A Week of Organs, Fireworks & Blossom the Cat

A Week of Organs, Fireworks & Blossom the Cat (Miss February, Obviously)

Some weeks at McIntosh are peaceful.
This was not one of them.

We rolled from Halloween — pumpkins, woolly hats, stylish ghosts in biodegradable fibres — straight into our 15th anniversary celebrations. And while most couples treat themselves to a quiet dinner, Dr Thomas and I… well, we live next door to Number 13.

And Number 13 hosts a Guy Fawkes Night fireworks display so dramatic it could be sponsored by the West End. Picture it: show tunes in the back garden, mulled wine, sparkly scarves, and just a whisper of singed wool.
It’s chaos, but it’s our chaos.

And in the middle of all that glitter and smoke came two moments that reminded me why the McIntosh Clan feels like the world’s woolliest family.

First:
I emailed a customer from Dundee about her order and mentioned I once studied there — and worked the checkouts at Tesco Kingsway 25 years ago.
She replied:

“I worked at Tesco Kingsway for 30 years!”

Which means she was stacking the custard creams while I was scanning them.
Two knitters, two shifts, one cosy coincidence.
Proof that the wool world is tiny, warm, and always surprising.

Then came the highlight of the week:
a Clan member from the USA sent a photo of her ragdoll cat Blossom, asleep on her Barragán Shawl knitted in McIntosh hand-dyed yarns. She casually added:

“Blossom has been chosen as Miss February in the 2026 PawPrint Calendar.”

I’m fairly sure it was the yarn that sealed the deal.
Blossom may be photogenic, but even a supermodel knows the value of a good hand-dyed gradient.

So whether you’re lighting fireworks, lighting candles, or lighting up your next project, remember:

The McIntosh Clan now stretches across 28 countries — all connected stitch by stitch.

— James
(and Dr Thomas, who still insists he taught me everything I know about frogging)