Woolly Wednesday

So, the blog's been a little quiet of late... well I'm hoping to remedy that with a little roundup post about the Knitting & Stitching Show!

Last month I was fortunate enough to attend the first ever Edinburgh edition of the Knitting & Stitching Show. I've attended the Harrogate show a few times and enjoyed it, so I was intrigued when I saw the announcement that there was to be a Scottish one. Needless to say, this needed to be investigated!

The show was held at the Royal Highland Centre within the Highland Hall and I attended on the Sunday (the last day, but the show started on Thursday of the same week). My friends and I got wind of a free shuttle bus, which we took full advantage of.

One of my favourite parts of the show was the "knitted feast" - a competition for which creative folks submitted all manner of fibre foods. Some very inventive crafting! See below for some highlights...

New Year, New Project

I got a bit of a shock when I realised about a fortnight ago that I hadn't actually done *any* knitting yet this year! (gasp!)

Not like me at all...but I have been enjoying reading "Knit the Season" - the third book in the Friday Night Knitting Club series by Kate Jacobs. Always nice to revisit favourite characters and it's a lovely seasonal tale of their continually intertwining lives. So this has acted as a kind of substitute in a way. I'm so glad someone finally got me it for Christmas (my other half, he rocks), as it's been on my wishlist for a while.

Anyway, it got to the point where enough was enough, I had gotten pretty far into the book and my fingers were itching to do some real-life knitting, instead of just reading about it! I decided to start a brand new project, one I've been thinking about for some time. It's a beautiful lace shawl (or wrap) design which I previously designed and created for a commission using a silvery-white yarn, Rowan's Kidsilk Night in Starlight [Ravelry link].

I am making this year's version based on my notes and pattern from this - it's been adapted from two different lace motifs I liked, a chevron one from a pattern library which forms the border of my design and one which borrows a section of the lacework from the beautiful Anice Shawl in Rowan Magazine 41, which was out around the time I was working as a Design Consultant for Rowan yarns. (Yes, I'm still a Rowan addict!)

I've made some progress on it so far and have named this incarnation the
Goddess of the Night Shawl. A fitting name for its inky plum purple darkness with a shimmering glint of silvery thread.

I don't have a particular recipient in mind, I simply decided to work on this piece for the sheer joy of having a nice cerebral lace project on the go, not to mention something visually stunning developing before my eyes as I continue to work on it.

No instant gratification here, I'm in this for the long haul. I've realised over the years that there is indeed merit in quick, simple projects, which can be easily completed in a short space of time but somethimes you need something a little deeper to get your teeth into. Did I mention it's a bit like therapy? (albeit generally* a lot cheaper!)

* depending on your yarn habit...

It's Knitting Week!

Happy Knitting Week,  fellow crafters! 

I never really need an excuse to knit, as you can imagine... but all the same it's nice to celebrate the ancient art of fashioning things conjured by artfully manipulating two sticks and some fibre into something new.

There are *lots* of knitter-friendly things going on this week!

Here are my picks:

• Free knitting patterns on the UK Hand Knitting Association website - here.

• Knitting as a spectator sport? Well believe it or not, it happens in Norway!

• Win a fabulous knitting holiday in Shetland (yes please!)

• Fancy a freebie? How about a nice ball of Bergère De France yarn? (info here)

It also happens to be Wool Week here in the UK as well (how convenient!). 

If you're in London or Edinburgh and fancy learning a new skill or want to boost your knitterly abilities, check out the Knit Nation events (including workshops and drop-in sessions) hosted by John Lewis stores and run in conjunction with the Campaign for Wool folks as part of Wool Week. Did I mention they're free?!

Mini Amigurumi Giveaway

I have decided to keep the competition to win a copy of Mini Amigurumi open a bit longer and have extended it to the end of June - hurray!

The competition will now close at midnight GMT on Sunday 30th June.

The book features lots of super cute critters to make for those of you who are handy with a crochet hook - I especially liked the ones shown below :) To find out more and to read an interview with the author, Sara Scales, check out this blog post.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post with your email address. Entries from anywhere around the world are welcome - I am happy to post the prize worldwide!

After the 30th of June, I will collate all the entries received (including those from the original post) and draw the name of one lucky winner.

Good luck!

Casting Off

It's been a while since Knitting & Crochet Blog Week finished - and I didn't manage to do days 6 and 7 at the time because things were a little hectic, but I wanted to complete my posts - so here they are! [double post alert!]

