Podcasts about yarndale

Hello and welcome to the latest episode of Making Stitches - back after a longer than anticipated break!This time, I'm sharing a bumper episode featuring lots of creative chats with some of the lovely people I met at this year's Yarndale festival in Skipton two weeks ago.You will hear from: Zoe Coates from British WoolEleonora from Coastal CrochetLindsey from Curate Crochet Box and Lottie & AlbertCathy from Dear Emma DesignsAmanda from Joe's ToesBecky from William & TildaNat from Woven in Kirklees FestivalYou can find the websites for all my guests by clicking on the links above, and you can find the website for Yarndale here.Thank you to everyone who took the time to speak to me for this episode - it was such fun to record!For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

In this episode, Anne sits down with Solveigh Lass-Evans of Iolair Yarn and designer of the Sea Pink Top. Solveigh shares her fiber craft journey, including how a major loss sparked a new career as a hand dyer and designer.  Please note that those who are newly experiencing grief may want to delay listening to this episode.  Links to Things Mentioned in This Episode There are only a very limited number of Shetland Hogmanay Boxes left! Order yours here. The Journal of Scottish Yarns The last two Instagram Live events of the #yarnmal2023 had some hints about the upcoming issue 4 of The Journal of Scottish Yarns. Watch them here and here. Iolair Yarn Sea Pink Top Find Solveigh on Instagram Find Iolair Yarn in person this year at the Scottish Yarn Festival, Yarndale, Glasgow School of Yarn, and the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrowgate. Learn more about the listener dinner at No.88 here. The show will now be on a hiatus for the next few months. Please follow or subscribe to the show through your favorite podcast app, and when the show returns, the new episode will automatically for you!

It's that time again, as 2022 draws to a close, I'm taking you on a romp through this year's Making Stitches back catalogue with a few of my highlights.You can hear from Figen Murray, Amanda Bloom from Cosy Life Boxes, Rafael Alcaide from Amoami, Beth Gillions, Conservation Officer at the People's History Museum, Eleonora Tulley from Coastal Crochet, highlights from the first Great Northern Textile Show, Leah Higgins, Tracy Fox and Kitey from the Yarn Whisperer.This year, Making Stitches has been listened to across 6 continents and has held the number one spot in the Apple Craft Podcast Charts in the UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland & New Zealand. It also reached the number 5 spot in the USA. Thank you to everyone who has listened this year - it's been great to have your company.Happy New Year!From Lindsay xTo join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Winter Trip by AudioFlame from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

It hardly seems a year ago that I last followed the Yarn Walk to Skipton Auction Mart for Yarndale 2021. Last year saw the yarn festival based in North Yorkshire return after Covid, and this year it's celebrating it's 10th birthday. Seeing as I had such fun on my last visit, I had to return - not just to squish some gorgeous yarn - but to meet more lovely crafty folk.This episode, the first of the sixth series of Making Stitches Podcast, is a snapshot of the fabulous day I spent at Yarndale 2022 last Saturday. You will hear from stall-holders and a chat I had with Eleonora Tully from Coastal Crochet who was on the workforce at the festival this year running workshops and giving a couple of talks.Here are the people and businesses who feature in this episode - my thanks to everyone who spoke to me.Janet Browne from Janet Browne Textile ArtJodi from Cuddlebums Hand Dyed YarnsTanya Bentham from Opus Anglicanum EmbroideryHannah Cross from Hanjan Crochet  Zuzana from Trava & WoolMatt Farci from Scheepjes & Crojo.lifeSue Kimber from Farm CraftsJaki Bogg from Hot Butter YarnsEleonora Tully from Coastal CrochetCarole Rennison from Hooked by Design Yarndale Festival To join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Hello there! Making Stitches Podcast will be returning to your podcast feed again very soon with a brand new series. I'm looking forward to bringing you some more inspiring maker stories with guests from the world of yarn crafts, textiles and embroidery, as well as many other crafts too.Among my guests for the new 6th series will be Eleonora Tully from Coastal Crochet along with other crafts people I met at the Yarndale festival at Skipton in North Yorkshire earlier in September and a non-profit cooperative which has just celebrated its tenth birthday of inspiring action on sustainable fashion and saving literally tonnes of textiles from ending up in landfill.Please make sure you subscribe to, or follow, Making Stitches on your podcast app of choice so you don't miss the new episodes when they come out. You can also follow Making Stitches on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter where all the latest information about new episodes will be shared.

Hello and welcome to Episode 50 of Making Stitches and the last episode in this series. As it's the end of the current series, I thought I'd reconnect with a couple of friends of the podcast and catch up with their latest news. My guests for this episode are Sock Knitting Champion; Christine Perry or Winwick Mum as she's known online and Juey from Juey Jumbo Craft Tools who I met at Yarndale in September last year. When I first met Juey, I was stopped in my tracks as I walked past her stall at Yarndale 2021 (you can hear our first meeting Episode 32) . She was crocheting with the biggest Tunisian crochet hook I have ever seen. At the time I spoke to her for the podcast about her business and how it all got started. This time, she went into more detail about how her father first made her a pair of giant knitting needles using a broom handle and how things progressed from there. I first spoke to Christine Perry last year when she featured in Episode 31 speaking about her mission to teach the world to knit socks (Christine can now lay claim to more than 15,000 pairs of socks being knitted around the world using her patterns). Since that first chat, we have been able to meet in person a few times and on our most recent catch up, I took my microphone along to hear all about her latest sock news - her 'Happy Feet' project with West Yorkshire Spinners.Guest links:Juey Jumbo Craft Tools websiteWinwick Mum websiteWest Yorkshire Spinners Happy Feet Pattern Book To join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.If you would like to buy a PDF crochet pattern for Sophia the Sunflower, (£5 from the sale of every pattern will be donated to the UNHCR Refugee aid effort supporting Ukrainian refugees) you can find the link here.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

After  a hiatus due to the pandemic last year, Yarndale returned to Skipton Auction Mart on 25th & 26th September and I was thrilled to be able to go along! As well as my mask and hand sanitizer I took my microphone and met so many truly lovely people. This episode is my experience of Yarndale 2021, which in a nutshell was wonderful, friendly, colourful and utterly uplifting. In it you will hear from yarn dyers, craftspeople and business owners who were exhibiting their wares along with Matt Farci from Crojo.Life and Alyson Chu from Moorit Magazine as well as friend of Making Stitches, Carole Rennison from Hooked by Design who is also one of the festival's organisers. I hope you enjoy listening to it as I enjoyed my Yarndale experience - it was a blast!Here are the people & businesses who feature in this episode - my thanks to everyone who spoke to me.Yarndale Festival Juey  from Juey Jumbo Craft ToolsMatt Farci from Crojo.LifeNiki from Allium ThreadsSarah Paul from Bigwigs AngoraKate from Kate's KlothsJenny & Ruth from  Ammonite YarnsMichelle Lewis from Woolly WumpkinsAlyson Chu from Moorit MagazineJudith from Buttoned UpCarole Rennison from Hooked by DesignFor full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

This week on Making Stitches I have two guests for you; Bag Maker Extraordinaire Samantha Hussey (otherwise known as Mrs H) and Carole Rennison from Yarndale. Last weekend saw the first ever Yarndale@home as the yarn festival was forced to go online because of the current Covid restrictions. I caught up with Carole earlier this week to find out how the new-look festival had gone. Before that though, you will hear from Samantha Hussey of Patterns by Mrs H. A bag maker who is on a mission to share the love of her craft with anyone who wants to have a go. Her book The Complete Bag Making Masterclass is packed with tips and ideas for creating your own beautiful bags. It comes with several patterns with detailed instructions on how to make your own. In addition to that, Samantha runs bag making retreats and supports an online bag making community. She tells me all about how her bag making journey developed and why she believes she has a very special super power which helps with her designs.You can find Samantha here: mrs-h.comYou can find Yarndale here: yarndale.co.ukFor full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches websiteThe music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody LoopsMaking Stitches Podcast is recorded and edited by Lindsay from Postcard from Gibraltar.

Hello there and welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast and the show notes for Episode 58 – Declutter, Destash & Simplify!    My name is Fay and this is my audio and video podcast for those that love fibre crafts, particularly crochet.  It’s a community for people that like to support their fellow humans regardless of race, gender, sexuality, ability, size or age. I hope you feel the welcome embrace and love of the Crochet Clan.  Come on in and stay awhile.   In this episode, I cover: Old Dog New Tricks; Yarn Review; Final Destination; En Route; feeding the Habit; Quick News Beats and J’adore.   This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co.  Thanks to everyone who tunes into the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, Amazon, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.    If you would like to support the podcast, you can do that through Patreon:    1 – Old Dog New Tricks I have been having a good old sort out these last few weeks.  One of the rooms to be sorted was my Stash Palace… It is the smallest room in our house but it is absolutely crammed full of all my crafting materials and equipment.  These have mainly been collected in the last six years and my tastes have changed.  They haven’t changed drastically ‘cause British breeds and proper woolly wool have always been part of my crafting DNA, but I have things in my stash that I know I’m never going to use. If you are in a similar position, the chances are that you have spent hard-earned money on those items and you would quite like to get some value back for them. So here are some ways that you can deal with your stash based on three levels of stash love: 1 – You bought it/were given it and you aren’t that fussed about trying to get money back for it.  This is ideal for passing on to charity shops.  All of my local ones love having crafting things passed to them so long as they are good quality.  They don’t want ratty balls of tangled yarn.  They may also be interested in partial projects, so long as the pattern/instructions are in the bundle and ideally the equipment required too. I have also just passed a load of my commercial wool onto a friend.  Her daughter crochets blankets for charity and is going to make good use of that bag of yarn to help keep someone warm in Manchester.    2 – You want to at least try to get some value from these mid-range items if you can.  This is the kind of thing that I try to sell on Ebay.  Lots of commercial yarn is sold on Ebay and it’s a great platform for selling it on because the chances are that the buyer already has a knowledge of that yarn brand, so have the confidence to buy from that platform. 3 – These stash babies can’t be given away, you really need to try to recoup some of the money you spent on them.  This is the level where you are best off going to a specific platform to sell it.  Whilst I see more hand-dyed skeins of yarn appearing on Ebay, I still think that Instagram or Facebook Groups are a better option for resale.  If you have a large enough following, doing a destash on stories can be a great way of selling your unwanted yarn and equipment.  Your other option is to join some of the many Facebook groups for reselling yarn.  They can be country-specific, so if you don’t want to pay high postage costs, try to find a group in your country.  I am a member of the Yarn Snobs – hand-dyed yarns FSOT group on Facebook.  It is mainly made up of UK folk and it’s easy to work out whether the yarn is available from the UK or elsewhere. In non-COVID times, I would also recommend hosting a yarn swap at your local crafting group.  I usually hold one twice a year at Woolgathering Sandbach and it gives you the chance to refresh what is in your stash without spending a penny.  Having sorted through all of my stash in the last few days and moved a lot of it into the three categories above, I feel a lot better.  The sheer amount of ‘stuff’ was weighing heavy.  To be fair, we have been decluttering the entire house and so unless an item is useful, beautiful, or sentimental, it has been moved on to a new home and it feels REALLY good. So on that note, I will be having a bit of a destash sale on Instagram on Sunday the 4th October.  I will be listing books, yarn and material, so if you fancy seeing what is on offer, come and see from 12pm onwards (BST).    2 – Yarn Review The good folks at John Arbon asked if I wanted to have a play with their new Alpaca Supreme yarn.  It has been given a bit of an update with some delicate new colours to complement the existing neutral palette. I’m on a bit of an alpaca kick at the moment and so it was an obvious yes, please! I asked Sonja to surprise me with the colour and I’m very pleased that she sent me Morganite.  It’s a proper dusky, old rose pink.  I’m not a massive pink fan, but this has such a lovely vintage vibe to it and I love it. The blend is 40% Superfine Alpaca (UK grown), 40% Organic Falklands Merino and 20% A1 Mulberry Silk. Alpaca fibre is generally graded into six different categories and depending on which website you are looking at, Superfine Alpaca is either grade 2 or 3, so right up there at the lux end. Here is a link to the suggested six grades for alpaca fibre (link). A1 Mulberry Silk is basically the highest quality you can get for yarn.  Mulberry has an extremely high lustre to it and the A1 refers to the fibre length and lack of neps from the cocoon. If you have ever used their Knit By Numbers, you already know how gloriously soft their Organic Falklands Merino is.    I am crocheting up a Positivity Spiral with this skein and it is super soft and luxurious to work with.  I’m using a 3.75mm hook and the fabric I am getting has a gorgeous drape and a fluidity to it.  I actually keep stroking my face with it, it’s that soft.  If you are after a really special skein of yarn for a project then I thoroughly recommend Alpaca Supreme.  It’s sportweight/heavy 4 ply, so 333m per 100g.  That’s enough to make a one skein shawl with, or a hat or mittens.  It would also make a really beautiful shawl.  I want to make mittens, a hat, bed socks and a drapey cropped cardigan with this yarn.  All the lux things. Here are my five words for Alpaca Supreme: lux, shiny, delicate, super-soft & drapey    3 – Final Destination I have a few finished bits this month.  First up is my Encanto Not Wrap.  I used Claudia’s Encanto Wrap pattern (link) to create a cowl and since I finished it, I have barely taken it off. I used some gorgeously soft Brenel Alpacas 100% alpaca yarn (link) that I bought in a yarn shop in Aukland, New Zealand. Claudia’s pattern is fab and it’s really easy to make it bigger or smaller, depending on what you want to make and how much yarn you have.    I also had two designs in Inside Crochet this month.  The Jewel Office Set is made from Erika Knight Gossypium Cotton (DK) and has a pattern for a desk tidy, coaster, pen pot and set of three bowls.  It’s made with a mixture of intarsia and tapestry crochet.  Photo from Inside Crochet My final finished object is called the Igam Wrap.  It’s made with naturally dyed yarn from Helen of Nellie and Eve (link).  Helen lives on the side of a mountain in Wales and forages locally for the plant items she uses as dye stock and even uses mountain spring water for dyeing with.  She has a lovely Instagram account (link) if you fancy getting to know a bit more about her natural dyeing process.  Photo from Inside Crochet The wrap is sized from a small to a 5XL and the size I’m showing used just under 200g of 4 ply (400m/100g) yarn.  It’s a blend of 75% Bluefaced Leicester and 25% Masham.  The colour is called Juniper and it’s a beautifully soft, blue/steel grey colour. What I really love about this wrap is how versatile it is. It has a double button band so that it can be worn as a cowl, wrap, poncho or twisted wrap.  I also have a pair of knitted socks.  I really lost my crafting mojo for a few days.  It’s unusual for me to not pick up a hook, needles or thread at some point every day and after six days of no crafting passed, I knew it was time to kickstart it somehow.  Off to my Stash Palace I popped and found my already caked Indian Giant Squirrel by RiverKnits.  This yarn has all of the autumnal colours in one and it was just what I needed to get my mojo back.  I knitted my good old plain socks so that the yarn wasn’t competing with a pattern.  They make me smile and they brought my mojo back.   4 – En Route This is a bit of a cheaty one because I haven’t actually started the project yet, but I have printed off the pattern and chosen my wool.  I’m going to crochet the Colour Pop Sweater by Julme Conradie (link) who is on Instagram as @mysquarehat (link).  I really love Julme’s designs and her pattern writing is good.  I have 4 skeins of DK variegated yarn that I want to use as a mirrored fade front and back and because this design is worked vertically from side to side it will work a treat with my yarn choice. It’s also in linen stitch which I love.  After finishing my Esja Sweater, I swore to never do another long jumper that had a horizontal linen stitch body because I don’t think it has enough integral structure to it for the weight of the yarn.  My suspicion is that a vertical stitched, cropped version will be fine, and we are going to find out aren’t we! One of the beauties of side to side vertical construction is that I can put colours that I wouldn’t want right at my face, into the arms instead.  I have a deep orange/red that I wouldn’t normally wear in a jumper.  I love the colour, I just don’t think it does anything with my pink complexion. The other thing to say about the Pop Colour Sweater is that of course, I am going to fiddle with it.  I’m going to knit the ribbing rather than crochet it, which means adding all of it at the end and therefore playing around with the pattern a little. You would expect nothing less of me! So, more actual progress on that jumper next month.  Even though it’s DK, there is no way it will be finished.   4  – Feeding the Habit I am fresh back from a lovely weekend away with a couple of my yarny friends.  We couldn’t get our money back for our Yarndale weekend, so still went to Skipton and had a weekend of watching movies, eating good food and crafting.  We took along yarn that we didn’t want anymore and swapped with each other for things we would use.    So, I have three new skeins of yarn in my stash that I didn’t really pay for and have decluttered some of the yarn that I know I won’t use.  Result! The yarns are John Arbon Textiles Exmoor Zwartbles in a DK (link), Lain 'Amouree 100% Merino (link) and a skein of unknown goodness!   5 – Quick News Beats 1 - Global Hook Up – The October hook ups are on: Saturday 17th at 8pm BST and Sunday 18th at 9am BST. The meeting ID number is 475-047-5819 and you will need to join via Zoom which you can do here:  https://www.zoom.us/join  if a password is required, it is WOOL. If you are joining on your phone or tablet you will likely need to download the software in advance.  If you are joining from a PC or Mac, you can join via the link above.  Everyone needs to use the same ID number to get into the session.  2 – A group of amazing crocheters and I are part of a Vogue Knitting Live panel on the 8th October called “Crochet in the UK”.  It’s part of Vogue Knitting Live form the 8th – 11th October (link).  We will be chatting for an hour about how the UK is pushing crochet forward and hopefully showing off contemporary crochet and why it isn’t second fiddle and deserves its own seat at the crafting table.  As I get more details on how to join, I will add them to the show notes and get them out on Instagram. All of this is being pushed by Claudia from Crochet Luna podcast.  The panel was her idea and she has brought together a fabulous group to represent the UK crochet scene. 3 – Somebody got in touch to say that they were having issues getting into my project notes in Evernote.  If anyone else has had issues can you please let me know?  Equally, if you managed to get into the notes can you let me know? 4 – Thank you, thank you, thank you for supporting me on Patreon.  I cannot tell you what a difference it makes to me and my ability to deliver this podcast.  If you want to investigate becoming a Patron, you can see what it means via this link.  5 – Just a bit of a heads up that I may not be around much this coming month.  Have no fear, I will be back next month but it may be a bit of an amalgamation podcast as I am going to have to record bits and pieces as I can throughout the month.  There is rather a lot going on at Chez Dashper-Hughes at the moment, so I am going to have to squeeze things in when I can.    6 – J’adore I have a new to me podcast to recommend for you today and it isn’t specifically about crochet, but there is a connection.  I am really interested in where my food and resources come from, how it is produced and the people behind the production.  I should imagine that is fairly obvious from this podcast.  Through my friend and stockist Maria or Dodgson Wood, I came across an audio podcast called Rock and Roll Farming (link).  Will is a beef, arable and egg farmer in North Wales and has been delivering a weekly podcast since April 2017, with well over 100 episodes to listen to.  I know this won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but here in the UK, small scale farming is integral to our landscape, food chain and textiles industry and Will offers a broad overview of the UK farming scene through his podcast.  I promised you will be interested in some if not all of it.   If you want to dip your toe in gently, start with the Herdy Shepherd interviews (part 1 & part 2).  If you were ever of the opinion that farmers and agrics weren’t impressive folk, think again.    I’ll be back on 6th November in some form or not – possibly a hologram. Fay x   Instagram: Crochet_Circle_Podcast  Instagram: provenance.craft.co   Instagram: FayDHDesigns YouTube: The Crochet Circle Podcast Crochet Clan on Mighty Network: Invite  

Hello there! Making Stitches is back for a new series after a long summer break. In this series, as with the first one, I hope to be sharing the stories of interesting creative projects as well as hearing from creators themselves about their own creative journeys. In this first episode of series 2 I recap on what's been happening over the summer for myself, as well as some of my guests from series 1. Since I last spoke to you, a new crochet podcast has been born, a lockdown quilt has been completed and is now on tour raising funds for charity and just like many other events this summer, a yarn festival is going online, so you can enjoy it from the comfort of your own home.For more information on the subjects covered in this episode, please check out:The Crochet Sanctuary Website or find the new Crochet Sanctuary Podcast on your favourite podcast app.Search for 'The Quilt. Spring2020 Creativity in Captivity' on Facebook.For full details of Yarndale@home please visit the Yarndale website and follow Yarndale on social media for all the details.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches Podcast website.Music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops

Hello there and welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast and the show notes for Episode 55 – Harder Than you Think.    My name is Fay and this is my audio and video podcast for those that love fibre crafts, particularly crochet.  It’s a community for people that like to support their fellow humans regardless of race, gender, sexuality, ability, size or age. I hope you feel the welcome embrace and love of the Crochet Clan.  Come on in and stay awhile.   In this episode, I cover: Old Dog New Tricks; Final Destination; En Route; Designs in Progress; Quick News Beats; Big Up and J'adore.    This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co.  Thanks to everyone who tunes into the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.    If you would like to support the podcast, you can do that through Patreon:     1 – General Update I am stood at my desk as I type this and it’s really difficult to find the ‘right’ words.  I’m not even sure there are ‘right’ words.  The world seems to be on fire.  People are being killed, simply because of their skin colour.  This episode was nearly called “Inconsequential” because that is how I felt about podcasting over the last few days – who cares about a crochet podcast when people are being killed, simply because of their skin colour.  This crochet podcast is also a platform for morals, beliefs, community and showing solidarity. So, instead, it is called “Harder Than You Think”.  Besides being the title for my favourite Public Enemy song (because it has lyrics that speak volumes to me (link)), it is also a reminder that life is harder than you think.  It’s particularly hard on people that face oppression, brutality, racism and inequality on a daily basis.  That is what hard looks like.  So, if you want to be part of the change, to support your fellow humans then know that there is hard work ahead and it will be harder than you think.  You will most likely take a step back at some point and think about your former actions and words and feel disgusted with yourself for not having done better.    You will make mistakes that you can learn from.  I put three actions on Instagram (link).  Three simple things that can be your starting point if you are now ready to be part of the change:  1 – Listen to the experiences of others and get angry about the injustices that they are made to suffer day after day and do something positive with that anger without being performative or centring it around you. 2 – Talk to your friends and family about diversity and inclusivity.  Keep having the conversations.  Keep pushing for solidarity over oppression. 3 – Your money makes a difference.  Donate money to organisations that make a difference such as ROTA in the UK (link) or National Bail Out in the US (link).  These are just two examples, there are many great organisations out there that you can donate to. Let’s be part of the change.  Complacency is not an option.   2 – Old Dog New Tricks I just have a quick one for you this month because time is utterly against me this week.  You may have the same issues I have when I go above a 5.5mm crochet hook.  I find that the hook gets too heavy and it can be difficult to manoeuvre and ultimately make your hands or wrist hurt. I have some large plastic hooks in my hook case but I really don’t enjoy working with them and I find it difficult to get my tension right.  Instead, have a try with bamboo hooks.  They are lightweight, slippy enough to tension with and I find them comfortable to work with.  So, if you have previously been put off working on larger gauge projects because of the hooks you, why not try a bamboo.    3 – Final Destination I have finished things! Scrapvent Blanket is finished and I love it!  I’ll be writing up this pattern shortly.  My lovely friend Bec is working up a DK version with an advent yarn calendar she got last year.  I have never been that fussed about crocheting blankets, but I think the flood gates may have been opened.  I definitely prefer thin fabric without holes. Image text: The left side of my bone coloured linen sofa has blue cushions and my Scravent Blanket draped over the arm.  A medley of 24 different coloured yarns with a peachy cream border. Matthew called my Scrapvent Blanket “fugly” – how rude!  So, to get my revenge I used loads of the yarns craps from the blanket in a pair of Fugly Socks that he has to wear.  The truth is that I didn’t want to add a load of little yarn scraps back into my stash and I used up all the remnants of nine of my blanket colours in his socks.  I will use some of the other scraps to also make myself a pair of Fugly Socks.      Image text: A pair of scrappy, hand-knitted socks in stripes of forest green, acid green, teal, navy, grey and aqua.  The socks are placed on bone coloured linen sofa seat pad. Last month I showed off some slubby/thick and thin yarn that my friend Claudia sent me from Germany.  I crocheted it into a cushion cover using a 10mm (bamboo) hook and linen stitch.  I chose linen stitch because it makes a nice flat fabric which has a decent amount of stretch which you need in a cushion cover.  Eventually, the cushion will go into my Stash Palace, but for now, Matthew is using it on his stool when her delivers training.  Who knew that metals stool seats aren’t that comfortable?!? Image text: A close up of my bone coloured linen sofa has blue cushions and my new slubby crocheted cushion cover at the front.  It has a light sky blue, olive green, spring green and white running through it and is nobbly because of the slubby yarn. I have also been trying out wood whittling, and I love it.  I have concentrated on shawl sticks so far. Image text: Five hand whittled shawl sticks are placed on bone coloured linen sofa seat pad.  The sticks have a skeletal quality about them because of the blonde wood and finger-like quality of their shape. 4 – En Route It is time to think about crocheting summer tops!  This has been on my to-do list for weeks now and I finally found time at the weekend to search for the right top. I was specifically looking for a top that had been designed by a BIPOC/BAME designer and was size-inclusive (up to a 60” bust).  So, where do you start?  Well, you go to the BIPOC in Fiber website (link) because it is an amazing resource that is easy to navigate and gives the details and links of BIPOC/BAME in all sorts of categories such as crochet designers, hand-knit designers, yarn retailers, photographers, podcasters – basically every element of our fibre community is covered and categorised, ready for you to search. There were three pages of crochet designers for me to go to and they all link to website or Ravelry pages where I could see their full designs line-up.  Because I was looking for a size-inclusive garment, that narrowed the field but I enjoyed going through all of the designer profiles, many of which I was familiar with because of the work that Claudia from Crochet Luna vlog cast had been doing.  So, I settled on the Zig-Zag-Zummer top (link) by Sandra at Nomad Stitches (link).  You definitely will have seen Sandra’s work before.  She is the designer behind the Taroko and Aztec Sweaters.   Image text: 1 - Boen coloured linen seat pad with a ball of olive green yarn to the right, the very beginnings of a top and an orange crochet hook.  The yarn has a sheen to it because it is pure linen.  Image 2 - White wall with Sandra's torso showing.  She is wearing her Zi-Zag-Zummer crocheted top which has filet zig zags at the bottom, working up to a plain v-neck top.  The top is a mid-dusky rose pink.   Image text: Dusky pink background with a white polaroid cut out and Sandra from Nomad Stitches as he photo held up with clear washi tape.  Sandra has mid-length brown hair and is wearing a crocheted top with love hearts at the bottom.  She is also wearing a big smile.   I plan on using my Rowan Pure Linen stash which is 130m/50g because it will ake for a nice cool summer top. I haven’t really made much progress on the top because life, but have a deadline of the 1st July because I am joining in the @promised.fiber (link) Make IT Inclusive MAL (link).  If you fancy joining in too, it is open to crocheters, knitters and sewers.  Wouldn’t it be amazing if lots of Crochet Clan people searched out a BIPOC/BAME designer from the BIPOC in Fiber website and joined in?  I also wanted to highlight a couple of other sources: 1 – Lisa (LisaRaspCrochet on Ravelry) has made a bundle which has 133 different size-inclusive garments. 2 – Yelley (Yelley on Ravelry) also has a bundle with 158 size-inclusive crocheted garments. Find the person on Ravelry, click onto their favourites and then you can search their ‘bundles’.   5  – Designs in Progress I have finished all of my Positivity Spiral samples and have updated the pattern.  If you have already bought it or buy it in the future, it now gives options form heavy laceweight up to bulky/chunky weight.  I have added in estimated circumference and depth measurements so that you can choose how many stitch repeats you do to get the measurements you want.  The updated version will be going out next week. I also have the rights back for Omni and that has already been uploaded onto my website and Ravelry.  Again, that works in all weights between heavy laceweight and aran/worsted.    6  – Feeding the Habit There is no Feeding the Habit this month.  I have been buying sewing books, but no yarn.  This will not last for long because this weekend is the John Arbon Textiles Mill Open Weekend.  I should have been vending and instead, we are doing it all virtually from Friday through to Sunday. I know I am going to buy yarn.   Especially because I got to design my own colour.  More on that in J’adore.  As part of the Virtual Mill Open Weekend, we are having an online crafting session – much like the Global Hook Up.  Do come and join us on Sunday 7th June at 2pm on Zoom (same joining details as below for Global Hook Ups).  It will be some of the Mill Folk form John Arbon, Katie Green, me and hopefully, lost of friendly faces joining us.    7 – Quick News Beats 1 - Global Hook Up – The June hook ups are on: Saturday 27th  at 8pm BST and Sunday 28th at 9am BST. The meeting ID number is 475-047-5819 and you will need to join via Zoom which you can do here:  https://www.zoom.us/join If you are joining on your phone or tablet you will likely need to download the software in advance.  If you are joining from a PC or Mac, you can join via the link above.  Everyone needs to use the same ID number to get into the session.  2 – Lots of yarn shows are moving to virtual events.  Obviously it is nice to meet face to face, but the beauty of a virtual event is that you can o to ones that were previously out of your reach.  Look out for Woolfest, Yarndale and others in the UK. 8 - Big Up This one has to go out to the BIPOC in Fiber team.  The website that has been created is a wonderful resource.  You may not be aware, but the person behind the website development is actually Alyson from the Keep Calm and Carry Yarn podcast.  Alyson has and continues to do an amazing job on the site.  7 – J’adore My love affair with John Arbon Textiles continues.  When I first started crocheting and getting into really lovely wool and yarns, I dreamt about having my own yarn colours.  I was asked to design my own for the Virtual Mill Open Weekend in their Yarnadelic range which is my current favourite wool of theirs.  Image text: Image split into two but features the same yarn, Another Friday Night.  The yarn is dark, dusky blue with slivers of silver through it.  It’s like the night sky when the starts just start twinkling but not all the light has disappeared.  In the left picture, skeins of the yarn are on a table with a chair tucked underneath.  On the right, the yarn is wound on colourful plastic cones and bundled inside a large white industrial bag.   Obviously, I was tempted to do a mustard but they already have an amazing mustard in that range.  Instead, I went for a dark, dusky blue with slivers of silver through it.  It’s like the night sky when the starts just start twinkling but not all the light has disappeared.  I LOVE IT.  If you want some too, be quick (link).    I’ll be back on the 3rd July. Fay x   Instagram: Crochet_Circle_Podcast  Instagram: provenance.craft.co   Instagram: FayDHDesigns YouTube: The Crochet Circle Podcast Crochet Clan on Mighty Network: Invite

Around this time each year, the call goes out for knitters and crocheters to get busy making for the Yarndale World Creative Project. First there was bunting, and following that came Mandalas, mini Yarndale sheep, flowers and even socks. This year, the festival organisers are asking people around the world to put their time in lockdown to good use and make dishcloths which will be sold to raise money for a local children's hospice charity. If you have ever been fortunate enough to visit the festival, which takes place in Skipton in North Yorkshire in September, you will have seen the huge amount of items sent in from all over the world to support the various causes highlighted by the festival. If you would like to join in with this year's appeal, you can find all the details for it at www.yarndale.co.ukIn this week's episode I spoke to one of Yarndale Festival founders Carole Rennison about how the festival came about and why they are calling on our help again this year.For full show notes for this episode, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from https://melodyloops.com/

Lokala garner och nya små spinnerier som poppar upp överallt verkar vara en rådande trend – inte bara i Sverige. Era utsända rapporterar från garnfestivalen Yarndale i Yorkshire och Shetland Wool Week.

