Podcasts about curious handmade

After a long break, the podcast returns with a big chatty update about where I've been, what I've been up to, and what's coming next. Things will be looking a little different for Curious Handmade in 2022, but that's a good thing! I also have a big batch of giveaway and knitalong knitters to announce! So grab your knitting and let's catch up. 

Join me for a quick catch up over coffee this week as I talk about what's going on in the world of Curious Handmade. We have a big BOGO sale this weekend to kick off the start of the Knitvent 2021 launch, I've just come back from a big photo shoot, and I'm trying to end the year strong with some habits that I know make life better. So fill your mug and knit a few rows along with me!  

Our newest secret design from The Shawl Society 5 has been revealed, and this week on the podcast I'm talking about the new pattern and the gorgeous yarn we chose for the sample. I've also got some quilt content: what I'm working on and whether I want to bring quilt patterns into the Curious Handmade world or whether it's better to keep quilting as a beloved hobby instead of making it another job. I also have some giveaway winners to announce!

Today on the Curious Handmade podcast, as the Western Hemisphere heads towards the summer solstice, I'm savoring every scrap of winter we'll get in Queensland. The chilly weather has finally arrived here, which is very good news for my knitting mojo. I'm working on my Píosa Cardigan and my project for the Knit 20 for 2021 Toy KAL. I also have some sock yarn notes for ongoing Sock KALs. So pull up a cosy chair and let's chat about what's on the needles this week.

I’m back from my sick days with a friendly catch up chat. I’m making some progress on my personal projects, and I have lots and lots of KAL news, including winners from recent giveaways, a knit along by one of my favourite yarn companies and a brand new Curious Handmade knitalong that’s a little different from anything we’ve done before. I’ve also got a more in-depth introduction to our very first shawl of The Shawl Society 5.

Have you ever daydreamed about making a career out of your creative projects? Today on the podcast I have a bit of an unexpected book review; as I’ve been planning for the future of Curious Handmade, I read something very inspiring, and I wanted to share that with you. I’ve also got a brand new finished object to share and some crafty and gardeny news. So grab your current WIP and settle in to join me for an uplifting, cheerful episode.

Today on the Curious Handmade podcast, I’m talking about growth of all kinds. Join me as I introduce my beloved little plant family, get back to a long-neglected but wonderful embroidery project, and take my first tentative into an exciting new branch of design work that’s always scared me just a little. But isn’t that what growth usually feels like? It’s a short, sweet, and lighthearted episode this time, so grab your favourite project and let’s knit a few rows together (or maybe do a small bit of stitching!)

Show Sponsors Alongside an eclectic yarn range, which includes Hazel Knits, Icelandic Lopi & CoopKnits, we stock a carefully chosen selection of needles and notions. We’ve also recently launched ‘hand dyed by meadowyarn’, our very own in-house, hand-dyed yarn range. Working in our tiny dye studio, nestled in the Suffolk countryside, we are able to indulge our love of colour, producing complex tonal, kettle-dyed shades across a range of weights and bases. With regular updates our collections evolve and grow, inspired by the landscape and people around us. Find all your favourite luxury yarns and discover plenty more at A Yarn Story, Bath’s premier yarn store based in Walcot Street, Bath, UK. From gorgeous skeins by The Fibre Co and Walcot Yarns to a fine selection from Shibui Knits, La Bien Aimée, House of a la Mode, and Julie Asselin, there is plenty for the discerning knitter to enjoy. With friendly and knowledgeable staff to help you browse, there is plenty for the discerning knitter to enjoy. Visit the store at Walcot Street, Bath or shop online at www.ayarnstory.co.uk.   Sometimes scheduling relaxation is the best way to make sure you actually find the time: that’s what I’m doing this week. In this episode I have more Knitvent chat for you, exploring our theme of “Comfort and Joy” and our delightful community giveaway. And I’m looking forward to our first hot Aussie Christmas since the girls were born! You also might have noticed that Curious Handmade has a brand new website, so I’ve got stories about that as well as an update on some issues I’ve been working out with the podcast. Show links: Presales for the Knitvent 2020 Collection have begun! You can get all six mystery patters for the Early bird price of £9.95 (over 30% off the regular ebook price of £15) when  you join us before the first pattern is released on Thursday, October 29th, 2020! Knitvent 2020 on Ravelry Knitvent 2020 on Gumroad  The beautiful and inspiring Knitvent 2020 Giveaway Thread Get 20% off the Rainforest Shawl pattern with the code RAINFOREST when you check out until the 23rd of October, 2020 Rainforest Canopy Shawl on Ravelry Rainforest Canopy Shawl on Gumroad October Knit 20 for 2020 Finished Objects Thread Show transcript: Welcome to the Curious Handmade podcast. You’re listening to episode 314. This podcast is all about crafting a life of happiness and creativity. I’m your host Helen, and you can find me on Ravelry as HellsBells and on social media as CuriousHandmade. You can also find the full show notes and transcript on my website at curioushandmade.com. Hello there, come and join me for a little natter about knitting, yarn and crafty things. Things are really intense in the world right now, and I’m certainly feeling it every day. I think after I record this, I’m going to sit down and schedule in some blocks of relaxation into my diary for some personal knitting, maybe working on my liberty hexie quilt project, and perhaps I’ll schedule in some walks as well. I think I need to just make sure that I have some time carved out for a little bit of downtime at the moment. And I’m also going to put a ban on myself from scrolling on my phone during those times, just for an extra element of relaxation. So I hope that listening to the show today can be a little relaxing moment for you too. Here in Curious Handmade land, we are now into Knitvent season. Knitvent, if you haven’t heard of that before is a holiday themed collection of six patterns that I’ve designed that are surprises, like windows of an advent calendar. This is the eighth year we have celebrated Knitvent here at Curious Handmade. I can’t believe it’s been eight years, but there you go. Time flies when you’re having fun. And the theme for this year’s Knitvent is comfort and joy. And the theme just came very naturally from a conversation I was having with my sister talking about the year and the rest of the year. And I was just saying how I felt that I needed to keep things very simple and uncomplicated. This year more than ever. I always feel a little bit that way about the holidays, but even more so this year. So that’s the theme for the collection and I hope it’s reflected in the designs. I think it will be. And it’s given me a lot of comfort and joy designing the collection for you. That’s for sure. So the presales for Knitvent 2020 opened this week, and thank you so much for the lovely responses and all the excitement you have been sharing for it. That gives me a huge amount of joy and a very warm, warm, fuzzy feeling. So thank you for everybody who has already joined in. We have the pattern on sale at the moment. And during the presale period, before the first pattern comes out, it’s at a big discount. So it’s £9.95 at the moment, and that’s priced in British pounds. And then once the first pattern comes out, the price goes up to the normal price of 15 pounds for that collection. So I think it’s a pretty good deal, especially at the moment. Even when it’s full price I think it’s quite a good deal compared to buying individual patterns, but I recognize that you are taking a risk in purchasing a surprise collection. So I have a special presale price for you, for people who are willing to take that risk. You can purchase the pattern on either Ravelry, and I’ve also set up a Gumroad page, not an alternative platform. And as an aside, a little shout out thanks to Stephen West, who inadvertently mentored me in that. I was wondering how to deliver the collection in the format that I deliver it because Etsy can’t really handle delivering the pattern in other collection in six weekly installments. And so when I signed up for Stephens mystery knit along, I saw that he was using Gumroad to deliver his clues. So thank you Stephen for that tip and for an amazing mystery knit along as well. I haven’t had time to knit any of the clues, but I have been following along the spoilers with great delight and lots of people look like they’re enjoying that mystery knit along. Anyway, just sorry for that little diversion there, but just to explain why the pattern is on Gumroad and not Etsy, I guess. Just to spread a little more of the joy and excitement of Knitvent, we have a launch competition happening. For this competition I’ve made it my choice of gift vouchers rather than the winners choice and the dyes I’ve chosen are Ocean by the Sea, who is an amazing dyer based in London. And she just creates the most dreamy botanically dyed yarns. She writes beautiful poetry. I just love her work. We also have Birch Hollow Fibers in the US. She’s based in Hudson Valley in New York. And she is a dyer that I’ve been following for a while. She creates beautiful, beautiful colourways, and I just love Robin’s aesthetic as well. And then in Australia, we have Wren & Ollie who is based in South Australia. And I discovered Wren & Ollie a couple of years ago when I was visiting a yarn store here. And she just has such fun, beautiful colourways, again. So, we have a gift vouchers from each of those dyers, and also I’ll be offering 10 copies of my latest pattern, which is the Rainforest Canopy Shawl to 10 lucky winners. And if you already have purchased that pattern, a single pattern of your choice. So to enter the competition, grab your copy of Knitvent and then create a project page for the first window. I have a placeholder pattern page for the first pattern that will come out. It’s called Knitvent window one. And if you create a pattern page for that and then post in the thread a photo or a story of something that brings you comfort and joy, especially around the holidays. It doesn’t have to be anything grand, just a little moment, or it could be something extravagant, whatever it brings you, comfort and joy. There’s already an amazing thread happening in the Curious Handmade group on Ravelry. And it is full of heartwarming stories. I just love these threads so much. People are sharing about their family, pets, comforting food, snuggling up warm in snowy weather. Cooking, of course knitting and crafts, family heirlooms. And this year, a lot of gratitude for technology and Zoom, which is maybe a new thing. I do hope reading the posts that people’s wishes to be able to spend more time with loved ones can come true this year. But if not, that you can find other ways to connect. We might have to be a little bit more inventive this year. And for people who have lost loved ones this year, that they can find some comfort. I know that the holidays can be a very hard time for people. And as always, I’m incredibly grateful and overwhelmed by the stories you share from all over the world. And I can recognize names of people that have been knitting my patterns for many years, joining in Knitvent for many, many years. And it’s just lovely to have this little way of connecting, and yeah, I just love it. So thank you so, so much for people who have posted, and if you’d like a little heartwarming cheerful thread to read, I would recommend it. This will be our first Christmas here in Australia. Last year, we were back in the UK for family reasons. We had moved to Australia, but went back for Christmas. And so this year, yeah, it’s going to be interesting. I think it’s going to be good, but it’s going to be a bit of a blast from the past to having a hot weather Christmas. We’ve only spent one Christmas back here in Australia since the girls were born. And so, it’s not usual at all. Usually came back in the Northern hemisphere summer, rather than at Christmas time if we were doing any trips. We do have some family traditions that will translate, okay. Like giving certain gifts. And of course, Santa visiting. We have assured the girls that Santa can still deliver presents to houses without chimneys. And yeah, we might be making some new traditions as well. So I’ll be reading through the amazing inspiration thread on Ravelry for some lovely heartwarming ideas. Maybe you can find some ideas there too, of things you might like to do. So the first window will open. The first pattern will come out next Thursday, which is the 29th of October. And if you want to jump into the festivities, then jump in before the 29th of October and take advantage of the 30% off pre-sale offer. In other news this week, some of you might have noticed that my website has finally been updated. I have been working on a project to revamp my website for about three years now. And in the midst of that, I re-branded and had to start again. So it’s taken a really long time. And then I moved and there was just always something happening. So my poor web developer had to keep being very patient for a long time. So we have finally got it live and I’m really pleased with how it’s worked out. So I’ll let you have a little look. We have had a little bit of trouble getting the podcast to feed correctly through to podcast feeders. Apparently when it was originally set up, it was a little bit complicated. So we’re still working that out and I’m having to remember passwords from, I don’t know, 10 years ago and things like that. So that’s required a little bit of troubleshooting. Hopefully we will get there soon, but if you’re listening to this, you’re obviously able to access it, but I’ll have to let people know that it is available to listen to you on the website. But as of today, not through podcast apps. Anyway, hopefully by the time you’re hearing this, that will be sorted. But yes, very exciting with the new website, and I think the podcast is the only thing that’s gone amiss. But if you do see anything, anything that’s gone astray, please do let me know. Also, it’s nearly the end of October. So this is the last week for entering into the knit 20 for 2020 challenge. And that happens both in Ravelry and on Instagram with the hashtag, #Knit20for2020 and the prize is a $50 voucher to a indie dyer or yarn shop of your choice. So it’s well worth entering. You can find all the details about knit 20 for 2020 challenge on my new website, there is a link on the menu bar. And that’s about all I have for you today. Thanks for joining me this week. I hope you have a good week and I’ll talk to you again soon. Happy knitting.

