Hand Dyed Yarns

Happy 2012!

2012-01-05T14:11:00.003Z

It's getting a bit late for Happy New Year, so Happy 2012 to all readers. Thank you for your support and interest during 2011. May I wish you health and happiness for the coming months. Wealth, I agree, would also be nice, but you know, I think the other two are more important.

So, I am going to look forward to the coming year. I am not going to discuss the unfinished projects, including the two Christmas presents for Mum and Dad. They much preferred their bought sweaters (shameful, I know). I am not going to think about the other goodness knows how many projects started and abandoned. I am going to think about the Fairisle hat I started and finished over Christmas. Photo here.

This is a pattern from Jamieson's of Shetland and I will be selling this as a kit pretty soon. It was easy to knit although I found the horrid dpn's that I had made it hard going on my hands. Once I was able to get my hands on some KnitPro dpn's it was all a bit easier. It looks better on, but today I don't have a model - Rex is too small. I have started an Alice Starmore cardigan in Jamieson's Shetland Heather, a lovely yarn which I hope to start selling soon. It is beautiful, not one of her most complicated designs by any means, but painfully slow. Still, I am aiming to have it ready by October so this might be achievable. What are you planning to knit?

Not everyone is a happy recipient of a knitted gift

2011-12-07T09:57:00.004Z

I have been clearing out some Sublime in the shop and when stock taking it the other day, found this lovely pattern. I had all the colours in stock and so decided to make a couple of hats for my niece's sons. (That sounds so much better than great-nephews). They turned out really well and I was very pleased. Sent them to my niece who immediately sent this photo

My niece tells me that Jakey is 'learning to like his hat', which is a valiant take on it I think.

Not Knitting...

2011-11-11T12:20:00.003Z

One of the reasons I haven't been doing much knitting recently is that I have gone over to the darker world of needlepoint. Some years ago (not that many) I made needle point Christmas stockings for the family. I was given a kit from Jolly Red as a present and became hooked! I have made the Angels for Lucy, the Christmas Alphabet for Joe, Ian has Dreaming of Christmas and the Dogs (yes, I know) share the Noah's Christmas stocking. I have the Fairytale one. This year, weather and other conditions prevailing, daughter Lucy is hoping to spend Christmas with us and is bringing her partner Malcolm. What will he do for a stocking? I was asked. Well, luckily for him, Jolly Red had brought out a new kit - Puppies. You may know that I love dogs and so I snapped up a kit.

It sat staring at me for quite a few months - we have been busy! But eventually the 1 November deadline was drawing close and I was under pressure. I stitched until my fingers bled (bit of an exaggeration) but it's finished, and I'm very pleased with it.

I am pleased to report that I'm now back to knitting - fast and furious at that too! Having just decided to knit Mum and Dad Christmas presents, the pressure is on. Why do I do that? I don't know, but let's hope they get finished in time. I'll keep you posted. Anyone out there knitting under pressure?

A finished project!

2011-10-29T10:02:00.004+01:00

Well, it's not very often I finish a project but not only did I finish one garment, but made a couple more.

This little set was for my niece's new baby who was born in September (I know, it's taken a while to get this up). I used Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in Duck Egg and Ecru and it was really pleasureable to knit. The yarn is so soft and gave excellent stitch definition. It also made it much easier to sew up. The only slight annoyance was that the cardigan took just over one ball of each colour and so I had masses left. Hence, the hat and socks. There is still enough left for mittens, but I had had enough of stripy baby stuff. After all, I don't think I've finished a project for months! I would like to reassure readers that I did finish the second sock.

At the moment I am knitting a scarf with Kidsilk Haze stripe - the colour combinations are pretty, although I have to say I'm not a great fan of lace weights. But my all consuming project/problem is a needlepoint Christmas stocking which has to be at the making up company next week (well Tuesday really). Once that's done, then I can concentrate on making sweaters for both parents for Christmas, finish the scarf for friend's birthday (early Jan), knitting another scarf for an early Feb birthday and finishing the almost 101 projects sat around the house. Oh, and don't forget the Emily Peacock needlepoint picture for the Bath Studio wall which is 85 cm long and is taking forever.

What are you making?

Some Pictures of the GBY Studio

2011-09-09T13:40:00.000+01:00

Just a reminder that the Great British Yarns showroom will be open this Saturday between 10.00am and 4.00pm. If you haven’t been along yet please do drop in. If you can’t make it here are a few pictures so you can see what you’re missing!

The showroom – lots of lovely yarn

The knitting club/workshop area – still needs a few pictures putting up

The Proprietor – ready to serve

Mr Herdy

The control room – office & packing

The stock room – that’s a whole lot more yarn.

Great British Yarns Showroom

2011-09-01T17:11:00.007+01:00

The normal hours of opening of the Great British Yarns Showroom are as follows:

Monday to Saturday - 10.00am to 4.00pm
Sunday - Closed

Great British Yarns
Unit 9
Brassmill Enterprise Centre
Brassmill Lane
BATH
BA1 3JN

To check on opening hours please call ahead on 01225 462776 or email info@greatbritishyarns.co.uk

Directions to the Great British Yarns Studio & Showroom:

From Bath town centre follow signs for the A4 in the direction of Bristol and head out on the Upper Bristol Road past Victoria Park (on your right). Continue straight on at the next set of traffic lights and after approximately 400 metres bear left (at the next traffic lights) onto Newbridge Road. Continue for approximately half a mile and turn left into Brassmill Lane leading to Westfield Park South (the next turning on the left after Westfield Park). Follow the road for approximately 600 metres and turn right into Brassmill Lane Enterprise Centre (the turning by the cycle-path). You will see Unit 9 in front of you – just look for the sheep!

From Bristol take the A4 to Bath and follow signs for Newbridge Park-and-Ride bearing left onto Newbridge Road. Take the first turning on your right beyond the Park-and-Ride into Brassmill Lane leading to Westfield Park South. Follow the road for approximately 600 metres and turn right into Brassmill Lane Enterprise Centre (the turning by the cycle-path). You will see Unit 9 in front of you – just look for the sheep!

There is limited parking to the front of the unit (please do not park anywhere other than directly in front of our unit and please do not block the road) but there is plenty of unrestricted parking available on the main road.

An Eventful Day

2011-08-26T19:54:00.000+01:00

Two really good things have happened today. Firstly we have just gone live with an updated version of the Great British Yarns website. This has been quite a lot of work for Sharon but we’re really pleased with the new look. There are a few teething problems with the odd broken link but this should all be resolved over the next few days. Click here to take a look (if you access our website from your “favourites” you may need to refresh the page next time you look).

The second thing is that we have received another order of KnitPicks Yarns direct from the USA today. The boxes are piled up all over the floor at the moment while we open them and check off the delivery.

The new stock will be available for sale on the website shortly and it includes some yarn that we haven’t stocked before as well as new shades of others. It may take a day or two before it’s all available for sale so keep checking back to the website!

Taking Stock

2011-08-06T17:58:00.000+01:00

We’ve spent most of the day at the Studio stock taking which is a task that is long overdue. It’s been very difficult to count the stock accurately up until now (please don’t tell our accountant) because we didn’t have everything in one place.

The storage area at the Studio – now properly organised

Finally we have everything together so that counting is much easier, and there certainly do seem to be lots of things to count – so much so that we roped Alison in to help.

“What’s in this one Sharon?”

“It looks like more wool Alison!”

Stock taking is one of those tasks that you think will be over in couple of hours but ends up taking a couple of days. It can be quite tiring.

Sharon and Alison busy taking stock

Anyway, it’s been great to get to grips with all the lovely yarn and the good news is that the storage part of the Studio is all in hand. Next week we hope to move the office in – things are looking promising as the broadband is now up and running.

You can never have too much yarn

2011-07-24T17:54:00.000+01:00

We’ve spent the entire weekend moving all the Great British Yarns stock into the new studio. This involved a total of twelve trips in our Renault Scenic (with the back seats removed) moving 144 boxes containing approximately 18,000 balls of yarn! Nobody was more surprised than Sharon at the huge amount of stock stacked on the floor when we’d finished.

Having all the stock in one place will be a far more efficient way of working compared to working on a split site as we have been doing. However it’s also made us realise that we have quite a lot of yarn so the next job is to sort the stock out and then carry out a full stock check.

After that we will be moving our office into the studio so we can finally take full advantage of having a proper dedicated space to run the whole business from. Once that’s sorted out we will turn our attention to getting the showroom ready so we can invite the public in and hopefully get a few of the balls of yarn sold!

Home from Knit Nation

2011-07-20T17:45:00.003+01:00

I’ll start by saying a big thank you to those of you who took the time to visit our stand at Knit Nation last weekend. It was great to meet with some of our existing customers and also to see so many new ones.

It was a real treat for us to be able to take our yarn out of storage and show it off to everyone and we were very encouraged to see the positive reaction to the stock that we took along, in particular to the UK Indie Dyers and also the Knit Picks.

The event itself was very well organised and run by Alice and her crew and there was a great atmosphere throughout. It was also nice for us to be able to meet and chat with other traders and look at some of the other superb yarns on sale.

A fantastic show – we hope to return!

Knit Nation

2011-07-13T11:32:00.008+01:00

We are really excited to tell you that we have a stand at Knit Nation this year! For those who haven't heard about this event, it's a Knitting Show held at Imperial College, London from 15 - 17 July. There are classes, events, a Knitting Salon where afternoon tea can be purchased (looking forward to that) and lots of other knitty treats.

Our stand will contain lots of Knit Picks, lots of undyed yarns, some Rowan, some gorgeous hand dyed yarn by UK indie dyers and some really exciting stuff from Knit Pro which arrived at my front door just a few minutes ago! We have a few Symfonie Rose Crochet sets, lovely needle cases, DPN tubes and craft sets, all of which are new to the UK. These will be appearing on our website next week

We will be removing stock that we are taking from the website tomorrow night (Thursday), but don't worry, we will be putting it back on Monday.

Writing of Indie Dyers, we are delighted to say that we have persuaded Karen of Twisted Limone to dye some of her fabulous yarn for us. Karen dyes sock yarn in really vibrant colours and then winds them into ready to use balls of fabulousness! The photo above shows a few of the colours we have. We will be taking these to Knit Nation, and I'm sure they will disappear fast. More are coming though and these will be on the website as soon as we receive them.

So, if you are planning to visit Knit Nation, do come and say hello - we would love to meet you.

Making a Start

2011-07-03T18:42:00.000+01:00

We’ve finally been able to get into our new unit and make a start on some of the work we need to do before we can move the stock in. Over the weekend this has involved removing some old tiles from the area that will house the yarn showroom (previously used as a kitchen).

Sharon gets to grips with the old tiles (just before her dad turned up and actually did the job!)

Meanwhile I set to work to remove the “infinity wall” from the far end of the unit. The building had previously been used as a photographic studio and this structure had been built in to remove the hard line between the walls and the floor.

Beyond infinity – luckily it came apart quite easily

At the front of the unit we plan to have a large table suitable for workshops and a knitting group. At the moment this space is a rather nasty shade of green but it will be brightened up and have some Laura Ashley wallpaper applied to one wall to make it a bit more cosy.

The workshop space.

We did manage to do a bit of painting and plastering but there’s an awful lot still to do and with Knit Nation looming we’re going to be in for a busy few weeks.

Knit Nation

2011-06-30T11:11:00.001+01:00

A quick post to let you know that Great British Yarns will be attending Knit Nation at Imperial College London on 15 – 17 July. This is a rare outing for us and we are looking forward to having the opportunity meet some of our lovely customers. Space will be limited on our stand so please let us know if there is anything in particular you think we should bring along. Sadly we won’t be able to bring any KnitPicks Palettes but if you would like to order any for collection at Knit Nation please let us know.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Work in Progress

2011-06-20T20:08:00.002+01:00

After three years of working partly from our home and from various storage units we’re very pleased to announce that we will shortly be moving Great British Yarns to a small warehouse unit in Bath.

