A month of creativity - day 1 - vintage cushion cover

I hope to have a month of textile creativity - sheer bliss - and to keep a journal of that on my blog.

The month has started well. Last March (2014) I wrote about repurposing some vintage linen - into making a case for my iPod. This encouraged me to make what was a linen cushion cover into a bag. I like to carry a spare bag with me all the time when I am out. I have enjoyed using the one that I have made – this has also sparked many interesting conversations with people too. Also, I am unlikely to meet another whilst out shopping!

After going through my set of linen embroidered cushion covers from clearing my aunt's house I decided one of these was just right for right for a shopping bag.
Unfortunately all the green thread had reacted badly to the light and needed replacing.

This duly completed, I lined the bag with part of a surplus white linen table cloth from my stash. This had been my mother's.

Now in July 2015 much more of the embroidery needed replacing. So I have been doing this gradually through the month and August the 1st was washing day for the bag.
This is the result - very pleased with it and it has memories of both my mother and her sister.

 

The short jacket

For ages I have had a problem on days when it is a little cool in the summer. I have two great short linen jackets but none of my cardigans can be worn with them, as the cardigans  'show' by about 3 cm under the jacket! So I can decide to wear a cardigan or wear a jacket!  About 2 weeks ago I decided to do something about it and knit a cardigan that would fit under the jackets. The joy of doing this with the help of the knitting machine is that I can decide what I want and then achieve it in a fairly short time.

The jacket sleeves are 3/4 and I decided to knit a long sleeve cardigan - much more use but to make the sleeves interesting by adding a lace edging.
This is the lace edging I designed for another item (might make a blog post later!) so sampled this :

It looks good and I already have a longer cardigan in the same yarn ( 2 strands of Metropolitan fine crepe). I love this cardigan but decided also to reduce the width of the scarf/collar so it would sit under the jacket better.

So this is the story.
It didn't take long to do the actual knitting - I didn't time it but did it over a few days on my vintage Brother 830. It looks pretty grim when it is taken off the knitting machine.

So next for the blocking and I estimate that I took well over half the time to block that I do to knit. I have a pattern of each piece so block onto the pattern piece using my custom made blocking board.

Before the blocking

After the blocking

The seams were stitched with a tiny zigzag on my Janome sewing machine except for the beginning and end  of the seams that I always do by hand.

So the cardigan is constructed but not yet finished. I am a strong believer in ' details are what count' so I have edged the bottom of the sleeves and the bottom of the cardigan in crab stitch. This is VERY time consuming, longer than the knitting and spread over 3 days. Good light is essential but I just love the finished edge.

Crab stitch round the edging. This is much more professional.

The lace at the sleeve edging



The completed jacket.  Another great item for the wardrobe.

My only wish is that I had done this month's if not years ago!

Norfolk Horn Fleece

Since our return to live in Norfolk I have been keen to acquire a Norfolk Horn Fleece. It is in the 'at risk' category of Rare Breeds. Through a chance comment on Facebook  and via a couple of helpful people I was told of a shepherd / farmer with some fleece.  I was delighted to find it actually came from the nearby village of Besthorpe where I was born. How amazing is that!

So last Sunday we met and I came home with one, it looked a super fleece and I was keen to spin it. The one I decided on weighed just over a couple of kilos.

However, my favourite method of 'washing' a fleece is the fermented suint method ( see entries here on 8 Feb 2014 and 1 Sept 2015 for my method. So on Tuesday I spread the fleece out - it's in great condition so I skirted the fleece and just removed about 500g then split the remainder  in half and half is now 'washing itself' . 

I took a few locks off the remainder - see the before and after washing photos. 

Before washing

After washing

I did wash these locks in hot water and washing up liquid. Then I have hand combed these and spun them  mainly worstead  about 'shop bought' 4 ply thickness. The skein is lovely, very smooth  and quite springy.

The tiny skein

Now looking forward to Tuesday to see how the FMS washed fleece is. I will then be able to spin more - think I might try Aran thickness next. Very tempted to see if I can get some more of this lovely fleece although I have a large fleece stock and promised myself to set about spinning more from my stash. 