KCBW4 Day 6 - A Tool To Covet

It's pretty hard to pin down my very favourite knitting tool...but I think there's a lot to be said for investing in a beautiful pair of knitting needles which make the art of crafting that little bit more pleasureable. Generally, straight knitting needles which are not too short are my thing, as I favour a style of knitting where you tuck one needle under an arm. I'm particularly fond of my bamboo, birch and rosewood sets of needles. There is something lovely and incredibly special about working with natural fibres on a beautifully carved pair of wooden pointy sticks.

Other tools I find incredibly useful are my (left-handed) scissors which are nice and sharp, some point protectors (stops me from jabbing myself! Or from getting holes in my bag) and a ruler or measuring tape. I also find I like to make little notes to keep track of my progress with a pattern. Not forgetting essentials like pins, sewing needles and some method of steam generation to finish things off nicely.

I enjoy looking out for unusual knitting accoutrements on my travels too - you just never know what little treasures you might find!

KCBW4 Day 7 - Looking Forward

Thinking about what I'd like to achieve over the next year or so, regarding all things knit, I suspect, as with every year, I won't quite manage to knit as much or as often as I would like to...but I do have a few aspirations.

I would like to actually finish off more projects that I start or have already begun, something which others who are "serial starters" can relate to I'm sure! I do tend to put off the final stages of blocking, darning in ends and sewing up. (Guilty!)

I hope to remedy this by revisiting some forlorn UFOs (unfinished objects, to the uninitiated!), some of which have been languishing for rather too long. After all, every knitter loves to reach the proud moment where they can show off their beautiful handiwork to the world (or maybe just the rest of Ravelry).

I'd also like to try out a few more stitch patterns - lace and/or cables - which I've been musing about. The other goal I hereby set is to actually write more knitting patterns. I've written a few to date, mainly baby knits, and would like to expand my library of knits.

Click here to check out the rest of my Knitting & Crochet Blog Week (4) posts... or view those from previous years: Year 3 - 2012 • Year 2 - 2011 • Year 1 - 2010

Awash with Colour - 4KCBWDAY4

Day 4 - Colour Review

"What are your favourite colours for knitted projects. Have a think about what colours you seem to favour when yarn shopping and crafting.
 
"Only after writing this part of your post should you then actually look to see what colours you have used in your projects. Make a quick tally of what colours you have used in your projects over the past year and compare it to the colours you have written about. Compare this, in turn, to the colours that are most dominant in your yarn stash – do they correlate?

Now think back to your house animal - do the colours you have chosen relate to your animal in anyway - if you are in the house of peacock, for example, are your projects often multicoloured and bright?"



I feel that my favourite colours for knitted projects (and crafting generally) are more or less the same as my favourite colours overall: beautiful deep, rich jewel tones, as well as a sprinkling of neutrals and pastels to offset them.

Now to see if I'm right! (I imagine I'm not far off really, as I have a pretty good awareness of colour and frankly am quite obsessed with it.)

On reviewing the projects I recorded over the last year on Ravelry, I do think my initial assessment is about right. I'm not including in this review items I was commissioned to make as I do usually get requests for specific colourways when people order something!



I do know for a fact that my stash is dominated by reds, purples, violets, greens, teals, blues and greeny-blues - a veritable rainbow of saturated colour if you will.

This is tempered by my love of natural tones - many hues of soft greys, a hint of cream and a handful of inky blue and deep black. I also have a small collection of pastel yarns because I have a love for shades with a slightly retro feel - 1950s ice cream colours anyone?

[EDIT]

Just realised I neglected to cover the final part of the task! Ooops. In any case, thinking about the colours that appeal to me and that I tend to craft with, I supppose they do correlate in a way (other than perhaps the neutrals) to the sorts of colours a *real* bee might be attracted to in the world of flora. How fitting!

In the Honeycomb - 4KCBWDAY2

 Day 2 - A Mascot Project!

Today we were asked to consider a project which represents the spirit of the chosen "house" or animal. As you'll know if you read my post yesterday (and there's a hint in today's post title too), I decided to align myself with the House of Bee(s).

I opted for a rather literal translation of the theme, as you will see! Whithout further ado, may I present to you (a somewhat sleepy-looking) Papa BEE!

