Pet in the house

We bought a puppy from the local animal rescue centre and he has taken over my life!  There has been no time for crafting as I have been cuddling and fussing over the new arrival (he is a puppy and a resuced one).  Who is in charge of this house?!

Folksy shop

Some time ago I came across a stack of old knitting patterns, they were mostly baby clothes patterns from the 1950s and 1960s.  As vintage designs go, I don't think that young, yummy mummies, would wish to dress their lovely babies in such outdated designs.  Adult vintage knitting designes are something else though.  Although the yarn and needles produced for the current times are certainly different in texture and shape, I do feel that today's knitters would turn out a good, wearable garment from these patterns.

This week I will be loading up some of the vintage knitting patterns on my Folksy shop site, with a view to making some sales.

Hen Galan

In Pembrokeshire Hen Galan, or New Year according to the Julian calender, is celebrated on 13th January.  The Julian calender was abolished in 1752 and replaced by the Gregorian calendar.  The people of the Gwaun Valley, Pembrokeshire resisted this change and today still celebrate the New Year in the old way.

Children go from house to house, carrying an apple decorated with a sprig of evergreen.  The apple represents prosperity and the children are rewarded with sweets and money.  Sing songs are performed and traditionally the men would go game hunting and the women would prepare a feast.

Tonight there will be much music and singing in the valley.

January Blues

It is mid(ish)-January and not really that good.  The weather here is poor.  Today we had thick fog and yesterday it just didn't stop raining.  Some parts of Wales have had to cope with flooded houses and roads.  A friend has been suffering the effects of swine 'flu and pay day is far in to the distant future.

There are plenty of projects to keep me busy though, such as making hats for the Spring collection in the shop and a Fair Isle scarf I started over the Christmas holidays.  Next Wednesday the Guild get back together for the first meeting of the year and we are going to have a crochet session!  Crochet is something I have never tried but would like to make a bedspread, old fashioned style.  Have you seen the price of the crochet bedspread in one of Toast's catalogues?  Cheery news then.

Holiday

The shop where I am working part-time, is closed now until January 20th.  Yesterday some of us met up for coffee in a local cafe and then spent some time in the shop, taking down the Christmas decorations.  It was 12th night and all good things must come to an end.

The shop is being spruced up for the new season and us knitters are working out colours and designs for our 2011 collection.

My contribution will be to carry on with making beanies, as they are so popular with our male customers.  I am also going to make beanies with a lacy pattern, so will be looking at what is on offer on http://www.ravelry.com/.  The colours will be neutral and the yarn will be from Welsh farms and mixed breeds.  Fab.

Would rather be ......

... in Queensland.  Well, not in the North.  Rockhampton is in a pretty bad way with all the flooding.  They have had such a lot of rain recently; it is the wet season, but La Nino is in the wrong position, therefore the climate is topsy turfy.  A bit like here in the UK, where the Gulf Stream is all over the place, but not the correct place.

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