ragamuffin loves...hogmany!

So far it seems to be a lovely start to hogmany - it's not raining, or windy or cold so far but it's a long time to go until the bells so make sure your all wrapped up for all of your first footing!

We've got lots of cosy knits for men from Scott Officer, Harley and Jamiesons of Shetland as well as snuggly scarves from Johnstons of Elgin and jolly stripey ones from Gilbert Wilson. You might even nab a sale bargain - we have men's sale sweaters at up to 75% off!

For ladies, what about a super cosy, fleece lined hoody from Pachamama? The ethical brand, based in Greenwich London, liases with crafts people in Nepal to create fair trade handknits in chunky yarns and bright colours. With accessories including wristwarmers, snoods and baggy beanies you'll be fit for the chilliest street party! We close at 4pm today to give us the chance to get ready to party so don't dally!

Lastly, we'd like to say thanks to all of you who've shopped with us this year, we love meeting you all and helping you choose from our gorgeous collections! Have a very happy hogmany - we look forward to seeing you all in 2012!

ragamuffin loves...sale time!

We hope you all had a wonderful Chritmas and are looking forward to seeing in the new year in style! We have just started our big sale to make way for all of the new deliveries that have already started to arrive (more of that tomorrow!)

This fabulous Out of Xile coat is our bargain of the day! It was originally £240 and is now only £120! Be quick though - we only have one left in size medium! Other bargains include YM, Flax, Oska and Clemente at up to 75% off and at least 25% off all sale items. Grab a bargain before they are all gone!

ragamuffin loves...the ultimate cosy coat!

Who wouldn't want to snuggle up all winter in a Kearse & Boys wonder coat! We haven't been able to keep these in this year and have re-ordered so many times to keep up with demand! We have a very limited number in just in time for Christmas so if you fancy one, bag it now! Colours this time are Picallili (pictured), Monsoon (a soft denim blue) & Poppy (a soft red). They will come into stock again next year but not until March...

ragamuffin loves...Christmas shopping!

We are anticipating hoardes of Christmas shoppers today and to keep up the levels of Christmas cheer we will be serving tea or coffee in our Skye shop to all-comers and in the Edinburgh shop we've mulled some cider! We will, of course, both be serving the ubiquitous mince pie! Please come and join us!

ragamuffin loves...fairtrade!

Back by popular demand and just in time for Christmas...jolly, fairtrade animal strings! We get ours from BAFTS certified New Overseas Traders, who have been buying with a conscience from India since the 1960's.

They also do some lovely hand painted elephants. Great gifts for people who care!

ragamuffin loves...this seasons statement mug!

Who wants to drink tea from a namby-pamby, teeny weeny cup when you can have a great big mug?! We've been stocking these beautiful quality ceramics for a while now and they are always popular with the practical tea drinker! This year we've gone for quite a Scottish theme with Scottie dogs and Highland coos but the most popular is always "Put the kettle on!"...our sentiments exactly!

ragamuffin loves...a good yarn!

Yay! Sam from Colinette was a real peach and sent us massive big boxes of yarn in the most lovely colours! We've all bought some already for some last minute Christmas crafting, but don't worry, there's plenty left for you, you should see our stockroom, it's like Spaghetti Junction!

ragamuffin loves...heritage crafts!

We are ardent admirers of the traditional knitter's craft in Shetland. Whether it's hand-knitted, or hand-framed (and we support Shetland Island Council continuing the funding for teaching of traditional hand-knitting to the primary-school children of Shetland!), we love it all, and are happy to pay a bit extra for the exquisite workmanship and vibrant shetland yarns. Just look at those patterns and colours!!!

ragamuffin loves...cute & functional!

Got a draughty door? Pop in for a jolly draught excluder! They are super cute, eco friendly and will save you money in the long run! Know a friend with a draught? Get them one for Christmas...awkward wrapping amusement ensues!

ragamuffin loves...the quernstone!

After last years extreme cold snap (when we pretty much sold out of ladies knits all together...argggh!) we decided this year to order extra supplies from all of our favourite designers. We still have some lovely  cardis from the Quernstone which look great with a gorgeous little stripey cowl in a contrasting colour...perfect cosy Christmas gifts! We woke up to a winter wonderland of snow this morning so get in quick if you fancy one this winter...they are disappearing fast!!!

ragamuffin loves...warm weather!

Oh my goodness! We almost got swept off our feet this morning by Mr. Wind! Hoping people will brave the elements and come to our Christmas party (from 12pm, hot mulled cider...)! Or maybe they will come to our Christmas party and get stuck in ragamuffin and have to sleep over! (Don't worry, we'll look after you, if that does happen!) Either way, we're looking forward to it, despite impending doom from the weatherman! The cider's going in the slow-cooker with the spices and vanilla, as we type! Excited!

ragamuffin loves...our talented pals!

