Don't Teachers need to Know a lot!!

So the Teacher Training has begun with one week under my belt. So far it has entailed watching a lot of power point presentations and digesting an awful lot of information, some of which we don't need to worry about just yet (reassuring!).

I have to say the most intesting lecture so far was by the Maths guy (his name being one of the peices of information my brain wasn't able to retain). He appreciated the Maths of my knitting so much he allowed me to knit through his lecture (top man)!!

Actually it gave me the idea of getting hold of a knitting machine to teach the maths of repeating patterns and sequences, (I wonder if all my lesson ideas will focus on some fibre related activity!?).

So with all the reading, concentrating and thinking I've been doing there seems to be less and less time for those fibre related activities. I am currently on a manic sock making mission as the eldest is off hiking with the school in the lake district (lucky thing!), and if making hand spun hand knitted walking socks in the softest alpaca doesn't say 'I Love You' then nothing will (surely?).

As a bit of light releif though i spent a lovely morning yesterday running a Felt Making workshop. As i have only ever done this with kids I was a little nervous but it went really well and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves.





















So I'm off to plough through the mounting pile of books and handouts and maybe sneak in a quick bit of spinning whilst 'Processing the Information'.

Have fun all x

The Bad Blogger is Back!

Oh dear I've been a very bad blogger.....I almost thought of giving it up altogether but I have now got my September head on so we're back on track.

So we all made it through the Summer Holidays. I'm not sure if it lived up to the high expectations we had at the very beginning (i.e seeing a bit of sunshine at least!) but we had our fair share of fun and laughter. We've all grown up a bit and are now ready to buckle down and get on with some work (if i say it enough times it might happen).

Oh, I hope my new interest in blogging isn't in fact a cunning plan by my brain to avoid getting on with some reading!

Anyway new term, new course. I am now on the path to becoming an Early Years Teacher (eventually I concede I will have to stop doing courses and actually get a proper job, last one I promise!).

On the crafty front I have been slowly working my way through the bags of alpaca and shetland/icelandic cross. I have been knitting a few little bits and bobs which will eventually become christmas pressie's (see how that september head is working!) but the Candle flame shawl is coming along
and Hey Teach is almost there......
I've had a really mental block with this, I still need to block, add buttons and weave in the ends. I bet i'll never wear it if i do ever finish it. Maybe it will take until the end of the course to do!

My apologies for the lack of interesting links and stuff but I've not blogged for so long I've forgotten how to do most of that stuff, bear with me and I'm sure it will come back.

TTFN x

New Additions to the Stash...

(aren't Alpaca's just the funniest animals you've ever seen?!)

(I've no idea why this pic is upside down but its most infuriating and its taken me 20 minutes trying to get it the right way up......i give up)

Curtesy of Bottle Top Bill and his best friend Corky who reside at Great Thornham Farm.

Due to a number of factors such as the school year being about two weeks too long, an absent Head Teacher for a whole year and now huge amounts of pressure to perform in the end of year School Production (and in my view to try and prove that the school hasn't gone down the pan during HT absence) I have a 9yr old that won't sleep.

But thanks to Bottle Top Bill and Corky (and of course their owner my Super Big Sis!) I was able to sooth the stresses of a (what felt like) a sleepless week by spending the day carding and spinning this wonderful fluff.

I think I'll try plying it then dyeing half of the skein to make a self striping yarn.

Anyway, Roll on Summer Hols, we've all had enough already!

Things I've been working on.....

Here's a pictorial update of some the things I've been working on.

For some reason I've started a shawl out of some of the Icelandic/Shetland. I'm using the CANDLE FLAME pattern. I just might finish it by winter, when I might get some use out of it. Of course Heatwave is not a good time for knitting, so I have been ........

Making Jam!

Raspberry using PYO fruit and some Strawberry jam using fruit from our very own allotment (which I might add it looking totally fantastic and giving us regular crops of salad, carrots and beautiful new potatoes etc etc).

And also, whats this? A boring old charity shop dress??

Not any more!!!

I've rather enjoyed sewing these pretty little flowers round the edge. When it's finished I may even post a pic of me wearing it!

Untill then, enjoy the sun. I won't be, it gives me a headache.

Bring on the Thunder Storms, I say!

Ta Ta x

Bunting and a Soltice Surprise.....

So it would appear that my blogging activites have somewhat ground to a halt over the last couple of weeks.

That may be down to my Art therapy course coming to an end so there is less of an impetus to record my creative exploits and partly down to the last couple of weeks being quite difficult. I don't mind sharing the workings of my mind when its churning out happy thoughts, less so when I'm feeling bogged down and a bit miserable (thank goodness I hear you sigh!)

Another reason is that I have been rather busy. Last weekend my sister and husband hosted a country day at their farm. I had a little stall and also did a practice run through for my Larmer Tree Workshop. My stall consisted of little knitted flowers and bags, some patchwork kits and some of the wool I have been spinning from the Icelandic/Shetland haul.

The day was a mixed bag. The workshop was very popular and worked really well and more importantly I have some idea of what to expect when I do it at the festival, but I have come to realise that I am no good at selling. Any potential shoppers would have had to fight their way through a crowd of children and tangled wool to view my wares!

Needless to say I hardly sold a thing and I did feel a little deflated. But on the up side I now have lots a lovely wool spun and ready to knit, and I'm thinking a nice snuggly wrap is in order.

(Queue hours of trawling through Knitty and Ravelry pattern suggestions).

Talking of Ravelry I meet a fellow Raveler the other night at our neighbours Soltice party. I was flabbergasted and nearly fell off my log in surprise. I don't know what was more surprising meeting someone who understands the need to trawl through patterns on the internet or the fact that HE was a nice young MAN!!!

My other 'Good Idea' that I'm working on is Bunting!! (well it is school fete season!)

I picked up a pack of patchwork peices from a recent museum trip. After much thought I decided it was pointless starting another big project so instead I bought some bias binding and I'm just sewing them in line a la Prayer Flag style. Even the girls have had a go (a family effort).

So todays top tip is to pop down your local material shop, get some fabric sample books and make some bunting.

We've got a new camera and it has taken me ALL DAY to figure out how to get two photo's off the camera and onto the comp, which means I have no time to blather on about other wonderful crafty ideas I've had lately.

So until next time, happy sewing x



p.s. I got Hey Teach out the other day and sewed a couple of seams .....