The plan is to have our storage and packing operation along with the office at the back of the unit. In the middle section there will be a showroom/sales counter where the public can come along and see all the lovely yarn, and at the front will be a spacious area for holding workshops and a knitting group.

We’re hoping to get up and running soon but at the moment are waiting for the landlord to finish re-wiring the place. We’ll keep you updated on developments!

Ravelry Group

2011-06-01T19:47:00.003+01:00

Just a quick post to let you all know that Great British Yarns now has its own Group on Ravelry, the online community for knitters and crocheters. Why not drop by and see what’s going on!

Click here to login to Ravelry or join up.

They are all winners.......

2011-04-29T09:29:00.004+01:00

Well, we have winners! The first prize goes to Sue and the SIBOLETTES for the wonderful blanket. Congratulations to everyone who put in so much hard work to make this fabulous item. We are sure it will be treasured item for the lucky auction winner.

Second prize goes to Ruth and her amazing toilet roll cover. The work in this is amazing, I particularly liked the copper initials and the gold embroidery. Well Done Ruth - you have raised the standard of British toilet decoration single handedly.

Our Third prize has been extended and both Emma and Linda will receive gifit vouchers for their elegant entries. The standard of work in these is extremely high and we congratulate you both.

Thank you for entering - it's been fun! If you would like to buy any of these items, they are on sale on Ebay until about 7.00 pm this evening 29 April.

Royal Wedding Knitting Competition Entries

2011-04-23T17:38:00.005+01:00

Well, the Royal Wedding is almost here and the closing date for the Knitting Competition has been and gone. I can now show you photos for each of the entries. Receiving the entries has been really exciting and I'm delighted that people have taken the trouble to put together a fabulous item and send it to me!

We have decided to auction these on Ebay and all proceeds will go to the Prince William & Miss Catherine Middleton Gift Fund. I haven't been able to find out when this closes and if we are too late, then it will go to the Prince William & Prince Harry Foundation. The auctions finish on Thursday between 7.30 and 8.00 pm. If you would like to bid, their item number and link is supplied under each item.

So, in the order in which they arrived here at Great British Yarns are the entries:

This lovely keyring is from Emma Varnam. This is brighter in real life than the photo and is beautifully worked and presented. The pattern is available free of charge on her website or Ravelry. The Ebay item number is 170632423438.

The second to arrive was this fabulous blanket from 'SIBOL'.

This is the Sunshine International Blankets of Love organisation and is managed by Sue. Sue and her 'SIBOLETTES' (who, by the way, come from all around the world), make fabulous blankets to give to the elderly, especially those in nursing homes. A wonderful idea. This blanket has been made from people in the UK, USA, Netherlands, France, Belgium and Australia. Sue co-ordinates the squares, and then sews up and finishes them. This came beautifully packaged in a gold box with a crocheted butterfly. It was tied up with gold ribbon and another butterfly and was a real treat to open. If you would like to bid on this item the Ebay number is 180658275817.

Thirdly, this lovely little wedding cake arrived from Linda Ulfsparre Sewell - it's very pretty and cute. It is also beautifully made.

This little cutey is on Ebay under item number 170632421804.

And last but not least, this fun toilet roll cover from Ruth Bramley. Ruth sent a note with her entry which says 'this special toilet roll cover is knitted in luxurious chenille yarn in a deep claret colour, overlaid with a lattice of rich metallic coard. On top a plush gold-edged cushion in sky-blue supports an ermine-trimmed, bejewelled, regal crown, based on the one that appears in the coat of arms of HRH Prince William of Wales. To complete the cover there is a plaque on the front knitted in shimmering metallic threads, depicting the initials of the happy couple. In keeping with tradition, Kate Middleton's wedding ring will be made from Welsh gold, which, when mined, contains a proportion of copper, giving it a reddish colour. This is reflected in the colour used for the initials, which, incidentially made have been some of the inspiration for this creation'.

As I have a very pure mind, I didn't get the W C bit until Ian pointed it out. Very witty!! Anyhow, this is a beatiful work of art and any WC would be enhanced by having one of these discreetly placed.

If you would like to own this touch of class, the Ebay item number for this is 170632418251.

That's it. Not many but all very fine entries. The winner will be announced on Royal Wedding Day. Don't miss your chance to own one of these super items and to give to good causes.

KnitPicks update

2011-03-21T19:32:00.004Z

Phew! We have finally finished getting all the new KnitPicks yarn up for sale on the website - nearly 300 new shades. The lion's share of these are the Palette range which is superb quality and excellent value at only £2.20 for a 50g ball. We also have a large range of Wool of The Andes Worsted yarn and some fabulous kits.

Dogwood Blossoms Cardigan/Sweater kit (using KnitPicks Palette yarn)

In order to stock such a large range we have had to cut down slightly on quantity so our stock of each Palette shade is only 30 balls (and quite a few less of some already) so don't delay too long if you are after a particular colourway!

New KnitPicks Stock

2011-03-06T14:36:00.003Z

Our latest KnitPicks delivery arrived at the warehouse on Friday and we have been busy sorting out the stock and putting it on the website. Included is this shipment is a large selection of Palette 4 ply. We are updating the website as quickly as possible so keep checking back!

New things.......

2011-01-16T18:36:00.004Z

Well, a belated Happy New Year to you all. We have some new things to talk about with regard to stock that has arrived recently. Firstly, have a look at this....

This is the new fabric collection from Amy Butler. It's called Soul Blossoms and there are around 33 new fabrics to choose from. I have got lots of them, only missing I think, about 4 bolts, which should arrive any day. I am desperately trying to get them up on the website, and the first batch should be on tomorrow, so keep looking. I really like lots of them on their own, but together it's all a bit 70s for me! I was old enough to be wearing these fabrics in the 70s and didn't much like them then! Mind you, most were in crimpolene. For those of you too young to know what crimpolene was, it was a truly awful nylon fabric that 'dripped dry' and was therefore extremely popular with the majority of housewives. Let's move on from that dreadful thought.

I hope to be able to send out newsletters this week. If you receive one and don't want to hear from us again, that's fine, just unsubscribe. If however, you want exclusive offers, discount and news on what has just arrived in stock, that's great.

Royal Wedding Knitting Competition

2010-12-23T12:28:00.004Z

We are very pleased to announce the Great British Yarns Royal Wedding Knitting Competition. This is offically now open for entries until the 20 April 2011. The winner will be announced on the 29 April.

If you would like to enter please design and knit or crochet a suitable and appropriate item for the Royal Wedding and post it to me (Sharon Spencer) at Great British Yarns. Please note that entries will not be returned. I thought it might be a nice idea to auction the items and give proceeds to charity. The lovely Crown Teacosy and Eggcup pattern is by the talented Debi Birkin She has lots of lovely patterns on her website, and it's well worth a visit if you get a moment.

Now, all important information - Prizes. These will take the form of gift vouchers to be redeemed at Great British Yarns. First prize will be a £50 voucher, Second Prize £25 voucher and third prize £10 voucher.

The rules are quite simple:

1) This must be an orignal design
2) The judge's decision will be final and no correspondence regarding this will be entered into!
3) Entries will not be returned and you must give permission for your item to be sold for charity.
4) Not a rule, but you might like to know that the copyright of the design will remain with the designer.

I thought I'd post this now so that if you have any spare time over Christmas you can get started!

Good luck everyone!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-23T12:22:00.005Z

and a Happy New Year to you all!

We are closing on the 23 December (yes, later today) until the 29 December and hope to be posting parcels out again then. We have some fantastic bargains in our sale and will be adding to this in the next week. As well as clearance bargains we are also offering 10% off Rowan Colourscape.

What do we have planned for next year? Well, I am going to send out regular newsletters regarding offers, new stock and other things, so if you would like to sign up for that, please do so. I will be keeping the blog up to date and holding our Royal Wedding Knitting Competition. I will put up details of this in a separate post.

So, I hope you all have a relaxing and restful time and look forward to posting again the in the New Year!

Knit Picks Gloss

2010-08-30T11:17:00.004+01:00

I thought I'd tell you a bit about the Gloss range. These are the least expensive of both the lace and the sock yarns from Knit Picks. At £3.99 a skein, this is very good value. A blend of merino and silk, this is a lovely yarn. The colours are solid and I hope Ive chosen a reasonable variety.

The only thing about this yarn, was that it wasn't as soft as I had expected at first squeeze. After a few squeezes, it did get softer! I think this probably more to do with the spinning and dyeing processes and that once washed it will soften up considerably. The solid black seems a little harsher than the other colours and so I suspect my theory is correct. Don't let this put you off though - it really is excellent value for money.

Knit Picks Wool of the Andes

2010-08-17T10:16:00.007+01:00

I thought that as Knit Picks is new to the UK, a little explanation and information about some of the yarns might be a good idea. So, I'll start with the Wool of the Andes. Knit Picks offer this yarn in a worsted weight, a bulky weight with solid colours and these lovely hand dyed yarns.

The yarn is 100% Peruvian Highland Wool. I'll be honest, I was expecting this to be a bit stratchy and hard. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that it is extremely soft and easy to handle. This hand dyed version is very, very pretty and the colours blend extremely well. The solid colours match the hand dyed and so can be used together. I think these yarns will be perfect for hats, mittens and because of its excellent felting qualities, for bags, and anything else you might like to felt. (You can tell that felting isn't something I'm particularly familiar with).

The suggested tension for this yarn is 3 - 3.75 sts per inch on 6 - 8mm needles, so it should knit up to most chunky type patterns. Knit Picks have a wide range of patterns on their website that you can either buy as a download, often for low prices such as $1.99, or, even better, for free.

I am considering making some hats for Christmas presents out of this. My nephew, aged 6 would love the Rolling Hills colour which looks like a camouflage colouring. He is very keen on Toy Story at the moment and so this would be great.

My niece (aged 8) would of course like the Galaxy colour way as it is the closest we have to pink and purple which are about the only colours she recognises.

Knit Picks has arrived!

2010-08-16T16:10:00.003+01:00

Hurray! At Last! The Knit Picks order arrived on Saturday morning. I had thought it was going to arrive Thursday morning, but I was sadly mistaken. The consignment of 23 boxes on two palletts had come all the way from Vancouver, Washington, USA and then the problems started. On Thursday, the freight company admitted that they had keyed in the delivery date incorrectly and that it would now arrive on Friday morning. The disappointment was severe, but I got over it. Friday morning, I was up bright and early (not usual for me) and excited. We got to lunchtime, no order. So I rang the freight company again. It appeared an error had been made. They had keyed in Rainham, Kent, instead of Bath. The shipment had turned up in Rainham and had nowhere to go. Easy mistake. So, we could have it first thing Saturday morning. More disappintment. However, it arrived and here is a photo of Ian with the boxes.

I am very, very pleased with the yarn. The colours really are very beautiful. The yarn looks as though it is of a very good quality. I spend a very happy Saturday opening and checking off all the yarn. It was great fun. I really hope you all like it!

New Look

2010-08-09T19:59:00.002+01:00

We decided to give Great British Yarns a bit of an overhaul and asked Adam of Flipside Studio in Bath to design a lovely new logo. This is what he came up with:

We love it - what do you think?

I'm Back!

2010-07-30T20:18:00.007+01:00

Hi
Thank you to those of you who check back occasionally to see if I have written anything. Apologies for not doing so. I am going to be much better. The time just rushes by. I think that we haven't had a minute to ourselves since moving. However, enough of the excuses.

