OneChurchillsGreen

Soft, snuggly yarns... winter must be here!

It seems we've leapt from our glorious summer to a chilly, damp winter here in Dorset. Yes, it all looks very autumnal and beautiful, the leaves are turning, the ferns are burnished and shrinking, but frankly the sudden drop in temperature has seen me reaching for my super cosy yarns. We were lucky enough to have a fabulous week in Sicily, picking olives and basking in the Mediterranean sun and sea...

Pipi did wear her rainbow jumper (the grey sky in the background is here in Dorset, the sky was all blue in Sicily!). And the olives were plump and juicy, perfect for pressing oil...

We combed 950 kilos of fruit and pressed over 140 litres of oil, a successful working holiday ;-). But back home and the heating is on and the hooks are out...

Here are some wristwarmers ready for my friend Ali's beautiful shop, Sharland & Lewis. Some are in Rowan 'Kid Classic', some in Rowan 'Pure Wool DK', all are really cosy and finished off with birds-eye buttons, the perfect project for an evening in front of a crackling fire. Using a 5mm hook, just work 32-42 ch, depending on the length desired, then 24 rows dc front loop only to produce the pattern shown. Slip stitch the two edges together, 8sts, miss 10 sts for the thumb hole, then sl st to end before fastening off and weaving in. You'll find the birds-eye button tutorial in the 'free pattern' section of this blog.

And just in case you thought I had been resting on my laurels, I've decided to stretch my grey cells a little and am currently designing a pair of fair isle wrist warmers...

in some gorgeous Adriafil 'Sierra Andina' extra fine alpaca yarn. The plan so far, fair isle one side, plain knit on the palm, I'll let you know how they finish up! I've always loved fair isle and thanks to the brilliant guide over on The Purl Bee, I seem to be designing my own!!!

And speaking of my own designs, have a quick peek at the beautiful cover of the US version of my book, Simple Crochet...

I am so delighted that they have chosen to use the image of Pipi's blanket, all of the colours brighten a grey, wintery day here at the cottage xxx

Berries, bantams & beautiful summer days....

It's been a busy time at the little cottage in the woods. The bantam chicks are growing fast, all twelve of them!!! We will be looking at giving several away, our garden can only sustain a few more, or my flowers really will take their last gasp. My cutting garden plans haven't quite hit the target, but I do have clouds of white cosmos blooms, which look quite ethereal. Just a shame that the contrasting dahlias and sweet peas haven't materialised. Luckily there is plenty of mint and oregano flowering to add to my hand-picked posies for the house and the climbing rose is in bud again, so it won't be long before I have delicate pink roses too.

Rather than leave his garden to chance, The Sicilian has wisely surrounded his vegetable patch and fruit bushes with chicken wire. And here are the results of his careful planning...

...and with these all packed up, he's off to our local 'home producers' sale; once a week the local growers pile into the meeting rooms with all their delicious goodies, the doors open at 8.30am and there is always a queue of eager customers. Gorgeous home grown goodies, tended with love and care, the flavour and quality far exceeds anything you will find on a supermarket shelf and the locals know it!

And between nurturing chicks and growing berries we've been gripped by the Olympic excitement here in the UK. We were lucky enough to see a morning of show-jumping in Greenwich park and an evening of fencing at Excel, not to mention a ride in the Emirates Air cable car, which gave us a great evening view of the Olympic stadium lit up in the distance. There was a fantastic atmosphere in London and we felt really lucky to be a part of it.

Now back in Dorset, we're planning to make the most of the summer holidays - bike rides, picnics and sailing all on the menu. In fact a bit more of this.....

Happy days xxx

 ps. I have been uber busy with my gorgeous Namolio linen yarns, so next post will definitely be packed to the brim with summer crochet!!!

 

Twenty four hours in Bath....... part two!

