Sanity: Restored

Oh how I wish I were still sitting here..

We unplugged ourselves from the world  - no computers and no smart-phones - and went up north for a mini-holiday. Dave grew up on Scotland's North East coast and I always love visiting his childhood landscape. The light is different up north - it is thinner and bluer - and to me it feels very Scandinavian. It was a joy to sit on the beach and watch the North Sea roll towards us again and again and again.

And although the light was thin and blue, it was also strong. The UK had another bad bout of weather this week, but somehow the North Sea Coast emerged relatively unscathed .. apart from sea foam. We basked in unexpected sunshine, skipped stones and tried to identify sea birds.

We had no trouble identifying these geese flying south for the winter. The birds were everywhere in the sky and flew in the most marvellous formations.

And there were muddy fields too. We went in search of prehistoric sites near the coast and found two stone circles just 300 metres apart. It was an interesting walk towards the two sites as tractors had been working the muddy fields and we had to navigate our way around the worst tractor tracks whilst trying to avoid stepping in cow pats. One of us was successful (hint: it wasn't me). The two sites - Auchquhorthies and Old Bourtreebush - were my first UK stone circles and I'd be interested in following the Causey Mounth track. I'll need to invest in proper wellies first. And maybe learn how to pronounce "Auchquhorthies"..

 It was sad having to leave our little beach haven with its stone circles, fishing huts and picturesque cottages. It was also sad saying adieu to family and new-found friends (such as Hattie the Horse with her on-trend haircut). Alas, the modern world awaits us and I have patterns to finish, samples to knit, and workshops to teach.

But it was good to get away for a few days. I feel a lot more sane than I did just a week ago.

What the Kids Do Today

My local Unnamed Major Supermarket is the gift that keeps giving. It used to be really dodgy, then it was given an Unnamed Major Supermarket Extra! overhaul and is now twice the size and twice as dodgy but does its thing twenty-four-seven. Going to Unnamed Major Supermarket is always an adventure. What will it be today? Junkies in wheelchairs fighting over a cat on a leash that doesn't belong to either of them? A happy birthday card saying "Daddy, I love you more than chips"? Shady Lady having very suggestive mobile phone conversations in the middle of the Tinned Food section? Junkie challenging Mormon preacher on Hitler's Christianity? Or will it be as mundane as being elbowed by Angry Old Lady Who Doesn't Want That Luxury Hummus (And What the Hell IS hummus) But Doesn't Want Me To Have It Either.

All these stories are true.

But today my Unnamed Major Supermarket adventure was different. I was sending a birthday parcel to my BFF and the Post Office lady looked at me: "Is it one of those yarn swap parcels the kids do today?"

.. let us just pause and rewind..

"Is it one of those yarn swap parcels the kids do today?"

My Unnamed Major Supermarket just gets weirder and weirder.

(Also, it just dawned on me that I was identified as A Knitter by the Post Office lady. Note to self: must wear fewer layers of wool if I am to blend in with native population)

Addendum: If you are struggling to find me a gift, I'd be perfectly happy to accept Lord Byron's copy of Frankenstein, inscribed by Mary Shelley.. This Hark! A Vagrant! comic is wonderfully on-topic.

A Life in Check Lists

• Yarn Club deadlines? Check.
• Yarn club photo shoot? Check - despite me wearing a thin shirt/corset/skirt combo outside in Scottish autumnal weather (not recommended).
• Doctor's Appointment? Check. I am as peachy as I shall ever get (and that nasty little worry turned out to be nothing, huzzah!)
• Reading Ben Marcus' "The Flame Alphabet" before it is due back at the library? Pending.
• Design Deadlines 1, 2 & 3 for well-known UK knitting publication? Check. Just the samples left to knit.
• Project Winter Coat - 2012 Redux? Ongoing. This year I will need to find a replacement.
• Project Getting Ready for Much-Needed Holiday? Well, the holiday has turned into a working holiday.. Oops.
• Organising workshops for remainder of 2012 plus start of 2013? Check.

I think 2012 may be my favourite year so far, but I am awfully busy. As you already know.

However, I love being able to check off things as I deal with them and I have cleared space in my schedule to work on a few self-indulgent projects in November and December.

A few links to things and some name-checks of people that have kept me sane lately:

• Despite my initial misgivings, the BBC2 programme series on Vikings is actually rather decent. Bits were filmed in Denmark and I was once again reminded that growing up with burial mounds in your backyard is not all that normal common.
• New Domesticity. Blog tagged "thoughts about women and homemaking in the 21st century". Recent posts have dealt a lot with the tie-in book (a bit like me littering this blog with stuff about being super-busy, I guess), but have a look through the archives. Interesting stuff.
• The look book for Brooklyn Tweed Fall 12 is such a master-class in understated, sumptuous knitting design and art direction that I nearly fell to pieces when I first saw it. I want to knit everything. The world is filled with beauty and light.
• Papa Stour is a recent discovery. It showcases Scottish craft and design - and does so delightfully. Right now there is even a sale on .. cough.
• Finally, I cannot stop listening to Patrick Wolf's reworking of his own "Overture" (youtube). We are seeing him in November. Again.

at midnight.. and beyond

I am writing about "at midnight.." at the eleventh hour and the irony is not lost on me.

"at midnight.." is the name of the Old Maiden Aunt/Karie Bookish collaboration I may have mentioned before. It is a three months yarn club still open for sign-ups but at time of writing there are only a few spaces still left. It is my own fault for not mentioning it here before now - I have been so busy with work and life that blogging just did not happened.