Hello there and welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast and the show notes for Episode 47 – Tardy     My name is Fay and this is my audio and video podcast for those that love fibre crafts, particularly crochet.  It’s a community for people that like to support their fellow humans regardless of race, gender, sexuality, ability, size or age. I hope you feel the welcome embrace and love of the Crochet Clan.  Come on in and stay awhile.     In this episode, I cover Old Dog New Tricks; Final Destination; En Route; Feeding the habit; Quick News Beats; Big Up and J’adore.   This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co.  Thanks to everyone who tunes into the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.    If you would like to support the podcast, you can do that through Patreon:   1 – Old Dog New Tricks I have a quick Ravelry tip for you this month.  This feature has always existed, but the good folk at Ravelry have now spruced up the feature a little to make the suggestions more prominent.    If you have a favourite designer that you like and a favourite design of theirs, click into that pattern page and on the right-hand side, at the bottom of the page you will see thumbnails of suggestions for other, similar patterns and a link for “More that people also like…” which takes you through to lots of other pattern suggestions. I think this is a really great way to search for patterns and come across new, smaller designers that may struggle to get known.    Photo: Shows the Ravelry screen having searched for my Criss-cross pattern.  Photo: At the bottom right-hand side some thumbnails will appear showing alternative patterns. Photo: By clicking through to more suggestions, you will see a page of other suggested patterns that have been favourited.   2 – CAL Updates This podcast is titled “Tardy” because that is what I have been!  If you aren’t familiar with the word, it means delaying or delayed beyond the right or expected time.  About 12 months ago I was running the #sockalong2018 and 11 months ago I should have drawn for prizes from Instagram and the FO thread that was hosted in Kathryn from Crafternoon Treats podcast group on Ravelry.    About three months ago I found the prizes in my Stash Palace and figured I may as well wait and mark the occasion a full tardy twelve months later!    So, if you have won a prize, I have already been in touch with you.  On Instagram, the winners were @yarn.adventurous and @fizzcrail.  Over on Ravelry, the random number generator picked Woolwoman2k8, NinaCamilleri and Stasiacrochet.    Sorry, it has taken me this long to do the prize draw, it very much speaks to the reason why I haven’t been doing CALs this year. That said, I am co-hosting a #wiprip2019 with Sophie from A Spring Snowflake Podcast (link) albeit, Sophie is doing most of the work because she is hosting the chatter thread over on her Ravelry Group Page.   The whole idea is that you have from now until midnight on the 31st December to finish up or rip out some or all of your WIPs so that you go into the New Year with fewer projects.   On Instagram, you can use #wiprip2019 for chatter and #wiprip2019FO to show off your finished or frogged projects.  Go to Sophie’s Ravelry group for chatter and I will open and host the FO thread.    From my end, these are the projects that I will be finishing up: 1 – Chapman Socks (knitted) 2 – Verity Vest (crochet) 3 – Anything else I have started and need to finish I have less to go through because I have been trying to be quite a monogamous crafter over the last few months, but there may be projects lurking that need to be sorted out!   Come and join us and let’s carry fewer projects into 2020.   3 – Final Destination Okay, so whilst I don’t have any finished crochet objects that I can show you, I do actually have some knitted ones.  This month I finished off two commission projects for a yarn company, but I won’t be able to show them off properly until well into next year.   However, I have been finishing up a load of knitted socks.  I quite often have a sock on the go because I leave them in yarn bowls when I am at shows to show off their potential and also to talk through my sock patterns.      Now, instead of three single socks, I have three pairs all finished and ready to wear this winter.    ALT TEXT: Three socks on a grey background.  Left is a striped sock in light grey, forest green, bright green, purple, steel blue and hot pink.  The middle sock is also striped and is a dark rusty copper and dark verdigris colour.  The sock on the right is cream with blips of brown, yellow, peach and blue.  This sock has a contrast cuff, heel and toe in soft peachy pink.   The colourful striped socks are in John Arbon Textiles Exmoor Sock Yarn (link).  I was using up the ends from my Kinbaine shawl (link) and Acanthium Mittens (link).  The pattern is my own and it’s called Mini Mania (link).   The copper and green Mini Mania socks are also in John Arbon Textiles Exmoor Sock Yarn but were dyed up by RiverKnits and the colours are no longer available.   The beautiful speckled pastel socks are the Pebbles and Pathways pattern by Marceline Smith (link).  In the pattern, Marce encourages you to go your own way and add your own elements and I definitely did that – mine are cuff down and I added all sorts of extra bits!  The main colour is ‘Orchard’ by Bernie at Bear in Sheep’s Clothing (link) and is 100% Corriedale with no nylon or superwash.  I will be reporting back on how well these wear.  The contrast colour was an unnamed mini by Desiree at Abercairn Yarns (link) and I think is 75% Merino and 25% nylon.   I also attended an eco-printing workshop at my local Weavers, Spinners and Dyers Guild.  You place leaves and flowers on pre-mordanted material, roll it up and steam it.  This sets the vegetation print onto the material with varying results and takes a lot of trial and error.  The below photos show some of the results I got.   If you are interested in the subject of Eco-Printing and creating plant-based inks, I have just listed a book in my shop by Babs Behan called "Botanical Inks" (link).   ALT TEXT: Collage of three photos. Left - a square of undyed silk with Japanese Maple, ferns and purple Heuchera leaves and flower stems laid out on a table.  Below the silk is the broom handle that he silk will be rolled onto for steaming.  Top right - cream wool fabric after steaming.  Eucalyptus leaves have left a rust orange print from the eco-printing process.  Bottom right - another sheet of silk with Japanese Maple and fern.  The second half of the silk has been placed on top to create a 'ghost' print.       4 – En Route The only project on my hook is the Mya Shawl by Helda Panagary (link).  This is my entry into #RhineBIPOCSweater K/CAL – I can’t link to the bundle within Ravelry, but you can get details via Lady Dye’s Instagram post (link).    After a bit of fiddling around with hook sizes and the number of rows, I settled on using ‘Pisces’ by Cosmic Strings (the dyers are Phu and Bea (link)) as the main skein and some Rico mohair as the sort of background colour.    I had been hoping to finish this up and be wearing the shawl as I listened to Helda do her talk on ‘Being a Crochet Designer’ at Yarndale on Saturday.  I didn’t quite manage it and settled instead for crocheting on it whilst she talked.   Had I just stuck to the pattern and not fiddled (I will never learn), then I would have had an FO.  However, because I am doing 4 rows of mohair laceweight (100m per 100g) to 2 rows of 4ply, it’s taking a little longer.  My plan is to use up all of the mohair, which I suspect will leave me with a little bit of the Cosmic Strings teal.    My reason for fiddling is a good one though.  The pattern makes quite a deep, but short shawl and I have quite wide shoulders.  By changing the number of row repeats, I am able to make a bigger shawl that will better fit my body shape.       I am calling it my Slythermort shawl and also entering it into Clarisabeth’s (Crochet Cakes podcast) Mischief Managed CAL (link).  I have until the 31st October to get this finished!     ALT TEXT: Image shows a dark background with a cake of a dark/dirty teal coloured yarn to the left and a flattened mohair cake of stormy grey yarn to the right.  At the fore are a blue metal crochet hook and a striped shawl in the yarn.     5 – Feeding the Habit Did I got to Yarndale and manage to not buy any yarn?  Yup, yes I did!  This is totally aided by the fact that I picked up two loads of yarn from vendors which is yarn support for my patterns.    So, what did I buy instead of yarn?  I bought a knitted pattern book by Jimi Knits (link), some pin badges from Bear in Sheep's Clothing (link) and Nerdbird Makery (link) and a small sewn project bag by Border Tart (link).    ALT TEXT: grey background with Jimi Knits A4 pattern book to the left, linen project bag with sewn scraps of blue fabric overlapping the book.  To the right are folds of soft cashmere tweed and in the fore are two pins on cards, one is the back of a polar bear wearing a kilt and the other is head and of a BIPOC knitter with yarn and knitting needles in her hair.    I’m not really missing buying yarn.  I have so much in my stash and I am really enjoying shopping in my own Stash Palace and using up deep stash in particular.    6 – Quick News Beats 1 - Global Hook Up – I have set the dates for the next few months and will stick to the 8 pm GMT/BST on a Saturday night and 9 am GMT/BST on a Sunday morning.   The details for the next sessions are already up in the Ravelry thread, can also be found below and will be put out on Instagram in advance. The meeting ID number is 475-047-5819 and you will need to join via Zoom which you can do here:  https://www.zoom.us/join If you are joining on your phone or tablet you will likely need to download the software in advance.  If you are joining from a PC or Mac, you can join via the link above.  Everyone needs to use the same ID number to get into the session.    October - Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th   November - Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th   December - Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th   2 – I promised in the last podcast that I would write a quick blog on what apps and podcasts I use to help to run my business.  You can find that blogpost on my website (link). 3 – I had three copies of Eilidh’s print (link) to giveaway and the winners are: Instagram – @craftybritabroad (Amy) Podbean – Marce (BrownBerry Podcast) YouTube – Patty Crochets Well done everyone.  4 – I did the catwalk at Perth Festival of Yarn!  It was a lot of fun and definitely showcased crocheted garments.  However, I had an epic fail on getting photos or video footage.  It was a lot of fun and luckily, Laura from The Lonely Knitter Podcast recorded it all, so you can see all of the lovely crocheted and knitted items that went down the Gala Dinner catwalk (link). To celebrate the fact that I managed to finish my Blurred Lines jumper in time, I bought three kilted bear pins from Bernie at Bear in Sheep’s Clothing.  These pins are made in the UK and I love them.  I already own one that Bernie gave me at Perth and I thought some of you may want to try to win one too!    If you would like to be in with a chance of winning, leave a comment on the threads of this episode of YouTube, Podbean and/or Instagram.  It’s open to everyone across the globe.  I will draw winners just before I record the November podcast.  Start your comment with “bare bear” so that I know you are entering to win.  Why bare bear?  Bears are true Scots – no knickers!   7 - J’adore I had an absolute ball at Yarndale.  I went with a bunch of friends, we laughed, wore pyjamas for most of the weekend, drank gin and generally had a great time.  I met lots of my lovely yarn colleagues and friends and made new friends.  Plans have been hatched, new business ideas have formed and 2020 is shaping up rather nicely.    My sleeves are bulging with all of the ideas, projects, interviews and designs that I want to do in the coming months.      8 – Big Up I already mentioned that I went to see Helda give her talk at Yarndale on being a crochet designer.  Before she started her talk, she was nervous and had no reason to be.  Her talk was genuine, from the heart and fab!  Big Up Helda you were great! Fay x   Instagram: Crochet_Circle_Podcast  Instagram: provenance.craft.co   Instagram: FayDHDesigns YouTube: The Crochet Circle Podcast Crochet Clan on Mighty Network: Invite

Hello there and welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast and the show notes for Episode 46 – Tipsy Crocheting!    My name is Fay and this is my audio and video podcast for those that love fibre crafts, particularly crochet.  It’s a community for people that like to support their fellow humans regardless of race, gender, sexuality, ability, size or age. I hope you feel the welcome embrace and love of the Crochet Clan.  Come on in and stay awhile.     In this episode, I cover Old Dog new tricks; Final Destination; En Route; Feeding the habit; Quick News Beats and J’adore.   This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co.  Thanks to everyone who tunes into the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.    If you would like to support the podcast, you can do that through Patreon:   1 – Old Dog New Tricks I have two quickie tricks for you this month: 1 – Here is a neat little trick I learned from watching yarn dyers at work.  Have ever popped a skein of yarn onto a swift to cake up and as you start to form the cake, it snags, isn’t as smooth as it is should be and create a tighter tension in your cake than needed?  There is a very simple way around this and it involves what I can only describe as ‘snapping’ your yarn.   Once you have opened up the skein and ensured that the strands are flowing the right way, put both hands into the skein, using your upright thumbs to keep the skein on your hand, ‘snap’ the skein outwards.  This will help to realign the strands back to the way they were initially wound back in the factory.  This realignment makes it easy to get the skein onto your swift and should lead to tangle-free, even tension cakes of yarn.   2 – If you find yourself short of a locking stitch marker and desperately need to hold a stitch, check your hair.  I found myself in desperate need of a cable needle the other evening and really could not be bothered to go downstairs for it.  Instead, I used a Kirby grip/bobby pin that was in my hair.  It did the job perfectly and is great for securing stitches and being lazy!   2 – Final Destination Sound the trumpets!  I have finished my Blurred Lines by Deanne at Addydae Designs (link).  As I record this podcast, it is Wednesday the 4th September and I am due to wear the jumper down the runway at Perth Festival of Yarn on Saturday (I will pop some pics up on Instagram Stories  (@crochet_circle_podcast) if you want to see what goes down).   I have added full project notes on Ravelry, so you can see any changes I have made. I just need to add some final photos.    ALT TEXT: Fay stands in her dining room, in front of an open fireplace with a small table and lamp to the left.  She is looking down with hands in pockets, wearing jeans and her newly finished Blurred Lines Jumper which is a grey/teal blue main colour (top and bottom) with a middle variegated section in cream/pink with little pops of yellow, teal and blue.   I also have a couple of little things that I have crocheted up.  These are samples for the online shop and for shows.  I have started selling craft books, but only wish to sell ones that I have worked from personally and can therefore recommend.  It’s not about fads, it’s about well-written books and patterns.    I finally managed to make something from my Crocheted Succulents book by Emma Varnam (link).  I had this book on pre-order last year but just couldn’t find a window of time to make something from it.  I crocheted up a Mexican Snowball succulent using 50g of Rowan cotton glace that I had in my stash.  It was really easy to make, and the instructions were lovely and clean.  It took me about 5 hours in total and I can see many more cacti and succulents in my future because I struggle to keep house plants alive!   ALT TEXT: Corner of the Crocheted Succulents book by Emma Varnam is in the bottom left.  In the middle sits a white pottery reused candle holder with a sage green crocheted succulent (Mexican Snowball) on top. At the bottom of the pot lies a pink crochet hook, little worm of the leftover sage green cotton and a pair of snips shaped and decorated to look like a crocodile.    Another book that has been sitting on my crafting shelves waiting for some attention is Laly Lalas Beetles, Bugs and Butterflies book (link).  Of all of the gorgeous little creatures in this book, I chose to hook up a moth!  I was working on the basis that this is the only moth that is actually allowed anywhere near my yarn!  This took me about 7 hours to make and used up lots of little odds and ends of cotton from my stash.      ALT TEXT: Two images - both with very dark grey backgrounds.  Image one shows the Beetles, Bugs and Butterflies book by Laly Lala.  The front cover shows lots of crocheted bugs as examples and to the right of the book is the front of a moth I have crocheted up from the book.  The moth has detachable wings and har with antennae.  Image two is the back of the moth, which shows clearly that the top of the wings are off-white edged with grey cotton and the bottom is blue.  The main moth body is a green/yellow and the hat id a mustard yellow.     It was really nice being able to quickly plough through a couple of crochet projects, even if they are small.   3 – My Life This is not going to be a regular segment, but I thought I would just offer up a little slice of what this year has been like so far and how I dearly want the last three months to unfold.    Most of 2019 has been spent bombing up and down the UK road and ferry network, attending yarn shows all over the place.  It had been a busy year so far which I love because I get to see so many of you Crochet Clanfolk and it really helps to put my business on the map! The downside though is the impact that it has.  I. Don’t. Stop.    If you have ever met me in real life, when you watch my face, you can literally see the cogs turning.  Most conversations make neurons ping in my brain and the ideas flow immediately.  My brain is always on, it is never quiet.    As you listen and watch this podcast I will be up at the Perth Festival of Yarn – my last yarn show of 2019!  I am really excited to be vending at this show but if truthful, I am just as excited about life calming down a little.  I am planning on having a relaxing week, next week after I have counted the stock back into the shop.    Relaxation for me means audiobooks or courses and sitting with my feet up, crafting.  I may even set myself a little crochet goal.  See what I mean?  I have already set myself a goal for my time off!  There is just no hope for me.    When you are driving and sitting on ferries you get a lot of time to think.  My main focus for this year was ‘structure’ and I have done a lot around that for the business, podcast and design work this year which has really helped to streamline my work focus.    My recent motorway mile shave given me time to think about what I need to concentrate on in 2020.  It feels like it will be a big year, even if it’s just because of the repetition of the numbers!  My focus for 2020 is going to be around the word ‘centre’.  It is ‘centre’ because “no” or “selfish” just felt too negative!  So, my focus is about saying no to things that other people want me to do for them, so that I can say yes to the things that I need to do for myself.  My problem is that I want to be helpful and supportive and therefore take on too much because I hate letting people down.  So, by saying no and centring back to what I need for my business, my family and me personally.          Saying to something is never saying yes to just one thing because there are always mini-tasks that lead to that final completed yes.  My theory is that saying no to one thing is actually more like saying no to ten mini-tasks, which frees up ten things that I can then do for me or my business.  It’s not all about saying no, it’s also about focussing some time back to me and creating a strong personal core from which to work.       Would anyone find it useful for me to write a blog post on what software I use to help with this and what podcasts I listen to for business/creative inspiration?  Ping me a message if it would be useful and I will pull something together.   So, if you need me in October, November, December 2019, I will be chilling a little, drinking more tea and hopefully doing a lot more crafting and designing.    4 – En Route As I record this podcast, I have no crocheted project on the go.  However, I have two that I want to start:  The first is the Mya Shawl by Helda Panagary (link).  This is going to be my entry into #RhineBIPOCSweater K/CAL – I can’t link to the bundle within Ravelry, but you can get details via Lady Dye’s Instagram post (link).  As for the yarn that I want to use, I think I am going to crochet the shawl with ‘Orion’ by Cosmic Strings (the dyers are Phu and Bea (link)) as the main skein.  As you know, I am on a yarn ban until 21st December, so I can’t buy any mohair which is what the pattern calls for.  Instead, I took to my stash (deeeeep stash) and found some Rico mohair that I can use instead.  Whilst this isn’t strictly within the parameters of the CAL, I’m not going to break my yarn ban when I already own something suitable!      ALT TEXT: Image one shows crochet designer, Helda Panagary standing side on in front of cream tiles, holding a  ball of dark arn in her left hand and a crochet hook in her right.  Helda looks beautiful long dark hair that curls at the bottom.  Image two shows a dark background with a skein of a dark/dirty teal coloured yarn to the left (ball band reads 'Cosmic Strings' and two flattened mohair cakes of yarn piled to the right.  These are is a very stormy grey colour.   ALT TEXT: Image three shows the same model twice, (Back and front), showing off Helda's Mya Shawl.  It is triangular and shows subtle stripes in pinks where different yarn blends have been used.  Each corner has a corresponding tassle. I am off to Yarndale the last week of September and have a ticket to see Helda talk on Saturday afternoon.  I would love to be wearing my version of Helda’s Mya Shawl when I sit and listen to her talk on life as a crochet designer.   The second is the Bark Sweater by Sidsel Sangild (link). I will be using John Arbon Textiles British Breeds 80% Romney/20% Corriedale blend and a 5mm hook.  I can’t link to the wool because it was a special and only available to Mill Members on their website. I have a ridiculous self-imposed goal that maybe I could be wearing this at Yarndale too…   If I whizz through that, then I will also try to work up Claudia’s Encanto Wrap (link) which is her first-ever design! ALT TEXT - A split image showing a very smiley Claudia from Crochet Luna on the left, wearing her first design around her neck.  The textured wrap shows stripes fo bright green and purple leading up to her neck and a more solid purple around her neck.   The second side of the image shows the wrap on a mannequin that has a black dress on.   5 – Feeding the Habit Still, no stash additions and my Solstice to Solstice yarn ban is going well.  I am still tempted by things but have managed to just say no! There have been other things though: Last month I showed off a lovely print that I received in the post from Lorna (@neveratalooseend).  It was done by her daughter Eilidh (@by.eilidh on Instagram) and I love her style.  I contacted Eilidh to say that I wanted to buy some prints from her to pass to friends and unbeknown to me, some more just arrived in the post!  Needless to say, when I see Lorna at Perth Festival of Yarn, I will be passing her money to pass to Eilidh so that I can properly purchase the prints.  More on this in Quick Newsbeats.   I have started selling Yael’s crocheted necklaces in my online shop and at shows (link).  Her work is beautiful and I want to be able to support a fellow crafter.  Because Yael is naughty, she snuck a notions pouch into my order – and it’s beautiful.  Yael also makes beautiful linen project bags and I encourage you to check out her Etsy shop (link).   ALT TEXT:  Black background with a patchwork linen notions pouch in grey/browns, pink and a navy with white dashed fabric and pastel yellow zip to the top left.  Colourful print to the right in purples and corals, saying "All wool is yarn but not all yarn is wool" on a scarf that is wrapped around fibre giving animals (bison/Alpaca/goat/sheep/rabbit). Two large paper clips with material covered tops to the bottom left.  One has a black and white cat on the fabric and the other has the head of a sheep.   While I was vending at Yarnfolk in Northern Ireland, I met Jean and not only did she bring me a can of pop to keep me going in the afternoon, she also gave me two large fabric button clips.  One has a sheep on it and the other a black cat – not unlike Pom!  These are perfect for marking which page you are on in a pattern!    6 – Quick News Beats 1 - Global Hook Up – I have set the dates for the next few months and will stick to the 8 pm GMT/BST on a Saturday night and 9 am GMT/BST on a Sunday morning. The details for the next sessions are already up in the Ravelry thread, can also be found below and will be put out on Instagram in advance. The meeting ID number is 475-047-5819 and you will need to join via Zoom which you can do here:  https://www.zoom.us/join If you are joining on your phone or tablet you will likely need to download the software in advance.  If you are joining from a PC or Mac, you can join via the link above.  Everyone needs to use the same ID number to get into the session.  September - Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th – NOTE THAT THIS IS A DATE CHANGE!   October - Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th   November - Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th   December - Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th   2 – Over on Instagram, I was showing off a vegan soup I was making on Stories and some of you asked for the recipe.  I have created a blog post for it (link) and it’s a really hearty spicy tomato soup that is made mainly from store cupboard ingredients.   3 – I have three copies of Eilidh’s print (link) that I want to give away.  It looks beautiful framed (I have one up on my studio wall).  To enter, simply respond on YouTube, comment in Podbean or on Instagram.  I will draw one winner from each platform and get in touch with you to say that you have won. 4 – I still have an unclaimed prize of one of Deanne’s patterns.  Angee Stitch 78 from YouTube, you were a winner but haven’t responded, so could you please get in touch to claim your prize. 5 – I always provide links within the show notes, but sometimes people struggle to find them.  From this month onwards, anything that I talk about and provide a link for, just look for “link)” and that is where to click to get to the relevant web page.   7 - J’adore There is a very definite Autumnal nip in the air.  I can feel my hibernation senses tingling and I am excited about woolly socks, fires, endless cups of tea and lots of crafting.    As I said earlier, it has been a very long year so far and it’s time to take life down a few notches and recharge my batteries.    I love the excuse to snuggle up under a blanket with an audiobook and my crochet.  Also, the colours of Autumn are my jam – I am so inspired by these few months of all things earthy!   I will be back on Friday the 4th of October. Fay x   Instagram: Crochet_Circle_Podcast  Instagram: provenance.craft.co   Instagram: FayDHDesigns YouTube: The Crochet Circle Podcast Crochet Clan on Mighty Network: Invite  