Show Sponsors Alongside an eclectic yarn range, which includes Hazel Knits, Icelandic Lopi & CoopKnits, we stock a carefully chosen selection of needles and notions. We’ve also recently launched ‘hand dyed by meadowyarn’, our very own in-house, hand-dyed yarn range. Working in our tiny dye studio, nestled in the Suffolk countryside, we are able to indulge our love of colour, producing complex tonal, kettle-dyed shades across a range of weights and bases. With regular updates our collections evolve and grow, inspired by the landscape and people around us. Find all your favourite luxury yarns and discover plenty more at A Yarn Story, Bath’s premier yarn store based in Walcot Street, Bath, UK. From gorgeous skeins by The Fibre Co and Walcot Yarns to a fine selection from Shibui Knits, La Bien Aimée, House of a la Mode, and Julie Asselin, there is plenty for the discerning knitter to enjoy. With friendly and knowledgeable staff to help you browse, there is plenty for the discerning knitter to enjoy. Visit the store at Walcot Street, Bath or shop online at www.ayarnstory.co.uk.   It’s one of the most exciting times on the Curious Handmade calendar! The presales for Knitvent have just launched, and I am beyond excited to welcome you all for another season of surprises and gift knitting. So I’ve got that to chat about, of course, and also lots of stories from the magical rainforest retreat I attended last weekend. So get cosy and join me for a nice big catch-up episode! Show links: Presales for the Knitvent 2020 Collection have begun! You can get all six mystery patters for the Early bird price of £9.95 (over 30% off the regular ebook price of £15) when  you join us before the first pattern is released on Thursday, October 29th, 2020! Knitvent 2020 on Ravelry Knitvent 2020 on Gumroad Kitch Kreative on Etsy O’Rielly’s Rainforest Retreat Reconciliation Australia NNK Yarns The Yarn Bowl 52 Weeks of Socks Snippet Socks Natural Fibre Arts Rose Hip Island Louie and Lola Get 20% off the Rainforest Shawl pattern with the code RAINFOREST when you check out until the 23rd of October, 2020 Rainforest Canopy Shawl on Ravelry Rainforest Canopy Shawl on Gumroad Stillness Shawl Get 40% off the Rewilding Shawl pattern with the code REWILDING when you check out until the end of October 2020! Rewilding Shawl Show transcript: Welcome to the Curious Handmade podcast. You’re listening to Episode 313. This podcast is all about crafting a life of happiness and creativity. I’m your host Helen, and you can find me on Ravelry as HellsBells and on social media as Curious Handmade. You can also find full show notes and transcript on my website at curioushandmade.com. Hello and welcome. Thanks for joining me today. I hope you’re having a good week and are finding some spaces in your days to do some knitting and stitching, crochet, patchwork, whatever takes your fancy and yeah, grab a tea or coffee or other beverage, and join me for a chat. I’ve had a very exciting week this week because I got to attend a knitting retreat and I have to say, after the year we’ve had and still having, it was an amazing experience to be able to join a group of knitters for the weekend. So the event was organized by Kylie Kenny, who is Kitsch Kreative. She has an Etsy shop selling beautiful project bags, and she organized this retreat at O’Reilly’s. I think we first discussed it last year, I can’t remember when. I think fairly early last year actually, maybe about halfway through the year. So a lot in the world has changed since then. But thankfully and amazingly, we were able to go ahead with it here. Unfortunately, participants who were going to be coming from interstate weren’t able to come because of restrictions on travel. But people from Queensland, which is the state that I live in and where the retreat was held, were able to attend. So the retreat was held in a very, very special location at a place called O’Reilly’s, which is a resort, I guess you’d say. It doesn’t quite feel like a typical resort. It’s more of a retreat in the mountains and there are really nice cabins, various sizes that you can stay in or a beautiful campground, which was sort of the original part of the retreat. But I think it’s developed into something bigger over the years. It’s up in the mountains in the Lamington National Park, which is the Gold Coast hinterland. So if you’re familiar with the Gold Coast, which is about an hour’s drive south of Brisbane, and then west from there. And Kylie’s family still own the place today and her parents and grandparents were part of O’Reilly’s as she was growing up, and she lived there growing up as well. So it was a very special location for her and it was quite a special location for me as well, because that’s where my parents had their honeymoon. And we went up there a little bit when I was little. And yeah, I’ve been back since for camping trip and just yeah, it’s just beautiful. Just so special to experience true rainforest and bush walking, and the views are spectacular. It’s just a lovely, lovely, relaxed place. The air is really clean and fresh. So we started the event with dinner on the first evening on Thursday, and Kylie greeted us and acknowledged the traditional custodians of the land. She said a acknowledgement of country and paid respect to the elders past, present and emerging. And we heard a little bit about the venue and about Kylie’s stories growing up there, which was just made it that extra bit special. And then over the course of a couple of days we had a room where we could sit up with our knitting and we had some vendors. So we had some yarn and project bags and other lovely things to buy. The vendors where Lisa from NNK Yarns. And she brought some beautiful hand-dyed yarns. She’s based in Brisbane. We discovered we had a connection because when she first started her business, she was knitting items for kids and babies. And my sister had purchased a little vest for, I think, Sophie, from Lisa and sent it to me in London, which was quite some years ago now. And then she purchased another one and sent that over. And so I think that it got handed down to Lexi, and Lexi still has the little vest that Lisa made in her wardrobe and she won’t let it go. She loves it so much. It’s a beautiful color. And so that was so funny to discover that connection from many years ago. We also had Fiona from The Yarn Bowl, which is a fairly new yarn shop in Brisbane at a suburb called Banyo. And Fiona said that they’ve just had their one year anniversary for The Yarn Bowl. And that was obviously a very popular yarn shopping destination and knit night for, most of the knitters were from Brisbane and were very familiar with The Yarn Bowl, and she had absolutely lovely things. Needles from ChiaoGoo. She had some copies of 52 Weeks of Socks from Laine, which was quite nice because I had my snippet sample there from the book. And she also had a amazing stand of yarn from Natural Fiber Arts, who is Cheryl, another local indie dyer, and Cheryl just lives a little bit north of me on the coast. So that was lovely to meet Cheryl. Cheryl was also there, the dyer behind Natural Fiber Arts. And then Kylie had a stand as well for Kitch Kreative. And she was selling her bags, her beautiful handmade project bags, as well as yarn from Rose Hip Island, who is a hand dyer in Tasmania, and that is Hannah. And Hannah does very, very beautiful romantic colorways and also some self-striping sock yarn in really fun colorways. And because of the restrictions I think Hannah would have had to quarantine for two weeks up here and then quarantine for another two weeks going back down to Tasmania. So she wasn’t able to attend, but she sent her yarn that she dyed for the up to Kylie and Kylie had it on her stand. So we were able to see her beautiful yarn, even though we were all very sad that we weren’t able to meet Hannah in person. But next year, I’m pretty sure. I’m pretty sure we’ll be able to meet the people that couldn’t come this year at the event next year. Kylie’s already announced that we’ll be doing it again next October. And I’ll be teaching some workshops again. So over the weekend we had two workshops, they were fairly informal. The first one was a sock cast on. So I brought a whole bunch of my samples from my sub collections and some one-off patterns. And we talked about making socks. A lot of people cast on some socks, and there are a few people there that were knitting some of my sock patterns already, which was really lovely to see and to see those projects happening, all righty. So thank you to all the participants that were knitting my patterns and brought some projects that they had knit. And then on the second day, on the Saturday, we had a shawl workshop, and I designed a special shawl for the event and as a gift for the attendees, which was the Rainforest Canopy Shawl. It was obviously inspired by the location in the Rainforest and Karina from Louie & Lola, also in Tasmania, had created a special colorway called O’Reilly’s. And she’s having an update for that this week, or it’s already happened. So check out Louie & Lola if you would like some of the amazing deep forest green colorway that she created for the cover shawl. And I also have samples in Rose Hip Island yarn in a beautiful pink rock orchid colorway, an amazing mustard colorway from NNK Yarns, as well as another sample in Louie & Lola in the S-colorway. So if you go to the pattern page for that, you’ll be able to see all those different colorways that I’m mentioning. And I’ve released the pattern for the Rainforest Canopy Shawl just this week after the retreat. And so that is now available and it is for sale at our launch price of 20% off with the code, RAINFOREST. And it’s an asymmetrical triangle with lovely lace panels that to me represent Rainforest Canopy and either stockinette or garter stitch sections in between the layers. And there’s also a rectangular scarf version available in the pattern as well. So two sizes of asymmetrical triangles and a rectangular scarf version, which can easily be adapted to be wider if you want to make a more of a wrap style rectangular version. So it was absolutely lovely spending some time with knitters. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a knitting retreat. I don’t think I went to one all year last year. I think that’s right. I think with the move and everything going on, I couldn’t do anything last year. And then this year has obviously been a little bit of a shambles in that regard with COVID happening. I don’t think I would have probably been going to anything before now anyway. But I was kind of hoping to get down to the Bendigo Wool Show at some point, obviously that was canceled. So it was, yeah, it was an amazing treat to be able to meet lots of local knitters, lots of knitters based in Brisbane and a little bit further south and a little bit further north. There was 16 participants altogether in the end. So that was amazing that that many people could attend. I met some ladies from Murwillumbah, it’s a bit of a tongue twister, and they had knit my Stillness Shawl. So that was absolutely beautiful to see. Vicki and Sue’s projects and we had some photos. And I got to meet Maureen who has been knitting my patterns for many years. And yeah, it was absolutely lovely to meet her and just everyone. Everyone was so friendly and it was just such a fun few days. The food was very good. We ate a lot. The meals were very generous and delicious. The coffee was excellent and a lot of the staff were quite young and just really friendly and energetic. And yeah, it was really nice. So I’m already looking forward to working with all the new Australian indie dyers’ yarn that I’ve discovered through this event, which has just been so fun and meeting up with the knitters that I met. And hopefully being able to see them at future events. So thank you to Kylie for organizing the event and reorganizing it several times as the rules and restrictions around COVID changed. I do not envy you trying to manage all of that, but she did it and it was wonderful. And if you listened to last week’s podcast, I was very nervous about the windy road and the road was in fact windier and longer than I remembered. But actually it was fine in the end. So yeah, I think being in the driver’s seat and just being able to take it at my own pace was good. And I had the lovely Lisa with me for the journey. I picked her up in Brisbane and then we drive down from there together and she was super, a super winged person and very calm copilot. So that was also really lovely. I did manage to do a couple of bush walks, which for me was unusual. I usually just manage to knit and not much else when I go to a knitting retreat, but I managed to sneak away and do a couple of walks. I did a lovely walk with Cheryl and we had a lovely chat about yarn and got to know her a little bit. So that was wonderful. We did the wishing tree walk. So we walked down to this amazing old tree that had split at the bottom and you could walk into it. So I’ll definitely be trying to get up there for a family trip at some stage. I think everyone would really enjoy doing some bush walks. There’s shorter ones and much longer ones. You can walk over to the next resort, Boonaburra. There’s a long walk, a 20 kilometer walk that you can do. There’s a tree tops walk with suspension bridges through the canopy of the rainforest, which was amazing. That’s just a really small, short one, just lots of different walks. And yeah, definitely love to go back. I’m not sure if we’d camp or stay in one of the lovely cabins. So the Rainforest Canopy Shawl is now available on Ravelry and I’ll also put it up on Etsy and it will be 20% off on Ravelry with the code rainforest until next Friday, the 23rd of October. And I’ll try and work out what I can do on Etsy as well. I might just post it at the discounted price on Etsy. I’m not quite sure what the situation with discount codes is there, but I’ll look into it. And amazingly, we are well into October now, which means that we are getting into Knitvent season. Every year for the past seven or eight years, we have celebrated Knitvent and it is a combination of a knitwear collection and an advent calendar. So each week for five weeks, I will be publishing six secret knitting patterns. One week we will have two patterns published on the same day, and the other four weeks there’ll be one pattern published. The presales for Knitvent are starting today, which is Friday the 16th of October. And so when you sign up for that, you’ll be signing up for six secret knitting patterns that will be revealed like an advent calendar as a surprise. It has become a very lovely tradition over the past years. And when I was thinking about the theme for this year, I just kept coming back to the idea of simplicity and simple pleasures. I was thinking a lot about the simple pleasure that bring us comfort and moments of joy. And so that is the theme for this year’s Knitvent is comfort and joy. I feel like we could all use a little bit of that at the moment. And I feel like it’s a really nice theme for this time of year, which I like to be a bit reflective and have moments of gratitude and relaxing, try and have some moments of relaxing. So that’s my ideas behind Knitvent is that we can share in the joy and comfort of knitting and have a knit along for the month of November and through to the holidays. The patterns are roughly designed to be suitable for gift knitting, but also designed to be suitable for yourself if you’d like to knit the projects for yourself. That’s also a very appropriate thing to do. So as I mentioned, you can purchase the collection as a presale on Ravelry, and I’m currently setting up an alternative to Ravelry, which I will post about. I’m recording this a little bit earlier in the week, so I haven’t quite finished setting it up yet. And I’m trying to find a platform that will work to deliver patterns. You know, one pattern per week, which is what I need. And some of the platforms I don’t think will do that such as Etsy. So I’m currently looking at an alternative and I think I’ve found one. But I will put a link to that in the show notes and on the blog and so forth. Otherwise it will be available on Ravelry as per normal. And I always do an early bird price for the presale period, which is roughly a third off the price that it will go up to after the first pattern comes out. So you get a discount as a reward for taking the plunge and trusting me. I think it’s nice to have little surprises. Not everybody likes surprises, so I understand if you want to wait till the patterns come out. But yeah, there will be a significant discount for purchasing them early. And the full price is also a significant discount on purchasing them individually. So the first pattern will come out on the 29th of October and the sixth pattern will be published on the 26th of November. And patterns two to five will be published each week in between. If you’re signed up to my newsletter, you’ll get some more information about it. And some reminders when the early bird time period is finishing. And maybe a few sneak peaks about some of the yarn that I’m using in some of the patterns possibly. I do tend to post some sneak peeks on Instagram as well. And I’ll also set up a spoiler thread in my Ravelry group for people who don’t like surprises and want to get prepared in advance with information about what yarn will be needed. I’ll do that a little bit in advance of the patterns coming out. So that’s Knitvent, and I’m really excited about this year’s collection. I’ve been working hard on it for a few months now, and it’s always so fun when I finally get to share it with you. That’s all the news I have for you today I think. Just one more announcement before I say goodbye. I do still have the promotion for the Rewilding Shawl running for the whole month up until the end of October. And that is 40% of the Rewilding Shawl with the coupon code, REWILDING. And we also have the launch code for 20% off the Rainforest Canopy Shawl available just for this week, which is RAINFOREST. I hope you have a wonderful week. I hope you’re staying safe and well, and having lots of vitamin C and vitamin D, keeping your immunity up. Happy knitting, and I’ll talk to you again soon.

