A Jumbled up Post!

This lovely patterned floor is laid out just like a patchwork quilt! We aren't obsessed with all things textile but it does change the way you see the world ...this floor is in Creeting House which was the venue for last weeks and this weeks Swish Up event - a whole post on this to follow shortly!

Halfpenny Home was there or a very small part of it was!
It's tricky to show people who have never visited HH HQ just what it is like and what goes on there but I think that we managed it this week. The good wives of Sew and Crow don't like to waste a single second so they all brought their knitting and crochet along to Creeting House with them.

We also had a visit from Laura who makes the most wonderful soap, has helped us with the book and will be running soap making workshops at Halfpenny Home next Spring and Summer. I wasted no time at all in getting that delivery of delicious smelling soap installed on a cake stand!

There will be some of Laura's soap available at the Humble Jumble up at The Ark on King William Street in Needham Market on Saturday 20th November - it's starting earlier this month 10 am - 3 pm.
Flossie is proudly sporting a HJ poster along with one of our hand dyed silk scarves and a skirt by Polly's Textiles.

Floss stood in for me (I'm shy!) to show off my new cardigan wrap thing that is so snuggly and warm, here it is wrapped up...

and here it is worn down!

Cheers Floss! Hope to see you all up the jumble on Saturday, Nic x

Hats Off!

Finally - the hat which will be featuring in my Autumn/Winter collection. Along with my really long scarf and my big mittens it will keep me warm when I'm riding my bike!
I love the Knit Collage yarn that we have at HH and have been eager to get on with fashioning myself a hat in it. Just choosing the colour was hard enough as they are all so yummy...

I decided to go for Raspberry Sunset as it goes perfectly with this Fandango yarn from Colinette. I finished it this morning just in time for my trip down to the allotment to let out the chickens - before that I managed (with difficulty) to get a couple of pics. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out! The Fandango covers my ears and is really soft and snuggly, the Knit Collage is so chunky that it's made a lovely warm hat.

With the help of my lovely mum I have finished my jacket/cardigan/wrap thing that has been on the go since last Summer.
It's knitted in chunky Tweedy by Sirdar and was supposed to be finished in time for last Winter. I had nearly finished but when I did the sleeves I didn't like them so it's been folded up and sat on a stool next to my sewing machine all this time. I couldn't face starting the sleeves again so when mum said she fancied doing a bit of knitting I had it all ready for her!

She knitted them up in a flash and I couldn't wait to sew it all together and show it off! It has these long sides that waterfall down like this...

I'll have to get a snap of Floss wearing it so you can see it in all it's glory!
Now I can get back to making Christmas presents, Nic x

Every other Thursday evening Sam and I meet up with some other knitters at The Brewery Tap in Ipswich, we have a great time and the Tap does brilliant food as well as having Aspall Cyder on tap - what more could you want? Although already familiar with the fabulous homemade sausage rolls this week I was tempted by a scotch egg. It's like a Halfpenny Home from home as the Tap displays their homemade goodies on cakestands just like we do at the studio!
We didn't stay out too late as the next day I was expecting a visit from a very special person, Tracy from the Gedgrave Flock was coming over to deliver some of her beautiful yarns that are produced from her flock of Wensledales.

After meeting up with Tracy at HH, we left the art group upstairs to lock up and made our way down to The Barn Cafe at Alder Carr Farm. As we were passing we dropped into The Old Piggery Pottery and spied the next batch of mugs destined for HH. These ones are still waiting for their handles!

These mugs are waiting to be handpainted with chickens, hares and blackbirds!

If you've ever paid a visit to the studio you will have seen or enjoyed a cuppa from one of Helen's mugs, the ones we use are specially made for us and have Halfpenny flowers on them. This next batch will be in Halfpenny colours - red and blue and we can't wait to see them!

This is the new lot of yarns that Tracy was delivering, she's dyed the skeins - you can see the photos on her blog here. It's perfect for socks!

I've been so looking forward to seeing this yarn - we love Knit Collage yarn and inspired by this Tracy sent a photo to her spinner and asked if she could do something similiar...

This is the result, she's spun in strands of pinky purple and turquoise silk along with the chunky Wensleydale wool and isn't it stunning?

What can we make with it? Nic x

Halfpenny Home visits the Hitcham After Seven's!

Sitting here at my kitchen table I am remembering the evening we spent in the company of the Hitcham After Seven's. These ladies started to meet up every fortnight 35 years ago and the current Chairperson Sadie is one of the clubs founder members. They have a guest speaker every time that they meet up and always have a splendid time!
We were invited along after a few of 'The After Seven's' had visited Halfpenny Home and being a crafty lot they knew that we would be able to organize a quick make that they could all enjoy...

