Tea-riffic Night Out

I can only apologise for title-punning, but I'm really rather excited about an upcoming event which I wanted to share with you!!

Pictures (c) Clare Devine

Last year, Clare Devine launched a 'Tea Collection' containing several yummy hats.  This autumn she plans to complete the collection with some new hats, which are created in beautiful yarn (as always) hand-dyed by Jess of Ginger Twist Studio in Edinburgh.  

The pair are hosting a Tea Party at Pekoe Tea in Edinburgh.  It'll apparently involve tea, tea cocktails(?!) and nibbles.  The owner of Pekoe tea will be telling everyone about the tea, where it comes from, interesting things etc.  Yarn wise, there'll be lots of hat samples, yarns and patterns to play with!

There are two options to attend, the 'with yarn and patterns & baggie' version, and the tea only version.  I'm tempted to tell you not to be mad and that the second isn't a real option, but in the spirit of equal chances and all that, the two tickets are as follows:

Without Yarn:

 “Tea Tasting Experience” (or a Tea Cocktail of your choice) and plenty of chance to chat to Jon about the magical world of tea.

With Yarn:

• Your choice of pattern from The Tea Collection (or another of Clares patterns if you have it already)
• A fabulous skein of yarn from Ginger’s Hand Dyed to knit your very own “Tea Hat” - you can read more about the skeins and colours available over on Clares blog.
• A Neighbourhood Sheep Society tote bag

The Tea is between 7 and 9pm on the 17th of October, and tickets are available via the Ginger Twist website.   If you'd like more details about the event you can find a lovely blog post by Clare. 

I'll need to make sure I clear the needles before the middle of October...  

Is anyone else going??

Guest Post: Louise Tilbrook Designs

After the blog post on relaxation, knitting and 'What is Mindfullness?' last week, there was a bit of chat in internet-land about what each of us do to unwind.  

Louise (of the very lovely Louise Tilbrook  Designs) shares her view of calm & crafting, and I'm sure it resonates with many of us.  She is a sock knitting queen!  And creates some really very beautiful sock patterns which are available on ravelry. 

"Crafting for me has become such an integral part of my life that I've almost forgotten why I craft in the first place - it's like breathing. I craft therefore I am.  Knitting was and remains my first love. I knit for many reasons but if I had to pick one, I would say for relaxation. My husband might dispute this as he watches me try for the third time to execute a long tailed cast on over 300 stitches, but the rhythmic, repetitive act of knitting soothes and calms me more than I can say.

Obviously, not all knitting is created equal. There are times when my poor frazzled brain craves nothing more than a simple garter stitch blanket. At other times, the focus needed to work out a tricky heel turn or to follow a complex lace chart are just the kind of distraction needed from some external source of stress.

And, invariably, knitting is something I also do whilst doing other things; watching TV, reading, listening to podcasts, cooking, watching offspring at sporting events - the list is endless. The one thing I never do is knit and drive, but I do pack spare knitting just in case of long motorway delays.

Recently I have started spinning using both a wheel and a drop spindle and interestingly I had found that when I spin, it's all I do. I don't feel the need to pop the TV on or catch up with a podcast. It's just me and the fibre - soothing, meditative and yet stimulating at the same time.

I used to think that with knitting and more recently with my design work I had no time for another hobby. But increasingly I am aware that there is a place in a life for both - each just fills it's own niche perfectly."

You can find Louise on 

twitter: https://twitter.com/Madmumknits 

blog: http://www.louisetilbrookdesigns.blogspot.co.uk/

ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/designers/louise-tilbrook

And some of my favourite socks from Louise, which were published in the Pom Pom Magazine!

(c) Juju Vail (for Pom Pom Magazine)

What do you think of craft & chilling out?  Or about the mindfullness movement?

:)

Week in Photos: Afternoon Tea & Taunted by Cats

I'm sure you all have them, the days when your chat just isn't up to much.  It doesn't mean you don't want to talk, or listen, but people will groan at the calibre of your off-day puns.

For those days, we just need some photos.

This week the post-man brought me my new phone (which is pretty, and green, and wondrous).  I quickly realised how much better the wee camera on it is compared to my much loved, but also very much smashed and camera-lens-fallen-off, iphone 4.

Also, whilst uploading these and commenting on them, I do realise I appear to be lost and/or daydreaming a large part of my day.  I promise it's not a true reflection of my day to day functioning.  I hope.

And as a second realisation, I realised that it was quite a nice week, really. :)

The amazing afternoon tea my mumface bought me; complete with convincing the waiter to bring me only the ham & mustard sandwiches - because I am fussy, and mum is my mum. 

The tree which sported two kinds of flowers on the same branch, bamboozling my quotient of twitter followers and leading us to seek assistance from @thebotanics, to no immediate avail...

For the time I was locked out, but the cat next door was cruel and showed me how easily he could infiltrate the building.

The mild two-day obsession with dyeing gradients into everything I could lay my marigold-clad fingers on.  The realisation that I should iron my tablecloth if I plan to take photos on it.

The soup I ate for lunch, followed by the really healthy strawberry salad I ate for dinner, which left me eating chocolate to get over the hunger and shock.

My new favourite plate in the world, which I bought at 3pm on Saturday and promptly took straight home to eat toast and hoops on.  Closely followed by my new favourite milk jug in the world, which I refrained from purchasing (for now). 

The crazy sculptures present at the orchid show, and the even crazier price tags.

The incredible parrot pattern on my shiny new summer dress, which I bought for myself because I was having a bad day and ended up wandering around House of Fraser in search of something pretty.

The knitting, which can't be omitted from the week.  This time with yummy OldMaidenAunt yarn.  And the squirrel, who became very interested in it. 

The amusing tiny chocolate umbrella, which I found at the little coffee van in the botanics, and couldn't pass up.  And the glasses of wine, which might've prompted the purchase.

My impulsive new fringe, which was cut in during a very surreal after-hours trip to the local hairdresser, who let me in despite being after closing time, because "you reeeeally need a haircut".

What've you been doing this week?

:) x

Crazy Creepy Artist I Can't Stop Watching...

Teacups are brilliant.  I'd love to have an entire cupboard full of mismatched teacups.   I love their tiny little individual style.

However, these teacups tiny little individual style is so creepy!!  But I feel compelled to watch them... are they crawling? eeeep.

They're designed by an artist named Ronit Baranga, you can see his work here.

I feel it's like a Beauty & the Beast style en-mass transformation gone horribly wrong, crossed with the adams family and a little bit of pride and prejudice.

In other news, I'm off to see Cats in the Edinburgh Playhouse tomorrow!!  Wooo!

What's been filling your weekend?  I'm a-crafting for the TOK Spring Equinox Swap over on Ravelry, hehe!

Love! x

p.s. join me on Bloglovin' too!