A proper blog post

Well ok, a proper blog post! I have been so very busy, mostly sewing but also restocking my shop with soft fat fluffy spinning fibre.

These 'Pack it In Tote' bags sell almost before I've put them in the shop. I really lovely pattern by the very clever and talented designer, Lisa Lam. I have no favourites, I love them all!

I made a big bobble baguette clutch to go with the big bag, they'll work well together especially as the purchaser bought them both!

I love this design too, all squidgy because of the double padding and bigger than you think. I must try and take a photo of the bags on my shoulder, the size is easier to gauge that way. (why is gauge spelt that way when you say gage not gorge? oh and now my spell checker is disputing spelt, should I have said spelled? lol)

I am sorry to be showing you the things I am selling in my shop, I do realise that if you were interested you would have gone to look anyway. However, I am particularly proud of my work lately. It has all sort of fallen into place and feels as if it is working well for me. I truly love creating everything and the pleasure I get when something sells is immense! haha! I love those smileys!


And I have also created 385 metres of the most delicious pygora/silk yarn, one ply of each. Took me an age to spin but after doing the fine spinning workshop, I never lost interest at all.

I am now spinning up some nice and clean suri alpaca, which was so thick with yellow sandy dirt that I just had to wash it. Three washes and quite a few rinses later it turned into some gorgeous silky fibre which I have been hand carding into cigar shaped rolags ready for some fine spinning.

sorry about the use of the collage feature, I really like making them and I can show off more photos without uploading loads of separate photos.

Happy crafting everyone!

Marianne meets.....

Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes!

Our latest literary lunch in the Lady Chapel of Ely Cathedral! Magic!

A Baguette or two?

Originally uploaded by picperfic

I love this photo, I love making these clutch bags....the big bobbles are such fun and the bags hold all your essentials and is a good size to pop into a larger tote bag for a day out. I have used Amy Butler fabric for both the exterior and the lining. There are two layers of fleece between the two fabric layers so it has a lovely squidgy feel to it.

I have also been spinning some delicious pygora as fine as I can as I'd like to ply it with a fine single of tussah silk so I can knit myself a Flutter Scarf. Adding a pearl and a crystal or two will only add to the loveliness!

I don't know about you but all I want to do these days is sleep, think it is something to do with the darker evenings. As soon as the sun goes down I am overcome with tiredness. Roll on the Spring! lol

Coffee and Cakes with Michel Roux

It was such a gorgeous experience! Michel Roux is so charming and entertaining to listen to! He told us about the time he told his Granddaughter that they were going on a trip to Paris, no need for a suitcase, just bring your handbag...can you imagine that teenager's delight when they went shopping when they were there? They bought a new suitcase and filled it with clothes. If I had had the wherewith all about me, I would have been the person asking if I could please be his surrogate Grandchild. That question caused great amusement. Jane and I really enjoyed the intimate experience in a Church in Ely. Such a special and posh thing to do! We both queued to have our books signed, well worth the wait :^)

I've been doing loads of sewing for my shop, and am amazed and delighted at the speed with which they sell. Today I am making myself one ready for a day out tomorrow. I am going on a fine spinning workshop, I think I am looking forward to it. Still the company will be good, mostly Ravellers and my lovely friend Heather!

Have a good weekend

Marianne
x

A pig of a virus....

Yep, we've been confined to quarters. The week before last, Barry developed a cold, he was unwell but kept on working, then he developed a hacking cough...a few days later I had a sore throat and a temperature of 40.5 and could not get warm!! I went to the pandemic website, filled in the questionnaire and was prescribed Tamiflu. I had Swine Flu and felt a bit alarmed....The next morning Barry filled in the questionnaire too and he was prescribed the same. How on earth were we to pick up these prescriptions? Barry phoned Tesco's pharmacy and they gave us the number of a flu friend, someone from social services came and delivered our meds with a long arm and quickly left! I recovered quickly after taking the Tamiflu but Barry was a bit too far down the line and needed anti biotics for a chest infection. His GP came round to see us at home, she came nowhere near me for some reason lol. We are both fine now thank goodness. No side effects either. It feels strange to have had the flu and not have either a sinus infection or something.

Since then I have been sewing, lots, my trusty sewing machine gave up the ghost and I now have a new one. A gorgeous machine, a Janome Dc3050

It feel like I can't sew fast enough, an amazing feeling and I am so happy that you all like my bags as much as I enjoy making them! Just wish our post was more reliable as I have got some purse frames on order and want to get on with them!

Here's some of what i have been up to:

and

and

Most of these bags have sold but if you see a bag you like, do please get in touch, I can make more in different colours

Hope you are all well and managing to avoid the lurgy...

oh and if you're on Facebook I am having a little competition, when I get 
now I've got 30 members for my Fluff-n-Stuff group, I will be holding held a ballot for either a bump of hand dyed by me fibre or a boxy project bag. Click here
Well done Puddytatpur, you won!

I did manage to get out at the end of last week though and had coffee and cake with Michel Roux, he is such a charming man!

I have been....

I have been:-

designing this little jacket

knitting these cute little dungarees

and these Target Socks for Barry

and this Roaring Meg cardigan for Emilia

spinning this lovely merino fibre

having lunch with Antonio Carluccio in Ely Cathedral

and having tea in Toppings Bookshop in Ely with my special friend Andrea

(Ely Cathedral in the background!)

what have you been up to?

I haven't got an Inkling!

Meet my latest craft addition! An inkle loom, bought for £10 from the Loom Exchange, I have yet to find the time to warp it up. As usual I have been watching you tube videos to get me in the mood and Ali has ordered me a book to help me on my way...I'll be sure to keep you posted of my progress!

Here's me proudly wearing my Liesl Cardigan. I spun the Seawool fibre, Navajo plied it and then with my 8oz of worsted weight yarn I created the cardigan. Don't look too closely on the back will you, I must have had a lapse of concentration as the pattern goes slightly askew after the division of the armholes after the yoke. Never mind, I just love it and have made a few notes on my Ravelry Project page so that when I make myself another it will be even better than this one,hopefully!

~*~

A couple of weeks ago I was asked to take some photographs for Toppings Bookshop in Ely in exchange for some events tickets. I love this sort of photo shoot, just left to my own devises to wander around and click when I feel a photo is appropriate.

The outside of the shop is deceptive, looks very narrow...

however, once you step inside this amazing shop you soon realise that the whole shop is packed from floor to ceiling and everywhere in between, with books. Not only that but there are three floors of the same!

I had to use my fish eye lens to get a whole room in, you can see what I mean?

If you look out of the top window you can see Ely Cathedral, now that is a special view.

Imagine sitting on the window seat, browsing books and drinking a complimentary tea or coffee, does life get better than that?

So, I took loads of photos, had the best time, and got tickets to have Coffee and Cake with Michel Roux (the only useful link I could find is a book link, but the picture will remind you who he is) in St Peter's Church Ely and then later Barry and I are off to meet Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in Ely Cathedral for an evening of entertainment...

~*~

Today is a tidy up the spare room day, I have my lovely friend Andrea coming to stay for a couple of nights on Wednesday. On Thursday we are off to Ely Cathedral to have lunch with Antonio Carluccio, he is also giving us a cookery demonstration, so excited!

I wonder who won the P-hop blankets??