Quick Autumnal Knit

Really easy "mitt-knit" using 4 double-point needles and soft baby cashmerino yarn. Took just three evenings to make and if you download the pattern from Ravelry, Cranford Mitts, you can make an optional donation to Medecins Sans Frontiers!

Stitch Markers - "sorted!"

For a number of months I've been contemplating stitch markers - yes, a bit sad, but bare with me! I really wanted to find something that didn't use a split ring and had as few "snagging opportunities" as possible, especially when working with lace yarns. Now, I am aware that I could have pinched some of Tilly's tiny braid elastics or even resorted to loops of knotted yarn - but I also wanted something that was pleasing to look at and big enough so it couldn't be "knitted in" by accident......... I couldn't really find anything, so decided to make my own.

Inspired by the bead stands at the Ally Pally knitting and stitching show last week I stocked up; bought a book from Amazon and visited, quite by chance, a wonderful bead jewellery shop, "The Birds and Beads", where the lovely Val Parker gave me an impromptu lesson in crimping, .......... and voilà.......I now have the stitch markers I've been craving. I can see this becoming a side-line and have put the first sets on the Yarnsmith website - please take a look!

The Green Man

This project has been a while in the offing, but is now complete and I am really proud of him! Designed to be part of a permanent exhibition at Cressing Temple Barns, Essex, he will join a plethora of other interpretations of the Green Man and also a unique weaving project undertaken by fellow members of the Mid-Essex Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers.

I think it's quite fitting that not only was the majority of the yarn taken from my stash, but the project transmuted organically as it progressed. The leaf background was taken from the Deciduous pattern on Ravelry, and the leaves developed from patterns found in "100 flowers to knit and crochet". As I'm not a proficient crocheter I decided to give it a go as the backdrop of the face so it could be "disguised" by the features if it went wrong. The eyes were also a crochet experiment which worked well and the straggly beard developed from a lovely scrap I found at the bottom of my work basket - it just begged to be incorporated! The green eye-lash yarn, again a scrap found (where and why did I get that!) was perfect for eye-lashes and brought the face to life.

I will be sorry to part with Green Man - he has definitely become part of the family; but look forward to visiting him from time to time!

Craft Club here I come!

I got an e-mail from the Craft Council at the end of last week asking if I wanted to attend a free training day for Craft Club Volunteers - an excuse to knit all day? Well, I'm not likely to turn that down am I? The training is associated with the "Knit 1, Pass it on" initiative to get volunteers into schools to do something crafty with yarn. It doesn't have to be knitting, but it's quite a good starting place - particularly as the website, "Craft Club, Knit 1 Pass It On", has some cracking ideas and patterns to get you started. Anyone can do this - you don't have to have experience working in school or teaching, you don't even have to be an expert knitter. The Craft Club is aiming to bring together a variety of people with different skills who share a common interest in getting crafts back into school. If you want to find out a bit more or register an interest just follow the link - and welcome to the knitting revolution!

PS. Thanks to the Craft Club trainers for a fab, inspiring day!

All is safely gathered in .....

Although my life is pretty much dominated by all things yarn, I occasionally allow other areas to encroach, you know; cleaning, cooking, homework............and this year, veg growing. This is partly because I’ve spent the last couple of years watching my neighbour systematically turn his bare, brown winter plots into and mass of colour, texture and taste through early spring to late autumn. Whilst being a year round knitter, I’m proving to be a fair weather gardener so I didn’t really get started before the end of April. At which point I bought two raised bed kits and stuck them on a bit of land I thought might get some sun. I wasn’t sure what to grow so picked up half-price seed potatoes; a couple of tomato plants for sale on the side of the road; found some beetroot seeds which came free with a magazine and bought some end of season courgette and French bean plants in a sale at the local garden centre. They all went in over one warmish week at the beginning of May and then pretty much got left – I think I watered them when it was hot in June and pulled out the odd shoot of bind-wind when I was walking past – but honestly, I really did leave them to their own devices. I didn’t stake the tomatoes, thin the beetroot or go near anything with insecticide (not that I want to do that anyway!) so I feel a bit of a fraud that I now have the harvest bowl pictured above. A gardening friend has intimated that this was beginners luck; whether yes or no ..............we’ll find out next year!

Yarnsmith announces the "Yarnshed".

This is such exciting news I need to sing it from the tree-tops! After nine months of planning we are really pleased to announce the opening of the Yarnshed. Our own purpose built sanctuary to house our stock; hold workshops, knitting groups and lessons as well as let the creative juices flow! If you would like to come and browse our sensational yarns and accessories, brush up on your skills or learn new techniques, or just sit and knit in the tranquil North Essex countryside please do not hesitate to get in touch. The kettle is always on and, with notice, you might even get some home baking thrown in!

Project hibernation works!

I really like the idea of KALs (knit-a-longs); the thought of hundreds of people around the globe knitting the same thing yet creating their own unique project makes me go all fuzzy inside - however, this Mystery Blanket was a bit frustrating with a number of errors appearing in the pattern instructions. After putting this project in hibernation for the best part of a year I finally decided to finish it using my own stitch patterns and techniques and have had great fun, ending up with a 36 square blanket surrounded by a knitted on border from Jane Sowerby's Victorian Lace Today. Just goes to prove that "hibernating" a project can really rejuvenate your work!