The last posting about Shetland 2014

Today for the last posting from Shetland it is time for Michael to have a say…

Well, I was promised a paragraph on our Shetland blog before it finally finished. What was I doing while all the textile stuff happened?  Well I was involved in a lot of the eating, driving, sight seeing etc.  However, Shetland during the Autumn migration period is a wonderful place to be for anyone interested in birds.  I have to admit I somehow missed the Siberian Rubythroat that was just down the road but did do a good deal of pottering around keeping my eyes on what was about.  It did culminate in a couple of wonderful days on Unst when there had just been a big landfall of birds.  On the beach were redshank, turnstone, common sandpiper, a possible curlew sandpiper and a red breasted merganser at sea.  Walking down the road away from the beach at Norwick it was great to see lots of pied wagtail, brambling, twite, wheatear and meadow pipit.  There was also a blackcap, a lesser whitethroat and a few swallows as well as the expected robin, wren and starling, house sparrow, chaffinch and wood pigeon.

 

This is Norwick beach - one of our favourite beaches.

 

Following a tip off I continued down the road and up the hill and there sitting looking out of a large bush was the most wonderful long eared owl.  Now I am a novice in many ways when it comes to birding and it was my first long eared owl but to have such a close, clear view of such a magnificent bird was amazing.  I eventually tore myself away to go and pick up Janet but there it was.  It is this sort of experience that keeps me birding!  (This is not a picture of the owl I saw!)

 

The following day I grabbed a bit of time to  myself again on Unst and headed back to Norwick.  Was the owl still there?  Well no, but a bit of exploration through the passage to the back of the farm and out onto the fellside and I was rewarded with a good sight of the owl roosting in one of the fir trees behind the buildings.  Not as good a view as the previous day but clear enough for another great view of a long eared owl!  What a way to end the holiday as we were soon back to Mainland and onto the ferry for Aberdeen.

 Our previous two visits to Shetland were both early summer when you are guaranteed fantastic views of all the sea birds.  Trips round Noss for the gannets and to Mousa to see the storm petrels are not to be missed but nothing quite as impressive as standing a few yards from a full front on view of a long eared owl!

Monday 13 th October Our Last Day in Shetland

It was a glorious bright day and we had to go and say goodbye to Tesco before the trip to Jamieson and Smith to collect the stash of wool. However as we going home to move house and move back to Norfolk we were not going to 'go overboard' in terms of buying wool. After all there was the Internet and I do have a shade card and I wouldn't be spinning or knitting - just packing for some weeks!
So I bought:
2 fine fleece (one for a friend)
Kilo of jumper weight yarn undyed - for dyeing & knitting ( ? Fair Isle cochineal based jumper)
Jumper weight yarn –  a holly red- for Michael - this will be the first jumper off the knitting machine when we have moved I have got it set up
Shetland Supreme - 2 balls - for a fine Unst scarf

Then as it was our last day it had to be lunch in Hay's Dock Restaurant, I had the wonderful Seafood Chowder.
A quick look at the sea encouraged us that it looked calm - this is encouraging for the crossing  as our bed tonight will be on the North Sea!

A view from the restaurant with the ferry for tonight in the background.

Then as it was our last time in the wonderful Shetland Museum we had to visit the Museum shop and were delighted to 'bump into' Michael's birdwatching friend from the Gardiesfauld hostel on Unst. Some nice bits were chosen as Christmas presents from the shop mainly for me, including a super folder and glasses cleaner (see below)  and goodbyes made and then it was onto the ferry terminal and we got on the boat at 4.45pm.

'Goodies' from Shetland Museum Gift Shop

Soon after arriving on board we met Eve again and chatted for most of the evening. The journey was made more interesting as we were accompanied for part of the journey by the coastguard helicopter carrying out an exercise for about an hour. So we had a meal on board and as usual good nights sleep and were well rested for the next day and the beginning of the journey home.

What a superb experience this has been!

