It sure is start-itis season again! I’m finding myself spending a lot of free time on Ravelry and wondering what I’ve got right now in my stash that would suit ALL OF THE THINGS!
It’s crazy, isn’t it? But there definitely is an urge that sweeps through us knitters at this time of year and makes us want to cast everything on – if it is cosy, made from beautiful yarn and…more importantly…it is selfish knitting then we want them all.
Of course, it is very nearly Wovember too and so the urge to be wrapped in wool is near paramount. What more could you want that 100% wool knits? Well, how about 100% wool knits featuring SHEEP?
I want to say a huge thanks to Ann Kingstone, who sent me a copy of her new mini collection Tup Knits recently to review. I had been seeing her drop delicious sheepy-knit images on her social media in the run up to the booklet’s release and was delighted to be able to have a closer look. Read More
Since last time I’ve been up to the top of the map, down to Yorkshire and then back to Edinburgh. Come in, grab a drink, grab a WIP and have a listen to what I’ve been getting up to.
(Apologies for intermittent knocking. My neighbours are moving and making noise, which I thought would be less audible)
↓Listen to the podcast↓
You can also listen on iTunes, the podcast app, or search your favourite podcatcher, if you prefer!
| Shetland
I had an awesome time at Shetland Wool Week and just enjoying being home after a full year. My highlights were definitely the hap meet up and (nerve-wracking) talk. I also adored my classes with Helen Robertson and Mary Fraser. You can see more of my photos here.
HAPS!
Haps and hap knitters at my Shetland wool week talk
I was recently sent Rachael Matthew’s new book The Mindfulness in Knitting to review and what a lovely book this is! I mean to talk about this on the podcast too, but I have quite a few things to review and so while I will talk about some of the aspects of the book in a later episode, I thought it would be nice to mention the details here too.
For most of us it is not a new concept that knitting and craft goes hand-in-hand with mental and physical well-being. I’ve spoken on the subject myself, quite a few times.. I feel that knitting can ground me and also reconnect my mind. But mindfulness can ground us in our environment – as well as in ourselves – and it can connect us to the world around us. Read More
A couple of weeks ago I went to the Scottish Smallholder Festival at Lanark. This is Scotland’s largest smallholding event and I was asked by one of the organisers, Rosemary, to come along and show smallholders how much crafters value British breed wool.
little porkers
Staring competition!
woolly bottoms
Jacobs
huddle!
Clun Fores
Soays
Kune Kune pigs
A young man takes to finger knitting!
Of course, it would have been sensible to take some pictures of the table – resplendent with the new KnitBritish banner – but I wasn’t sensible! What I brought with me were samples of fleece, spun yarn and swatches of breed wool and fibre. I also had some knitted items and, of course, the KnitBritish breed blanket!
It was incredibly interesting talking to the people who stopped by the stall to feel the fleece and the swatches. Most of them had sheep and were either interested in getting their fleeces spun into yarn to sell, or were in the process of doing so. I also spoke to one or two people who had hobby flocks of mixed sheep and were having their fleece made into blankets or items of clothing, just so they could say it belonged to their sheep. I really loved that idea. These were not knitters or crafters, but saw the value in having something made from their small flock’s yarn.
What was awesome was that those who were already having their wool spun were fired up with an excited/nervous energy and were raring to go with etsy shops, or self-hosted platforms. Some had questions about social media and using ravelry. This kind of engagement with the knitting community is truly the key to reaching the market and selling their unique blend or single flock yarns.
Frustratingly, there were people there who came up to ask how to sell yarn and didn’t really like my answer when I told them that they needed a strong online presence. Read More
I’ve been slow getting you my pictorial view of Shetland Wool Week this year, I apologise for that! I have been from Shetland to Harrogate this week and feeling quite tapped creatively!
This year I wasn’t at all of Shetland Wool Week, as I had some other commitments. It was a little odd not being there at the start, but it was nice to watch the opening ceremony via the WWW.
