Catching up!

Jubilee Tea Party

 I'm back to knitting 

and 

back to blogging!

I never intended to take such a long break from my blog.  

Frankly, the Jubilee Celebrations wore me out a bit 

and I've had a busy summer.

I also haven't knit much this year 

due to recovering from hand surgery in March.

I'm back now 

so stay tuned!

PS:  The photo above is from my local knit shop, Knitique's 

Jubilee Tea Party where we wore our Vivian hats that we knit 

and felted in a class to celebrate
Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.

Tea Party Treats

 I also helped decorate and cater the tea party
which was so much fun!

Elinor's Tea Gloves

 Miss Elinor's Tea Gloves

...because a Lady can never have too many gloves 

for afternoon tea!

 Sense & Fashion Handwarmers

I just finished my first project from 
the 2011 Jane Austen Knits magazine.
I've named my tea gloves after my favorite character 

Miss Elinor Dashwood 

in Jane Austen’s 
Sense & Sensibility.

The pattern is actually called 

Sense & Fashion Handwarmers 

I'm just sure the designer, Hannah Poon

had Miss Elinor in mind when she designed them!
Can't you just imagine,
Elinor wearing these handwarmers
when Edward Ferrars stops by the Barton Cottage
for a visit and tea. 

 Time for Tea!

I was immediately drawn to this pattern in the magazine. 

I love their lacy design 

and that they are perfect to wear to afternoon tea.

I also love that they are knit in Louisa Harding's 

Grace Silk & Wool yarn...

which just happens to be one of my favorite yarns
and is always in my stash! 

The pattern is very well written 

and consists of a four-row lace pattern repeat.

They are a wonderful one-skein project and only require 

one ball (110 yards) of Grace Silk & Wool yarn.

The Designer says:

"Both handwarmers can be knitted in an afternoon."

I think it's a bit more realistic to take two afternoons to knit them

(which I did)

allowing for proper hand/finger rests 

and tea breaks, of course.

Jane Austen Knits 

Applause to Interweave on such a lovely publication,

Jane Austen Knits. 

The magazine not only has 35 Austen-inspired projects but 

also lovely articles on 

Jane Austen (1775-1817)

and the 

Regency Period. 

If by chance,

you don't have the magazine,

Interweave just announced that you can purchase 

the patterns from the magazine online now.  

I just know, 

Miss Jane Austen 

would delight in all this fuss over her!

Jane Eyre Cuffs

 Jane's Cuffs

I recently enjoyed my very first KAL
(Knit A-Long)
on Ravelry. 

 Jane Eyre Knit-A-Long

Ravelry's Jane Eyre Group had a lovely KAL called

Tea Time on the Moors. 

Knitting, tea and Yorkshire...

why of course,

I had to get my needles out and join the fun!

 Lady Danio organized the KAL for a tea party on the Moors. 

You could knit (or crochet) tea cosies or lacy mitts

that we imagined Jane Eyre would have used with her tea basket out on the Moors.

 Plain Jane

For the KAL,
I wanted to knit something on the historical period side..
something that Jane may have actually worn. 
I chose the pattern Elm Leaves and knit lacy cuffs which I named
Jane's Cuffs. 

I broke away from my normal pretty blue colors
and knit something more dark and grey…
cuffs that perhaps Jane Eyre would have worn
wondering the Moors
or taking tea with Mr. Rochester.

I  found the perfect yarn for my project
at the Point Reyes Farmers Market
 from Mimi the owner of Windrush Farm.
The yarn is Mimi's Corriedale Cross
and is 80% wool and 20% silk.

Once completed, I thought my cuffs were a bit
"plain Jane" even for Jane Eyre. 
So, I added some pretty French lace trim in a linen color. 
I think it was a wise choice
and even gives them a more period-look. 
I think Charlotte Bronte would approve,
don't you? 

Teatime on the Moors

On September 24, 2011 the KAL projects were finished
and we had tea party on Ravelry in the Jane Eyre group.

We posted photographs of our completed project
along with having tea. 
Since Jane is from Yorkshire,
 I had  Yorkshire tea and scones at my tea party.  

The KAL was so enjoyable
and inspired me to pick up my needles in the summer when I don't knit much. 

I can't wait to do another KAL sometime again. 
Thank you Lady Danio for organizing such a fun event
 and tea party. 

Rosie Posy Tea Cosy

Rosie Posy Tea Cosy

I finished my Rosie Posy Tea Cosy...well sort of!

This morning I did the finish work sewing on the base of the cosy. The base knit is doubled so I had to sew the two layers together at it's side openings.

I couldn't wait to take some photos to post my progress on Ravelry. I decided to get some fresh flowers from my yard and put them on the lid for the photographs. I had to substitute geraniums for roses since my roses had already been cut.

Turns out, I love my tea cosy with fresh flowers! I am thinking of modifying the top now with floral-foam and using my cosy with fresh flowers at my tea parties! What do you think?

For the record...I will try to knit up some roses one of these days. For now I am off to knit on so many other knitting projects I already have in progress.

