Free baby buccaneer hat

Just to let you all know we have just uploaded this cute free baby hat pattern to the website - baby buccaneer hat

Its been a busy few weeks since I got back from my US tour. I have just picked the images from a photo shoot for my latest project which unfortunately I can show you but instead thought I would show you a few pictures of my weekend away in the lovely Great Malvern and surrounding area.

Even trees love pompoms!

The birds on this tile are wonderful, is it just me or do you see monkey faces in the centre of the crosses?

I love the way all the different bricks on this make it look like its made from lego!

Kaleidoscope workshop

I was lucky enough this weekend to drop into a workshop at the Rowan Mill with Jane Crowfoot and Debbie Abrahams, based on their new book. 
Kaleidoscope - 24 knit and crochet projects for the home is a book that definitely makes the most of Jane and Debbies unique talent with colour, so as you can imagine the workshop was a bright and fun day for the first bit of real sunshine we have seen.

Going Underground

A couple of weekends ago my boyfriend and I decided to go on an underground tour of manchester. The tour lasted a couple of hours, during which time our tour guide took us on a tour of Manchester both above and below the surface. The portion below the surface took us through what at one time had been the Salford Junction canal and was then used as air raid shelters, whilst it was slightly creepy it was definitely better than the bitter cold wind and snow above ground!

 We then went to Solita for dinner, where we had these chicken scratchings - so wrong yet so right!

Canada - the final instalment

The last store on my store was Haus of Stitches in Humboldt, who as well as selling yarn specialise in quilting. It made me wish I had the patience for quilting!

I also got a chance to play out in the snow! The icicles outside the store were the biggest I have ever seen, and the skidoo ride was great fun! The snow fort definitely brought out my inner child.

I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone I was lucky enough to spend time with along the trip, on my next blog post I will try and show you a few of the goodies I managed to squeeze into my suitcase.

Canada workshop tour part 1

After my time at Churchmouse yarns I headed over the border to Canada.
My first stop was Rivercity yarns in Edmonton.

I then flew on to Calgary before driving down to Lethbridge, stopping at this cute diner on the way.

Once in Lethbridge I had two classes at Knitting Time but also managed to fit in a visit to Fort Whoop Up to get an incredible view of the railway bridge and hoar frost covered trees.

Yesterday before heading back up to Calgary I went to visit spinner Connie Carlson and her super cute alpacas.

US tour part two

The second store I visited on my tour was Churchmouse yarns on Bainbridge Island. I was utterly enchanted by both the store and island. I am not sure if it was the lovely staff, all that tea or the very English weather, but I felt utterly at home. If anyone is visiting the Seattle area I can thoroughly recommend getting the ferry over to the island, it has a very calm and creative atmosphere.

A wardrobe of Brooklyn Tweed yarn - every knitters dream!

 I was really sad to leave the team there but had to catch a flight to my next store over in snowy Canada.