We've told you before how much we adore mittens, and these gems are even closer to our hearts at ragamuffin, because they're made by a beloved former member of our team! Breege Walsh, ever the ingenius fixer of problems and maker of beautiful displays whilst at ragamuffin, started making her lovely lambswool mittens, hats and corsages as a hobby. She has tenaciously developed this into a great little industry of her own, based now in Galway, Ireland, but selling to far flung places all over the world. Her creative flair and the practicality of her designs constantly delight us, and we're happy that, while we can't see her everyday, there's a little piece of her always around us in the shop!

ragamuffin loves...a warm winter tipple!

Don't forget to come to the Edinburgh shop Christmas shopping event this Thursday! From 12pm-6.30pm we'll be helping to find the perfect gift or party outfit and serving up some Christmas treats! This year, as well as fizzy wine, we'll be breaking from tradition and mulling some cider instead of red wine! It is much the same idea...we're following a Jamie Oliver recipe:

• 2 litres good cider, such as Scrumpy
• 6 cloves
• 3 or 4 star anise
• ¼ nutmeg, finely grated into the pan
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 vanilla pod, halved
• juice of 1 orange
• juice of 2 clementines
• juice and seeds from 1 pomegranate
• 4 or 5 tablespoons of caster sugar, to taste
We whack ours in the slow cooker and let it simmer away...so simple, what a great invention!
Hope to see you there!

ragamuffin loves...new things!

Well, our snow has melted in Edinburgh, but the Skye girls are still trudging through snow and ice to get to work like little Snowragamuffins! We've just had these lovely wool and lycra scarves in from Marc Ribbink, what a riot of colour, such bright and scrunchy goodness to warm the cockles of your heart!

ragamuffin loves... braving the elements!

And we have snow! The first day is always the best, I'm sure in March we'll all be moaning and complaining, but today we all bounced to work in our snow boots, and salute all our brave customers that do the same! Time to get the Christmas jumper out already? We think so!

ragamuffin loves...our talented staff!

We are so spoilt here at ragamuffin! Not only are our staff fantastic at putting together layers and colours and helping people find just the right pieces to suit them, some of our staff are designers in their own right and are stocked in the store!

We met Karoline Binczyk when she came into the Edinburgh store to show us her amazing, handmade rings and brooches. We loved them and instantly ordered for both shops - bright, colourful, unique and funky - they are so ragamuffin!

Karoline is from Northern Poland and studied interior design at Koszalin college where she developed her love of textiles. When she mentioned she was looking for work we snapped her up immediately! Her rings and brooches are now a permanent feature in both shops and she is always creating something new, wild and wonderful! As well as the jewellery, Karoline also designs one of a kind toys and has a special fondness for rats!

ragamuffin loves... a good ol' knees-up!

We're delighted to announce our Christmas shopping afternoon will be on Thursday 8th December, midday until 6.30pm. There will be some sort of festive tipple (we're researching that one in earnest), and some sweet treats; do come and join us, get your Christmas shopping done in style, and maybe treat yourself while you're at it! We're looking forward to seeing you!

ragamuffin loves...being organised!

Ok...we thought that we'd be super organised this year and have all of the last posting dates before Christmas to hand for all of our lovely customers who don't live nearby, so here goes...

In the UK...the last day for first class and recorded delivery items is 20th December and 22nd December for Special Delivery.

For international deliveries...the last day for Australia/ Asia/ Africa airmail is 5th December
Eastern Europe/ USA/ Canada 9th December
Western Europe 12th December.

So plenty of time for us to get a parcel off to anywhere in the world really! As always, if there is something you would like we are happy to send photos and price details by email - just let us know!

ragamuffin loves... our skye party!

Here's Donna from our Skye shop, all ready to party on Saturday! The girls were so busy they had no time to take pictures of the party in full swing, but a jolly good time was had by all! Thanks to all our customers that braved extreme weather conditions to get there! Don't forget we're open every day 'til Christmas, even Sundays!

ragamuffin loves...checks 'n' checks

We thought you'd like to see this outfit we just threw together, at first we thought it was madness to wear such a lot of contrasting checks, but we've decided it's really rather lovely, especially in such yummy subtle greens and greys. We ragamuffin girls love to make our displays look great, it's a slightly-more grown-up game of dress-up, and our customers really appreciate our help when putting outfits together. Think this one would be great for a ceilidh, 'tis the season! Our Skye shop was looking particularly gorgeous for their Christmas shopping event, photos to follow tomorrow.

ragamuffin loves...mittens vs gloves!

