Christmas Gift & Craft Fair 23rd -24th of November 2013

Green Planet Nursery has a table at the Christmas Gift & Craft Fair 23rd-24th November 2013 at Quarry Bank Mill, Styal.   There is free parking for those attending the fair.  

Here is a taster of the items we are taking with us.

A trip down memory lane

I was surprised to find this photograph earlier today as I was looking for old pictures of the farm where we are going on holiday.  It's proof that I've been knitting for a little longer than I care to remember. 

Here's a picture of the farm being thatched from the album.  Hopefully, this unseasonally nice weather will continue and we'll get some lovely pictures of the building as it has been restored.

Competitions

 I am delighted to announce that the winner of our Posh Yarn giveaway was...  (drumroll).... Lupa.   The lovely wool is on its way to her now via Royal Mail.   I was really pleased so many people decided to comment and took the time to give me their opinions on my etsy shop.  Thank you everybody I am just sorry there could only be one winner.

Sticking with competitions for the time being, some of you may read Knitting Magazine and be aware that they periodically announce design competitions.   Last year, there was a scarf competition which I entered and won!
Here's the scarf 'Shadowy Sheep' modelled by my daughter:

We took this picture in a frantic hurry as we struggled to make the deadline for posting entries.   The picture in the book which arrived in this morning's post is much better.  But then the professional model and photographer had, we assume, rather more time and talent.     The book is available from Amazon now: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scarves-Cozy-GMC-Editors/dp/1861088221/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315680297&sr=1-1

Bank Holiday

I've just returned home from a lovely holiday weekend staying at Higher Gills Farm http://www.highergills.co.uk/ in the beautiful countryside at the foot of Pendle Hill, Lancashire.   My eldest sister, daughter and I received a warm welcome from Darrell and Freda Pilkington and couldn't recommend them highly enough.  The accomodation was clean, comfortable and spacious and the location was ideal for walking.   The views took in the Ribble Valley and the Forest of Bowland.   We were fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of a badger from the hide on the farm and also saw a spotted woodpecker, swallows and numerous other birds. 

Peggy, Me and a Map!

When we weren't walking around the farm, we drove over to Clitheroe (a lovely town with two excellent local yarn shops) and to Hurst Green.  We explored the surroundings of Hurst Green looking for hobbits.  (Tolkein stayed at a house in the area and some people have suggested its rolling hills were the inspiration for the Shire).  Surprisingly, we only strayed from the guidebook a little at the end of our walk.  Perhaps unsurprisingly, we didn't see a hobbit!

 
Besides running the self-catering holiday lets at Higher Gills, Darrell and Freda Pilkingon keep a flock of pedigree Teeswater sheep.  These rare breed sheep are recognised to be an endangered species.  In fact, the sheep and Freda's fabulous hand dyeing of their wool featured in Knitting Magazine a couple of months ago and it was that article that prompted us to book the holiday.  

The Teeswater fleece is worsted-spun in the UK before it comes back to Higher Gills to be sold for hand and machine knitting.   I have some special green planet nursery plans for the 4-ply I purchased.  The soft wool has a beautiful pearly luste which is hardly captured in this photograph.  To find out more about Teeswater yarn visit http://www.teeswaterwools.co.uk/.  

giveaway - Posh Yarn

To celebrate the launch of my blog and my etsy shop http://www.greenplanetnursery.etsy.com/, I am hosting a competition to win this skein of yarn.   All you have to do to gain one entry to the prize draw to be held on 9 September 2011 is comment on this post and leave me a way of contacting you online - ravelry or e-mail whichever is easiest.  To get your name in the hat for the second time, tell me which of my products on etsy is your favourite and why in your comment.   And finally, to gain a third entry in the competiton, join up as a follower of this blog. 

Good luck everyone!   

work in progress

Just a quick up date on progress on the Thanksgiving scarf.   I really like how my intarsia design co-ordinates with the novelty print.   My idea is to line the organic wool and wool cotton scarf with the print so that the wool is kept away from the little person's skin. 

My little people aren't so little anymore but they are still keeping me busy.   Green Planet Nursery work has had to play second fiddle this week as our front room has been transformed into something resembling the workroom from The House of Elliot.   Hannah's going to Rowena's wedding and so requires an outfit after the style of something seen at that other wedding earlier this year.  Here's progress so far: 

bringing in the harvest

 

It's a wonderful time on the allotment, harvesting this year's crop.  All the hard work of getting to the plot after working a full day in the health food shop has paid off. 

The pumpkin patch is being particularly productive.   We've already eaten pumpkin soup (made from the great recipe in The Moosewood Cookbook) and given away two pumpkins to grateful recipients.  I am also finding inspiration there for some autumn/fall designs.  Here's a sneak preview of what I am working on today:

Today's project - can you tell what it is yet?

In case you are wondering, the chart (my own design) is on a drawing board to keep my place.   I was surprised to find the best instructions for intarsia knitting not in Montse Stanley's The Handknitter's Handbook but in Debbie Stoller's Superstar Knitting. 

This scarf will be toddler sized and lined with cotton jersey in a co-ordinating pumpkin print.  It is my intention to make a matching set of scarf, mitts and hat.