Winter Warmers

Happy New Year to all. I hope that 2011 brings you a sense of being in the right place, doing what you are meant to be doing. As I write, it is a beautiful, sunny afternoon here in Oxford and it is so wonderful to see the sun after all that grey and rain over the past few days. And the cold is back too, which makes it feel more like January again.

Here are some pictures of things I made last year to help keep body and soul warm. The first image shows a pair of photographer's mittens I made my Other Half for Christmas. This is my own design and I have called them Falklands' Dags. Falklands, because they are based on a traditional Falklands Island cable pattern I found in Pam Dawson's Traditional Island Knitting and are knitted in 100% Falklands wool that OH brought back from there in 2009. And Dags because the shape is derived from the traditional Shetland fingerless mittens known as Fisherman's Dags described by Elizabeth Johnston at the In the Loop conference last year. If anyone would like to knit these, please contact me for the pattern - I also have some of the Falklands wool, if you would like to buy a ball to knit them with.

The other pictures are of a Debbie Bliss blanket I made for baby Lincoln who arrived in the world on 6 January. A big, big welcome to him and blessings to his Mum and Dad.

Knitted Advent - Day 24

DECEMBER 24th - Cally's Nativity Knits and Pattern

CHRISTMAS EVE: my Knitted Advent Calendar finishes with some of the nativity figures made by the very talented Cally of the Jam Factory Knitters using a pattern by Alan Dart. I'd like to take the opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas wherever you are.

Knitted Advent - Day 23

DECEMBER 23rd - Chilean Hat

Knitted Advent - Day 22

DECEMBER 22nd - Chilean "Glittens"

Knitted Advent - Day 21

DECEMBER 21st - Midwinter Knitting

It's the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. Outside my window in Oxford it is still snowing. Inside this morning's Advent window is a design inspiration from the Midwinter pottery of Jessie Tait, a 1950s classic named Quite Contrary.

Knitted Advent - Day 20

DECEMBER 20th - Norwegian Hat

Knitted Advent - Day 19

DECEMBER 19th - Sands of Shetland
Will we get to see them for Christmas?
Snowed in in Oxford at the moment...