tea cups

I am trying to spend a bit more time in my workshop. (Typically this happens as the temperature drops and the hours of daylight lessen). It's almost a year since Betty was born, and I haven't begun to seriously make work since. I have a lot to get ready for various projects. I find I can sometimes grab a couple of hours making as she naps during the day and it's surprising how much can be accomplished in such a short time. (Housework, dinner etc goes out the window though!)

Here are some cups ready for the slip to be painted on. But cups are nothing without saucers, so I'd better get cracking on those!

knitted odd-bods

I've been steadily working my way through the knitting patterns in the wonderful "Knitted Odd-Bod Bunch" book by Donna Wilson. I love that each pattern's character is styled in a funny little vignette. Here's who I've created so far....

Ginge Marmalade twins

Rill Raccoon Fox

Bad Ralf

Aggie Bear

Cyril Squirrel Fox

There are 35 characters to knit, so I've plenty more to go!

the print block

On Tuesday evenings for the past five weeks I've been going to a screen printing class at The Print Block. Beginning with stencil prints, we then moved on to using drawing fluid, and for the last two evenings we used photographic screen printing techniques. Despite being incredibly disorganised I am really pleased with my final print. I have to admit I am indebted to the patience and skills of Suki and Karen.

I used three overlays. The first one pink, the second a semi translucent blue (creating a purple where it overlays the pink), and finally the dark outline. I almost prefer it without the dark outline.

She sews as she grows

I was so excited to find this at the Seaside Brocante yesterday. It looks like it's never been used and has instruction book and cotton reel ready to go.

From the 1950s I would guess; such wonderful graphics.

Rather a gender specific toy!

happy halloween

Poor Betty was a bit puzzled by all the scary visitors we had on Sunday evening. Really looking forward to dressing her up next year.... I'm thinking Willo The Wisp!

The small pumpkin is one I grew; a 'Red Kuri'.

what to do with all the grapes.

Other than eating them straight off the vine, I was wondering what to do with the first substantial harvest we've had from our grape vine. It's a wonderful variety called "Strawberry", with a very unusual musky deep flavour. I found a recipe for grape jelly in Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook.

This made 900ml of juice, and 3 and a half jars of jam.

baubles!

I've been popping out these Christmas baubles in anticipation of our Handmade Market at the Fish Slab Gallery the week before Christmas.

They are fairly easy to make....

*Firstly wind a tight ball of wool. (must be 100%wool).

*Then cover with 'wool tops' so that none of the wound wool is showing through. There's a great selection of wool tops colours available from Knitshop.co.uk.

*Stuff the balls into a leg of old nylon tights, tying between each ball.

*Machine wash with a teaspoon of detergent on a hot wash. I did 90 degrees c.

They come out tightly felted and shrunk by approximately one third.

I've not done much embroidery before, but taught myself a French Knot and have been decorating with simple contrasting colours.