When I got up there on the Tuesday, the Shetland weather was pretty grim, but the sun came out again the next day for the hap meet up! Read More
I’m at sixes and sevens this episode, so lets have a little knit and a slower pace! (Show notes are a bit thinner this week, needs must!)
↓Listen to the podcast↓
You can also listen on iTunes, the podcast app, or search your favourite podcatcher, if you prefer!
Podcast sponsor
This month KnitBritish is sponsored by Joy dyes luxury yarn in her studio in Harrogate and is committed to supporting British breeds and fibre in all her bases. In addition to incredible yarns, such as Britsock and Wensleydale and Shetland 4ply you will find screen-printed bags and books, hand-crafted stitch markers and exclusive yarn clubs in her online shop. Click on the logo!
If you are going to Lanark, to this fest on Saturday, come and find me and lots of swatches of British wool! There is also a knit and natter from 12-2! I shall also have some of literature and swatches from the Tour of British Fleece – thanks to them for this incredible info! Read More
This special, limited edition yarn has been created to celebrate Blacker’s 11th birthday and the blend of wool and fibre contained in this woollen spun yarn is 100% UK based fibre. The natural steely grey colour of the fibres have been dyed in 7 shades and are all named after Cornish Tin mines. The fibres include Saxon merino, Shetland, Portland, mohair, Jacob, Gotland, English merino, Black Welsh mountain and alpaca. The yarn will be available in DK and 4ply and its what I call a very luxury workhorse yarn on the latest episode. You can listen to me review this yarn on episode 66 of the podcast.
Also launching today is a pattern, designed by Sonja Bargielowska, specifically to celebrate this limited edition yarn. The Polgooth socks use three shades of the DK and don’t they just look the comfiest cosiest kinda socks?!
Do not forget to visit Blacker, if you are heading to Yarndale this weekend – where you can scope out this yarn and the new St Kilda, dyed by The Knitting Goddess.
To celebrate the launch of Cornish Tin II, I am going to give a skein away! I have a skein of the Poldice Pink, in DK, kindly gifted by Sonja.
To be in with a chance of winning please leave a comment here telling me what pattern you would cast on in Tin II and WHICH colour/s?*. As I am going to be busy over the next couple of weeks I shall keep this open until 12pm (UK time) on 7th October and reveal the winner soon after. Good luck!
* Only comments which answer this question will be entered in to the draw. Please do not say “Oh! I don’t know?! All the things?”, or something similarly vague, as that is not what you are asked to do.
Louise Scollay, strict with giveaways since 2013
UPDATE!
Random number generator picked entry 10 – Isa! I’ll be in touch soon, Isa! well done!
Today I am talking about my own meaningful knit and show sponsor Joy McMillan talks about an exciting new yarn collaboration between The Knitting Goddess and Blacker Yarns! (Today’s episode title is purely a bingo reference, which I have been waiting 65 episodes to get out there haha!)
↓Listen to the podcast↓
You can also listen on iTunes, the podcast app, or search your favourite podcatcher, if you prefer!
Podcast sponsor
This month KnitBritish is sponsored by Joy dyes luxury yarn in her studio in Harrogate and is committed to supporting British breeds and fibre in all her bases. In addition to incredible yarns, such as Britsock and Wensleydale and Shetland 4ply you will find screen-printed bags and books, hand-crafted stitch markers and exclusive yarn clubs in her online shop. Click on the logo!
| Show Notes
| The Big WIP Rip
Saturday was the #bigwiprip and we had a great day at Fluph, as well as enjoying hearing about the big wip rips at Wild and Woolly and happening on social media! Well done to everyone who ripped out their unloved knits and freed their yarns. If you found you had WIPs that you still want to knit and didn’t want to rip you should check out lovescraftsandbeer’s #Thebigfallfinish on Rav.
| My Wedding Shawl – a meaningful knit
I give a wee bit of info on my special fancy hap, which I wore at my wedding.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
| St Kilda Lace weight
Conachair
laceweight mini skeins!
Glen bay- that blue black!
