I have been learning a new craft willow weaving and went to a free workshop with Ways With Willow Saturday at St Austell. They have a new shop and a workshop in the Market House. There was a market there on the first floor too and I bought pickled cucumber with lots of spices after trying some from a lady who has a small holding and just grows veg and big colourful tomatoes and makes preserves. Next to it were handmade sweets I couldn't resist a chocolate truffle, lovely. I was shown how to make these star willow patterns and had a cup of tea and a cake, yum too.
I had brought along this weaving material that I bought cheaply at a car boot wondering if I could use it. It is cane and has to be soaked beforehand for about and hour and a half it was explained. I could bring it with me to make baskets in September when they have a basket making course. There were lovely books on weaving with willow and willow kits to buy in the shop.
Next door I noticed a sewing shop Kneedles and Pinns so had to go and peak inside. There were rows of sewing machines with an over locker a row of irons and an old vintage singer sewing machine, bits and bobs of material and seeing paraphernalia. The woman who runs it takes custom orders for clothes. You can go there and sew for an hour with the material there and the cost is £2.50. I haven't seen a shop like this before. If you like sewing and don't have a machine it is a handy place to go and meet other people who like sewing.
There is a shop that stocks my makes it is the lovely new handmade Make Stores Ltd in Penzance Cornwall. I noticed it while visiting Penzance last week. I brought my items a week ago a few more items this week. I booked for two weeks then another week. It was great to see my bags hanging up, a blue knitted one by the door and a sunflower one near the till, my rug which looked good on a shelf and my quilt hanging up. This week Alison the lady who runs the shop, brought out a clothes dummy to the centre of the shop to display the bags I brought in.
I will give it until the middle of September to see how I do. It costs £17.50 a week to rent a space. The shop is lovely and everything looks good and well displayed full with handmade items. It is a temporary shop open for two more weeks to a month. They have a lease on a shop a few doors down and are decorating it so a permanent Make shop in Penzance. I do not have a photo of the shop to show at the moment though.
I have made a patchwork cushion one of my recent makes and it is on sale in the shop.
After the scrap buster cardigans I have now started this sweater with my scrap yarns which is for Mr CB he chose the colours, seven including the ribbing, the same grey throughout. I am really pleased I used the scrap yarns and how quick the cardigans and sweater took to make and all costing nothing. The back and front have the same colours, swapping the two blues around on the front as a lighter and darker sequence with the sleeves matching this. The sleeves have all the colours except yellow it was lucky I didn't need the yellow as I had run out of that particular shade.
The pattern is classed as very easy, quick to do, the colours added the interest for me.
