Hello all…..hope you are well and are keeping nice and warm.   It is chilly here as it seems to be across the UK, and we find ourselves, slap bang in the middle of a red weather warning, as issued by the Met office today…….. so I am using this as an excuse to grab a cuppa with you all and have that catch up we should have had on the weekend, until time got the better of me….soz!

So here we are….between the Beast from the East and Storm Emma.  I am quite literally tethering myself to a warm kettle and a pair of snuggly socks ( hand knitted of course)…..and I really think I ought to keep the biscuit barrel fairly close to hand too….just in case!!

Whilst this is going on ‘outside’….Twig, our elderly rescue greyhound is refusing to relinquish her grip on the sofa….

….this would be her….” I don’t need a walk today ….are you completely bonkers! ”  face. Which is shortly followed by a sigh and then snoring.

Anywhoo…..while the ‘outside’ does its thing, I have been cracking on and catching up on some makes.  The first Fuzzpotling doll this year to wander out of Shedquarters was little  Ava…..

There was so much about this little one that I loved when making her.  Matching pinks with deep reds, seemed wrong and yet so very right for this one.  The beautiful sock yarn used for her dress pulled all the colours together at the end.  So those funny red boots, didn’t really seem to clash with her deep pink tights, gingham bloomers and shocking fuchsia pink curly hair.

She is an all action girl, and loves to pack her little denim bag, with a good book and things she finds on her adventures.  I am so glad that she has found a new loving home where she is already making friends.

I love working with Teeswater Locks.  This untamed hair, always reminds me of my youngest daughter, who has a mass of stunning curls.  We tried straightening it once….and although it looked lovely….simply wasn’t her!   So whenever, I create a doll with this wild wild hair, I just know that they will be kind and funny, just like her.

Once I start making wigs, I am possessed by the colours….

So today, I have just finished Marin.  I have called this one Marin, because with its Irish Gaelic roots, the name Marin means “Star of the Sea”.  Her hair with its bright sea greens and pretty aquas reminded me of mermaids.

While the play room is quiet she has been looking at all of the dresses.  I certainly think that this one is ‘hers’ though, reflecting those ocean colours and matching those bright turquoise sneakers.

It is definitely scarf weather, so of course….Marin is wearing a thick woolly hand knit scarf made from pure wool.

I do seem to have been busy making frocks.  Each one is slightly different, but I am putting them down in a notebook, with a view to writing up a pattern at some point. When I see this picture, I fall in love with sock yarn all over again 🙂

It is a great excuse to use up little bits of yarn from your stash……even tiny bits can become a scarf, a hat or even leg warmers!!

I am working on some little coats at the moment, as well as finishing off a couple more dolls, so I will be able to share those with you soon.

For now, I will say…..make sure you wrap up warm.  I have just dug out my stash busting scarf.  Knitted lengthwise on long circular needles, and using up lots of “posh” yarn, it is liking wearing a great big cuddle!

Stay safe…stay warm and stay well all.

TTFN xxxx