We obviously returned from New York and we had a great, if exhausting, time. We walked and walked and then walked some more. We didn't shop much but did find time to visit Tiffanys (no, I didn't get a gift) and a few other posh shops. We visited art galleries (quite a surprise as we said we wouldn't). Did a lot of walking around Central Park, up buildings, on a boat trip and soaked up the atmosphere. Great! Thanks Lucy!

Speaking of America, the picture above is a shade of one of the new yarns we are going to be stocking very, very soon. We have been lucky enough to buy stock from KnitPicks and will be the only UK stockist for this fabulous yarn! If you aren't familiar with KnitPicks have a look at their website. www.knitpicks.com. We are stocking some of their sock yarn, lace yarn, cotlin, (lovely blend of cotton and linen) as well as lots of other weights. Prices will be pretty much the same as the $ price, so a $4.99 yarn will probably cost around £4.99. I really hope you like this yarn. Their pattern support is great as you can download their patterns.

I'll keep you updated as to the arrival date, but in the meantime, here is a pic of one of the sock yarns.

Holidays

2010-05-04T18:11:00.003+01:00

After a break from blogging whilst getting the house up together it is now time to take a break from blogging whilst we have a short holiday. For my birthday Lucy bought me a flight to New York (and return, before you wonder!). So, Lucy, her boyfriend, Malcolm, Ian and myself are off tomorrow. Joe will be keeping an eye on the dogs. Or, the other way around, I'm not sure...

We will be away from Wednesday until May 10th. Posting will start again on the 11th! Volcanos permitting of course.

We have arrived...

2010-03-08T14:03:00.002Z

We are now in our new home. Moving day was exhausting. Obviously we had to finish cleaning after the removal company had left. As it was a property with high ceilings and generous room sizes, this took an age. A visit to the tip and then to kennels to pick up the dogs ensued before we could leave Devon. There wasn't chance to feel sad.

Once we arrived in Bath, we left the dogs with mum and went to collect the keys, only to be told that the garage of our new home was still full of stuff but that it would go today. Not best pleased. Still, we arrived at our new house to find that it was absolutely filthy dirty! In fact, so dirty that we had to tell the removal company not to bring any stuff in until we had had chance to at least clean up a bit. Now, let me assure you, I am absolutely not known for being houseproud. I aim for hygenic. That's it.

Whilst we spent a long evening cleaning, we also found that: the integrated fridge/freezer was broken, black and smelling. The boiler didn't work properly and that a number of the spotlights around the house were broken. The bathroom light needs a new switch and won't work.

Still, all of these things can be sorted in the fullness of time. We really like the house and it's very convenient for family and friends. The dog walking isn't quite so spectacular - there is no cliff top or sparkling sea, however we do walk around fabulous Georgian architecture and formal landscapes.

The business has been up and running and the stock room is on it's way to being completely sorted. So far, so good.....

We are on the move!

2010-02-17T21:21:00.003Z

My excuse for not blogging this week is more genuine than usual. We have a moving date and should be leaving Brixham on Tuesday 23 February. I will be very sad to leave my lovely house, but I have enjoyed living here and am looking forward to moving back to Bath. This is, of course, a lovely City, but it is also where most of our family live and so it will be good to spend more time with them.

So, with regard to Great British Yarns, we will be shipping until noon on Friday and then after that we won't be able to post any more parcels until TUESDAY 2 MARCH. We should have access to emails at all times so if you have any questions, please contact us.

Joe

2010-02-02T11:17:00.004Z

Firstly, here is a photo of Joe's new sweater as knitted by me and modelled by Ian. Joe couldn't model it as he is back at university. This was knitted in Rowan Big Wool. Pattern from Rowan Magazine 40. It took just over a week of not particularly enthusiastic knitting to make. I have decided I am not keen on using large needles, but very much enjoy the speed with which projects get finished. The stripes, which were put on after the sweater was sewn up, became a right pain. I can't believe the pattern said sew them on once the sweater was finished. If my brain had been in gear I might have thought to sew them on the flat pieces. Anyway, my brain was mentally packing the house up - the body just sits and thinks about it - and so I didn't think about it at all. The sewing in of these stripes was so painful to all concerned that even Rex the dog hid from the cursing and bad temper. Eventually peace was restored and the sweater posted special delivery to a grateful Joe.

Speaking of Joe, he is currently composing all sorts of music for his dissertation - his degree is in Music Composition. He has written a song for which he needs to have some feedback. So, if you would like to listen, it's called Party Over Here and the link is Here to his Myspace. Do have a listen to the Party Over Here track and if you would like to leave a comment, either on his Myspace or this blog, we would all be very grateful!

Spring/Summer 2010

2010-01-20T12:30:00.005Z

For those of you who have been coping with snow, ice, freezing conditions and other bad weather, you will no doubt be looking forward to spring and summer. This must seem a very long way off, particularly as some people had more snow last night. If, however, like us, you haven't seen any snow or ice, in fact, we only had a heavy frost once, the coming of spring and summer seems very close.

In order to focus our thoughts, the Rowan Magazine 47 arrived yesterday. This showcases the Spring/Summer 2010 yarns and patterns and very nice they are too! As usual the magazine has three different 'stories'. My favourite is the Jamboree which features fifties style, brightly coloured cottons.

This one is called Torquay and so I had to post a photo. I also very much liked this men's cardigan:

I may well knit one of the Jamboree patterns, but sadly not this cardigan. Ian would look ridiculous in it and Joe would probably refuse point blank to wear it on the grounds of it being colourful and interesting. Does anyone else have the same problem - men who won't wear knitted garments?

Woolly Board anyone?

2010-01-09T19:04:00.003Z

Does anyone know of a supplier in the UK of Woolly boards (or wooly board or jumper boards as they are also called). I would like to have one but haven't been able to find them anywhere in the UK. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, these are sweater blockers and look like this:

You either wash or damp down your knitting and then place it on this adjustable frame. Once on the frame, the jumper or cardigan can be pulled into shape and then it is left to dry. Dryer takes much less time than lying flat.
It appears they are pretty available in America and Canada but then, they do much more fairisle knitting in the round than UK knitters. If anyone knows of a source, please let me know.

Happy New Year - Just!

2010-01-08T19:22:00.003Z

Happy New Year to you all - I have just about got this in before it becomes a bit embarrassing. I hope you all had a good Christmas holiday. We had a great time here. After a few worrying hours on Christmas Eve when we thought Lucy would not be able to fly from Glasgow because of the bad weather, it all went very well.

In the end I decided to give Lucy all three hats in the Alice Starmore Hat Trick. The reason is that I am a complete sucker and like to give her things. Anyway, here she is, modelling the beret:

I did mention that my sister might be the lucky recipient. Well, she ended up with a scarf made from Bracken Colourscape, which matches her golden hair rather well. Don't feel too sorry for her though, she may be getting a spectacular birthday present in March. More details of that later.
Great British Yarns is having an end of year sale. We have some lovely Rowan yarns on offer, together with a bit of handdyed stuff and undyed yarns. Hope you find something to tempt you.
This year we hope to introduce new ranges to the shop, more details will follow. I am particularly looking forward to getting the new Amy Butler Love range of fabrics which should be due in during February and the new summer yarns from Rowan which look great.

Merry Christmas Everyone.....

2009-12-24T09:39:00.003Z

Apologies for not blogging for ages. We have been extremely busy in the shop - thank you lovely customers and with some surprise events. With regard to that we have been trying to sell our house and move nearer to my home town of Bath for two full years. Our house finally found a buyer in October and we have spent every spare minute driving to Bath looking for somewhere new. In fact, so much so, that I'm not at all sure I want to move there anymore. We have found that as always, when you are thinking about selling, the websites are full of gorgeous homes, with EXACTLY your requirements, at a knock down bargain price. You can imagine yourself living there with a happy family, no arguments, lovely friends and loving, close extended family and happy, well behaved pets (perhaps that's taking things too far). When you finally sell your house, you have a choice between two overpriced sheds and a cardboard box. We hope we have found something suitable, but at the moment it's just fingers crossed that the sale and purchase will go through ok. I'll keep you updated.

In the meantime, we will be taking time off this Christmas and will be back on 4 January, hopefully batteries recharged. We have an excellent sale section on the website, so feel free to order, but please wait for us to return to post it all out. We have a lot of Rowan in the sale, together with a little bit of UK Alpaca, Easyknits and other goodies. The photo above is to remind you that we are having a 10% off promotion on all fabrics until 31 December. This stack is made up of my favourite fabrics - the Circus range by Felicity Miller.

So, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and an Extremely Happy New Year! And thank you for your support and business this year!

Another Finished Project!

2009-11-25T11:43:00.005Z

I can hardly believe it myself, but I proudly present the second in the Alice Starmore hat trick kit. This one is called Snowdrop. I have shown you a photo of the crown, but the sides are also beautiful. I am really pleased with this, but I found it more difficult than the beret to knit. The joining in of new colours didn't go as smoothly on this and there is a slight line which will annoy me.

The third hat, which I might start today, is the same shape, but has a different pattern. Keep a look out for this, I hope to finish it in a week. This hat and the beret are going to be given to Lucy, the third hat, is going to my sister as the colours will suit her. (I also hope it will be perfectly knitted!)

Work on the scarf is progressing and I hope to finish that next week. The gloves, I have to confess, I lied about in a recent post. Two pairs of gloves were reported to be nearly finished. There is in fact only one pair - but it is nearly done. I'll get the pair finished soon and show a photo. Joe will be the lucky recipient of these. As for all the other projects on my Christmas List, they are not going to be started. I have got the fair isle bug and want to do more!

How is your Christmas knitting getting on?

Another WIP

2009-11-19T09:50:00.003Z

I have many, many works in progress, and very few that are finished. Today, I thought I'd show you a photo of a scarf that I'm knitting in Scottish Tweed Aran, which is now sadly discontinued. The photo doesn't really show you the brilliance of the pink, or indeed the fantastic knitting, (I took it on my iphone) but there you go.

The pattern has been taken from A Fine Fleece by Lisa Lloyd. I love this book, the patterns are gorgeous and two versions of each pattern are shown, one in a commercial yarn and the other in a handspun. Lovely!

In fact I have enjoyed using this pattern so much, this is, in fact, my second scarf. The first was made in Rowan Soft Tweed (again, sadly discontinued) and is in a chunky weight. I'll show you a photo of that in a day or two. The chunky yarn makes it more of a wrap size. This one, is a proper scarf width and I am going to make it as long as I have patience for - so will probably stop in the next inch or two. This one is going to be for a friend's birthday and luckily I have a few weeks before it needs to be finished. Hope she likes it. If not, she has a teenage daughter who really loves handknitted stuff, so I'm sure it will be used by someone.

I can't believe that .........

2009-11-15T15:19:00.006Z

I have made this lovely beret! This is the first hat from the hat trick set I bought from Virtual yarns (Alice Starmore) earlier in the year. It took around two weeks of not very much knitting time and I am absolutely thrilled with it. I have always wanted to be able to do 'real' Fair Isle knitting but the workship I attended with Alice Starmore at IKnit really gave me the push to get on with it. I cannot believe how lovely the colours are - extremely subtle in place with an overall effect that is just gorgeous.

This will be a Christmas present for someone, but I haven't decided who the lucky recipient might be. Strong contenders are my sister and Lucy. I think it would probably suit my sister more, but would Lucy be offended? At the moment, it is still stretched across a dinner plate - it might just stay there!

I have also completed a scarf and almost two pairs of gloves. The second hat from the hat trick has also be started. Pics of these tomorrow.

2009-09-27T18:07:00.005+01:00

Hmm, so much for resolutions of blogging more often. I don't really have any excuses, so I'm not going to make one. Instead, I'm going to go straight to telling you other things in the hope of distracting you.

