Linoprinting

I am a little aghast at how long it is since I posted anything on this blog. So to start a very belated Happy New Year! 

Often at the turn of the year I set out my plans, but as this rarely works out, I think this year I will keep it a bit vague. I have been crafting away, and there will be new photos of some of the ranges of yarn where I work when they are released. I also am writing a knitting pattern for a baby set (3 patterns in one), which is taking me far longer than it really should. Apart from that I am sure there will be more from the veg garden, and probably some wildlife photographs.

My son and I have been enjoying learning to linoprint - and are half way through a course in Tavistock. The first week we learned the basics of carving into the lino, and the whole class were set the project of a positive and negative leaf. The second session we started printing, and the picture above shows my most successful prints, and the one below my son's.

The most exciting prints were when we overlaid the positive and negative images, and I think my son was more successful with this, as he had actually thought about how his two images would work together as he was carving. The course is nearly all ladies of my age, and they also seemed to love his bright choices of ink.

So next week we are given free reign to work on whatever we choose. I have an idea, so watch out family for some homemade Christmas cards, while my son is going to do a character from gaming!

Westcountry Tweed Photographs

Thinking of a place to photograph the new Westcountry Tweed range at Blacker Yarns my first thought was to return to Wistman's Wood, which I last visited in the summer some two years ago. It seemed like it would be the perfect place - with the grey granite boulders, beautiful green mosses, rust-coloured bracken, and the mysterious lichen-covered twisted limbs of the tress.

As you will see it did not let me down. Wistman's Wood is one of the few high altitude oakwoods in Britain, and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Last time we visited you could walk into the woodland, but there are now little signs asking that you walk around. It is such a special place, and even on a cold autumn day there were so many visitors walking up the hill to see it, that I think this is a good restriction.

My second idea was to try to photograph the wool on Dartmoor with some sheep in the background. I had really underestimated how hard this would be. To place the skeins of wool nicely in front of the sheep, who are pretty much free to roam did not work out at all. Apart from the sheep constantly running away, we also had an angry man accusing us of stealing the moss from his wall. I guess with my big bag full of wool and camera equipment I might have looked a bit suspicious. Is there really a market in moss?

So my next idea was to find some sheep in a field, where at least they would be contained. Even this was difficult, as when the sheep were fairly near, the foreshortening made them look very distant. This is actually a view across the Tamar Valley towards Kit Hill.

A second attempt near Brentor, where the sheep were a bit closer. I could not have got any of these shots without my lovely long-suffering husband hovering in the car, as I clambered across ditches and tried to balance the wool and camera in a suitable position, without scaring off the sheep.

But at the end of a long afternoon we finally found a "sheep super model". I realise I am now going to show rather too many photos, but I wanted to illustrate how this particular sheep was really interested in what I was up to, and started heading across the field to see. She also was a particularly fine looking sheep. She was so helpful that in the end I took a few photos focusing on her instead of the wool skeins.

"Did you get my good side?"

So now I just have to give some thought to the next wool, which contains bamboo. Can I get a panda to cooperate so nicely.

Christmas Sale Reminder

Just a little reminder about my Christmas Pattern Sale on ravelry. All of the patterns below are 50% off if you use the code GINXMAS22, which is valid until Christmas Day. Or if you want to make a Christmas Love Heart, that pattern is free.

Christmas Arctic Hare

Christmas Baby Penguin

Christmas Bird

Christmas Elephants

Christmas Polar Bear

Christmas Sand Dollar Decoration

Christmas Tree Decoration

Little Minnows

Scallop

Spiral Shells

Starfish

Tiny Clog Decoration

Christmas Sale is Open

 

The final patterns that will be included in my sale which opens today include my Christmas Bird pattern. You could make your birds fair isle, or with a sparkly wool, embroider on them, hang them or even make wire legs. There are just so many choices.

My Tiny Elf Clog pattern is one of my Christmas regulars. I used to hang these little shoes on the tree every year, but now because of my greedy dog, they have to be hung up somewhere a bit safer, as she would definitely go for the chocolate.

 

 

And the Christmas Elephant decoration. I am still backing elephants to be the new Christmas animal. Elephants are lucky, cheerful, and I really think Santa could do with a few elephants to help him with the sleigh. The pattern contains instructions for an adult and baby elephant to hang as decorations.

So just a reminder that you can purchase any of the patterns listed below at 50% off by using the code GINXMAS22. The sale runs up until Christmas Day. Just click on the names below to see the pattern, or you can look back through my posts of the last few days. The code will only work on ravelry, and once per customer, so remember to get all the patterns you need to make it a Woolly Happy Christmas!

Christmas Arctic Hare

Christmas Baby Penguin

Christmas Bird

Christmas Elephants

Christmas Polar Bear

Christmas Sand Dollar Decoration

Christmas Tree Decoration

Little Minnows

Scallop

Spiral Shells

Starfish

Tiny Clog Decoration

Christmas Sale Thursday

The next group of patterns that I am including in my Christmas sale are a little bit left field. The seaside themed Christmas tree decorations include - Scallop Shell, Sand Dollar, Starfish, Little Minnows, and I have included my Spiral Shell. 

It was 10 years ago that Mary Ann asked me to design a Christmas Sand Dollar pattern, to hang on her sister-in-law's ocean themed Christmas tree. I had a lot of fun with this design, which was helped by the real sand dollars that she sent me, which still decorate my bathroom. 

So while not completely traditional, why not have an ocean-themed tree? Tomorrow I will be showing the last group of Christmas decoration that are included in the 50% off sale, and publishing the discount code. The sale starts on Friday and continues until Christmas Day, and there will be a few more not very traditional decorations. 

Christmas Sale Wednesday

 

Some more patterns that will be included in my Christmas sale (which opens on Friday) are my three little Arctic animals: Arctic Hare, Baby Penguin and Polar Bear. 

What I enjoyed about the Baby Penguin and Arctic Hare was photographing them in the frozen world of "Fluffy Dressing Gown".

The full list of patterns and discount code will be listed on Friday 25th November!

Christmas Sale

I've decided to run a sale on some of my Christmas patterns, which will open on Friday 25th November, and run until Christmas. On Friday I will publish a discount code for use on Ravelry, which will give you a 50% discount on my Christmas patterns. Over the next few days I will be showing on my blog and Instagram the patterns that will be included in the sale. 

So you will have some days to see the Christmas patterns. The code can only be used once per customer, so do remember to include everything you might want to make, and to allow yourself enough time to make any decorations before Christmas.

One of patterns that will be included in the sale is Christmas Tree Decoration. This is one of my favourite patterns, because you can use any oddments you have left from other projects to make a really stylish hanging decoration. You can also use your imagination with the decoration. It is the only pattern I ever tried out with the most advanced knitter at the primary school knitting club I ran. (I wonder if Ron continued with his knitting? He was quite a tough kid, and would sit knitting in the playground, and got no grief from the other children.) So if you know a beginner knitter, (or are a beginner yourself), who is learning how to decrease, this is an ideal pattern.

I will be posting about some more patterns that will be included in the sale tomorrow.