ME Awareness Week.

I'm no stranger to irony but this really take the biscuit. My ME was epecially bad last week and I spent most of the time in bed with only DVDs of Buffy The Vampire Slayer for company. I'm a wee bit better now but still feeling flimsy and, if I'm being honest, not a little grumpy.


So what did I miss when I was taking it easy? Only ME Awareness Week.

Thankfully the weather is improving and I have plans to sit in the garden,  knitting,  gazing at the tulips glowing in the fresh spring light and occasionally scaring the living daylights out of the little blackbird who has taken to following Archie around while he plants seeds.  That might sound nasty but he will have to be a lot less tame if he's going to survive sharing a garden with Magnus.

By the way - that's my finished sashiko table mat and an interesting knitting project glowing along with the tulips.

Call to Arms - or maybe needles!

A report has reached me that Shetland Council has decided to stop providing knitting lessons in schools. It is part of a cost cutting measure and while I acknowledge that we are in the midst of some pretty scary financial goings on, it seems incredibly short sighted for the Council to restrict information and training about a skill that the Shetland Islands are famous for.  At the moment every primary school child ( aged 5-11 ) is taught knitting including Fair Isle techniques.  Our craft traditions help to define and enliven our culture. They are far too important to give up without a fight.

Here is the article in the Times newspaper and here is the link to Shetland Islands Council if you feel inspired to let them know how important our knitting traditions are.  Please pass this on and send your opinions off to the Shetland Islands Council.

Thrift, Thread and Print.

I had a lucky find this week, a beautiful ring in a Charity Shop for all of 50p.  I stuck it on to a finger straight away and spent the afternoon in the Kirriemuir Wool Shop wondering if someone would come in to buy some sock yarn and then recognise the treasure on my hand. I love the changing shades of blue and violet that move across the surface and if you look carefully, you will see me in the reflection too.

More treasures this week included a day of printing with Tessa. I had fun with my home made stencil and some stamps. Next time I'm going to try lino cuts. I don't know exactly what to do with the fabric I have printed. Any ideas?

One piece of fabric I do know what I'm going to do with is my little sashiko practise. This is going to be a matt for our coffee table.  It is also my way of thinking about a larger sahiko project I have planned. A quilt made from old shirts. The sashiko thread is great to work with - it is not as tightly twisted as the usual embroidery floss so it doesn't kink and protest when you sew.

I finished the orange cardigan and it is awaiting buttonage. Photos to follow, I'm sure.