Miss Smith: knitting

5. Christmas gift wrapping goals right here.
6. Christmas reading goals right here.
7. Christmas knitting goals right here.
8. Winter is the time for comfort. The wisest of words from Edith Sitwell.
9. Spicy ginger treacle cookies are always a good idea. ( see above No.8. )
& so is Cinnamon Apple Baked French Toast.

{ have a happy day }

Friday, December 8

{ happy friday }

1. Finding so many lovely new Insta feeds through Me and Orla's Gloom and Grow.

2. This weeks new knitting crush. Pampirion. And how incredibly lovely is that leaf stitch?

3. Dressed to impress. And how incredibly cute is that collar?

4. Christmas crochet goals right here.

5. Folksy find of the week. Flower and Fable. Heather; solitude, protection and beauty.

6. This garland would look so pretty paired with the festive foliage I've buying.

7. We are all made of stardust *sigh* *pops this on the Christmas List*

8. There is nothing in nature that blooms all year long.

9. Dottie Angel has a shop. Who knew? P.s. I heard a shop update is happening today!

& let the Christmas cookie making commence, beginning with these.

{ have a happy day }

Wednesday, December 6

{ four I adore . Etsy Made Local & a weekend of loveliness . Part Two }

And so, on Monday I mentioned there were two Etsy Markets happening in Birmingham this weekend. After featuring the market hosted by Ideas Birmingham, it is now the turn of the Winter Makers Market hosted by Birmingham Originals. Held on Saturday and Sunday, in the beautiful Banqueting Suite at the Council House, it was full of even more local makers, artists, and craftspeople. The festive spirit was alive and well, and there was a hum of people buying gifts for others, and quite possibly a few for themselves too.

For the full line up of all the creatives who were there, pop over to Birmingham Original's Facebook page, but for now, here are four that I particularly adored.

. Charlotte Clark Designer Maker .

Quirky, macabre, and curious, are the words that pop up on Charlotte's about page, and I'm not sure I could sum her work up any better. Using beautiful bone china, Charlotte makes pieces for the home, both useful and decorative, all having a wonderfully dark edge. Skulls and skeletons adorn the most seemingly innocent of homewear, giving an unexpected twist to the simplest of things.

Oh, and I can think of more than a few people who would appreciate her range of greetings cards, in particular her 'I love your ( resting bitch ) face'!

. Salt and Sail .

I have a sneaky suspicion that this is not the first time that I've shown a little love for Salt and Sail. A mother and daughters knitting team who hand knit some of the most beautifully simple babywear, that make this fellow knitter sigh a little with envy. Their stall on Saturday didn't disappoint, and the box full of these bootees adorned with pom pom's couldn't fail to make the hardest of hearts coo just a little.

. Doricica Dolls .

I've admired Doricica Dolls from afar for a while now, so to be able to see them on Saturday, and have a brief chat with Doriana herself, was a real delight. I desperately wish I had a little girl to buy one of these darling dolls for. The detail, and the workmanship is just lovely, and the dolls have such wonderful personalities.

Doriana's stall looked equally lovely, and I doubt I would have been the only one to stand chatting whilst wishing desperately that I was either five years old again, or had a vaguely justifiable reason why I needed one myself.

. Little Penn .

Finally I'm sharing the very lovely Little Penn and her beautiful illustrations and prints. Her work has a simplicity about it, and is wonderfully delicate and illustrative. Birds and botanicals are a recurrent theme, stamped in monochrome onto paper and cloth. One particular little print caught my eye, and is that one thing that I now can't stop thinking about, and wish I'd now bought.

At the moment her Etsy shop is on a short break, but as soon as it's open again I think I'll be popping that particular little print in my basket to buy.

{ have a happy day }

Wednesday, November 29

{ my november }

I have been sitting here staring out of the window wondering how to sum up November. I'm failing miserably at finding the words. It was a month of being busy, but there were also moments of quiet. It was a month of feeling productive, and yet at the same time feeling that things had somehow stalled once more. My running mojo returned, my creative mojo seems to have disappeared. There have been days when Autumn felt it would stay forever, yet more recently it feels Winter has already arrived.

{ knitting }

The first few days of November were spent in a flurry of knitting and readying myself for my first festive market. Blankets were adorned with bobbles and beanie hats topped with pom poms. It was exciting and scary all at once, but I loved every minute of it.

{ selling }

The thrill of making my first sales was on a par with running my first Half Marathon. And anyone who knows me even slightly will know how much that meant to me. Life has taken over in a rather annoying way since the market and has meant that the long planned Etsy shop is not quite up and running yet, though an afternoon spent photographing these, now finished, beanie hats sparks a glimmer that it may not be too long.

