A small quiet post for a cold, cold December evening. Come sit here beside the fire and tell me honestly what you think of these fat green olives. Oh, and do have a dribble of rioja, too.
We’ve been hunkering down for winter here at the brewery, a statement that I appreciate will sound faintly ludicrous to those of you blessed/cursed with proper winters. In my defence, all I can offer is this: ice-on-the-inside-of-the-windows. Not now, obviously, but sometimes. Time, I think, to head off to the welcoming warmth of the pub:-
Notice the Stoic Spouse’s iron grip on his pint, there. Ain’t nobody gonna steal his beer.
Anyway ( <– a word so vastly over-used on this site that it should be taxed at source), I’m properly cheery that so many people enjoyed the easy-to-knit Christmas decorations here, here, and here. Let’s not mention the penguin. Thank you to those kind people who emailed pictures of your creations, and do feel free to share them with a happy wider audience on the ‘Yarn’s Facebook page. Newsflash: crochet versions of the patterns will be revealed very shortly…
Meanwhile, Carole Beck has written an article for the Tesco website about easy-peasy Christmas crafts for children, and look whose work is described and pictured on page one (and page four)! It made me smile from ear to ear, I tell you.

Oh, and whilst I’m prancing round this post showing off like a post-bedtime five-year-old on a sugar rush, may I show you this little snippet from Let’s Knit magazine?

That reminds me…. Look out for a shortly forthcoming article on the Let’s Knit blog, to be appearing just as soon as I’ve finished knitting this:-
Yup, I’m back to designing and knitting stranded patterns. Honestly, people, it’s like coming home.
Wishing you a week of peaceful, happy knitting and crochet.
That pattern with the subtle color transition is lovely, looking forward to see how it comes out!
You are just so talented. It’s looking fabulous already. When we first moved into our house the kitchen floor in the winter had frost on the tiles. Made my daughters immune system pretty robust though!
No wonder you needed those lovely slippers…
My, you are in demand, how exciting! I’m sat here knitting for the first time on about twenty years (crochet and sewing being my faves) and enjoying it immensely:)
Ahhhhh! Your wonderfulness is spreading! ☺️ x
I can’t wait for the crochet versions! 🙂
Congrats!
Thank you. 🙂
I like your sample. 😉
You may prance about as much as you like – how wonderful and how well deserved! You just keep on producing gorgeous stuff AND share your patterns and totally inspire me even though I still haven’t made more than a couple of swatches [both fails] for my own version of a mandala…….. As soon as my house empties out of my [beloved] visitor it’s down to making bunting for Tasmania and something else for Canada – what, I still have no clue! So prance on Twisted, prance on 🙂 xoxo
Right, OK, here’s the plan: I’m going to deliver the Toddler Twinnage to the Twisted Seniors, leave a note for the Stoic Spouse, pack a bag, and sell my rusty old car in order to buy a tent and a plane ticket to NZ, so that I can camp outside your house waiting for you to finish the mandalas. Because given your genius with colour and your artistic talent (the result of which is hanging on my study wall), any mandalas you make are going to be breathtaking.
But no pressure or anything…
(PS: May I borrow a couple of cushions for my tent, please?)
That’s a great plan! Not that much ‘artistic’ mandala making will happen, but because Siddy would love another visitor to play with during the night. No prob with the cushions – have plenty and a couple of Bavarian throws too as the nights can still be quite cool. So you just need to get Stoic and Twisted Seniors to agree to the twinnage raising duties……..I’ll dash down to the wine emporium and order in a vineyards stock of rioja later this morning.
I can’t wait to see more. I love your inviting style for each of us to come sit and knit with you and indulge a little while we’re at it. Thank you for sharing with us;-).
You’re welcome. Let me refill your glass, there. 🙂
Oh wow, well done! And that colourwork looks lovely,n can’t wait to see what it is 🙂
Any guesses??
(And thank you for your kind comment.)
I loved the blog about making the tiny Christmas trees, so I’m glad to see it’s getting all the attention it deserves 🙂 The colourwork is looking gorgeous as well!
Muchly thank you, as always. 🙂
Congratulations. Does this mean that your lovely work will be rewarded with a Christmas hamper from Tesco? Or is this another Tesco?
Ha no, I don’t get anything except the opportunity to grin a little. But when it went live, I did pop into my local Tescos to buy a bottle of celebratory Prosecco.
Whatever you are knitting looks Interesting! Congrats on Tesco (!) and Let’s Knit, how lovely. I obviously missed the penguin……
Well it was supposed to be a Santa, but everyone (rightly) said it looked like an evil penguin. Which wasn’t really the look I was aiming for.
Reply number 2: I’m so sorry I missed a flurry of important posts on your blog! I am, quite clearly, stoopid. Popping over there now…..
HAHAHAHAHA! OH I NEEDS me some glasses ASAP! Your “Excerpt from Let’s Knit magazine” had me doing a double take as I read “The Twisted Yarn is the home of Phil, a psychopath living in Oxford shire” ;). Yeah, and I thought I wasn’t stressed this Christmas season! ;). I, too, am feverishly working on my daughter’s Christmas gift. Thank goodness the weather thinks that it is aligned with the North and we have had cold wintry days (hooray! Much better than dry hot ones in my book!) and I spent 12 hours yesterday working to get this gift out of the stocks and into a box. Fingers crossed I will be finished by tomorrow and I can start to go outside, smell the roses (after finding roses that the possums and Earl haven’t pee’d on) and start to breath again. Kudos on your crafty inclusions Ms Twisted. I see all crafters as my brethren. You must be my twisted sister 😉
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wid6EJnAKrY
Knock yourself out sis! 😉
Yay, go sister! But hang on, what are you doing with our weather?
(Did I mention how much I love your comments?)
Love from Twisted-the-psychopath. 🙂
I am sure I am possessed by the muses of Oscar Wilde in my comments sometimes so I can’t be blamed for what spills out of my early morning bonce ;). Yeah, before that first cup of tea I obviously can’t read straight. Must read more blog posts then as it certainly adds to the amusement quotient! ;). I love giving you comments as your blog posts are always engaging, entertaining and sometimes have red penguins 🙂
Love the colours on that stranded piece, its stunning. Congrats on being featured in Lets Knit, exciting!
This is fantastic stuff – congrats on being featured in the magazines! I made one of your lovely trees this week, now it just needs to be decorated. Your new project looks lovely, I like the autumnal colours and I look forward to seeing the finished item!
Congrats on the mentions! How wonderful! 🙂 Can’t wait to see what you’re color work turns out to be.