There are many little nooks and crannies in our house, some are more strange than others. There are made that way, collections of things, almost like a "nature table" at primary school or a collection of items put up in a specific way that looks very much like a non specific way and one of these peculiarities is the bird wall. Right by the back doors so they can escape whenever they want.

I have always loved birds and the idea of flight, looking back through my sketchbooks there are multi drawings of birds from my teens onwards, works that I have liked have included pieces about flight – one of which includes a piece at Rites of Passage, Art for the End of the Century (Tate Britain 1995) – a bird cage hung very high in the ceiling of the space, the base of the cage is open and the bars underneath have unfurled and stretched to the point that the come all the way to the gallery floor and along the floor some way – so beautiful and simple and a complete expression of flight. I can’t find any images of it to show you, just a rough sketch in my sketchbook. The exhibition had so many memorable pieces and substantial artists work in there, and one really moving piece of work was Bill Viola’s Tiny Deaths.

In fact reading that last sentence again makes me think that my interest in birds includes all birds but particularly the birds that symbolise darker elements of life such as ravens and crows, or birds that seem to move and be so free. But also it is about that expression of ultimate joyous-ness, such as Marc Chagall expressing his love of his wife and their love lifting them out of the window and over the city. So looking at sketchbooks and seeing drawings of a bird I had drawn and drawn after it had died, doesn’t seem odd to me, it’s not about capturing or trapping them but about life and death – tiny echoes of us but with the ability of flight.

So here is the bird wall, not morbid at all (there are many other bird based items, drawings, designs, clothes, pictures through out the rest of the house) but this is the bird wall.

Monoprint by Lisa Marie Gibbs

Ceramic birds, patterned x 2 by Lauren Denney

White Dove, a gift from The Coombes School

Large ceramic wingless bird by Jane Muir

Bird on red ribbon, a gift

2 x painted pigeons, birds for the twins from The Coombes School

porcelain doves by Zillah Puri (with labels)

Small birds head original canvas Andy Dick taught my mother to dance by The Mincing Mockingbird (on top of this mini canvas are a pair of rusted steel wings laying flat, a gift from the artist Rebecca Swainston, not sure where she found them)

Bird on Canvas (framed) by Natasha Zavialov

My bag of pencils and brushes.

The Bird Wall

 Working away on things I can’t show you, secrets.

Firstly a series of book illustrations

(sneak peek)

Secondly something to knit

Made some mini bunting for Outcasts Reading Museum Jubilee Project

 A friend gave me some badges, that was a secret too

A picture from a walk in Portugal of the twins

What the sky looked like the next day

And then walking back home again

We work really hard in this house for many reasons – sometimes it’s hard to think of it as a job as it’s a way of life, in fact it’s more a life choice than a job as in the main it doesn’t generate a wage. Money comes from various ways and it’s about balancing things we love doing, making, being and earning money to do those things and pay the bills. It’s hard to differentiate a line between jelly and my life – they are intertwined, I love them both.

So this week being at jelly means moving out of two shop windows, one pub, a photoshoot for Dan Le Sac (so getting them into the building), opening the doors for a team of paranormal investigators, signing off a lease on a nightclub.

This week being at home means going to Paris for the day with Whirly the Younger with our cameras (thank you baby bro for the ticket treat).

Add to the two, the normal plans, you know the everyday stuff, making things, seeing people, planning projects, timetables, fitting in things the kids need to do and you have a full day/ week/ month/ year… The best bits? Seeing and meeting up with people – those grabbed opportunities for a one to one chat, in cafes after meetings or visiting new venues made by people we love. 

Ending the week with a visit to a church to watch a film, this film, one of my favourite oldies and then time for a visit to a gin joint me thinks. It’s about life balance you know.

Ah, Insomnia, my old friend

It may be because there is so much on my mind, so much to do, so much that’s already been done that sometimes it’s hard to even take a breath. Maybe it was the snoring in the bed next to me. I did all the right things, no late night caffeine, alcohol, having a bath and a relatively early night. Suddenly I find myself awake thinking about large bits of furniture and as I write this it reminds me of when my sister was sleepwalking and dreaming that there was a giant Mars bar behind the wardrobe and she was trying to move it. Wasn’t a dream though that kept me awake, just the thoughts of where am I going to move the large pieces of gallery furniture that need to be moved out of storage.

Then my mind turned to other things, good things to try and induce sleep, calm walks, the woods, the sea, friends and it all became so complex and layered that after a pretty long time of trying to resist, here I am writing things. Yesterday The Knitter, issue 41 arrived, and there we were on page 8, Dyeing to Unwind (link to info on Skein Queen blog).  Even though it is already well booked, seeing it in print made it more exciting and it’s now only 115 days away until we are there. I can’t wait, I know it will be inspiring, everything is in place and ready to go.

Excuse the photo, it’s a 5am on a dark January morning…

I am really in love with photography again (I always have loved photography) but a few weeks back Whirly the younger bought herself an old 1950′s camera that takes 127 roll film. I will take a picture of the camera at some point when everyone isn’t sleeping (the floor is too creaky to go rootling around in her bedroom). It’s incrediby hard nigh on impossible to find that film so after seeking online advice, we’ve got 120 film and I haven’t been able to find a black bag yet (obviously the answer is online) but once I do I will cut and re-spool the film and then we are systems go. Whirly and I were given a day trip to Paris for Christmas (thank you lil bro) so armed with cameras (we have quite a few variants now) we will be heading off to experiment and enjoy a different place through a lens or two. The film cameras we have here are causing the same intrigue as the record player so my excitement levels are rising and not only that knowing we will be developing our own films again. I feel the need to start cataloging things again, build a little library of images and the excitement of processing films, not quite knowing exactly what you have – ah. Roll on Paris

So Jack Frost may be nipping at my toes and it’s the perfect excuse to roll out the hand knit cashmere bedsocks, wooly hats and the works but I am also thinking of Paris in the Springtime, well not quite Paris and a little later than Spring but still France (and I can’t help it if that song is stuck in my head, in a few days it’s bound to be a Christmas song again). Do you wnat to know what I am on about? Well, it’s all over here at Skeinqueen’s blog – we are organising another Gite Retreat – this one based around colour and dyeing (yarn) and designing and being inspired all whilst under the backdrop of the Lot et Garonne.