{ hibernating }

I have enjoyed being a bit of a home bird this month. Autumn days are made for hibernating at home, keeping cosy under blankets, and making the most of the dark mornings, and nights, by lighting the many candles dotted around the house.

{ feeling festive }

Whilst you will never find me even contemplating putting the decorations up until December is well under way, I have been enjoying a few Christmas markets that have started to make me feel all festive. The Paperdoll's Handmade Market on Saturday was particularly lovely, and keep an eye out for a blog post coming very soon. In the meantime I will leave you with these beautiful blooms bought from Bloom Collective, soon to be turned into a wreath, and decorations for gifts.

And so, onto December.

{ have a happy day }

Friday, November 3

{ happy friday }

{ 1 } Loving this fabulous floral headdress. And yes, it comes in my size. Yay!

{ 2 } "Into the Secret Garden" with Bek Halliday's beautiful blooms.

{ 3 } Blankets, bunny knits, and bed socks #weekendgoals.

{ 4 } The most beautiful book I've seen all year. Hortense and the Shadow ♥︎

{ 5 } Etsy find of the week #1. CastawayKnittingScot. #knittinggoals.

{ 6 } My new homewares crush spotted on Khoollect. Aerende ♥︎

{ 7 } Etsy find of the week #2. LittlePaperMama. #havecourage.

{ 8 } Wonderful wise words.

{ 9 } Wonderful woodland watercolour.

{ + } Parkin, spiced apple, a nip of whisky. Perfect Bonfire Night baking.

{ have a happy day }

Monday, October 30

{ my october }

As L.M.Montgomery once said, I'm glad I live in a world with October's. The month hasn't been entirely worry free, but looking back it's only the lovely things I'm choosing to remember.

{ learning }

The month began learning how to crochet, something I've talked about for far too long. My grasp of double and treble crochet, and of course, those oh so wonderful granny squares, is all thanks to Clare, whose patience is matched only by her passion for crochet and all the many wonderful things you can create with it.

{ making }
Yarn has been a recurring theme this month, with the learning to crochet, and signing up to my first POPup Market. The past few weeks have been full of designing, planning, and making, pom pom's, tassels, banners and blankets. There is lots more yarn to arrive, lots more to make, but it's been very exciting seeing everything start to come together.

{ reading }

In a busy month, quiet moments have been cherished by sitting and quietly reading. After months of seeming to devour novels, this month I've enjoyed reading the Autumn edition of 91, and the latest edition of Lagom. Both have content that you can quite happily lose yourself in. 91 has led me to find even more creatives on Instagram to follow, whilst Lagom is feeding my wanderlust and adding even more places to my To Visit list. After all, who wouldn't be tempted by a Treehotel in Sweden?

{ watching }

Although it broke my heart ever so slightly, I adored Goodbye Christopher Robin. If you have even the faintest interest in Winnie the Pooh, and remember playing pooh sticks in your long forgotten childhood, then do try to catch this on the big screen. Beautifully shot, it is melancholic without being sentimental, and brings a bittersweet note to the tale of the bear who has been a part of many childhood's.

I'm looking forward to November with an edge of apprehension. The diary, it is fair to say, is crammed full of lovely things. There are plans to tick off a few more things on my Fifty before 50 list, that little POPup that I keep mentioning, and so much more. And I'm guessing that it won't seem five minutes until I'm sitting here writing all about it!

{ have a happy day }

Friday, October 20

{ happy friday }

{ 1 } #sorrynotsorry for a little more crochet inspo from LittleDoolally.

{ 2 } Will we ever grow tired of gingham?

{ 3 } This weeks 'Does it come in my size?' Polly's fabulous forest dress.

{ 4 } Will we ever grow tired of velvet?

{ 5 } #weekendgoals time to sit & enjoy reading the latest 91magazine.

{ 6 } Preferably with a plate of these cookies by my side!

{ 7 } Oh my! Am I too old for a house tree of my own?

{ 8 } Creativity is intelligence having fun. Albert Einstein.

{ 9 } Etsy find of the week. The Minted Evergreen. The loveliest ombre patterned knits.

{ + } #prettyinpink with the cutest babycakes from the team at Khoollect 💕

{ have a happy day }

Monday, October 9

{ inspired#19 . Sheep . Lambs . & . a week of Wool }

. inspired#19 .

Baa, baa, black sheep

Have you any wool?

