Every other Thursday evening Sam and I meet up with some other knitters at The Brewery Tap in Ipswich, we have a great time and the Tap does brilliant food as well as having Aspall Cyder on tap - what more could you want? Although already familiar with the fabulous homemade sausage rolls this week I was tempted by a scotch egg. It's like a Halfpenny Home from home as the Tap displays their homemade goodies on cakestands just like we do at the studio!
We didn't stay out too late as the next day I was expecting a visit from a very special person, Tracy from the Gedgrave Flock was coming over to deliver some of her beautiful yarns that are produced from her flock of Wensledales.

After meeting up with Tracy at HH, we left the art group upstairs to lock up and made our way down to The Barn Cafe at Alder Carr Farm. As we were passing we dropped into The Old Piggery Pottery and spied the next batch of mugs destined for HH. These ones are still waiting for their handles!

These mugs are waiting to be handpainted with chickens, hares and blackbirds!

If you've ever paid a visit to the studio you will have seen or enjoyed a cuppa from one of Helen's mugs, the ones we use are specially made for us and have Halfpenny flowers on them. This next batch will be in Halfpenny colours - red and blue and we can't wait to see them!

This is the new lot of yarns that Tracy was delivering, she's dyed the skeins - you can see the photos on her blog here. It's perfect for socks!

I've been so looking forward to seeing this yarn - we love Knit Collage yarn and inspired by this Tracy sent a photo to her spinner and asked if she could do something similiar...

This is the result, she's spun in strands of pinky purple and turquoise silk along with the chunky Wensleydale wool and isn't it stunning?

What can we make with it? Nic x

Smashing Pumpkins!

The best thing about this chilly autumn weather is the fact that you can really get on with your knitting in public without onlookers thinking that you are a little bit odd!
Since the Knit Collage arrived at Halfpenny Home earlier this year I've been thinking really hard about what to do with it - it's so special that it has to be exactly the right project to really do it justice....I do need a hat but we also have Skye Aran Yarn from Colinette and there's a hat pattern on every skein of that! Kay made this one in Vatican Pie.

I've already made a really long scarf and some mittens which are perfect for wearing when I'm out riding my bike. I found this yarn in QD (YES) QD in Stowmarket! Tipped off by Jane I rushed over there and was knitting it up as soon as I got home...

I'm really pleased with the scarf - I doubled up the yarn and knitted it in moss stitch - it was a really fast knit and it's soooo long with lovely fringing!

With Halloween fast approaching I took part in a Halloween blog swap I sent these spooky treats to Gill, it was great fun!

Any excuse to get on with a bit of bunting making...

Here it is all pressed and packed ready to be posted!

It was a Halloween swap and I had to get in a bit of knitting! I have been planning to make one of these for a while now - neon orange yarn supplied by Miss Pat! Luckily the Sue Ryder shop next door had a teapot the exact size needed - I gave it a good clean before filling it with sweets and wrapping it well!

I think Gill liked it almost as much as I enjoyed making it!
Knitting pattern is on it's way Helen!

We love living in Suffolk and love to support local businesses, we often drop by Alder Carr farm to pick up something nice for lunch - which is exactly what we did yesterday and was greeted by this magnificent sight, isn't it amazing?!

Nic x