Episode 24 – Loose Ends & Whereabouts

A podcast for people who love knitting, Dorset Buttons, creativity & Scotland, especially the Highlands & Islands.

Welcome to the 24th episode of my podcast – Loose Ends & Whereabouts

Thank you for listening again or welcome if you are a first time listener.

An episode that rounds up some of my making & where I’ve been over the summer & autumn.

The clocks have just gone back & the first snow has arrived on the mountain tops.

The Weather

After a consistently good winter in early 2019 summer was very mixed, although look at this fantastic weather we had the day we  walked down to the beach on the headland on Sleat.

I was particularly happy early autumn when the bracken started to turn bringing a fantastic array of oranges, yellows and golden greens to the landscape.

Bracken on the turn

Who knows what winter will bring but with all the rain & inconsistency we’ve had in recent weeks I’m feeling it may be a bit disruptive & not as kind to us as last winter.

I update you on the TJFrog Weather Station which is all about location!

Making

I catch up with the garments on my needles and which ones have progressed.

My shoulder has been causing me some pain and sadly limiting the amount of making I can do.

The Stephen West Gullfoss – Dorset Button Brooch I failed to get this done – the yarn seems to have gone into hiding!

The Eigg Slippers are finally finished!

They are incredibly cosy although sewing them up was hard work, not my favourite thing to do.

From these pieces

To these very cosy slippers.

Eigg & Eigg!

I’ve made 2 fair isle hats, a Shetland Wool Week Roadside Beanie for Geraint with a palette of black, grey & white which received many compliments.

Finished in the nick of time.  In the car park on our way to the Opening Ceremony at Shetland Wool Week!

At sunny Sumburgh Head

My beanie only got as far as the rib as I wanted to get started on Harriet’s Hat.

I chat about this project which is contributing to the MRI Scanner fundraising.

Harriet was interviewed by Anne Frost of audio podcast I Thought I Knew How.  It’s a great interview and you can listen in to hear all about the story behind the hat which has so far raised £62,000 with £15,000 raised from various projects during Shetland Wool Week.

Me in my Harriet’s Hat with Burra Bear Billy O’Middle Toon

Also find out about the heartwarming story behind Burra Bear Billy O’Middle Toon & follow his adventures on Social Media. (@BillyOMiddleToon)

Anne Frost of podcast I Thought I Knew How wearing the latest pattern, Harriet’s Cowl.

Another fund raising project currently underway, with only a few days left, is the Shetland Peerie Makkers.  A crowdfunding initiative to try to ensure the handing down of knitting tradition and skills continue.  What started as a pilot project in 2015 after schools stopped teaching knitting has grown across a number of communities with volunteer tutors & they now need funds to continue providing materials alongside the wool that is provided by Jamiesons of Shetland.

I am proud to be able to support both of these projects as Shetland holds a special place in my heart.

My purchases during Shetland Wool Week other than the yarn for Harriet’s Hat amounted to the the yarn for the Seaweed Slipover by Wilma Malcolmson in the Annual and some of the 10th Anniversary Wool Week Merchandise.

Dorset Buttons

The Dorset Button workshops during Shetland Wool Week were sold out, very enjoyable & with fantastic results, a few of which can be seen here.

The Makers Market was once again a packed event with the first hour extremely busy although I feel honoured to have been part of it

I briefly cover my whereabouts this summer and autumn.

• The Highland Wool Show at Dingwall, Aberdeen Yarn Festival, Woolfest in Cumbria, WoolNess in Newcastle, Open Day event at Di Gilpin’s studio in Fife, Portsoy in Aberdeenshire, Shetland Wool Week and Loch Ness Knit Fest.

WoolNess was a new show which was very well organised and my TJFrog Staff gained a new name from Liz of Sunderland, The Button Man!  Love it.  Portsoy was a community focused event and we stayed in the campsite on the beachfront.

We also got to go to the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides where I taught and we enjoyed long walks on the deserted (or nearly deserted) sandy beaches.

It’s been a long year and I’m looking forward to spending a bit more time at home now.

I have 2 local Christmas Craft Fairs –

• 22 – 24 November at the Skeabost Hotel
• 8 December at Seamus Bar, Sligachan Hotel

In 2020 I am focusing on completing some design work and there are plans to build an office for me so I will be doing less shows to ensure these get done.

Local Lowdown

I chat about our local shop and the importance of this to the community and tourists.  It’s about to be upgraded and will move to temporary containers ensuring this asset continues to provide local produce, supplies and Post Office.

Across The Bridge

This interview was recorded the day after Edinburgh Yarn Festival back in March.

My Dorset Button fabric is printed by BeFab BeCreative in Leith, Edinburgh and you can find the interview with Solii in Episode 22.  Solii then takes the fabric to Kalopsia (also in Leith) for me who in turn make project bags, some of which can be seen below.

Kalopsia are a social enterprise and we hear about their roots, their ethos & vision.

A selection of TJFrog bags made by Kalopsia

That’s it for now.  Many thanks for listening in.  I will be back on 24 November.

Til next time . . .

Music – the music is:

One Frog For a Prince, by Ron Patton & licensed from Melody Loops.

Bye for now.