Who wrote to Niftyknits?

Yesterday a letter popped through the Niftyknits letterbox. (If you missed the start of our new adventure, you can read about it here).







Hmmm - a new line. "The Nifty Snail Cozy™"? You name it, I can knit it - but what exactly is a Nifty Snail Cozy™? I guess it's like a hat - and we've got plenty of experience with hats!



There's even a welder's helmet today, hot off the needles last night!



They're not very "snaily" though. I wonder how big Graham is?



We could measure the picture on this card from quernuscrafts.co.uk but it might not be life-size. Let's try google:



Wow. That would take a lot of yarn. Maybe there is a snail in the garden? Here's one - but he's in the pond.



Maybe not. He's a bit damp for a modelling assignment. Pop him back.



We've found a snail! He's bound to be the same size as Graham.



Right let's get knitting! If you'd like to read about the adventures of Graham the snail, he has his own facebook page here and I'm sure would welcome some new friends. We'll be back tomorrow with a prototype of The Nifty Snail Cozy™

OOOH look what came through the letterbox!

Hmmm. I don't know why they make letterboxes so high these days.


Still can't reach. Think I can see who it's addressed to though...Niftyknits!


Better fetch reinforcements.


Steady, steady...can you reach?


Oooops. You know what we need? A knight in shining armour.


Hurrah for St George and merry England!


Anything for a fair maiden, ma'am ;-)


So are we going to open it? I want to know who it's from!

Dr Who Giveaway winner!

A big thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway and left me useful moving tips. We're busy scrubbing the house and de-personalising it ready to get the estate agent round (so of course now I can't find anything)

Although of course the giveaway is over PLEASE leave me more tips if you have them. We really want to move!

I've asked random.org to choose a winer, and it's...


*drumroll*



Funnily enough, the winner DinaFragola has left the hardest tip to follow...decided NOW what needs chucking rather than pack it and worry about it later. So maybe it's a sign?

Your goodies will be on their way shortly!

Nature's Art

Walking through the woods today we saw a fallen tree - to me it looks like a big beached fish. Can you see what I mean?



Looking more closely, the wood has weathered so beautifully with ripples and whorls - what sculptor could better this work?











Wish I could have taken it home for the garden, but it looked a little heavy.

**Don't forget to enter my giveaway if you're a Dr Who fan** click here

Work in progress #part 3

First of all, I'd like to say a BIG thank you to everyone who has commented on part 1 and part 2. This has been quite a leap out of my comfort zone in several ways, not least of course is that it is a long way from meerkats!

Reading your suggestions and opinions has really helped. Nicole's comment yesterday "go for odd" made me rethink my basic "framing" idea, because I think I was subconsciously trying to make it look like a "proper" frame, which is why I was anxious about wood length and joining at the corners.



So I've added crochet "struts" to attach the knit to the wood and reduced to 2 pieces of driftwood because it's the weight of the wood that draws out the lacing - I can't do that sideways!



I like the way the zigzaggyness (new technical term) of the crochet echoes the waves and the seagulls and the roof of the beach hut :-)



Thanks for helping me work this out!

Work in progress #part 2

Beach huts at Tankerton, Whitstable

After sharing my "work in progress" last week, it occurred to me that some of my readers might not be familiar with beach huts, I suspect they might be a very Britis phenomenon. My grandparents had a beach hut on the coast at Deal, Kent for many years. We'd huddle in what was little more than a shed on the seafront, wrapped in blankets against the howling wind and sipping tea from plastic beakers. They went out of fashion for many years, but are trendy one again. i desperately want one in Whitstable when we move there!

I've tried several methods of attaching the knitted seascapes to the driftwood. I've also decided I should have knitted to fit the driftwood, rather than trying to fit driftwood to the knit - you wouldn't not believe how hard it is to find driftwood of specific sizes!

I started by lacing fairly "straight". I think I'd have preferred the wood to stick out at all of the corners, but the wood refused to stretch. I like the way the lower piece is crooked and has become part of the beach. I laced it with the "sky" yarn for the upper part, and the "pebble" yarn below. I tried using a contrasting yarn all the way around but it got too fussy.



Then MrNifty (earning his design consultant pay!) suggested lacing in a criss-cross manner:



I can't decide. What do you think? Is there too much lacing? I'm not sure if it's becoming a distraction, too fussy, stopping the natural beauty of the driftwood showing to advantage? Or is it because the criss-cross lacing is in the paler yellow yarn that it shows too much? Maybe I should stick to using wood coloured yarn?

All opinions welcomed!

there's never a small boy around when you need one...

I remember when my sons were small always having to stop and gaze at tractors, diggers, workmen (daughter had no interest in these things - nature or nurture?)

Big excitement through my bedroom window today:


left hand branch already gone


*phew* the pigeon's favourite spot is still there!