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.

Sharing the Love

Today I'm sharing a little love, as it seems like the right thing to do on Valentine's day. I thought it would be nice to tell you about some of my wonderfully talented and creative friends :)

Andrea is an avid knitter (much like myself!) from Canada who has recently gotten into spinning yarn too.

Above you can see one of her lovely handspun yarns, find it here in her etsy shop, AndiSocial's Twist.

I also love cats...and I really like Julia of Materialised's kitty creations. Meet Kimberly the cat!

From stitched felines to fluffy birds: Mel is the brains - and the needle-felty hands! - behind Feltmeup Designs, aka The Felt Menagerie. Some of you may well be familliar with these cute little birdies.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed those :)

Why Handmade?

Why do people buy handmade? There are so many reasons, really.

Why I buy Handmade: because it has so much more meaning than buying something mass-produced and because as a designer/maker myself, I value the skills, time, work, thought and energy which has gone into making something by hand.


Image via DaWanda
I love the uniqueness of something which has been crafted with care by someone creative. The fact that every object (and for that matter, maker or designer) has a rich story behind it, something that gives pieces 'life,' as it were. I enjoy finding out what inspired the person who made a particular handmade piece.


Something else I delight in is going to local markets and independent shops to see beautiful things made by passionate people living in my own city (or further afield!) and forging a connection with them, their creative process and their creations.

This post was sparked off by the UK Handmade "Buy Handmade" Campaign in support of Designer Makers. I'd love to know: what are your reasons for buying handmade?

Magpie July

Coming very soon... another crafty extravaganza, brought to you by Magpie!


This will be the second Magpie Market held upstairs at The Hub on Castlehill, and if the last one was anything to go by, it'll be fab - featuring vintage clothing, handmade goodies and naturally there will be cake too!


I'll also be showing off my WildCat Designs & WildKittens wares, if you want to see 'em in person, this your opportunity! I plan to showcase a few new designs, so this is a rare chance for a little sneak peek :)

...for those about to CRAFT...

...we salute you! :D


Yup, it's that time of year again - time to get your *crafty* on! I am getting pretty excited about the Edinburgh Etsy Craft Party, I can tell you. (see the facebook event page for more info) I'm very much looking forward to crafting en plein air in the Meadows on Friday 10th June - here's hoping the weather is as lovely and sunny as it is today for the picnic party! Hope to see a few familliar faces and make some new crafty friends on the day too.

There's even a fun, downloadable party kit from etsy to get you started if you're looking for ideas. Find out if there's an event in your town here.

*Edit: I should add that you don't have to be an etsy member to come along - it's totally free on the day and all are welcome :)

May is Craft & Design Month!

Yep, that's right. It's Craft and Design Month during May here in the UK. I know I'm a little late, but there are still a whole load of events happening, check out their events page for more details about what's going on near you.



Some highlights...

- A Passion for Glass at the National Museums Scotland, which opened on Friday and runs until September this year.

- Craft Festival Scotland 2011, which also takes place during the month of May

- Support UK Handmade's national Buy Handmade Campaign!

- Jupiter Artland on the outskirts of Edinburgh, which has just re-opened, and features sculptural works by Ian Hamilton Finlay and Andy Goldsworthy.

- The Borders Textile Towerhouse in Hawick is also worth a visit with its textile treasures and currently has an exhibition entitled "The Women who wore Pringle"!

- Colour - Quilts - Collage: an exhibition featuring the work of award-winning quilt artist Frieda Oxenham at the Tweeddale Museum and Gallery in Peebles.

- and last but most certainly not least, don't forget to check out the work of up-and-coming young creatives at the art college degree shows, such as Duncan of Jordanstone in Dundee!

The Silken Thread

I was recently inspired by this gorgeous cashmere & silk yarn created by the lovely Snowberrylime to collate an etsy treasury along a similar theme, entitled "The Silken Thread" - I hope you like :)


The interactive thingy above was created using CraftCult's Etsy Treasury Widget. Yay!

Make Some Noise...

...for the Beastie Boys! :D


I'm excited to say that a piece of Textile Art I created some time ago has recently been featured on the Indie Fixx blog - a guest post by the lovely Michelle of Craftsville (and several other crafty ventures!) on UK stitchery! Read the article here.


