Stitches Galore

By this I mean knitting an item for a man to wear.  Recently I have been thinking about what I have learned about knitting for men.  I don’t have any clear recollections of my mum knitting for my dad, although I am sure she must have done so.  My best memories are of his delight in fair-isle all-overs purchased when in Shetland.  His love for all-overs began at the Cunningsburgh Show when he spied a first prize winning jumper knitted by Barbara Isbister.  It was love at first sight and began the purchase of a series of gorgeous jumpers over several years.  These were worn everywhere and could not be beaten for wearing at almost any time of the year.  Some of his prized jumpers have found new homes and have been equally valued by their new owners.  I have the original jumper that began the love affair and it is a delight. Over the years, a sign of how much a family member was loved was when a fair isle all-over was purchased as a gift for that person.  I can remember clearly th

For a while now I have been thinking about taking up sewing again. I say again as I loved GCSE Textiles which I chose over Home Economics. I think over the years our home economy has benefited more from what I knew about fabric than what I might have known about food, but that's for another day. I had a fantastic teacher. Mrs Plummer was a designer and an artist and motivated us all to do our best and to develop an understanding and love for fabric, for cutting it up and sewing it all back together. As a result, there were several years when at least one item of clothing I wore every day was handmade. Believe it or not we still exchange Christmas cards and she sends me photos of her latest artwork. I love hearing about what she has been doing - it's 24 years since I was in her class! In the years since, I have sewn less and less clothing and more and more curtains and then, when there are only so many curtains you can hang, my trusty machine was retired for a while. Recentl

  We love Shetland.   It’s where one half of my family lives and where we wish we could live for at least one half of the time.   Someday we are going to live there; we have made that promise to ourselves. We spent nearly 2 weeks there in July with my Mum – it was a small invasion, and it was a wonderful time of catching up and renewing links with everyone we love.   As always, inspiration and interesting things are to be found around every corner – except this year we were plagued by foggy weather conditions which meant that we couldn’t really just enjoy the best of the dramatic coastline we knew was just out there – out of sight. One important visit was to Jamieson’s mill at Sandness to show them the Shade Card Blankets that Mum and I crocheted.   It was lovely to meet the Jamieson family and to see around the mill.   It was interesting to see all the processes the fleece goes through from clip to ball – all under one roof and, uniquely, all within the Shetland Isles.  

A few weeks ago I had the chance to visit Zagreb with work. I'd never been to Croatia before and to be honest, I am really looking forward to going back with John for another visit, hopefully with some more time to spend exploring. I was working with a group of other people on an accreditation panel, and it was a privilege to spend time in such an interesting place while meeting other people from all over Europe. The main square is surrounded by some amazing colourful buildings with so many architectural details - each one different. There is no shortage of museums, galleries and other places to see and spend time admiring. Plenty to fill a long weekend. St Mark's Church is situated in a square surrounded by government buildings in the old Upper town, one of the oldest areas of the city, still lit at night by over 250 gas lamplights. The front of the Cathedral is covered with carved stone filigree details - the craftsmanship is perfect. I didn't g

We visited London for the second ever time at Easter. I love the energy of the city and how the sense of history is combined with showcasing new and changing things to see. It feels to me the way the internet can feel - endless, everchanging and rushing on with more and more to see, never still. But it is a wonderful place for discoveries and experiences. We had a fantastic view from our hotel room:   Almost every day started here: We walked and explored lots of fascinating places - Covent Garden, Camden Passage and St James (Piccadilly) markets, Fortnum and Mason's and the Burlington Arcade. And then we went from the subline to ...M&M World!   Seeing Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap made for a wonderful evening - and no, I can't tell you whodunnit! We visited St Paul's Cathedral for the first time having visited Westminter Abbey last year. It is a very different place altogether. The mosaic ceilings are beautiful - a real sight to see. I

Now that the Blogging Your Way course has come to an end, I have been thinking about all I have learned, everything that has inspired me and what I would like to achieve through my blog. The course is excellent – not just in the standard of teaching provided by a range of inspiring and experienced role models and the variety of learning resources that are provided to challenge and motivate students, but in the way we were encouraged to think more deeply about ourselves and how we value creativity as part of our everyday life. All images from the Blog Boss e-course content I can honestly say it has changed the way I think about what I do and how I occupy my time and has encouraged me to focus on the things in life that have value and that will have a positive impact on my ability to be creative. I have also learned about tools that can be used to share that creativity here on my blog. If you have a blog that you would like to re-ignite with a passion for your skill or talen

There are times when too much colour co-ordination is too much of a good thing. Over the years I grew tired of seeing lovely colour combinations and knowing that there was no way I could introduce them into my home without it becoming a mix-up. When it was time to change our bathroom and kitchen recently, it was my cue to put my plan for a home with a neutral base into action, ready for all the colour I could bring in to liven it all up. Well, that was the idea we signed up to. Now we have less of a neutral base and more of a blank canvas. We have left pale blue and yellow bedrooms (they were pretty at the time) and honey pine furniture behind to get to this:   Yes, now after coat after coat of primer and paint we are all white - even the furniture (for I couldn't decide what neutral shade would work out best) with natural oak flooring. I love it. It is very calming. It is clearly also missing something. There are spots of colour here and there. Depending on how you