"at midnight.." is inspired by the mood and era of the Sherlock Holmes novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Both Lilith and I are avid readers - and we both happen to love classic British mystery novels. I set out to design three accessories that drew upon late Victoriana but would still be very wearable today - and I ended up with three designs are that very feminine, elegant and subtle. The picture above shows you some of the props I have gathered for the photo shoot we are having later this month: it is going to be lavish, sumptuous and mysterious. I am really looking forward to hearing what people think - I have had a blast designing for this club and Lilith has come up with some really beautiful, decadent colours.

".. a Victorian heroine trapped in an Edinburgh close at the turn of midnight whilst footsteps come ever closer.." was one of the many small clues we sent back and forth between us. Yes, we had a lot of fun plotting this one!

If you are unlucky enough not to get into the yarn club, the patterns will be made available in an e-book in 2013. I originally thought I'd reknit the patterns in commercial yarn, but as I am really running short on knitting time these days I am not so sure I'll be able to do that.

Phew.

I did find time to design and knit a one-off shawl this summer, but I forgot to take any photos before I gifted it. Ironic, huh?

My darling friend, Paula, had a big birthday this past week. I started plotting her birthday present earlier this year and spent ages searching the net for the perfect yarn. I wanted something semi-solid, something blue-grey-purple and I wanted it to be British.

Juno Fibre arts came up trumps with their amazing "Belle" 4ply which is a mix of alpaca and BFL. The colourway was called "Breathe" - a subtle pastel mix of pale blues and purples with an undertone of grey. I really like working with the yarn - though I should warn you about it shedding - and it was really fun to work with a colourway so different to my usual tastes. Sometimes it's good to push your boundaries!

I just cannot believe I did not remember to take a photo - I shall have to show you later. I will say one thing: working on this shawl back in May/June certainly paved the way for some of my designs coming your way later this year. I learned a lot about going outside my comfort zone and trying out something new.

What's next? Well, I am currently knitting something using a very popular yarn - a design which you will get to see in print(!) early next year.. again in a colourway completely outside my comfort zone. I am also trying to knit a few rows on my Bute cardigan here and there - and then I am also working away on my Doggerland collection when I find time to breathe. I need more hours in the day.

Or sample knitters.

Hmmm.

Excursion

Tell you a secret: I slept in today. We are having overseas visitors at the moment. I love showing off Glasgow to friends and family - we live in such a beautiful area and there are many places to see and explore. However, I am still working full-time on top of playing tourist guide, so I am feeling both scattered a tired.

Sleeping in today was much needed. Instead of my usual Wednesday routine, I have just done a few loads of laundry, done some work in front of the computer and the rest of today will be spent working up swatches. Today is a slow day and all the better for it.

One of our visitors is a keen knitter who had long wanted to see a working woollen mill. So, on Sunday we took them to New Lanark which is a nearby UNESCO Heritage Site: a restored cotton mill and a social history gem. With yarn.

New Lanark was bathed in sunshine - which was a first for me - and they also hosted a Victorian Fair. The Fair played host to all the usual suspects: a school band with a mean fiddler, an ice cream vendor, a Punch & Judy booth, a stall selling homebaked goods, a young girl playing an Irish Harp, face-painting and so forth. Dave indulged in some falconry and I may have bought some yarn..

We saw a few interesting vehicles - such as this steam automobile/locomotive (I am not quite sure how to categorise this thing!)..

.. and the first Penny-farthing I have ever seen in the wild. Strangely enough, I saw my second-ever Penny-farthing the very next day rushing up the hill two streets down from my home. Go figure.

We did a bit of hiking too - along the Falls of Clyde. For some reason we've never made it as far as the Corra Linn (linn is Scots for waterfalls) although it is just a 20 minute walk from the New Lanark village. There was a bit of climbing involved, though, and my calves were killing me the next day. Corra Linnwas not in full flow - but it is still an impressive sight. The water falls some 90 feet and the waterfall is surrounded by steep cliffs and beautiful woodlands. Next time I'll wear better footwear and we'll bring a packed lunch.

Yarn, eh? I was going to be a good girl but I found a 4000 yrds cone of fingering weight yarn in a gorgeous olive green (cue shocked gasps from the gallery) for just £10. How could I resist?

Maybe if I had known that I'd be subjected to very rare Hunters of Brora yarn at my knitting group just a few days later.. but that is a story for another day..

Handmade Living

Handmade Living landed on my doorstep this weekend. It is a lovely, accessible and crafty lifestyle magazine which encourages people to make a go at things themselves.

And (probably because I am the sort of person who likes to have a go at things herself) I am in this issue.

There I am. Hello you.

Blogging (and micro-blogging on Twitter) may give you the impression that I am a bubbly extrovert person, but I am not. I am quiet, introvert and only truly relaxed when in a small group of friends. I am never very comfortable talking about myself - and giving the interview to Handmade Living was really difficult for that very reason. Like pulling teeth, I tell you. Luckily, the journalist was very patient and kept loping me some very good questions that made me relax and open up.

So, if you have arrived here thanks to Handmade Living: hello!

It is a funny old world. One day a girl may be in the depths of despair as her world tilts on its axis, then she decides to "make a go of things" out of sheer bloody-minded determination and a few years down the line, magazines ask her questions about herself as though she was somehow special or interesting. Yes, it is a funny old world.