This week, I finished the Slider Gloves and enjoyed knitting them, like a lot.  Who knew knitting individual fingers could be so addictive? I also cast on the Luminary Socks by Curious Handmade. I didn't get much done but I'm looking forward to working on them. There are new bags in the Bede Sisters Etsy shop and I'm a sponsor of the Splash Pad Party KAL with Down Cellar Studio.

Today there is a review of Knit Accessories: Essentials and variations as well as some DK pattern ideas for sweaters and some random chat. I have found my way back to my knitting this week. This may have been due to admitting I was struggling with finding the mojo for the knitting. I realised part of the problem was that knitting, for me, is a way of ordering my thoughts. This became apparent when the thoughts immediately began to race upon picking up the needles. I decided to sit with the feeling and luckily, it appears to have abated and I can knit again. Love for Podcasting I am really enjoying being back behind the mic on a more regular basis. It seems that podcasting is a form of reaching out for me. When I started the show, I lived in rural Limpopo in South Africa and was quite isolated. It was hot, not many people knitted and the knitters that were in SA were a long way away in Joburg or Cape Town. I feel like this recent inspiration is connected to that – once again, I am physically isolated, despite being at home and near friends. I love that it is a running joke about how I know someone wherever we travel. These friends are – more often than not – as a result of the podcast or knitting. I also love how I can ‘be' with people all over the world via the podcast. Just this week, I've been on an oil rig in the North Sea! Audio is a conversation and I love the idea of keeping you company. DK Weight Pattern Ideas Feedback I have just brought back a sweater quantity of Nurturing Fibres Supertwist DK in the colourway Sapphire from South Africa. I have found that there weren't many patterns that were appealing to me on Ravelry. I asked the lovely listeners of the show for some suggestions for patterns. Laura Stephens suggested to look at patterns by Libby of Truly Myrtle. Lori Hathaway suggested to look at the patterns by Kim Hargreaves. Then there was a big confusion about Kim Hargreaves (knitwear designer) versus Kim Catterall (bird on Sex in the City). Oops! There also was some chat about Rowan Kidsilk Haze which surely must have reached the stage of being knitting nostalgia now. I have settled for now on one of two patterns for this yarn. The choice is between Cloudburst, which was originally part of the Drift Collection for Eden Cottage Yarns. The other option is Orchidaceae, which is by Susan Crawford and is part of her new collection, Evolution, which is available now. I was intending to buy this collection anyway, so I was pleased to be reminded about this. Habitation Throw Is knitting anything like a garment beyond you right now? If so, Helen Stewart of Curious Handmade has just made her Habitation Throw free for the month of April 2020. The pattern is still for sale and all proceeds from sales of this pattern will be donated to the UN Refugee Agency. Yoga Don't compete with other people or yourself is the main feedback for yoga. If you fancy something different for the kids, they can try Cosmic Kids Yoga. Sammy's Calamities I have great ambitions of writing a series of childrens' books based entirely on the calamities of Sam. These are all true stories of actual perils experienced. Podcast Recommendations We Fix Space junk Diary of a Space Archivist Review of Knit Accessories, Essentials and Variations by Kate Atherley This book was originally published in 2012 and was re-released last week. I offered to review this as I am getting a lot of requests for suggestions of how to get into knitting at the moment. This book is ideal for that purpose. The book begins with a section on ‘before you start'. I know that when I got back into knitting, it was lead entirely by some somewhat dodgy yarn found in Poundstretcher. I like how the recommended yarns include indie and commercial yarns, hitting all the budgets. It also has a section on substituting the yarns for non-wool yarns and different fibres. Swatching is covered in a decent amount of detail. This is a subject that ca often be skimmed over in beginner-suitable books. Let's face it, swatching isn't fun and you can usually get away without it for accessories. The necessity of the activity is explained and there are instructions for how to alter your needles if your gauge is off. The side notes that accompany the patterns are solid and really help to draw attention to the important points. My favourite aspect of the book is the addition of the ‘design your own' element for each group of patterns. This takes all the maths out of making alterations to your projects, particularly for yarn changes. The book contains lots of examples of projects knitted in different weights and dye styles of yarn. In summary: Pros Design Your Own sections in each group of patterns Cheat tables for the yarns and lengths Cons Would love to see some DK in the patterns Links to videos or tutorials for the techniques would be great additions Full Shownotes at www.shinybees.com/140

This week, I'm trying to get back in the podcasting groove.  I finished the Bofur Scarf and the Ljus Shawl.  I'm also working on a pair of socks and the Habitation Throw by Curious Handmade.   I'm hoping for pullover sweater suggestions and thinking about making Christopher Bunny by Susan B. Anderson.  It's going to be quite a year around the farm.

This week's episode is inspired by a recent decision I made to try and knit a hat in a weekend. This was partly prompted by a sudden ten degree drop in temperature here (doesn't a chill in the air make you want to cast on all the things?) and inspired me to look for a nice, easy pattern. The hat is complete, and I've also picked out another four potential hat in a weekend patterns for you to take a look at, in case you feel the need to cast on this weekend. First up is a bit of news, and I'd like to shout out all the people who have emailed or messaged me since episode 134 was released, expressing their delight at me being back behind the mic. It is truly appreciated, so I hope you won't mind indulging me in saying thanks to them. It is easy to forget that it isn't just me, sat in a bedroom, talking to no-one; there are literally thousands and thousands of listeners worldwide. I'm very grateful to each and every one of you, even if you only listen to one episode ever. Thank you! In other news, I was contacted by a listener of the show, @Zencrafter2 on Twitter is undertaking a challenge leading up to her 50th birthday on 7th December 2020. After hearing about the Knit A Square project, she has decided to try and make 500 squares to donate to the project. That's over 1 a day – amazing! Let's all encourage her along (or join in if you wish over on Twitter – her handle is @Zencrafter2. In other news, I've had several requests for some stories from here and a bit of armchair travel. As such, in this episode I share my endeavours to learn Mandarin. I've always (up until now) been quite good at languages – or Germanic languages, anyway. Chinese is proving to be a bit more challenging than either of those. I struggle to hear the tones of the language, which is a pretty fundamental part of being able to understand and speak it. There are four tones and two of them sound the same to me, which makes me worry about saying a word and getting the tone wrong and actually saying something rude by mistake! I've learned how to say ‘steamed bun' and can order beer and soda water, but otherwise my vocabulary is limited to words associated with yoga (more on that in another episode) and some very specific work-related words that will be of no use to me in everyday conversations. I am really keen to be able to talk to people here (who are extremely friendly) as well as generally understand what is going on. I would imagine this is what illiteracy is like, as I can't read Chinese either. It's hard, but I am determined to be better and not just do the lazy English speaker thing. I've picked out 5 pattern suggestions for knitting a hat in a weekend. These are in thicker yarns with straightforward patterns for maximum speed and satisfaction. Tag me with your projects if you decide to get involved with this or hashtag it up with #hatinaweekend. The first pattern is the one I have knitted, Classic Beanie by Woolly Wormhead. I interviewed Woolly in Episode 61 and encourage you to listen to it. I chose this pattern as I really liked the way the ribs herringboned together as they reached the crown. It's a free pattern for worsted weight yarn on 4.5mm needles, with multiple sizes. I'm knitting it in Morris & Co Empire 10 ply in the colourway Absinthe. You can download it from Ravelry here. The next suggestion is the Classic Cuffed Hat by Purl Soho. Again, this is a free pattern for a basic worsted weight beanie, the classic design with a bobble on top. It's really straightforward no-thinking-required knitting and the simple pattern allows for lots of playing around with yarns. Most dye styles will work with this pattern. You can find the pattern here. Swirlwind by Nicole Vanderlee is a worsted weight toque with a ribbed brim and a swirling slipped stitch pattern on the body. It's a padi pattern at CAN $6.00 and is available from Ravelry. This pattern affords some experimentation room in terms of yarns; it will look great with solids and variegateds alike. The colour changes in the variegated yarns will pop on the slipped stitches. Likewise, striped yarns look great, especially if the same colour is always slipped, as this creates an almost brioche looking effect. Slef striping yarns would also work well. You can purchase the pattern on Ravelry here. The Tchaikovsky Hat by Helen Stewart is next on the list ad this pattern is taken from Knitvent 2017. If you aren't already familiar with Knitvent, it's an annual collection of gift knitting pattern that Helen produces each October/November, usually around a theme. The theme for 2017 was The Nutcracker, and you can either buy the pattern separately at £5.34 or as part of the 6 pattern collection at £15.54 here on Ravelry. It's a DK weight hat, with a ribbed brim and a simple repeating textured stitch pattern, that adds interest for the knitter without it being too ‘out there' texture-wise for a gift recipient. You can find Helen's podcast, Curious Handmade, on all podcatchers and at Curious Handmade, and you can listen to her interview on this podcast in Episode 90. Finally we have A Useful Diversion by Elizabeth Felgate. This is a paid pattern (£3.70) doe a deep cuffed 3x3 rib hat with a textured stitch pattern that runs (or diverts) around the body of the hat. It's described as being just enough to be a useful diversion for the knitter and I think it would look great in a nice, high-twist, solid or semi-solid yarn. You can find the pattern on Ravelry here. Getting out of a funk: I asked for any tips from listeners as to how to get out of a funk. It seems to be a pretty common thing at the moment, probably due to the amount of stuff that is going on in the world. Anyway, Nichola Nolan got out of her funk after recently meeting Christine Perry of Winwick Mum fame. She decided to crack through some small projects and ‘pull her finger out'. Aimee Croke has got back into the swing of things by carving out time earlier in the day for her accountancy study by getting up early. She knits along on a simple project whilst watching training videos. Carving out the time is the key, and making it a priority, regardless of whether you want to knit, learn a new skill or anything else. That's all we have time for this week. If you've enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a review on iTunes or your podcatcher of choice. Music for this episode is by Adam and The Walter Boys and is available for purchase on iTunes.

