boot fairs and antique shops

we had a lovely weekend with stanley's grandparents visiting. it was nice and sunny for a change so off we went on sunday morning to explore the local boot fair. i love looking around at the assortment of goods on display from furniture to vintage fabrics, there's always so much inspiration on every stall. a feast for the eyes! we found a big bag of marbles for £1. we've been saving up loo rolls to make a marble run. it reminded me of my marble collection i had when i was younger, i think i lent them to a friend and never got them back! i love all the different colours and swirls inside the glass. so pretty and reminiscent of my childhood.

i also snuck off with my mother in law, to a few antique emporiums for an hour or so. it was great fun. from intentions of just browsing, i came back with this sweet baby for stanley, with a hand knitted cardy and this gorgeous satiny sari fabric. i just love the colour and the little gold details. and immediately made it into some curtains. i'm usually bad at buying things. i think about it too long and then when i've got my heart set on something i'll go back and of course someone else has snapped it up, so it was good to have some encouraging help. and i love my new curtains.

sarada x

tagging the town, or adventures in guerrilla knitting episodes 1, 2, and a failed 3

i have decided to become a guerrilla knitter, maybe i need to consider getting a job, or maybe getting more of my many crafting projects off the ground, but for now i am anonymously tagging the town of saltash.

i first heard about this movement when i went to london and took part in the wave climate change demonstration, about making the talks in copenhagan really matter. on the train up we were given needles and told to knit something and leave our mark on the march route.

i am not sure of the exact origins of guerrilla knitting and the reasons people do it seem so varied. but here is a good article which appeared in the guardian a while back written about one of the movements founders. it also has links to a few more sites if you are interested.

episode 1 - the lamp post
this was my first tag, i waited until dark and then stitched up this lamp post. i came back the next day to take this photograph and
watched two girls looking at the post for ages, they were laughing and touching the wool. it made me smile that they were smiling.



episode 2 - the bench
once again under the cover of night this bench in the high street was made more friendly.





episode 3 - brunels top hat
this was my first failed attempt, i have made the brunel statue a top hat but when i came to adorn him with it i realised that it was too high and without some serious spiderman wall climbing action or the use of a ladder i could not get up. it will have to wait for another day.

i am enjoying watching peoples reactions to a little bit of the home made in a different context, i am also enjoying my new role of knitivist.

ambika x