We went to IKnit weekend a couple of weeks ago and had a fantastic time. We both attended the Alice Starmore Workshop, which was just the most interesting class/talk I have ever been to, and I've attended a few. In fact, in my previous career I hosted many workshops and this was more interesting than any I've ever put together. We just had time to visit a few suppliers at the show and then Lucy rang to say she had arrived at Victoria station, where were we? We had to jump in a taxi and zoom across to meet her. This took much longer than anticipated. Mostly because I was shouting down my mobile at her 'where are you' and she was shouting 'outside Boots'. In the short time I was looking I counted 3 Boots stores at Victoria. Eventually Ian took control of the phone and the situation and we were happily united. We had a fabulous weekend, did lots of touristy things, ate out, ate in the hotel, walked and walked and walked. It was great to go to a big City and to see shops and people and for the first time I was really disappointed to be back in the countryside.

Now, what of the Christmas knitting? Well, I have finished one glove and almost a second. (Told you I just can't do seconds). Started a lovely aran scarf in Rowan Soft Tweed. Fabulous. Photos will follow. So, some progress, but probably not as much as required at this point.

You might wonder why I have added a photo of a KnitPro knitting needle set? Well, we have just started to stock Knitpro needles. I'm very excited about this as I think they are superb quality and extremely good value for money. I was lucky enough to receive a set for Christmas last year and I now try very hard not to use anything else. Of course, I'm not always successful in this as I have so many projects on the needles that I'm surprised there are still needles in this house to use. (Hope Ian isn't reading this, he'll go and check the stock room).

Have a look at the KnitPro needles. Better still, buy some, you won't regret it.

Success - it's all in the Planning....

2009-08-20T10:32:00.004+01:00

Don't you think planning your knitting projects can be more fun than actually making them? I am a great looker (I wish) and planner, but not a great finisher. It is usually best for me to avoid things that come in pairs - socks, gloves, sleeves, backs and fronts etc as I really enjoy the first and then rarely finish the second. Lately, I don't know what has been the matter with me, but I rarely even start the second. I think having access to too much yarn isn't good for me - I just start projects and then leave them hanging about.

So, in an attempt to shame myself into finishing things, here is my Christmas list. Actual patterns etc won't be named at the moment - nor the name of the recipient, just in case they read the blog. As some gifts are for Lucy, Joe and my mum this is highly unlikely. Ian, who does read my blog (just to shame me into reading his) is not receiving a knitted gift this year - or at least not knitted by me.

2 pairs gloves

1 aran scarf

3 hats

1 cabled gillet

1 lace scarf

1 shrug (see picture)

We have been able to get some Rowan kits at a good price and in the fullness of time (when I have finished the structural changes to the website) I will be putting these up. These will make excellent Christmas presents as the recipient will be able to knit their own gift! Be careful which kit you get though - it may turn out to be your gift next Christmas!

As mentioned in my previous post, I will update the blog each week with the progress of these projects. So today's update - list made, nothing knitted, or even cast on.

More Colourscape (and can I mention Christmas?)

2009-08-11T21:30:00.005+01:00

I thought I would show you a photo of the lovely new Colourscape yarn that we have just received. This shade is called Cloud and is really very pretty. I love the new colours, especially the autumn and bracken shades. The photos of these need to be taken again as they are too dark, but as soon as I have them ready I'll show you.

The website is being amended again, so if you are looking and come across pages that don't look quite right, don't worry. I am making some changes to the way it looks, however it still works just the same.

Nothing to report on the knitting front. I have received two gorgeous knit kits from Rowan, one in the new Lima yarn and one in the Felted Tweed aran. I really am going to get started on knitting and put my needlepoint aside. I have made a list of all the lucky, lucky people who will receive knitted Christmas presents and it is rather long. So I am going to use this blog like a version of Weightwatchers. I will list all the things I intend to knit and then update you on progress weekly. This will hopefully shame me into getting a shift on. Or am I shameless....

2009-08-03T20:21:00.004+01:00

Hi Everyone!

You may have noticed that I've had a bit of a break from the blog. Why? Because we have been away a couple of times. We went to the Lake District so that we could: have a holiday; go to Woolfest (which was great, but hot, hot, hot) and then on to Glasgow to Lucy's Graduation. Which was also great, but hot, hot, hot! Since we have returned it has been wet, wet, wet in not so sunny Devon. Like everyone else in Devon, I have found this a bit disappointing.

Another reason I have had a break is that I've had a break from knitting. I usually do at some point during the summer as I find the wools too hot. I normally take up needlepoint during these months and this year is no exception. It was hoped that this summer I would take advantage of some of the fabulous fabrics we have in the shop, but no, needlepoint won. I haven't finished yet, but when I do, photos will be shown.

So, are we all ready for the Autumn/Winter knitting season? I have put a photo of one of my favourite new books for this season. From Rowan, Colourscape is not new, but there are loads of new shades and this lovely book which includes patterns for men's sweaters. I really like this book and also everything else that Rowan has produced this year. In fact, it is all quite exciting. If the weather carries on being so dreadful, I feel my knitting enthusiasm will return much, much earlier this year.

Knitting in Action

2009-06-03T13:14:00.006+01:00

At long last here is a photo of Lucy wearing the shawl I made for her.

The photo is a bit grainy but this is from her mobile. Lucy left it until a couple of days before the event to try on the whole outfit. Whilst I found this very irritating, I do admire the confidence of youth.

This is a photo of her at the ball with boyfriend and a few Scottish friends. I must admit the men in kilts do look very smart. Anyway, well done to Lucy for graduating after five years of studying. We are really very proud of her. Lucy will be taking up a post as a dentist in Perth in August. Many of my friends have said that we are very lucky to have a dentist in the family as it costs so much to see one. My answer to that is 'Would you trust your own child to drill in your head?' Proud though I am (and I really am), I'm not sure I would!

What I did on my holiday......

2009-05-29T19:18:00.004+01:00

We have just returned from a lovely holiday in Weymouth. Why Weymouth? Well, when I was a small child my grandparents owned a couple of caravans on a permanent campsite just on the outskirts of the town. Each year we went for one week of the school holidays and this continued until I was about ten or so. The caravans were terribly old-fashioned and had gas lights, no washing facilities and very lumpy mattresses. They were extremely small and the five of us would squash in and hope the weather would be good so we could play outside. My artist sister in law, Kerry Phippen also used to stay in the same make of caravan - this time at the Isle of Skye and she has painted this fabulous picture of them:

Sorry the photo is so small, Kerry has some clever anti-copying device on her website! Anyway, back to the point. We wanted to have a holiday in Dorset and I thought my parents might like to revisit Weymouth after probably 30+ years. So that's what we did. The weather was great, Dorset was beautiful and we all had a great time.

So, now we are back at work and in the words of my mother 'it's all a distant memory'. Well, not quite, but I know what she means.

Lace Knitting - It's Easy .......

2009-05-15T20:15:00.004+01:00

when you've finished........ I have to say that in 30 odd years of knitting I have never been so pleased with an article. So, without further ado, here is Lucy's shawl:

As you can see it is being blocked on some polystyrene tiles that Ian had in the loft - don't know why. This was an extremely good blocking material. Ian, who is very neat, helped me set it out and it took next to no time to dry. We had one nasty moment when our labrador walked over it, but apart from that it all went very smoothly. I parcelled it up, posted to Lucy and she received it this morning. She is absolutely delighted and has promised photos of herself wearing it next week.
Here is a close up:

So, what to do next? I think the Alice Starmore hat kit is beckoning. However, I have also purchased a copy of Alice & Jade Starmore's the Children's Collection and there are many projects in this I want to knit. I have also just had a little go at a lovely aran cardigan for a toddler in baby cashmere/cotton. Then there are the gloves, mittens, socks, nasty chenille sweater, handknit cotton baby jumper, fair isle baby cardigan, toy donkey, nasty mohair cardigan (a story for another day), that require finishing - and these are just the ones I remember...... I also thought I might have a go at another lace shawl, the myrtle leaf one in Victorian Lace looks good. Watch this space!

Anything to Report?

2009-05-11T09:18:00.001+01:00

I am very very sorry that I haven't written much or in fact, anything recently. This is for three reasons. The first is that I haven't done anything except work and knit. The second is that I am struggling along with Lucy's shawl with the fabulous help of Cathairinmyknitting. And thirdly, well, there isn't a particularly firm third reason, it's just that I always have to have one.

This started when Lucy was a small child - and a very persistent one. If she was ever refused something (often, you should have heard her demands) she always demanded a number of reasons and 'because I said so' didn't count. So, I became very skilled at thinking of three different reasons in a very short space of time. As she has now been living away from home for quite a while now, I find that I don't have to justify myself so often, hence the slacking of the brain.

I have, however spent an enormous amount of time overhauling Great British Yarns and I am very pleased with the way it looks. Have a look yourself if you have time. Hopefully I will be back later this week with a photo of the finished shawl.

Mother's Day Gifts, Hat Kits and Relaxing

2009-04-21T14:06:00.005+01:00

I am trying to think of something interesting to tell you, but nothing much has happened around here. I am still ploughing on with Lucy's shawl. I confess I did buy a hat kit from Alice Starmore at Virtual Yarns, and it arrived yesterday. Have a look at this -

The kit contains all the yarn to make three hats. I can't wait to start, but for once I am going to exercise some self-control and willpower. These are qualities that usually I sadly lack, but this time I will have to wait otherwise the shawl won't be ready on time.

Joe was home for the Easter holidays and he arrived home (well, we went to collect him) with gifts for Mother's Day as he wasn't able to be with me on the day. I couldn't believe it as he bought me lots of things and presented them in a silver gift bag. He bought: the Fratelli's lastest album (which is good), the new Debbie Bliss knitting magazine - chosen and purchased by him without the aid of his girlfriend or any other female. Can you believe that? He also bought this charming piggy bank which he tells me is for me to put my yarn money in. He said it was particularly suitable because of the Union Jack theme. I haven't liked to tell him that it would need to be much, much,much bigger, but I figured he meant I should change my stash money into £50 notes and then use it.

I was very touched that he was such a thoughtful son. Ian and Lucy thought he was a bit over the top and when he bought me flowers to say thanks for helping him find a new house for next year, they both became very sour. They could learn a lot from him I feel.....
You may feel that the photo of the pig is a bit blurred. It is. There are two reasons for this. The first is that I took the photo and I am not good at these things. The second is that I treated myself to a new mobile. About time too. My last, which was purchased at least 6 years ago didn't even have a camera. Welcome to the 21st century! Anyway, I have been enjoying taking photos of everything, but particularly my favourite subject - Rex. So, here is one of Rex and Ian watching TV and relaxing in the evening.

You wouldn't believe it.....

2009-04-15T09:57:00.006+01:00

Well, we had a fabulous weekend with Lucy in Glasgow. As I have mentioned, we live in a small fishing town where shops are few and far between, so it was very exciting to look out of Lucy's bedroom window and see a Marks and Spencers Simply Food shop! It reminded me of many years ago when we lived in Central London. So what did we do, we shopped in the local area, shopped in the main Glasgow shopping centre and didn't really buy a thing - Ian was delighted. Lucy also took us to Edinburgh for the day and I thought this was a really lovely place. We went up to the Castle, but didn't go in because it was Easter Saturday and the queues were miles long. We bought a guitar strap for Joe from a market stall, which was beautifully made in leather. We visited the Elephant House where JK Rowling wrote some of Harry Potter, which was very exciting. A visit to a Mongolian Barbecue Restaurant (I wouldn't swear to its authenticity, but it was very good) was also one of Lucy's treats. We also had a night in playing Risk with her friends, and a walk around Glasgow's Botanic Gardens. Fantastic. A photo of Ian standing in front of a statue at Edinburgh Castle is below.