It’s been a loooong time since we’ve recorded, and there’s lots and lots to talk about. In this episode, we’ll update you on plans for this year’s Great London Yarn Crawl, the changes in our circumstances, and what’s ahead for Yarn in the City.  News & Announcements  Over the almost six months since we last spoke to you there have been a lot of changes behind the scenes here at YITC HQ, which mean our focus as an organization is going to be changing pretty dramatically.  We talk about Rachel’s move back to the States and Allison’s work changes, and what that means for YITC as an organisation. Great London Yarn Crawl 2019 There will still be a Great London Yarn Crawl this year, but the structure and format are going to be dramatically different from previous editions.  Who: All of you! What: The 2019 edition of the Great London Yarn Crawl Where: All over Greater London When: 1-8th September 2019 How: Buy your GLYC Passport on 1 July, make plans with your friends or former teammates, and hit the streets the first week of September for some amazing yarn-y goodness! Then send us your passport to be entered to win door prizes. Passports will cost £10, and will be mailed to the person making the purchase, so if you’re buying for friends you’ll need to pass them out once received! As usual, all net proceeds will go to our charity partner Refuge, which provides support for victims of domestic abuse. With the change in structure, we’re not able to collect donations for Knit for Peace this year, but we encourage you to send in your contributions – details on how to do so are on their website, and there are details about the particular items they’re looking for at any given time so do check out the listing.  What we’re working on   Allison has just finished the Pipit Dress by Aisnworth & Prin (from The Knitting Shed), and her Weekender by Andrea Mowry.  She’s working on a second Impressionists Shawl from Curious Handmade, since the first one she made ended up in Rachel’s wardrobe instead… Rachel has been updating and redoing samples for older patterns, and designing new things based on her travels. She’ll have some test knits running for a couple of half-pi shawls in the next few weeks, so check out her testing pool on Yarnpond if you’d like to join - handspun testers are especially welcome! (Please note: you’ll need to be a member of Yarnpond to join the testing pool.) What comes next for Yarn in the City?  We talk about some of the challenges behind YITC events and why we’re making some big changes since we are no longer in the same locale. There are exciting things ahead! Previous YITC designs: Waterloo Mitts   Watching the Tide (on Ravelry soon) Wrap up  Many thanks for joining us for another episode! You can find the podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio (please rate, review and subscribe!) and you'll find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, in our Yarn in the City group on Ravelry, or in person on Wednesday nights at our knit night between 7 and 10pm at The Breakfast Club on Battersea Rise. Music credits (available on NoiseTrade) A Good Reason To Smile - Chasing Noise

Episode 49 – 10/17/18 - Knitting and running in 30 min or less Wips Dancing Dragons Coat Thing 2’s Christmas Socks - in Plymouth Yarns DIversity in the Pizazz colorway Mom’s Christmas Socks - in Plymouth Yarns DIversity in the Stormy Skies colorway Pattern Stalking Asked last week about a Gray Shawl, especially something that would work with gray gradients.  Heard from several people Influence Shawl by Kelene Kinnersly, off-center triangle, kind of thin, mostly garter st with an eyelet lace edging. Tea House Brooke Shawl by Jennifer Lassonde, aka BostonJen, triangular shawl starting with stockinette and working through different simple textures to keep  it interesting Curious Collective 2014 by Curious Handmade, aka Helen Stewart, half-circle shawl alternative garter st and lace Crossflower Shawl by Katinka Designs, new larger version for gradients.  Garter st and lace columns, large off-center triangle Ilumine by Num Teasdale – gorgeous lace, but not sure I have the brain power for it just now Wearables Mommy’s Tunic – I wore my sample out of Be Sweet Bamboo fibers and promptly spilled something down the front.  I think I wore it for 2 hours total.  Soaked and washed it, it’s fine.  Still kicking myself. Linen Butterflies – the ¾ sleeve version Addition By Subtraction Shawl – an mkal pattern by TryStitchual Designs Changing Staircases in FIber Lady's Mousou bamboo yarn On the Run I ran a 5k!  All 4 of us ran a race :) Out and About Rhinebeck on Saturday!  I'm on the Webs Bus. Orleans, Cape Cod craft fair, Nov 3  

Jane Murison of Yarnison joins the show this week, talking about knitwear design, fish and chips and the urban landscape as an inspiration. Jane began designing a couple of years ago, and has several knitting patterns now, that are a homage to the post industrial landscape of Manchester, that she sees every day on her walk to work. A UX designer by profession, Jane enjoys bringing together design inspiration, techniques and the user (knitter) experience in her designs. Not one for 'quiet' yarns, she enjoys working with bold colours and neons to create striking pieces. Her approach to design is to make things that she herself likes to wear, but struggles to find in the mainstream pattern world. This results in quite quirky and recognisable pieces that can be made as bold or as quiet as one desires, depending upon the colours chosen to make the pattern. One of my favourite of her patterns is the Urban Hero shawl, which was inspired by the neon yellow flashes of hi-vis vests on the builders working all over the city. There is almost constant construction work, and these vests pepper the (often grey, it's Manchester) landscape with pinpricks of colour. We discussed the juxtaposition of chevron lace, hi-vis and Batman's cape in this pattern and Jane explained how her approach has ben reflected in other designs, such as Boomtown Beanie. Builders came up again when discussing how the domestic arts and quite traditionally male construction roles are actually very similar skills when you break them down. Plastering is, in fact, exactly the same thing as buttercream icing. We also discussed the traditional Friday meal that is fish and chips. Eye-opening. Jane's favourite yarnies to work with are Countess Ablaze, The Knitting Goddess, Five Moons, Riverknits and Rainbow Heirloom. In terms of tips for embracing the crazy bright and variegated, Jane recommends pairing with a semi-solid or solid, and avoiding too much detail in the stitches, if you want the detail to be seen. Texture can sometimes work well if you are wanting to play with the colour and create unexpected pops, as she does with her Manhole Cover sock pattern. In terms of designers that make good patterns that are suitable for pairing with variegated yarns, Jane recommends Curious Handmade's Helen Stewart and Martina Behm (Strickmich). From her own designs, Urban Festival was specifically created to work with the variegated yarns. You can find everything about Jane's patterns over on Ravelry and she is @Yarnison on Instagram. Full show notes, images and links for this episode are at www.shinybees.com/110

Today we chat about what we’re working on, and share details on the upcoming GLYC knitalong, including an interview with designer Helen Stewart of Curious Handmade. WWKIP Day update! Next Saturday is World Wide Knit in Public Day, and we’d love to have everyone come join us at The Village Haberdashery on Saturday, June 10th in West Hampstead Square! We’ll be there from 11am – 2pm and all are welcome! The event is free, but please RSVP via the WWKIP website so we have an accurate headcount and can get in touch if we have to change things due to weather.  Make Happy – aka – What we’re working on Allison is keeping up with the Joji Locatelli Starting Point Mystery KAL in SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock and it is glorious! Rachel has been doing very little knitting or spinning of any kind as work has been completely insane. But the handspun socks are almost to the heels, and she's cast on for Raindrops by Tin Can Knits in Travelknitter's luscious Tanami in the Midnight Kelpies colourway from Edinburgh Yarn Festival. Don’t forget to show us what you’ve been working on that’s making you happy! Tag your photos on Instagram with #yitcmakehappy so we can see your projects!  It’s Knitalong Time We share some early details about the upcoming GLYC 2017 Knitalong, which features the combined creative power of Curious Handmade, The Wool Kitchen and Travelknitter, and talk with Helen Stewart about the pattern for the KAL. Further details will be released on 10 June! Wrap up Many thanks for joining us for another episode! You can find the podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio (please rate, review and subscribe!) and you'll find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, in our Yarn in the City group on Ravelry, or in person on Wednesday nights at our knit night at The Goat on the Rise  between 7 and 10pm. Have a great couple of weeks and we’ll chat with you soon!  Music credits (available on NoiseTrade) Ridiculously Happy (feat. Twilight Meadow) - Owl City

Sonder Shawl and Vintage Fairy Lights both by Curious Handmade aka Helen Stewart. Kindly sponsored by Quince & Co and KnitCircus Yarns. I am also a Craftsy Affiliate. Please consider visiting my web site before purchasing a Craftsy class or materials as I receive credit for it. Thank you! Upcoming Knitting Pipeline Retreats: Washington IL Feb 17-18, 2017 Georgia April 2-6, 2017 Show notes are found at www.knittingpipeline.com. Haste ye back!      

Asana Shawl by Helen Stewart of Curious Handmade. Angelus Novus by Renee Callahan aka EastLondonKnits. Kindly sponsored by Quince & Co and KnitCircus Yarns. I am also a Craftsy Affiliate. Please consider visiting my web site before purchasing a Craftsy class or materials as I receive credit for it. Thank you! Show notes are found at www.knittingpipeline.com. Haste ye back!      

This week I am pleased to welcome the lovely Helen Stewart onto the show. Designer and voice of the award winning Curious Handmade podcast.  Originally from Australia, Helen is quite the nomad and loves travelling. She began designing when she moved to London. It was a part-time venture for a while, until after he second daughter was born. Having become increasingly unhappy in her corporate role and keen to create a situation where she could have flexibility to be with her girls, she took the big leap into designing as a business at the end of 2013. She launched the Curious Handmade podcast around that time and has hosted the weekly show ever since. She finds inspiration for her designs in many ways but most frequently whilst travelling. High points of her journey have been winning an award for her show, as well as having the opportunity to meet so many interesting and influential people. You can find everything about Helen at curioushandmade.com and her podcast is on iTunes and Stitcher. Show notes are at www.shinybees.com Music is 'I Need a Drink' by Adam and the Walter Boys.