From The Makery on Walcot Street it was just a short walk to The Fashion Museum and neighbouring Saville Row. The former, so enticing, it's windows swathed in lengths of knitted bunting. The colourful efforts of various knitting groups who have combined forces for 'Torch Knit'; the bunting is an Olympic inspired project that will adorn the Assembly Rooms until after the Games, at which point the flags will be stitched together to make blankets for charity - great legacy project. As I mentioned in my previous post, time was not on my side, so museum visiting is top of the list for when I return with The Sicilian and bimbi in tow (can't wait!). Saville Row, however, was very much on my packed agenda. I had a morning tea date with Eirlys Penn (aka Scrapiana), creator of the strawberry emeries that graced the second cover of Mollie Makes. Meeting place, Bea's Vintage Tea Rooms, 6-8 Saville Row, oh what a treat!  
Having arrived a little ahead of time, I took the opportunity to soak up the atmosphere of the tea rooms and admire the tea trolley, laden with vintage linens, sundae dishes and pretty milk jugs. Everywhere I glanced, another treasure of times past caught my eye - I sat at the window, keeping an eye out for Eirlys; it was our first 'actual' meeting, and I had been looking forwards to it for so long.  
I'd tucked an apple and cosy into my bag to give to her, it seemed apt given that it was my apple cosy project that had indirectly introduced me to her. And to my utter delight, Eirlys presented me with one of her Liberty lawn necklace kits - I had been admiring the necklaces from afar, wishing I could combine a trip to Bath with one of her classes. How wonderful to have a quick tutorial there and then, over several cups of Earl Grey and a slice of orange and polenta cake!
And whilst it was inspirational to watch Eirlys work her magic on wooden beads and tana lawn, it was the energy with which she spoke about her whole approach to craft, sewing and mending, which really grabbed my attention. She has channeled her passion into a project suitably titled The Big Mend, and if there was a craft project worth rolling out across the country, then this is it!  

I suspect that the two of us could have sat happily for several more hours, our lovely waitress topping up the tea pot whilst we nattered away about the benefits of mending, thrifting and creating. But I had lined up another important meeting - all a bit last minute, but trans-Atlantic flights and rain delayed sports days simply cannot be avoided sometimes! The meeting in question was with my book editor, Eleanor Van Zandt. Again, despite exchanging probably close to 100 emails late last year, Eleanor and I had never met. But I had been completely overwhelmed by her generous and patient approach to my first book of crochet patterns. Not once phased by my flowery, chatty writing style (regular readers of this blog will know what I mean!), Eleanor patiently waded her way through over 35 crochet projects and their introductions. And, despite having only just touched down from a visit to America, Eleanor called to arrange lunch at the Holburne Museum garden cafe. And what a lunch it was! Eirlys had kindly guided me to the museum and was able to join Eleanor and I for lunch. So, here I was, sitting between two wonderful, articulate, animated ladies who I admire so much - in fact, at one point I was quite lost for words! Not ideal when in the company of two supreme wordsmiths!!! But neither seemed to mind, it was just such a delight to finally meet up. Any book or magazine publisher out there would be remiss if they didn't engage the talents of these two creative, eloquent and downright inspirational women - it was amazing we managed to finish our delicious lunch with all the chatter going on! But with my brief sojourn in Bath swiftly drawing to a close, I had to depart their company and make my way back into town to pick up my bag from The Henry before heading to the train station - just a quick diversion to The Makery Emporium for some last minute retail therapy, naturally. With some fabric quarters, velvet ribbon and purse clasps added to my yarn stash, I was ready to head home to Dorset and the little cottage in the woods. A bit of a whirlwind break, but food for the creative soul, everyone should treat themselves to a crumb or two once in a while! xxx

Twenty four hours in Bath.....

...is clearly not enough! The Sicilian agreed that I needed a 'creative' break and with a free pass from my husband, I booked myself a return ticket to Bath Spa and a night in a b&b. The plans were laid, the weather unfortunately didn't comply - Dante's sports day was postponed due to rain and my departure was delayed by several hours (but then I haven't missed a sports day yet, and this wasn't going to be the first). Luckily for me, the truly inspirational Eirlys Penn, aka Scrapiana, was able to fit into my somewhat fluid plans, as was my wonderful book editor, Eleanor Van Zandt. And more about these two extraordinary ladies later. I'm going to approach this post chronologically, otherwise I'm afraid I'll just waffle endlessly (Eleanor would not be impressed!) - I have so much to report! And having just looked through my photos, I'm going to do a post in two parts, there's just too much to tell!!!