I decided to knit a bee on a bit of a whim, having spent an afternoon with my OH's little nephew, who is known to point and excitedly shout, "a Bee!!!" when he happens to spot one buzzing around the garden. (He seems to have a wee bit of a thing for these nectar-loving winged insects.)
 

 As it happens, the boy's third birthday was approaching when I was contemplating the topics in  advance of Knitting & Crochet Blog Week and I thought it seemed like a fun thing to have a go at, being no stranger to knitting the odd creature or two. I did a little search on Ravelry and found this cute toy bee pattern (which is also free), though I did adapt the wings quite a bit.

It's becoming a bit of a tradition for me to make things for the wee man... when he was a newborn I made him a funky baby mobile (more about that here and here) then as he got a bit bigger I knitted a pair of winter mittens for him. The thing which so far has had the biggest reception so far though was a knitted toy pigeon!

[Do excuse the slightly grainy pics - I hope to be able to show you some better ones when I have access to my camera but it's currently 35 miles away!]

4KCBWDAY1 - Knitting & Crochet Blog Week 2013!

Welcome to Knitting & Crochet Blog Week, which I'm happy to say I'm taking part in again, for the fourth year running! (Hard to believe it's been going for four years already!)

Day 1 - The House Cup

Today, the topic is to discuss "your crafting outlook/style" and choose a "house" which represents this.

I've chosen the House of Bee:

The House of Bee: "Bees are busy and industrious, but can flit from one interesting project to the next as bright and shiny things capture their interest."

I feel this animal (out of the four house choices: bee, manatee, monkey and peacock) most closely fits my knitting "style" - I tend to have several projects on the go simultaneously and I definitely have a chronic case of serial startitis! The lure of fresh new patterns and colourful yarn is sooo hard to resist though...

As a knitter I like to have multiple creations, usually at various stages of completion, but the thing I enjoy most about my approach to this craft is that I generally have one or two more complex, 'cerebral,' patterns in progress (for example a tricky lace pattern or one with lots of fiddly colourwork), as well as having a few of a more simple design underway.

This means I can knit to suit my mood - sometimes I want to work on something which requires quite a bit of concentration...and other times I like to have a simple project I can just work on in a less focussed way - such as when sitting in front of the telly of an evening. It's a great way of winding down, I find!


For more info about this annual yarny extravaganza, check out Eskimimi's blog. (Thanks to Mimi for creating the fab blog week graphics too!)

Edinburgh Yarn Festival

Let me start by saying this: Woooooooooool!
...um, and some other fibres too, ha ha!

The first Edinburgh Yarn Festival was a grand day out for fibre fans, that much is certain. It was a properly dreich day but we still patiently queued in the rain - this very much set the tone for the day. Not in the respect of the damp weather, but more in the respect that people were generally very good-natured, considerate and patient.

...Which is just as well really, because by the time I got there (very late morning) it was mobbed! Though after a bit, me & my friends decided to grab a spot of lunch at a nearby quirky and - I think - recently opened bar on Leith Walk, a good choice as it turned out both in terms of timing and food! On our return things at the festival had thankfully calmed down a little and it was much easier to get around and see more of the stalls up close.

It was really great to see yarn spun, supplied and hand-dyed from all over Scotland (and a few from further afield). I am pleased to say that I have noticed a real upturn in the availability of Scottish wool [and other fibres] - something I am personally quite passionate about and I try to support whenever possible.

I was also intrigued to discover that Yarn Pony not only offers beautiful hand-dyed yarns but courses on how to kettle-dye your own too!

I was very restrained in my purchases on the day but I did see a lot of lovely things on the day - I could have happily gone on a giant fibre-y shopping spree! Instead I chose a few choice pieces and used the opportunity to do a little research on suppliers I can (and likely will) purchase from in the future.

This Pac-Man woven ribbon is so, so amazing! I also love the Space Invader one from the same shop (Textile Garden) shown below. There's no way I was leaving without a little of each of them :D Their stall had lots of interesting trims and buttons for your every need.

I loved this stall's selection of pretty wooden buttons, many different designs too. I think they are done as some kind of transfer. (I just wish I could remember what the name of the business was so I could visit their website, argh!)

[EDIT: I have since discovered the buttons are from Skybluepink-Designs! Yay!]

(I also got some fab things for a yarn swap, but I don't want to spoil the surprise for my swap partner so no pics here of that stuff, sorry!)