The work was inspired by the Beastie Boys album artwork for "To the 5 Boroughs" - if you're not familliar with it, it features a line drawing of the New York city skyline - an illustration by Matteo Pericoli.



Have a lovely weekend, dear readers! I'm going to enjoy the sunshine while it lasts!

Handmade Portraits: Biscuit Scout

Handmade Portraits: Biscuit Scout from Etsy on Vimeo.

I love this lady's story :) Find out more about her here.

Cyber Monday Madness!

A little treat for you, my lovely readers...for one day only, receive 10% off your order from my WildCat Designs etsy shop when you enter the coupon code 'CYBERMON' during checkout!



I've got some lovely handmade knits to keep you and your loved ones cosy this winter, so do check out this one-day offer :)

It's also the perfect opportunity to stock up on pressies - my last order dates for Christmas are fast approaching! See this recent post for details.

P.S. For those who prefer to shop in €uros, there's a special discount running today over at my DaWanda shop too!

Magpie Markets!

This autumn/winter sees a return of the always fabulous Magpie Market, on the second Sunday of each month from now until Christmas. Oh, and did I mention you can pick up WildCat Designs/WildKittens creations (and other goodies) there? ;)

(please click image for larger version of flyer)

Free goody bags for the first 50 early birds through the doors on the day. Come see all the awesome things: illustration, art, design, craft, jewellery and vintage. (Perfect for getting gifts sorted.)

The first is this Sunday, 10th October from 12 noon til 5pm at The Lot in Edinburgh's Grassmarket - hope see you there!

The Summertime Hop!

Wanna spice up your Saturday? Come on down to the Made in the Shade Summertime Hop!




I'll be there this Saturday with my wooly WildCat Designs creations, along with some WildKittens goodies too. Not only that, I'll be sharing a stall with the lovely Claira of Vertiline in Love! Gorgeous vintage goodness abounds!

Come along & say hi! There are lots of other talented creatives coming too, including Gillian Kyle, Wooden Tree, Lizzy Stewart, Magic Alice and Angharad Jefferson. Check this blog post to see the full list.

That's not all! There will be live music from The Meat Men, tea and cake provided by Auntie M's Cake Lounge, not forgetting Flora the Tombola... and as if that wasn't enough, pop in early enough and you may get a fabulous goodie bag!

It's sure to be a blast. So this Saturday, from 10.30am til 5pm, the Roxy Art House (map) is where it's at! Be there or be square! ;)

Friday I'm in Love...

...with this wonderful stop-motion animation :)



(found via I like you)

See more of Kirsten Lepore's work here: www.kirstenlepore.com

Have a fab weekend!

Wave of Nauticalia

I do love a pretty nautical stripe (as you might have guessed by now!) so as you can imagine, I am very happy indeed that there are so many in the shops right now! It makes for perfect summer fashion. Here are some of my favourite nautical picks...


Anchor Pendants by Cherryloco


Pirate Ship Notes by Presents for Pirates


Sailor Clutch by Cut out and Collect


Baker's twine from Overspill


Pirate Ship Scooner printed t-shirts by Happy Family


Tattoo Swallow Silhouette Necklace by Heatherly Designs

Hooked on You

Well, it's difficult to deny that love is in the air at this time of year. With that in mind, here are some rather nice February Finds!

Decorative Heart Wall Hook from Monkey and Squirrel

'The Shoe Collection' Print by Lola's Room

Tea Heart Teatowel by MrPS

'Stick Me' Valentine - a collaborative sticker book available here.

Valentine Kittens from Quernus Crafts

A new addition to the Family...

...the WildCat Designs family, that is! Check out my new blog, for all things WildKittens related, plus cute and colourful finds which have caught my 'magpie' eye.



Find it here: http://wildkittens.blogspot.com

Dolly Mixtures

Intrigued? I was. It's the new thing to do on a Thursday night! Coinciding with late shopping night in town, Dolly Mixtures is a fab alternative to dreary high-street sameness.



Featuring stalls of crafty goodness, clothes swishing, lovely jewellery, yummy cakes, teapot cocktails and live tribute acts, it's definitely worth a visit to Electric Circus on Thursday 4th February, 5pm til late.