With the early morning sun shining, I hit Bath's cobbled streets, and my first stop was 'Wool'. I spent the previous night at The Henry, a charming b&b just a stone's throw from this hidden haven of wooliness. So, after checking out of The Henry, I peered wistfully through the window of Wool, only for the delightful owner Laura to take pity on me and open her door early. She was still having breakfast and checking in on emails, but was more than happy for me to browse her thoughtfully stocked shelves.
Laura's passion for yarn is evident as you walk around. Alongside well known brands are smaller, independent yarns, natural fibres and fabulous shades. Even better, useful samples hung at regular intervals allow you to feel the texture and see instantly how a project will knit up. And despite being full to the rafters, the shop feels light, bright and so welcoming with a comfy sofa, scattered with gorgeous knitted and crocheted cushions, just an arm's stretch away from a table laden with pattern books. I had sneaked a peek on Laura's website before visiting, so I was really keen to check out her own brand pure Teeswater dk 'Wool' and here it is, snuggled into an old suitcase.
I scooped up some of the Guava pink and Moss green - Pipi will be sporting a new tank-top style sweater come Autumn! But, my stash wasn't quite complete - I just had to have a hank of Rooster Delightful Lace, a blend of baby alpaca and silk and a cute crochet pattern book by Pico (I thought it would encourage Pipi to pick up her hook this summer and make a dachshund or two! See my 'Books to Inspire' list for details). I felt like a child in a sweet shop, I wanted a little bit of everything. Luckily, with a new web shop due soon, I will be able to get my fix of Laura's unique offering, an affordable bit at a time!
And so it was onwards with my day. I had arranged to pop in on Kate at The Makery, Walcot Street - the location for the Mollie Makes film featuring my apple cosy. Another little gem, as delightful on the inside as it looks from the outside!

Kate and her team were busy planning their weekend of creative workshops. I'm afraid I was a bit of a distraction, sorry guys, but I just couldn't help 'ooh'ing and 'aah'ing over their bolts of fabric, sweetie jars filled with buttons and beads, fabulous window display of handmade lampshades....

.....and shelf full of knickers! I have a bit of a thing about knickers; there is a pattern in my forthcoming book for edging a pair of Liberty lawn knickers with fine crochet cotton. I love my knickers, but was very challenged by their creation - not the crochet part, the pattern is quite simple, but the sewing bit. You can imagine my excitement when I discovered that the shelf full of homemade knickers was down to the talented Sarah, manager and knicker course tutor - I'm thinking that two places on said knicker course might be just the ticket for The Sicilian and I to help celebrate our wedding anniversary!!! You see, the Sicilian is a tiny bit envious of my love affair with my sewing machine and I know he secretly wants to get his hands on my Janome, so, what better way to introduce him to sewing than a course in frillies!!!

And it's with that entertaining thought that I'm going to leave you for now. But I will be back soon with the second installment of my Bath adventure, complete with Bea's Vintage Tea Rooms, Scrapiana and her Liberty bead necklaces and lunch with Eleanor Van Zandt at the beautiful Holburne Museum cafe..... xxx

On the road again with Agnes....

It's been a while since I took Agnes, my trusty green Fiat 500, cross hill and vale. So, when I set off this morning for Home Sweet Home in Sherborne I did so with just a little trepidation. But an hour later and she was safely parked opposite the Abbey and just across the way from the new home of Butterfly Bright. I used to nip back and forth to the very same shop when my friend Liz first opened a couple of years back. Not only was it filled to the brim with gorgeous homewares, but it also stocked our range of Sicilian Artisan products, Veru. Now, Liz has passed the helm to Lizzie and Ali, haberdashery extraordinaires! Alongside the prettiest melamine picnic ware, sits beautiful Michael Miller fabrics and all manner of sewing must-haves. A sewing machine class was in full swing in the workshop out back. And, if Lizzie and I get organised, we will see some crochet workshops happening there soon - maybe with some summer cotton yarn, crochet isn't just a winter sport after all! And not wanting to leave empty handed - in fact, given more time, I could have filled Agnes to the brim with summery cotton prints, buttons and braids - I treated myself to this beautiful grey velvet/cream lace ribbon, just perfect for a little summer sewing project for Pipi, the combination will be perfect with her white linen trousers (cropped from last year to make a fab pair of capri pants!). 

 

A traveller's yarn.....

You can take the girl out of her country cottage, yarn filled life, but you can't take the yarn yearning out of the girl! The Sicilian, the bimbi and I have been over the top of the world and back - we left the glorious Spring sunshine here in Dorset, flew over Greenland and touched down in snowy Whistler (via Vancouver, of course!). And it was breathtaking, inspiring and relaxing all wrapped up in one big, beautiful, white snowscape. I've dreamt many a time about vast white landscapes, scattered with snow laden pines.