Now to the important things. Lucy tried on her ballgown and she look fantastic. I retrieved the shawls from my bag. (I had to knit lots of rows and then cast off loosely so that I could take them on the plane without any needles. The story of getting them back on the needles is for another time.) Guess what? There is a chocolate brown ribbon on the dress which Lucy hadn't really mentioned. So, the brown shawl is perfect after all......... Anyone want a pink one?

Shawls, A Visit to Scotland, Fabric and Happy Easter!

2009-04-08T20:02:00.003+01:00

I can't believe I haven't written a post since 15th March. My apologies to those of you who read this from time to time. I know it's really annoying to keep looking at the same page. Still I am back and hope to write more frequently.

You may be interested to know that I went with the pink yarn for Lucy's shawl. Why? Well, I put both types under a strong light and looked long and hard. The problem with the gold colour was that it had some lighter colours in it and they didn't really work well with the pink. The pink yarn has some pale lemon and lilac in it and I think it might work better. I have again found this painfully slow and have unpicked it quite a few times. I hope to have a photo for you next week though.

Tomorrow we are off to visit Lucy in Glasgow. This is the first time we have been able to visit her and I am very much looking forward to it. I also hope to get a bit of yarn shop visiting in.... I am going to take the two shawls and hold them against her dress just in case the pink doesn't go either. I'll let you know how it goes.

Now, the reason I haven't been posting is that I've been very busy giving the shop a major overhaul. It isn't finished yet as there are new patterns and yarns to go on, but I have been able to get all my new fabrics up. I hope you will like them as well. In the past I have found that during the really hot months - no, I can't be specific about which ones these might be - I enjoy needlework or sewing more than knitting. So, I have managed to persuade Ian to sell fabrics as well. Any comments, as usual, gratefully received. The photo above is probably one of my favourite new fabrics.

So, I hope you all have a Happy Easter.

Don't Talk Whilst Walking is my new advice

2009-03-15T10:25:00.006Z

Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. I am making excellent progress with the shawl for Lucy. Thanks to Caithairinmyknitting and her fabulous suggestions I am now only unpicking stitches every three or four rows. Usually because I stopped to pat the dog (or move him slightly - he sits very, very close to me whilst knitting and if I don't move him from time to time then I get a frozen shoulder).
Anyway... Lucy rang yesterday morning, whilst we were out walking on Dartmoor. Apparently she was going to go shopping for a ball gown. She didn't have time to make one (not something to discuss at the moment) and thought she'd just buy one. Without any thought I opened my mouth and said 'Oh, I saw a lovely one in the paper the other day - it was just like a fifties ballerina dress and it would really suit you'. 'By the way it was in a shop called something like Ocean'. Well, once we had sorted out the shop was actually called Coast (Brixham is a small fishing town without virtually any shops unless you are looking for ceramic gifts 'from Brixham'). She said she would investigate.
Much later another call, we are still on our walk... 'It's a bit Disney Princess,' she said, 'what do you think?' Being a strong believer in that everyone should look like a Disney Princess once in their lifetime (I haven't, yet) I told her she should buy it. 'Great,' she said, 'I'll go back and get it now'. The phone call ended. I meandered along. I thought for a bit, and then realised that the lovely shawl will probably not go with the dress, which is a baby pink. The effect would probably be more chocolate box than sophisticated young woman. So, my question is

which would give a bit of a gold effect, or

which is a little pinker than the photo?

Progress of sorts

2009-03-06T13:52:00.003Z

Well, as you can see there has been some progress with the lacy knitting. I have spent many happy hours knitting and unpicking, usually knit one row and then unpick three or four rows trying to find out where I was. The length of this knitting in no way reflects the amount of time spent on it.
I have, however, received some really useful advice from Caithairinmyknitting and hope to put this into action this evening. Hopefully I will then be able to make faster progress.
Here is another photo of a close up of the shawl.

The colour is much richer and nicer than the photo, but it was very difficult to get the shot right. Still, perhaps by next week I'll have a lot more to show you. Or perhaps I could tell you about the lovely yarn I've just bought to make an Alice Starmore cardigan.......

Lace - It's more difficult than you'd think.....

2009-02-23T10:14:00.005Z

if you are unable to count accurately and tend to be clumsy. As I am both, I am finding it very difficult to knit this shawl/wrap/extremely short scarf for Lucy's graduation ball. I was very pleased to have some comments on the blog. Please comment, I would love to hear from you. Anyway, the advice I received was very helpful. Both noblinknits and cathairinmyknitting made very sensible suggestions regarding patterns and yarns and I intended to take on board their comments. First of all, I tried using the Knitwitches Forest 3 ply cashmere and found that although it is truly lovely, it was a bit thin for a novice. Next up I tried a new laceweight from the Old Piggery. I used Sandstone which is lovely mixture of greys and rusty browns. Gorgeous. I got a bit further but felt I needed something more substantial. It is really fabulous though and I have put a photo in of one of the lovely colourways we have in the shop.

Now Lucy must enter the mix. She phoned and said that what she really, really wanted was the Victorian Lace shawl in Kidsilk Haze Jacob. So, I thought I would give that a go - after all I was not getting anywhere. I find the Kidsilk much easier to knit with, but much more difficult to rip - exactly as my advisers said. I now have about 6 weeks to get this finished as Lucy will want to take it back with her after the Easter holiday. So, Lucy, would you like a lace hanky to go with your dress?

A bit of a surprise

2009-02-11T13:01:00.004Z

As promised, here is a photo of a little lemon cardigan I have made for a friend's baby. it's sweet isn't it. Not much to add about it, knitted in garter stitch, size 0-3 months, yarn, Sirdar 100% cotton (old from stash). Hope the baby likes it. Actually, this is not a good photo - it is much more lemon than this.

Now, this is the surprise. Regular readers will know that I have, in the past, had terrible experiences of knitting socks. So much so, that I thought my sock making career was over, pretty much before it began. However, a friend of mine had an accident and was in hospital for a while. I thought of all the things I could send (not many apparently, no flowers, no eats, no cards) and thought that perhaps some socks might be a nice idea. So, from one of the marvellous Charlene Schurch books, I produced these! One sock is slightly longer than the other,this I am sure is to do with me and not the pattern. I must learn to count accurately. The yarn is a new handdyed yarn which may appear in the shop one day. Anyway, I enjoyed making these socks much more than the others, so this may become a regular habit.

Spring is in the air...

2009-02-05T14:19:00.002Z

Well, look what arrived on my doorstep on Monday. Yes, the new Spring/Summer collection from Rowan. It was ironic that it arrived whilst the majority of the country was covered in snow and ice, but at least we have had some distinct seasons this year. I am sure there are lots of blogs showing interesting photos of snow covered landscapes, snowmen and other jolly winter items. Unfortunately we haven't had any snow in Brixham, no, not any at all. Which is strangely disappointing and lucky all at the same time.

So, what does Rowan have in store for us all this summer. Lots and lots and lots of cotton in every which way. Handknit, Organic, with linen, with milk protein, in double knit and 4 ply, in pastels, bright colours and all shades inbetween. Many of these will be in the shop within the next few days. Look and dream of hotter climates and sunny days!

What a Difference the Photo Makes!

2009-01-30T17:55:00.003Z

You will see from the above photo that I have finished the waistcoat for my father in law. You will not be able to see how nice it really is because the photo is rubbish. The whole process of getting even this photo was a pain though. First of all, my younger and better looking model had returned to university and was not able to take part in the photo shoot. Secondly, the waistcoat turned out to be a little small for post-Christmas Ian, and thirdly the entire ground floor of our house looked like a tip and I couldn't find anywhere decent to take the photo. I could also say fourthly Ian didn't put the waistcoat on properly, despite being told to, but that sounds a bit miserable so I won't. I'll just think it.

Still, I was fairly pleased with this, although it was boring to make. Yarn, lovely undyed bluefaced leicester DK from the shop. Pattern from the Sublime DK book (2nd, I think). Chosen because it was a long vest, which should help keep out the chill and is easy to take on and off. Useful as my father in law is quite elderly.

I will try and get a photo of the little lemon cardigan I have knitted up over the weekend and then next week I should have a surprise garment to show you.....

Lacy Problem....

2009-01-19T18:28:00.005Z

I am working well on my knitting projects and hope to show you a photo of a new waistcoat I finished for my father in law tomorrow. With that out of the way, I have started (and almost finished) a very pretty lemon cardigan for my friend's baby. Again, photo soon.

Lucy is due to graduate this year. She hopes to make a dress for her graduation ball and has asked me to make her a lacy shawl (or wrap) to go with it. I have gone through our stock of lace yarns and came away very confused. Now, I am not a lace knitter and the few attempts I have had have been very half hearted and ended up looking very half hearted too. So this is my chance to really come to terms with this type of knitting. But, the variety of yarns is confusing too. We have in stock lovely silk yarn from Hipknits, shown below:

but this is very fine and I'm not sure about that. We have some gorgeous cashmere from Knitwitches which is heavier, however the ball is a summer one.

I have masses of undyed laceweight yarns in all kinds of weight and mix so I could actually dye some yarn myself - which might be a nice idea if I get it right. Any suggestions or tips for lace novices would be very gratefully received.

These are a few of my favourite things....

2009-01-11T12:24:00.009Z

Here is an action shot of Rex modelling his new coat. His head is blurred because I have just said 'would you like a biscuit Rex?' The pattern was a free one from the Patons Yarns website. I used some flecked acrylic I had in my store cupboard, so this was a good destashing exercise as well. In fact this little project encompassed many of my favourite things - dogs, knitting and flecked yarn - perfect!

Rex sort of likes his coat. He is a little dog with much character, but it has to be said, little brains. So, you hold out the jumper and he will trot along to you and put his head through the hole. A short wrestling match then ensues whilst you get his legs through, but this doesn't usually take long. And there you have it - Rex in his coat! By now, he is looking bemused and wondering exactly how it all happened.

Here is another picture, hopefully showing less of the recycling (compulsory in Devon) and more of the coat's pattern:

Now, I really am going to finish a few of the many projects that are hanging around.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T19:08:00.006Z

Although it's a little late, Happy New Year to you all! Hope it's a really good one. So far, it's been pretty reasonable here. We had friends staying for New Year and so our New Year's Eve was busy and on New Year's day we went for our traditional walk on Dartmoor. This year Ian wanted to do a long walk at Haytor. This is the second walk we have attempted here with our friends at New Year. This is now the second time we have had to abandon it. The first time, which was probably 4 years ago was abandoned because of the rain and hail making it too unpleasant. This year it was the mist and the freezing cold. We couldn't really see much more than a few yards, which was funny really as just a few hundred yards down the hill, it was sunny and although cold, very pleasant. Here is a photo of my friend's son - it all looks a bit spooky doesn't it?

A freezing wind had obviously been blowing across Dartmoor and formed amazing feather-like icicles on the rocks. Have a look at this:

I thought it might be very cold and so on New Year's Eve, I found the time to knit a short coat for Rex using the rest of the Colourscape from Lucy's beret. This was accompanied by much jeering from my friends who thought Rex should be a tough Jack Russell. We managed to rise above the laughing, and Rex was certainly very pleased with his jumper when on Dartmoor. After we left Dartmoor we went for a much longer walk at Bovey Tracey (around 5 mins from Haytor by car). It was glorious, although cold and I have to say that Rex did look a bit sissy, particularly when other, more hardy dogs came to examine him.