Resources
Tin Can Knits - pretty patterns for adults, kids & accessories
Textile Garden - notions galore
The Thread Room - hand-dyed yarn in fabulous colours from Oz
Yarn Pony - scrummy yarn hand-dyed in Edinburgh & yarn-dyeing workshops
Avery Homestore - Edinburgh shop selling craft materials & homewares
Skybluepink-Designs - specialist supplier of unique yarns: rare breed wool, plant dyed, recycled, handspun
Strathearn Fleece & Fibre - raw fleece, batts, rovings and spun yarn from this Perthshire farm
Porcini & Button - handmade crafty things from Edinburgh
OwlPrintPanda - THE cutest little knitted fox purses, a fanastic selection of stitchmakers and earrings for the crafter in your life!
The Yarn Yard - yarns and fibre hand-dyed in Midlothian
The Border Mill - small-scale mill in the Scottish Borders, mainly processing alpaca fleece (I recommend visiting this site for the wonderful illustrations and "meet the herd" page!)
Alpaca Loft - lovely alpaca yarn and alpaca products
Ripples Crafts - yummy hand-dyed yarn from the Highlands
Shilasdair - yarn shop, dye house & exhibition on the Isle of Skye
Crafty Ally - knitting project & notion bags handmade from pretty fabrics
Cairngorm Bags - knitting bags made from fabulous fabrics
Fibre Forager - wonderful dyed fibres for spinning & felting

More info about the event here.

A Fresh Start

The beginning of a new year is always a time for reflection, as well as a time filled with promise. Perfect for the planning of adventures ahead in the coming months.

I'm trying not to make too many resolutions this year (less to break!), to keep things a bit more focussed. One I have made, which definitely relates to craft-based activities, amongst other things, is to try and finish more things that I start (or have previously started).

It's very easy to start a project, when you're filled with enthusiasm, but soon enough (if you're like me) then along comes another thing which diverts your attention from it, and it gets left in a knitting bag or buried under a pile of other things and often ends up somewhat forgotten!

Anyway, I do like the feeling of accomplishment of finishing pieces, especially ones which took a while to complete - for whatever reason (hmmm... lack of enthusiasm about sewing up seams/darning final ends seems a likely culprit, more often than not!) - and being able to allow that piece to fulfill its intended purpose. So here's to completing more this year!

On a side note, you might remember that back in June last year, I mentioned the photo a day project - I took part in almost every other month last year and enjoyed the daily challenge. So I am at it again this January (see some of my previous photo a day pics sprinkled around this post)! If you feel like having a go too, check out this blog post about how to get involved.

Also, stay tuned for a little DIY tutorial and a giveaway later this month!

Birds go West

Yes, that's right...more antics from our feathered friends! Those cheeky arctic terns have flocked over to the Lighthouse in Glasgow's Mitchell Lane.

One arctic tern perched on my windowsill
before he joined the flock!

The Bird Yarns project is nesting at the Lighthouse from now until Sunday 28th October - I even paid them a little visit myself in Glasgow at the weekend! You can currently find them up on the top floor, perching on the viewing platform by the café.

(Please click on the image to view it better!)
If you're interested in knitting your own Arctic Tern, the Lighthouse gallery shop now sells kits so you can do just that. (Would also make a fab pressie for a crafty friend or family member!)

Further Information

Bird Yarns: http://www.capefarewell.com/seachange/bird-yarns
Bird Yarns Tumblr: http://bird-yarns.tumblr.com
Bird Yarns Twitter: @Birdyarns
The Lighthouse: http://www.thelighthouse.co.uk
Luminate: http://www.luminatescotland.org
Cape Farewell: http://www.capefarewell.com/seachange/bird-yarns
Deirdre Nelson: http://dstitch.blogspot.co.uk

My knitted Arctic Tern bird-in-progress (June 2012)

(See also my previous post about the Bird Yarns project.)

The Birds are coming!

I'm so excited to announce that the Bird Yarns project is coming to Edinburgh!

The project is an interesting one, involving many crafters from all over the UK (and a few from further afield!), knitted Arctic Terns and Textile Artist Deirdre Nelson.

My knitted birdie!

Bird Yarns is organised by An Tobar's Artist-in-Residence Deirdre Nelson (An Tobar being the arts centre in Tobermory on the isle of Mull), supported by Cape Farewell and is intended to highlight the plight of these little birds. The exhibition is a response to the changing migration patterns of seabirds across Scotland’s islands.