That is why I call myself...The Flitter Knitter!

Rosie Posey Tea Party

Rosie Posey Tea Cosy Shop Sample

The Rosie Posey Tea Cosy class at Knitique last Saturday was so much fun! The best part was the Rosie Posey Tea Party!

Danielle brought in her vintage Royal Winton chintz and Wedgwood china. She supplied all the accoutrement's and her daughter was our tea hostess. Fellow knitter Cora made luscious lemon cakes and I brought cucumber mint sandwiches.

The tea and conversation flowed all day. We enjoyed Cora's Passion Fruit tea and my Dammann Freres, 4 Fruits Rouges Tea from France.

Rosie Posey Tea Cosy

As usual Danielle (Knitique owner/instructor) made the tea cosy pattern easier.

The green ribbed cosy is doubled so it has a liner. It takes a while to knit. I have that part almost done and then I will be ready to knit the roses.

The Rosey Posie is a really fun and easy pattern. If you enjoy tea time..I highly recommend this pattern!

Rosie Posey Tea Party!

No tea party is complete without classic cucumber sandwiches! My garden is abundant with fresh mint so I brought cucumber mint sandwiches to the tea party. I have had several requests for my recipe so here it is:

Cucumber Mint Tea Sandwiches

1/4 C. butter (softened)

1/4 C. cream cheese (softened)

1/2 C. loosely packed fresh mint leaves. Then cleaned/dried/and finely chopped

1 cucumber (seedless/English style) cut into thin slices

12 slices dense white bread

To prepare:

Make the mint butter. Combine the softened butter, cream cheese and chopped mint.

Trim the crusts off the bread slices with a serrated knife. Spread the mint butter on each bread slice. Top 6 of the bread slices with the sliced cucumber, season with salt and top with other 6 bread slices to make a sandwich. Cut with a serrated knife into triangle or rectangular shapes.

Cover with a damp tea towel and refrigerate until ready to serve.
 Enjoy!

I can't wait to use my Rosie Posey at a garden tea party!

Bunnies & Beatrix Potter

Flopsy Bunnies

"Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits and their names were, Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter". And, so begins the story The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

Beatrix Potter

(1866-1943)

Easter time makes me think of cute little bunnies and the charming children's stories of Beatrix Potter.

To many, Beatrix Potter is known and remembered by Peter Rabbit and her children's books. She was so much more than a children's book author. She was truly a Victorian woman ahead of her time. She was also a conservationist, botanical illustrator, respected farmer and sheep breeder.

Beatrix Potter was born in London, England in 1866. As a child she was home schooled and encouraged to paint and draw. As a child she would smuggle mice, rabbits and hedgehogs into the house. She also had a pet rabbit, named Peter. (Now we know the inspiration for all her adorable animal characters in her books!)

Every year her family spent holidays away from London in the countryside. Beatrix drew and painted everything she could. She loved animals and being in the country.

Hilltop Farm, Cumbria, England
17th Century Stonehouse

In 1905, Beatrix left London and moved to Cumbria, and English county in the Lake District. Thanks to royalties from her first few books, she purchased a working farm called Hill Top Farm. This was the start of her deep interest in farming and preserving the land.

In the 1930's and 40's she and her husband were sheep farmers and breeders. Their Herdwick Sheep won many prizes at county shows. Herdwick sheep are a breed native to the Lake District. Beatrix was also the first woman elected President of the Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association. She also helped save the breed from extinction.

Herdwick sheep are a dual breed who produce a thick, coarse grey fleece due to their harsh environment. Sorry knitters since their wool does not dye easily it is mostly used for carpet wool. There is a co-operative of women farmers, dyers, spinners, weavers and knitters though in Cumbria today called The Wool Clip .

Beatrix passed away in 1943 at the age of seventy-seven. To ensure the conservation of her beloved Lake District, she willed to the National Trust, 15 farms, over 4,000 acres of land and her Herdwick sheep flocks. One provision was that her Hill Top Farm had to remain exactly as she left it, complete with her furniture, art and china. It remains open today for the public to enjoy.

My husband and I love travelling to England. We visited the Lake District in 2003. We made the special journey to Cumbria to visit Hill Top Farm.

So in honor of Beatrix Potter, I would like to share a few photos from a knitting book called The Beatrix Potter Knitting book. All the patterns were inspired by the art and life of Beatrix Potter. Since it is Easter, I selected the cute little bunny ones to share today.

Benjamin Bunny

Sweater, Pull-Ups

&

Tam-O-Shanter

Benjamin Bunny
Sleeping Bag

Flopsy Bunnies
Baby's Jumper (Sweater)

The Beatix Potter Knitting Book

The Beatrix Potter Knitting Book by Pat Menchini was first published in 1987. It features more than 50 delightful handknits for all ages. Many of the book's photographs were taken on location in Beatrix Potter's own English, Lake District.

If you ever find yourself in the beautiful Lake District, I encourage you visit Hill Top Farm. You might also enjoy the movie Miss Potter starring Renee Zellweger as Beatrix Potter, which was filmed in the Lake District.