As you can see, the jumper stretched a bit and ended up resembling a 50s Brigette Bardot kind of look - not particularly the look Rex wanted I fear. So, I have searched the Internet and have found a super pattern called 'Biscuits and Bones Dog Coat' from the Patons site, which I am going to start this evening. Watch this space!

Christmas Knitting

2008-12-29T20:08:00.005Z

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas. Mine was pretty productive really. After finishing the two aran cardigans (very well received by parents), I found a bit more enthusiasm for knitting and made these for my friend's daughter.

These have been modelled by daughter Lucy who was home from Glasgow for the Christmas period. She spent a week with us and has now gone to celebrate New Year in Prague. It must be hard being a student. If you look closely, you will also see Snuff, our black labrador, lurking around in the background. She is a little camera shy unlike Rex.
Lucy also got the knitting bug and after rifling through the stockroom came out with a skein of Colourscape Cherry and decided to knit the beret from the Cocoon book. As she has only ever knitted a scarf before, I was slightly concerned that she may not cope with it. She also decided it had to be finished before her holiday and as she started it on the 23rd I didn't think she'd get it done. I had forgotten what a determined child she is though, and here is the finished item:

She reminds me of a French art student. Don't ask me why, but I am sure I have seen an illustration of one somewhere looking just like her! Anyway, I think she did well.

On a different topic, keep looking at the website as we will be adding more sale items to the shop over the next few days........

Let the Festivities Commence!

2008-12-22T10:27:00.004Z

Yes, we can now start Christmas as I have finished Dad's Aran Cardigan. Here is a photo of Joe modelling it.

Looks good, doesn't it? In fact, I am really very pleased with this. Please bear in mind that Joe and Grandad are very different sizes and so the overall effect will also be different (stretched, is a word that comes to mind). I will insist that he wears it every day.

Now, Ian has requested that I knit his father a waistcoat for his birthday, (9th Jan), I promised my friend's daugher I would knit her a pair of cabled mittens and we are hoping to see her on the 27 December and Lucy has requested a cardigan from the Rowan Studio 12 in Kidsilk Night - colour White! I think she is hoping to take it with her to Prague for the New Year. (Fat chance, Lucy!) So much for a relaxing Christmas.

Anyway, I hope you all have a lovely Christmas and a Very Happy New Year!

Finished at Last...

2008-12-09T12:13:00.003Z

.....the cardigan for Mum's Christmas present! If you click on the photo you should get a detailed view of it. Lovely isn't it? I have to say I am really, really pleased with this. Made from King Cole Aran in Claret, it took around 18 x 50g balls. The pattern was from Vogue Knitting, Fall issue. Overall, it wasn't that complicated, but you did have to keep your eye on it. I didn't get too bored with this but have to say I was pleased to have finished it. Hope you like it, even more, I hope Mum likes it!

Santa Specials

2008-12-04T19:16:00.003Z

Just to let you know that we have some great Santa Specials - good deals and ideas for Christmas Presents in the shop. You don't have to give them away, you can always give yourself a present. I might, it's the only way I'll be able to get my hands on the stock. I think my favourite deal is the Christmas Stocking, picture of which is helpfully provided below.

To get to these, please click here

A Visit, A New Pattern and Thoughts of a New Project

2008-11-28T18:43:00.004Z

Yesterday we had a visit from Annabelle, our Rowan rep. It was lovely to see her, and to have a sneak look at all the lovely yarns that will be available in the Spring. Linen mixes, gorgeous organic cottons, interesting and innovative patterns, what more can I say?

Anyway, Annabelle arrived wearing the most super beret. It looked suspiciously like Colourscape yarn and on close examination I found it was. Carnival is the colourway and here is the beret:

Annabelle used the pattern from the Cocoon Collection which, she tells me, uses the same tension as Colourscape and so the patterns are pretty much interchangeable! Fantastic - I have some lovely Cocoon in a deep red and as soon as I have finished the jumpers that shouldn't be named, I think I might make this the next project.

Out and About

2008-11-26T15:39:00.007Z

Unfortunately I haven't any knitting to show you - but check back at the weekend because I hope to have finished Mum's cardigan by then. Excellent news! Just the Alice Starmore Aran cardigan to finish (well, 1.5 sleeves and 2 fronts and 2 pockets to do). Yes, I know, it is just the back and a little bit of the first sleeve that I have actually completed, but I have been thinking about it. A lot.

Anyway, let's have a picture. Here is one of Rex enjoying the sunshine yesterday at Berry Head. This is a lovely country park with beautiful views of the sea. About one mile from my home.

He is looking very perky isn't he? At the far end of the country park there is a lighthouse which is interesting for two reasons: it is the highest and smallest lighthouse in Britain. It's very cute:

Now some shop news. We will be putting up some Christmas ideas and deals during the next few days, so do have a look. As soon as we do, I'll put a link.

Christmas is coming (very slowly) ....

2008-11-12T17:25:00.004Z

Yet another week (and more) has gone by without me adding a blog post. What excuses do I have this time? None, really. Actually, I have got one - we were invited to a wedding last weekend and it took two whole days of shopping to get Ian an outfit. Mine took considerably less time and ended with me borrowing a scarf from my next-door neighbour, just 45 mins before we had to leave for the event! Sadly, in our hurry we forgot to take the camera so I cannot show you any photos of the lovely bride (my niece) or anything else really.

So, what's been happening on the knitting front? Well, I did frog Emily's cardigan and knitted another. Emily was a bridesmaid at the wedding and I found she has grown in the few months since I last saw her. Considerably. Considerably more, in fact, than I could have thought possible. So, I am now forgetting I ever had hopes to knit a cardigan for Christmas and have purchased many High School Musical items instead. I'm sure she will enjoy these much more than a boring old cardigan, but that's not the point. I now need to find a recipient for the aforementioned garment. It still needs blocking and then I promise to show you a picture.

Mum's Christmas cardigan and Dad's aran cardigan are still coming along. Slowly. Very, very slowly. Still, if I can't manage to finish them by Christmas, then they will have to wait. Or, of course, they can always have some High School Musical items instead.

If you haven't been able to complete all your knitted gifts for Christmas you can always send one of our lovely Gift vouchers. We have got some super cards from Herdy and so you will be supporting Lake District charities as well! Here is a sample of one of the gift cards.

Shop Updates

2008-10-31T18:51:00.000Z

Well, I have finally rebuilt the Rowan, and added all the new things, do have a look. Here is a photo of some of Patricia's new buttons. These are probably our favourites!

I haven't got much to show you on the knitting front. I am still working on the Alice Starmore cardigan for my dad. Started a new aran cardigan for mum from the latest issue of Vogue Knitting (will show photos later). I did frog Emily's Alice Starmore and made something else, but this needs pressing and blocking and I will show you then. I have also made two scarves and one and a half mittens. So, not as much progress as I would like. Let's hope November is more productive... (Really, let's hope November is more productive or I'll have to go out and do more 'real' shopping).

An annoying week....

2008-10-27T17:38:00.000Z

I noticed today that I haven't put a post up on the blog for ages. That's because we have been very busy. We have been receiving loads of lovely, lovely stock for the shop including discounted Rowan (that I'm reluctant to part with), fabulous new yarns and colours from Jon at Easyknits (that I am extremely reluctant to part with) and gorgeous new cashmeres from Eirwen at Knitwitches (ditto). I have also received mitten kits and buttons from Patricia Baggot which are absolutely lovely and ideal for Christmas presents. We even have some super value 4 ply from King Cole.

So, where are they? Well, we have been particularly busy at home with collecting Joe from Uni (half term again - it soon comes around doesn't it?), visiting my parents, having friends to stay, tending to the every need of our injured Jack Russell (don't ask) and freezing with the broken down central heating boiler. Just to top it all, I managed to get the sale Rowan on site, thought I would make the existing Rowan section look prettier only to find the computer wasn't having any of it. Literally. So, I am slowly rebuilding the Rowan section and will get the new things on as soon as possible. In the meantime, here is a picture of one of the most gorgeous Cashmere/silks from Knitwitches. This is seriously gorgeous (as the label says). It will be on sale very, very soon.

Bowmont Braf Yarn

2008-10-09T17:36:00.000+01:00

I am really pleased to say that we have some lovely new Bowmont Braf yarn in the shop. Handdyed by Jenny Cook, this yarn is just gorgeous. It is incredibly light and with 400 metres per 100gm, it goes a very long way. I have been knitting a scarf in a skein that I bought at Wonderwool. It just needs blocking and then it will be ready to photo and put here. The pattern will be a free one which you will be able to download from the shop in time. In the meantime, enjoy looking at the yarn below or here.

Creative Stitches - Exeter

2008-10-01T10:04:00.001+01:00

Last week we spent four days at the Creative Stitches Show at Exeter. We had a really great time and met some lovely people. Many of the visitors said how pleased they were to see 'real wool' at a show and they certainly enjoyed squishing the alapaca/silk mixes and the pure silk laceweights! Ian enjoyed the show immensely. I think he liked the female attention, even though most of it was teasing him (customers), or being rude about him (me). Our concept of promoting British producers and yarns was also very well received. So, we hope to do more shows and meet more of you in the future.

Here is a photo of some of the yarn in boxes. Our stand wasn't very sophisticated - we only decided to do the show a few days beforehand. We hope to be more organised next time.

Don't have much to report on the knitting front. Still working away on the Aran cardigan for my Dad. Not working on the Aran jumper for niece Emily. I may well frog the jumper for Emily and knit something simplier as Christmas suddenly seems to be looming. Perhaps one of the reasons I haven't made much progress is this:

Yet, another Christmas stocking! Again, from Jolly Red who sell fabulous needlepoint kits. This one was given to me last Christmas and as I had already made one for each of the family, I decided this should belong to the dogs. Terribly extravagent, I know. But, my justification is that the kit didn't cost me anything as a gift and the dogs shouldn't be left out! (Weak, pathetic justification, I realise). I will be posting it to be made up today and will show you the finished article when it is returned. If you would like to see the others, here is the link.

A Real Challenge

2008-09-18T13:26:00.000+01:00

As my interest in Aran knitting has been reawakened, I have been looking at various designers, guides and stitch dictionaries. Not really sure why, I have never been able to design anything and have absolutely no artistic ability. Still, I do like reading and looking at pictures, so have been adding to my (large) book and pattern collection with new aran stuff. My latest acquisition is this:

A Japanese cable and aran stitch dictionary. It is written entirely in Japanese, but does have symbols, which you can decipher with the help of various websites and reference documents. The aran patterns are absolutely amazing - I've never seen cables etc like it! Here is a photo of one of the pages:

I bought it from Needlearts bookshop, a Canadian company who were very prompt and friendly. My intention is to start doing some swatches from these patterns - watch this space!

Colourscape Scarf

2008-09-12T10:51:00.001+01:00

The problem I have found with aran knitting is that you have to keep your eye on it. This means that I cannot watch all the riveting programmes currently on tv whilst knitting complicated patterns. So I looked around for something easier to do. In my wip basket I had: a plain navy jumper back to finish (front with animal pattern completed); simple textured pattern jumper, back and sleeves; gloves; socks, horrid chenille jumper; but obviously these would not do. No, I felt it was time to start something new. But what? I did not dare to start anything too large and so thought a scarf would be the ideal project.
The Rowan Colourscape was calling to me and so I snatched a skein of 'Heath' from the shop, took one of the pattern leaflets for Tainted Scarf and off I went. The colouring is quite amazing. Beautiful colours in lovely stripes! The yarn is soft and very easy to knit with. Picking out bits of straw still in the yarn is an added interest and I am enjoying the pattern. Just enough complication to make it interesting, not so much that I cannot concentrate on the plot of Coronation Street. Perfect!

