2017!!! Already???

Last year really does seem to have slipped through our fingers! 

It was a year of change for me (Sarah) I changed jobs in August and now work in Manchester City Centre, which has meant quite a different routine with using Public Transport being one of the main differences for me. I enjoy, when I can get a seat, knitting and reading on the bus and have found that I have completed quite a few more projects and books this year due to this. However the days are long and this has meant both my attendance at the gym and attention to this blog have both suffered greatly! This is something which both Helen and I intend to rectify in 2017.

2017 is, I think, going to be an exciting year hopefully one of change for us both.....Anyway let's tell you what we have been up to between our last blog in October (yes, really.....October). 

I celebrated a significant birthday and was shocked when my family had organised a surprise party for me!! I can honestly say that I am not often speechless but I was that night!!

And I was so chuffed with my fabulous cake which I think you will agree is very apt! As if this wasn't enough my knitting group also had cakes and a lovely gift of vouchers for Countess Ablaze for me to treat myself to some beautiful yarn.... I was truly humbled and overwhelmed by the whole thing.

Both Helen and myself have been busy since October with Helen designing lots for the magazines and me completing, well almost, the Shawl Society knits two of which are below.

Asana Shawl

 The beautiful Asana Shawl http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/asana-shawl which I made was knitted using Grey Skies in Manchester from Countess Ablaze was one of my favourites to knit.......with lots of beading too.

Sonder Shawl

The final shawl 'Sonder' I knitted in Three days (yes three days) I met up with the 'Wednesday Woolies' at Black sheep Yarns and chose this fabulous yarn Rico Fashion Alpaca at just £5.99 per ball and set to knitting when I got home.... Helen Stewarts patterns are a joy to follow and I cannot recommend them highly enough. She has a mystery KAL coming up in January too! I am sure I will be taking part!!

Now on the last posting I showed my Yarndale purchases and I have also knit up the fox scarf from this great book.......

I have the fox blocking in my loft at the moment but will share some pictures next time..... I used a great app on my phone to keep count of the rows on this project as it was my Bus knitting for November the link to this app is https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.knirirr.beecount&hl=en_GB on google store but they also do this for apple devices too. You can have mutiple projects on the app which I am sure suits us all.

Oh I almost forgot to tell you about my gifts from my son and sister for my birthday, they got me some beautiful scissors for my dressmaking and other fabric projects!! I was so pleased and love my Merchant & Mills fabulous shears and wide bow scissors!!

Just some of my fabulous Fiftieth Gifts.....so lucky!!

Any way with all these fabulous books and yarns and fabrics and tools there is one thing for me to sort out in my life and that is my time management and prioritizing.... today was the start by publishing this blog I have achieved one of my goals for this week. I also helped Helen sort some of her mammoth stash out this morning. This is due to me reading a book over the Christmas holidays by a lady called Sarah Knight and I cannot recommend it enough it has made me step back and assess lots of issues and will hopefully help me towards resolving some too.......

Worth a read........

So back to the New Year, Helen and I intend to keep the blog updated and let you all know what we have been up to and what we have been knitting and designing, we will also have a few free patterns for you to have a go at too...... 

In the meantime take care and we will speak to you soon Helen and Sarah x

A Little Protection

Well here it is the Talisman Shawl is completed and I am happy to say that it feels as fabulous as it looks The Tia Merino yarn was beautiful to work with and the colours worked beautifully together too.Stardust was the main body and the edging was Swoon.

Tia Merino Yarn by Countess Ablaze and
the fabulous Talisman pattern from
The Shawl Society

I am pleased to say that Shawl number two 'Amulet' is now also completed and has just been put onto my blocking boards. This Shawl also has a beautiful story to go with it Helen Stewart the designer tells us that it was inspired by ' the mystical beauty of an ancient Egyptian carving of a powerful Scarab beatle with wings outstretched to provide shelter and protection from harm' read more when you join the Shawl Society, here's the link;  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/the-shawl-society/patterns

It was going well

Colours chosen  bottom is
Tia Merino left from Talisman

 My main yarn was a Malabrigo sock yarn which I purchased in America but had lost the label!! The contrast was the gorgeous Tia Merino in Swoon, I was so lucky to have had enough left from the Talisman Shawl to use it as my contrast. My beads were in my stash of haberdashery which is in all honesty out of control but I love it all!