Hello there and welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast and the show notes for Episode 36 – Frolicking with hooligans   In this episode I cover: Sock CAL; Final Destination; En Route; Feeding the habit; Quick News Beats; Big Up and J’adore?   This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co.  Thanks to everyone who tunes into the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.    If you would like to support the podcast, you can do that through Patreon:   1 - #SockAlong 2018 CAL The response to the CAL has been incredible.  As I recorded this episode, there were a few days left for the CAL.  I would like to record a separate piece on the Sock Along and show off the finished objects. All of the blogs are available here if you need support with making more crocheted socks.    Here are the links to all of the blog hop folk: #1 Sat 15th Sep - Sock Making Tips - me (http://www.craftyescapism.com/) #2 Sat 22nd Sep - Yarn Choice - Fay (https://www.knitit-hookit-craftit.com/) #3 Sat 29th Sep - Knit vs Crochet Socks - Caroline (https://www.mindandmusecrafts.com/) #4 Sun 30th Sep -  Sock Anatomy - Deanne (http://www.addydae.com/) #5 Sat 6 Oct - Toe up vs Cuff down Socks - Jo (http://jojotwinkletoes.blogspot.com/) #6 Sat 13th Oct - Colour & colour patterns - Marta (http://mrsdaftspaniel.blogspot.com/) #7 Sat 20th Oct - Customising socks - Kathryn (http://crafternoontreats.com/) #8 Sat 27th Oct - Crochet Sock Heels are not Scary - Karen (https://www.karenwhooley.com/)    More prizes have come in for the CAL.  Lovely Sandra from Cherry Heart podcast has kindly offered copies of her latest pattern, the Linden Bee Shawl.    Nikki from Ewe Felty Thing a LYS in Llandudno, North Wales and indie dyer, has kindly given a prize of the most beautiful 50% silk and 50% camel yarn.  It is so beautifully soft.  I am also pleased to say that in November, Nikki will be extending the size of her shop.  It's always good to hear local yarn shop successes.       2 – Final Destination Creatively, I have been very busy this month, it's just that much of it has been for the shop and for Yarnporium (a large London yarn show on 2nd & 3rd November).  So, less crochet and a lot of pottery, sewing, bag making, designing, and, and, and...   I have finished off two shawls that I have been designing.  The shawl is called Arria and on Friday 2nd November, the 4ply crocheted and knitted versions are being launched.  They both use the intarsia technique and are a nice introduction to it because you only have three balls on the go.  They both use 2 x 100g skeins of a 4 ply/light fingering weight yarn (400m/437yds) and a 20g mini skein of the same yarn weight.          If you prefer to work in DK weight yarns, the DK Arria patterns are being worked up at the moment and might be ready for the December podcast.   I have also been working on my first knitted sock pattern, which uses 20g mini skeins from River Knits.  The pattern is called Mini Mania and if you buy a seventh 20g mini skein, you can use up almost all of your wool and get two pairs of socks from the 140g.      Discount codes are set up on all three patterns on Ravelry.  Use CROCHETCLAN at check out to receive 50% discount.   3 – En Route I have made very little progress on my Fallen leaves socks.  I am desperate to get more crochet time in during November and catch up on life.  Ho-hum.    4 – Feeding the habit This section usually reflects any woolly adventures I have had during the month.  October was a great month for going to new places and seeing some of my lovely woolly friends.     It all started with a trip to Hooligan Yarns on their open day. This is a smallholding called Manor Farm Charitable Trust, where they take in animals that would otherwise go to slaughter.  Di, her husband Allan and a team look after 170 sheep, goats, chickens, donkeys, pony, geese, geep (yes, there is such a thing as a goat/sheep cross) and ducks.   All of the animals get to live a full life and it was amazing to see the different personalities the animals have.     The trip was all down to my friend Bec who organised it, and we had a great day out.  Di has been working over the last couple of years to create yarn from the fleeces of the sheep.  Needless to say, I couldn’t come away without any.  I really love that I have animal and fleece specific wool and I have seen just how happy the animals were.  The sale of the wool offers direct support to the charity.      You can buy their yarn online.  You can follow the different animals on Instagram (@hooliganyarns).  You can also see the farm on Countryside Autumn Diaries 2018, Episode 3, go to 35:25 minutes. I know of two other UK suppliers of slaughter-free wool in case you are interested: Doulton Border Leicester Flock and Izzy Lane.   The next day I was off to Bakewell Woolgathering in Derbyshire, a two-day yarn festival.  I didn't have long there and made a beeline to see some friends.  One of my plans for this year has been to look to my stash, see where I have single skeins that need partners and buy those partners.  Laili owns Emily Foulds, a LYS in Colne, Yorkshire and one of the yarns she carries is The Fibre Company and this was one of the stash areas that I wanted to marry up with an extra skein.  I really like Laili and what a success she is making of her shop, so I was pleased to be able to buy from her.  When my skein arrived in the post (she didn't have the colour I wanted at the show) it also arrived with a couple of skeins of the new The Fibre Company yarn - Arranmore.  I am looking to design up a new crocheted bag with this yarn, so it was really nice to get some to play with.     I took a sneaky day off and headed down to London to meet up with a couple of friends.  Stasia was over from Russia and Lisa works in London, so we met up int he afternoon for some tea, coffee and crochet at a very cool location called Drink, Shop & Do (later that night the cafe bar was hosting prosecco and pumpkin carving party!)  We were all swapping little bits and pieces as gifts and I was blown away with the lovely things I received from Stasia and Lisa.  I am now the happy owner of some Russian yarn and a really special stitch marker.     I also visited a new yarn shop called Tribe Yarns (@Tribeyarnslife).  I only had about 20 minutes there and it was so amazing.  I can't do it justice just now, so I am going to go back and have a proper look and photograph it properly.  It's in Richmond on the Hill and it is easily one of my new favourite yarn shops.       The lovely Nikki from Ewe Felty Thing also sent me through a skein of yarn, very specifically for making socks with so that I can check out another type of yarn.  I was searching at Yarndale for some alpaca based sock yarn but couldn't find any, so this skein is just perfect.  I will report back in due course so that you know how it wears.       5 - Quick News Beats  Global Hook Ups – I am going to take a month off the Global Hook Ups.  I know that when I come back form Yarnporium, my battery levels are going to be really low and I want to make sure I get a proper recharge during November.  The hook ups will be back in December.   Meet up in Glasgow - 24th November meet up in Glasgow at The Queen of Purls at 3.30pm.  It would be lovely to see some of you there. WIPalong - Charlie from the Love Charlie Podcast and some Instagram friends are hosting #WIPvember.  It runs from 1st - 30th November om Instagram.  All you need to do is get cracking on your WIPs.  My plan is to continue this throughout December too because ideally, I would carry just one WIP into 2019.  I really want to move into the New Year with a clean slate, knowing that I can tackle whatever it is I want and there is no background guilt over long-suffering projects).     6 – Big Up I don't think I have ever told you about my wonderful sister-in-law.  Sarah is Matthew's sister and she is an author and a very good one at that.  She has a new book out under the Urban Fantasy genre and when she was visiting this weekend, we hatched a plan for a giveaway.  'The Night Raven' is the first novel in The Crow Investigation Series.      Sarah is giving away a signed copy of 'The Night Raven' and between us we picked out linen embroidery thread colours to match the front cover which is then part of a raven embroidery bag kit that I am giving away from KNIT IT - HOOK IT - CRAFT IT. The embroidery kit is an absolute one-off (apart from the one that I gave to Sarah - because she is an amazing person).     If you would like to win the prize bundle, take to Instagram and make sure you are following her account (@sarapainterbooks)and my business account (@knitithookit) and leave a comment on the post in my account @knitithookit  If you want to tag a friend that might be interested, then please do, but it isn't compulsory.  Simply comment on the post by 12pm GMT 9th November.     Sarah has a growing back catalogue, many of which are available through Amazon and Audible.       7 - J'adore We have been binge-watching The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel which is airing on Amazon.     Right, I am off to do more prep for Yarnporium and will be spending most of November on the sofa crocheting.     Fay x   Instagram: Crochet_Circle_Podcast  Instagram: provenance.craft.co   Instagram: FayDHDesigns YouTube: The Crochet Circle Podcast Crochet Clan on Mighty Network: Invite            

Hello there and welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast and the show notes for Episode 35 – Sockdale   In this episode, I cover: Old dog new tricks; Sock CAL; Final Destination; En Route; Feeding the habit; Quick News Beats; Big Up and J’adore?   This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co.  Thanks to everyone who tunes into the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.    If you would like to support the podcast, you can do that through Patreon:   1 – Old dog new tricks I was in our Ravelry pages the other day and came across a link that was helpfully posted to try to help people understand what kind of crocheter they are.  You may be a yanker, rider or a lifter.  Your style affects whether or not you are going to hit row tension/gauge and by crocheting in the Rider style, you should be able to hit gauge with most patterns (unless the designer is a Yanker or Lifter).  This can help you to get the right number fo pattern rows/rounds and in the case of a Yanker, stop you from having to use more yarn to get the right length of the project.   I thought I would raise this because a Crochet Clan member said that they managed to get gauge on their stitches, but not rows and their way around that was to add more rows.  This has happened to me in the past too.    Yankers – tend to pull the golden loop (first loop pulled up from yarn round hook) and create shorter stitches because they are yanking down on the loops as they work through each stitch.  With this technique, you are likely to create shorter projects unless you do extra rows/rounds, Riders – this is really where you want to be because your hook is being worked parallel with your row/round and the height is where it ideally should be.  When you pull through a loop from your first yarn round hook, your hook should almost be pointing diagonally down so that you are not extending the loop and you can continue to build the right height as you do the remaining parts of that stitch.   Lifters -  A lifter is the opposite of a Yanker because they extend the golden loop every time, creating a taller stitch.  With this technique, you are likely to create taller projects overall.   If you want to know more about this, I thoroughly recommend looking up Deje Jetmir’s YouTube video.  She takes you through what a difference it makes and how to overcome being a Yanker or Lifter.   2 - #SockAlong 2018 CAL This CAL is well and truly underway and I am mightily impressed with how many socks are being crocheted and the progress so far! It runs from Saturday 29th September – 31st October 2018. There is a series of blog posts taking you through the intricacies of crocheting socks. You can join in with crocheted or knitted socks. The chatter thread is on Claudia’s (Crochet Luna’s Ravelry page), the FO thread will be hosted by Kathryn from the Crafternoon Treats podcast Ravelry Group and I am heading up the Instagram #SockCAL2018 #SockAlong2018. Sock patterns are available from various designers. There will be prizes for winning entries into the Ravelry FO thread and those using #SockAlong2018FO and I showcase some of them on the podcast. The FO thread is already open in Kathryn's Crafternoon Treats Ravelry Group and there are entries already! Here are the links to all of the blog hop folk: #1 Sat 15th Sep - Sock Making Tips - me (http://www.craftyescapism.com/) #2 Sat 22nd Sep - Yarn Choice - Fay (https://www.knitit-hookit-craftit.com/) #3 Sat 29th Sep - Knit vs Crochet Socks - Caroline (https://www.mindandmusecrafts.com/) #4 Sun 30th Sep -  Sock Anatomy - Deanne (http://www.addydae.com/) #5 Sat 6 Oct - Toe up vs Cuff down Socks - Jo (http://jojotwinkletoes.blogspot.com/) #6 Sat 13th Oct - Colour & colour patterns - Marta (http://mrsdaftspaniel.blogspot.com/) #7 Sat 20th Oct - Customising socks - Kathryn (http://crafternoontreats.com/) #8 Sat 27th Oct - Crochet Sock Heels are not Scary - Karen (https://www.karenwhooley.com/)   These designers have offered a discount or free pattern: Karen Whooley - 20% off all her sock patterns and books through Ravelry.  Just use code socktober2018 at the checkout.  https://www.ravelry.com/designers/karen-whooley Deanne from Addydae Designs - 20% off Baseline Socks using code SOCKCAL2018 at the Ravelry checkout.  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baseline-socks  Vicki Brown - free Magdalen Sock Pattern on Ravelry https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/magdalen-socks  Kathryn from Crafternoon Treats Podcast - free SuperSonic Socks on Ravelry https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/supersonic-socks  Caroline from Mind and Muse podcast - free Miniature Hooked Socks and My Sweet Socks on Ravelry  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/mind-and-muse-crafts/patterns    Here are some of the prizes that have been coming in for the CAL:   1 - Shawl pin by Vesna and her Etsy shop UstvarjalniNavdih 2 - Yarn by Bec at Black Horse Yarn with a Votes for Women badge I found at Yarndale 3 - Yarn via The Wool Stop in Bristol but dyed by Deb at Crafty Cat Knitty Bits 4 - Stitch markers by Lisa  5 - Stitch markers by Kathryn at Crafternoon Treats   3 – Final Destination I have a couple of finished things to share with you this month.  I managed to do my project with the Blacker Tor, the birthday yarn I was sent by Blacker and it’s everything Jo said it was in the yarn review was spot on.  It’s bouncy, crochets brilliantly and is beautiful to work with.  I made myself a little bag for all of my essential crochet designers kit.  It’s just big enough to carry my design kit of stopwatch, calculator, notepad, scales and pen and fit inside a project bag.     I am pleased to have finished the crocheted version of Arete.  I had to steek this project and it seems that steeking crochet IS NOT A THING.  It is now.  It works.  My stitches haven’t come undone and the world didn’t implode! Yay.  I plan on writing a couple of blog posts on steeking crochet because I really think it should be incorporated into more designs.  I much prefer tapestry crochet in the round rather than in rows.  So, here is the design and the ways I liked to style it:   Discount codes are set up on both patterns on Ravelry.  Use CROCHETCLAN at check out to receive 50% discount. I also finished my knitted version of Arete and here it is too.     4 – En Route It is all about socks!  Crocheted socks.  I have two different pairs on the go.  Both are using the same Fallen Leaves pattern by Vicki Brown.  I am making both pairs with some of Kathryn from Crafternoon Treats yarn so that I can do a side by side comparison.  Both are 80% Corriedale and 20% nylon, but the bright pink one is non-superwash and the light blue is super washed.      I am intrigued to see the difference between the two and so I am making them both into the same crocheted sock pattern.  My plan is to wear both pairs one day each week for a number of months, put them both through our weekly wool wash and test them side by side to discern whether there is any material difference between superwash and non-superwash.   The yarn is working up really well and is giving great stitch definition with the Fallen Leaves which is beautiful.   5 – Feeding the habit Well, I was at Yarndale.  I am now on a bit of a yarn ban again and I think I am going to try to take it right through to 2019 and assess the situation then. So, here is what has been in my shopping basket this month, bearing in mind that much of it is for designs:     Left - 'Orchard' in Bear Twist by Bernie at Bear in Sheep's Clothing Middle and right-hand side yarn are both Crafternoon Corrie Sock from Kathryn at Crafternoon Treats   Right photo shows all the lovely gifts I have receievd during the month.  Lost of sticth markers and notions.  There were chocolates and tablet...     Left - Alpaca Rose yarn from Border Mill Right - crochet hook roll and bag from Clarisabeth from Crochet Cakes Podcast and DaintyByCrochetCakes Etsy shop, Chocolate bag and Patons Kroy sock yarn from Claudia at Crochet Luna Podcast and esty shop     Left - BFL, mohair and Pecora Brugno from Officina del Colore Naturale  Right - Poll Dorset Lambswool from Kate at Northern Yarn   6 - Quick News Beats  Global Hook Ups – The next Global Hook Up is due to be on Saturday 13th October 2018 (BST) Time: Saturday 13th October 2018 8:30 PM London BST Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/4750475819  The meeting ID number is 475-047-5819 and you will need to join via Zoom which you can do here:  https://www.zoom.us/join There is then a second one on Sunday 14th October at 9am (BST) Time: Sunday 14th October 2018 9:00 AM London BST Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/4750475819  The meeting ID number is 475-047-5819 and you will need to join via Zoom which you can do here:  https://www.zoom.us/join Making Things App - A new pattern app is in the making.  It is called Making Things App and you can take a look at their website and Instagram.  This is quite a different take on how you can access patterns form designers.  Think of a Netflix monthly payment with access to all of the patterns on the app.  I will report back when I know more about a launch date but what I can say is that as a designer and user of paid-for patterns, I am excited about this new platform. C2C CAL - Rosina of Zeens & Rogers podcast is hosting a corner to corner (C2C) CAL.  It starts on Sunday 7th October and runs until 17th November.  You can get all the details here in the blogpost.   Glasgow trip – I am heading to my favourite Scottish city on Saturday 24th November.  If anyone fancies meeting up, I will be heading to The Queen of Purls for about 3.30pm.  The yarn shop is at 1069 Argyle Street, Studio 8, Second Floor, The Hive, Glasgow, G3 8LZ and is open until 5pm. So, if you are in or around Glasgow and fancy squishing yarn with me and going for a coffee, please drop me a line.   8 – Big Up My friend Sophie has taken up podcasting.  She is quite a few episodes in now and you can catch her easy breezy, positive catch ups and see her massive WIP pile over at the A Spring Snowflake Podcast over on YouTube.   Yarndale organisers – it is a fabulous event that is very crochet welcoming and I think becomes more and more crochet friendly every year.    Everyone with a zombie apocalypse plan.  In a short and unscientific poll at Yarndale, three out of eight people do not have a zombie apocalypse plan.  In case you don’t have a plan, here are some tips:  https://comicvine.gamespot.com/profile/masterkungfu/blog/my-zombie-apocalypse-survival-plan/101215/   9 – J’adore Song – I listen to a fair bit of folk music and Spotify brought me ‘Dark Honey’ by Martin Simpson, Andy Cutting and Nancy Kerr.  It is just beautiful.  Claudia – Claudia from the Crochet Luan podcast was over for Yarndale.  We had a blast.  It is just as well we live far apart because I don’t think the world is ready for the amount of naughty we would create together!   Fay x   Instagram: Crochet_Circle_Podcast  Instagram: provenance.craft.co   Instagram: FayDHDesigns YouTube: The Crochet Circle Podcast Crochet Clan on Mighty Network: Invite          

Hello there and welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast and the show notes for Episode 34 – Sock Season   In this episode, I cover: CALs, Yarn review; Final Destination; En Route; Designs in Progress; Feeding the habit; Quick News Beats; Big Uo and J’adore?   This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co.  Thanks to everyone who tunes into the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.    If you would like to support the podcast, you can do that through Patreon:   1 - #SockAlong 2018 CAL This CAL is starting to shape up rather nicely.  Here’s what you can look forward to: It runs from Saturday 29th September – 31st October 2018. You can join in with crocheted or knitted socks. Designers, podcasters and yarn dyers are getting involved with the CAL. You can get the full details closer to the CAL start date on both Ravelry and Instagram (#SockAlong2018) Tamara is organising a blog hop which will start on the 15th of September, two weeks before the CAL starts. The chatter thread(s) will be available on Claudia (Crochet Luna’s Ravelry page), the FO thread will be hosted by Kathryn from the Crafternoon Treats podcast Ravelry Group and I will head up the Instagram # and information. Behind the scenes, we are pulling together some great crocheted sock patterns for you to try out. These range from free to paid for and beginner onwards.  My blog hop is all about choosing the right yarn for crocheted socks and that will come out before the CAL starts so that you have time to get your paws on yarn if you need to. There will be prizes for winning entries into the Ravelry FO thread and those using #SockAlong2018FO The CAL officially starts on 28th September when a bunch of us will be gathered for a picnic at Yarndale.    2 – Yarn review – ‘Tor’ – Blacker’s 2018 birthday yarn Blacker Yarns sent the podcast some of their latest birthday yarn to squish and review.  I asked for some extra skeins so that another clan member could also have a squish with it.  I sent three of the mini skeins to Jo (@jofeatherandthreads on Instagram) and I have been playing with the other three mini skeins. Jo's full yarn review is up in the yarn review Ravelry thread in The Crochet Circle Group.        3 – Final Destination I finished yet another Loft which is a crocheted DK version in gorgeous wine colours.  Again, this is in Knit by Numbers by John Arbon Textiles and will be available to squish on their show stand.   When I was over in Northern Ireland, Louise at Lighthouse Yarns gave me some vintage Irish linen.  I have about 1kg of this linen left after I crocheted up a Zeens & Rogers Market Bag for a friend.        I did manage to whip up a pair of my standard socks using the Alley Cat (AKA Dirty Tiger) yarn that I bought over at Ewe & Ply in July.  I have used West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4 ply for the contrast heel and toes in colourway ‘Poppy Seed’.       4 – En Route Time is 100% against me at the moment.  I have very little personal crocheting time and so things like my summer top have languished in a project bag.  I am desperate to get to it but I just have too many design and show deadlines at the moment.     My Verity V neck is my only real WIP at the moment.  Once this episode is out, I plan on getting some time back for me, myself and I.     5 - Designs in Progress Here is the pashmina/cowl that I have been working on, called Arete.  You can see where it will be steeked - where the stitches differ.  It's going to be nail-biting stuff!       6 – Feeding the habit I took a little look in my Stash Palace the other month and felt a little overcrowded by it all.  That is usually a good time to stop spending or at the very least, slow it down and concentrate on making things instead.  I even declined more Icelandic wool from my Dad…   That said, I had some lovely things liven to me at the Southern Wool Show.  Flic has taken pity on my phone and bought me a child’s stopwatch so that I can get my phone fixed and hopefully not break it again!  Ali gave me some dodgy yarn which isn’t at all dodgy and Helen baked some AMAZING brownies that clearly can’t be shown here because they got wolfed at the end of the show during takedown.   So, here’s what has been incoming this month:       1 – Wild Wool from Erika Knight – a blend of wool and nettle. 2 – Some gorgeous handspun from Mary at Marethdale.  I went to see her at The Pop Up Wool Show at Port Sunlight.  3 - Supposedly 'dodgy yarn' from Ali of the Little Drops of Wonderful podcast.  4 - Hand Spun from Jo at Dancing Goat Crafts. 5 - Present from Flic to preserve my phone! 6 – Studio Donegal’s ‘Soft Donegal’ in shades 5528 & 5219.  I bought these from Louise at Lighthouse Yarns when we were over for Yarnfolk. 7 – Woolganic Knitters Yarn from Australian Fleece Wool in shade CHB8.  I forgot to add it to the photo!       Harvest Hues from John Arbon Textiles ready for a crocheted Arete pashmina/cowl.   It’s a blend of Zwartbles (35%) and Merino (65%) and is only £11 per 100g.   7 - Quick News Beats  Global Hook Ups – The next Global Hook Up is due to be on Saturday 15th September 2018 (BST) Time: Saturday 15th September 2018 8:30 PM London BST Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/4750475819  The meeting ID number is 475-047-5819 and you will need to join via Zoom which you can do here:  https://www.zoom.us/join There is then a second one on Sunday 16th September at 9am (BST) Time: Sunday 16th September 2018 9:00 AM London BST Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/4750475819  The meeting ID number is 475-047-5819 and you will need to join via Zoom which you can do here:  https://www.zoom.us/join   Thanks to everyone that came to say hi at the Southern Wool Show.  I was hugging people right left and centre.  It was an amazing day and I am hoping to be there again next year.  My next show is Yarnporium in London on the 2nd & 3rd November.  It’s a whopper of a show and I have lots of stuff up my sleeve for it. It’s all very exciting!   8 – Big Up To everyone that is helping to pull together the #SockAlong2018.  I am really stretched for time at the moment, so having so many great people being involved in making it a better and more interesting CAL.  Huge thanks and appreciation goes out to Caroline, Tamara, Kathryn, Claudia, Vicki and Deanne.  Let’s get some socks on the hook.      9 – J’adore Song – Of course I have a new song to obsess over and it’s another dance remix.  It’s called ‘Send me on my way’ by Rusted Roots and it’s a Jesse Bloch remix.  You may recognise the original from the film ‘Ice Age’. TV – We have gone back to watch Green Wing for the umptieth time.  This really is proper, silly, British humour.  It can be a bit sweary, so if that’s not your thing then don’t look it up! Autumn - It’s a bit Autumnal round these parts but I’m still managing to eke out a few more times sitting outside (with a blanket) as I work.  I love the Autumn and the fact that soup, log fires and blankets are back on the menu.   Fay x   Instagram: Crochet_Circle_Podcast  Instagram: provenance.craft.co   Instagram: FayDHDesigns YouTube: The Crochet Circle Podcast Crochet Clan on Mighty Network: Invite        

Hello there and welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast and the show notes for Episode 33 – So close, I can sniff it!    In this episode, I cover: CALs, Old dog, new tricks; Final Destination; En Route; Designs in Progress; Feeding the habit; Quick News Beats and J’adore?   This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co.  Thanks to everyone who tunes into the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.    If you would like to support the podcast, you can do that through Patreon:   1 – Old dog, new tricks My Old dog, new tricks is still about the dratted moth. Since last month, I have managed to get on top of the moth situation but I have tried a couple of different methods and wanted to tell you what worked best for me.    Lovely Crochet Clan member Lisa told me about pheromone traps that you can buy.  They are meant to attract the male moths which therefore stops the breeding cycle.  I put the traps down as I was coming to the end of dealing with Moth Gate but still didn’t catch and moths with the various traps I put throughout the house.    What worked best for me was using the hoover nozzle (obviously doing this diligently so that I didn’t suck up my boob this time!)  I think that this is the best technique because you can catch them in mid-air and it doesn’t make a mess.  Obviously, I would rather be able to catch them alive and put them outside but this is really hard to do.    Another lovely Crochet Clan member, Mara, has a pest controller friend and they suggest the ziplock freezer method but with an extended freezer time.  Five days in the freezer, five days out and five days back in.  That means that if any eggs survived and hatched after the first freeze, they should be dealt with in the second freeze.      2 - CALs #SummerTopsCAL – is now finished and there have been so many entries.  I am really impressed and thankful to everyone that took part.  Lots of people made their first-ever garments.  Some people made multiple garments for the CAL!   If you want to see what everyone has been up to you can see the FOs in two locations:   1 – The Crochet Circle Group on Ravelry has a Summer Top CAL FO thread. 2 – On Instagram go to #SummerTopCALFO   I did a random number generator for the prizes and the following people won:  1 - Leather hook case by Nu Shearman, stitch markers by Lisa and a Liberty notebook - Mara (aka @Rubytombstone) 2 – 6 x 50g of Erika Knight Gossypium cotton (enough to make a summer top), stitch markers by Lisa and a Liberty notebook - Wendy (aka @wendlcol)     I also generated a random number for Sharon’s No Sew Mimosa Kimono.  The winner for that was Diranish from YouTube.  #Loftalong – This C/KAL is going strong even with the heat that we have had.  If you downloaded the pattern but you’re not sure what colours to use, look at #LoftAlong or #LoftAlongFO on Instagram for inspiration.  There is also a chatter thread in the John Arbon Textiles group on Ravelry.    Use #Loftalong for your WIPs and #LoftalongFO for your FOs.    3 – Yarn shows – how to survive them I lovely member of the Crochet Clan asked me if I had any tips on how to approach a yarn show, especially if you have never been before. So, I thought I would pull together my top ten tips for surviving and thriving at yarn shows:   1 – Go online and see what people have to say about the yarn show.  Is the food good, is the ground uneven, is day two quieter than day one?  All of this information can help you to really enjoy a yarn show rather than be frustrated by it because you know what you are getting yourself into. 2 – Most yarn shows put a map of the vendors up on their website a couple of weeks in advance.  Download it, look at all of the vendors and decide which ones you would be gutted to miss out on.  They should be your first people to visit, even if you miss out lots of stalls in between for now.  You can always go back and see them once you have seen your favourite vendors. 3 – Dress appropriately.  Wear layers because what on face value may look like a very cold venue soon heats up with thousands of bodies in it.  Get your comfortable shoes on because you are going to do a lot of walking. 4 – Arrive early and try to park as close as possible to the venue.  This means that you have easy access to your vehicle should you want to drop bags off and also a place to sit, rest and take your cup of tea to.  Seating is always an issue at yarn shows. 5 – Of all of the yarn shows that I go to, I would say that only two of them have decent quality food (Wonderwool Wales and Woolfest) for all of the others I am always disappointed by the cost, quality and selection.  If you have specific dietary requirements then taking your own food is a much safer bet.  Again, this is where parking your car as close as possible comes in – you can leave your lunch in the car and go back there for a break.  You can also check out what is available locally.  At Yarndale there is a bus that runs down to Skipton and there are lots of cafes there that you can go and eat in.  There is also an AMAZING farm shop down the hill from the venue where you can eat in or take away.  6 – Go in with a spending budget and take cash with you.  The nature of yarn shows means that many of them are in rural locations and paying by card can be really tricky.  If you take cash then you can only spend what you have with you.  As a general rule of thumb, vendors have a minimum payment for card transactions because they have to pay a percentage for that transaction.  With my system, I have to pay 2.7% of the transaction back to iZettle.  Vendors usually prefer cash for this reason. 7 – Be sociable.  If you have gone alone, go and grab a cuppa and sit with the crowds.  People will gladly strike up a conversation with you.  I am forever being nosy and asking people what they have been buying and asking to see it. 8 – If you have friends on Ravelry or Instagram or a favourite podcaster, see if they are going and whether there is a meetup.  It can be a very lovely hour out of your day where you get to meet people face to face and strengthen your online relationships. 9 – If like me, you don’t do well with big crowds, find out which day is quietest.  In general, a two-day event over a Saturday/Sunday will be quieter in the afternoons and MUCH quieter on Sunday.  For events that are on a Friday and Saturday, the same is true but the Friday would tend to be quieter.  10 – Check the small print.  I have only just seen that people with advance tickets for Yarndale get in at 10am.  If you are buying your ticket on the day, you won’t get in until 11am.  Different shows will have different rules, so make sure you aren’t standing about waiting to get in when you could have had an extra hour in bed. 11 – I have added an extra one in because rather a lot of theft goes on at yarn shows.  If all of the good people were helping to keep their eyes peeled for thieves we might be able to put a stop to it.  So, if you see something that doesn’t seem quite right, please let the vendor know.    I thought I would also add a couple of things that it’s best not to do to vendors: 1 – If you want to take photos of a vendors stand or stock, please ask them in advance.  It’s just good manners and stops us thinking that you are stealing our intellectual property, ready to create your own items. 2 – Don’t stand in a vendors stall and say “I could make that for half the price”.  Yup, this does happen! 3 – Don’t be shy.  Come and talk to us.  There is nothing nicer for a vendor than people appreciating what they are selling and talking about it.  If you ever see me vend, come and say hi and show me what you have bought so that I can live vicariously through your purchases.     4 – Final Destination I have mainly been making Lofts!  A few people asked me for a DK version and so I quickly turned around a DK Loft knitted and crocheted pattern.  Both are available on Ravelry now.  I know that quite a few of you from the US and Canada were interested in trying John Arbon Knit by Numbers but didn’t want to have it sent from the UK.  Corrine from The Woolly Thistle stocks KBN DK in all the colours and shades, so you wouldn’t have to pay international postage. She has pulled together kits that are $49.95 and include 3 x 100g skeins a large tote bag and a pin badge.   Both versions are also much quicker in the DK…         5 – En Route I am still working on my second top for the #SummerTopCAL.  It’s the Verity Top by the lovely Dawn at The Almond Snug.  I am just struggling with time on non-design projects at the moment.  I thought I was going to have a lovely quiet summer crocheting under the umbrella.  Nope.   Last night I started my fourth and final crocheted Loft shawl.  This one is in a DK/Light 3 weight and in the plum colour.  We have a friendly competition going between a few of us on Instagram for a LoftOff and I have until midnight on Friday to get the finish line.  I am currently on Row 60…   I love and hate deadlines in equal measure!    6 – Feeding the habit I have been to lost of woolly events in the last few weeks.  As with last month, I intend on having a double podcast and showing off all the things I have been doing in Episode 34 which will come out in mid-August when I get back from gallivanting in Northern Ireland because I want to show off Yarnfolk and Giant’s Causeway and, and, and… In the meantime, here are some of the goodies that I have bought, been given as birthday pressies.    Button badges from Crochet Luna and second hand books from the Blaze Farm Wool Experience   Icelandic wool from dewsnapswoollens.co.uk in the Peak District (website isn't currently working)   1 - Shropshire Ply from Ewe & Ply in Shrewsbury 2 - Alley Cat (or as I called it "Dirty Tiger") from Ewe & Ply's Legends range 3 - Coloured Ryeland from Find Me Knitting 4 - North Ronaldsay from A Yarn From North Ronaldsay 5 - Feral Sphere Alpaca and Gotland blend from Find Me Knitting 6 - Mermaid and minis in shade Fuchsia from Riverknits 7 - Shepherd's Delight & Shepherd's Warning from Riverknits 8 - Hot Socks from Grundl and available from Ewe & Ply   7 - Quick News Beats Global Hook Ups – The next Global Hook Up is due to be on Saturday 11th August 2018 (BST) Time: Saturday 11th August 2018 8:30 PM London BST Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/4750475819  The meeting ID number is 475-047-5819 and you will need to join via Zoom which you can do here:  https://www.zoom.us/join There is then a second one on Sunday 12th August at 9am (BST) Time: Sunday 12th August 2018 9:00 AM London BST Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/4750475819  The meeting ID number is 475-047-5819 and you will need to join via Zoom which you can do here:  https://www.zoom.us/join   Here is the meringue recipe that I promised.   Here is the Weekday Summer Porridge recipe that's in the latest issue of www.olannand.ie    I found that I had already created the ragu recipe on my old website, so here it is.  You can use red lentils instead of brown.  I also do this as a massive batch cook and store it in preserving jars for months.  It's a great store cupboard meal that is homemade and we always take a jar and a bag of pasta when we go on self-catering holidays.   8 – Big Up Everyone that joined in with the Summer Top CAL.  I know that it has given a lot of people, including me, inspiration to make more tops.  We even had a couple of crocheted dresses entered!      9 – J’adore Song - The latest song that I am obsessed with is ‘Shotgun’ by George Ezra and in particular the Danny Dove remix.  Happy, happy summer tune! TV - The TV programme that we boshed in two nights (two seasons!) was The Good Place.  I loved the premise of this series.  It’s on Netflix and has some great actors (Kristen Bell, Ted Danson, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, Manny Jacinto and D’Arcy Carden) and is from the same creator as Parks and Rec – which I also loved!   Audio book – I am still making my way through The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson.  I’m on Book 4/5 (told in tandem) and I am loving it every bit as much as I did the first time around.                            I will be back in mid-August with the second installment of my Summer Shennanigans.    Fay x   Instagram: Crochet_Circle_Podcast  Instagram: provenance.craft.co   Instagram: FayDHDesigns YouTube: The Crochet Circle Podcast Crochet Clan on Mighty Network: Invite  