It's Zoolander-aplenty this episode as I come rip-roaring (sort-of) back from having the flu. Zoolander 2 is out on 12th February and Zoolander is one of my favourite films of all time. I a bit love Ben Stiller. Imagine my surprise, then, that there are indeed no patterns on Ravelry for anything Zoolander themed. Not one. Not even a cheeky little amigurumi Hansel... So, don't kill the president of Micronesia. Just chill out a bit more. Relax, Derek! In Enabler's Corner, courtesy of Helen Stewart of Curious Handmade and Paula of Knitting Pipeline, I enable you to the Fish Lips Kiss Heel pattern. Let's get the Sox Therapist and her kids together for a big reunion. Breast cancer ain't fun. I am offering to gift a pattern to the first ten people that reply to the thread in the group on Ravelry. There are a pair of Edinburgh Yarn Festival tickets up for grabs in a giveaway on the Ravelry group. I'll be attending and taking part in the Podcast Lounge again. You can find all the details at www.edinyarnfest.com Wippin' Piccaddilly has Owligan by Kate Davies, Voodoo by Boo Knits and a pair of afterthought heel socks in yarn from The Golden Skein. Future knits are pretty much any hat by Clare Devine (Tea Collection) and Frisson by Brittany Wilson, available from Ravelry. Show notes are at www.shinybees.com Music for this episode is 'I Need a Drink' by Adam and the Walter Boys.  

We're excited to finally be able to share this episode with you as we've had it in the can for a while. We've got an interview with Clara Parkes of the Knitter's Review about her latest book, Knitlandia: A Knitter Sees the World. It makes for a slightly longer than usual episode this time around but we hope you'll stick with us to the end. Image from @abramsbooks on Instagram News, Shout-outs, Announcements and Contest Winner! Big congrats to Kate Price who is the winner of a pair of tickets to Unravel. Kate - please send us an email and we'll connect you with the good folks at Unravel for your tickets to the show. Shout-outs to Helen Stewart of Curious Handmade for sharing her #3thingsforyarnlove, Jenny from Owl About Yarn and CaroTrike from Ravelry. Coming up next in the London and UK knitting scene:10th February – It’s the next Late Night Knitty Lock-in of 2016 over at Wild & Woolly. Check out the details on their website.  13th - 14th February – Cécile Balladino is teaching her Eclectic Gipsyland crochet class at Loop. These are the same class but offered on two different days. The class will teach Cécile’s techniques for lace motifs, joining as you go, surface crochet and more. This is not a beginner’s class and you will be expected to already know how to crochet.  NEW Listing - 14th February - There's a Mass Knit-In for Knit Aid called All You Knit Is Love happening at The Book Club in London. 20th February – For those of you up north, Karie Westermann is teaching her Two-Handed Colourwork for Fair Isle and Nordic Style Colourwork class at Be Inspired Fibres in Edinburgh.   19th - 21st February – Unravel is happening at Farnham Maltings. Our Yarn in the City stand will not only have the London Craft Guide but yarn from some of our favourite folks as well including Kettle Yarn Co., Eden Cottage Yarns, SweetGeorgia Yarns, Orkney Angoras and Third Vault Yarns (including a custom colourway exclusive to Yarn in the City!). A reminder if you didn't see the update on our blog that you can pre-order the London Craft Guide for £15 only until the 18th of February (let us know in the special notes on your order if you'd like to pick it up at Unravel). Once the book launches at Unravel on the 19th of February the price for the print book will be £16.50. 26th - 28th February – Joeli’s Kitchen Retreat in Manchester. Featuring classes with Kate Atherley, Karie Westermann, Joeli and other great teachers, as well as a mini marketplace on the Sunday that will include Countess Ablaze. On and Off the Needles New exclusive Yarn in the City colourway from Third Vault Yarns Rachel finished a sample sweater in advance of her Knit a Sexy Sweater class at A Yarn Story in Bath. She's also been working on knitting up a sample of the Because Sock Yarn project from the London Craft Guide in our new custom colourway from Third Vault Yarns. Allison finished both her Grown Up Booties and She's a Waterfall projects since the last episode and is back on her Gradient Pullover and now on the third and final band of colour. She's also been crocheting squares for a new sample of the crochet project from the London Craft Guide. Knitlandia Clara Parkes' new book Knitlandia: A Knitter Sees the World comes out on February 16th and we were incredibly lucky to have a chat with Clara when she was visiting London back in December. Our topics veer from Knitter's Review to her books (Knitters Book of Yarn, Knitters book of Wool and Knitters Book of Socks) to her Great White Bale project and first foray into Clara Yarn. Following our interview we talk about some of our favourite essays from the book. As always, please let us know what you think by tweeting, liking, or loving our posts when you see them go up on Twitter,Facebook and Instagram – or even better, leave a comment in the shownotes, post on our Ravelry board or send us an email at hello@yarninthecity.com.  You can find us on iTunes or Stitcher Radio (and please consider leaving a review for us!), or download us directly from the Yarn in the City website.   Our Knit Night is every Wednesday from 7:00pm to 10:00pm at The Goat on the Rise in Clapham Junction. We'd love to have you join us! Music credits (all available on NoiseTrade)A Rainy Week in Paradise - Elessar ThiessenMorning Light - The Dirty Guv'nahs  

Now that we’re a few weeks into 2016 we’re curious as to how you’re all doing with your resolutions or goals for this year. We’ve also been doing some thinking about our own plans for Yarn in the City this year and had our own thoughts that we wanted to share with you.  Shout outs:  C. C. from the Geeky Girls Podcast. The Dublin Brooks Hotel Knit Night, who introduced Alli to the beers of Galway Hooker. Best. Brewery. Name. Ever. What’s Happening:  30th January - Renée Callahan of East London Knit will be teaching Brioche Basics and Brioche Next Steps classes at A Yarn Story in Bath. 30th January - Woolly Wormhead is teaching two classes at Knit With Attitude, a Knitting in the Round Masterclass and her Turning Sideways class. 31st January - there is a Learn to Darn class happening at Wild & Woolly. Participants are encouraged to bring a woolen garment that needs mending and will learn both invisible and decorative techniques by a professional Japanese clothes mender.  4th-7th February – the annual French stitching show L’Aiguille en Fete takes place at the Porte de Versailles in Paris. This show is jammed with all kinds of inspiration! 5th – 7th February – Purlescence is hosting a weekender featuring the KNITSONIK Colourwork and Bespoke Yokes workshops with our good friends Felicity Ford and Brenda Dayne. If you missed Gwlana last fall, Felicity and Brenda are cramming their classes into two full days (and a Friday evening kick off) at Purlescence’s new location in Oxfordshire.   6th - 7th February – Rachel is teaching an Introduction to Drop Spindling and How to Knit a Sexy Sweater class at A Yarn Story.  10th February – It’s the next Late Night Knitty Lock-in of 2016 over at Wild & Woolly. Check out the details on their website.  13th - 14th February – Cécile Balladino is teaching her Eclectic Gipsyland crochet class at Loop. These are the same class but offered on two different days. The class will teach Cécile’s techniques for lace motifs, joining as you go, surface crochet and more. This is not a beginner’s class and you will be expected to already know how to crochet.  20th February – For those of you up north, Karie Westermann is teaching her Two-Handed Colourwork for Fair Isle and Nordic Style Colourwork class at Be Inspired Fibres in Edinburgh.   19th - 21st February – Unravel is happening at Farnham Maltings. We will be there with two stands – a joint Porpoise Fur/Yarn in the City stand where we will be debuting the London Craft Guide! We’ve just found out that our stand will be located in the Barley Room, so we do hope you’ll come and say hello!  26th - 28th February – Joeli’s Kitchen Retreat in Manchester. Featuring classes with Kate Atherley, Karie Westermann, Joeli and other great teachers, as well as a mini marketplace on the Sunday that will include Countess Ablaze.  Giveaway: Speaking of Unravel – we still have a pair of tickets to giveaway. To enter, leave a comment in the show notes for Episode 28 and let us know what you’re looking forward to seeing at the show. We’ll draw a name on February 1st and announce the winner on the first podcast episode in February. Contest note: this pair of tickets is for a single day’s entry to the show and does not include any travel to Farnham. Good luck!  Save the Date! We’ve finally figured out the date for this year’s Great London Yarn Crawl,which will be held on Saturday, 10th September. Mark the date in your calendars now and stay tuned for more details this spring!  What we’re working on: Rachel is working on a sample of the Waterloo Mitts, our pattern from the London Craft Guide, in Eden Cottage Yarns Whitfeld DK. She is also working up her Knit a Sexy Sweater class sample by knitting the Middlefield Pullover by Melissa LaBarre from New England Knits, in Elann Peruvian Highland Chunky. She's finished knitting her Dark & Stormy, but the buttons and grosgrain ribbon are still to be done. She's finished spinning for the first Unravel hat and is almost ready to cast on. The first stage of the project is in her Design Diaries segment on her blog. Allison has her first FO of 2016 off the needles – the Quaking Aspen shawl by Courtney Kelley. She’s also finished spinning some Porpoise Fur handspun from the Lab Goddess Fibre Club and is working it up into the Grown Up Booties by Ysolda. She is also almost finished with her She’s a Waterfall shawl by Dani Sunshine.  2016 - The Do-Over: After last episode’s chat about themes for the year and having a focus for this year, we decided that we wanted to come up for one for our year. There are already lot’s of things out about being creative this year, all of which are great. But we were wondering if there was something we could do that would tie in to what Yarn in the City is all about. We also wanted it to be something that anyone could take part in, no matter how big or small, and in whatever way felt right and personal to them.  We’ve been inspired by Calgary, Canada’s mayor Naheed Nenshi, who challenged his council and the citizens of Calgary to do Three Things for their community as a way to increase civic engagement (an overview here). The idea was simple: if there are over a million people in the city of Calgary and every person did three things to make the city better –image how amazing an already great city would be.  When we were thinking about what we wanted to focus on in 2016 we looked back to the things and themes that resonated with us last year. And they were stories of people within our yarn and fibre community doing great stuff that makes it better for everyone. Whether it’s people who are spreading the passion of wool like the Wovember team, or podcasters likeShinybees and Curious Handmade, who demonstrate than knitting podcasts can build community, or show organisers like Jo and Mica who saw a void in their own community and created the Edinburgh Yarn Festival to fill it.  As a community we’re sharing knowledge and learning from each other and asking questions. So this year we want to encourage you to do three things for the world wide yarn and fibre community. Think about what is important to you. Think about what you’re good at. Talk to your friends and figure out how you can make a difference, however small.  Then we’d like you to do those things, and tell us about them on a dedicated Three Things for the yarn and fibre community thread on our Ravelry board, or on our Facebook page. You can even tweet or Instagram at us. Use the hashtag#3thingsforyarnlove so we can see what you're up to and cheer you on! And once you've done three things, do three more, and three more, and three more... As always, please let us know what you think by tweeting, liking, or loving our posts when you see them go up on Twitter,Facebook and Instagram – or even better, leave a comment in the shownotes, post on our Ravelry board or send us an email at hello@yarninthecity.com.  You can find us on iTunes or Stitcher Radio (and please consider leaving a review for us!), or download us directly from the Yarn in the City website.   Our Knit Night is every Wednesday from 7:00pm to 10:00pm at The Goat on the Rise in Clapham Junction. We'd love to have you join us! Music credits (all available on NoiseTrade) Howlin' At Nothing (Live in Denver), S. O. B. - Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night SweatsBright Lights and Amplifiers - American OperaLove in the World - Devon Heath