Yes, sir, yes, sir,

Three bags full.

clockwise from centre

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

Yesterday, over our Sunday lunch, my sister and I were reminiscing about our childhood, and in particular our costumes for the street party for the Queen's Silver Jubilee. I was six, she was a toddling 18months. I was Bo Peep, and she was my sheep, complete with a hand knitted loopy lamb bonnet. Photographs do exist, though, possibly to my sister's relief, I can't quite place my hands on them at the moment. I still have fond memories of the crook that my Dad made for me, complete with crepe paper streamers. It turns out my sister's memories are less fond, though I seem to remember her making a particularly cute little lamb on the day.

Our trip down memory lane coincidentally coincides with The Campaign for Wool's annual Wool Week. A week of exhibitions, events, activities and initiatives, by amongst others, Wool and the Gang, Brora, and Jack Wills, who are celebrating their obsession with wool with a rather sweet, specially commissioned film, which you can take a look at here.

Not quite in the same league as their film, today's post is my own small celebration of wool, and those sweet sheep for whom we have to thank for so much lovely yarn, and cosy knitwear.

Now, off to knit my sister a brand new loopy lamb bonnet 🐑 !

{ have a happy day }

Saturday, October 7

{ happy weekend }

{ 1 } So in love with this sweater and cowl combo knitted by Happy Love Co.
{ 2 } Boys in beanies looking just so blinkin' cute!
{ 3 } This week's 'Does it come in my size?'. Polder's covetable mohair coat.
{ 4 } And also crushing on this camelia pink embroidered dress from Hello Simone.
{ 5 } First there was sweater weather. Now I'm ready to get my beanie on!
{ 6 } October aka Inktober. Pop over & follow Flora Waycott to see all her inky adventures.
{ 7 } My Etsy find of the week. Sincerely Louise. And her most wonderful knitted taxidermy.
{ 8 } Live cosy.
{ 9 } Tomorrow I learn how to crochet granny squares. Properly!
{ + } Tuesday is World Porridge Day, and I'll be pimping mine with cherries and chocolate.

{ have a happy day }

Wednesday, September 27

{ my september }

{ a is for apple }

I think I must have blinked and missed September. Once again the month has flown by so quickly, but looking back it has been a lovely month. I was happy to embrace autumn as soon as the 1st of the month arrived. The summer berries have been replaced with English grown apples, happily scrumped from next doors apple tree of which a few branches over hang my garden. I would love to say I've been incredibly creative with them, but in truth have enjoyed them simply stewed with a little brown sugar and lots of warming cinnamon. A few transformed this sticky toffee cake into a rather delicious sticky toffee apple cake, and I have my eye on this maple apple butter, that sounds like a slightly more indulgent, spicier version of my stewed apple.

{ drinking }

At the beginning of the month I reached my 1000th Happy Day. It seems such a long time since I first signed up for the #100happydays challenge, and I still remember my very first 100th day, sitting outside the Sydney Opera House, enjoying a Sydney Sling. The challenge is one I've enjoyed doing, and whilst I have a feeling that pure stubbornness played a part in reaching the 1000th day, it has changed my perspective on what happiness is to me. Sometimes it is the big things, like spending your first day in Sydney, though more often than not it's something much smaller, having half an hour to read a book, or that first cup of coffee in a morning.

Having said that, neither of those things were what I had in mind for that 1000th day, so I popped along to The Edgbaston, somewhere that's been on my to visit list for quite a while. The Edgbaston is a beautiful boutique hotel on the outskirts of Birmingham, with one of the most creative cocktail lists I've had the pleasure of tasting. Inspired by Birmingham itself, there are cocktails inspired by Cadbury's, The Electric Cinema, The Botanical Gardens, and more. Served in it's Art Deco inspired cocktail lounge it's a real treat and sensory delight, as cocktails arrive with more than a little theatre, looking, smelling and tasting so good.

For those living in travelling distance of Birmingham, this is definitely one to pop on your to visit list.

{ welcoming autumn }

Ah, hello my favourite season. I love all the seasons for their differences, but I think my heart belongs to autumn. Even rainy days hold a certain charm in autumn, being the perfect excuse to hibernate indoors with a good book and lots of coffee. And of course, knitting and autumn go hand in hand. Chillier mornings and darker evenings make you think of getting cosy in hats and scarfs, snuggling under blankets on the sofa. And of course, this serves as a timely reminder that I still have yet to list any of my knitting on Etsy. So, a promise to you, but mostly to me, watch this space, and the first few bits will be on line super super soon!

{ visting }

A wander around Birmingham led me into the newly opened Honest Skincare. Tucked away in the beautiful Great Western Arcade it's a little smaller than it's King's Heath store, though no less lovely for it. As lovely as all their skincare is, on this occasion it was their shelf of plants that caught my eye and made it onto my Insta feed, though I promise their handmade skincare is more than worth making the trip for.