Hello my lovelies! Welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast and the show notes from Episode 21 - For the love of socks.   In this episode I cover: Old dog, new tricks; FOs; WIPs; DIPs; Review of Step Into Crochet; Feeding the habit; Big up and What's good?   This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co.  Thanks to everyone who tunes into the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.    If you would like to support the podcast, you can do that through Patreon:   1 - Quick news beats Crochet Cakes - I am very pleased and relieved to say the Clarisabeth and Caroline (and family) are well.  They live in Puerto Rico which was hard hit by Hurricane Maria. The news came via Alyson from the Keep Calm and Carry Yarn podcast.   I have just donated money to the Alianza Somos fund because they are concentrating on areas such as power and communications, two things that will help to get infrastructure back up which should make general aid relief easier.   It may be some time before we hear from Clarisabeth again, and it is just great to know that they are well.   Logging your projects - I am often asked how I log my designs and projects and at long last, I have pulled together a 'How I log my designs, WIPs and FOs' blog in case you are interested too. Setting up a craft group - I asked the good folk of Instagram if they were interested in finding out how I set up and run Woolgathering Sandbach.  The answer was yes, so in the November podcast, I will go through how I went about getting it off the ground, how it has evolved and how much time it takes me to manage the group. Vicki Brown giveaway - I finally got to meet Vicki face to face at Yarndale and she passed me a lucky bag for a lucky listener.  It has a temporary tattoo, gauge, wool needle, mini skein and 10% discount code.  If you want to win, head to the Ravelry thread 'Vicki Brown giveaway' and let me know what your favourite colourway is from her range.   #FridayisDyeDay - if you fancy getting involved on Instagram, a few of us are going to have a Dye Day on Friday 27th October.  Either use the # or follow it to see what dye creations have been made across the globe.  I am going to do some natural dyeing using conker husks/ shells and probably some professional acid dyeing too.  Claudia (Crochet Luna podcast) is going to use acid dyes, Charlie (Love Charlie podcast) is doing natural dying with avocado stones and skins.  You can even use food colourants, so you really don't have to go out and buy specialist equipment.  If you don't have undyed yarn, you can overdye existing yarn that you aren't that fond of.     A quick internet search will give you lots of ideas and thoughts on how to dye your yarn.  I will also be pulling together a blog post in advance to give details on how you can get involved.     2 - Old dog, new tricks It's amazing where you can glean information on crochet techniques from.  This month's Old Dog New Tricks is all about a little trick that I picked up from a pass away comment somebody made on Instagram.  It's a neat little way of increasing stitches without it being as obvious.  It doesn't make a huge amount of difference to your finished object but I do think it is a little less obvious. Instead of crocheting two stitches into one, crochet one on the front loop only and the second in the back loop only.   Give it a try and let me know what you think.    3 - Finished Objects  The sock theme has continued well into September as I pull together the review of 'Step Into Crochet' by Rohn Strong. I would love to say that I now have three pairs of finished socks but actually I have one pair and three singles.  The book review explains why...  I have been working on lots of other design projects that I am hoping to share with you shortly.   In the meantime, this is my other FO for September.  This gorgeous little cardi is called Crumpet and was designed by Erika Knight.  This is my new go-to baby cardigan; it's really quick to work up and the 6-12 month version took just over 100g of DK yarn.     There were two purposes to this cardigan.  The first was to have a crocheted item to send to Knit for Peace with the card to explain what Crochet Circlers had been up to during the summer with Festival of Finishing and helping me to raise funds.  The second was to show the journey of recording, washing, blocking, sewing seams and choosing trims as part of my Blog Hop for the Back to School Sweater CAL.       Last month I had made a start on my Basket Weave Cushion Cover by Jo Janes (AKA Jojotwinkletoes) and now it is an FO!  I was doing more stash diving and using up odds and sods.  This is Aurancania Milidon (no longer available) and was actually a shawl that I never wore and so frogged to reuse the yarn.  I really love the final effect and Autumnal feel of the cushion. It's going to be used outside when I am sitting crocheting and need extra squish and back support.  Thanks for a great pattern Jo, I definitely feel like I now have a good understanding of front and back post trebles!   4 - Works in progress I have one WIP on the go this month and it is a whopper!  It's my #BackToSchoolSweaterCAL.  I went all round the houses with this project - incapable of deciding what I was going to make.  I finally decided on the Aberdeen Castle Cable Sweater and after about seven rows I realised that I just wasn't enjoying the cabling process.    Back to the drawing board and a pattern that I have had queued up for a long time - Sicily.  It's a free pattern by Rowan and can be downloaded straight from Ravelry.  Although the pattern calls for a 4 ply cotton, I am using Shilasdair 4ply (lambswool, angora, cashmere) and it is working up very nicely.  It is light, warm and by the end of the jumper I suspect that I will have only used 350g of yarn.     Future WIP is going to be my second version of Criss-cross using Gym Nut from Green Elephant Yarns.  This is a CAL with Olann and which will start in November.  If you fancy joining in, you need a 2 x 100g of 4ply with at least 375m per 100g.  More details will follow on Ravelry and Instagram.     5 - Designs in Progress There are designs that I can't show you yet because they are for yarn brands and then there are ones that I put out for myself under Fay Dashper-Hughes Designs.   Whilst I always aim within the podcast not to bombard you with KNIT IT - HOOK IT - CRAFT IT shop updates, it occurs to me that you may actually be interested in the design process and how it moves on from one month to the next.  So, this month I am going to show you a design in progress and you can let me know whether this is something that interests you or not.    This design came to me at Yarndale when I bought the yarn from River Knits Yarns.  Their colours are just fabulous and instantly knew how I was going to use the colours in a cowl, mittens and possibly hat too.  I had put the puff stitch into a shawl that I was designing and it just wasn't right, so it got logged away for a couple of weeks, waiting for the right yarn/stitch combo to pop up.       I love how this pattern is working up.  It's going to be called 'Barley' and should be out later this year if all goes well.   6 - Review of Step Into Crochet and £5 discount code I am loving the fact that crocheted socks are getting more air time with more people making them and appreciating the warmth of crocheted socks on their feet.  I received Step Into Crochet as a gift from Claudia of the Crochetluna podcast.  She is a lovely! So, here are a few caveats before I get into the review proper: I have long, thin, pointy feet and thin ankles.  This makes hand crocheted and knitted sock fitting a bit harder.  Standard patterns don't fit me as well and I usually have to make changes to get something that fits well. I have an aversion to using anything below a 3mm hook. If you are starting a new crocheted or knitted sock pattern, be prepared to have a sacrificial first sock that is either going to be wonky or frogged. The three points given above have to be taken into account when you read the review because they are issues that I have to work around when making socks. The book is very detailed - which I love.  There are sections on understanding sock construction, the differences in sock yarn and working out your foot measurements.  This information is incredibly helpful, especially if you have never crocheted or knitted socks before.   There are 16 sock patterns in the book and two of those have been provided as cuff-down and toe-up options, so really there 18 patterns in total.  These patterns build up really nicely from plain one colour patterns through to cables, lace, stripes etc.  What I particularly liked was that different toe, heel and cuff patterns were given too, so you could learn different techniques and see what works best for your feet.  If you have a high instep, for instance, you may need to swap out for a different heel type that gives more stitches.     If you want to get to the point of having really good fitting handmade socks, it usually takes a few pairs and some chopping and changing of construction before you get there and that needs to be taken into account when you are working from sock pattern books.   I chose to work up three separate patterns from the book so that I could review it well and test out different sock yarns at the same time.    Gorman Toe-up was worked up over three socks and two different yarns.  On each occasion I used a 3mm hook and because of that, I had to rework the pattern over 40 sts rather than the smallest size provided which was 44 sts.  This wasn't a difficult task.     Things I loved about the book: The detail given on construction, sizing etc. The stitch guide for each pattern is given at the top of each pattern so you don't have to flick to a glossary at the back. The designs fit really well and are easy to adapt to your preferred length of cuff etc. Good photography which helps to understand the construction of the socks. Lots of ankle socks so you get patterns that can take you through more seasons.    Issues I had with the book: At times, small parts of the pattern were missing.  In Mordecai, the stitch guide for foundation double chain crochet (US) is incomplete.  If you didn't know that, you would struggle to get the sock started.  In the Azalea pattern, the written instructions are incorrect.  It says to repeat rnd 6 to complete rnd 7 but that is incorrect and I only know that because I read the accompanying chart.  These aren't big issues because I have used these techniques enough times but a first-timer coming to these patterns with less confidence may struggle.  It feels like a more thorough tech edit was required to check and double-check the patterns and provide better instructions in some areas.  Again, I managed workarounds and could understand where the problems were but only because I have knitted and crocheted quite a few pairs of socks now.     Would I recommend this book to others?  Even with the issues that I have outlined above, I would still recommend the book.  I would just encourage people to read through the pattern thoroughly, be prepared to frog or have an initial wonky sock until the perfect length, stitch count etc is reached.  It may also be worth heading to project pages on Ravelry where people like me have put up notes explaining changes and pattern work arounds.     There are currently no errata links for this book on Interweave's website or Ravelry.   In the UK the book retails for £16.99 and I think this is good value for money.  Eighteen patterns, loads of upfront information before you even start and loads of techniques to learn.  You just have to have the confidence to know when something probably isn't quite right and be able to work around that.   In the UK the book retails for £16.99 and I think this is good value for money. Eighteen patterns, loads of upfront information before you even start and loads of techniques to learn. You just have to have the confidence to know when something probably isn't quite right and be able to work.   FW Media have offered people in the UK a £5 discount code and free P&P, bringing the cost down to £11.99. All you have to do is call 01206 255777 and use code KHC117. The discount is available until the 15th December 2017.     7 - Feeding the habit Here are some of the things that I acquired at Yarndale:   1 - Yarn from Black Horse Yarns 2 - Dorset Button kit from Tania at TJ Frog 3 - Amazing yarnyness from RiverKnits 4 - More buttons from Textile Garden 5 - Vintage scissors from Eliza Conway 6 - Some paper yarn to play with.   That RiverKnits yarn in the middle is called Indian Giant Squirrel - just look at it unskeined and the the actual beast below!     And here is my amazing prize from Vivian and Alyson from the Keep Calm and Carry Yarn podcast.  This is an exceptionally well-made bag form Vivian via her Pearl and Plum shop.    8 - Big up I have a couple of podcasts for you to take a look at. Both are on YouTube.   Deanne from Addydae Designs is very well known for her crochet designs such as the Blurre shawl, but she has a podcast too.  She lives in Australia which gives it a different twist for me and is very open about her design process and sharing with the audience.    The second is the Thread the Love podcast on YouTube.  Amber has a couple of episodes out so far.  She is a crochet designer and so far her episodes are both under 30 minutes.   9 - What's Good Clarisabeth and Caroline are well - it is worth reiterating that this is very good news.  I am loving that Charlie from the Love Charlie podcast is local to me.  It is really nice to have a podcaster just down the road.      I have just interviewed Becci and Markus from RiverKnits.  I really enjoyed doing the interview with them and it reminded me how much I enjoy the process, so I need to get out on the road and get interviewing people again!  You can hear the interview or watch it.     See you all in November.   Fay x   Instagram: Crochet_Circle_Podcast  Instagram: provenance.craft.co   Instagram: FayDHDesigns YouTube: The Crochet Circle Podcast Crochet Clan on Mighty Network: Invite  

This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co.  Thanks to everyone who tunes into the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.    If you would like to support the podcast, you can do that through Patreon:   Whist visiting Yarndale 2017 (Yorkshire based yarn show), I was ushered towards RiverKnits by my friend Bec.  I was instantly in awe of their yarns, colours and dyeing techniques.   I discovered that they live and dye (see what I did there!) on a narrowboat that was moored up less than a mile from my house.  It was such a golden opportunity to interview a dyeing duo on their boat that I couldn't pass it up.   What you will hear is an interview that was conducted as we sat outside on the narrowboat.  There are knocks and bangs and engines noises.  I deliberately wanted this as part of the interview so that you got a feel for life on the boat.  At the end there are some lovely tunes played by Becci and Markus, so keep on listening.   The interview is also available as a video file on YouTube.  Unfortunately, the footage is overexposed (my bad for not sorting out hte wite balance better) but I felt it was still okay to put out and the interview is just so nice that I couldn't be seen.   Rather than write lots about the interview, I just want to show you some photos below that punctuate the interview.     You can buy RiverKnits yarns from www.riverknits.co.uk and follow them on Instagram and Facebook.  They also have a Facebook page for their folk band Das Boaty McBoatface.      Some RiverKnits colourways   The most amazing 'Indian Giant Squirrel' colourway   The actual Indian Giant Squirrel.   My latest design 'Barley', which uses 100g of Splenidferous Sock in 'Stoke' and 5 x mini skeins of your choice.     One of Becci's favourite dyers is Victoria from Eden Cottage - you can see why!     Some examples of colourways inspired by life on the canal.     Gorgeous leather project bags made by Nu Shearman.  Nu uses British leather and has an Etsy shop.     Thanks for listening and thanks to Becci and Markus for letting me come and interview them.   Fay x   Instagram: Crochet_Circle_Podcast  Instagram: provenance.craft.co   Instagram: FayDHDesigns YouTube: The Crochet Circle Podcast Crochet Clan on Mighty Network: Invite

Lydia and Sophie catch up after an exciting trip to the binder's to see Knitting Outside the Box on press, and after a trip to Yarndale! This episode features a recording of Clara Parked reading from her newest book, A Stash of One's Own. What a treat! Thanks to our sponsors Nature's Luxury.

Sweater weather is finally here and we couldn't be happier! On this episode of the podcast we've got a new yarn from Blacker Yarns to tell you about, as well as TWO giveaways! Our Sponsor This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Garthenor, providing a variety of sustainable, organic British wool products in an ecologically responsible way. See Garthenor’s glorious yarns at the GLYC Mini-Yarn Market after party, or on their website at www.garthenor.com. News and Events Kirstie Allsopp's The Handmade Fair, Hampton Court Palace, London - September 15-17 Yarndale, Skipton - September 23-24 The Great British Sewing Bee Live, ExCel Centre, London - September 21-24 Shetland Wool Week, Lerwick, Shetland - September 23 to October 1 Thread, Farnham Maltings - September 30 Masham Sheep Fair, Masham - September 30 to October 1 GLYC Anniversary KAL Winners! Random chat thread participant - heckythump/Helen from Hull, winner of a skein of Destination Yarn Letter Plus in the colourway Oslo Random finisher - katt94/Katherine from Somerset, winner of a skein of Countess Ablaze Sovereign in the colourway Rebelling Against Suburbia Make Happy - aka What we're working on Rachel is working on not losing her mind while also prepping for Yarndale and plotting to knit all the things in handspun. She's also making incremental progress on her Starting Point. Allison almost finished her Fireflies Rising in time for the GLYC (thwarted again for another year!) and is moving on to her Bousta Beanie to get it finished in time for Shetland Wool Week. New Season New Yarn We chat about a gorgeous new yarn from the good folks at Blacker Yarns. Brushwork is this year's birthday yarn for Blacker. It's a sport weight yarn spun up in 50g balls and 152 meters/165 yarns and available in 8 colours. The yarn is a lofty, bouncy combination of 20% alpaca and 80% wool - 70% from Scottish Bowmont sheep and 10% from Castlemilk Moorit, on the Rare Breed Survival Trust Watchlist.  We chat about our autumn knitting plans too and want to hear about yours! Giveaway #1 To help you with your own autumn knitting plans, Blacker Yarns have generously provided us with two balls of their new Brushwork yarn to giveaway! In the comments for these shownotes, share a patterns suggestion with us (including the Ravelry link!) of what you'd make with this lovely yarn. We'll keep the content open until September 20th, 2017 at 11:59pm BST. Make sure you tell us your Ravelry name so we know how to get a hold of the winner! Giveaway #2 - and a lovely discount! Last March Josh joined Team YITC for the Blacker PodKAL that led up to EYF and she designed and knit the most glorious colourwork sweater. She's just released the pattern after reworking it for Tamar 4-ply (the original was knit in Cornish Tin) and it is now available on Ravelry! Josh would like to kindly offer YITC podcast listeners 20% off the Stranded Gradient Sweater pattern. Use the code YITC20 before Tuesday, September 19th at midnight (Amsterdam time zone). Thank you Josh!! We'll also giveaway one copy of Josh's pattern. To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment on the Episode 67 giveaway thread on Ravelry and tell us what colours of Blacker Yarns Tamar you'd use for your own Stranded Gradient Sweater. The contest will be open until September 20th, 2017 at 11:59pm BST. *** 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  

Hello my lovelies, Welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast and the show notes from Episode Sixteen - Common Thread.   In this episode, I cover: Old dog, new tricks; Tunisian CAL; Review of The Shawl Project Book Three; FOs; WIPs; Feeding the Habit; Big Up and What's Good?   This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co.  Thanks to everyone who tunes into the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.    If you would like to support the podcast, you can do that through Patreon:   1 - Old dog, new tricks This month I was given a great tip by Claudia from the Crochet Luna Podcast.  She asked whether I had ever come across a standing dc (US terminology) and I hadn't.  So, I did what I always do and took to Google to see what it was all about and came across these YouTube videos by Tamara Kelly from Moggly.com: Standing dc (tr in UK terminology) Standing hdc (htr in UK terminology) Standing sc (dc in UK terminology)   I haven't had lots of time to test this technique out fully but I love the results that I got on the coaster that I crocheted.  I did one using the standard chain method for starting the new round in the new colour and one using a standing tr (Uk terminology).  I think that the use of a standing stitch makes the join look much neater and helps to avoid the gap that often appears.  The stitch looks more like a tr and is also bulkier, which means that my eye isn't automatically drawn to an area that looks 'different'.       Tamara's videos are very good and I suspect that once you have tried this technique, you won't go back to using a chain to start a new round off in a new colour.   What I want to investigate next is whether this technique can also be used when you are starting a new round in the same colour.  More on that next month...      2 - Tunisian CAL update This CAL started on the 3rd March and ran until the 16th of April.  Check out the CAL FOs thread on Ravelry (under The Crochet Circle Podcast Group) or on Instagram to see posts under #tccTunisianCAL. The projects have been great and lots of people can now do Tunisian crochet. Well done everyone!  I have pulled together the video for YouTube to announce the winners and show off all of the FOs.    Thanks to everyone that took part, it was great fun.   Our next A Long is going to be a CrAL called the Festival of Finishing. The idea is that through the months of June, July and August you work with some of your crafting WIPs.  I have three (crochet, cross stitch and knitting) that I want to work on and then I won't have any projects that are in hibernation anymore - oh the release!  I am trying to get to a place where I can scoot through projects and don't have my crafting resources tied up elsewhere being unloved.     The graphic for the CrAL looks like this, and you will see it on Ravelry and Instagram.         So why not look your WIPs out now and assess what you want to do with them?  In the next episode, I will cover some of the things that you can do with your WIPs, how to frog your projects, give you some stash buster patterns for those frogged WIPs and pass some advice on donating projects to charity shops.   3 - Review of The Shawl Project Book Three   Jo (jojotwinkletoes on Ravelry and Instagram) kindly agreed to review The Shawl Project Book Three for us. She has already made two of the five shawls and plans to make the other three too!  Rather than post all of the information here, I have created a new thread on Ravelry within The Crochet Circle Podcast group. The Shawl Project Book Three can be bought directly from The Crochet Project website, or through Ravelry.     This is Jo and her Fog Break shawl:     Here are the photos (thanks to Kat and Joanne for providing them) of each of the shawls from the book:       4 - Finished Objects (FOs) Once again, I didn't think I had too much to show but I am clearly busier than I think with crafting!       My FOs are a new bag that I have been designing and thanks to everyone that helped me to choose the colour combination on Instagram.  I'm not sure when this bag pattern will be released because I think it will now be a series of bags rather than a single pattern.     There is my version of the Ocaso shawl by Sol Rencoret.  I really loved doing this Tunisian crochet shawl and working with some different colour combinations that have pushed my boundaries.   I have made a knitted version of my Colum Cowl using Debbie Bliss Rialto DK and Hedgehog Fibres DK in colourway 'Dragonfly'.  The combination of these two yarns has created a very snuggly cowl.   I also managed to finish off another pair of socks using some of the yarn that I received from Racheal, my FibreShare partner.  I love the colours and how they have striped and pooled in the knitted sock.  I started a new pair last night to use the rest of the yarn and they will be donated to Winwick Mum's sock line at Yarndale later in the year.   I nearly forgot to add one of my favourite FOs from this month - my gorgeous new project bag based on the #herbembroiderysal that Chrissie from Chrissie Crafts has been running:     Even if you haven't tried embroidery before, I would recommend giving it a go.  Chrissie has brilliant tutorials on her YouTube channel and the design is lovely.   5 - Works in Progress (WIPs) I only have one WIP and that will be finished very shortly, so I am adding a very near future WIP to the pile. My actual WIP is a second bag design that I am working on as part of the 'KIHICI Bag' series.  This is a very simple pattern that comes with a few variations so that you can truly make it to your own taste.  It looks like a bit of a canoe in this picture but it is a really lovely bag (I actually finished it late last night!) and is most likely going to be called 'Versa'.   The second photo shows my yarn choices for the Hotel of Bees shawl, albeit I am not actually going to do the shawl because I am not really a fan of large open lace sections and I do love a cowl...   So, having bought the pattern, I am going to use the blocks of stitches that I do like and I am going to recreate the Hotel of Bees as a large squishy cowl instead.  Not quite sure how it will turn out but I will be turning my attention to it this weekend.   6 - Feeding the Habit Whilst in Amsterdam I visited the yarn shop which is run by Stephen West and Malia Mather, called Stephen & Penelope.  It is a really lovely shop as you can see from the photo below.  I took some nice video footage of it and will add that to my Amsterdam trip vlog which will be up on YouTube shortly. I bought some bespoke colourways from there and a few other things for designs.  If you are lucky enough to win a prize for the #tccTunisianCAL then you will be getting some buttons that I bought from there.     I also received a lovely parcel from Yael at Handmade by Yael which was full of gorgeous nuggets of Ullcentrum wool which is one of my absolute favourites (see my Linus on the Lines shawl project on Ravelry if you want to see how it knits up).  I have been wearing my lovely handmade necklace a lot and received LOTS of very nice comments on it.  I was a very happy recipient - thanks Yael!    I received an unexpected parcel from Tania at TJ Frog with some beautiful Dorset Button stitch markers and a notions bag in her lovely fabric.  Tania is a woman after my own heart and likes to know the different steps of manufacturing in the items that she sells.  This parcel arrived right in the middle of my preparation for Wonderwool Wales when I could barely keep my eyes open.  Needless to say, it made me very happy indeed.   Ahem, there seems to be rather a lot of stuff below!  It is all for designs, I promise.  Now that Wonderwool Wales is over, I have had designs flying through my mind and the below are all accounted for.  You will see that I had to sneak in all that was left of the 'Nightshade' Devonia because that design is now finished (the Versa bag) and I only got the wool the week before!     1 - John Arbon Textiles Knit by Numbers DK is going to be a large gradient pashmina.  KBN now comes in a whopping 97 shades. 2 - Onion is a new to me yarn brand and I picked out their nettle range to work with (70% wool and 30% nettle fibre).  It is supposedly good for making socks with which I can believe because nettle fibre is extremely strong.  I really wish I had bought more to test this out with socks but it will have to be next year instead!  They have a range of interesting yarns at Onion and although there are no UK stockists, they are widely stocked elsewhere. 3 - Laura from Bellica Yarns was my vending neighbour at Wonderwool Wales.  She was an absolute joy to meet and her yarns are beautiful and VERY reasonably priced at only £12 per 100g.  Here is the link to Laura's Etsy shop - Bellica Yarns.  The one that I bought will become a cowl design for Jenny as a thank you for helping me out during that weekend. 4 - Undercover Otter is in the process of moving their selling platform, but the www will be the same.  You can buy the bespoke Stephen & Penelope colourways online, ignore what I said in the podcast and Undercover Otter will be opening their shop up soon.  These two beauties will be a shawl and although I wouldn't usually do a pastel shade, it really works with the dark teal (always one of my go-to colours). 5 - A tiny little nugget of Devonia 'Nightshade from John Arbon Textiles.  This is very special wool given that it is 100% grown and spun in Devon, England. The composition is 50% Exmoor Blueface / 30% Devon Bluefaced Leicester / 20% Devon Wensleydale and it is lovely to work with.  Sturdy and soft with a beautiful sheen from the Wensleydale.  They have just released a DK range too. 6 - My lovely Dorset Button pouch and stitch markers from Tania at TJ Frog.  Tania also has an audio podcast which is delightful!     7 - Big Up I have a couple of podcasts for you and some new yarn: Crochet Luna Podcast with Claudia is a YouTube podcast all about crochet!  Claudia is lovely and her enthusiasm for crochet oozes through the screen!  Claudia is Crochet Luna on Instagram. Fiber Friends Podcast with Adrienne, Louise and Caroline is a YouTube podcast about knitting, bags, yarn, ding, patterns - everything basically. They have a great friendship and make me laugh a lot. Adrienne - dyes yarn as Old Oak Yarns and has an Etsy shop here. Louise - is also on Instagram and is a knitting designer and teacher. Caroline - is also on Instagram and makes bags for her shop on Etsy which is called Evertote. Poly Jane Yarns has a new range out called the Inca Collection which she sells alongside her own hand-dyed and other well-known brands.  If you were a fan of Atresano yarns, then you will be pleased to hear about the Inca Collection:     8 - What's Good The John Arbon Mill Open weekend is on on the 10th & 11th of June and I am hoping to get there!  It's free to attend, you just need to book in which slot you want to go to on the Saturday or Sunday.  The mill is at South Molton in Devon and is well worth a visit. I am heading to Woolfest and I'm not sure which day yet.  If anyone fancies meeting up for a coffee, let me know and that will help to set my mind on which day I head there.  Woolfest is on the 23rd & 24th June up in Cockermouth in Cumbria.   Until June my lovelies.  Remember to get your WIPs out and see what you want to work on in June, July and August.   Fay x   Instagram: Crochet_Circle_Podcast  Instagram: provenance.craft.co   Instagram: FayDHDesigns YouTube: The Crochet Circle Podcast Crochet Clan on Mighty Network: Invite  

it's just yarndale musings.

Welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast. Here are the show notes from Episode Eight - I'm Still Standing.   In this episode we will be covering Yay Crochet or Nay Crochet; Yarn Clubs; Book Review of 'Three from the Top'; Yarndale Festival Review; FOs; WIPs; Feeding the Habit; a quick update on our first book 'Take Two' and finishing with What's Good?   This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co. and Lynne Rowe Knitting and Crochet Thanks to everyone who tunes into the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.    If you would like to support the podcast, you can do that through Patreon:   Thank you for helping us reach over 5200 audio downloads and to all of our lovely listeners and watchers for tuning in.  As well as our audio podcast, we will also upload each audio episode to our YouTube channel - The Crochet Circle Podcast.  This may be a few days after the audio launch each month.   1.Yay Crochet or Nay Crochet (at 3.25 mins) It's a yay from Fay: Having previously had a Nay Crochet about the lack of crochet stalls at yarn events, I am pleased to report that my Yay Crochet is the amount of crochet related stalls at Yarndale.  I pulled together the below map to aid crocheters that were coming to Yarndale and for those that weren't able to get there so that they could go on-line and investigate the vendors.   It's also a yay from Lynne:  The love for crochet seems to be growing - I currently have 12 lovely ladies eagerly awaiting their weekly "learn to crochet class" at Sandbach Boys School, Cheshire. Classes are run by The Link and the next round of classes will be "next steps crochet". 2. Yarn Clubs (at 7.35 mins) This kick starts the beginning of a new series where we talk about yarn clubs.  The intention is to cover off standard yarn clubs within this episode and in the coming couple of months investigate themed yarn clubs (where you get more than just the yarn) and crochet boxes (where you receive the yarn, pattern etc. either in one hit or as part of a larger month by month project).    Fay signed up to a club from Life in the Long Grass, an Irish based husband and wife dying team.  They take inspiration from their surroundings and pull together some of the nicest speckled yarns available.     Amazingly, Fay managed to wait a whopping 24 days to open up the package so that it could be done as part of the podcast recording. Was it worth the wait?  Yes it was!  Looking forward to the next instalment? Oh, yes.     Here are the details of Fay's yarn club subscription: Name: Life in the Long Grass (LITLG) Autumn Club. Cost: The single subscription is 70 EUROS or you can double up to get 2 x 100g skeins over three months for 120 EUROS.  This means that each skein including P&P costs 20 EUROS (about £105 for the entire double subscription - £17.50 per skein).  This is good value for money given that a single skein costs £19 elsewhere and you may also incur P&P costs if you buy online.     Colours: You don't know what they will be in advance, although you can guess that because it is the autumn club, the colours will be autumnal. Had I seen this in a shop, I wouldn't have gone to buy it, however, I absolutely love all of the colours.  Receiving yarn in this way can be a risk because you don't know what the colours will be.  I am very happy with the colours I received in the first month and the fact that they will move me on from my usual colour palette of blues.    Yarn base: Another factor to think about is whether you are going to like the base that they are using.  I had already squished LITLG yarn and so I knew that I liked their base (75% superwash merino 25% nylon, 100g is 400m) and wouldn't have any issues with it.       Lynne has ordered a one-month subscription from Baa Baa Brighouse and it is due to arrive in October. The yarn dyer for October was Katie Pearce of Sylvan Tiger Yarn, based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. Her inspiration came from ‘Stained Glass’ by Shutterspot Photography. The picture was taken at St Matthew’s Church in Rastrick, just a stone’s throw away from Baa Baa Brighouse HQ. There is evidence to suggest that the site has been a place of worship from as early as the 10th Century.  The colourway will be based on a stained glass window.   Here are some of the other yarn only clubs (from the British Isles) that we have come across, and if you think we have missed any or, you have suggestions, why not add them to our yarn club chat thread in Ravelry?    1 - Hedgehog Fibre Twist Club, 100g each month for three months for 64.50 EUROS (not sure if this includes the 14 EUROS P&P). 2 - The Golden Skein The Power of 3 Yarn Club, 100g each month includes postage and continues for three months for £75 in total. 3 - Devon Sun Yarns Sock Yarn Club, 100g each month for three months for £55 including P&P. 4 - DT Crafts Super Sock Medley Membership. 100g each month for three months including P&P for £45. 5 - Ripples Crafts Yarn Notes from Assynt (Reliable Sock) Club, 100g each month for three months including P&P for £52. 6 - Cuddlebums Sock Yarn Club, 100g per month and can be purchased on a monthly basis for £16.50 including P&P.  A general google search for 'Yarn Clubs UK' will bring up lots of other options.  Our suggestion would be to check them all out (you won't know the prices of some until the club goes live) and sign up to the dyer's newsletters and follow them on social media.  That way, you will be one of the first to know about their yarn club openings.  You need to be quick though because they generally sell out very quickly.   3. Book Review - Three from the Top (at 25.55 mins) We talk about the duo of Kat Goldin and Joanne Scrace rather a lot, and with good reason.  They create gorgeous, functional, well-written patterns using beautiful yarns.  Back in April, they brought out a book called 'Three from the Top' but whilst we haven't been able to make anything from it yet, one of the Crochet Circler's, Helen, has so far made two of the three cardigans from the book, so we asked her to do the review for us and she kindly agreed! Here is a picture of Helen wearing her version of the Aberfoyle cardigan and below are the top-line details of her review.  The full review can be read on Ravelry here.     Three from the Top highlights: Overall: 5/5. Value for money: 5/5 (£12 hardcopy plus digital or £10 digital only). Likelihood to make again: High. Likelihood to recommend to a friend: Yes - I already have!  The book can be bought online at The Crochet Project. 4. Yarndale (at 34.20 mins) Fay: It is a very different proposition to attend a yarn festival as a trader rather than a visitor.  It is hard work and you are 'on' with nowhere to hide for a full two days.  I have a newfound respect for people that are trading at yarn festivals weekend after weekend.   It was lovely to meet so many Crochet Circle listeners and special thanks to Kate for showing us her beautiful crocheted shawl and Eleanor for the offer of a cuppa next time we are in the area. The only downside to Yarndale 2016 was that I didn't have any time to go yarn shopping.  Dinna fash yersels readers, I was in Glasgow for 24 hours last weekend and more than made up for it!   Lynne: Despite being shattered, I had a great time exhibiting at Yarndale. It was lovely to meet so many people and chat about knitting and crochet. Thanks to everyone who bought my books and to my good friend Cassie for helping me on the stand - I couldn't have done it without her. And thanks to Martine for providing regular hot drinks on Sunday. Overall it was a great success. I'm so glad that a lot of my knitting and crocheted samples have gone to new homes and hopefully, I'll be seeing lots of FOs of your Mandalas and Fairytale characters.     Easily the cutest visitor that we had at the stand.   The baby was given one of Lynne's samples to wear.   5. FOs (at 58.25 mins) Fay: My FOs have been reasonably small ones this month because I was making little things to dotaround my Yarndale stall such as the Cow Parsely Garland that I had favourited in a previous Magazine Roundup.  The only big item that I finished was my second crocheted garment for Yarndale - Wrapover Top as seen below. You can get all of the details from my Ravelry page.   Lynne: most of my FOs have been work-related so it's hard to share them with you before they're published. But I did create a cute little cuddle bear for Yarndale with his own snuggle blanket, and he proved very popular.   Also, I recently completed another toy for Crochet now magazine, which is a dress-up doll. Each month, a new outfit will be published. I love how Editor Hugh has made a clothes rail for her outfits.   6. WIPs (at  66 mins) Fay: Some of mine (shorelines blanket, Tardis cushion, two Uncia shawls) haven't been picked up at all but this is mainly because of Yarndale and Take Two preparations.  I have been working on a couple of knitted pairs of socks, one of which is for a charity project and that is all I have had time for.   So, my WIP list is currently at six including the socks below.   Lynne: I'm the same as last month at 14, as I haven’t had any time to work on my own WIPS. I’ve started and finished lots of projects (work-related) but nothing for myself so I’m really looking forward finishing my Search Press book so that I can get on with making things for myself (hopefully). 7. Feeding the Habit (at 76.50 mins) Fay: Well of course very little was added at Yarndale, but a couple of weeks before, I took part in The Great London Yarn Crawl.  In short, you sign up to be with a group that has a specific route for the day and times to be at certain yarn shops in London.  We had a fab tour guide called Jenny who successfully navigated us around the busy London streets from Liberty's to i Knit London and then on to Sharp Works (my absolute favourite of the three shops).  As we were all so fleet of foot, we managed to cram in Loop London as well before making our way to the pub (open just for yarn crawlers) for the raffles and a Q&A session. It was a great day out and formed a large part of my best friend Jenny's birthday present. Here are September's yarn purchases! 1 - Sassenach from Yarns from the Plain    2 - Knit by Numbers from John Arbon Textiles   3 - DK from Wensleydale Sheep Shop bought at i Knit London   4 - Mini from Owl About Yarn   5 - Mini from Third Vault Yarns   6 - Alpaca from Juniper Moon Farms, bought at Sharp Works in London   7 - Madelinetosh bought from Loop London A couple of weeks before that, I had organised a yarn dying workshop which of course meant more yarn acquisitions.  It was great fun to try dip dying, kettle dyeing and hand painting and all three techniques gave very different results.  So far, I have started a pair of socks off in my hand-painted yarn (see the Fugly Sock picture under my WIPs). This picture shows lots of the yarn dyed during the workshop - so many colours! Lynne: I bought a sock bag from Fay at her yarn dying workshop along with a tension square gauge and some lovely Italian scissors and a leather sheath. I also bought a couple of skeins of yarn from Nic (Yarns from the Plain) and two cute little tins of hand cream from Rachel Atkinson at Yarndale.       8.Take Two update     We took our samples for our book 'Take Two' to Yarndale and they were very well received.  The book will be available in November and here is a hint of what it will contain:   It will cost £12 for the hard/digital copy and £10 for digital-only copy.     9. What’s Good (at 105 mins) Fay: Whilst doing all of the preparation work I had many hours to listen to/watch podcasts.  I binge-watched Tilly Trout on YouTube because she is always upbeat and positive and kept me motivated through many days of hard graft!  Tilly mainly knits but also makes quite a few crochet projects.  If you need to brighten your day, try a Tilly Trout episode!   A sneaky second What's Good? is that I am going to be in Glasgow for 24 hours and my DAD (!) has looked up which yarn shops I would want to go to. I will be heading to The Yarn Cake and The Queen of Purls and will report back in the next episode.   Lynne: I've made a start on my new regime - to work upstairs in the Woolnest instead of downstairs in the dining room/living room. It's much better in terms of keeping the house tidy and having everything accessible and close to hand. Next stop is to sort out my work/life balance - watch this space.   Also, I spotted a new yarn shop in Congleton, on West Street, called the Craft Barn (or the Craft room?) - I'll check it out and let you know all about it next time.   Happy listening and crocheting.   Lynne and Fay x   Instagram: Crochet_Circle_Podcast  Instagram: provenance.craft.co   Instagram: FayDHDesigns YouTube: The Crochet Circle Podcast Crochet Clan on Mighty Network: Invite        

We're back from Yarndale with lots of colourful news to share, including interviews with Alexa from Tin Can Knits (and a giveaway of their new book!) and Joy from The Knitting Goddess! Sponsor: The Loveliest Yarn Company is a new online yarn shop bringing you the loveliest yarn and knitting accessories.  Buying yarn online can be a bit fraught so they have gathered the best into one place.  They have knit, washed and worn everything so people know it’s all been tried and tested by knitters. The Loveliest Yarn Company stock artisan hand dyed yarn from Life in the Long Grass, organic merino from Rosy Green Wool, some great stalwarts of the yarn world from West Yorkshire Spinners, irresistible accessories from Merchant and Mills and lots more.  All from theloveliestyarncompany.co.uk. Podcast listeners can get 10% off in October with the code YITCEnabled2016.  If you aren’t shopping for yarn at the moment, sign up for their newsletter on the site.  Shout outs, news and events: 3rd-9th October: Spinzilla 5-9th October: Knitting & Stitching Show, Ally Pally - If you're going, please say hello to our awesome sponsor Michelle from The Loveliest Yarn Company who will be on stand C28 with her beautiful yarns! 8th October: Little Grey Girl birthday party, Countess Ablaze Studio in Manchester 9th October: YARN the movie, various locations - we'll be at Hackney Picturehouse in London 10th-16th October: UK Wool Week 15th October: Stitch Solihull stitch up 22nd-23rd October: Bakewell Wool Gathering 29th-30th October: Kendal Wool Gathering  But of course our big and exciting news is that advance tickets and workshop registration for Yarnporium the 5th and 6th of November are now available!  We're thrilled with the stellar line-up of tutors and classes that we've arranged for the Yarnporium. Classes run 3 hours each and are on both Saturday and Sunday with offerings from Julia Billings, Renée Callahan, Kat Goldin, Joanne Scrace, Juju Vail and Karie Westermann. Click here to see the list of all workshops or click here to register or buy your tickets! What we're working on: Allison is working on the sleeves of her Porpoise Fur handspun sweater (see? they're hidden in the photo above!) as well as getting ready for Spinzilla this week. What to spin? What to spin? Rachel was too busy getting ready for Yarndale (and recovering from Yarndale) to get much knitting done but did manage to finish her sweater design in The Fibre Co.'s new Arranmore yarn which will be an exclusive pattern for A Yarn Story.  Mad About Colour Our theme for this episode is a colourful one thanks to the release of Tin Can Knits latest book Mad Colour and a new collaboration between The Knitting Goddess and Blacker Yarns for Blacker's St. Kilda limited edition lace weight. We interview both Alexa from Tin Can Knits and Joy from The Knitting Goddess with lots of chatter about colour and why we love it. Mad Colour Giveaway! Tin Can Knits have kindly given as a copy of the Mad Colour e-book to give away to a lucky listener! If you'd like to enter for a chance to win, leave a comment on these show notes by Thursday, 13th October. Tell us which pattern you'd knit first, your favourite colour, and your Ravelry name so that we can notify you if you're the winner. We'll announce the winner on the next episode of the podcast. Good luck! You can find the podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio and 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. Everyone’s really friendly and we hope to see you there! Have a great couple of weeks and we’ll chat with you soon! Music (all available on NoiseTrade): Michigan Left - Arkells Hey Doreen - Lucius

(with apologies to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) In this episode we recap the upcoming chock-full month of October, our recent FOs and the glorious (and wet!) fourth annual Great London Yarn Crawl, as well as having a bit of an inpromptu chat with Linda Lencovic from Kettle Yarn Co. about her new collection for her amazing Baskerville yarn, Dusk to Dawn. Shout outs, news and events: 24th September-2nd October: Shetland Wool Week  1st October: Cheshire Fibre Festival 2nd October: Perth Festival of Yarn 5-9th October: Knitting & Stitching Show, Ally Pally 8th October: Little Grey Girl birthday party, Countess Ablaze Studio 9th October: YARN the movie, various locations - we'll be at Hackney Picturehouse. 10th-16th October: UK Wool Week 15th October: Stitch Solihull stitch up 22nd-23rd October: Bakewell Wool Gathering 29th-30th October: Kendal Wool Gathering  What we're working on: Rachel has finished, at long last, her Dark and Stormy by Thea Colman in SweetGeorgia Superwash Worsted in Wasabi - woot! She is also finishing a pair of Espresso Macchiatto socks from Coffee with C.C., and is trying to figure out what project she's going to take to Yarndale for working on at the Porpoise Fur booth. Allison finished the shawl part of Because Sock Yarn and has started the Lambton Panes Shawl from Cowtown Knits. Yarn Crawlers of the Baskervilles: 2016 GLYC Statistics: 100 yarn crawlers 15 volunteers 13 shops 20 sponsors 112 knits collected for Knit for Peace And £1185 raised for our charity, Refuge. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! That's almost £3,800 to date! Many thanks too to Kettle Yarn Co. who generously let us grill her at the GLYC after party on tape and in front of the assembled Yarn Crawlers about her new(ish) yarn, Baskerville, and the just launched collection of patterns in her collection, Dusk to Dawn.

Welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast. Here are the Show Notes from Episode Seven - Buzz, Buzz, Buzz.     In this episode we continue with our crochet journeys, including helpful hints on sewing up; Yay Crochet or Nay Crochet; Yarn Club; Magazine Round-up; WIP's and FOs; Feeding the Habit, including Fay's trip to Fibre East; a sneaky peak at a couple of projects from our first book "Take Two" and finishing with What's Good.   This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co. and Lynne Rowe Knitting and Crochet Thanks to everyone who tunes into the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.    If you would like to support the podcast, you can do that through Patreon:   Thank you for helping us reach over 4100 audio downloads.  Thanks to all of our lovely listeners and watchers for tuning in.  As well as our audio podcast, we will also upload each audio episode to Youtube. We've now taken the plunge with Episode Seven and recorded it live for Youtube, which was exciting but a bit nerve-wracking too. So shortly you can see us as well as hear us. We also have a new backdrop, curated by Fay: You can find us here on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUpBm_Y5l_7S4Q114eKd11g   1.Yay Crochet or Nay Crochet (at 10:00 mins) It's a bit of both from Lynne: I recently went to Portugal on our family holiday and spotted quite a few crochet garments and accessories. The first thing I spotted was a gorgeous long cover-up which I  don't think was handmade, but it was lovely all the same. I also spotted a few nice crochet bags and some bright pink crocheted tops that seemed to be very popular. But the icing on the crochet cake was a crochet swimming costume – yes indeed I did spot a crocheted costume. It was quite like a bikini that was then joined down the middle. I didn’t see it in water – only on the sunbed, so not sure how it held up when wet.   It's a Yay Crochet from Fay: One of my book designs is a bag.        I finished it about a week ago and wasn’t 100% sure of the bag flap that I had designed.  So, come Monday morning I took the time to very carefully undo the flap - easier than it sounds because the yarn is a Mohair and Wensleydale mix and it took me a couple of hours.  I redesigned the flap and am now really pleased with the overall design and functionality of the bag.  It was worth taking the time out and getting the project to where I wanted it to be.   2. Our Crochet Journey: Weaving in ends when finished and when changing colour (at 20:00 mins) The easiest method is when joining double crochet row ends together as you can join the pieces by simply working double crochet (US single crochet) through the row ends of your work (working 1dc into each row end). This produces a neat, slightly stretchy finish. If you want a non-stretchy finish, use slip stitch instead.   If your work is in treble crochet (US double crochet) or half treble (US half double crochet) then it's not as straight forward because the posts of the stitches are longer, so working 1 stitch through each row end doesn't work. It's often a case of trial and error - try working 2 stitches into one row-end then just 1 stitch into the next row end, and repeat to the end. The good thing with crochet is that you can easily rip it out if there are too many or too few stitches.   Alternatively, you can use whip stitch to join trebles and half trebles, inserting your wool needle through the posts of the stitch (rather than underneath them, which can create a gap and leave the seam looking a little unsightly). Fay decided to add a row of double crochet (US single crochet) along the side of her garment, to create a much neater finish.      Granny Squares are easier to join as you already have a neat chain edge all around. You can use either double crochet (US single crochet), working through the back loops of the outside stitches (on the right side or wrong side depending on if you want a visible seam or not). You can also use a slip stitch to join Granny Squares but only use this on the wrong side of your work.    When changing colour when working, you can work over your yarn ends (like Tapestry Crochet), so hold your yarn end across the top of the stitches being worked and when you insert you hook into the stitch, wrap yarn around hook and pull back though, you will trap the yarn end into the stitch. Do this for about 6 or 7 stitches.   Links to useful websites for joining your work: Joining seams with a slip stitch and double crochet (US single crochet): http://www.simplycrochetmag.co.uk/2013/01/09/beginners-class-joining-shapes-together/   Joining Granny Squares using 4 different methods: http://blog.deramores.com/how-to-crochet-joining-granny-squares/ Joining Granny Squares as you go: http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/joining-asyougo-sqaures.html     3. Magazine Reviews (at 41:00 mins) Let's Get Crafting issue 84: Theme is Christmas (is this too early?? - what do you think). There are lots of cute toys and decorations.   Lynne's favourite is the Bear from North Pole Buddies (page 40) designed by Aine Marriott.   Fay's favourite is the article "From Barn to Yarn" on pages 20 and 21. See issue 84 projects here on Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/lets-get-crafting-knitting--crochet-84/patterns   Inside Crochet issue 80: Theme is still summery. Lynne's favourite is Star in a Star Blanket, by Red Sparrow Crochet, page 77 Fay's favourite is Wayfairer's Jumper by Molla Mills See issue 80 projects here on Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/inside-crochet-issue-80-2016   Crochet Now Issue 5: Theme is 'bright'. Lynne's favourite is the free Mandala pattern booklet - The Big Mandala Swap which includes Lynne's design in Reds and Oranges, called Passion, page 42.   Crochet Now has teamed up with charity Rethink and yarn shops across the country so you can make a Mandala to swap, and maybe find a new crochet friend. Pages 80 and 81. Find out more about the Big Mandala Swap here: http://www.crochetnow.co.uk/mandala-swap/ Fay's favourite is Patchwork Garden Baby Blanket by San Beee, pages 60 and 61. Link to Crochet Now: http://www.crochetnow.co.uk/     4. FO's (at 51:50 mins) Fay: Blanket and cushion for our book.  Both were using Alafoss Lopi wool: http://alafoss.is/knitting-yarn/alafoss-lopi/ which is from the Icelandic sheep and is a chunky yarn.  I used a 5.5mm hook (US size 9). The fourth sock as part of my study in sock stripes – I have no HOs!    I have used four different techniques to try to find the best way of adding even stripes to socks and other projects knit in the round.  I have written a blog post about it so if you are also a knitter and like me have been striving to find the perfect stripe technique, take a look here: https://www.knitit-hookit-craftit.com/blogs/news/jog-free-sock-stripes-two-pairs-of-socks-from-100g-of-yarn    I was using two different John Arbon sock yarns.  The pink is Exmoor Sock Yarn in shade Blossom: https://www.jarbon.com/yarns/exmoor-sock-yarn/exmoor-sock-yarn?zenid=u4mj75qpai6ncafru3fd9blr22#.V73Q9ZgrLic  The grey is Alpaca Sock Yarn in shade Charcoal: https://www.jarbon.com/yarns-wools/alpaca/alpaca-sock-yarn/uk-alpaca-sock-yarn?zenid=u4mj75qpai6ncafru3fd9blr22#.V73RC5grLic I use 2.5mm needles and generally knit a 60 stitch sock. A pair of these lovely socks will be donated to Winwick Mum's Yarndale sock appeal: http://winwickmum.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/yarndale-sock-line-2016.html     A few episodes ago I'd been a bit eager and put this shawl in my FO list and then had to admit within the podcast that I had messed up the rows.  I left it on the naughty step for two months, then frogged it back and then inside of four nights, I had knitted the lace and done the picot edge bind-off.  I used Rowan Finest for this project in shade 067 Cool: http://www.knitrowan.com/yarns/rowan-finest   It was glorious to work with, so soft and warm.  I used 4mm (US 6)  Knit Pro Symphonies. It is made from extra-fine merino, cashmere and royal alpaca.  I didn’t know what ‘royal alpaca was so I looked it up.  Baby alpaca is between 19 and 21 microns in diameter.  Royal alpaca is anything below 19 microns and so is supposedly the finest alpaca that you can get.  Only about 1% of the alpaca produced is deemed to be royal alpaca. Human hairs range from about 17 – 181 microns depending on age, colour, weather etc. You can find out more about Royal Alpaca here: http://www.alpacacollections.com/natural-fibers     I mentioned a couple of episodes ago that I had bought The Book of Haps by Kate Davies Designs, even though I had tried my hardest not to.  I also tried to not join the KAL and failed miserably! I used Rowan Felted Tweed in five different colours and really love the outcome.  All of the details on yarn and needles can be found on my Ravelry page:  http://www.ravelry.com/projects/MaDashper/nut-hap   I have added extensive notes, so if you were thinking about doing a Nut-Hap, you may want to take a look at my Kingfisher version before you start.  Mine is huge (but still lovely)!   I would definitely use this yarn for crocheting with and am currently dreaming up a cowl design for my leftover Rowan Felted Tweed.    Lynne: The only FOs I can share are the projects for our book – I finally finished my cushion which I LOVE, especially as it uses one of my favourite yarns (Wendy Ramsdale). I love the texture that I’ve created, which works perfectly with the yarn (which almost feels a little felted). I finished a shawlette (also for the book) and lots of projects for my latest Search Press book – I did have some knitting help with a couple of the projects, which was a relief, but there was still a lot of work to do, alongside some regular commissions that I do each month, so I’ve literally been knitting or crocheting all day pretty much every day and will be doing so for the foreseeable future. This month I've made: 2 hot water bottle covers, boot toppers, crochet collar, bunting, hats, washcloths, a deep cowl, a pincushion, a dress-up doll with outfits and some stuff I can't even remember. I've worked with some gorgeous yarns, including Sublime's Evie and Superfine Alpaca DK - both are beautifully soft to work with and are firmly placed on my "favourite yarns" list: http://sublimeyarns.com/       5. WIPs (at 72:45 mins) Fay: My WIPS are five in total plus some projects that didn’t even make the WIP list. I still have some standard items like the Tardis cushion and shorelines blanket which have had NO LOVE!  I have had to work on lots of crochet projects for the book and so these two WIPs have been placed on the back burner for now.   I've made a decent amount of progress on my Wrap Over Top from Simply Crochet issue 41.  Again I am using Rowan Finest but in shade 069 Star.  It's really lovely to crochet with even though it splits occasionally. So far I have used 9 balls worth and will probably need to put 12 into it.  Luckily I got the yarn at the Black Sheep Wools sale and so got 10 balls for under £30 instead of £65!  I had to do some maths to rejig the pattern for this yarn, and now that I am on the last 6 rows (but I will probably extend it) I can see that my calculations seem to have worked, so very worthwhile doing the swatching, blocking and maths.     I may have also started two new haps from The Book of Haps… Uncia – using John Arbon’s Harvest Hue’s 4 ply in Blue Spruce https://www.jarbon.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=36_184_176&products_id=245#.V73ZDZgrLic Uncia– using John Arbon’s Devon Wensleydale 4 ply which is an undyed natural grey.  Lynne: I'm the same as last month at 14, as I haven’t had any time to work on my own WIPS. I’ve started and finished lots of projects (work related) but nothing for myself so I’m really looking forward to a yarn dying workshop next week, organised by Fay, as it will be a nice to step away from knitting and crocheting for  few hours and learn a new skill. 6. Feeding the Habit Rabbit (rabbit... rabbit... rabbit) Link to Chas and Dave song "Rabbit, Rabbit": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOSseI1hao8   Fay: Since we last recorded, I've been to Fibre East. Unsurprisingly the yarn that I got was John Arbon mini skeins and some BFL fibre tops, also from John and Juliet.  The stand across from them at Fibre East was selling spindles and so I bought one of them too because I am desperate to learn how to draft, ready for the inevitable spinning wheel. Other habit feeders were our new mascot, who remains nameless until the competition has been judged at the beginning of September.  I also bought a new shawl pin which is ceramic and made in the UK: http://an-caitin-beag.myshopify.com/    I also bought some 2 ply linen to  play with and Verity’s new sock book  –  The Sock Drawer: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/449213136/the-sock-drawer-pattern-collection?ref=shop_home_active_1  If you haven’t heard the interview with Verity from Truly Hooked yet, then take a listen - it's been one of our most popular interviews to date.     However, that was on the 31st of July and so I created a self-imposed yarn diet throughout the month of August. Today is the 25th and, so far I have not bought any yarn that will be in my hands in August (apart from signing up to a yarn club).  I have six more days of no yarn buying and can prove a point to myself.   Lynne: I haven’t bought anything either this month, as I know I don’t have any time to crochet or knit and the Woolnest is just overflowing with stuff. So rather than buy new yarn I’ve gone through my drawers and bags and sorted out all the yarn I know I won’t use and will be selling this at Yarndale and hope that it will go to a good home and that someone will make something lovely out of it all.     7. Our First Crochet Circle Book (at 101:55 mins) We're really excited to tell you a little about the book that we have been working on.  It is called "Take Two" and the premise is simple.  We've each designed four crochet patterns.  Lynne has designed a long cowl with matching mittens, a blanket and a cushion. I have designed a short cowl, a bag, a narrow shawl and a purse.   So there's something for everyone - from accessories to homewares. There are two key differences with this book. The first is that the yarns we used had to be British and in particular had to be spun in the North of England as we feel proud of our industrial heritage and that fact that we still have working mills that produce amazing yarns.    The second is that we both re-made each other’s patterns using our own stash yarn.  This has allowed us to showcase British yarns and to also show how a change in yarn weight, colour or a slight variation in the pattern can create an entirely different project.  You don’t always have to use the yarns stated in a pattern and so we hope to encourage you to look to your stash when you are crocheting from a pattern and don't be afraid to substitute yarn and make the pattern your own.   Take Two is essentially two designers, eight patterns with two interpretations, creating sixteen designs.   Lynne’s favourite pattern from the book and yarn is: I'm twixt between my textured blanket which uses West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4-ply yarn, and my textured cushion, but I think may be cushion just takes it (and has yet to be named).     The basis of the cushion is treble crochet worked in rounds, but for the front piece the rounds are worked in back loops only, leaving the front loops free for working a picot - this creates the deep texture (resembling a Chrysanthemum Flower). You could make it in almost any yarn, from 4-ply to chunky so it’s really versatile and looks like a shop-bought cushion. The size I made with DK yarn took just 6 balls of 50g. I used Wendy Ramsdale which is bred, spun and dyed in Yorkshire and is a sturdy yarn, which is great for a cushion, but it’s definitely a design that you could use up different yarns from your stash. Yarn support was kindly provided by Laughing Hens: https://www.laughinghens.com/ Fay's favourite design is Colosseum.  It is a narrow shawl that uses just one skein of 4 ply yarn.  The pattern is really simple and memorable, yet elegant and light.  I really love all of the yarns that I used for my patterns – Erika Knight and Whistlebare.  The yarns were specifically chosen to be soft or lustrous where they needed to be or hard-wearing where required – like the bag.              8.Yarn Clubs (at 115:20 mins)   We mentioned in Episode 6 that we wanted to do a review on yarn clubs.  We know that a few people that have signed up to them but neither Lynne nor I ever have.  So, in the interests of fair reporting and for you lovely Crochet Circler’s, Fay has selflessly signed up to a yarn club with Life in the Long Grass - a husband and wife team based in Ireland: https://www.lifeinthelonggrass.com/clubs/   Fay will open her parcel when we record the next podcast so we'll capture her excitement.  Lynne will look into other clubs, including Baa Baa Brighouse Yan Tan Tethera's club: https://www.baabaabrighouse.co.uk/shop/yan-tan-tethera-yarn-club/yan-tan-tethera-subscription/   So, in the next episode, we will be able to report back with a list of available yarn clubs, the cost of Fay's LITLG club and reaction to it, people’s feedback on yarn clubs that they have been part of. So, if there is anything that you would like to know about yarn clubs, please let us know through Ravelry – we will start a thread called ‘Things to know about yarn clubs’ and we will endeavour to answer your questions.     9. What’s Good (at 123:15 mins) Fay: I'm organising a workshop under the banner of KNIT IT – HOOK IT – CRAFT IT on hand-dyed yarns on the 3rd September and 10 of us will get to try out three different yarn dyeing methods – kettle, hand painted and dip-dyed.  I'm really looking forward to spending a day learning to dye with some lovely people.  It will be a welcome break from all of the work that I have been doing.    Lynne: I received advanced copies of my Mandala Book earlier this week, which was really exciting. I’m delighted at how lovely it looks. It’s one of the "20 to Make" titles by Search Press, and the idea is that the projects are quick to make, yet all different and interesting too. Hoping to have them for sale at Yarndale but not sure if they will arrive in time – fingers crossed: https://www.searchpress.com/book/9781782214342/crocheted-mandalas    Happy listening and crocheting.   Lynne and Fay x   Instagram: Crochet_Circle_Podcast  Instagram: provenance.craft.co   Instagram: FayDHDesigns YouTube: The Crochet Circle Podcast Crochet Clan on Mighty Network: Invite                          