So, over on Facebook, we're conducting a survey; mittens vs gloves, the face-off! We at ragamuffin love mittens, so cuddly, so practical; you can wear them inside and out, and do things at the same time! Gloves are good for kids, but only kids can really get away with that string that goes through your sleeves to prevent you from losing your gloves every time you take them off to do something useful, so we opt for mittens every time!... We actually only have one pair of gloves in the whole shop. Indeed, they are a classy pair of gloves, but look at the competition!!! Cast your vote, and we especially want to hear from those of you in the Glove Appreciation Society!

ragamuffin loves...christmas wish-list for gardeners!

Dear Santa, don't forget our green-fingered friends!
Mugs by McLaggan (£7.50); Watering can by Originals (£6.95); Plants in pouches by Canova (£5.93); Seed bombs by Kabloom (£10 for 4); Stone bird by Archipelago (10.95); Birdbath by Fallen Fruits (£9.50); Garden sign and vintage look cards from East of India (from £4.99).

ragamuffin loves...christmas wish list for kids!

Dear Santa, we'd like all kinds of cute and silly toys please for the wee'uns, honest, they're not for us...

Soft toys from a selection of Jellycat (from £9.95), wooden chickens by Manik (from £13.95)

ragamuffin loves...christmas wish-list for him!

Dear Santa, please bring cosy pressies to our menfolk, for winter hug-ability!
Jumper by Harley (£91.50); Scarf by Italca (£22.50); Shirt by Gleneske (£35); Hat by Pachamama (£13.50); Socks ditto (9.95); Gauntlets by Gilbert Wilson (27.50), Hat by Hanna (£32.50); Doorstop by Dora (24.50). Awww, look at him with his best friend!

ragamuffin loves...christmas wish-list for her

Dear Santa, please bring us girls treats both pretty AND cosy!
Cardigan with silk flower trim by Out of Xile (£117.50); Checked scarf by Shirley Pinder (£48.50); Bobble hat by Janette Murray (£27.50); Red corsage by Ragamuffin (£9.50); White corsage by Tumar (£9.50); Mitts by Breege Walsh (£32.50); Jewellery from a selection (from £12.50).

ragamuffin loves...to party!

It's that time of year again...Santa will soon be stuffing our stockings and we are all wandering round the shops without a clue what to buy! Fear not...ragamuffin on Skye are having their Christmas shopping event on Saturday 26th November and we have gift ideas for all! Join us to shop for gorgeous clothes, cosy woollies and great pressies and enjoy a mince pie and mulled wine! We love a mulled wine here - no other taste is quite so Christmassy! Here is the recipe we'll be following, courtesy of Jamie Oliver!

• 2 clementines
• peel of 1 lemon
• peel of 1 lime
• 250g caster sugar
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 fresh bay leaves
• 1 whole nutmeg
• 1 whole vanilla pod, halved
• 2 star anise
• 2 bottles of Chianti, or other Italian red wine

Bung it all into a slow cooker, heat it up and then set to low - it will stay warm and lovely all day, perfect for when unexpected visitors pop in! (photo copyright David Loftus)

ragamuffin loves...crafty nights in

We're so excited that our favourite knitwear-sporting Danish detective is back on our screens this Saturday in The Killing, that we're chomping at the knitting needles ready to get going... Knitting with subtitles, a risky operation, but one we can't wait to attempt!

The girls on Skye have been crafting away of late with space-dyed Welsh Colinette yarn, and have produced these gorgeous neck cowls, which unbutton to make a cosy collar, for those of us just too lazy to wear a scarf! Team Edinburgh have been on corsage duty, and have rustled up these pretty flowers made of the same yarn.
Let us know what you're looking forward to crafting to this autumn's drama, don't be shy now, we love your comments!

ragamuffin loves...the 21st century!

We're so excited to be embracing our blog again, we feel like we're finally entering the 21st century in earnest! In that vein, we've jumped in with both feet, and yesterday we sold our very first e-voucher! Perfect for you folks scattered around the globe, or even in the wilds of Scotland, we email out a print-out gift voucher for the chosen amount, and at the click of a button you can enclose it in the card of your choice. We know, we know, not exactly brain surgery, what took us so long!
Email us at ragamuffin@madasafish.com if you're interested! And if you truly are people with the future in your sights, "like" us on facebook, you can see we're clever enough to have put a facebook button on the right! PhewEE!

ragamuffin loves...socks!

Cosy up this winter, for the nights are fair drawing in, and all we ragamuffin girls want to do when we get home is pull off our boots and flop around in some cosy socks! These cute handmade socks are from knitwear company Pachamama, who, to warm further the cockles of your heart, donate 10% of all their profits to childrens' charity in Nepal, where much of their knitwear is made. We have a great selection of colours and patterns in store, alongside our stock of cheery hats, beanies, headbands and wristwarmers.
The perfect Christmas gift to treat your loved ones, and perfect for lazing around in the holidays; We love socks; they're soo much more schleppy than shlippers!

ragamuffin loves...layering!