The wondrous Blacker yarns have collaborated with Joy McMillan on the St Kilda Laceweight range. Here is the official word from Blacker on the make up of that glorious wool…
Blacker’s St. Kilda yarn is a unique and rare homage to the Scottish archipelago and World Heritage site on the outer edges of the Hebrides. The islands’ native Boreray and Soay sheep are two of the oldest and rarest of all British breeds, so there is only enough wool to make a limited amount each year. These fibres are hand blended together with Shetland to create a beautifully delicate and textured yarn with plenty of bounce. Our St. Kilda has a real grip, so it is exquisitely suited to lace knitting and textured shawls. …
Hand dyed yarn possess a great depth and intensity, which is particularly striking over the subtlety shaded St. Kilda yarn. This collaboration between Blacker Yarns and The Knitting Goddess came about from a desire to recognise the importance of this country’s rich textile heritage and elevate the fibre from such rare and beautiful sheep.
Joy skyped in for a chat about dyeing this yarn and we also talk about working with Blacker on this collaboration. The St Kilda will come in ten dyed shades, it will be available in 50g skeins/ 350 metres and will be on sale first at Yarndale (24-25 September) at both the Blacker and Knitting Goddess stands. After Yarndale it will make it onto both the Blacker and Knitting Goddess websites for sale
Sonja Bargielowska, from Blacker, has designed a new shawl specifically for this yarn and there are testing opportunities available. Testers will be able to get the yarn before it goes on general sale so get in there quick! Details are in the Knitting Goddess Ravelry group.
| Cornish Tin II – launching 20th Sept
Thanks so much to Sonja, who sent me some Cornish Tin II to play with. This is a special birthday blend which is made up of 100% sourced British fibre – it comprises of a collection of the highest quality British fibres including Alpaca, Portland, Saxon Merino, Gotland, Jacob, Shetland, Black Welsh Mountain, Mohair, and English Merino. The yarn has been dyed in shades named after Cornish tin mines. When I saw this yarn I knew I wanted to knit a cosy item with it and I felt like it would be an awesome luxe workhorse yarn for allthethings! I cast on Kate Davies Striped Bunnet. (photo when I get some good light!)
The yarn is smooth and plumpy in the ply. It has a squash in the skein and a soft lustre that really catches the light. The working yarn in the hands has a crispness and there is a beautiful light halo on the yarn and knitted fabric.
As always, you need to listen in for the full appreciation but in three words this is versatile, workhorse and lustrous! The breeds and fibre in this yarn are really well chosen for making items with a long life. Well done, Blacker Yarns, and happy 11th birthday!
The yarn launches in a DK and a 4ply on 20th September and will cost £16.20/100g. I would be happy to knit everything from hats to sweaters in this great yarn; anything with texture will totally pop. I particularly fancy knitting a Woodsy hat, by Mandarine’s, in the 4ply.
Please do check out the KnitBritish Ravelry group and join in there, if you haven’t already. There are also a couple of new threads, which may be of interest to hap KAL knitters. I also had some really lovely reviews recently on itunes. Thanks so much for taking the time to do that – it is not only very kind, but it helps other people find out more about the podcast.
| Next Time
You really need to come back on 23rd to hear about The Knitting Goddesses brand new exciting yarn, sourced from Yorkshire. There is also a very exciting KB collaboration within that and something that KnitBritish listeners will be able to get involved with!
Thank you so much for listening!
| Information
Music: Carefree by Kevin McLeod and Singin’ in The Rain (demo) by David Mumford – Both are on FreeMusicArchive and are both shared under Creative Commons Attribution license. The Knitting Goddess Logo is copyright to Joy McMillan; wool images are copyright to Blacker Yarns, other image copyright belons to those as stated and the other images belong to me!
However as there are ongoing issues with Ravelry I wanted to pop up with an alert that there are numerous links to Ravelry on this site and if you are affected by the visually inaccessible new Ravelry I don’t want you to click on links. For more info please see my post on the front page of the website.
Thanks for stopping by the WoolWork website
Loading Comments...
By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience of KnitBritish as possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.
