Making packages pretty

Every year at Christmas time I try my best to dress up my parcels, usually with nice ribbon, cute tags, or miniature baubles.

This year I've decided to put a little handmade something on all the gifts under our tree... some tiny little handknit stockings.

More colourways are coming soon, but in the meantime you can buy this grey set in my Etsy shop. This year I'm all about the grey, red and white, but what's your Christmas theme colour this year?

Updated to say: here's a red one, too!

On the to-do list

There are three types of souvenirs I look for when I'm on holiday. My collection of choice is a pencil from a tourist attraction, and I have a little box with about 80 in it.

When there aren't any pencils, I keep my eyes peeled for a squashed penny machine.

And if both options fail me, I go for the sew-on embroidered patch. There's a bit more effort involved in collecting these as they need to be sewn on to my sleeping bag using thread which matches the outer border of each patch just so. Then there's the maintenance, I've been doing this since I was about 7 and some of the older ones are falling off. I'm still catching up from my 30th birthday roadtrip across the southern states of the US. Here are a few from the sewing pile, from my most recent trip...

I need your help

A few months ago I was contacted with a heads up that my coffee kilts were slated to be featured in the November issue of the US version of Country Living magazine, as part of a wider feature on tartan.

I've tried all our bookstores and international newsagents here in Glasgow and I can't find a copy for my scrapbook. So if you are reading this in the US and are a subscriber to the magazine, I would be so hugely grateful for a scanned copy of any mention of my products.

If you could drop me an email to katy [at] girlindustries [dot] com that would be really very sweet indeed. Or leave a comment here to let me know if I'm definitely in. I didn't make it to the online verison of the article (here) and the suspense is really quite something!

Making room for new precious things

You might see from my etsy shop at the moment that I'm having a bit of a destash of supplies. While I was away in Canada I made it to a lovely little shop called ButtonButton, which reminded me of the haberdashery store that used to be just about halfway on my trip to the library when I was little. Unfortunately that haberdashers, and the lovely milliners' next door is long gone (turned into a car park when the local rugby club was closed down and turned into a retail park), but it made me happy to see such a treasure trove of supplies in a quirky little shop in Vancouver.

Check me out getting used to toonies and loonies again...

When I got home I was delighted to receive a wedding gift in the shape of Asking for Trouble's lovely printed bags - nothing could be more appropriate as I like buttons, I'm not so keen on keeping my stash in plastic bags, and my new hubby dislikes a mess.

Wedding photos

I'm still catching up with various bits and bobs so the blogging has taken a bit of a back seat. I have plenty to talk about, though, so hopefully I'll be updating you over the course of this week.

In the meantime, our wonderful wedding photographer, Malin Widstrand, has blogged about our day, here.

And my security envelope notebooks were mentioned on this blog by Monami.

We also had a fabulous time at Inver Cottage. They are launching a newsletter to go with their shiny new website so you can sign up for information about future events. There is always something going on and it is well worth a visit.

New new new

Here's a sneak peek at a new line I’ll be sharing with you on Saturday, so make sure you come along to Invercottage to be the first to see! Over the last couple of months I’ve been spending a lot of time knitting in front of the TV, on trains, at home and away, even on the ferry from Victoria Island to Vancouver last week.

The result of all this activity is not only a more chilled out and relaxed crafter – I do love me a good, simple knit – but a plethora of gender-neutral yet stylish and modern baby sweaters to get the little ones through autumn, winter and into next spring. After my niece was born last May my sister turned to me with a request for anything but pink, and I was pleased to oblige. Now she’s a little bit bigger (my niece, not my sister) I’ve found myself a little bit addicted to making a few little knitted panels of an evening when my busy little head is too tired to do anything but relax in front of a good film. Or if I’m really tired, The Hills. Or as my followers on Twitter will have heard, Gossip Girl.

Any guilty viewing pleasures you’d care to share with me?

Catching up

Hello again! I'm glad to be home but I have a million and one things to catch up on. I'm back on the scene with a bang, though, as this weekend the Glasgow Craft Mafia sails out to the Cowal Peninsula for a market with a difference.

The excellent Invercottage restaurant is hosting a craft market against a backdrop of stunning scenery, delicious food and the cosiest fireside pints known to humanity! I hope you can join us there for a fun day full of crafty goodness. You can treat yourself or steal a march on your festive shopping - I know that most of the mafia members in attendance have been beavering away on new lines and ranges over the summer time.

You can find out more at the Mafia website, or come along and see for yourself. In the meantime I'll leave you with a snapshot of the spot itself. Stick your walking shoes and camera in your boot, along with your shopping bags, you can't beat a good Autumny stomp amongst the leaves with a hot chocolate by the fire afterwards!