A flock of Arctic Terns will descend upon the Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh, 26th-27th September 2012 - I can't wait to see them all!

They're knitted with locally-sourced, beautiful natural undyed wool from Ardalanish (also on Mull) and recycled materials - my tern has a thick felt beak, legs which I French knitted and reinforced with coated red wire, also used to make its little webbed feet. I then stuffed my knitted bird body with recycled wool scraps from my other knitting projects to keep it eco-friendly.

A little birdy told me (pardon the pun, I couldn't help it...) that there are now kits available too if you want to have a go at knitting your own! [Ravelry link]

Give, Craft, Make

Looking for inspiration for a summer craft project? Look no further!

Glasgow Craft Mafia is back with Give, Craft, Make - the perfect event for all you crafters out there :)

On Sunday 12th August (that's this Sunday!) from 12 noon - 5pm at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow, there will be stalls selling lots of crafty goodies to get your imagination going. I'll be selling oodles of yarn, all manner of haberdashery, beads, and some lovely knitting pattern books too.

There will also be craft workshops on the day along with a yarn donation station so if you have any oddments of wool you no longer need, feel free to give them to charity!

Hope to see you there! :)

3KCBWWC - Perfect Day

Day Seven: Craft your perfect day

Today I chose to go for the 'wildcard' (3KCBWWC) topic: "Plan your fantasy day with your craft, It might just take up one hour of your day or be the entire focus of the day, but tell your readers where you'd love to craft, whether you'd craft alone or with friends, knitting or crocheting something simple or spending a day learning new skills."



I think my perfect knitting-filled day would have to start with poring over my library of knitting books and magazines for inspiration. I've collected rather a lot of them over the years! (the image below shows just a small selection of some titles I own...) This may be followed by having a peek at some knitting blogs and of course, the wonderful Ravelry.

Fibrespates Scrumptious DK from my stash

After that, I would head off into town (Edinburgh, that is) and one of my favourite local yarn havens, k1 yarns, a cosy, bright little shop on the West Bow, just at the curve at the bottom of Victoria Street in the heart of the city's old town. They specialise in Scottish yarns such as Orkney Angora, Jamieson's of Shetland and Harris Tweed, and have a lovely selection of hand-dyed yarns too. It's quite likely that this visit would result in a yarn splurge, but that's part of the fun, right?! Plus I could get another stamp on my loyalty card ;)

Orkney Angora St. Magnus 4ply from my stash

Once I've satisfied my yarny needs, I'd meet up with friends at an alternative bar I'm quite fond of, the Auld Hoose, for some of their tasty food and a spot of pub knitting. The perfect way to round off a knit-tastic day, n'est-ce pas?

I do hope you've enjoyed reading these posts. It's been fun taking part in Knitting & Crochet Blog Week for the third year in a row, not just as a participant but reading other knitty blogs too. To view my other posts for the week, see here. Thanks once again to Eskimimi for organising it!

3KCBWDAY6 - Skillful knits

Day Six: Improving Your Skillset

Hmmm... wasn't quite sure where to go with this topic, as I feel I have covered the "things I'd like to learn/could improve on" subject in previous years here and here. Admittedly though, there's always something new you can learn, improve upon or a new approach to something (such as a different cast-on method) to try.



However, I am happy to say that I have learned many aspects of the knitting skillset over the years and I truly appreciate why it is called a "craft" - both from a hand knitting and machine knitting perspective. I'm glad that it's something I have persevered with, as it is so much more than just a hobby to me, at certain points it has in fact been my livelihood as a self-employed designer.



Knitting definitely has its benefits (certainly for me at least) and I have found the meditative quality of the rhythm and repetitive motions comforting on many an occasion - when things seem a little overwhelming, I find it really does help to sort out my emotions and thoughts, as well as being an activity that I like to do to help unwind (pun intended) before bedtime.

I think if there's one thing I'd like to do more of, it's to write more of my own patterns. I have written several patterns - for machine and hand knits - so "improving" is one thing, but it's more about having the courage to just do them sometimes, and put them out into the world. I haven't actually published very many of them but I would like to build on my pattern library in the coming years.



As someone who has read and knitted from rather a lot of patterns in one capacity or another over the years (some of them better than others!!!), I like to think that I have a pretty good idea of how to create a clear, easy-to-follow pattern and accompanying set of instructions.