What Katie Did

Big Shed Tidy Up

I forgot to take my camera to the knitting day we had yesterday at Annie's house so you can't see great pictures of everyone rolling felt balls, eating great food, enjoying Annie's wonderful (tidy) house, learning how to knit cables (thank you Anne) and generally adoring baby Angus!

Sorry, but thank you for your hospitality Annie.

But I had a big shed tidy day today and here are some photos of the 'after' effects - I would have been too embarrassed to show you any 'before' ones.

Have you gathered that I like pink?

Here is the sewing machine corner - lets take a closer look at that fantastic cotton reel rack shall we.....

I asked my Dad if he could knock together a bit of wood with some nails in to hold a few of my cottons - I should have known that he would create a fabulous design and expertly crafted alternative! Exactly what I wanted! Thank you Dad!!

one of my many 'works in progress' this is rug wool, knitted up quite loosely then washed on 60' with the jeans - originally meant to be a throw - looking like being a cushion - how often does that happen!

Finished this the other day Ali - its about 8'' by 8'' - needs finishing - of course - with some nice backing and a hook. Anyone like to suggest what they think it is? It isn't supposed to be anything in particular - but what do you see?

And finally - by popular demand - one of the 'things' I made at the Julie Arkell weekend from the last post. I hope it makes you laugh as much as it did my boys - all three of them - Geoff quite spectacularly - in that way you know he does Martha.

Looking forward to Tuesday when my girl comes home.

Whitstable Weekend

This is the Battery at Whitstable. Ali and I have just returned from a heavenly weekend workshop here with Julie Arkell and I hardly know where to begin to describe what an amazing time we had.

I've loved Julie's work since I first discovered a book of hers at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate last year. Through Juju Vail's weblog I found out about the workshop weekends.

The things I think you need to make for a relaxed and creative time are

1. wonderful setting
2. welcoming and organised hostess!
3. lovely people
4. creative workshop leader
5. great food

1. The setting is astounding

2. Marilyn is the loveliest hostess who seemed to take part in our workshops but then produced the most wonderful food with seemingly no effort! We ate very well! That image of the swan gliding with ease while the legs go full steam springs to mind!

3. The other workshop participants were really lovely women

4. Julie Arkell's work is very inspiring

We all set to with newspaper and wallpaper paste to create our own little creatures

though I can't show you mine yet as it needs some 'remedial work'. Here is Ali's hen

5. As I said - the food was really lovely too

It was a L-O-N-G drive but it was worth it all for such a fantastic weekend. Thanks Marilyn, thanks Julie and thanks to Ali for being such good company. We laughed a lot!

Here are some more random images.

A Lovely Day Was Had By All

Finally managed to find a day when no-one was doing anything other than visiting Nana and Grandad. Their first hug with John for over a year! And its been a long time since they had a hug with Owen too (but there is always plenty of hugging)

Martha phoned too - so we had the whole family nearly together for a while

I got help with the next stage of the squares quilt I started in the spring, so now I can do the quilting part, which may take until next spring.

We had Nana's scones

everyone got to do what they liked best

Hence the title of this post. No picture of the egg and chips Martha, but we don't want to make you too homesick. They were the best, with Grandad in charge of chip pan and Nana on cakes.
They were pleased to see John and amazed by how much he has grown

He can't even fit in the car anymore!

Thanks for a great day!

Material History

Tonight was the opening of Ali Rhind and Rachel Phillimore's exhibition - Material History at the gallery in Northumberland Fe Fi Fo Fum (which I can't find a link to)
They are my dear friends and two wonderful mat makers. If you read here from time to time you will know that I am 'hooked' on matting. (This is the oldest matting joke there is)

This is the view as you walk in - and is Ali's work.

Rachel here and here (up and down)

This one was inspired by a piece of vintage fabric from the 50's and is my personal favourite from the collection - but I am a sucker for things edged in colour like that - I was talking to Geoff on the way home about it and I worked out that enclosed shapes like these remind me of cell structures from my Human Biology days, maybe thats what I love about them? Cell membranes and vacuoles, nucleii and cytoplasm!

Ali was a furniture maker when I first knew her - here are her sculptural cones - very huggable - despite the sign asking me not to - and her stool and chair in the background.

and here are the remnants of all the blankets she has found in charity shops each with its own label! I enjoyed hearing about how this one came into being. It could tell a tale far better than any I might!

This is just a few of the wonderful things on show. The exhibition runs to the end of September for those of you lucky enough to live in Northumberland. And that is very lucky indeed.

Embroidery at the Queens Hall

The Queens Hall is our little local art centre and library and cafe and theatre currently hosting an embroidery exhibition. I'm not a big fan of very precise ordered work, though I appreciate the skill and effort, but here are the things I liked.

this and the next done by the younger members of the groups displaying

and this next piece by members of the Alnwick Guild reflecting their fishing history

And here - for no good reason - Holly wearing the clapotis I made last year from knitty

Noro silk garden - more balls than I was expecting!

And finally - forgive me if you have see this one already, but my friend Mary sent me this link - make it smaller in size- it loses quality if you enlarge it and gasp in amazement like I did.

amazing video