...And not for the first time recently, here is a post about both yarn and cauliflowers. This blog shall henceforth be renamed 'Brassicas and Bobble-Stitch' to better reflect its subject matter. Glad we've got that sorted. Before we get on to the weighty matter of cauliflowers, let's discuss the yarn, because that's the exciting part of this post. Whilst the Stylecraft Blog-Tour-Bus rumbles on to another venue (it's currently parked right outside the Patchwork Heart blog), the entries have been Continue Reading
Archives for September 2015
The Carnival Bag, And The Stylecraft Giveaway!
Welcome to day five of the Stylecraft Blog Tour! Fancy a free pattern and a chance to win a whole caboodle of yarn, regardless of where in the world you are? Read on, Macduff... So, just for the benefit of anyone who is new round these 'ere parts, (hello at the back, there), a few months ago I co-judged Stylecraft yarn's competition to find a new shade for their range of Special DK. With me were the editor of Let's Knit magazine (who waited very patiently in the car park before we went in, Continue Reading
You Know That Thing I Said? It Might Not QUITE Be True…
The Stylecraft Blog Tour seems to have got off to a decent start, with plenty of colourful patterns and daily chances to win a whole hairy heap of yarn. For those who asked a few posts ago, may I just say YES, the competition is indeed open worldwide. Hurrah! Today, it's the turn of Crafternoon Treats. Tomorrow (Tuesday) it's the turn of this very blog, so there'll be another free pattern and another chance to win a limited edition pack of yarn right here. So set your alarm clock for Continue Reading
The Stylecraft Giveaway: It’s Coming!
Would you like a free pattern and the chance to win a whole sack of joyfully colourful yarn? You would?? Oh my friend, you've come to the right place: you won't be disappointed. I've mentioned this on the 'Yarn's Facebook page (do please 'like' for updates) but I hear a faint rumour that not quite everyone is accounted for on The Book Of Faces, so it's only fair that I also mention it on Ye Olde Wordpress(e). Y'see, it's like this. Cast your almost perfectly photographic memory back to Continue Reading
How To De-Pill Your Knits
Do your knits ever pill? Would you like a quick tip for getting rid of those annoying, tiny balls of yuck? Yes I know you can buy de-pilling gadgets, but you really don't need to. Just fetch a razor and give 'em a shave. Seriously. And be a little brutal about it, too. I wish I'd thought to take a 'before' picture to show you how pilly my camera strap had become, but here's some of the fluff that I shaved from its surface:- I also gave it a wash in Eucalan, and it's now once again a much Continue Reading
Squinting At Sartorial Oddities
Being a knitter/crocheter affects how you look at garments in shops, right? Do you find yourself frowning and pondering at other people's knitwear? No?? Oh, OK, it's just me, then. There are some beautiful clothes out there. Look at this crocheted loveliness I saw in the window of a local charity shop. How gorgeous? I don't wear pale colours because they really don't suit me (even my wedding dress was dark teal), but if I could just get hold of the pattern, I'd begin crocheting this Continue Reading
Knowing Your Limits
Everyone has their limits. For example, some folks swear that they can't knit drunk, whereas I'll happily plod away at colourwork whilst sipping Chablis. However I do know from bitter experience that I can't work complex lace whilst angry. (I was debating with a member of my extended family about a subject that was dear to my feminist principles. Afterwards, precisely nobody was converted to the other's viewpoint and the entire collar of my jumper needed frogging and re-knitting. Sigh. Lesson Continue Reading
Crochet Crocodile Stitch Photo Tutorial
One of the crochet stitches that's important for the house bag is the crocodile stitch. Look, here it is, used for the roof of the house, which forms the flap for the bag:- It's not difficult but it looks fancy, and it's a stitch that works well for scarves. Since you work the scales one-at-a-time, it can carry a variegated yarn quite well, more so than - say - a granny square, which can get weirdly splodgy in a variegated yarn. Just don't make an entire cardigan in this stitch, Continue Reading
Mostly Crocheting The Vegetable Patch
September. The season is on the swing, towards autumn here in the UK, but towards spring if you're in the southern hemisphere. There's a hint of chill early in the day, regardless of whether or not the later hours become warm. The logs are stacked beside the fireplace and the kindling bucket is full. It's so tantalisingly nearly time to light a fire. There are blackberries to be gathered from the hedgerows for crumble-making:- As the temperature falls, it's spider season, and those of us Continue Reading
The Challenges Of Pattern-Writing
Gosh, this is complicated. Whilst I dither about the garden of the big crochet house project, I’m writing up the pattern for the crochet house bag, because I want to offer it (free) to those of you who are crazy enough to want to make one yourselves. And hey folks, guess what? Insanely complicated fiddly piece of crochet translates into insanely complicated fiddly pattern. Who’d’ve guessed?! One of the things I love about knitting/crochet is that a relatively short list of instructions on a Continue Reading