We are reunited once again on the same side of the pond, and we are ogling the goodies that have been coming in for this year’s Great London Yarn Crawl! They’re too fabulous not to share so this episode will be lots of love and shoutouts for our amazing sponsors. So go hide your credit cards, grab your coffee and your knitting, and kick back with us! Sponsor: The Loveliest Yarn Company is a new online yarn shop bringing you the loveliest yarn and knitting accessories.  Buying yarn online can be a bit fraught so they have gathered the best into one place.  They have knit, washed and worn everything so people know it’s all been tried and tested by knitters. The Loveliest Yarn Company stock artisan hand dyed yarn from Life in the Long Grass, organic merino from Rosy Green Wool, some great stalwarts of the yarn world from West Yorkshire Spinners, irresistible accessories from Merchant and Mills and lots more.  All from theloveliestyarncompany.co.uk. Podcast listeners can get 10% off in July, August and September with the code YITCEnabled2016.  If you aren’t shopping for yarn at the moment, sign up for their newsletter on the site.  News and Events: There are less than 40 tickets left for this year’s Great London Yarn Crawl as of recording day! Make sure you’re keeping an eye on our Ravelry board and our blog for details about the day as well as logistics and our sponsors. Now until 4th September – the Missoni Art Colour exhibition is on at the Fashion & Textile Museum in London. September 4th – Horsley Wool Fair and Artists' Open Studio, Horsley NE15 0NT September 16-18 – Kirstie Allsop presents The Handmade Fair at Hampton Court Palace September 24-25 – Masham Sheep Fair, Masham HG4 4DZ September 24-25 – Yarndale, Skipton Auction Mart (where you can get your Porpoise Fur and YITC fix) Septembe 29-October 2 – Loch Ness Knit Fest in Inverness, Scotland September 30-October 2 – Made on Holiday Yarn in the Country retreat in Devon with us Knitting for Fort McMurray - Podcast listener Ramona has been organising a knitting drive in Toronto to benefit those affected by the devastating fire in Fort McMurray, Alberta earlier this spring (the whole city had to be evacuated!). Winters in Fort McMurrary are incredibly cold and woolies would be very welcome. Check out Ramona's blog to learn more about how you can help. Knits are being collected until the end of September. What we’re working on Rachel is knitting a big ass shawl - Lothian by Justyna Lorkowska. She's finised her Lambton Panes by Cowtown Knits, and made a bit of progress over her holiday on her Knightsbridge Shawl by Anniken Allis for the #LCGcraftalong, but is sadly probably not going to finish in time... Allison is crocheting. And finished the toddler hoodie. Except for weaving in the ends and sewing it up, so it actually doesn't really count. She also regrets ever saying that she missed Rachel. ;-) She's almost done with the second mitt for Because Sock Yarn, also for the #LCGcraftalong, and may finish the shawl in time - woot! Goodies (aka sponsor love) Awesome, amazing sponsors for this year's GLYC, and we share some good details! Title sponsor: Erika Knight Goodie Bags: Cowtown Knits East London Knits Inspiration Knits Owl About Yarn Soak Third Vault Yarns Yarnistry   Door prizes: Anna Maltz Cocoknits Daughter of a Shepherd Inspiration Knits Kettle Yarn Co. The Little Grey Girl Loop Wild & Woolly Pom Pom Quarterly SweetGeorgia Yarns Tin Can Knits   Wrap up We hope you’ll make a plan to join us on Saturday, September 10th for the Great London Yarn Crawl. Tickets are selling quickly so get yours soon!  You can find the podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio and 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. Everyone’s really friendly and we hope to see you there! Have a great couple of weeks and we’ll chat with you soon! Music (all available on NoiseTrade): I want you to want me - Letters to Cleo Pass it on - Candythief

Welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast. Here are the Show Notes from Episode Six - Shore to Shore.   In this episode we continue with our crochet journeys, including helpful hints on blocking; Yay Crochet or Nay Crochet; Yarn Review of Daughter of a Shepherd Hebridean/Zwartbles yarn; Magazine Round-up; a review of two fibre festivals on either side of the pond – Woolfest and Houston Fibre Fest; WIP Wall and FOs, Feeding the Habit, a fab giveaway from Anna Nikipirowicz and finishing with What's Good.   This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co. and Lynne Rowe Knitting and Crochet Thanks to everyone who tunes into the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.    If you would like to support the podcast, you can do that through Patreon:   1. Yay Crochet or Nay Crochet (at 2.55 mins) It's a Nay Crochet from Fay due to the lack of crochet content at fibre festivals and in general. When we visited Woolfest, we noticed that most of the stalls were aimed at knitters and even on most of the yarn stalls the samples that were on show were also knitted. This seems at odds with the increasing rise in the popularity of crochet and may be off-putting to new crocheters who perhaps don't realise that you can crochet with any yarn. We know that at Yarndale we'll see a lot more crochet-related vendors and Lynne and I will also be there waving the flag for crochet.   It's a Yay Crochet from Lynne for all the lovely things that people are crocheting up and the inspiration that they give to others. I’ve really been enjoying The Crochet Circle Podcast Ravelry forum – especially seeing all of the lovely finished objects that people are sharing. In particular, it’s also made me realise how adaptable crochet is, even if you’re not hugely experienced with crochet. It seems easier for people to take parts of a pattern and make something else altogether, or tweak patterns to suit their individual taste.   Here's the link to our Ravelry FO's board: http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-crochet-circle-podcast/3400722/51-75#71   2. Yarn review (at 9 mins)   Daughter of a Shepherd: 75% Hebridean and 25% Zwartbles DK weight 233m/255 yards per 100g Recommended needles/hook:3.5-4.5mm hook/needles Cool hand wash only and leave flat to dry  Completely UK produced (sourced, scoured and spun in UK)  RRP: £18 for 100g.  Website: www.daughterofashepherd.com Rachel's blog: http://mylifeinknitwear.com/ We had 10g each to test and crochet up.  The characteristics of Hebridean wool are very similar to the Zwartbles that is has been blended with as both are very dark brown/near black in colour, durable and dense.  This yarn is spun at John Arbon Textiles and John says that the longer staple length of the Zwartbles helps with the processing of the Hebridean because it gives the Heb staples something more to align and grip to.        Fay – I tried this with a 3.5mm, 4mm, 4.5mm and 5mm hook and found that the 4.5mm gave the nicest effect, so using a 4.5mm hook I created a tiny little bowl to put my measuring tape in because I am always losing it!  It is hard to see the stitch definition because of the natural yarn colour (which is very dark), but it is good.  I still had a little bit leftover and so made some leaves with the remainder and also made some using some Jacob wool that I had to create a cup holder for when I am out and about (I usually have them in my different handbags so that I don’t need the cardboard sleeve).   The wool is soft and nice to work with and becomes softer when washed and blocked. I would use this again for crochet and could easily take it up against my skin.  It would make a beautiful crocheted shawl with an open lacy structure that really makes the most of the stitch definition.  I would also use it with other natural wools to bring out the depth of colour that it has.  It would be great at the dark end of a gradient project or mixed with a really vibrant blue or burnt orange.   Lynne: I really enjoyed working with this yarn – as soon as I wound it off the skein I could smell the sheep and it made me feel happy to be working with a natural fibre that can be fully traced back to its source.  I love the natural colour of the wool– it’s a very deep brown, almost like treacle, and there are a few light coloured fibres running through. I have really sensitive skin, but for the time that I was using the yarn, I was absolutely fine. I don’t think I could stretch to wearing it directly around my neck (but that’s just me) but I could mix it with something else and just keep the Hebridean/Zwartbles away from the neck edge. I made two things also with my mini skein – a bookmark, which I’ve already been using, and a small mandala that I’ve made a pincushion from. Both have great stitch definition and are firm in structure. I made my pincushion using wool fabric from Eliza Conway (a Yarndale purchase) and I’m delighted with both of my mini-projects.   On Ravelry in Rachel’s group, there are lots of projects on the go with this yarn – often it’s mixed with something else, but it’s a great place to go and visit if you want inspiration.   Link to Rachel's Ravelry group: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/daughter-of-a-shepherd   3. Magazine round-up (at 22.15 mins) Fay's overall favourite: Cowslip Parsley Garland from Simply Crochet issue 47, designed by Emma Mitchell. It's a free pattern download from Emma's blog: www.silverpebble.net Lynne's overall favourite: Lace Shirt from Love to Knit and Crochet issue 4. It's a button-down shirt with a scalloped edge on the cuffs and hem. A clamshell pattern creates a light and airy effect which is perfect for Summer. Simply Crochet – issue 47 Ravelry link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/simply-crochet-issue-47 Website Link: http://www.simplycrochetmag.co.uk/2016/07/21/simply-crochet-issue-47/ Fay's favourite: Cow Parsley Garland,  designer Emma Mitchell, pg 98 Lynne's favourite: Freeform Floral Cowl,  designer Jennifer May, page 83 Let’s Get Crafting – issue 83 Ravelry Link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/lets-get-crafting-knitting--crochet-83 Website Link: http://www.letsgetcrafting.com/ Fay's favourite: Mouse toys (knitted), designer Sachiyo Ishii,  I have a pregnant friend that woudl love these for her daughter and new baby! Lynne's favourite: Hearts Garland, designer Kath Webber, pg 48  Crochet Now - issue 4 Website link: http://www.crochetnow.co.uk/ Fay's favourite: Flower Bedspread, designer Mrs. Moon, page 36 - this is beautifukl yarn to work with. Lynne's favourite: Candy amigurumi Deer, designer Irene Strange, pg 62    Love to Knit and Crochet - issue 4 Website Link: https://www.theknittingnetwork.co.uk/ Fay's favourite: Silky Vest Top, pg 33 Lynne's favourite: Lace Shirt, pg 34 4. A Crochet Journey - some tips on blocking your garment (at 26.30 mins) Like everything with crochet (and knitting), there are some aspects of blocking that are just a personal preference.  Fay - in the main I wet-block by immersing my finished object in cold water with a small amount of soaking product, gently washing then very gently squeeze out excess water and roll in a towel before pinning out to required dimensions.  You can see from the below photo that this can help to take out any residual (unexhausted dye).     Lynne - in the main, I spritz (or spray) my work to the point that it’s wet but not saturated. I use a plastic spray gun (the type that you can buy for the garden - usually around £1), then I gently press the water into the fibres with my hands. I then pin out carefully, according to the dimensions of the pattern, and leave to dry. Sometimes I repeat this process if I feel it necessary.   Even when a project is already the size you want it to be (pre-blocking), I'd still recommend blocking as it greatly improves your stitch definition and "sets" the stitches. I mainly steam block for cotton (I cover my project with a cotton cloth and hold the iron above and steam  - do not touch the fabric with the iron). I also steam block fair isle items because it really sets the stitches nicely. After steam blocking, I pin out because it’s damp and leave to dry.   What if I’m desperate? Sometimes I may be on a close call with a deadline – it could be 2pm in the afternoon and I’m still working on a project that needs posting that day – by 4.30pm – so I will always steam block just to make sure that the stitches look good for photography. If necessary I will use a hairdryer to dry it off before posting.   A lot of people say don’t block acrylic as it’s not wool and therefore has no stitch memory – but I do block acrylic projects, just because it improves the overall appearance and stitch definition. I would mainly spray block acrylic but have been known to steam block (very carefully) when desperate. There is more risk with steam blocking as you can relax the fibres too much and your work can become very droopy and much bigger than originally made. I always sew my ends in first and then block, whereas Fay doesn't sew in her ends before blocking because she found that if she sewed her ends in first and then blocked, the tail ends sometimes shift and she would have little bits of yarn poking out which then just create more work to neaten them up again.  When pinning out it is essential that you get your measurements right because if you overstretch the yarn then it’s ruined forever – yarn has a memory so once it’s set then it will spring back to that shape after washing. So be really careful when blocking, especially if using an iron. It really is a case of trying the method that suits you best given the yarn and project that you have made, but it is definitely worth it - see below!     5. Woolfest and Houston Fiberfest (at 48.50 mins) As you know we went off to Woolfest at the end of June.  Whilst we were there, Tamara, one of the listeners to the podcast was at a yarn festival in Houston, Texas.  Tamara kindly recorded some audio for us on the festival that she attended and we have some photos too.  Woolfest: Houston Fibrefest: We have started a thread in Ravelry for you to add details on any yarn festivals that you have been to. Kerry listens in Australia and has just added details of the large Wool and Sheep Festival that she has been at in Bendigo, Australia.  Feel free to add details of any yarn festivals that you have been to so that others can see what is available throughout the world.  I have added some standard questions that you can answer if you need something to crib from. Tamara is on the left - thanks for doing the review! Here's Tamara's round-up from Houston Fiber Fest: Link to website: http://www.houstonfiberfest.com/ New companies that Tamara hadn’t come across before: Independence Farmstead Fiber Mill, an artisan mill service for the independent fiber producer: http://www.independencefarmsteadfibers.com/ Windmill Crest Farms near San Antonio: http://www.windmillcrestfarms.com/ There was a gentleman there had an industrial needle felting machine: http://www.feltcrafts.com/ Lucky Ewe Yarn in New Braunfels dye their own yarn which is called Wool Tree Yarn using natural ingredients: http://www.luckyeweyarn.com/ Things that Tamara bought: Brazen Stitchery Harmony Sock in colourway Team Gayle semi-solid in tonal shades of dark green: http://www.brazenstitchery.com/ Lazy cat yarns 2 x 50-gram skeins of Endurance - semi-solid – in shades of gorgeous teal: http://www.lazycatyarn.com/ Western Sky Knits, 2 variegated 100g skeins: http://www.westernskyknits.com/ Hedgehog Fibers is an Irish indie dyer. I was surprised to find Irish yarn in Houston. This festival was their launch at Park Avenue Yarns (a loyal yarn store): http://shop.hedgehogfibres.com/ http://www.parkavenueyarns.com/ Blind date project from In Skein Yarns, one of the local yarn stores. So fun! They were clear plastic bags with a label on the outside describing the project - The craft (I chose crochet), yarn weight, fiber content, the difficulty of pattern and type of project:  https://inskeinyarns.com/ Shawl pin – from the Muddy Knitter: https://squareup.com/store/themuddyknitter Two mini Loomes spelt L-O-O-M-E and you can make pom poms, cords, tassels and weavings: https://www.theloome.com/ A funky necklace from Fiesty Fenn Fibers: https://www.etsy.com/shop/FeistyFennFibers Some tea from Independence Fiber Mill: http://www.independencefarmsteadfibers.com/     Didn’t buy but have ear-marked: Suzoo’s Wool Works: http://www.suzooswoolworks.com/ Inner Loop Dyeworks: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/InnerLoopDyeworks – I will definitely buy some more of her yarn – we stock her yarn at the store where I work which is very lucky but tempting at the same time http://www.nimblefingerstx.com Podcaster Suburban Stitcher’s project bags. http://suburbanstitcher.com/ I might buy a mini loom for weaving from Purl and Loop www.purlandloop.com All of Tamara's photos of Houston Fiber Fest can be found here:  https://uk.pinterest.com/craftyescapism/  and you can also view her blog here: http://www.craftyescapism.com/ 6. Finished Objects (at 71.45 mins) Fay - Missed Kingfisher shawl was completed whilst in France with Jenny.    Cowls for the book – testing more colours because I am thinking about doing them as a kit for Yarndale.  Also, the items for the yarn review. One sock firmly in the HO pile!   Lynne: Pincushion and bookmark from Daughter of a Shepherd (so pleased with both); mandala coaster for hubby (at his request) to put his mobile phone on at night; lots of commission projects, including a hot water bottle cover, a pair of fingerless mittens, a teddy, a lampshade cover, a set of crochet frames, a cushion, a pair of slippers, another pincushion and another couple of bookmarks - phew.   7. WIPs (at 79 mins) Fay - Simply Crochet wrap-over, Henslowe shawl, Nut-Hap (Kingfisher colours), Tardis cushion, Shorelines blanket, Baby Bird scarf, blanket for the booklet, John Arbon socks for a study on adding stripes to socks. I'm still at eight but there are so many things that I want to start! Lynne – I'm still at 14, but have started (and finished a few) so they didn't even make onto the list (which is good) and I probably won't be able to make a dent in this until after Yarndale.     8. Feeding the habit (at 91 mins) Fay – I thought I was really good this month and so, I bought some extra Rowan Felted Tweed to be able to do a Kingfisher based Nut-Hap.  I also realised that I needed to get another skein of the Kalinka linen because it would look great with a contrast colour. Then I remembered that I had been to Woolfest... At Woolfest, I bought yarn from John Arbon and Ripples Crafts, some amazing Art Deco buttons and some woven fabric. It was also my Birthday so I am book rich – Fleece and Fiber, Erika Knight’s latest, a book on dyeing yarn, British Sheep Breeds and an old book of my Dad’s.  Very lucky to have so many nice wool related books to go through in the next few months and enhance my reference library with.     Lynne - At Woolfest I bought some John Arbon skeins (I love their mini skeins too),  a couple of squares of handwoven fabric which is really lovely, some buttons for my cowl from Textile Gardens, and Emily Foulds kindly gave me a ball of WYS Signature 4ply from the cocktail range for my knitting book which I can’t wait to use. I have bought lots of yarn for kits and to test colours, but I don’t count work-related purchases as they go through the business.     9. Competition Time - Odeletta Shawl Give-away     This month we have a give-away, kindly sent to us by Anna Nikipirowicz for her Odeletta Shawl Kit which contains everything you need to create your own shawl, including two balls of Rowan Kidsilk Haze, patterns, beads and a crochet hook. Plus a lovely teabag so you can enjoy a nice cuppa whilst you crochet. Thanks Anna!   Anna's website is here: https://moochka.co.uk/ Find all the details for the giveaway here: http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-crochet-circle-podcast/topics/3468941     10. What’s Good (at 105 mins)               Fay:  This was meant to be my What's Good but I was so excited about it that I covered it off early!  I just mentioned that my Dad gave me one of his books.  It is a very special book that was my absolute favourite book when I was little. It is the Observer’s book of Farm Animals.  I was born in 1977 and the book came out in 1976 and was given to my Dad by friends when we moved from Wiltshire to Caithness in the North of Scotland in early 1978.  It used to fit in the pocket of my pinafore and I would spend ages pawing through the different breed photos and memorising them.  I even wrote in the front of the book to amend it to say “Fay - it is to Fay” so that I could lay claim to it.  Needless to say, the book is battered and the spine is being held together with masking tape and love. It is delightful to have something in my possession that brings back nice memories and until recently I had completely forgotten about.  It clearly influenced and shaped the person I have become.   So my What's Good became the excitement for going to interview John Arbon down in Devon - it really was good!   Lynne: Really enjoying natural fibres at the moment – you can definitely feel the difference and there are lots of affordable natural yarns out there that are well worth a try. I’ve been using Wendy Ramsdale which is about £3.50 a ball for 50g and the colours are lovely as well as the texture and feel of the yarn. I’ve used if for hats (only takes 1 ball to make a child’s hat) and also for my cushion (6 balls, so less than £24) for the yarn. Also Erika Knight British Blue is £4.20 for a 25g ball – a bit more expensive but well worth it when you can make a nice cowl with just three balls - so that's £13 for a cowl made with British yarn - where every step is traceable. Remember cotton is also a natural fibre and you can buy Rico Cotton Aran for less than £2 for 50g. I’m not saying I don’t use acrylic as I do because some projects have to be really affordable but there are some lovely yarns out there that may cost less than you would expect.   Happy listening and crocheting.   Lynne and Fay x   Instagram: Crochet_Circle_Podcast  Instagram: provenance.craft.co   Instagram: FayDHDesigns YouTube: The Crochet Circle Podcast Crochet Clan on Mighty Network: Invite                

Welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast. Here are the Show Notes from Episode Five.   In this episode we continue with our crochet journeys, including helpful hints on how to get through the next stages of working on a garment; Yay Crochet or Nay Crochet; World Knit in Public Day; WIP Wall and FOs along with our usual Magazine round-up, our competition winners so far, our new regular feature called "Feeding the Rabbit" and we finish with What's Good.   This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co. and Lynne Rowe Knitting and Crochet Thanks to everyone who tunes into the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.    If you would like to support the podcast, you can do that through Patreon:       1. Yay Crochet or Nay Crochet It's a Nay Crochet from Lynne this month, as she lost her favourite crochet hook: My favourite hook is an Addi Swing Crochet Hook, size 3.5mm which I use all the time – it’s an ergonomic hook so it's really comfortable and sits in your hand perfectly, so I was quite annoyed at myself for losing it. The question is – do I just buy another one as a replacement? Do I try a different make, do I buy just one or a set? They're quite expensive individually and even more expensive for a set so these would have to be a Birthday/Christmas gift. I can’t decide what to do, so I’m having a think and will have a mooch around Woolfest or go to Black Sheep Wools. If anyone uses any other good ergonomic hooks and has a favourite - do let me know – it might help me decide. I bought my lost hook from Laughing Hens: https://www.laughinghens.com/knitting-needles/addi-swing-crochet-hooks It's a big Yay Crochet from Fay on her Liala Top by Designer Marie Wallin: I love my top and the way that it looks. It is easy to wear as summer chic or dressed down with jeans or over a dress with tights for some winter colour. The yarn I used has unfortunately been discontinued (Jeanette Sloan 4 ply alpaca/silk) but it was lovely to work with and produced a very soft garment with clear stitch definition.      Link to Jeanette Sloan: http://www.jeanettesloandesign.com/ Link to Marie Wallin: http://www.mariewallin.com/   Fay also sneaked in a Knitting Nay for picot cast off: I've knitted a lovely shawl for a friend which involves a picot edge bind-off which is a new technique for me. It involves knitting lots of stitches before actually casting off, making it a long-winded process. I gave up after about an hour and a half and seemingly getting nowhere, so I will choose a different method to cast off with.      2. Magazine Round-up We've have added Pom Pom Quarterly into our list of magazines because they generally feature a couple of crochet patterns in each issue.  As the title would suggest, it comes out quarterly so you will hear about Pom Pom every third episode.   Inside Crochet – issue 79 - Seaside Theme Website Link: http://www.insidecrochet.co.uk/ Lynne's favourite: Greta Stole designed by Claire Montgomerie using Coopknits Socks Yeah – I really love the colour combination and you could use up your oddments of sock yarn to create your own colour combination (pg 54).   Fay's favourite: Friendship Quilt, designed by Mica York, using Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran (pg 80).   There’s also a great interview with Betsan Corkhill, who is a Wellbeing Coach who focusses on the therapeutic benefits of knitting and how it can help improve your health and mindfulness. It’s not just about enjoying knitting and crochet, it links to meditation, to calmness, to stress relieving and to helping you improve your mood by working with calming colours – it’s fascinating and I'd recommend going along to one of Betsan’s workshops if there’s one near you.   Betsan's Website: http://www.stitchlinks.com/ Simply Crochet – issue 46 - Nautical theme Ravelry link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/simply-crochet-issue-46/patterns Website Link: http://www.simplycrochetmag.co.uk/2016/06/23/simply-crochet-issue-46/ Announces a Crochet-A-Long for subscribers, for a blanket using different crochet squares.   Lynne's favourite: I LOVE the cute little Beach Babe Piggy by designer Illaria Caliri – he/she’s so cute and even has a life ring, bucket, spade and beach towel, using DMC Natura Just Cotton (4-ply) (pg 42). Fay's favourite: Claude the Octopus by designer Kate E. Hancock (Fay is slowly being brought round to the fun side of crochet), using Drops Paris 100% cotton (pg 24).   Kat Goldin also talks about her local yarn shop and how it provides a sense of community and a place of creativity (pg 34). Crochet Now - issue 3   Website link: http://www.crochetnow.co.uk/ Lynne's favourite: Amigurumi Guard and Bus designed by Editor Hugh Metcalf.   Fay's favourite: Infinity Cowl designed by Vicki Brown. Let’s Get Crafting – issue 82 Ravelry Link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/lets-get-crafting-knitting--crochet-82/patterns Website Link: http://www.letsgetcrafting.com/ Features The Crochet Circle Podcast on page 6 – thank you.   Lynne’s favourite: The Wildlife Rescue Nets by Kath Webber, which link to a charity knitting project for animal rescue centres who are looking for knitting donations (pg 28).   Fay's favourite: Baby Slippers - Summer Espadrilles designed by Jackie Carreira (pg 40).   Woman's Weekly Knitting & Crochet July Issue Website Link: http://www.womansweekly.com/ Lynne's favourite: Teal Appeal - Vintage Cardigan knitted in mohair (Rowan Kidsilk Haze) (pg 24).   Fay's favourite: Hi-Ho Silver - Cotton shrug, crocheted in DMC Petra Cotton 3 (pg 50).   Pom Pom Quarterley Website Link: https://www.pompommag.com/ Ravelry Link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/pom-pom-quarterly-issue-17-summer-2016/patterns Lynne and Fay's favourite: Altair by designer Joanne Scrace. Love to Knit and Crochet - issue 3 Website Link: https://www.theknittingnetwork.co.uk/ Lynne's favourite: Crochet Stool Cover - Too Cool for Stool (pg 57). Fay's favourite: Feeling Tubby - crochet bowls (pg 56).   3. Our Crochet Journey - Next Steps and issues we've faced Lynne's progress with her Lisa Sweater: I had to rip back a couple of times due to losing stitches - in the end, I gave up ripping out and just added a couple of stitches along the row instead. Now that I'm in the flow of the pattern I've stopped dropping a stitch at the end. It isn't noticeable where I've added the extra stitches. I had to buy 4 extra balls of Rowan Purelife Revive which are a different dye lot than my original 5 balls. Luckily, the yarn is mottled so the slight difference in the shades is not noticeable. I will alternate the balls used but will do the same on each half of the jumper so that any difference will appear as if it's intentional as both halves will be identical. Fingers crossed they will blend nicely or look like gradient yarn.     For those new to crochet or knitting, on the ball band of every ball of yarn is essential information on the yarn itself – what it’s made from, what needle size to use, the tension and the weight. Also, you will find the shade number or reference and (like a tin of paint), the dye lot or dye batch that has been used. Like paint, a different dye lot will potentially produce a slightly different shade, so when buying yarn for a project, you need to make sure that all the ball bands have the same dye lot on them.   I found 2 balls of yellow Rico cotton in The Woolnest to show you how different the dye lots can be and therefore how important it is to use the same batch of yarn – you can see the difference below:     Fay's progress with her Liala Top: I had to rip back due to an error in the pattern, which I didn't realise until I'd ripped it back about 5 times. I also re-jigged the hook size and change the pattern a little to make it into a wearable top because of my body shape. I'm really happy with my crocheted top and will be making more. Full notes of my changes are on my Ravelry project page. Link to Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/MaDashper/liala It's fantastic to see the different garments that people are working on, over on our Ravelry forum.  Helen is motoring on with her Aberfoyle Cardigan and Jo is working on a wrap-around top from issue 41 of Simply Crochet which I love and I'm now making my own version using Rowan Finest.     After seeing Helen's Aberfoyle, Lynne has mooched in The Woolnest and found enough balls of Garthernor Organic 4-ply to make her own. Garthernor produces sustainable, organic yarn in and ecological way. They started out in the 1990s with their own sheep and now buy raw fleeces from other UK farmers, so all their wool is fully traceable and fully certified organic.  At Wonderwool this year Lynne had a lovely chat with the owner and they had some beautifully knitted samples on show and once washed, the yarn is really soft and much softer than it is on the ball.   Link to Aberfoyle Cardigan by Joanne Scrace: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/aberfoyle-cardigan So our next patterns are Aberfoyle and Simple Wrapover.  We have been inspired by the folk in the Crochet Circle podcast to make the same items that they are making - so thank you. Feel free to join in with our Stylish Crochet CAL and don't forget to wear your garment at Yarndale.   Link to our Stylish Crochet Ravelry forum: http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-crochet-circle-podcast/3438284/26-50#31     4. Woolfest We're off to Woolfest in the morning.  Whilst we are there, Tamara, one of the listeners to the podcast will be at a yarn festival in Houston, Texas.  Tamara lives over there now but we've noticed that lots of people seem to be travelling much further afield to go to yarn festivals.  At Edinburgh yarn festival, people had come from all over Europe. TNNA (The National Needle Arts Association) was on in America a couple of weeks ago and lots of folks were there from the UK.   So, given that Tamara is going to be at a yarn festival at the same time as we are we thought we would share notes.  We have the same set of questions to answer and photos will be taken from both sides of the pond and added to the Pinterest board for Episode 5.      5. World Knit in Public Day This was held on Saturday 18th June. Link: http://www.wwkipday.com/find-a-kip/kips-in-europe/  Fay experienced the East London Yarn Triangle, Hackney made up of 3 shops - Fabrications, Wild and Woolly and Knit With Attitude. They offered 10% off if you posted 3 photos with their hashtag on Instagram, and they also had refreshments. The yarn shops are within walking distance and maps were provided which highlighted the photo locations and I bought lots of wool and concluded that you can indeed crochet on a swing.   http://eastlondonyarntriangle.com/   6. Finished Objects Fay: Liala top by Marie Wallin, Cowl for The Crochet Circle book using Erika Knight British Blue and Shawl for the book using Whistlebare's Yeavering Bell (Mohair/Wensleydale blend). http://www.whistlebare.co.uk/ Fay also has an answer on whether a sock from an unfinished pair is an FO or a WIP.  It’s a HO (half object). Lynne's FO's are mainly secret commissions but she finished her Cowl for The Crochet Circle book, using Baa Baa Brighouse yarn called Baa Baa Brew. https://www.baabaabrighouse.co.uk/     7. WIP Wall Fay: I'm currently at 8 and many are the same as last time.  A new one on the list is the Wrapover Shawl from Simply Crochet issue 41, and I don’t have much to report yet other than I have done a yarn and hook substitute to change the finished fabric a little. Lynne: I’m at 11 – I frogged a pair of socks as the yarn wasn’t showing off the lace pattern properly, in fact it was barely visible. I finished the secret project for our book and I haven’t really started the Studio Linen Shawl so it doesn’t really count. With my Lisa Sweater I'm back up to 12 and my next book project will take me up to 13 WIPs.   8. Feeding the Rabbit (aka feeding the habit) Fay's purchases: I bought quite a lot of yarn during my visit to London on World Knit in Public Day, including: From Fabrications - Recycled Fibre (in lovely creams, whites and denim blue from UK); 100% Bluefaced Leicester Roving yarn (brown) and 100% Bluefaced Leicester Roving yarn (cream), both from West Yorkshire Spinners, suitable for hand-dying and felting. From Wild and Woolly - Rowan felted tweed and Erika Knight British Blue Wool from the Stash Depot (buying another person’s stash); Kalinka linen from Sweden in colour cyan  (Fibre: 100% linen Yardage: 320m per 100g skein Gauge: 28 stitches per 10 cm, recommended needle size: 3-4 mm needles) From Knit with Attitude - Hedgehog Fibres in colourway Dragonfly  (DK weight yarn, 100% merino wool, superwash. 115g/200m); Socks Yeah! – in colourway 110 Malachite -(75% superwash merino, 25% nylon, 50g/212m/231 yds). Mirasol – Kingfisher 14 (4-ply, 60% merino wool, 20% Alpaca, 20% Silk, 250m/274yds, 50g). http://www.wildandwoollyshop.co.uk/ http://www.fabrications1.co.uk/ http://knitwithattitude.com/shop/ I also sneaked a visit to Ewe and Ply in Shrewsbury - and still resisted the spinning wheel. Ewe and Ply have a great selection of British wools and is well worth a visit. I bought some Eden Cottage yarn, and one of the natural roving yarns from West Yorkshire Spinners. Link to Ewe and Ply, Shrewsbury: http://www.eweandply.co.uk/   Lynne's purchases: I bought a gorgeous skein of yarn from I Knit (London) – I had a spare few hours a couple of weeks ago when in London, so I jumped on the tube to Waterloo and found the shop quite easily. I’ve wanted the yarn ever since seeing it - mainly because it’s called Starman – one of my favourite songs by my favourite artist, David Bowie, so I just had to buy it. I’m going to try my crochet cowl from the book and see how it works with the hand-dyed yarn.     Link to I Knit London: http://iknit.org.uk/   9. What’s Good                For Lynne: About a year ago I was commissioned by Search Press to write a book for their "20 To Make" series. I had great fun designing the Mandalas for the book and have also designed a few more for commissions. I’m definitely hooked by Mandalas – they’re meditative and you can make them your own by using your favourite colours and favourite yarns. They’re useful for all sorts of things, like placemats, wall hangings and you can even sew them together to make a throw. The Search Press book is out in October and you can pre-order it on Amazon at the moment. Link to pre-order on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1782214348/ref=s9_simh_gw_g14_i2_r?ie=UTF8&fpl=fresh&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=8GEY1S41T0EQ7PTJK30T&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=26de8ef0-2ad7-412c-8634-6cd03b7b73e2&pf_rd_i=desktop For Fay there are 2 things: Firstly, I was contacted recently by Knitting magazine who would like to review and feature my stash tags, so I'm delighted and excited. It came out of the blue and it was because of Erika Knight and Emma Knitted!   Link to Stash Tags KNIT IT - HOOK IT - CRAFT IT: https://www.knitit-hookit-craftit.com/products/stash-tag Knitting magazine: https://www.thegmcgroup.com/pc/viewPrd.asp?idProduct=2327&idCategory=717 Erika Knight: http://www.erikaknight.co.uk/ Emma Knitted: http://www.emmaknitted.co.uk/         Secondly, we were sent Daughter of a Shepherd mini-skeins by Rachel Atkinson to test for crochet. We love how they smell and can't wait to try them out. Rachel is manufacturing Hebridean wool from sheep her father breeds in the UK. Link to Daughter of a Shepherd: https://daughterofashepherd.com/ As we both smelled the sheepiness of the yarn we realised that we were both sporting Hebridean moustaches. Other things we've mentioned: Winners Round-up - Who's won what so far: 200g DMC Natura Medium and DMC hook – Kerryd19 from Australia Arne & Carlos Sock yarn (with signed Stash Tag)  - Curlylou – UK Lynne Rowe's Once Upon a Time in Crochet (signed copy) - JojoTwinkletoes Erika Knight’s Simple Colour Knitting (signed copy) – DianeB 2 x 50g Erika Knight’s Studio Linen – Emma from Woolgathering Sandbach   Happy listening and crocheting.   Lynne and Fay x   Instagram: Crochet_Circle_Podcast  Instagram: provenance.craft.co   Instagram: FayDHDesigns YouTube: The Crochet Circle Podcast Crochet Clan on Mighty Network: Invite                                                              

In this episode we talk about getting started on a crochet journey, including substituting yarn and the importance of making a tension square; lace-weight yarn; myth-busting – does crochet really use more yarn than knitting? WIP Wall and FOs along with our usual magazine round-up and our look towards Woolfest. Welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast. Here are the Show Notes from Episode Four.   This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co. and Lynne Rowe Knitting and Crochet Thanks to everyone who tunes into the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.    If you would like to support the podcast, you can do that through Patreon:   Rooster Delightful Lace Competition Prize is sponsored by www.roosteryarns.com   First, we have a few thank you’s for helping us to reach over 1,200 downloads on Podbean.   Thank you to Kathryn at www.crafternoontreats.com who mentioned us in her podcast Episodes 7 and 8 and also to Tamara at www.craftyescapism.com for a great review on her website.   Thanks to Trinketknits for her lovely iTunes review and to everyone else that is engaging with us through Pinterest, IG, Ravelry and Twitter.   You may have spotted us in Crochet Now, Let’s Knit magazine and Simply Crochet - so thanks to Hugh, Sarah and Sara for featuring The Crochet Circle on their News pages. We're really chuffed to bits.                   1. Yay Crochet or Nay Crochet (at 3.55 mins) It's a nay from Fay about lace-weight yarn and having to use anything below a 3mm hook:  I love what other people can create, however, it just isn’t for me as I prefer more instant gratification. I don’t intend on doing everything in chunky yarn but I found lace weight crocheting and knitting REALLY frustrating and I’m very happy to leave that in the hands of others... Such as these brilliant examples of miniature crochet, from Suami: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SuAmi    Its a yay from Lynne on teaching crochet: Last week was the last of my 5 Learn to Crochet Classes at Sandbach in Cheshire. I’ve been running crochet and knitting classes through the Sandbach Adult Education programme for about four or five years now and I’ve met some lovely people along the way – many of whom have become really good friends and even work colleagues J. This time round I had four enthusiastic ladies who had all tried to teach themselves but hadn’t been able to get to grips with crochet and felt that they need to be physically shown, rather than learning by book. It was great that I have a wide range of ages, from a lady in her late 20’s up to a lady who was 79 (and who came on her bike!!!). We learned the basics of crochet and made a flower, granny squares, ripple stitches, shell stitches and we worked in a spiral. I’m always amazed when my pupils return the following week with things they’ve made from the stitches learned and even happier when they tell me how much they’ve enjoyed making things with their new skills.       2. Helpful Hints on how to get started on a project (at 8.05 mins) We're both starting a crochet garment (or two) that we aim to wear at Yarndale.   You can join in too and we can see just how stylish crochet can be. We've set up a board here on Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-crochet-circle-podcast/topics/3438284   In this episode, we talk about choosing or substituting yarn and the importance of working up a swatch or tension square. We recommend http://yarnsub.com  as one method of checking which yarns you could substitute to. We covered making a tension square in the last episode and you can find the notes here: http://thewoolnest.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/explaining-crochet-tension.html Then in upcoming episodes, we’ll cover: Finishing off the project  - best way to sew it together Washing and blocking the project so that the stitches look as they should Wearing/using the object Aftercare Darning if required – dealing with holes etc. Lynne has chosen Aster, by designer Marie Wallin from her book 'Filigree collection three' Ravelry link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/aster-14                                                 Filigree Book link: http://www.mariewallin.com/filigree.html I love Marie's Filigree collection and have chosen a design as my first 'proper' crochet garment. I will raid my stash for an alternative as I'm desperately trying not to buy yarn. I've written a blog post here on how to substitute yarn: http://thewoolnest.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/substituting-yarn.html Fay has chosen Liala, also by Marie Wallin – it's a free pattern available on Rowan's website: if you subscribe: http://www.knitrowan.com/designs-and-patterns/patterns/liala                                   The pattern calls for you to use Rowan Panama which is a 55% viscose, 33% cotton and 12% linen mix and although the ball band suggests a 3.25mm hook.   I also considered a few other things such as: I want to use my stash; I want the finish to be a little more fitted; I want to use something with wool content and I don't want to use anything below a 3mm hook. After raiding my stash, I found a suitable alternative with Jeanette Sloan Baby Alpaca and Silk and started my tension square.   Link to Jeanette Sloan yarn: http://www.jeanettesloandesign.com/ourshop/cat_835200-Baby-Alpaca-Silk-4ply.html   It's important to block your tension square as the size of your stitches may change after blocking. For my first square, there was about a 9% increase in size for both stitches and rows which was going to work perfectly for me in substituting yarn and pattern size (so I'll make a small size rather than the medium). It's worth remembering that most yarns when knitted or crocheted up will change when blocked. I like to wet-block almost everything because it helps release the dirt that builds up and it helps to bring out the pattern in the fabric especially if there are cables or lace. But be careful not to over-stretch the fabric when you block.   I gently squeezed my square, rolled it up in a towel and then pinned it onto a blocking mat and leave it to dry.   It's worth taking the time to assess whether you're using the right yarn, hook or needle, rather than get to the end of a project and then not being happy with the fit or finish of the item having put so much work into it. Here's a link to Fay's Ravelry project for Liala:   http://www.ravelry.com/projects/MaDashper/liala We also promised to let all of the Rowan yarns that are being discontinued.  This list was provided by St Trinians on Ravelry: Superfine Merino DK & Aran Pure Wool 4 ply Kidsilk Haze Stripe Mohair Haze Wool Cotton Rowan Finest Rowan Tweed Fine Art & Fine Art Aran Alpaca Colour Tetra Cotton Cotton Lustre Panama Revive Pure Linen All Seasons Cotton Soft Knit Cotton Truesilk Lima Lima Colour Fazed Tweed Colourspun Thick 'n' Thin Alpaca Chunky British Sheep Breeds Fur Creative Focus Worsted Chenille Big Wool Colour Big Wool Silk   3. Yarn Review - Manos Del Uruguay Marina (at 28 mins)              Shade Shantung N1765 Lace-weight yarn 100g/800m 100% superwash merino wool RRP £16 Recommended needle size 2-4mm Hand-dyed in Uruguay by Ellta, who is part of a fair-trade cooperative.   Link to full range of shades: http://www.roosteryarns.com/manos-marina.html   Read about the Manos Del Uruguay fair-trade cooperative here: http://www.roosteryarns.com/about-manos-del-uruguay.html     Link to Lynne's full yarn review: http://thewoolnest.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/yarn-review-manos-del-uruguay.html     4. Myth-busting with Fay (at 34.50 mins)              Fay investigates the generalisation that crochet uses more yarn than knitting. Is it a myth or a fact?  Well, it's a bit of both really, with some interesting results! Read Fay's full investigation here: https://www.knitit-hookit-craftit.com/blogs/news/179247111-in-the-ring-its-crochet-v-knitting-but-who-is-the-heavyweight     5. Magazine Round-up (at 43.10 mins) Inside Crochet Issue 78 Theme: Bright Ideas – all about colour and texture for Autumn. Lynne's favourites include Scullis Shawl in Rachel Atkinson's Column http://www.ravelry.com/projects/knittingtastic/scullis Lisa Sweater designed by Annelies Baes Fay's favourite is also Lisa Sweater There are also lots of lovely bags and baskets Link to Inside Crochet issue 78: http://www.insidecrochet.co.uk/blog/bright-ideas-with-issue-78/ Crochet Now Issue 2 Theme: Rainbow brights – creative with colour – things that make use smile Lynne's favourite is Nerida Shawl by Anna Nickipirowicz – a deep semi-circular with a simple lace pattern In my yarn stash diaries this month is a crochet staple – a washcloth which is great for last minute gifting Fay's favourite is Spring leaves cowl, designed by Mary Renji Link to Crochet Now: http://www.crochetnow.co.uk/956/crochet-now-issue-2/   Let's Get Crafting issue 81 Theme: Brights with Fiesta yarn kit – lots of toys including a very cute pair of Pandas by Sachiyo Ishii Lynne's favourite is the Hanging Heart wreath designed by Irene Strange and everyone loves a bit of bunting - Fiesta Bunting designed by Tilley Bancroft   Link to LGC issue 81 projects: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/lets-get-crafting-knitting--crochet-81/patterns Woman's Weekly June issue Theme: Crochet Special including five crochet garments and some lovely crochet homewares We spotted an interview with Louise Walker who is a member of our Ravelry group and we love Louise's very cute animals and blanket.  Link to Woman's Weekly: http://www.womansweekly.com/ Simply Crochet Issue 45 Theme: Summer Brights, including a great article on how to sort your stash. There's a very pretty Ladder stitch top designed by Editor Sara Huntingdon and a fun giant doughnut cushion by the renowned Twinkie Chan.   Link to Simply Crochet: http://www.simplycrochetmag.co.uk/     6. WIPs and FOs (at 45.30 mins)               We haven't done a great deal this month as we've both been really busy with our businesses and the podcast content. Fay has been working on her Shoreline Blanket and Lynne is ready to start the beading rows on her Odeletta Shawl.   We'll be adding to our WIPs with our crochet garments, and we'll be keeping a record of how long they take us.     7. Our Book (at 52.50 mins) We're delighted to announce that we're writing a book of 8 crocheted accessories - 4 designed by Lynne and 4 designed by Fay.   We’ve currently secured yarn support from Erika Knight http://www.erikaknight.co.uk/ BaaBaaBrighouse https://www.baabaabrighouse.co.uk/ Laughing Hens https://www.laughinghens.com/   We’ll say more in time. But it will be a really useful collection of crochet essentials that are straight forward to make, using gorgeous yarns 8. Charity Projects We're still collecting your fungi an mammals for the National Trust's Woollen Woods project. You can read more here on our Ravelry page: http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-crochet-circle-podcast/3425147/1-25 10. Competition to Win Rooster Delightful Lace (at 54.30 mins) We have a new competition open on our Ravelry forum to win a gorgeous skein of Rooster Delightful Lace in Shade Talara 623.                      Rooster Delightful Lace is well, delightful! A blend of 80% Alpaca and 20% Silk creates a stunning 2-ply lace weight yarn which is perfect for light garments and shawls. http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-crochet-circle-podcast/3438319/1-25#7     9. What's Good (at 56.05 mins) We're looking forward to Woolfest: http://www.woolfest.co.uk/ and Fay is looking forward to visiting Caithness on a retreat organised by Louise Hunt from the Caithness Craft Collective podcast: http://caithnesscraftcollective.podbean.com/   Happy listening and crocheting.   Lynne and Fay x   Instagram: Crochet_Circle_Podcast  Instagram: provenance.craft.co   Instagram: FayDHDesigns YouTube: The Crochet Circle Podcast Crochet Clan on Mighty Network: Invite                

                                  Welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast. Here are the Show Notes from Episode Three.   This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co. and Lynne Rowe Knitting and Crochet Thanks to everyone who tunes into the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.    If you would like to support the podcast, you can do that through Patreon:   The books and yarns in this episode were all purchased by ourselves. Arne & Carlos yarn competition prize - supplied by Provenance Craft Co.   DMC Natura Medium competition prize - supplied by DMC Creative In this episode, we talk a lot about socks as well as Wonderwool and Edinburgh Yarn Festival, stylish crochet designers, crochet tension, Crochet Yeah! WIP Wall update, Finished Objects and The Woollen Woods.   1. Yay Crochet or Nay Crochet (at 1.25 mins) It's a yay from Fay on her Shoreline blanket: In Episode 1, I spoke about a blanket that I hadn’t touched for a year.  I can now safely say that it has moved on somewhat and has made me think about the shorelines beyond the small island that is the UK.  I've thought about our listeners that are further afield and love the idea that through something as simple as a hook and a length of yarn, with a bit of technology, we can share our passions for crochet, knitting and yarn.  Every time I pick up the blanket to do a bit more I think about our lovely listeners.         The Shoreline Blanket uses a very subtle 4dc, 1htr, 2tr, 1htr stitch pattern for the ripple.   It's a Nay from Lynne on paper yarn.  I used paper yarn recently for a knitting and crochet commission and I was really looking forward to trying it out. I have to admit it wasn't one of my favourite yarns, mainly because it wasn't as flexible as I thought it would be. You have to give it a tug when working a stitch and often it popped off the end of the hook. My projects turned out fine but I would only recommend using it for homewares and accessories that will be used indoors, mainly mats, coasters and baskets or bags because if it gets wet it will also get soggy. Quite a few yarn companies are now manufacturing paper yarn so we may see more projects and patterns becoming available.     2. Festivals (at 4.55 mins) Fay visited Edinburgh Yarn Festival in March and had a great time. If you're into your designers, workshops, patterns and like to meet up with fellow enthusiasts then it's a great show for you. Lynne and Fay visited Wonderwool Wales - we both love this show, which is open and airy with good light and it's great to get around and there's a lot of space. We found some great bargains that we can't wait to turn into something lovely.   Lynne's Wonderwool haul:    Fay's Wonderwool Haul:   We're also exhibiting at Yarndale later this year, which is really exciting. We will be sharing a stall so come and say Hi. For information on Yarndale 2016 see: http://yarndale.co.uk/http://thewoolnest.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/crochet-tension.html   Stylish Crochet Designers (at 18.35 mins): Marie Wallin: Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/designers/marie-wallin Website: http://www.mariewallin.com/   Joanne Scrace Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/designers/joanne-scrace Website: http://notsogranny.com/   Kat Goldin: Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/people/katgold Website: http://www.slugsontherefrigerator.com/   Vicky Brown Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/stores/lilley-stitches Website: http://www.vickibrowndesigns.com/    Contemporary Crochet - 37 European Designs - Sys Fredens For book details see here   Designer Crochet - Shannon Mullet-Bowlsby. Create figure-flattering garments with great shape, with easy-to-follow tutorials. For book details see herehttps://www.knitit-hookit-craftit.com/blogs/news/162848583-book-review-crochet-yeah-by-the-crochet-project   5. Yarn Reviews (at 33.50 mins) Socks Yeah!   In Shade Iolite (75% Superwash Merino/25% Nylon; 212m/50g) RRP £5.45 Machine washable at 30 degrees Recommended needle size 2.25mm Read Fay's full review here: https://www.knitit-hookit-craftit.com/blogs/news/162718215-yarn-review-socks-yeah-from-coop-knits   Regia Design Line by Arne and Carlos 4 ply engineered sock yarn (75% virgin wool and 25% polyamide; 50g/210m) RRP £5.19 Recommended needle size is 2-3mm Read Fay's full review here: https://www.knitit-hookit-craftit.com/blogs/news/162372423-yarn-review-regia-design-line-by-arne-and-carlos   6. Magazine Reviews (at 40.00 mins) Inside Crochet issue 76: The Theme for Issue 76 is Spring Time, so there are lots of lovely flowery projects, cute children’s accessories and cosy crochet for cooler evenings or country walks.   Lynne's choice: Celandine Wrap by Emma Wright – inspired by the flower of the same name. www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/celandine-wrap   Fay's Choice: Pop! Socks designed by Katherine Mills. Stretchy socks, comfortable to wear and fun to show off. www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pop-socks Let’s Get Crafting issue 80: Includes a feature on Gregory Patrick (Madman knitting) and how knitting helped him to get out of homelessness. www.madmanknitting.wordpress.com Lynne's choice: Fairisle Purses designed by Lynne. I know I'm breaking my own rule of not talking about my own projects but I had such fun designing and making these and love the way they turned out. I've enjoyed seeing the reader's own versions too. www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fair-isle-purses Fay's choice: Lavender Sachets designed by Nicola Valiji - but would try a crocheted version. Lavender is great from deterring moths from your stash. www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/scented-sachets Simply Crochet – issue 44: An Oriental theme with free amigurumi sea creature pattern cards.   Lynne's Choice:  Kat Goldin’s column – an interesting read, all about her sock obsession for cosy crochet socks and passing on tools and heirlooms.   Fay's choice: Blossom Cushion - simple cushion base with pretty Oriental flowers and embroidery (image not available yet) Woman’s Weekly Knitting and Crochet, May 2016: Bright/Spring theme.   Lynne's choice:  Crocheted Daisy Dog Toy and Blanket – a vintage pattern from the1970s, reworked in Yarn Stories Fine Merino and Baby Alpaca DK – in Cream and Dove. (Image not available yet).   Fay's choice: Crocheted Bowls. (Image not available yet).   Crochet Now issue 2 will be reviewed in our next Episode as it isn't on the shelves yet.   7. Finished Objects (at 41.00 mins) Fay's FOs:     EYF Scarf - Endless Possibilities - the pattern will be released shortly. www.ravelry.com/projects/MaDashper/endless-possibilities   Knit British - Nature's Shades along - Nougat Neck - design to be released shortly. http://www.ravelry.com/projects/MaDashper/nougat-neck   4 (yes 4!!) crochet shawlettes (shh it's a secret - to be released soon)   Crochet Socks for The Duke www.ravelry.com/projects/MaDashper/crocheted-baby-socks   Knitted Socks for Winkie www.ravelry.com/projects/MaDashper/basic-socks-2   Lynne's FOs   Simple Granny Square Blanket using Stash yarns (DMC Natura Just Cotton): own design (not published yet)   Baktus Scarf using Manos Del Uruguay Silk Blend Shade 7438 Zenith (2 skeins): http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baktus-scarf   Simple Stocking Stitch cowl using Rowan Fine Tweed (discontinued): own design (not published yet)   8. Works in Progress and WIP Wall (at 41.00 mins)   See who's at the top of the WIP Wall this month over on Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/417920040403148820/    Fay's WIPs   Missed Kingfisher shawl by Joanne Scrace: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/missed-kingfisher  Scarf for Baby Bird using a knitting sequence from Cecilia Campochiaro’s book  Sequence Knitting: http://www.sequenceknitting.com/   The purple blanket that you can see was frogged during the recording of Episode 3!   Tardis cross stitch cushion (available to buy on Etsy): https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/203231184/tardis-de-lys-instant-pdf-pattern?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=tardis%20fleur%20de%20lys&ref=sr_gallery_1 John Arbon socks (update - these are now finished and another pair started) http://www.ravelry.com/projects/MaDashper/basic-socks Winkie's postal scarf is just simple rows of colour.   Shoreline Blanket (picture at beginning of show notes) is Fay's own design using a very subtle 4dc, 1htr, 2tr, 1htr stitch pattern for the ripple.   Lynne's WIPs   Spice of Life CAL (Sandra Paul): http://www.cherryheart.co.uk/p/spice-of-life-blanket.html   Agrarian Artisan Scarf CAL: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/august-crochet-scarf-mcal   Fairisle Blanket (Lynne Rowe): http://www.womansweekly.com/knitting/knit-a-long-knit-a-knitted-blanket-15631/   Odeletta Shawl (Anna Nikipirowicz) (update - I've now bought beads so ready to finish the last few rows): http://www.ravelry.com/projects/LynneRowe/the-odeletta-shawl---crochet-gifts-5   Accordion Mittens (Lynne Rowe): own pattern not yet published   9. Other links   Woollen Woods at Arlington Court, North Devon.  27th. August - 30th. October 2016 (at 59.30 mins)   Organised by Natalie Savage, Visitor Services Manager     For more information see: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/arlington-court-and-the-national-trust-carriage-museum/features/woollen-woods-in-autumn   The Crochet Circle will collect any mammals and fungi that you would like to make and send them all together. You can find out more along with some free pattern links here in our Ravelry Group: http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-crochet-circle-podcast/topics/3425147   John Arbon Mill Membership (at 10.50 mins) https://www.jarbon.com/mill-membership/mill-membership#.VysCaY-cHIW     Woolfest and the wool clip http://www.woolfest.co.uk/whos-involved/woolclip.htm   10. Competition Winners Thanks to everyone who entered our Ravelry competitions and Congratulations to the winners: Erika Knight Studio Linen - theemmashan Lynne Rowe's Once Upon a Time in Crochet - jojotwinkletoes Erika Knight's Simple Colour Knitting - Dianneb     11. New Competitions (at 63.30 mins) We have 2 new competitions open on our Ravelry Forum:   Arne & Carlos Summer Nights Yarn 2 x 50g http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-crochet-circle-podcast/3424381/1-25   200g DMC Natura Medium 100% Cotton http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-crochet-circle-podcast/3424604/1-25 Good Luck and thank you for listening to our chatter. Don't forget, every Episode is published on the first Friday of every month.   Happy Crocheting.   Lynne and Fay x   Instagram: Crochet_Circle_Podcast  Instagram: provenance.craft.co   Instagram: FayDHDesigns YouTube: The Crochet Circle Podcast Crochet Clan on Mighty Network: Invite      

This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co. and Lynne Rowe Knitting and Crochet Thanks to everyone who tunes into the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.    If you would like to support the podcast, you can do that through Patreon:   Featuring a bonus interview with Sara from Black Sheep Wools on Yarn Shop Day, 30th April 2016.     Yarn Shop Day was founded in 2014 by Sarah Neal, Editor of Let's Knit Magazine. Sarah wanted to do something to help bricks and mortar yarn shops because many are struggling to keep their businesses going, due to many reasons including rising rent on the high street and competition from online stores. Sarah had seen how an annual event called Record Store Day had helped the fortunes of independent record shops and thought "Why can't we do this for our own industry." And so Yarn Shop Day was born.   There was a sock knitting drop in with Christine Perry, aka Winwick Mum, crochet inspiration with Stylecraft crochet designer Sue Pinner, weaving with Beryl Weir and a crochet drop in with bagalong extraordinaire Katherine from Crafternoon Treats.     Christine Perry (aka) Winwick Mum www.winwickmum.blogspot.co.uk We enjoyed chatting to Christine about knitted socks and she explained the sock knitting is not as hard as you might think. Lots of customers were wearing socks they'd knitted from Christine's book called Super Socks. Christine was wearing a lovely knitted shawlette made from sock yarn which is her own design called Couthie Shawl, and available as a free download from her blog.       Crafternoon Treats www.crafternoontreats.com We had a great chat about crocheted socks and recording technology with Kathryn from Crafternoon Treats. Kathryn is a blogger, vlogger and crocheter. Kathryn vlogs about all things crochet and is known for her Bag-a-long project. We're looking forward to meeting Kathryn again at Yarndale in September.     Beryl Weir (also known as Crafts from the Dungeon) www.craftsfromthedungeon.com Bee gave weaving demos and it was great fun to join in and learn a new skill. She had some amazing samples on display and it was interesting to learn that you can use the same yarns for weaving as you use for crochet and knitting. Here's Fay's woven fabric.       Susan Pinner shropshirescrappersuz.blogspot.co.uk We had a brief chat with Susan about yarn and blankets. Susan has authored two amazing books based on the popular Granny Square motifs and she's also the crochet designer for Stylecraft.   At the end of the day, we interviewed Sara to learn more about what Yarn Shop Day means to the retailer.   Sara's gorgeous hank of Blue Heron Yarn       Fay enjoyed knitting with Arne and Carlos again.     We hope you enjoyed the interview and thanks for listening to The Crochet Circle Podcast. Don't forget to tune in on the first Friday of every month for our regular episodes.    