One of our key looks here at ragamuffin is layering, and one of our most f.a.q's is "how do you do that without looking like a big marshmallow?!" Well, fear not! You'll be delighted to know it's pretty straightforward. Keep light, long and lean garments underneath, and add shorter, chunkier layers on top creating height. Never shy of going for it, we say there's even space on the top for a cosy coat or a long cardi still keeping everything in perfect proportion. If you're worried about creating too much bulk, you can employ the clever use of a belt over the lower layers.

We're keen on a nice mid-layer tunic or shorter length dress, which you can pinch from your summer wardrobe and warm up with leggings and boots, a neat trouser, or even a flirty underskirt, then compliment with a cheeky knit or jacket and some bright and cosy accessories. Why leap into dull colours as soon as the sky turns grey? Play with gorgeous contrasting colours and textures and you're well on your way to effortless layering.

Here at ragamuffin we LOVE this look, so if you have a special piece in your wardrobe and you'd like some layering advice from our staff, just pop in and we're happy to help you layer to suit your style and body shape, but in the meantime, our advice is: have fun and give it a go!!

ragamuffin loves...press attention!

We are delighted to have made it onto the cover of The North Magazine's latest issue! If you are in the Highlands and Islands, it is a great lifestyle magazine showcasing all that the north has to offer (including us of course!). Featuring fashion, health and beauty on a budget, property for sale in the Highlands as well as wild life, music and book reviews, this issue also focuses on Orkney, including an article on the islands connection to Frankenstein...spooky! Pick up a copy around Inverness-shire or read it online: www.north-magazine.com

ragamuffin loves...tea!

We are partial to a good cup of tea here, whether it's green, red bush or of the good old builders variety and thought it woud be lovely to have special mugs to drink it from so we got the lovely people at MAKE to design a special ragamuffin mug and they are in store now! They are beautifully made, classic black and white ceramic and hold a good buckets worth of tea...yippee! Best of all they are only £12.50 -one customer in Edinburgh bought one for her husband to remind him of her favourite shop! We like her thinking...

ragamuffin loves...fairisle!

We love a bit of Fairisle here at ragamuffin, especially now that it is getting chillier and the nights are drawing in! We have some beautiful pieces in stock at the moment. From Shetland Designer, we have gorgeous berets like the one pictured as well as fingerless mitts - these are real heirloom pieces that never date. We have beautiful fairisle mens sweaters from Jamiesons of Shetland and also from Harley of Peterhead - very cuddly! For the trendy amongst you, we have these fabulous fairisle gauntlets in clashing colours, from Gilbert Wilson. Knitted in a soft lambswool and gently felted, they are ridiculously cosy! For those wanting to relive the 80's in style we have magnificent fairisle legwarmers - again authentic, Shetland made - and some cool fairisle style headbands by Pachamama. Fairtrade and handknitted they even donate 10% of all profits to a children’s charity in Nepal where much of the knitwear is produced. We've got a warm glow just thinking of all these lovely woollies!
      

Ragamuffin loves...blogging again!

Hello all! It's been far too long since we last posted - time just runs away and we are always so busy but promise to make more time for blogging from now on! The images here are from our latest photoshoot, which we did on a lovely bright autumnal day and feature clothes from our new collections which are in store now! The photographer was Paul Marr, hair by Roy Rogers at Saks Glasgow and styled by Nicola & Emily from the Edinburgh shop. We are rather pleased with them! We have so many lovely things in the shop just now, lots of cosy knits from The Quernstone, Sophies Wild Woollens and Kearse and Boys - including their new "Wonder" coat that we can't seem to keep in! It's pictured here in picalilli and comes in lots of other colours too! We are also delighted to have jackets from our own label, Angels Don't Trudge, back in stock. Numbers are extremely limited as we are using beautiful Scottish tweed from our fabric archive which is no longer available. The one in the top picture is a Lottie jacket and retails for £295, perfect for the chilly autumn days we are having!

ragamuffin loves...the joys of spring!

Here at ragamuffin we're celebrating in style with a riot of colour! Visit us to see our new spring collections; amazing jewel-bright linens from Grizas, Flax, Yaccomaricard, Privatsachen, Peaches, Mod-o-Doc (pictured, with Matilda) and Boheme; gorgeous soft knits from the Quernstone, Sophie's Wild Woollens, Kearse and Boys, IT designs and Lorry Marshall, as well as some exciting new stock from Mes Soeurs et Moi, Kamuflage and more pretty, funky and frilly accessories than you could dream of! We're looking forward to seeing you!