Waking up to gentle snowflakes on our first morning in Whistler was like a dream come true. The children couldn't quite believe their eyes, but before long they were on the slopes up to their knees in powder and the reality and wonder of our situation began to sink in. And yes, the skiing just got better and better (well the childrens did anyway - thanks to their grandparents gentle guidance - I'm just happy to make it down in one piece these days!), but this trip wasn't just about seeing a new part of the world and hurtling down mountains, we'd come to spend time with my Canadian Papa and his wife (I was adopted as a baby here in England, but I'm actually half Canadian, half American). Having only found my Pa a year ago, every moment we all have together is magical. Meeting his family and friends is pretty special and my understanding of him gains texture and depth every day.

What he must think of me is altogether another matter! Yes, I loved being on the mountain, but I even surprised myself at how restrained I have become. Ten years ago I would have challenged myself to the very limit, but now I'm content to play it safe and worry about what the kids are up to - skiing in and out of the trees, searching out every deep patch of powder - their adventure knows no bounds. I, on the other hand, felt my heart skip a beat as we passed a little yarn shop on our first day in Canada. On our way out of Vancouver to Whistler we stopped off on Granville Island and I popped into the 'Fibre Art Studio'. Barely had my feet touched terra firma when I acquired three balls of beautiful yarn - handspun, hand-dyed or both.

I had promised the children I wouldn't spend the holiday with my nose in a crochet project, so I carefully packed my yarn away, peeking only occasionally at its' glorious potential! A few days of skiing and mountain life later and we were back in Vancouver for an afternoon, this time in Gastown. The kids, The Sicilian and my Pa were on their way to a Canucks ice hockey game - luckily for them I spotted a fabulous Vintage frock store, followed by an intriguing little yarn store. Gastown has a vibrant yet edgy atmosphere; there are evident social problems which accompany most downtown quarters in big cities, but with these come the low rents that encourage indie boutiques and galleries to thrive. The shop that caught my eye as we drove through was 'Community Thrift & Vintage' frock shop on Carrall Street. A fabulous 1950's skirt graced the mannequin in the shop window and inside was a veritable treasure trove of gorgeous vintage clothes, bags, underskirts, scarves and shoes - if only I'd taken an empty suitcase. Even better, the shop is run by a local charity for the community, staffed by members of that very community. From here it was just a short stride to 'Wool is Not Enough' on East Cordova. Shoshana, the owner, is so right, 'wool is not enough', but boy does it make my soul sing and her shop is an absolute gem of carefully selected yarns in beautiful hues and natural fibres. My luggage allowance stopped me from indulging. Not to mention The Sicilian's gentle reminders of my stash back in Dorset, which, whilst fast diminishing, still requires several projects worth of work! But if you're in the area, don't hold back, the colours of the 'Spud & Chloe' yarn alone are enough to warrant a whole Summer's worth of knitting and/or crochet projects.

And there, for now, I'm afraid I must leave it - having teased my Pa about his endless hunger for sports coverage, I fear I may be just as obsessive about yarn tales. We are back in Dorset now and the three balls of yarn I picked up on Granville Island are calling me to action - it's off to the Wool Workshop in the morning, I'll be catching up with the girls and casting on a few stitches or chains to see where my Canadian yarn takes me!xxx 

Sunny days, hazy memories ...........

The Sicilian and I were treated to the most delicious feast yesterday evening by our friends and neighbours Emma and Harry. Emma is half Italian, so intense green fresh pesto and crisp bread were followed by an array of wonderful antipasti and salads, finished off with the lightest gluten-free hazelnut cake. The highlight for me though (apart from the wonderful company of other neighbours, Claire, Andrew, Mhairi and Phil), was the most heavenly sgroppino - the combination of sorbet, limoncello and prosecco both refreshing and indulgent all at the same time! With every sip came a flood of memories, wave after wave of ricordi, the little campo where I lived (Santa Maria Mater Domini), the morning cornetto I'd buy on my way to college, the evening spent on the roof of the Palazzo Ducale watching the stars above and the tourists below, being sneaked in the back door of La Fenice before it was destroyed by fire ........ My brief encounter with Venice pre-dates The Sicilian and if he hadn't captured my heart I might still be there today. It was my first real love affair and one that has endured. I can feel it calling me, and every time I wear my beautiful antique Venetian glass beads made by the astonishingly talented Attombri brothers, I know that I will be back there one day sipping sgroppino with my beautiful friend Margherita.