Sunday 12th October the last 'official' day of Wool Week

It was a lovely morning but cold as we drove to Hoswick where Elizabeth Johnson and Nella (www.nielanell.com) were having an 'At Peace' lunch. Lots of people were having a really leisurely time using all sorts of equipment. I had just popped in to have a chat as I was actually on my way to another event and had not booked to spend the day there - not enough time to do everything one wants in Wool Week! It was great to meet Lucy (of broken boat fame) again and talk to Jock(?) who was spinning on a Turkish spindle like mine. Elizabeth and I duly 'caught up' on news and all too soon it was time to leave.

A view of the ‘At Peace Day’

This is Lucy’s hat – it shows her journey to Shetland in Fair Isle- it is so clever.

We found a nice spot for lunch and then it was on to Whiteness and Weisdale Hall where Shetland Spinners, Knitters, Weavers and Dyers were having an exhibition and doing their famous Shetland teas. I took my wheel and sat with members of the Guild, who welcomed me to spin with them. I was spinning very finely. My wheel ( Ashford Joy double treadle) was of much interest being very different from  the usual Shetland wheels. These have much smaller wheels said to because wood was so scarce on Shetland. The afternoon was very busy and the ladies did an amazing service with the cakes and teas. If you are interested in this sort of fine lace then do look out for this book containing 21 projects designed by members of this Guild: A Legacy of Shetland Lace available from The Shetland Times.

A view of the hall showing some of the stunning exhibits.

The work in the exhibition was stunning and was the perfect end of a perfect week.
We then drove back down to Levenwick for our last night on Shetland - for 2014 anyway!

Saturday 11 th October A pottery day

What a glorious sunrise! I was outside with the camera at 6.22 am  taking photos and then would you believe it I decided to get out my Jamieson and Smith shade card and my Jamieson shade card too so I  could match the colours. I am already planning a peach and blue tam. No wonder the colours in Fair Isle 'go' so well -living in this sort of environment is a real help.

So all this creativity made for a leisurely start but that was fine as we planned to park on the Quay by the 'Migraine hotel' ( see blog post of 23^rd October) and I would walk up to the Makers ’ Market in the Town Hall for 11.00. I was particularly hoping for a quick word with Elizabeth Johnson to try and arrange to see her Sunday morning - my remaining 'free slot'. After a steep uphill walked I joined the queue and met Eve again! What a tremendous building this in.

Once the door opened it was a bit manic! All good news for the stall holders. I could hardly get near Elizabeth (Johnston) but no wonder she does have the most wonderful handspun and naturally dyed yarn ( www.shetlandhandspun.blogspot.com), but the arrangements were made. The stalls were all beautifully arranged and so typically of Shetland there was lots of stunning food.

I made some purchases and left to have lunch and then go to Vala Fine Art to meet Jane (Ennis) who was finishing the 'Lace Knitting with Organic Wool' workshop, taught by Sheila Fowlie there. It was a nice opportunity for me to look round the shop and see the organic lace knitting,  particularly as I had to miss out on the croft visit on Tuesday due to the Migraine. This was much thicker than the lace knitting that I do but interesting to see so much lace again. Organic fleece appeared to be £10/kilo to be ordered. As Jane and I were ready to leave we were interviewed by Radio Shetland. My interview was later used on the Radio Scotland Programme which came out in February 2014 on Radio Scotland, another nice memento of my time at Shetland Wool Week.

After taking Jane to Tesco so she could buy food for the journey back to London on the train on Sunday (emergency rations ) we went to Hay's Dock Restaurant so she could have lunch then I gave her a quick tour of the lace knitting and other textiles at the Shetland Museum as she was returning on the ferry that evening. Unfortunately she wouldn't have time to fit in a visit to the Shetland Textile Museum at the Bod, but like me she had enjoyed her time and was already wondering if returning next year was a possibility. ( answer is yes and accommodation is booked!). It had been great to meet up.

So after that we went to the Hub where I left Jane in the capable hands of fellow Wool Weekers. Needless to say I bumped into other colleagues from the week, a lady from the Lace Class from Monday evening so we shared horror stories about the weather, and Lucy (of broken boat fame). Lucy is knitting THE most amazing hat of her journey to Shetland from Kent, it is SO clever.

So it was off to find M, a nice spot for afternoon tea and a rest, I was running out of steam ......