Timeless coastline

One day last week, wild and unpredictable February gifted us with a fine day. The wind was sending dark clouds scudding across the sky, but at least the sky was blue. And so we headed for the coast. Not for us golden sands, cafes and souvenir shops but a wild stretch of muddy coastline at the mouth of the estuary.

This is the small village of Bardsea that overlooks the water. I've taken you here before but I thought you'd like to visit again.

At the water's edge, we could see no other sign of human habitation. The distant horizon was masked by mist and it wasn't difficult to imagine a group of ancient settlers trudging across the mud collecting shell fish and edible grasses.

Only the hardiest of plants grow here; the kind that will withstand endless battering from persistent wind and salt spray.

 

 

For those who seek golden sun-kissed sands it must seem a very unimpressive coastline but I never grow tired of its unpretentious beauty.

 

 

 

At this time of year it reminds me of the work done by British artist Angie Lewin. I have her book (below) and it contains numerous pictures of her work.

 

 

 

 

Her inspiration comes from skeletal stems and seedpods that she finds during winter visits to wild windswept places.

 

These plants then become the subjects of her wonderful linocut prints.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love Angie Lewin's work

 

 

 

Dolly mitts or teddy?

After two whole weeks of rain we awoke this morning to find more of this. Apparently it is the remnants of America's recent snow storm . . . . a mere sprinkling by comparison.

 

 

Kate thinks it looks jolly cold out there and decides not venture out. But thankfully the playroom is warm and cosy and very soon a snowy day activity is underway. Four of the younger dolls who learnt to knit last year are told to choose two pretty shades of wool from the basket. Cast on 24 stitches, knit 2 rows then 12 more in the second colour.

 

So how did they get on?

 

 

Kate started with pale green and changed to pink. She completed 14 rows quite quickly as you can see. Lulu cast on in red but has only knitted two rows so far.

 

And what about Lucy Lavender? Well, Lucy had no trouble choosing her balls of wool and some needles but so far hasn't done any knitting. What she has done is make is a woolly dolly with legs and arms made from needles.

 

 

 

Very nice dolly Lucy but you'll be left behind if you don't start knitting soon.

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Polly, the fastest knitter of all, has finished her knitting and started stitching the side edges together. What has she made? It looks like a mitten. That would be very useful for outdoor play in the snow wouldn't it.

 

Luckily for Lucy her friend Polly is happy to lend a hand with the knitting. In fact it looks to me as if Polly has done a pretty good job making that yellow and blue mitten for Lucy (and the woolly dolly agrees). And so I leave the dolls to make their second mittens. But who wants to knit a second mitten when you can use your first mitten to make a . . . . . . . . . . .

  . . . . . . . teddy mitt puppet

 

Playing with these in a warm playroom is much more fun than getting cold and wet in that freezing snow.

 

and woolly dolly agrees

 

 

These teddy mitt puppets will fit most medium sized dolls. They are quick and easy to make from odds and ends of  DK yarn (USA - light-worsted/Australia - 8 ply). Choose two contrasting colours and use a pair of 3.25mm needles (US 3)

TEDDY MITT PUPPET

Cast on 24 stitches in first colour.
Rows 1 - 2. knit
Break off this first colour and join the second colour
Row 3. knit
Row 4. purl
Continue in stocking stitch to row 14 (knit a row, purl a row).
Row 15. k2tog (knit two stitches together) right across the row. You should now have 12 stitches on the needle.

Cut the yarn leaving a 15cm (6in) tail. Thread this onto a tapestry needle and take the 12st from the knitting needle. Draw up tightly and then (with wrong sides facing out) back stitch the sides together down to the cast-on edge. Turn right side out.
You now have one mitten. To make it into a teddy puppet you need to knit 2 ears

EAR
Cast on 6 stitches in your main colour.
Rows 1 - 2. knit
Row 3. k2tog, k2, k2tog (you will now have 4 stitches on the needle)
Row 4. k2tog, k2tog (you will now have 2 stitches on the needle)

Cut the yarn leaving a 10cm (4in) tail. Thread this onto a tapestry needle and take the 2st from the knitting needle onto the tail. This is the top of the ear. Whip stitch (over-sew) down the edge of the ear to the bottom cast-on edge then using this yarn stitch the bottom of the ear to the teddy's head (see picture). Thread the cast-on tail through to the inside of the head and tie the two yarn ends together securely. Repeat for a second ear.

EYES, NOSE and MOUTH - Use brown (black) yarn or alternatively use embroidery floss. Make three stitches close together to form eyes, three for a nose and an upside-down 'Y' shape for a mouth. 

PANDA - Polly made a panda simply by knitting black ears to stitch to a white head.

I hope you have fun knitting Teddy mitt puppets for the dolls in your house.