This star was a thoughtful Christmas gift from a friend in Switzerland …

I have been admiring the shape and colour, and haven’t had the heart to cut into it … Yet I must do so soon, as the ‘best before’ date is fast approaching, and it would be a shame not to enjoy the fruits of the Swiss craftsmanship.

Today, it occurred to me that this design has elements of Fairisle or stranded knitting, with snowflakes and neat pattern repeats that could be captured in yarn. I’m not sure why I didn’t notice this before!

The star is made from a sort of soft gingerbread, a traditional recipe, which can be moulded into different designs. It is an Appenzeller Biber and this one came from a fabulous bakery called Böhli located in the centre of Appenzell village. Isn’t the box wonderful too?

The hand-carved wooden platter is also Swiss – a treasured gift from students over 20 years ago – and it too has patterns that could be replicated in yarn …

Lots of inspiration and creative sparks flying today!

What has given you knitting ideas this week? I’d love to know!

🙂