It's much easier to write blog posts when things are going wrong, or when nothing much has happened. Comic anecdotes come more readily when you've mistakenly put your husband out for collection with the recycling, or when you've spent an insomniac half-night pondering a mysterious chicken-shaped splodge on the bedroom ceiling. Unfortunately,* things have gone catastrophically well this weekend... which was immensely fun to experience, but isn't very funny to describe. I have lovely Continue Reading
Stylecraft Batik Yarn Review
It's about time I published a review of Batik, Stylecraft's brand new yarn. (Disclaimer: I didn't pay for the yarn, so clearly my fickle head has been turned by this freebie and not a single word of the following is to be trusted.) I wanted to thoroughly road-test the yarn before I wrote this, so I got the knitting needles out and started designing something that incorporated all sixteen shades:- You know what you need in the heat of August? A nice warm, fluffy cowl, that's what. So I Continue Reading
Blogstars
Last weekend I was in West Yorkshire at the invitation of Stylecraft. The occasion was the inaugural meeting of their 'Blogstars' programme, in which a dozen of us yarny bloggers/designers get the chance to work closely with Stylecraft and hear whispers about new yarns that are on their way. (Clue: there are some very interesting and unexpected developments afoot.) They kindly asked me to take part. 'Would you like to come up to the picturesque valleys of West Yorkshire, tour our old woollen Continue Reading
To The Mill!
Evenin’. We all here? Good, good. Do have a seat… NO, NOT THAT ONE! Sorry, didn’t mean to shout, but that’s the chair the twinnage have booby-trapped. What’s that you say? Oh, um, trust me, you don’t want to know, but... you’re not scared of worms, I hope? Help yourself to some wine. You’ve brought yarn? Ha, silly question: of course you’ve brought yarn. Speaking of yarn, would you like to see round an old woollen mill? It’s just that a few of us knit/crochet bloggers* were invited to Continue Reading
The Skirt Post
Ah, the skirt. (And thank you to the kind people in the comments threads who've been asking about it.) This post could probably be retitled 'How not to design a skirt, you fool!' but it will at least give you a laugh or two, I hope. For those of you who are new around these 'ere parts, allow me to elaborate. I decided on a whim to design a knitted stranded skirt and a crocheted bag, ahead of judging the Stylecraft competition. It seemed like a good idea. And whilst the bag was done in plenty Continue Reading
Hello West Yorkshire!
Another quick one. I've just arrived in Holmfirth in West Yorkshire, ahead of tomorrow's judging for the Stylecraft competition at their mill in Slaithwaite. If you entered, very good luck! I can't wait to see all the colours that you've sent in (although I'm a teeny tiny bit nervous about the objects that might have been sent in!!) I know that they've received loads of entries, so it'll be quite a (happy, colourful) task. Here's the view from my hotel room: rubbish photo on iPad camera because Continue Reading