increases in the fingerless mitt I was knitting. 


I searched around in my handbag and found a couple of hair bobbles; I have these in every bag I own as both my daughters and I have long hair. Solution! They made great temporary stitchmarkers.

Reminds me of the Machete Elastic Wonder from the Spy Kids film. :)

Dyers delight

The dye pot never ceases to amaze me.

This shows one dye lot - the same dye put onto a merino blend yarn (seen around the edge of the pot) and an alpaca yarn (see in the centre of the pot). 

The yarns take up the dye in a completely different way, giving entirely different-looking results, both beautiful.

I love dyeing yarns!

New pattern - Pompom Boot Toppers

Just released - my latest pattern which is for Pompom Boot Toppers!

This is an easy knitting pattern which uses a single 100gram skein of aran-weight Perran Yarn - shown in Merino Fleck Aran in shade 'Blackcurrant Sorbet' but any aran-weight yarn with the required yardage will work.

Which way do you prefer your pompoms - at the front, back or sides?!

Priced at just £2, the pattern is available in my Ravelry store, and you can also buy it here!

Moment of clarity

Today I had a moment of clarity. Or as Homer Simpson would say 'Doh!'...


I was sitting quietly in my car during my lunch break, knitting a new design (coming soon!). There was a gentle breeze from the open windows, and the soft clicking of my needles combined with the warmth of the day was relaxing and soothing.

Thoughts about various articles I'd read from this week's Etsy Mentor Month topics were drifting around my head, and something slotted into place. It seemed so obvious, but had eluded me up to now.

Moments like this are rare; times when you can sit quietly and let your mind ponder issues and questions without interruption. In our frenetic daily lives packed full of time-saving devices which result in more and more being crammed into each day, a moment of clarity is like a ray of sunshine bursting through a cloud-filled sky.

Plus it shows how therapeutic knitting can be, in all sorts of ways.

Now to put the obvious into action!

Berry tasty

We have been making the most of our newly-acquired japanese wineberry bushes lately, so pleased with them!

I'm picking berries every few days and this morning's crop (teamed with some blackberries from a few carefully saved brambles) made a fantastic accompaniment to an oat granola and honey breakfast. 

Delicious!