Back To University

2008-09-06T14:25:00.000+01:00

Those of you who read this blog on a regular basis will know that Joe, our son, is passionately opposed to wearing handknitted, woollen garments. You will be shocked to see that the above photo is of Joe wearing his new, handknitted, woollen vest thing made by mum. I must admit to the casual observer, he may not look over excited, but believe me, for Joe this is about as good as it gets. I made this from a pattern in Best of Interweave Knits using King Cole Merino Aran yarn from the shop.

The decreasing around the v neck was a little uneven, but as it is extremely unlikely this garment will ever be shown to anyone who knows anything about knitting, I don't suppose it matters. Anyway, I was pleased that he agreed to wear it - he even said he liked it. This was Joe's back to uni outfit. After almost four months of being at home he has now returned for another arduous year of studying.

On the whole, it was easy enough to make. The stitch was described as 'brioche' in the book, but I couldn't find the same stitch in any of my reference books under that name (or any other name). The stitch was as follows:

Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Purl 2, from stitch on left needle, pick up loop and place on left needle, knit the loop and stitch together.

The unusual thing was that you had to knit using a size 5 mm needle and a 3.25 needle, so that you had normal aran sized stitches for the knit row and then smaller for the rib row. It made a very thick piece of fabric type knitting. Almost woven, in fact. I am sure it will keep him nice and warm this winter.

Sublime

2008-08-28T19:10:00.001+01:00

The latest addition to the shop is the Sublime range from Sirdar. It's really lovely yarn, super soft and in the prettiest colours. The range is affordable with Extra fine merino at less than £4 per 50 gm ball. The cashmere/silk aran blend is really gorgeous. It's no real coincidence that I have become very interested in aran type knitting lately. Their pattern support is also extremely good.

The range will be up in the shop tomorrow. I also hope to have some photos of knitting to show you soon. Unfortunately I have chosen lots of long and slow projects lately. But one is almost finished and as it hasn't been shown on the blog it will be a happy surprise for you all!

Chinese Treats

2008-08-15T18:06:00.001+01:00

Our daughter Lucy has recently returned from a trip to China. She has spent a month in Beijing studying acupuncture and then had a few days travelling around ending up in Shanghai. Apparently she had a fabulous time and met lots of lovely people and saw lots of interesting sights. She also bought presents.....

Lucy bought this for me to keep my knitting in. It's gorgeous and she got this in a street market in Beijing. Apparently haggled down from 850 Chinese Yen (prices always seem to start at 850 Chinese Yen) to around 250. It's too nice to be kept for knitting and I might use it as posh going out bag, just in case I ever get to go out during the evening. (Unlikely).

She also bought this yarn.

I think it is a cotton boucle, but it could be anything really. Apparently you had to buy four balls for around £3 and they had lots of pastel colours to choose from. Lucy tried to buy one of each of four colours, but the shop assistant got 'very cross and quite rude'. As Lucy does not speak a word of Mandarin, we were interested to hear that she can argue in a foreign language, thousands of miles from home without fear, but she is fairly intrepid. Anyway, I came out the winner as now I have eight balls of yarn. It is very pretty indeed and I can feel some more children's garments coming on ....

More Aran Knitting

2008-08-10T14:58:00.000+01:00

Well, once you get the bug that's it, isn't it? I suppose for those of you who enjoy knitting socks, this is the equivalent. This is my latest attempt at aran knitting.

Another Alice Starmore pattern. This time from the Fisherman's Sweaters book, which, by the way, is still available from Amazon.com for around £9 if you are interested. This is not complicated, but I don't think I would be able to do it without the help of the stitch markers. There are 11 patterns across. I am knitting this for my niece for Christmas and it is only size 6 - 7 years. It takes a great deal of time to knit a row and I reckon that at current speed I am knitting 5 to 6 rows an hour! So, I try to spend an hour or so each evening on either the aran for Dad or this. I then spend the rest of the evening on either the horrid chenille or another more interesting project, which is also a Christmas present and must therefore remain secret.

I am not used to spending so long on a project, but am enjoying the challenge. The colour, of this hasn't come out very well in the photo - it is a lovely dark mauve. Will try again when the light is better.

Aran Knitting 2

2008-08-01T13:43:00.000+01:00

I thought you might be interested to see the progress on the Aran cardigan I started a week or so ago.

Good, isn't it? I love knitting this garment. The pattern is fairly easy to remember once you have got the hang of it. The yarn is really, truly lovely to work with and it is knitting up quite quickly. Don't think that this is all I've accomplished. I have also finished the stripy sweater from earlier this year, started another Alice Starmore jumper and been working on a jumper that I found in the back of a cupboard, put there from when we moved over 6 years ago and completely forgotten. This is an oversized horrid jumper in truly dreadful cotton chenille. It scratches across the needles and hurts my hands. Photos some other time.

In order to keep us all cheerful, here is another picture of the Aran, close up this time.

Lovely New Stock

2008-07-22T15:12:00.000+01:00

We have just taken delivery of some really lovely hand dyed yarns. We met Jenny at Wonderwool where she shared a stand with her friend Patricia Baggott, whose buttons we also stock.

As always, it is very interesting to see how different each dyer's yarns are. Jenny's are very delicately painted and full of colour. When knitted up they are really very pretty and quite different to most other hand dyed yarns. To view Jenny's lovely yarns, click here.

Jenny and Patricia also design patterns that go with the yarn and we will be putting these on the site as soon as we can.

A New Project

2008-07-15T19:27:00.000+01:00

Last week I knitted a child's hat and slipover, both in an Aran pattern. I decided not to photo them and put them on the blog as I feel you have probably seen enough of my attempt to knit something for every child in the land. However, this exercise did awaken my interest in Aran knitting. I knitted quite a few Aran sweaters etc in the days before I had children. Once they arrived I lost the ability (and will) to count carefully due to extreme tiredness. Eventually, of course, they grew up a bit and although the tiredness wasn't such a problem, exasperation took its place. Anyway, as I was saying, my interest in Aran was awakened and I was lucky enough to buy this on e-bay.

To be honest, I was a tiny bit disappointed with the book as I thought the patterns were a little dated. However, Joe's friend has been staying with us and so I thought he might be interested (well, I knew he wouldn't be really, but I desperately wanted to show someone and he is very polite). It turned out that he was pretty interested and thought the patterns were fantastic and 'retro'. I felt tremendously pleased with myself for being such a trendsetter and promised to knit him a jumper soon.
In the meantime I thought that the Aran cardigan pattern would be just the thing for my father, possibly for Christmas. So, I made a start, using the most fabulous natural aran (100% bluefaced aran) that we have in the handdyeing section of the shop.
Here is a photo of progress so far.

Not bad. I haven't decided when to show you a picture of the actual pattern, possibly when I've done a bit more.

More Knitting

2008-07-03T10:28:00.000+01:00

Here are a few more garments I have made over the last few weeks. This is another aran weight yarn, very quick and easy. Pattern, Sirdar, again, colours my own. I spent a lot of time discusssing the colours on this with my family whilst on holiday - it passed a few minutes. The general consensus was that the colours didn't look good. This was when only a few rows had been completed. I decided to persevere and by the time I had finished the front everyone said they thought the colours looked good. Or rather, I said 'these look fine together DON'T THEY?' in a rather threatening manner. As Joe and Lucy were watching some awful TV programme, they quickly agreed in the hope that I would shut up.

Next up is this rather smart slipover, again Sirdar pattern, knitted in the everlasting ball of Aran. Quite pleased with this, very easy knitting, finished in a few hours.

Now, you wouldn't believe this, but I found this one in the back of a cupboard. I had completely forgotten I had made it! The thing was, I had wanted to knit this pattern, because it was pretty and I thought challenging. But, I didn't have anyone to make it for. So, in the end I decided to make it and wait and see who came along that might fit it. It wasn't as challenging as I had hoped, but the endless moss stitch frill and sailor collar was boring. Still, it is very pretty, better in the flesh and I hope even better on a small child. I still don't know any small children, but this is going to the craft fair, so hopefully someone will like it.

It's been a week since ......

2008-06-25T18:49:00.000+01:00

I said I would show you some of the things I have been knitting. A few weeks ago Gina (Starchild) on Ravelry, put out a call for acrylic yarn that she and her fellow knitters could use for making items to sell at a craft fair. The money they raise goes to a South West Children's Hospice charity. I thought this would be an ideal opportunity to rid myself of some the yarn that's hanging around here. So, I went to the secret stash (my daughter's wardrobe, if you're wondering. This is probably the least likely place my husband would ever look.). I found some stuff which I hope the knitters will use, but even better I found two 400 gm balls of Stylecraft Pure Wool and acrylic mix in Aran. I had used a few strands of each - both to finish garments for my niece and nephew - but basically they were intact. Here is what you can make with one ball of each - and still have plenty over for at least another couple of hats and a pair of mittens!

I have also finished a blue and white slipover which I will photo later. I am going to give them the rest of the yarn as I can't bear to think of knitting anything else with it. By the way, all patterns are Sirdar Chino Knits from the two books published with the same name. The tension is not correct and so I assume the sizing will vary from the pattern. Just like all my other knitting.

Home Again

2008-06-17T13:48:00.000+01:00

Hello again, we are back from Ireland and we all had a jolly good time. Ireland was lovely, the cottage was great and we were really close to a super beach where the children had lots of fun making sandcastles. Even though they are now old enough to vote (and get jobs), we had to buy a bucket and two spades and they made dams and castles etc, etc.
I saw many lovely things whilst away, scenery included, but this was probably my favourite.

This fellow was sitting in our holiday cottage. He was absolutely gorgeous - very tactile, I had to smooth him every time I passed by. If you know where to get one of these, do please let me know.
Unfortunately, all holidays are now over for the forseeable future, although I am hoping to persuade Ian to have another break in September ..... So, back to work. I have completed lots and lots of knitting over the past few weeks and photos will be taken over the next few days. In the meantime, here is a photo of a baby hat I finished before the break.

My design, I think the lace border was too long - it needed to be a little shorter then stretched more around the hat. Still, I don't think the baby will complain. What do you think?

Away again ............

2008-06-06T10:48:00.000+01:00

When we owned our holiday business we didn't get to have a holiday of our own. We said that when we sold it we would have a few breaks. And so we are away again. Only for a week, Ireland this time. Joe (still home from university) is coming with us. I don't think Ireland will necessarily hold anything for him, but he has graciously agreed to accompany us and his sister for a family holiday.
So, if you are planning to make an order, please do so, but be aware that it won't be posted until Monday 16 June. Do have a look at the shop, we now have some lovely King Cole Merino in DK and Aran. Lovely colours, even better price!

Have a good week.

Dye It Yourself

2008-06-04T19:42:00.000+01:00

I have just put up some new yarns in the shop. These are wonderful British undyed yarns for dying, felting or just knitting. We have quite a range including Aran weight, machine washable sock yarn and some really pretty and unusual chunky yarn.
Have a look - you might feel inspired! Click here to go to Yarn page

Back Home

2008-05-26T17:12:00.001+01:00

Well, we had a lovely holiday in the Lake District. The weather was good, although compared to Devon, cold. The holiday cottage was lovely, the scenery beautiful and yes, it was as nice as everyone says. Our daughter and her boyfriend came down from Glasgow for a few days, which was great. Ian found some information on Hardknott Fort and immediately everyone wanted to go. I'm not overally bothered about Roman forts in the middle of nowhere, but thought it prudent to agree. I then found out that Hardknott Pass is supposed to be a 'rollercoaster' of a road. This is it:

If you click on the image to see a close up it gets more scary. Now, if I tell you that two things I dislike are:
Fairground rides, and
Heights
you may see that I didn't enjoy the journey across the Hardknott Pass. It doesn't look as bad on this photo as it does in real life, and, it is BUSY! This means there is a lot of slow manoeuvring as cars are trying to pass each other. I won't mention my holding my head in my hands and whimpering behaviour, very reminiscent of my gran (something I thought I would never do). Anyway, as ever, all things pass and eventually we arrived at the fort. The scenery was amazing, the fort was interesting and it was full of sheep. Here are two for you to admire:

Pretty aren't they?

