Oh Grasshopper ...

I'm definitely having a grasshopper week, you know the kind where you flit from one thing to another, settling nowhere for very long?! That's definitely been me. I suppose it's something to do with having to pick up my usual routine after such a wonderful holiday. My head is still drifting with the warm Spanish breeze! Still, I suppose in one way it means that almost without noticing, I have just about cleared my 'to do' list and now have no more excuses not to take myself back to my sewing room.

Pretty pale pink vintage Nottingham Lace collar

I returned from Majorca to a substantial pile of less than interesting mail and thankfully, to several far more interesting brown packages which had arrived in my absence. These gorgeous bits and pieces will be added to my magpie stash for future inspiration!

Handy pattern book 'Collars to knit and crochet', by The Staff of the Workbasket Magazine.
Published 1989

... I think the vintage collars will be perfect for my 'Timeless Teds' and I'm looking forward to having a go at one of the dainty knitted collars from the handy little book I found at http://www.abebooks.com/ What a treasure trove that website that is! This book will give me the perfect excuse for an afternoon's knitting in the conservatory!

Lovely vintage crochet collar

Another super vintage crochet collar

Such skilled workmanship! Close up of vintage crochet flower collar

I like to keep my eyes open for possible beary bits whenever I'm online and as well as the beautiful collars which are an absolute delight in terms of hand crafting skill, I was so pleased to find some gorgeous sky blue and lilac cotton velvet for my bears' paws just before my holiday - such pretty colours!

Beautiful cotton velvets for paw pads

After opening my post and dealing with the inevitable housework and endless laundry throughout the week, my 'to-do list' also dictated I had accounts to reconcile, supplies to purchase, advertisements to create, website and blog updates to produce and a list of emails as long as my arm, to respond to. Despite all that, I still managed to make a start on a new bear! I have one more fabric yet to sample for Intercal and so this little cub is currently being created in their new 3/8" dense straight pile mohair, he will be white by the way. I have give him pure wool felt paw pads and inner ears airbrushed in a nice olive shade (a tiny nod to my week in Spain!) ... I think he's going to be lovely! He should be making his debut on my website in the next day or so.

Well, that's me done here for today, it's about time I put the kettle on, poured a nice mug of coffee and then set to work completing my little white, olive paw'ed bear cub!