Rachel Coopey is our guest of honour in this episode. Rachel is a British knitwear designer and author, with somewhat of a penchant for socks, having written three books on the subject. Also fond of accessories, she has designed for a number of UK and overseas knitting magazines and publications. Her most recent book, Toasty 2, was launched at Yarndale 2015 and is a collection of patterns in Baa Ram Ewe's Titus yarn. You can find Rachel at www.coopknits.co.uk. Show notes are at www.shinybees.com. Music for this episode is by Adam and the Walter Boys and is 'I Need a Drink'.

National Knitting Week is upon us: what's on your needles? This week's episode has some podcast and knitty news to kick off proceedings, followed by a chat about Yarndale 2015 and a round up of current and finished knitting. In parish notices for the podcast, I will be moving house back to The Money Pit in the very near future. The podcast is planned to remain on schedule throughout this geographical disruption. Also, I have set up a newsletter for the podcast, which you can join at http://eepurl.com/bBMENL and will include all the latest podcast news along with some dogs in comedy knitwear. Also, there's a listener survey for you to take part in. I'd love to hear your opinions, and will be offering a yarny giveaway incentive. Look out for this on the blog and social media for the link. In woolly news, it's Wool Week in the UK between 5-11 Oct, with most of the activity being focused around London (typical!). The UK Hand Knitting Association is promoting the Commit To Knit charity knitting project as part of National Knitting Week. The Knit A Square charity is in dire need of financial donations to support their operations in South Africa.  The Highland Wool and Textile Fair is happening in Inverness on 17th October 2015. Yarndale is reviewed with my top tips being Rachel Coopey, Town End Alpaca and Laura's Loom. Wippin Piccadilly has a finished Owls jumper by Kate Davies and Out Of Darkness shawl by Boo Knits. Ongoing is a Lush by Tin Can Knits. Shownotes for this episode are at www.shinybees.com Music for this episode is provided via Music Alley courtesy of Adam and the Walter Boys, with 'I Need A Drink'

It's official. We've fallen off the cold sheep wagon in this episode of the Yarn in the City podcast and we tell you all about in addition to our regular segments - and a new feature! News and Events: Allison recaps her visit to the third annual Yarndale, where she breathed a lot of yarn fumes. The following events are also happening now, just wrapped up or are happening this month: Shetland Wool Week Swiss Wulle Festival  UK Wool Week - where we'll be at the Twin Spin event at Royal Festival Hall on Tuesday, 6th October and also doing a spinning demonstration on Savile Row on Friday the 9th. Come say hello! Details on the sheep slippers that Allison mentions in Erika Knight yarn can be found here. The Knitting & Stitching Show - we're going on Wednesday, opening day! Our What Knitting Does to Your Brain event with Heather Ordover - coming up soon on 18th October. Tickets are still available. Gwlana retreat in West Wales - and we're thrilled to help Brenda and Caerthan announce the details of Gwlana for spring 2016! You're going to want to save the date now... (May 20-22 2016) And speaking of saving the date, we're going back to Bath for our own Bath Christmas Craft Crawl, and we'll be doing that on Saturday, 28th November. More details to come soon! What we're working on: Rachel has finished her 8-piece collection for The Fibre Co. out of their chunky Tundra yarn, as well as the bouclé cardigan that she's threatening to gift to Allison. She's close to wrapping up the Aranami Shawl by Olga Jazzy and is designing a new shawl out of the Sincere Sheep Cormo Fingering that she bought at Fancy Tiger Crafts in Denver this past summer. Rachel is also swatching for the Angostura Vest by Ysolda Teague that she's planning on knitting out of her new purchase of Cornish Tin. Allison also has a few FOs: the Sproutlette Dress and Tiny Shoes that are a gift for a friend's new baby. Allison has also installed her first zipper on the cardigan/jacket/Skulls Hoodie that she's finished for her brother. Everything else is being pushed to the side now for Grettir, that she hopes to finish in time for Christmas and her WIP of Quaking Aspen in The Fibre Co.'s Acadia yarn continues. We're both also getting ready for Spinzilla which starts at 12:01am on Monday, 5th October and we've got plans to spin up some SweetGeorgia fibre - and whatever else we can lay our hands on! Confessions of (former) cold sheepers: We confess our sins at falling off the cold sheep wagon, although it would appear that Allison's transgressions of three sweater quantities are far worse than Rachel's three skeins. Hmmmm... NEW FEATURE - Yarn in the City on the Road! Something new for us to talk about on the podcasts, the various shops that we've been visiting. Rachel tells us all about the glory and wonder that is Fancy Tiger Crafts in Denver, CO and you can also read her blog post and drool over the photos - they're yummy! As usual you can find us at The Goat Pub in Clapham Junction on Wednesday nights from 7pm, or in our Ravelry group, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

As always, show notes can be found at www.stitchedtogether.co.uk. Come and join the conversation on the Stitched Together Podcast & Patterns Ravelry Group board. Stuff and ThingsA spin-a-long (SAL) started on 1st September, using a minimum of 100g or 3.5oz of fibre and spinning at least 100yds/91m. The SAL will finish on 30th September. All other details, including prizes are over on the FO Thread. Please do not chat in the FO Thread. You can use #STSAL2015 on social media and on your project page.I am wearing a Cool Clavicle Cover by Megan Williams of the Stockinette Zombie Podcast out of Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock in the Tea Party colourway. I mention my penannualar brooch from Twilight Forge on ETSY.Done and DustedSeptember SAL - Hilltop Cloud 70% BFL/15% Cashmere/15% Silk, 100g in natural and 100g in Autumn colours. Spun on my Spanish Peacock bead whorl spindles. I got two skeins of Heavy Fingering/4-ply weight yarn, spun into worsted style 2-ply yarn. The natural skein is 105g and measures 313m/342yds. The Autumn coloured skein is 106g and measures 332m/363yds.Pebble Beach Shawl by Helen Stewart using Black Bunny Fibers Merino Silk Sock (70% Merino/30% Silk) in the Peek-A-Boo colourway, in the small size.Plain vanilla Socks using KnitPicks Felici Yarn in the Afternoon colourway.Nose to the GrindstoneHitofude by Hiroko Fukatsu knit in Araucania Botany Lace in the 2118 colourway. Stored in my Lowland Originals bag.Cardinia Wrap by ambah. Knit using the yarn that I plotted to use for Dusk Into Twilight by Romi Hill. The yarn is Kettle Yarn Co Beyul in Black Quartz, Truly Hooked 60% Superwash Merino/20% Silk/20% Yak Down in the Merida colourway and The Wool Barn Adventure Sock in the Lagoon colourway. Eleanor (alwysknit) reminded me to photo the yarns in black and white and I decided that the shade differences wouldn't work for that pattern, but this one probably will.Yarn Geek Fibers BFL in the Iron Man II colourway. I am using a Neal Brand spindle in Black Palm and Ivorywood.Vanilla Ribbed Socks in Countess Ablaze Viscount of Spark in Riots & Revolts. Started out as Zigzagular Socks by Susie White of the Prairie Girls Knit and Spin Podcast. I mention the PokeMeNot from Jan B Smiley.Blast From The PastFiddlehead Mitts by Adrian Bizilia in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK in Cream and Noro Silk Garden Lite in 2013. First knit in February 2012.Splashed OutBlacker Yarns Cornish Tin 4ply from BritYarn in the Wheal Rose Red and Levant Grey BritYarn still has some green DK. My sister in law got me some more at Yarndale.Countess Ablaze Viscount of Spark Sock Blank in a one of a kind colourway. I mention the Caffeinated Knitting Podcast with Gert & Allie.Online CommunityThank you to Andi from the AndreSueKnits Podcast and Maureen from the Victorian Studio Podcast for their mentions on their podcasts.

This week is a pacey canter through the usual format. The show is co-hosted by a barrel of fermenting beer. I'm not even joking. Enablers' Corner returns where I encourage you to check out the map tapestry kits by Hannah Bass (www.hannahbass.com). In news, there are a number of UK yarn shows coming up including Bristol Wool Fair (11-13 Sep), Yarndale (26-27 Sep) and Highland Wool and Textile Fair in Inverness on 17th Oct. The Great London Yarn Crawl was a great show. Check out all the patterns by p-hop to get your knitting fix whilst doing your bit for charity by raising money for Medecins Sans Frontiers. Top 3 favourites from the marketplace for me were: The Wool Kitchen, Travelknitter and Midwinter Yarns. The pattern pick makes a dive-like return this week, with babies in moustaches and shell attire for pet tortoises, all around the theme of Super Mario. Shownotes for this episode are at www.shinybees.com Music for this episode is provided via Music Alley and is courtesy of Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need A Drink'.

How do you go from psychoanalysing serial killers to wool shop maven? Leona-Jayne Kelly of Fluph in Dundee joins us this week to answer just that question. It's a little more straightforward than you might think, and of course, it involves knitting. The camapign to win the UK Podcasters' Award continues, so please head over to the shownotes for details. The Shawl of Awesome is ongoing and progressing well. It will be finished in time for the awards! Events: I'll be at Great London Yarn Crawl and Yarndale in September. You can find Leona at Fluph at 164 Blackness Road, Dundee or online at www.fluph.co.uk Shownotes are at www.shinybees.com Music for this episode is provided via Music Alley courtesy of Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need A Drink'.

Command and Conquer it ain't. Well, maybe. This week sees the latest happenings in my world, along with a quick virtual canter through this year's trip to Yarndale. In Wippin' Piccadilly, the Lush cardigan by Tin Can Knits in Blacker Swan is complete, and Quadratic by David O Kelly at Eden Cottage Yarns is on the needles. A new section is announced in the podcast: the Sock Surgery with Clare Devine and Kate Read. There is a giveaway PALOOZA jointly sponsored by Ginger Twist Studio and Yarn and Pointy Sticks designs. Finally, we have a one on one interview in the Ginger's Hand Dyed studio in Edinburgh, with the ever fabukous Jessica James. Join us as we chat Brigantia, red acrylic and sweaty little piece of chocolate. Shownotes as always at www.shinybees.com. I am Shinybees on Twitter, FAcebook and Instagram. Enjoy!

Again, another scantly edited episode with no show notes, but it's already eight days old. One day I will get back on top of this surely?Just a quick update on the fact that the podcaster meet up at Yarndale is on the 27th not the 28th. that's Saturday 27th at 3pm. 

Not the podcast, I'm trying to pack all the things in this week and then pack my case. Shorter episode. Partly because of the deadline and partly because I recorded a Drams last night and can't find if I saved it or not. It wasn't all that funny anyway. I ramble on about what I will be buying for my Acer cardigan by Amy Christoffers, Newale by Cecily Glowick Macdonald and the cross stitch kit from www.mainelyquilts.com  and of course Apple pie. New kid on the block podcaster - YarnydaysandSundays http://www.yarnydaysandsundays.podbean.com/ which I liked. I mention again Plutionium Muffins podcast which I recommend. Shoppy Section has lots of new tartans in so go find out if your clan is there. If not please let me know and I'll keep an eye out for it.  www.etsy.com/shop/caithnesscraft Coming up - Yarndale at Skipton Auction Mart 27&28 September Highland Textile Fest at Eden Court Inverness 18 October Forgot to mention Glasgow School of Yarn on 17 & 18 October Pass it On Section Swap Section KAL Section - The Lush KAL has now closed. Thank you for taking part and if you got a prize well done, if not, well done too for getting a cardigan. You are all winners to me. Me Me Me Contact me at caithnesscraftcollective@gmail.com Ravelry as Louise Hunt CaithnessCraft on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and Flickr as LouiseJ2010. Music is by Marc Gunn with Wild Mountain Thyme and from www.musicalley.com where you can buy it.

Hello everyone. Where did September go? Yarndale I didn't record any audio at Yarndale, as it was all a bit overwhelming to be honest. I really shouldn't go to shows when I'm a bit tired and wired, as I buy way more stuff than I need or can process into anything else! It was lovely to meet up with fellow podcasters Jo from Shinybees and Aimee from Knit.Spin.Cake. For a full sharing of my goodies, please listen to Episode 12 of the Shinybees podcast. Finished Objects   In the near two months since I recorded last, I have finished just one sock, a test knit. Pathetic! On the Needles and Hooks During the second week of the holiday I cast on a pair of socks using the sock stripe yarn from The Knitting Goddess that I picked up at Fibre East. These are currently stalled not far from the cuff and susequently mislaid (eek!).   When I got back from holiday I decided to join in the Mystery Sock-A-Long on the APlayfulDay podcast group, but haven't got far on those because I can't seem to pick up the lace pattern easily (limited details here). These are in the same project bag as the stripey socks, ergo they too are missing. Then at the end of August I cast on a Chevron Pullover in Noro Kureyon as part of the Stitched Together podcast's Craft-Library-a-long. Completed the sleeves within a fortnight but have now slowed down due to limited bandwidth. On the coach back form Yarndale last week I started crocheting an Iris scarf in NDS Dazzle HT as part of a kit I bought but this photo was taken once it crashed to a halt over the pale greeny-blue top left. This has now been removed! Last night I also picked up the Dorothy in Sublime merino DK that I bought with my prize winnings form Thame Show. Crafting ADHD? Moi? Something I Really Like Parkrun! Upcoming Events Knitting and Stitching Show, 10-13th October 2013, Alexandra Palace; Crafts From The Dungeon Open Days, Frodsham, 16th & 17th October 2013 Cheshire Guild Friendship Day, Frodsham Community Centre, 19th October 2013 Bakewell Wool Gathering, 19-20th October 2013, Bakewell; Knitting and Stitching Show, 21-24th November 2013, Harrogate. Music Rondopolska by Barry Philips, from the album Tråd, available from Magnatune. Make Contact! We have a listeners' map. Please go on over to pop in a pin - we're covering 5 continents now but I'd still love to see where you all are! Please feel free to leave a comment here or at http://www.yarnsfromtheplain.blogspot.com/, or email me at yarnsfromtheplain AT googlemail DOT com. We have a Ravelry group here, so come on over to chat. You can find me on Ravelry as talesfromtheplain and on Twitter as talesfromplain (although Tweeting can be sporadic!). TTFN, Nic x

This week sees Jo joined by special guest stars Nic and Aimee from Yarns From The Plain and KnitSpinCake podcasts. A break from the usual schow format, we discuss all things Yarndale. Mistly, we talk about Stuff Nic Bought. Prepare to be enabled! Shownotes at www.shinybees.com.

Hello from my garden here on the Plain. Not to self - don't place the iPhone on the same level as the Joy when recording in the garden in future! Sorry if you find the spinning noise annoying; at least it didn't squeak!Fleece to FinishedThanks to Bee for these photos from the event.From left to right: Annie's Best Coat, 4 hours 50 minutes; Elsibett, 4 hours 30 minutes; Whole Lotta Rosie 3 hours 58 minutes.Tour de Fleece From left to right: 16g, 28 yds of Rosie 2 ply 6g, 8.66 yds of Annie 2ply. These are the bits left on my Joy bobbins after our Guild Fleece to Finished challenge. 105g, 148 yds HilltopCloud Superwash BFL/Ramie, spun and plied as a 3-ply on the Joy. 73g, 271.5 yds BFL I’d dyed lilac myself and spun last year - final 15g spun on the Traddy and then plied as a 2-ply on the Joy. 107g, 476 yds of Shunklies Cheviot spun last year and plied as a 2-ply on the Traddy. 106g, 139yds HilltopCloud Superwash BFL/Ramie, spun and plied as a 2-ply on the Joy. 6g, 25yds Ashford merino/silk lurking on a bobbin (left over from the spinning for the Peacock Shawlette) and plied as a 2-ply on the Joy. 10g, 33yds of raw alpaca purchased from Great House Alpacas, spun and plied as a 2-ply on my spindle. 19g, 71yds of HilltopCloud hand blended in Shetland/merino/llama/fire star, spun and plied on my spindle.Show ReportI saw alpaca...It was very hot...  If you get a chance at a show, you must see the Lamb National! OK, onto the exhibits...      Three handmade cards......                            ....and the knitted/crocheted baby item.    Rag doll...                                                             ....and creative embroidered picture.            Item made from recycled materials (oven mitts)...                 ...and a beaded necklace.               Item of felting....                           ...Hand or machine made bag     Knitting: Advanced...                                                             ....Cushion, any medium.     Bottom: Item of other craft, inspired by favourite book. Top: Item of handspun yarn, knitted or woven - along with the Diploma for best exhibit.  Upcoming EventsFibre East, 27-28 July 2013, Ampthill, Bedford; Yarndale, 28-29th September 2013, Skipton;Knitting and Stitching Show, 11-14th October 2013, Alexandra Palace;Bakewell Wool Gathering, 19-20th October 2013, Bakewell.MusicRondopolska by Barry Philips, from the album Tråd, available from Magnatune.Make Contact!We have a listeners' map. Please go on over to pop in a pin - we're covering 5 continents now but I'd still love to see where you all are! Please feel free to leave a comment here or at http://www.yarnsfromtheplain.blogspot.com/, or email me at yarnsfromtheplain AT googlemail DOT com. We have a Ravelry group here, so come on over to chat. You can find me on Ravelry as talesfromtheplain and on Twitter as talesfromplain (although Tweeting can be sporadic!).TTFN,Nic x

Some (not so) brief ramblings, the night before the show... apologies, not been edited to remove ums... Something I Really Like My new Ultra-Fine Blocking Wires Upcoming Events Fibre East, 27-28 July 2013, Ampthill, Bedford; Yarndale, 28-29th September 2013, Skipton Bakewell Wool Gathering, 19-20th October, Bakewell Music Rondopolska by Barry Philips, from the album Tråd, available from Magnatune. Make Contact! We have a listeners' map. Please go on over to pop in a pin - we're covering 5 continents now but I'd still love to see where you all are! Please feel free to leave a comment here or at http://www.yarnsfromtheplain.blogspot.com/, or email me at yarnsfromtheplain AT googlemail DOT com. We have a Ravelry group here, so come on over to chat. You can find me on Ravelry as talesfromtheplain and on Twitter as talesfromplain (although Tweeting can be sporadic!). TTFN, Nic x

Well, there was when I recorded it anyway! Links Ruth Packham Woolyknit Hilltop Cloud Crafts From The Dungeon Something I Really Like The Pompeii and Herculaneum Exhibition at the British Museum Upcoming Events Fibre East, 27-28 July 2013, Ampthill, Bedford; Yarndale, 28-29th September 2013, Skipton Bakewell Wool Gathering, 19-20th October, Bakewell Music Rondopolska by Barry Philips, from the album Tråd, available from Magnatune. Make Contact! We have a listeners' map. Please go on over to pop in a pin - we're covering 5 continents now but I'd still love to see where you all are! Please feel free to leave a comment here or at http://www.yarnsfromtheplain.blogspot.com/, or email me at yarnsfromtheplain AT googlemail DOT com. We have a Ravelry group here, so come on over to chat. You can find me on Ravelry as talesfromtheplain and on Twitter as talesfromplain (although Tweeting can be sporadic!). TTFN, Nic x

Finished Objects There is progress sin my preparation for the Oxfordshire County & Thame Show. I've so far completed three more projects for classes: a pair of oven mitts from recycled clothing (no pictures yet), my Northman stranded mittens and a pair of baby bootees from a Sirdar Snuggly 3ply pattern (Ravelry details here). I've also finished knitting the I-cord on the stripy Noro messenger bag and fulled it in the washing machine. Now it needs to be lined. In The Weaving Shed I've been working on the 32" Rigid Heddle loom, making a houndstooth pattern. The brown is chocolate Jacob, the white is a blend of British wool, both from Wool City Wools available from Texere. This will become a cushion. Further Show Prep A Clothkits rag doll has been sewn, although she has no dress yet. One and half cards have been made. A half finished beaded necklace has been fished out of the WIPs bin and it is moving apace, as is a long stitch embroidery of a nuclear power and reprocessing plant. No, seriously. What do you mean you haven't got one? Still no pictures I'm afraid! Here's some Merino Silk blend I've spun on the Joy, which is now being knitted into the Peacock Shawlette by Kitman Figueroa. Something I Really Like Cancer Research's Race For Life 5k races. I'm running at Tatton Park on Sunday 30th June in memory of my Uncle Jeff. If you could spare a few coppers and would like to sponsor me for the event, my just giving page is here.  Thank you. Links Upcoming Events Woolfest, 28-29 June 2013, Cockermouth, Cumbria; The Wool Experience, 6 July 2013, Blaze Farm, Wildboarclough; Fibre East, 27-28 July 2013, Ampthill, Bedford; Yarndale, 28-29th September 2013, Skipton. Music Rondopolska by Barry Philips, from the album Tråd, available from Magnatune. Make Contact! We have a listeners' map. Please go on over to pop in a pin - we're covering 5 continents now but I'd still love to see where you all are! Please feel free to leave a comment here or at http://www.yarnsfromtheplain.blogspot.com/, or email me at yarnsfromtheplain AT googlemail DOT com. We have a Ravelry group here, so come on over to chat. You can find me on Ravelry as talesfromtheplain and on Twitter as talesfromplain (although Tweeting can be sporadic!). TTFN, Nic x

Hello from a delayed episode recorded in May. Reports and a family bereavement conspired to throw me into a flat spin and I didn't edit this for ages. Apologies for the delay. It'll probably be like buses - there'll be another episode along in a few minutes... ;) On and Off The Needles I have cast on another Adrift, this time in some 4 ply from John Arbon Textiles. It's gone well, but it currently languishing as I slooooooowly unpick the cast on. Ravelry details here. The Tomten Jacket (Ravelry details here) STILL hasn't had the zip sewn in (I'm such a chicken!). I crocheted these Easy Victorian Shell Mitts by Bron Green in DT Crafts 100% BFL Aran in an afternoon. Gotta love crochet! Show Prep Yes indeedy! I'm gearing up to enter several classes in the Oxfordshire County & Thame Show. If you are in the area on Saturday 13th July, do go. It's a great day out. I'm bringing a pair of stranded mittens and the stripy Noro messenger bag out of the WIP bin for some of the classes, as well as working on a number of other projects that are not yet photographed or completed. More details later! In A Spin Here's some Merino Silk blend I've spun on the Joy, which may well become a shawl or scarf for the show. I don't think it's 54 wpi here though! Something I Really Like The Great British Sewing Bee Links Clothkits Coldharbour Mill Bohemian Rhapsody Wrap Upcoming Events Woolfest, 28-29 June 2013, Cockermouth, Cumbria; Fibre East, 27-28 July 2013, Ampthill, Bedford; Yarndale, 28-29th September 2013, Skipton. Music Rondopolska by Barry Philips, from the album Tråd, available from Magnatune. Make Contact! We have a listeners' map. Please go on over to pop in a pin - we're covering 5 continents now but I'd still love to see where you all are! Please feel free to leave a comment here or at http://www.yarnsfromtheplain.blogspot.com/, or email me at yarnsfromtheplain AT googlemail DOT com. We have a Ravelry group here, so come on over to chat. You can find me on Ravelry as talesfromtheplain and on Twitter as talesfromplain (although Tweeting can be sporadic!). TTFN, Nic x

Hello from an almost Springlike Cheshire Plain, specifically the carpark in the Blakemere Craft Village! In this episode I waffle on about the weather (again!), review something I've never reviewed before and just shake my head in despair at my knitterly ADHD. What's On The Needles? Zipping along on the Tomten:   I've also swatched for a seamless yoke sweater by Elizabeth Zimmermann (I blame A Playful Day ;) !), using some of the Sheepfold blues and purples and cream left over from my Woolsack cushions. This is one idea for some colourwork....    ...and this is the first part of the hem, with the picot row worked. Review Inspector Norse by Lipservice Theatre Something I Really Like The Killing Upcoming Events Wingham Woolwork Fibre Sampling Workshop, 6th April 2013, Frodsham Community Centre; Wonderwool Wales, 27-28 April 2013, Builth Wells, Powys; Woolfest, 28-29 June 2013, Cockermouth, Cumbria; Fibre East, 27-28 July 2013, Ampthill, Bedford; Yarndale, 28-29th September 2013, Skipton. Music Rondopolska by Barry Philips, from the album Tråd, available from Magnatune. Make Contact! We have a listeners' map. Please go on over to pop in a pin - we're covering 5 continents now but I'd still love to see where you all are! Please feel free to leave a comment here or at http://www.yarnsfromtheplain.blogspot.com/, or email me at yarnsfromtheplain AT googlemail DOT com. We have a Ravelry group here, so come on over to chat. You can find me on Ravelry as talesfromtheplain and on Twitter as talesfromplain (although Tweeting can be sporadic!). TTFN, Nic x

Hello from a distinctly un-Springlike Cheshire Plain... brrr! On The Needles I've completed the waist decreases on Adrift, but I've decided to lengthen it and add some complimentary increases. Ravelry details of my project are here. I've also knit and crocheted some bunting triangles for the Guild's bunting, using the Sheepfold Clotted Cream I dyed a year ago.   Yesterday I cast on a Tomten by Elizabeth Zimmerman for a new arrival in the family.   Oh the Joy! No progress pictures, but I have spun some more purple BFL on the Traddy and more green merino/silk blend on the Joy. The Traddy's had a good scrub down and wax too. Holiday Souvenir Competition We have a winner! Listen to find out who won one of these yarns from La Droguerie. Something I Really Like The National Gallery. Here's Whistlejacket, Mr & Mrs Andrews and Seurat's Bathers at Asnières. Upcoming Events Wingham Woolwork Fibre Sampling Workshop, 6th April 2013, Frodsham Community Centre; Wonderwool Wales, 27-28 April 2013, Builth Wells, Powys; Woolfest, 28-29 June 2013, Cockermouth, Cumbria; Fibre East, 27-28 July 2013, Ampthill, Bedford; Yarndale, 28-29th September 2013, Skipton. Music Rondopolska by Barry Philips, from the album Tråd, available from Magnatune. Make Contact! We have a listeners' map. Please go on over to pop in a pin - we're covering 5 continents now but I'd still love to see where you all are! Please feel free to leave a comment here or at http://www.yarnsfromtheplain.podbean.com/, or email me at yarnsfromtheplain AT googlemail DOT com. We have a Ravelry group here, so come on over to chat. You can find me on Ravelry as talesfromtheplain and on Twitter as talesfromplain (although Tweeting can be sporadic!). TTFN, Nic x