In this week’s edition of Eye Spy I muse about Latvia, Lavender sachets, unique ways to hand wrap your gifts, and the beautiful sheep of Uradale Farm.
Farm Livin’
Lately, I’ve been dreaming about what it would be like to live on a farm.
I can just imagine owning a farm with a few breeds of sheep, maybe an alpaca or two, and a yak for good measure. I’d experiment with spinning the different types of natural fibres and blending them together. My backyard would be filled with row after row of wild flowers such as hollyhock and lavender, perfect for naturally dyeing my skeins of yarn. Then I’d go pluck some fresh potatoes, a few red peppers, and collect a few eggs from my friends the hens (this would be a vegetarian farm, of course!), before whipping up a delightful homegrown omelette for breakfast, from a recipe found in my Martha Stewart Living magazine.
Of course, maybe this idea of farm life is just a tad bit romanticized. But the beautiful pictures shown in Kate Davies blog post on the Uradale Farm, make me dream of having a farm all the same! Those sheep are too beautiful for words. This post is well worth a read, and I loved hearing the farm owner’s perspective on the future of wool and the importance of sustainability.
Latvian Swatches
Every time Fringe Association comes out with a new Swatch of the Month post, I immediately read through it. I love hearing about the influences of knitting in different parts of the world, such as this month’s post on Latvia. There is always something new and unexpected to discover. For example, did you know that a Latvian girl’s dowry in the late 1800’s consisted of a chest full of her and her family members handknit socks and mittens?
How to Wrap Your Gifts this Christmas
Ah, gift wrapping. Almost every year I end up doing this extremely last minute, and most of my gifts come out looking like a mess. But why put all that effort into something that is just going to get torn apart, anyways, right? Well, all the more reason to try Paper & Stitch‘s unique idea to wrap your gifts. Rather than wasting wrapping paper that will get torn to shreds, why not create cute felt pouches to wrap small gifts that can be reused afterwards?
Perfect Last Minute Gift Idea: Lavender Sachets
The Knitpicks Blog, Stash, has come out with the perfect idea for a last minute handmade gift. Why not try your hand at Fair Isle knitting and knit a cute little lavender sachet in the process? Check out the link here to find the pattern and get knitting!
Instagram Loves
Last but not least, here is a beautifully eye catching design from Whitney Hayward for Quince & Co. released this last week! You can find the pattern here.