New shawl on the Blocks

Ready for Blocking

So I can now share with you why I have had a need for protection, I was recently made redundant from my job and it was quite a strange feeling.The realist in me said it was just a financial decision which is taken by so many companies nowadays and it was not personal but the emotional side of me felt quite upset and hurt by the decision. I considered campaigning to ban the word 'Redundant' but instead decided to create my protection in the form of these beautiful shawls confirming that I am of some use and that my creativity can get me through the more anxious times in my life. Of course I must also thank family and very good friends for their constant support during this time.

Off the blocking board and looking great - The Amulet Shawl

I must admit that shawls were never really projects which I tackled but I am thoroughly enjoying these projects and cannot wait for shawl number three, watch this space. 

Here are a couple of other shawls which I have recently completed too.

The one on the left is from a knit along by Very Busy Monkey and the cabling was beautiful (not a cable needle in sight) although the edging took me a long time to get completed. 

The crocheted shawl is using odd bits of Kidsilk Haze and fine lace from my stash it is a great basic pattern which looks really effective when finished. 

Shawls are also lovely gifts to give as by nature they are like an arm around your shoulders.

Helen and I hope you enjoy reading about what we are up to and we will hopefully have lots to share over the Summer and into Autumn. Stay well,  H & S xxx

When Life Throws You Lemons!

Hello! It has been a while!

Apologies for our lack of posts lately, it has been a busy time with lots going on in our lives. However Helen and I have managed to fit in a couple of events with one of them being a craft day at Stretford Public Hall promoting courses which are held at Trafford College. It was a lovely day and we met lots of lovely crafters showing their wares. Here are a couple of our linen covered jars which we were selling, also note the fabulous tiles in the background, Stretford Public Hall is a wonderful building to look around should you get the chance to.

Well back to the title of our post today, sometimes you really do feel like life is throwing lemons directly at you and you can either collect them and do something positive or wallow in their bitterness. Well as you can imagine I immediately pick up my needles and knit through the barrage of fruit! It does help when your stash has such gems as this just waiting to be used..........

This little beauty was a purchase which I made on Yarn shop day at Countess Ablaze in Swinton, Manchester http://www.countessablaze.com The yarn is Tia Merino and the shade is Stardust and I have chosen to use it to make the Talisman shawl from the Shawl society by Curious handmade http://curioushandmade.com. If you take a look at this pattern it tells of pilgrims who made shawls as protection on their journeys and I feel that I am beginning a journey which I will be able to share on our next post and I will definitely be needing a little protection.I will show you my progress on the shawl via instagram so please take a look - just click on the link on the left of this page.

Meantime let me show you what I have been knitting recently, lots of which will soon be appearing on our Etsy shop - Link also on the left.

I do find something very satisfying when knitting socks, as I have probably already mentioned to you all, I feel that they reflect life in so much as you go round in circles and then turning the heel represents those tricky times in life that you get over and then go back to going in ever decreasing circles again. 

More socks cast on and a few more pairs finished and I feel like life is back in some sort of order!!

I truly believe that knitting has helped me to overcome some of the trickiest heel turns that life has thrown at me and I am hoping that it will help me on the next.

I must remember to share my holiday knits from Kefalonia in my next post. Helen and I both love to find a new yarn shop on our holidays and the one I found in Argostoli did not fail to impress me, I even made a purchase........ I will save that for next time though. 

Finally just to end on a cheerful note let me show you the two rabbits which I made for gifts recently from the Toft book 'Edwards Menagerie' find it at https://www.thetoftalpacashop.co.uk it is one of the favourite books in my collection. Have a lovely week.............

Take care..... Sarah & Helen xx