Time to own up to my knitting goals for 2016 after the chat last week about goal setting. I'm planning to knit 4 garments - Owligan by Kate Daves, Mallorn by Ann Kingstone, Lush by Tin Can Knits (again! x 2 perhaps!) and Raindrops, also by Tin Can Knits. If you're fretting about stash or just have ambitions of making it feel under control, or indeed you just want to start the year off by loving what you have, check out Curious Handmade's Stash Appreciation Month.  Join our virtual knit night by becoming a patron of the podcast at www.patreon.com/shinybees In Enabler's Corner, I direct you to listen to episode 34 of this podcast with Kate Davies. Kate Davies Designs has just been announced as a finalist in the UK Microbusiness of the Year Awards. Amazing stuff. Being a knitting business does not mean it isn't a 'proper' business and Kate has some great words of advice for those looking to start out in the industry, as well as some stellar banter about rhino bums. The Beadalong has come to a close and I draw your attention to some wonderful projects that have come out of the KAL/CAL. Stay tuned for the next group fun. Finally I introduce to you the dyers for the Winter quarter of The Golden Skein's Power of 3 yarn club. Go and check out Samantha of Scrumptious Purl in Canada, Helen of Ripplescrafts in the Scottish Highlands and Ana of Toil & Trouble in Salem, Mass. There are no spares available but you can find out more and join the club at www.thegoldenskein.com/clubs. Signups close 26th January. Show notes are at www.shinybees.com Music for this episode is Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink'.

I’m so please with my Perfect Retreat Shawl by Susan B Anderson. I’m back to sharing Nature Notes this week. Code for 25% off Curious Handmade’s Summertide Shawl MKAL pattern is KP25 (good through Sept 10).TheSummertide Shawl Mystery Knit Along starts Sept 10. Kindly sponsored by Quince & Co . I am also a Craftsy Affiliate. Please consider visiting my web site before purchasing a Craftsy class or materials as I receive credit for it. Thank you! Show notes are found at www.knittingpipeline.com.  

We talk a bit about our lovely day out at the seaside for the Brighton Knit and Make Social, which was a rousing success! There was a bit of stash enhancement, but it wasn't too bad... We also made it through the Nike Women's 10km run with unscathed and with pretty decent times! What's going on: 26-27th June - Woolfest, Cockermouth, Cumbria 1st July - Tickets go on sale for the 2015 Great London Yarn Crawl and the Pop Up Marketplace. 4-5th July: Fabrications 15th Birthday Celebration 19th July: Introduction to Lace Knitting with Jemima Bicknell at Loop. 25-26th July: Fibre-East, Ampthill, Bedfordshire. Rachel will be flying solo at the Porpoise Fur booth that weekend, so come by and say hello! What we're working on: Allison has finished her Mind the Gap socks, featuring the amazing Mind the Gap self striping sock yarn from Trailing Clouds. She's working on the Pebble Beach Shawlette by Helen Stewart of Curious Handmade, and is swatching for her version of Karie Westermann's Byatt Shawl in Viola baby alpaca/cashmere/silk. She's finished up her Rocky Mountain Dyeworks BFL/silk fibre in True Turquoise, and is getting a bit panicked about all the projects she needs to finish before she shoots off on holiday this summer. Rachel has finished spinning up some truly amazing wool/flax blend in "Lobster" from Spunky Eclectic. She's making great progress on her Byatt for the GLYC 2015 KAL, and slower progress on her lined mittens for the Not-A-KAL KAL (now finished). All the announcements (squee!): 1. GLYC ROUTES We've got the 2015 GLYC Routes up and ready to go! This year we've put together 12 routes, with 10 slots on each route, so we look forward to having 120 Yarn Crawlers join us this year! Tickets will go on sale at 10:00 am on 1 July, and will be £18 each - this includes admission to the Yarn in the City Pop-Up Marketplace for the special GLYC Kick Off Party, and after your route is finished. 2. VOLUNTEERS We put a call out for Volunteers for both GLYC Yarn Guides and for the Pop-Up Marketplace - please get in touch if you are interested in volunteering for either event! 3. NEW WORKSHOPS ANNOUNCED We are thrilled to also be able to announce that we will be extending the yarny fun throughout the entire GLYC weekend, with the addition of two workshops on Sunday, 6th September, taught by the fabulous Kate Atherley. More details on the workshops can be found here. Tickets for the 2015 Great London Yarn Crawl, the Yarn in the City Pop-Up Marketplace and the Kate Atherley workshops will all go on sale at 10:00 on Wednesday, 1 July 2015 (Happy Canada Day!). You can find us on Ravelry, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Please don't hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback with us, and please come say hi at any of the events we're attending if you get a chance! Everyone is also more then welcome to come join our Wednesday night knit group from 7-9 pm (or longer) at The Goat on the Rise, Clapham SW11 1EQ. Music credits (all available on NoiseTrade)Loneliness & Alcohol - Jars of ClayEverything You've Done Wrong - SloanFierce Flawless - Ani DifrancoCrazy Life - Toad the Wet Sprocket

I finished another pair of Bootstrap Socks by Lara Neel. I also finished a sweet little baby raglan by Susan B Anderson. The pattern is from a class at SSK 2013. Registration for Cornerstone Fall Retreat starts June 15, 2015.  Download Registration Materials here. Pebble Beach Knit Along with Curious Handmade runs until July 5th. #pebblebeachkal Kindly sponsored by Quince & Co . I am also a Craftsy Affiliate. Please consider visiting my web site before purchasing a Craftsy class or materials as I receive credit for it. Thank you! Show notes are found at www.knittingpipeline.com.

Hi Knitters,I have a new podcast episode for you today. I am sharing some of my favorite new and new-ish video podcasts, new to me yarns, a finished shawl design, a sock in progress, and a huge giveaway for YOTH Yarns!Click here to watch the my podcast on YouTube! Links:Video Podcast recommendations:Junk Yarn PodcastA Homespun House PodcastLittle Bobbins Knits PodcastLittle Bobbins Etsy ShopA Wee Bit KnittySara Wright ~ LoveSockWool Podcast and Etsy ShopManda Rine's PodcastBuckaloo View PodcastRound the TwistDisascraftworkStitched in SwedenVibes & Scribes Donegal TweedCakewalk YarnsMust Stash YarnsPaula of the Knitting PipelineThe Summer of Paula EpisodeHyla Brook ShawlCurious Handmade ~ Knitting Pipeline Retreat Special podcastSun Valley FibersSSK Retreat ~ July 2015 in NashvilleThe Knit Girllls Podcastphoto from YothYarns.comAbove is a photo of the Gradient Yoth Yarns sets that are displayed so beautifully on dowels. These sets were the hot item at the last Vogue Knitting Live in Pasadena.Yoth Yarns WebsiteYoth Yarns Designs on RavelryYoth Yarns Giveaway ~ A sweater's worth of Big Sister! That's 6 skeins, 231 yards per skein in DK weight. Superwash Merino/Cashmere/Nylon blend. You will work out the colorway with Veronika! I think you will love this luxurious yarn. Thank you to Veronika for the generous prize.To enter to win please leave a comment on this blog post. Please only leave one comment and include your Ravelry username or an email address. Please be patient for your comment to appear, there is a delay before it will show up on the blog comments. Only click on publish one time.Good luck! Thanks for watching. I'll be back soon with a randomly selected winner.xo ~ susan

Join us in the Pebble Beach KAL with Curious Handmade. Code for 30% off all CuriousHandmade designs is KPKAL30! Kindly sponsored by Quince & Co . I am also a Craftsy Affiliate. Please consider visiting my web site before purchasing a Craftsy class. Thank you! Show notes are found at www.knittingpipeline.com.  

