It's that oddball week between Christmas and New Year's Eve when nobody is sure what day or time it is, how many mince pies constitute an adequate breakfast, when the bins might next be collected, and whether or not the cat has been fed. We don't even have a cat (sadly), so this problem really shouldn't tax us as much as it does. I was back at work yesterday. Driving to the hospital on near-empty roads, I battled anxious thoughts about whether it really was definitely, definitely Friday, Continue Reading
Want To Win Some Loveliness?
GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR ENTRIES. WINNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED VERY SHORTLY. Lately I've been thinking, there's not enough yarn in your life... or yarn-related paraphernalia for that matter. Please forgive me for pointing this out so bluntly but you really need more yarn. I mentioned this fact to the marvellous Suzie at It's A Stitch Up, because she knows a thing or two about yarn if anyone does, and she was horrified. "Not enough yarn?! But, but, but, that's terrible!" Continue Reading
May I Show You My Blocking Mats?
Gosh, you are a lovely lot. Would you like an update on Mary's blanket? If you search deep amongst the comments on the last post, you'll notice a long and heart-warming response by one Mary Megarry. Executive summary: I THINK SHE LIKES THE BLANKET! Phew. I just hope it brings her a little comfort as she goes through the long process of recuperation. Anyway, onwards - at terrifyingly high speed - towards Christmas. Terrifying at least for those of us who aren't good at getting prepared Continue Reading
The Hat
Some time ago, Mother Twisted (my mum) asked me to knit her a hat for Christmas. If you type the word 'hat' into the knit part of the Ravelry pattern database, you'll get 68 624 alternatives. Yes, that is the real number. You might think that's a lot, but we Twisteds are fussy blighters, and I wasn't very optimistic that we'd find the right pattern amongst such a small collection. My pessimism was justified, and all 68 624 were rejected, lovely though most of them were. So I realized that I'd Continue Reading
It’s The Christmas Crochet Teapot Pattern!
Gosh, judging by your responses to the Adagio giveaway, you lot do enjoy your tea! There are still a few hours left in which you can enter, if you haven't done so already. Good luck! Meanwhile, the crochet Christmas tree seemed to be the most popular of the tea cosies that I designed, so I've written up the pattern for that, and I'll post it below, for FREE! This is the fellow:- It fits a standard two-cup teapot. (You could always scale up or down with larger or smaller yarn and hook if you Continue Reading
Would You Like Some Tea?
So I was contacted by Adagio Teas, who sell all sorts of luscious tea-based loveliness in various parts of the world, plus the equipment with which to make it. "Help!" they said. "Quickly, please!" I was puzzled. "Huh? I'm a knitting/crochet blogger - I'm not sure how I can help you..." "But it's an emergency!" they insisted. "The weather has turned freezing, and..." "Yeah, tell me about it: you should try living in this house." (Here, for the record, is what this house looks like at the Continue Reading
Christmas, With Yarn.
I've heard a rumour - and I must stress that at this stage, it remains only a rumour - that it's nearly Christmas. I know! I bet you're as gobsmacked as I am! Most years, Christmas takes me utterly by surprise, despite the fact that its fairly reliable occurrence on 25th December could be said to lend it a certain predictability. Also, some of my friends are the type of sociopaths people who start posting 'Only 364 days until Christmas!!!' on Boxing Day, and the harsher judges amongst you might Continue Reading
So That Was Mine. How Was Yours?
So that's over for another year. And look! I'm just a few stitches off completing both sleeves of Glitter Glam. Then there's just the collar and the assembly to do. Anyway, Christmas happened. A rotund and elderly chap dressed in red broke into our house via the chimney. But instead of stealing stuff, he left little chocolatey gifts around the place, hidden inside old socks. All normal rules of not-accepting-sweets-from-strangers were off as the twinnage tore the foil wrapping from Continue Reading
Christmassing Inexpertly
It's a tricky time here at Twisted Towers. Christmas has completely unexpectedly lumbered into view. I know that some of the wiser amongst you might argue that the fact it's on the same date every single year does lend it a certain predictability, but I'm telling you, we've been caught totally off-guard. Also, we're not very good at remembering to water the Christmas tree, so the poor thing is shedding needles so fast that we face gathering round a be-baubled Christmas stick on the big day to Continue Reading
So Shall We Find Out Which Lucky Folk Have Won The Giveaway?
I know. It's been a fair few days since the gong sounded, marking the end of the It's A Stitch Up giveaway. (To be fair, the gong didn't sound particularly loudly, since it's made entirely of yarn.) In meagre defence of my tardiness, we've had the inspectors in at the hospital where I work this week, and I had to pop across the Severn Bridge into south Wales, in order to go and endure the viva exam for my MPhil degree in (novel-)writing. The viva went surprisingly well. And no, the novel has Continue Reading