Somewhere that I rediscovered this month, was our Botanical Gardens. Just around the corner from The Edgbaston, it played host to the Edgbaston Tricentenary and I couldn't resist the chance to have a look around for free. If you missed my recent post, you can read much more about my visit here.

I also got the chance to revisit one of my favourite European cities, Antwerp. Somewhere I have been lucky enough to visit many times with work, I was thrilled to have the chance to spend a couple of days there, wandering around it's pretty cobbled streets, re-discovering just how good their kids wear shops are, not to mention buying a little of that delicious Belgian chocolate to bring home. An early morning stroll around the railway station reminded me what a stunning piece of architecture it is, and the discovery of a new { budget yet boutique } hotel, which had an abundance of Insta worthy plants and art, makes a return visit a must.

And so September is so very nearly over. There is a visit to the Autumn Market at the Bond to look forward to on Saturday, before starting October learning how to crochet with Clare gets Crafty, which I'm more than a little excited about.

Oh, and there's a small matter of getting that Etsy shop up and running isn't there #octobergoals.

{ have a happy day }

Saturday, September 16

{ happy weekend }

{ 1 } This rainbow skirt.

{ 2 } This Lauvely space girl.

{ 3 } This knitted poncho.

{ 4 } Follow the rainbow.

{ 5 } These baby socks.

{ 6 } Note to self #1.

{ 7 } These Moroccan leather baskets.

{ 8 } Note to self #2.

{ 9 } Cables and coffee.

{ + } No words necessary!

{ have a happy day }

Wednesday, September 13

{ inspired#18 . Autumn . Leaves . & . the Woodland }

. inspired#18 .

" Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree "

Emily Bronte

clockwise from centre

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

I don't think I will ever tire of that lovely Emily Bronte quote. Nor will I tire of beautiful autumn hues. How can we not be inspired by such a lovely season?

There's a little more Autumnal inspiration on my Pinterest board here.

But for now . . .

{ have a happy day }

Monday, September 11

{ four I adore . fall collections for little Ones }

I have to confess to a love of Autumn time, particularly when the weather feels more appropriate for all the new Fall collections arriving in store and on-line. I'm lucky enough to be popping over to Antwerp next week, to have a look at all the wonderful children's wear they have, but wanted to share some of the new collections that had already caught my eye. This post didn't start out as an ode to wonderful children's knitwear, but coincidentally, all the collections that stood out for me had particularly good knitwear pieces, so as we head into #sweaterweather, I'm happy to share the four that I most adore this season.

. Sophie Ochera .

Sophie's collection is exclusively knitted. Beautiful sweaters and cardigans that are the embodiment of modern fairisle. British born, now living in Normandy, Sophie knits by machine, before finishing each piece by hand. She finds inspiration in her 1980's childhood, folk costumes and textiles, and the modern aesthetic of today, all of which can be found in her designs. Her collection is bright and colourful, playing with modern and traditional patterns, and each looks beautifully made.

. Morley .

Belgian brand Morley has been thrilling mums with it's collections since 2010. Known for it's beautiful use of colour, print and pattern, and it's combinations of all those things, this season in particular it's thrilling us with some wonderful knitwear too. Showcasing one of the key trends of the season with a beautiful embroidered jumper, though one of my favourites is the ruffle jumper shown above, available in many of their seasonal colours.

. Ylur .

In Icelandic the word ylur represents warmth and comfort, things which this brand has in abundance. Another exclusively knitwear brand, Ylur was created by Fanney Svansdóttir, inspired by the long tradition of Icelandic women, her grandmother amongst them, who had handcrafted knitted garments for their families. All garments are knitted using Alpacca wool, making them soft, yet durable. Her designs have a timeless quality, beautifully garments in subtle textured stitches, or simple two colour patterns, perfect for handing down from sibling to sibling, from generation to generation.

. As We Grow .

As We Grow is another brand from Iceland, which seems to be quickly establishing a very cool kidswear vibe. As with Ylur, this label has an affinity with timeless design and tradition, garments made to be worn time and time again, garments that last over generations. Their story, of being inspired by the travels of one woollen sweater is a lovely one, and their ethos of sustainability and social responsibility works cleverly into their collections; colour blocked jumpers, hats & striped scarves make use of excess yarn, yet fit into the collection seamlessly.

Lovely collections that will keep your little Ones cosy this season. I'm now off to pick up my knitting needles, though I'm not sure whether to try to recreate those colourful modern fairisles, or those subtly cosy textured knits first?

{ have a cosy day }