Ragamuffin & Ness

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Ever since I first put my footsies in Scotland the first time many years ago and discovered the joy of Scottish shopping, I have had two favourite shops there. Both appeal to my sense of colour, my fondness for wool and tweed, quirky design, unique and most often well- and/or handmade craft. Depending on the currency fluctuation the prices in both shops have either made me buy a teensy weensy thing or a more wallet tangible amount of things. This time I went a quite happy medium.

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The Ragamuffin shop, which I mentioned briefly here, consists of the most adorable, must-haves - and a lot of not-to-my-taste-but-still-of-good-quality - knitwear, clothes and accessories. And well, unfortunately a bit of the usual silly tripe to appease those who don't seem to know any better... But hey, I'm not forced to buy any of that stuff myself, so I'm willing to turn a semi-blind eye. Their original shop is on Skye and another one on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. Both so very well worth a visit!

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This time my wallet - before the green one below - told me to get some nice, handmade wool gifts in shape of mittens, scarfs and a pair of wristwarmers - that will so compliment those lovely mittens with sheep pattern I got there loads of years ago. Extra pleased *exclamation mark* - for myself as well as others. And of course the Hat of All Hats, the Tweed One. It's going to be an extra wooly warm, colourful autumn and winter this year.

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Even if the Ness shop yet also inhabits the tiny salesroom on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh where I first stumbled over the brand, they seem to have begun producing clothes and accessories on a slightly larger scale. Though overall still with a cute and handmade feel and look to many of the goods.

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Home with me this time came a few Ness items, a couple of trinkets (though adorable of course), a pair of pink wool gloves - which I hope will be as amazingly and unusually warm as the pair I bought there seven years ago, though plunged into a premature death in the jaws of a loaf puppy about four years ago - and a lovely, lovely green tweed wallet.

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This little beauty - which, come to think of it, probably is the first ever proper wallet I've bought myself... - has at least 18 different compartments and secret hideouts. I still have to get used to its size and way of hiding those things that live in wallets from me. But it's pretty and green and in tweed, so I'm sure I will manage.

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