Episode 26: Best In Show?

Hello from a wet Cheshire Plain. OK, it's raining, but after the heatwave I've experienced over the last week, I'm enjoying feeling cooler! Sadly I'm still arguing with the new mic, so I've used the hand-held again.

We have a listeners' map! Please go on over to pop in a pin - I'd love to see where you all are! This episode is sub-titled the ME, ME, ME show (thanks Louise!) and features a detailed run down of the items I entered in the Oxfordshire County and Thame Show at the weekend. Firstly for the Knitting Class, I submitted my Mint Choc Chip scarf, which is the Chevron Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. In the Baby Knitting, I made this sweater, the February Baby Sweater from the Knitter's Almanac. I found meleliza's Ravelry notes very helpful. For the Crochet Class, I made the Circles Scarf by Linda Permann (details of my project here). For the Embroidered Picture, I finished this that has been lurking in my embroidery UFO bin for a very long time. The motifs are based on those in Jo Verso's World of Cross Stitch, and the composition inspired by one of hers, but the final design is mine. For the Beadwork Class, I entered my first ever piece of beadwork (other than simply threading beads onto a string), which I learnt on a course at The Bead Trail at Blakemere Craft Centre, Sandiway. In the Item made from Recycled Materials, I entered a gift bag made from the Financial Times. For the Three Handmade Cards Class I entered two Lacé designs (the Golden Wedding and Birthday cards) and one iris folding design (New Baby). The entry into the Cushion Class involved some "teach yourself" skills, namely wet felting and needle felting. The main fabric was made from two shades of grey carded Gotland fleece from Eden Gotland Sheep, with the creamy white curls from May Hill Gotlands (gotland_mayhill@yahoo.com) in the Forest of Dean and the dark curls from Diesel from the Pedwardine Gotland flock in South Lincolnshire needlefelted onto the finished cushion. Finally I entered 98g/382 yds of 2ply handspun made from Yummy Yarns UK carded batts (merino, bamboo, silk, firestar and mohair threads) in the Duchess of Cambridge colourway. I also entered these photos, too: "Stick Dressing, Northumberland County Show" for "Country Life"

"Elmer in the Garden, Eating Lupins" for "My Pet"

And here is the Thame Show Trophy, for the most points in the Handicrafts Section. Don't get over-awed, it's only six inches high!

Music: Rondopolska by Barry Philips, from the album Tråd, available from Magnatune.

Feel free to leave a comment here or at http://www.yarnsfromtheplain.blogspot.com/, or email me at yarnsfromtheplain@googlemail.com. We have a Ravelry group here, so come on over to chat. You can find me on Ravelry as talesfromtheplain and on Twitter as talesfromplain (although Tweeting can be sporadic!). TTFN, Nic