Here's a day where I visited Hampton Court Palace around the end of September. There were lots of gardens, ominous clouds and unicorns to take in. I originally went to see the Handmade Fair which was held in the palace's gardens, a stunning backdrop for the fair to be set against. After roaming the stalls, I ventured into the palace itself for a touristy afternoon.
Toft
Photo Credit: Toft Alpaca Shop
Photo Credit: Toft Alpaca Shop
Lawrencetown Hat on Revelry.
Lunenburg Hat and Mittens on Ravelry.
Photo Credit: Toft Alpaca Shop
Peggy's Cove Hat and Mittens.
Photo Credit: Toft Alpaca Shop
Photo Credit: Toft Alpaca Shop
September
The sights of September have been fantastic so far! Pom Pom participated in the Royal Horticultural Society's Secret Garden Sundays on September 7th. Here are a few shots of the gorgeous things I was surrounded by all day. I left with fresh produce for dinner, handprinted cards and a few bottles of apple cider.
Monday, September the 8th, was my twenty-fifth birthday. So I decided to take myself out sightseeing again with Tally Ho! Cycle Tours. These pictures are from their Old City Tour. The weather was gorgeous and the cider was sweet. I couldn't have asked for anything more.
Last week, Naho Izumi of Temaricious, stopped by Pom Pom Headquarters to tell us all about Temari. Temari is a form of traditional Japanese folk art which is the process of making thread balls. Originally, they were for children to play with. Now they are just mainly for beautiful decor. Naho and her team also naturally dye the cotton threads used to make the temari balls.
Selsey
While I was still interning at Toft, the post arrived one afternoon with their shipment of magazines from Pom Pom Quarterly. I unwrapped the parcel eagerly to see Issue 10 in person for the first time. It felt very appropriate to flip through Issue 10 while at Toft, because it was this time last year when I received the Toft alpaca yarn to start my first pattern for Pom Pom Issue 7. This is my second published pattern with Pom Pom and again I feel incredibly lucky to be included in this vibrant collection of autumn accessories and garments.
This time, I thought I would share some of the inspiration which led to creating this recent piece along with a few of my own photos and drawings. These four images from Pom Pom's autumn mood board originally caught my eye. At first glance, I already had ideas forming of using bright colours against navy. I wanted my piece to be full of colour, floral patterns with elements of embroidery to evoke European folkloric designs.
My original knitted sample & illustrations that I sent as part of my proposal to Pom Pom.
Meghan and Lydia responded with a "yes" and Quince & Co supplied the six colours of Chickadee that make up Selsey: slate, cypress, poppy, honey, frost and rosa rugosa. This was my first experience working with Quince & Co's yarn and I was not disappointed. Selsey is a perfect project to allow yourself to play with their wide range of colours offered in Chickadee.
A few shots of the finishing touches and the scarf. When it's draped across my neck the fringe just barely brushes the ground. Repeats can easily be taken out to create one that is not so long but I do love the safety blanket feeling of this scarf in its entirety.
Tally Ho!
Last weekend I took advantage of the gorgeous weather and decided to venture down to the city centre of London. Tally Ho Cycle Tours was mentioned to me before leaving Toft and after spending the afternoon cycling around London, I would gladly pass on the recommendation to others.
Esme accompanied me for the afternoon.
Westminster Abbey
Drinks at The Harp!
Covent Garden
Leake Street Tunnel
London Eye.
I'm not sure that name of this market where I stop for lunch afterwards. However, it was fantastic!
Help yourself herbs at a sub food truck.
Sangria and meat!
Decided on a gluten free crepe filled with goat cheese, caramelised onions, roasted red peppers and spinach!