travelling light...with added crochet...

a day trip to Glasgow...an early start... a train to catch...
and yes I took my making stuff with me for the train journey and afternoon...after all what else do you do whilst sitting far away from all housework and paperwork and domestic chores...

although the ride up was so beautiful I just wanted to look out of the window as we came up through the Southern Uplands...it was a magical wintery wonderland....





lunch from M&S (how I love their Simply Food shops!)...a bus and another bus...a ride through the bustling city streets on the top deck for extra thrills (yes I know should get out MORE!)...

 
 mm is that a shopping opportunity I spy...my favourite shop...
 




there's something rather attractive about the rhythm and pattern of windows tower blocks...





 can you tell it's Scotland??

 

and then an exiting afternoon of International Athletics with husband and daughter...altough I found it hard to concentrate on knitting with the runners and pole vaulters and long jumpers...and my favourites the Paralympic athletes who just make you so glad to have all your limbs and be able to see...and they are just incredible...beautiful young women who think nothing of long jumping with a metal spring for a leg...inspiring!



and the highlight of my day...apart from the amazing athletes who  were awesome of course...was a purchase of a much looked for magazine...new out from the team behind Mollie Makes and Simple Things (have you seen that gorgeous temptation?!)... 

Simply Crochet

does what it says on the tin...and refreshes the parts other crochet mags just don't reach...for me at least and I'm not telling you which parts those are!





 
despite the distractions I did manage my own personal best...I made a heart!

 not too bad for a first effort...more will follow as I am hooked!
 

this magazine is great...modern and up to the minute with ideas and patterns and inspiration...plus how to do it from basics...I would soo recommend it! and there's a special intro offer of 3 issues for £5 so no reason not to try it...

hope you're having a great weekend too! hoping I may have a little exiting news for you next week...watch this space...

Emmax

let's hear it for snow!!

unexpected and overnight a deep soft covering has transformed the world into a beautiful hushed stillness...the magic of snow never ceases to amaze...I feel I have stepped through the back of a wardrobe and into a new land...

the chickens are bemused...where has our nice green grass gone? where is the mud we love to scratch about in?

brave Emilia walks gingerly along the top of the wooden plank which edges the path...she looks so funny...

and I just love how the geese come out and honk and run and flap their majestic wings...and look so beautiful against the white snow

 a frozen pond means delux bathtime for ducks in a washing up bowl...

 and the extra corn I put out for the ducks is snaffled by the hens...

even the mundane is made lovely...

 

I know it causes havoc for many people trying to get to work and do their jobs...but it is still special, bringing light and tranquility at least for a time...and the fun of snowballs and sledging and coming home with frozen fingers in soggy gloves, wet and bruised to appreciate all the more the warmth of home and a mug of steaming hot chocolate...

mm...I  was going to tell you about what I was making this week but somehow I got diverted...

getting creative...

what is happiness? so many things small and large can make me happy...today it is a clear space in which to work...the BIG studio tidy up is still on-going but even I can't tidy forever and sorting out can be sooo verry tiring...have to keep having a lie down...

so for a change after weeks of no activity on the making front, here's a smidgeon of lovely creativity starting...

imagination + lovely new fabrics = happiness

are you liking the new spring colours??

hope you have a perfectly lovely weekend and if you're snowed in...get creative and enjoy! 

why not take a look at this lovely weekend here

love
Emmax

studio tidying and a little knitting project...

it's such a joy after what seems forever to be back in my studio...my lovely WARM studio...out of the cold and icy weather which is so welcome as it bring sunshine...and beautiful wintry shapes...full of inspiration...

it may be a total mess in here...a creeative mess but it's all a pleasure to sort out...so much nicer than tidying the house somehow as I can play with fabrics as I go... and hatch plots of such great creativity and craftyness...designing here...artwork there...the only thing is not to get so diverted no tidying actually happens!

  

outside today is bright and sunny so a chance to sit out in a deck chair...swathed in hats, gloves and many fleeces...just bathing in the golden rays and feelng happy in the moment...Basil sleek and handsome cat that he is... joins me for a while... 

I take the opportunity for some playing in my sketchbook... I so want to just play around and see what comes, so I'm trying to do a little something each day... 

and here comes Emilia the cheeky chicken...my favourite but don't tell the others...

and here's a little knitting project you might like...I love to knit simple bags...bung them in the washing machine and ta da!

these are so simple to knit, choose a nice 100% wool and knit a biggish oblong, I cast on about 38-42 stitches with a nice thickish yarn say a chunky or Icelandic, and make about 30cm of i-cord for handles which I sew on...you can look on u-tube here if you don't know how to do that... I cast on 6 or 7 stitches and keep the tail ends for sewing on...knit the i-cord first and use the rest of the ball to knit the bag...just remember the knitting will shrink so make everything bigger than you think!

why not have a go...

I love felting in the washing machine as you never quite know how things will turn out...here's a lovely cardi all felted up and ready to turn into a bag...seem a shame somethime to cut them up but often they are sad and neglected and I can give one jumper a new life as bags, brooches, maybe put in a picture...ooh I do love it!

hope this inspires you to get making and playing...or just enjoying the moment you're in, have a great week...
love Emmax

Saturday night round our place...

January 5th and all's well, in fact getting better and better after a low energy slump before and during Christmas I am feeling much more lively, we've been clearing out and tidying and sorting all sorts of dark piled up corners and today I had a day out to Carlisle, lunch with a dear friend and then a little sales shopping...oooh the joy of buying wire baskets and a set of galvanised drawers for more tidying and organising!

...and home to find a lovely smell of baking and daughter mine a busying herself in the kitchen...and producing a delicious apple pie with apple decoration and lots of brown sugar...can't beat it with a bowl of dear old Birds' custard!

so a cosy Saturday night in, husband of patience working away to finish stuff for the start of term...daughter and moi in the warm fragrant kitchen with music playing... reading magazines and cooking tea...and joy of joys a lovely spring like Country Living arrived today..I know it's still only dark January but we can dream of sunny days and spring flowers...and I can feel the nights getting lighter...we even had some sun today!

and as well as The Sales I did some charity shop visitng...and came home with booty...this rather nicely made cardi with delicious detail...I think this one's maybe for wearing as I don't think I could bring myself to felt it!

  

three jumpers in total and a fab pink linen shirt for husband of patience...not a bad little haul...

...and some really fun new fabric from the wonderful Superior Sewing Centre in Carlisle...where Paul works wonders with your machine...and he is kindly advertising my workshop leaflets there too...

 

Making is in the air! Can't wait to meet some more lovely people at my workshops and get creative together...learning free machine embroidery and much more...

click on the poster for more info...

happiness all round...new workshops...apple pie...new magazine...tidier house...a wee stash and my gorgeous new mug...thanks Emmie!

and here's blogging in progress...hot of the press...any minute now!

and did I mention Woolfest...a trifle early but never too early to plan for a trip to Cumbria...28th and 29th June...for a wonderful feast of wool and craft and knitting and so much loveliness...I have just sent in my application for a stall so fingers crossed...my sewing machine has been resting over Christmas and she's raring to go...

hope you're having a great weekend...and a fine start to your new year too!