Border Collies and Mice

I love dogs especially Border Collies.

When I was seven I was given a Border Collie puppy as a pet. His mum and dad were professional sheepdogs on a farm in Newtownards, County Down. I named him Prince, not very original I know but there were very few Collie dog names available in a seven year olds repertoire at that time. He was a brilliant dog, everybody loved him even our cat Charlie. She did use him a bit though. She would sit just inside our front gate making herself visible to any passing dogs. When one would come along it would naturally bark through the gate at her. She would then move back a couple of feet and let Prince come rushing up to take her place. Of course Prince would bark furiously at the strange dog and Charlie would sit and smirk at the interloper. They played that game loads of times and I never got tired of watching them.


We also played hide and seek a lot (you’ve guessed I was an only child!). I would get his favourite tennis ball at the time and throw it way down to the back of the garden. Prince would shoot off to find it and I would then run off and hide (usually in the coal shed or in the cellar). He would always find me no matter where I had hidden myself. His reward would be another throw of the ball or walkies. I do miss having a dog and I think I would like to have another Border Collie in my life. It would have to be a puppy as my cats would leave home if a fully grown dog moved in. At least being puppy dog size they could dominate him for the first few months of his life and the correct pecking order would be established!



I quite fancy doing dog agility classes. Collies are very intelligent dogs and need a lot of mental stimulation. I think I was the only seven year old I knew that rated BBC’s One Man and His Dog right up there with Doctor Who and Blue Peter. There are quite a few classes near me, in fact when I go to my local garden centre I can often hear one going on, on the other side of the hedge. I did stick my head through one day and there were quite a few dogs belting around a course.



Must investigate to see if any pups turn up in rescue centres as I’d rather give a dog a home from one of those places.
To loosely continue the animal theme this is my latest completed knitting project. I knitted the Sack of Mice pattern from Debi Birkin. It’s been on my list for ages as a pattern I wanted to try out. I’m really pleased with the result. It’s amazing that little bits of yarn knitted up in various shapes can go from this…….




to this ………………


Woofs and Sláinte

Linda xxx

Birdies in the Snow

I shot a short video from my kitchen window of the wildlife that came to the birdfeeder during the snowfall yesterday. Ignore background noise at the beginning, that's my breadmaker having a bit of a churn around. My favourite bits are of the plucky little chaffinch who was ready to take on the big birds!

Wildlife at my birdfeeder in the snow

Britain sort of falls to pieces when snowy weather sets in. Schools shut down, gritter lorries become very popular and suddenly I’m missing my lovely postman. In our road which is on a hill the challenge is to get to the end without hitting the hedge at the bottom. I successfully completed the challenge today and managed to get out to the shops for some emergency chocolate.

There is more snow forecast for tomorrow. Apparently we are getting some very nice snow from France and the French are being generous as they are supposedly sending us loads of it. If I don’t attempt the hedge challenge tomorrow I’ll be staying in and trying to make a dent in my stash. I’ve got an embroidery project on the go at the moment featuring a cat design (unusual for me I know) and I’ve also just got a tea cosy commission so I’ll be working on that as well. I’m a born multi-tasker or it could be A.A.D.D.

Sláinte
Linda xx

Rosie

This is a tribute post about Rosie my little cat who died last night from kidney failure. She would have been 8 years old this April, no age at all for a cat.
She was a happy go lucky friendly little thing who always trotted up to other cats to make friends. She usually got a swipe for her efforts but it never deterred her. She did have one catty friend in Pansy the tabby and went on several play dates with her.
Rosie was a rescue cat, well kitten actually. Our local cat shelter had rescued a pregnant feral cat and Rosie was born shortly after. The first picture I saw of her was actually with her back turned to the camera as she was concentrating with her brothers and sisters in getting a good position for her mother’s milk. So I fell in love with her without actually seeing her face. When I did go to visit her this is what I saw



A naughty face that just spelled trouble!



But she could be endearing, especially with those beautiful odd eyes.



Everything had to be tasted and chewed just in case



Exploration featured pretty high on her list too



Sometimes life left her a little bewildered



But she always found time to be cute and adorable



She never let stardom go to her head even when More Than Pet Insurance chose this picture of her to feature in one of their TV ads



She still liked to be normal and make friends wherever she could.



I’m really going to miss my beautiful girl.
Rest in Peace Rosie xxxxxx

Ta Da!

I’ve been working on this scarf for a while. You can see a video of it being embroidered on yesterday’s post. Now it’s finally finished and in my shop!