Here’s some pictures from the tea party just to warm your appetite – it was a brilliant time we had…

We’ve already had our first Christmas whilst my parents were over and visiting plus Aunt Elsie’s Do felt very Christmassey with tinsel, twinkling lights and mince pies. There seems to have been a woolly, animal and red theme running through the Christmas Gift knitting. Here’s a little peak

sssshhhh, they’re secrets so don’t mention a word.

Christmas Bauble (Arne & Carlos) : Semele (Åsa Tricosa) : Mini-Mr Fox Stole my Heart (Tiny Owl Knits): Deer with little antlers hat (Tiny Owl Knits)

This Saturday I will be at jelly’s home at 29-31 Market Place with Aunt Elsie and friends, The building has been decorated, the bar bedecked with tinsel and baubles and things are starting to arrive. It is open to the public for free from 10.30-4.30, then it shuts down whilst we prepare it for Aunt Elsie’s evening do starting at 5.30pm on to late. The evening event costs £3 which includes nibbles, a complimentary drink and entry into the "Dress like Aunt Elsie" competition.

Hope to see some of you there for much fun and laughter, new things, old friends and giggles.

psst, also here’s a sneaky peak of a reworked pattern – the snooks now comes with options (yes, options!) handwarmers, cuffs, flip tops… woooo. If you already have purchased this pattern, just ask me for an updated version.

I know it feels like a long time since I have been here but I have been working on secret things and not secret things that need to be photographed. The secret things are filling up my suitcase of gifts waiting to be given, so they will stay hidden but I might take a picture of the suitcase. The not secret things that need to be photographed is because I am waiting on models (gone are the days of compliant smaller children now I have fully sprung teenagers that have a social life and a n other who’s old age vanity is setting in).  Then added with the fact that there are new designs waiting to be written up and a secret joint project with someone else there feels like there is probably not much too tell but this month is very exciting.

Firstly. Wovember – a month celebration and campaign for Wool and that is real wool, not mixtures of fibres that may have the teeniest wool element ever and still is described as wool but the kind of wool that is wool. Many of my favourite things are made from wool, 100% wool, wool that smells of sheep as you knit (I know that sounds strange but I love it). Visit the site, sign the petition and join in.

Here’s something that I wish you could scratch and sniff the screen to smell, it is delicious and saved for a friend who I know will love it. The yarn is Beiroa, made from the wool of Bordaleira Serra da Estrela sheep. That make sit even better for me, that it’s from there via Retrosaria. The pattern is Arncott, by Jen Arnall-Culliford, from The Scrumptious Collection Volume 1.

Secondly, I have been caught up in the hexi-puff, if you watch this video of tiny owl knits you’ll get why, it made me giggle a lot and hexi-puffs are a good way to use up  all those bits of yarn so the last bits of the snicket colours from the unfortunate blanket,  a 13 stitch pattern blanket with a 6x6x6 edging and destined for scary story telling will have a twin which is the deadly bee sting blanket (pictures to follow). Included wil be The Radleys and Snow Whites Apple too, stuff to haunt minds. That’s the plan.

But if you want to spread some love and happiness, support indie designers and contribute to a group project that will raise money to change lives, then join the Beekeepers Quilt, you can donate two hexipuffs and enter the draw so you can have your own beekeepers quilt all made with good intentions and no scary bits at all.

Now some happy hexi-puffs already waiting for the new quilt.

Even though things get checked and rechecked and checked some more, sometimes there is a problem, missing information or a missing number. Thank you for anyone that finds one, I appreciate it. It doesn’t matter how many people make it, read it and check it, sometimes things slip through.

Saltire Mittens:

Decrease mitten section

Apologies, there is missing piece of info on the written instructions for the mitten decreases.

Row27 Follow chart as set 34(40,46)sts
continuing until row 41 (45, 47) (or desired length)
Keep pattern as set through the decrease rows.
Row 1 *K1 K2tbl K11 (14, 17) K2tog K1, repeat. 32 (38, 44) sts.
Row 2 Continue as set.
Row 3 *K1 K2tbl K9 (12,15) K2tog K1, repeat.
Row 4 Continue as set.
Row 5 *K1 K2tbl K7 (10,13) K2tog K1, repeat
Row 6 Continue as set.
Row 7 *K1 K2tbl K5 (8,11) K2tog K1, repeat.
Row 8 Continue as set.
Row 9 *K1 K2tbl K9 K2tog K1, repeat.
Row 10 Continue as set. 

Today was a day for me, after a month that had involved one major festival, a third thursday, cleaning up and opening a pub, missing a holiday, a photo job, did some lobbying, writing projects up, working on new designs and the such like, so today had to be for me. So whirly the younger, her friend S and I headed off to Basildon Park to see the Horrockses exhibition and just indulge in beautiful things. We took picnic, sketchbooks and cameras and below is a small snapshot of our day.

I have just spied something very lovely, check out whirly the youngers blog about the day, I love her pictures…

And if you are wondering what’s been happening in the knitting world, here’s a stack of pieces that include samples, new designs and stock.

my new love? My deadly bee sting quilt, but that picture will have to wait until next time.