Merry Christmas

Well here's what I've made this festive season... origami Christmas trees (thank you, Christine!) and turned them into placename holders,

origami Christmas tree placename holders

plastic bottle icicles that look more like a jellyfish installation (now there's an idea!) but it does make a change from the usual Christmas decorations and has become quite a talking point (...now where does the jellyfish come in?)

plastic bottle icicles (or jellyfish?)

put my Prosecco corks to good use for a bit of Christmas fun ...

crazy cork characters

(you see there was a reason for drinking all that Prosecco!), made my Julie Arkell doll another outfit - this time with wings ...

Julie Arkell doll with wings

you can just see them peeping out at the back there and, having put her back in her knitted ski-wear, had a Christmas photoshoot ...

Christmas photoshoot

But will there be any Christmas lunch? Fortunately I have delegated that task so that's all right! 

Have a very Merry Christmas everyone - see you next year!

Volunteer to make blankets out of mini jerseys for Oxfam

Blankets using the jerseys made square

You may remember all the excitement about the Tour de France in Yorkshire earlier this year.  You may also remember knitting mini jerseys for the Knit a Bike Installation in York or for the Tour de Bunting displays across Harrogate district.  In fact Harrogate had over 23,000 mini jerseys knitted for their displays.  

 

Blankets which keep some of the jersey shape

Now they are working on turning the mini jerseys into blankets for Oxfam - and they need your help.  With about 5,000 jerseys still to stitch together they are after volunteers to come to their aid.  At the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate in November some of the blankets already made were on show (and baskets of the jerseys yet to be stitched together!)

So if you can get to Harrgate to collect some jerseys and can lend a hand stitching them together then please email Sue Wood at Harrogate Borough Council:

 sue.wood@harrogate.gov.uk

Ready for Christmas - new Hippystitch stock at Blossom Street Gallery, York

Liberty Print Fabric Necklaces

Here's just a few quick pics of the new Hippystitch stock that is now available at Blossom Street Gallery & Framing in York.

Vintage Domino Brooches

Colourful Button Brooches

Felt Earrings

Magical Mermaid Brooches

There are also a couple of mermaid pictures in the exhibition 

Mermaid at Sea

Magical Mermaid

and flying in later today some knitted wire robin brooches 

Knitted wire robin brooches

...and the gallery is full of lots of other loveliness too.  Go see!

A Workshop with Julie Arkell

Julie Arkell

I have just been on a workshop run by Julie Arkell - great excitement!  I love her work and all those fantastic rabbit people and creatures she creates.   She likes to work with everyday materials such as newspapers, glue, fabric, yarn, cardboard, wire and other bits and pieces.  And she collects interesting phrases or sayings that might come in handy too!

Julie Arkell's papier mâché dolls

We started the day by choosing one of Julie's papier mâché dolls.  Her papier mâché is made from the Guardian you'll be pleased to know but the dolls' final layer comes from old paperbacks. Julie prefers to use those from before 1950 because the paper is thinner. (Mine was French which added a certain "je ne sais quoi"!) 

Knitting

Then using Julie's fabrics and yarns, knitting patterns and guidance we spent the day hard at work to dress our dolls ..

and more knitting!

I made my doll a rabbit ear bonnet, some knitted knickers, a top and skirt.  Here's the journey ...

My chosen Julie Arkell doll

Check out those knitted knickers!

My finished efforts

We all started with a similar creature but they all looked quite different and wonderful by the end of the day!

Our finished creations!

Just look at that appliqued flower, those stripey legings, that collar, the spotty apron, the shawl - lovely bits of detail.

You can read more about Julie here and you can take a longer look at some of her work on Beverly Armani's Julie Arkell Pinterest Board

The workshop was held in a fantastic yarn shop called Loop in Camden Passage, London.  It is impossible not to be tempted by all their goodies.  I indulged my love of buttons and managed to come away with only one ball of Habu yarn for which I do have a plan!  

Goodies from Loop

It was a great day - thank you, Julie and thank you, Loop!