Month: June 2025

Happy mid year.

Happy middle year, day.

I set the alarm for 3am so that I could drive to Arbor Low stone circle to watch the sun rise, but I could not move at 3am, so, I lay there trying to return to sleep but the cat came in and walked up and down me, talking, wanting breakfast – then the magpies started squawking which made me get up. So, around 5am, I got up, packed my knitting and a flask and I drove six miles from home to Burbage Edge, parked the car and walked over to Stanage, one of my favourite ever places to return all my senses to the present.


The sun had already risen high to my left casting a great sun-line across Burbage Edge. It was already warm and faintly breezy. I was the only person on Stanage Edge but many camper vans were parked along the ridge overlooking the valley – what a beautiful night they must have all had.

Stanage Edge is marvelous, in fact, so marvelous that it has been used in many films because of its timeless, unchanged, Peak District Beauty. I stood on the rock edge where Keira Knightly stood in Pride and Prejucice, which can be seen here. I just didn’t have a long dress or a long coat or a panning drone camera but you have the same feeling of absolute freedom. At the trig, I looked over towards Hathersage, the valley completely unchanged for years and years.


I scrambled over the edge to the Millstones and old stone trough, a place I go many times a year to have a cuppa and knit. I never tire of it.

What I wanted to wish you, is a very Happy Summer solstice day and thank you for your support, whether you’ve attended workshops, bought a knitting pattern or and other way that people have supported me.

And I wanted to say, that on Stanage ridge, I thought that, however young or old or in between people are, if you are able to, then, get out into this wonderful world of ours and stand on edges and look out over the vista – or, just walk in a park close by 🙂

Happy Solstice.

Oh, and yesterday, I went down to the Plunge Pool at Rivelin, which is 2 miles from my home. City life aint bad – here is Sheffield city wild swimming.

Rivelin Valley

Peaceful ness

For some time now, when I wake around sunrise, I look at my wall.

This is my wall this morning, as the sun was rising higher, around 6am. I have an old hand sewn cut work lace panel in the window. It doesn’t fit properly, it is pinned into place and it looks a little scruffy, but on the whole, the overall effect is that it casts a shadow across my wall every early morning. Without thinking, I turn to look at the wall, or my cat and I feel at peace. Something I realise, I did not feel many mornings when I lived in my beautiful croft house in Shetland.

the thing is, I no longer live in my dream house but I feel calm and peaceful and can live with autonomy in this city. I can also leap, when the time is right.

Here are some of my first sights in the mornings

And, if I look the other way, this is often my first sight. The one of Alfie was taken at 6am the morning before the day he died, and there he was just purring and looking at me.

Tiggy hears me wake and throws his upside down head at me wanting to be loved. And this is peace, and love.

I saw a Japanese word this morning :- UKIYU – it means, Floating World – describing the fleeting beauty of life and the art of living in the moment.

I find that just looking at the shadow of the cut work fabric, falling across my wall is such fleeting beauty that I have looked at it over many viewings totalling many hours. It is peace.

Thank you for your continued support. Happy summer, Tracey 🙂

Kaleidoscope.

After a weekend away for my lovely long standing friend, Nina’s birthday party in Whitley Bay, I finally, definitely picked the name for my new jumper design.

Here it is, introducing Kaleidoscope. The jumper patterns move around like the inside of my old blue marble Kaleidoscope.

I knitted on the beach and under an ice cream parlour, thinking of the name. I loved 3 suggestions from Instagram – 1st, New Frontiers, suggested by @beingshonabrown, and I loved Mearl (Shetland name for Red Seaweed) suggested by @kimartsus and I also loved Forest Star suggested by @wool.halla

But after spending some time outdoors and playing with my old Kaleidoscope, this name seemed most fitting and I am happy. What do you think?

here’s to knitting Autumn jumpers in summer, all over the place to knit life into it.

Follow for more updates of the lovely jumper. Let me know what you think of the name.

And, if you would like to knit this jumper when the pattern is out in Autumn, but would like to prepare, then the hat pattern is a perfect starter

here is the Tree and star hat pattern link

what a twin set they will look when worn together .

xx

New design

I’ve been working on this beautiful jumper for a while – planning, swatching, checking gauge, adapting, knitting, writing the pattern, setting up test knitters, test knitter yarn box to post office, knitting and more knitting, adapting the neck, measuring and knitting more.

I am at a place where I shared it yesterday because a perfect name for it evades me.

It is all in the details of colour blending, pattern, concept and design.

I am hoping that this jumper pattern will be loved as much as I am loving knitting it. I cannot wait to wear in in the Autumn, maybe with a kilt, certainly with denim.

If you can think of a name that you think is fitting, leave a comment.

If you want to knit this jumper and would like to prepare for its pattern, then I am jumping from my Tree and Star hat pattern, which is here

If you would like to join my next online colour blending workshop so that you can successfully develop your skills to blend your own colours in another pattern and accomplish your own desires 🙂 then here is the link to my next online workshop on 26th July. I only have 3 places left.

thank you for your continued support, this is what turns my world.

https://ko-fi.com/traceydoxey