Knitting Pipeline Georgia Retreat was relaxing and energizing! I share some memories about the retreat as well as projects I’ve been working on. Kindly sponsored by Quince & Co . I am also a Craftsy Affiliate. Please consider visiting my web site before purchasing a Craftsy class or materials as I receive credit for it. Thank you! Join me in the Pebble Beach Knit Along (or any design by Helen Stewart of Curious Handmade). Officially starts May 5 but will include already completed/started projects as well. Show notes are found at www.knittingpipeline.com. Keep close to Nature’s heart ... and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.” -- John Muir   Haste ye back!

Our sponsor: Many thanks to our sponsor, Tangled Yarn, who stock a wide range of gorgeous yarns, patterns and tools including Jamieson & Smith Jumper Weight and Supreme Jumper Weight. Both yarns are spun from 100% Real Shetland Wool and are perfect for Fair Isle and colourwork. Tangled Yarn also stock Felicity Ford's  KNITSONIK book.Tangled Yarn is offering Yarn in the City fans an exclusive 15% off Jamieson & Smith yarns until April 26th. Just use the discount code KNITSONIK at the checkout.     Shout-outs:Big thanks to Jordan, Allison's partner for his technical assistance in recording this episode's interview, and a shout out to our Bath Half marathon buddy Helen, who was sadly not able to run with us because of injury. But we'll get a chance to run with her again, as we've got a Yarn in the City team for the Nike Women's 10K run on 21 June. Details are on our Ravelry group, and everyone is welcome to join us!What's going on:Festival season is in full swing - hooray! 14-15th March: Edinburgh Yarn Festival - Alli will be in the Podcast Lounge and at the Ca-baa-ret. Please go harass her!13-15th March: Dornoch Fibre Festival, in Dornoch, Sutherland.27-28th March: British Alpaca Futurity and P-Lush show in Coventry. Mmmm...alpaca!25-26th April: Wonderwool Wales, Builth Wells.9th May: Wharfe Wool Fair, Otley, near Leeds.15-16th May: I Knit Fandango, Royal Horticultural Halls, London. We will be there at the Porpoise Fur booth - come say hi!16-17th May: John Arbon Open Weekend, South Molton, Devon.23rd May: Highland Wool Festival, Dingwall Mart.25th May: The Shipston on Stour Wool Fair, Shipston on Stour, South Warwickshire30-31st May: Proper Woolley, Holsworthy, Devon.In the works: Allison's Garter Squish is off the needles - a quick and satisfying knit! Allison is working on the Beeswax Hat by Amy van de Laar, in some gorgeous new Plump DK from Mrs. Moon,  and the Helix Cable Vest by Shiri Mor. She finished her Garter Squish Blanket (to the tune of +2000 yds out of stash!), and her sheep have mostly stayed cold, although she did get some gorgeous fabric at the Knitting & Stitching Show at Olympia.Rachel is almost done with Latticewing Version 3 (to be released soon!), worked in some lovely (green) Canopy Fingering from The Fibre Company. Her Windmill Bay Stole is almost through the middle lace section, and she's finished a woven handspun scarf (with Hello Yarn Fiber Club yarn, of course). She's been distracted from finishing things by her new Christmas toy, courtesy of her wonderful mother: a Classic Carder. Card all the things!!!!Cold Sheep Update:We've been pretty good at our cold sheep efforts, although Rachel was struck by a bolt of inspiration which resulted in a Baa Ram Ewe order (she needed the proper colour of a particular yarn!). However, we have agreed that "work" stash (for designing or samples) is quite separate from "personal" stash, so she has been given a pass for the moment.We also did a bit of swapping at The Muse Connection Volume 1, put on by A Playful Day and Curious Handmade. Alli's offering wasn't snatched up, so she gifted it to a friend to make up for the skein she selected at the swap. Rachel left two skeins and brought home two skeins, but ended up with more yardage then she swapped out. Hmmmm....Also a bit about our Yarn in the City 10K team (details here). Come run with us!Crazy about Colour!As we get closer and closer to the KNITSONIK Quotidian Colourwork class at the end of the month, excitement is building to play with ALL THE COLOURS OF WOOL! We talked to Felix, our intrepid colourwork guide, about her upcoming retreat with Brenda Dayne at Gwlana, her first knitting projects, the importance of colour and sounds in her life, her inspiration and a bit more about what participants can expect from the class. There are still a few slots available, so please come join us! A link to tickets and more information can be found here.As always you can find us on Ravelry, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Please don't hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback with us, and please come say hi at any of the events we're attending if you get a chance!Music credits (all available on NoiseTrade)Loneliness & Alcohol - Jars of ClayEverything You've Done Wrong - SloanChasing Color - The Canvas Waiting

We have a guest on this episode! Say hello to chopkinsknits. Welcome Tangled Yarn! Awesome sponsor:We are thrilled to have Tangled Yarn joining us as our first YitC Podcast sponsor! Tangled Yarn specialises in hand-dyed yarn and natural fibres from smaller independent suppliers both here in the UK and further afield. They offer free UK shipping on orders of £25 or more, or free international shipping on orders of £75 or more.Tangled Yarn also carries a tempting and colourful selection of Jamieson & Smith yarns, which we'll be using in the Quotidian Colourwork workshop that we're hosting with Felicity Ford of Knitsonik. Some of the gorgeous yarns on offer at Unravel. These beauties were on The Fibre Co. stand. What's going on:We recap Unravel briefly and chat about the following upcoming events:5-8th March: the Spring Knitting and Stitching Show at Olympia Central, London8th March: the Muse Connection, hosted by A Playful Day and Curious Handmade. Sadly, this installment is sold out, but stay tuned for future events.15-16th March: EYF26th March: Felicity Ford is coming to London to teach her Quotidian Colourwork Class with us at Homemade London. Get your tickets on the Events page!25-26th April: the 10th anniversary of Wonderwool Wales in Builth Wells15-16th May: I Knit Fandango at the Royal Horticultural Halls in Westminster, where we will be at the Porpoise Fur booth!In the works:Catherine is working on a the Vivid Blanket by Tin Can Knits, for her impending grandchild. She's also working on a pair of socks in SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock, doing them two at a time on two circs, and doing her best to incorporate them as an accessory at every opportunity.Rachel finished her Sooper Sekrit YitC Crafty Guide sample knit in gorgeous Eden Cottage Yarns Bedale (which we may have mis-identified as camel/silk -- it's actually yak and silk. Weep for us). Other then that, she's had a knitting fail as half-term was spent trying to prevent her kids from killing themselves on skis, eating too much cheese (is there really such a thing?), and falling asleep on the couch at 8:00 pm. On the spinning front, she's decided to jump on the Garter Squish bandwagon, and is spinning up some of her teensy wee fiber stash to get started. Allison's Munchkin Blanket by Amy Swenson Allison finished her Munchkin Baby Blanket by Amy Swenson, and it is gorgeous!!!! She's on stripe 8 of 13 in her Garter Squish blanket (by Stephen West) and has wound the yarn for her GLYC Not-A-KAL KAL project. Photo courtesy of Catherine Hopkins Six Items Challenge:Catherine is participating in a clothing fast called the Six Items Challenge to benefit Labour Behind the Label, a charity supporting garment workers around the world. For six weeks, participants wear only six items of clothing from their wardrobes (knickers, shoes and accessories are thankfully exempt). Money raised in the Challenge will be used both to directly support garment workers and to campaign for further awareness.You can follow Catherine's progress on her Six Items Challenge on her blog, and find her fundraising page here (as of this writing she's the leading fundraiser for the challenge - go C!!!). You can find Scrapianna's blog here.As always you can find us on Ravelry, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Please don't hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback with us, and please come say hi at any of the events we're attending if you get a chance!Music credits (all available on NoiseTrade)Loneliness & Alcohol - Jars of ClayFierce Flawless - Ani DifrancoEverything You've Done Wrong - SloanDesperate Dreams - Jess Pillmore

I finished my Maaema Scarf by Denise Bell. Winners of the MittenKAL are announced. It has been a year since an EF-4 tornado hit our town of Washington IL.  We’ve come a long way! Thank you so much for your support. There are two coupon codes for you: Brenda Castiel Patterns: Code PODCAST (not case sensitive) for 25% valid until Dec 31, 2014. Knitvent 2014 (or Knitvent 2013) by Curious Handmade aka Helen Stewart. KP25 for 25% off valid until Dec 12, 2014. Kindly sponsored by Quince & Co and my Longaberger Home Business. Show notes are found at www.knittingpipeline.com. Haste ye back!

If you're having yarn problems I feel bad for you mum I got 99 problems but yarn ain't one. Oh I shoe horn that in there. Rant a bit and then figure out if we should love 99 or not. Wots e Craic Coming Up Glasgow SECC 6-9 March - Creative Stitches and Hobbycraft Dingwall Mart 24 May - Highland Wool Fest Unwind Brighton - 12 - 13 July Runny Runny Runny Swap Section Me Me Me section - Curious Handmade with Helen Stewart Caithness Segment - Caithness finally becomes part of Scotland Shoppy Section Contact me on caithnesscraftcollective@gmail.com Ravelry as LouiseHunt Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest as CaithnessCraft Music was by Chainsaw Dupont with 99mph and you can buy it at www.musicalley.com