Off again?

2008-05-16T16:52:00.000+01:00

We are off on holiday for a week tomorrow, this time the Lake District. Never been there before, so hope it's as good as everyone says it is. I am hoping to do the following:
Long walks around lakes - flat if possible
Visit all wool shops in Cumbria
Spend a fortune in Lakeland HQ shop
Take a trip on the steamer boat
Eat every evening at a posh restaurant (ok, getting carried away, eat out at least once)

Husband wishes to
Walk up mountains with a packed lunch (made by wife)
Spend evenings relaxing in holiday cottage after eating lovely meal (prepared by wife)

We asked our son - now home from uni for the summer break (4 months long - studying music is exceedingly tiring) if he would like to come with us. Unfortunately 'the Lake District holds nothing for me' was the answer. That's it, Joe, write off an entire county and area of outstanding natural beauty without visiting it yourself. So, orders in the shop will be processed and posted on Tuesday 27 May.

Knit like the wind .....

2008-05-10T14:48:00.001+01:00

Well, you won't believe the amount of knitting I have managed over the last couple of weeks. So, let the photos begin....

This is the bag to match my niece's hat. Not exactly rocket science, but I am sure a 6 year old will like it.

Finished at last, the alpaca socks for friend. The yarn is lovely, very soft but a little oiled, I am sure they will fluff up once they have been washed.

Now the socks knitted in Jacky by Easyknits. The yarn really is super, 100% Bluefaced Leicester, it proved to be really very strong to withstand the rubbish knitting and frogging it was subjected to. Pleased with these.

I have been knitting up some of the Old Piggery Kits. The yarn is lovely to knit with and the kits are interesting and quick to make. So, small knitted bag agove, Fingerless mitts and hat below. I have another couple of kits to make up and photos of these will follow.

What have you finished in the last couple of weeks?

Beautiful Bootees

2008-05-05T12:40:00.000+01:00

Last week, Maggie from Daisy Dumpling ordered some Coldharbour Mill organic yarn from us. She rang on Friday to say she had received the yarn and hoped to start making gorgeous things for her shop over the weekend. Imagine my surprise when I found this photo in my inbox on Saturday morning.

Aren't they lovely? Maggie sells fabulous hand made baby clothes and accessories at Daisy Dumpling - do have a look.

Back to Work

2008-05-02T11:25:00.000+01:00

We have returned from Wonderwool Wales and the Brecon Beacons where we spent a few very relaxing days. Wonderwool was great fun, we met lots of our suppliers and enjoyed meeting a few new ones! The scenery around Builth Wells was fabulous and we thoroughly enjoyed the drive from there to our holiday cottage just outside of Abergavenny.

We did some walking, a little shopping in Hay on Wye and had a fabulous drive through the Black Mountains. Just to prove that we did some walking, here is a picture of Ian with a mountain backdrop. We were actually there, but I must admit it does look as though the scenery has been painted on.

I haven't mentioned the additions made to my personal stash at Wonderwool. There were only a few, but did include some fabulous handdyed alpaca/silk and Beaumont Braf from Jenny Cook and a skein of Knitwitches new cashmere silk. Restrained, wasn't I? Perhaps a photo of these later.

Wonderwool Wales

2008-04-25T17:30:00.001+01:00

Tomorrow we are off to Wonderwool Wales - just looking, not buying! If only..... said husband.

Anyway, for those of you that can't make it, remember you can buy lots of British yarn from the shop (sneaky self-promotion here). I have put a photo of a sheep for you to look at whilst I am away. This is Shelia and she lives at Washbrook Farm in Kingsbridge. Sandy, her owner, is the producer of Proud Yarns which we sell in the shop. They are really lovely yarns and I think that the standard at Wonderwool will have to be very high indeed if it is to match her yarn.

Have a good weekend.

A Lovely Hat (not Horrid Socks)

2008-04-21T11:10:00.000+01:00

You may remember that I knitted a lovely scarf for Mother's day. Well, my soon to be 6 year old niece apparently loved the scarf. Everytime she sees it she says 'look at the beautiful colours, Nanny, just look' and holds and strokes it. Obviously taste and colour sense should be encouraged in the young and so I thought that it would be a good idea to make something with the yarn for Emily's birthday. The yarn, which is Handmaiden Silk in Vintage is quite fine and despite intensive trawling through books, internet and Ravelry, I couldn't find anything suitable.
Eventually, it does take time for ideas to come through these days, I hit upon the idea of knitting two strands together. As only half of the yarn was wound into a ball, I had to enlist the help of son, home from Uni (again), for the second time in one day! Goodness! Still, he was very patient and agreed at the end that the yarn is indeed, lovely. He did mention though, that he personally didn't want anything knitted in it. I feel I have heard this sentiment before
Anyway, I found a pattern for a beanie hat with flowers. The gauge was correct, well, I assumed it was, after spending a whole afternoon looking for a pattern, frankly I didn't much care. It didn't take very long and look:

I particularly liked the flowers as these were easy to make and I haven't done these before, being a very plain sort of person. It was such fun, I have immediately embarked on a matching bag.
Sorry, what's that? What about the two pairs of socks? What socks? Don't know what you're talking about.

A Small Step Forward (Again)

2008-04-18T13:51:00.001+01:00

At last, I have finished a sock, almost to my satisfaction. Anyway, without further ado, here it is:

Here is a close up of the lovely yarn

I am really pleased with the yarn. It is from shop stock and is the exclusive Jacky by Easyknits. Jon dyed this particularly for Great British Yarns and I think it works really well. It is very hard wearing yarn and doesn't seemed to have suffered from constant knitting and frogging. In fact, I was impressed that it didn't split at all.
I am now so encouraged by my progress that I am going off to start another project. Not socks.

A Backward Leap

2008-04-14T10:17:00.000+01:00

What is it about knitting socks? I have tried and tried to enjoy it, but cannot seem to get it right. For the second time, I have reached the shaping for the toe and then realised that either the pattern is dreadful (version 1) or that I have made it for a giant (version 2). So, back to square 1 (or 3). Hopefully a photo later this week of a completed and rather lovely sock!

A Backward Step

2008-04-10T10:23:00.000+01:00

I said in the last post that I hoped to show you a picture of the half a sock I've been working on. Well, I was showing husband yesterday and he said he didn't like the pattern. I didn't like the pattern either but had been desperately hoping it was just me. Apparently it wasn't. So, my sock tally now stands at 1 completed sock, 3 to go. Still, the rate this is going the two pairs of socks will also take care of friend's 51st birthday as well.

Huge Progress on the Sock Front

2008-04-08T18:34:00.000+01:00

Ha, thought this would get your attention, but sadly is it not wholly true. I have finished one sock for my friend's 50th birthday, which, by the way, is today. Here is the proof:

It's better in the flesh, so to speak as it looks as though there are snags going up the leg of the sock, which I think are just shadows. The pattern was a Charlene Schurch, I'm amazed at how these work if you just follow the instructions accurately. The yarn is UK Alpaca Moss Green Sock Yarn, snaffled from shop stock. It is really nice to knit with, but feels a little oiled - I am sure this will come out in the wash and get softer and softer as it is washed and worn.
I have started another sock in the Easyknits Jacky and hope to show you this later in the week. So, one down, two and a half to go.

10,000 Steps

2008-04-01T21:21:00.001+01:00

We do try to walk 10,000 steps each day in order to lose some weight and generally get a bit fitter. Today, it was a fairly easy task as the weather was so lovely. In fact, we not only had a long walk with the dogs in the afternoon, but went out again after tea. Here is Rex looking impatient to get on with it.

We are very fortunate in that we have lovely walks on our doorstep and this evening we went to Berry Head Country Park and walked through the woods to the cliff top. On our way through the woods we spotted these wild cyclamen.

Lovely aren't they?

Old Maiden Aunt

2008-03-29T10:32:00.000Z

I have just added some Old Maiden Aunt hat kits and handspun yarn to the shop. This yarn really is wonderful. Handspun and handdyed by Lilith in Scotland, it is supersoft and has a real depth of colour. The hat kits are great and each contains three charms which relate to the theme of the yarn. You are not just buying a hat kit here, you are buying a piece of art!

Just in case you need further persuasion, here is a photo of the handspun skeins.

One Down, Two New .....

2008-03-27T13:11:00.000Z

I have now finished daughter Lucy's new jacket. Picture shows her modelling the garment. Unfortunately she was having a bad hair day and didn't want her full photo shown. Looks good, though doesn't it?

It was quite enjoyable to knit, although did get a bit tedious, especially when a good bit came on the tv and I forgot to change the knit, purl in the basketweave pattern. There is shaping at the waist on this and it does make it sit nicely. As mentioned in an earlier post, this was made in Sirdar pure cotton, not pleasant. The yarn splits endlessly and I thought it was poor quality for the money.

By the way, you might want to know why I am using yarn that I am not selling in the shop........ Well, the answer to that is that I am trying to destash. This may take several years as I am as equally enthusiastic about buying as I am about knitting (more probably).

I am, however, using some shop stock for some socks I am making for a friend's 50th birthday. A keen walker, it seemed a good idea to knit him two pairs of socks using the lovely UK Alpaca Sock yarn in moss green, and a pair in Easyknits Jacky. This was several weeks ago. Unfortunately we have been very busy lately, starting the shop, visiting elderly relatives, having parents and children to stay and trying to get out and walk, plus, of course, finishing the above jacket. All in all, I have knitted almost one sock , and frogged the same. His birthday is 8 April and the parcel needs to be with him by the 4th. Chances? On a postcard please.......

Hipknits Yarns

2008-03-26T10:45:00.001Z

We have just taken delivery of a Hipknits order and will be putting it up in the shop over the next few days. There are lovely silks, sock yarn, cashmere laceweight, aran silk, all in beautiful colours. The photo below is just a little hint of what is to come.

Easter Bunny

2008-03-22T16:45:00.001Z

This week, our daughter came home from Uni for the Easter holidays and brought her friend, Cameron. He, in turn, brought his pet rabbit ......

Cute, isn't he? He is a Nabaztag, and I immediately fell in love with him. Basically, you plug him into the mains, link him to your computer and then off you go! You can programme him to do lots of things and he will talk to you and be your office friend. Cameron kindly left him in my office and occasionally the rabbit would announce things. He told Ian, one morning, that he wanted to join a choir! He gave us his 'affirmation for the day', announced the time, read out the news headlines, rotated his ears, did his Tai Chi and said silly random things when the mood took him. He also flashed his lights on and off every now and again.

Unfortunately, Cameron has now left for home and the rabbit has gone with him. I am now trying to justify the £90ish cost so that I can have one of my own. More expensive than chocolate, but less fattening don't you think?

Great British Yarns

2008-03-20T17:11:00.000Z

I have mentioned a couple of times that we have sold our family business, and we have been wondering what to do next. Well, this is it! Great British Yarns our new online store. After some extensive searching, selecting, ordering, checking stock, photographing and web building, we have finally finished the store.

Our concept is to sell yarn which has either been produced or finished in this country, thus cutting down on yarn miles, support local industry and indeed, rural industry. We think it is very important that small and/or rural businesses are encouraged and with such a wealth of fantastic yarns available here, it seems a shame not to buy them! We have also included a few accessories such as buttons, notecards and stitch markers that have been hand made here.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the site - and that you make a Great Big Order! Any feedback will be gratefully accepted.