And by chance, it was those very beads I wore last night along with my newly finished dress. I promised a quick snap, so here it is, collar and all. No Venetian beads today, the sun is out and so are my homemade hand-dyed wooden beads. 

And with such a sunny day here at the cottage in the woods, I've been planting bulbs, seeds and tubors - poppies, sunflowers, echinacea, dahlias and aquilegia - who knows what will come up this year! And with the book finished and the yarn stash significantly reduced, I had a quick glance at my fabric stash from last summer.

With so many pretty cottons and tana lawns I only wish I could join Eirlys Penn on her forthcoming course, making summer necklaces from wooden beads and fabric scraps at Crockadoodledo, Larkhall, 10.30-1.30pm, Thursday 29th March. Another time, I hope, but in the meantime I'm already working on a few ideas of how to put these to good use - happy days xxx

Another Sicilian adventure......

A world away from apple cosies, the Sicilian and I (and our two bambini) have been in Sicily for the family olive harvest. As Autumn visits the cottage in the woods, we get a last blast of mediterranean sunshine before the winter sets in. It is a time to relax with family, work on the land (picking olives is no picnic - we still do it by hand, the old-fashioned way!) and enjoy the fruits of this amazing island. I've been visiting regularly since I met the Sicilian 15 years ago, and the sight of the pomegranite trees laden with fruit still takes my breath away - I couldn't bare to see the fruits drying and splitting, so we gathered a couple of dozen and pressed some delicious fresh juice.

This really is a land of plenty, with more than just the one growing season each year, the harvest is always a rich and colourful one. Imagine my delight when the local fruit and veg man pulled up below Nonna Rosanna's apartment with this lot on board...

The children immediately spotted their favourite spherical cucumbers, so we called down from the balcony for our purchases of Cardinal grapes, Indian figs, aubergines, fennel and more, which the Sicilian delivered back up to us. Olive picking can summon up quite an apetite, especially in our olive grove which is on an unforgiving slope at the foot of some steep cliffs. But there is nothing that gives me more satisfaction than seeing the grassy green liquid pour from the press, or the first taste of the new season's oil as it runs over the back of your throat with that familiar burn.

We were lucky enough this year to be joined by my Canadian family, Bob and Robyn. Not only did they provide us with some much needed help in the olive grove, but they scooped up the Sicilian and I, taking us off to the Regaleali Estate of the Tasca d'Almerita family. Used to drinking Nonno Ciccio's home brew wine when in Sicily, this was a whole new experience for us. Under the expert guidance of Sacha Stancampiano, and with a little gentle encouragement from Bob and Robyn (Bob has the Rimrock Cafe in Whistler and an award winning wine list therein), we tasted our way through a whole ream of beautiful Sicilian wines. Given that normally I only have a glass of wine once every couple of weeks back home, the true elegance of the wines might have been a little lost on me - but what I can say, with real conviction, is that there is something magical about Sicilian wines; they really do capture the essence of the island, it's beauty, it's intensity, it's richness and it's intrigue. If you are lucky enough to get the chance to drink some Regaleali wine, grab it and enjoy! The Estate itself is a 500 hectare gem in Sicily's crown. And the lovingly tended land is matched by the understated charm of the buildings....

Who wouldn't wake up early for a view like this?!

But 24 hours of 'grown up' time and I was more than ready to be with the children again. To listen to them work on their Italian (not many of the family speak English), to watch Pipi tuck in to her favourite octopus salad, and to walk hand in hand with them on the sandy shores of the sparkling Mediterranean sea....

Our last morning spent playing football in the Piazza at the top of town, oblivious (almost) to the small gathering of gentleman in the adjacent bar - to say that they are all known to the authorities might give a little indication of what I'm referring to; now, there in lies another story, but not one that I could ever tell! It's back to the crochet hook for me ;) xxx

Hand Dyed Papers & Maxi Dresses!

If anything's going to make me feel the summer then it's designing some Ibiza inspired invites for a client. I've never been myself, but I googled 'cafe del mar' and looked at the sunsets, the sand and the floating chiffon. Some handmade paper, RIT fabric dye and beautiful flowing fabric and voila......

Now all we need is for the sun to come out again! Oooh, I can't wait to get started on the next project - jewelled glass tags for the same party - I've just taken delivery of the prettiest gems from Gemme Tresor, a fab Etsy seller in Florida. I'll be spending my evening with some rose quartz, aventurine and the teeniest orange coral beads, happy days xxx