Need another reason? WildCat Designs is coming out of hibernation, ready to showcase some brand new designs and will be there in full woolly glory! Hope to see you there :)

Find out more about Electric Circus here. Fabulousness, reasonably-priced drinks, oh, and karaoke booths! It's at 36-39 Market Street, Edinburgh, just by the Fruitmarket Gallery.

Lovely Things

Oh dear...it's been a while! I've been off having far too much fun - my birthday, plus a music festival (T in the Park, if you must know) = not very much blogging at all! I have some things I'd like to share though, so I thought it was about time.

Later this month, WildCat Designs will be taking part in Handmade Haven, a Glasgow Craft Mafia market at Mono. Come and see some fab crafty creations in a relaxed Sunday afternoon setting from 1-6pm on the 26th of July. For more information, see here.

As a birthday treat, I had a mini spree on etsy - mainly because I spotted the work of Kallliopi on the front page. I had to have this...



...mainly because it's just too cute! Not to mention beautifully handmade and unique. Kalliopi is based in Melbourne, Australia and makes gorgeous little brooches from lots of funky little things but my favourites are definitely those based on plectrums for the guitar.

I also discovered that if you sign into etsy on your birthday - the bar at the top says 'Happy Birthday' to you! It certainly made me smile anyway.

Today I stumbled across two rather lovely websites full of nice things. Things which bring me dangerously close to parting with wads of cash!



First up is ModCloth which has a nice mix of retro and vintage clothing, as well as funky things to spruce up your living space. The Stitchable Stationery kit by Sublime Stitching and the Matryoska Russian Doll drinking game definitely caught my eye.



The other website I happened to trip over is Shana Logic. It has some fabulously kitsch jewellery, cute clothing, quirky art prints and even some squeezably soft plush things. Like this sweet Geisha cushion.

Discover DaWanda!

If you haven't already checked out the DaWanda website, which is essentially the European equivalent of etsy (prices are in Euros), then it's about time! In fact, this week would be ideal, as many sellers - including myself - are taking part in its Discovery Week.

During this week, every item on the site showing a little palm tree/desert island logo is 15% off the regular selling price. The promotion, which runs from Monday 22nd June (today) until Sunday 28th June, gives you this special discount when you purchase from a shop you have not previously purchased from before.

...All the more reason to get shopping, and find new & exciting goodies! :)

DaWanda is a great little marketplace for lovers of art, handmade items and homewares plus you can even view the site in your choice of three 'flavours,' namely English, French or German. Bonus!

A little sneak peek at a WildCat Designs creation from my little DaWanda boutique:



The Heart Brooch, in Lilac & Raspberry lambswool, started its life as a piece of knitting (created on my vintage mechanical knitting machine), was then felted and stitched to transform it into a cute wearable heart.

Wishful Thinking

Lately I've been thinking about some of the things I would like for my birthday (it's fast approaching, as it's in early July!) and somehow, it always comes back to the same, or similar things....I am of course referring to my knitting habit.

Naturally this is not necessarily a bad thing - and here are some wonderful reasons why. May I present to you - drumroll please - my wish list!

To start this off, I always seem to go back to my two favourite yarn shops on etsy for inspiration.

First are the creations of Veronika, aka Snowberrylime (great name). There are some to-die-for handspun yarns in her shop, including this one.



It's a beautiful silk and merino blend and the photograph just makes me want to reach out and squish it. I suppose it's a tactile-impulse thing, I can't help it! :)

A little closer to home, Sheffield-based Shunklies offers a truly delectable idea. Namely 'design your own yarn' and she will spin it for you. What more could a knitter ask for?



See shunklies.etsy.com for more goodies.

If you're knitting, well, then I suppose you'll be requiring a set of sticks. I found these today...I think they're fab!



Kitsch and colourful, this pair of acrylic knitting needles is handmade by annetastic.etsy.com.

I also love these candy cane stripe handpainted pins by arachknits.etsy.com.



What better way to finish off a gorgeous knit than some of the lovely unique buttons designed and handmade by Laura Walker. I particularly love this one, it's such pretty colours and the lacy surface patterning is to die for, if you love lace as much as I do.



Visit Laura's etsy shop here: veronicabuttons.etsy.com.