While visiting the Lake District, I also highly recommend having Sticky Toffee Pudding and afternoon tea at the nearby Sharrow Bay Hotel.

I Had Tea with Louisa Harding!

Tea & Conversation with Louisa Harding

What a treat to sit down and have tea and conversation with Louisa Harding!

After our Juliet Scarf class our classroom was transported into a lovely setting for afternoon tea with Louisa Harding. We enjoyed a traditional English tea complete with Earl Grey tea, scones and traditional finger sandwiches. The tea was lovely but the best part was the conversation that flowed more than the tea!

Louisa began with her knitting story.

Louisa attributes three important women in her life for influencing the designer she has become. These women are: her Grandmother, her Mother and her Step Mother.

Like many of us, Louisa learned to knit as a young girl from her Grandmother. As a young girl she was introduced to fashion by her Mum. She fondly remembers following the clicks of her Mum's high heels and her Mum's Vogue Fashion magazines. It was her Step Mother who taught her how to sew and gave her love of dress making.

Louisa grew up in London and spent many hours browsing the nearby markets and museums always with an interest in fashion. Her father had hoped that she would be a banker but instead she enrolled at Fashion College. Her mother was her biggest supporter of her fashion career.

At Fashion College Louisa set out to be a textile designer. A knitting course at college...changed all that! She hadn't knit since she was a young girl and the next thing you know she was knitting up a storm of knit pattern samples in her college knitting course. Shortly after, a student intern opportunity at Rowan Yarns came her way and the rest is history!

During her career of 12 years with Rowan she also fell in love and started a family. Also at this time she was feeling a bit burned out as a designer since she was having to crank out commercial type patterns for the Jaegar and Paton's UK brands. Like any talented designer, I am sure she yearned to do design work that was true to her heart and the designer within her. With her husband's support, she took the leap of faith and became a freelance knit designer.

In 2005 she received a telephone call to come to New York to meet with Knitting Fever and the Louisa Harding line was born! She had only a few months to select her yarns and write two pattern books for her introduction line. To this day, her first two books Gathering Roses (The Design Collection and The Accessories Collection) are two of my favorite books.

Louisa's new book Nouveau

Louisa's story is more than just about knitting. It is a story about following your dreams, being proud to be a woman and keeping your creative genes alive.

Louisa talked about her new Spring/Summer 2009 books called Nouveau and Deco and how they were influenced by her Grandmother's era.

Our group also talked about how knitting is different in America and England. I asked her why the British knit items flat while Americans prefer to knit them in the round. She explained to me that knitting patterns began that way and due to her dress making background she prefers to knit items flat like fabric. The designer can see the drape and design of the pattern better as it is being knitted flat. Louisa also prefers to knit everything on long straight needles.

We talked about the big resurgence of knitting. Perhaps it is these difficult economic times that bring us back to simpler things in life like knitting. Our Grandmothers and Great Grandmothers mended and knit out of necessity to makes end meet. Today it is certainly more expensive to knit a hand-made garment than to purchase a ready made one. There is something wonderful though about making something beautiful yourself and the sense of pride that comes with it!

Our afternoon tea was followed with a wonderful trunk show and book signing with Louisa.

Green Planet Yarn
368 E. Campbell Ave

Campbell, Ca 95008

(408) 871-9196

I would like to thank the owner Beth and her staff at Green Planet Yarn for hosting this special day and trunk show with Louisa Harding!

Louisa Harding

Lastly, a special thank you to Louisa for coming to northern California.

Thank you for inspiring me with your gorgeous patterns and books!

Thank you for sharing your story with us.

It was an honor and a true delight to spend the day with you!

I'm having tea with Louisa Harding!

I'm having tea with Louisa Harding!

Pinch me. I must be dreaming!

I am so excited. I am going to meet my favorite British knitting designer, Louisa Harding this week!

My LYS Babetta's Yarn & Gifts is hosting a book signing with, the one and only, Louisa Harding on Wednesday 1/21/09 at 10:00AM. I telephoned Babetta to thank her for bringing Louisa to her shop. Babetta said that she thought of me right away since she knows how much I love Louisa!

Once I found out that Louisa is visiting Northern California from England, I emailed her company LouisaHarding to see if she was doing any other events in our area. I had an immediate response from Louisa herself! She wrote that she is doing a workshop at Green Planet Yarn. She said "I am a Brit, so I have no idea if this is close to you or not".

I immediately got on the Internet and found out that Green Planet Yarn is in Campbell near San Jose. It is 142 miles and about a 3 hour drive for me to get there but a lot closer than going to England. I always imagined I would need to travel to England to meet her!

For Louisa's visit, Green Planet Yarn is having a Juliet scarf class from Knitting Little Luxuries, a British style tea party, concluding with a trunk show on Thursday 1/22/09. I telephoned the store immediately and kept my fingers crossed that it wasn't already sold out. I am a lucky lady because they had room for me in all the events.

I am not sure which I am most excited about...the knitting workshop with Louisa or having tea with her? Hmmm...it just might be the tea!