We packed up our wicker hamper with goodies and treats from HH...

The china chicken that you usually see on the big table at the studio came along and made itself useful ferrying threads from table to table...

Decorating haircombs, brooches and hairbands with Suffolk puffs, buttons and colourful feathers kept us all busy until coffee time!

Rosina, seen here sitting to the right of the picture is the events co-ordinator and works hard to make sure that the diary is full and that the ladies are always entertained.
I even had a little time to start on a little something for myself, I've wanted to use this lovely brown spotted fabric for ages and then when this gorgeous rose print poplin arrived I couldn't wait any longer!

I'll post the results when I have finished, Nic x

Fungilicious Forest Fun

I've been off for a spot of forest camping this weekend, at Rendlesham Forest, a forestry commission site near Woodbridge in Suffolk. Though it's not far from home, you could be anywhere and it has a wonderful recuperative effect - it's just so relaxing being so close to nature. The weather was really kind to us.... as you can see from the sun glinting through the woodland. I just love the changing colours of Autumn

We took bikes and went on the UFO forest trail. The picture below is quite eerie I think, but still beautiful.
My bike screeched to a halt when I saw these magnificent funghi! Aren't they gorgeous? I thought of Jane, our Artist friend when I saw these.

We saw squirrels collecting for the winter and here's some bounty for them.

Even this moss growing on an old trunk looked really pretty in the autumn sunshine.

This one looks like it is dripping! How delicate.

And then there were these gorgeous frilly edged funghi below, all huddling together.

But, I couldn't go the weekend without some crafting. Nic had given me a ball of the gorgeous Knit Collage Kinari Bazaar to experiment with some time ago, but I was so nervous of doing it justice, being a novice knitter I almost didn't feel worthy! A weekend of beautiful natural inspiration spurred me on to try.

I've decided to have a go at a cowl using a pattern on Knit Collage "be inspired" section. It seemed straight forward enough......

Until....I got to row 12 and it said to cable stitches. Damn! I hadn't done this before. I called Nic and she talked me through it but I decided I would leave it until I got home, so this one is to be continued - watch this space!

And finally, I couldn't go without including a picture of my lovely veteran westie. He just loved his weekend away, even if he is a bit slow... here he is in his winter finery admiring the view!

A good weekend was had by all.

Hope yours was good too.

Jacqui x

Get the pots out, it's dyeing time at Halfpenny Home!

This week we thought that we would try a something new and dye with brazilwood, we were not disappointed...you soak the brazil wood (tied up in a little stockinette bag) overnight in water and then simmer it for an hour.

When we added the mordanted items it went this berry red!

Lovely!

The colour result is affected by the acidity of the dyebath and to make it more purple than red we added some soda ash.

Gorgeous!

Look at this washing line of loveliness, all natural dyes!

Did a bit of dip - dyeing

And finally, you've all seen Barney, Jacqui's dog so here's my dog Bob - a miniature pinscher. He gets jealous when we have evening meetings and once ate the ends of all my knitting needles, I still love him though!

Have a good weekend, Nic x

Super Stylish Swish!

In amongst all the activity at Halfpenny Home, I've also been involved in working with friends to organise our third, and most up-market Swish! Remember the Twiggy programme on TV where ladies got together to swap their unwanted quality clothes? Well, this is our version. This time around we're doing it in aid of EACH, the East Anglian Children's Hospice for their Treehouse Appeal and it's going to be on 11th November 2010.

It's a brilliant and fun way to recycle and get yourself a new wardrobe to boot! (yes, maybe some new boots too!!). We're organising a fashion show with some of the swap items to be compered by Rachel Sloane, from our local BBC Radio Station, Radio Suffolk. And, of course, given the thrifty nature of the event, Halfpenny Home was happy to be involved and will be having a stall, along with some other local businesses. We're hoping the lovely buttons and notions, ribbons and trims will give ladies lots of ideas of how to maybe customise their new attire!

Above is a picture of the venue for our Swish! Creeting House! You may recall it being featured on Ruth Watson's Hotel Rescue in the summer of 2009. It's a gorgeous place with lovely owners, Di and Steve, who've so generously agreed to let us use it for the Swish. Take a look at their website http://www.creetinghouse.com/. Highly recommended if you ever want to treat yourself to a weekend in Suffolk and a visit to Halfpenny Home, which is just a stones throw away.

There are still a few tickets left for the Swish so if any of you would like a ticket or more details, do get in touch. You can email enquiries@halfpennyhome.co.uk and I'll send you further details. For those further afield I promise to take lots of pics of the event and post about it afterwards!

Jacquix