I think it looks almost Harry Potterish. I have a thing about Knotwork designs, must be my Celtic roots! I’ve got another secret design on the boil as well, a sort of a cross between St. Valentine and Gaelic design. Should be able to do the big ta da reveal tomorrow, that’s if I get enough natural light to photograph it. It is so grey and dark these days I literally just have a small window of about an hour a day in which I can get any useful light. Even adjusting the white balance for tungsten lighting I’d much rather have lovely natural daylight.

As I’m typing this I’m listening to BBC Radio 4 (for non UK readers this is one of the most interesting and fascinating radio stations in the history of the world, ever!). I’m listening to it on a DAB digital radio acquired today for £10 from a charity shop! Fabulous audio quality. I’ve been wanting one for a while but could never quite justify the expense. This one is an Elan DX20 and seems to retail for about £50.

 

I love it when something that’s been on your wish list is found for a fraction of the original cost!

Sláinte

Linda xx

An Ode to Scissors

I’m in love with my scissors! They’re not just any old scissors, they’re the love of my life!

A couple of months ago I decided I needed a new pair of dressmaking shears. I’d been using the ones I’d got from Ikea which were brilliant when they were new but when you use them for cutting your hair and as a poking device their useful life slowly ebbs away. I did a bit of research mainly on Gertie’s Blog for Better Sewing as that lady definitely knows what she’s talking about when it comes to dressmaking. She had recommended Kai or Gingher scissors. I added Merchant & Mills scissors to the list as they were made of classic Sheffield steel and manufactured in UK. As I was going to the Stitching Show at Ali Pali I was sure I’d find at least one of these 3 brands there.

For such a big show there weren’t that many haberdashery shops exhibiting. Up and down all the aisles I went getting little filips of joy when I spotted their scissor sections. Only to get disappointed when the only ones I could find were those dreadful ones with the orange plastic handles. They were everywhere in their nasty plastic bubble wrapping. What I couldn’t understand was there were so many people buying lovely (and expensive) fabrics, then cutting them out with any old pair of scissors. Why weren’t there people at the stands loudly demanding better quality scissors!!!!!!

Anyway I’d given up on my hunt having resigned myself to an internet purchase. After a consolation coffee and huge sticky creamy bun (I needed a lot of consoling) I headed for the exit. I was almost outside when I noticed a small room to my left which seemed to have a lot of people in it. Off I went to have a look and found it to contain mainly college and dressmaking school exhibitors. I turned round to go out when I glanced down an aisle and saw at the end……wait for it……… a pair of these!!!




I pounced straight away. It was sheer joy to hold these beautiful scissors, the craftmanship just amazing. These are scissors that will outlast me, my children, my children’s children etc etc. I was one happy bunny on the shuttle bus back to the tube. Probably not the best thing to be doing, sitting on the top deck of a bus waving 10” steel shears around but I was happy. and I still am, they are an absolute joy to use and they have turned fabric cutting from a pain to an experience the equivalent of demolishing a plate of cupcakes!

Embroidering a Celtic design on my Singer Futura XL400

Sláinte
Linda xxx

Pattern weights the frugal way!

There are many tutorials on the net for making your own pattern weights. This one is one of my favourites. I was tempted to make my own but instead I’ve been using these.

I pick them up in charity shops for between 50p and £1.50 and I’m sure I could get them even cheaper at jumble and car boot sales (note to self – add to my wish list for when car boot sales start up again in the Spring). The round ones all have a green felt backing so there are no rough edges to tear the pattern tissue.
Actually I could see myself becoming a bit of a collector of these things. I had a bit of a trawl around Google and I would definitely like to get my paws on these two!


They are really pretty.
I was going to post a video of my embroidery machine Helena (my machines have names – my vintage Singer is called Persephone) working her way around my latest creation for Valentine’s day, but by the time I remembered she had finished. Never mind. I will video the Celtic design I’ll be sewing tomorrow.
Sláinte,
Linda xx

Finally……

We’ve arrived in 2013, it’s stopped raining and the sun’s come out and there are blue skies! I can see loads of happy dog walkers on the Downs. I’m taking that as a good omen for the year ahead.
It’s amazing that even in the deepest, darkest depths of winter you can go out and still find colour in gardens and hedgerows. I found this lonely pink rose bravely blooming it’s little heart out this morning. I wanted to photograph it so it’s efforts would be rewarded by being on the ‘net for all the world to see!

Even more colour around……

Purple Hebe flower.

Red berries for the birds
And waiting in the wings for their turn to bloom


Even the trees are still colourful and interesting


And finally my favourite winter flower the Hellebore……

Indoors I’m working on a lovely black glitter scarf for myself, the pattern was generously provided by this lady

And Dalek bibs and knitted tea cosies seem to be very popular in my Etsy shop right now. My embroidery machine is whirring away and my knitting needles are clacking!!
Until tomorrow,  Linda xx