Monty; knitting lessons and textiles design in London

pinteresting

2012-01-15T21:34:00.002Z

Ok, hands up who is addicted to Pinterest? It is a visual feast, and a great way to store any mood board type pictures and inspiration you may have for certain projects so that they are all in one place. Have just found it and begun to use it as a way to relax and unwind in the evenings after little miss is in bed, but I am finding that it is keeping me up far too late! Anyway, go check me out and if you are on there, follow me so I can keep an eye on your likes too!

baby crocheted loveliness

2012-01-06T20:52:00.003Z

Firstly, a very happy new year to you all, hope you had a wonderful festive period. I wanted to quickly share with you all a thoughtful gift received beautifully wrapped for my little girl's first Christmas.

Emma Varnam, a very talented designer who I have met through Inside Crochet magazine kindly sent it to us and it has been very useful already, as well as being a very pretty accessory which has received countless compliments from strangers as she is proudly pushed around town in it!

I don't think Emma has written the pattern up yet, so head over to her blog and pester her to do so!!

New DMC patterns

2011-12-21T21:04:00.003Z

This was the last crochet project I worked on before the birth, finishing off in between naps and with my swollen feet up!

Take a peek at the other patterns on the DMC website, as there are some fabby ones - I particularly like the new Natura pattern book.

fabulous fair finds!

2011-11-21T18:31:00.008Z

I have been quite poorly since the littl'un was born, but finally managed a trip out at the recently and went on a little walk to the local church fair, which was fabulous. One of the stalls was selling handmade items, and I spied some familiar knitted floral brooches in beautiful colours (above). The vicar's grandchildren had knitted them from my own book 'Knitting for Children' and had made a fantastic job of it, choosing shades that went well together, making a very pretty presentation on the stall. One of the beautiful girls, Jolie, had made a fabulous ball of yarn from finger knitted tubes (below) she must be going for the world record! I wonder how many metres there are and how long it took her. It is a fabulous pastime to keep her busy while in front of the tv!

I also donated some of my toys for the benefit of the church, and bought the most beautiful dolls pram from the 1930s which I purchased for little Millie's first Christmas present. It is a bit well-worn, but I am looking forward to bringing it out in the spring to spruce up and maybe use to decorate the nursery until she is old enough to push her dolls and teddies in it.

Looking forward to many more Christmas fairs over the next few weeks!

a new arrival...

2011-10-15T12:27:00.003+01:00

A recent break in the blog and my knitting life in general can be explained by this little person, who will be receiving the sole attention on my needles and hooks for quite some time! During my career break, I shall try to post occasionally about my projects, such as the green booties she is sporting, or trying to, in the above piccie, for her and any interesting things which my happen in my now very different life. The green booties are a very simple pattern from my book Easy Baby Knits which I had great fun re-knitting for my own little bundle of joy.

Knitting as normal will resume sometime next year.

crochet for children - out now!

2011-08-22T12:55:00.004+01:00

So, it is finally out! My new book teaching children to crochet, Crochet for Children is aimed at kids, but hopefully the patterns are cute and interesting enough to appeal to their parents and grandparents too, so all the family will enjoy using this book. I love it, and hope you do too! Here are some pictures from the book, let me know what you think!

quilting...

2011-08-05T18:12:00.005+01:00

I am going through a very exciting period of my life at the moment, which I plan to blog about more very soon, but in the meantime, I apologise for lack of presence here and leave you some pretty pictures of some fabric I have bought for a very important new arrival, which may see me sewing (or doing hardly any crafts at all...) rather than knitting for a while....

the top lot come from a rather gorgeous little shop in Canterbury and I had a ball choosing which fabrics I thought would look fabulous with some I had already bought. It took hours!

These (above) are Japanese cottons from the absolutely fabulous Eternal Maker in Chichester and the ones below are from the now sadly closed Sally Bourne in Crouch End. Can't wait to show you what the finished article is like!

...more soon!

nest knitting games

2011-07-12T14:31:00.008+01:00

I went along to the Nest knitting games at the weekend which were loads of fun!

They had knitted fruit and vegetables in the window which were judged to be the best for all sorts of reasons like the sweetest, longest and tastiest. Yum!

There was a guess the city honey contest, with a city honey and a country honey to judge which were best. I liked A, and will find out which was which very soon hopefully.

I also want to know who won the fastest knitting competition as I had to leave before it took place, they would have walked away with the very covetable knitted cup!

The sale is still on, so even if you missed the fun of the knitting games, there are plenty of reasons to visit the lovely nest!

Crochet for Children

2011-07-08T16:34:00.002+01:00

Eeeek!! New book landed on the doormat this morning, and it is possibly my favourite book of the books I have written so far. I just LOVE the colours and layout of the book and the pieces were simply such fun to make! I hope you love it too - here is a sneak peak. It is out at the beginning of August, will show you more then!

RCA Textiles show

2011-07-04T20:26:00.014+01:00

Last week I popped along to the RCA textiles private view on a very hot and muggy day (how do they choose the hottest day EVERY year?!?)

The knitted textiles students were all very diverse which meant an interesting show. Fiona Brooker's pretty watercolours translated beautifully into her textural knits, made up of stripes of many different gauges, stitches and fibres, the mohair working especially well at blending the colours as in her painting. The palette is pretty and quite calming, creating throws perfect for snuggling under in the colder months.

Lucy Faulke exhibited some crochet, which is fabulous to see, and not only that but she used it in an interesting and orginal way, combining with plastics and using oversized hairpin lace from looms she made herself to create interesting pieces which could become furniture or jewellery.

Victoria Campbell's stunning monochrome pieces were bejewelled with metal beads, chain and metallic yarn to create beautifully elegant evening wear.

Helen Paine used heavy printing techniques on brightly coloured, fine knits to create very modern, wearable pieces.

Victoria Bulmer used recycled denim very effectively to create energetic, textural garments for men - which is unusual in itself for knitwear, most students aim for womenswear. She had also produced a very professional looking fold out pamphlet of a range of her pieces instead of business cards.

There was an interesting and original layout to the show this year, with each textiles student interspersed with a product design one. I think the two disciplines go well together and it was interesting to see the textiles students who used interesting products and form in their work and the product students who utilised textiles in an interesting way. For me, the most fascinating of these was Marina Dragomirova who used Bulgarian carpet making traditions to create chairs that take the form of looms, with the warp and weft making the seat - fabulous! She also has a diverse range of other products, which are just as interesting.

The show has unfortunately now closed, but I am sure there will be many more gems in next years batch of graduates!

DMC creative crochet patterns

2011-06-28T10:44:00.003+01:00

Some new patterns I have designed for DMC using their Petra and Metallic yarns have been published, what do you think?!

My favourite piece is the little 50s inspired neck scarf above, although I do love a granny square, and one that sparkles is an extra special treat!!

You can buy the entire kit to make these patterns, so go treat yourself, they are the perfect cotton accessories for summer.

graduate fashion

2011-06-22T22:44:00.004+01:00

Had a fab time the other week at the RCA fashion show, regular mens and womenswear was ok, but the knitwear was amazing! So bright, cheerful and original.

My favourite collection was Helen Turner's, above, with her fabulous pile fabric garments, looking like beautiful feathers or a massive pom pom. These moved so beautifully as they went down the catwalk.

Ruth Green
Hannah Buswell

Check out my full report on this year's graduates from all the big shows in Issue 20 of Inside Crochet, out in a couple of weeks.

Inside Crochet issue 19

2011-06-06T20:08:00.003+01:00

New issue of Inside Crochet is out now! Tis very colourful and summery, which is just what we were aiming for, and our cover model is going to be the understudying the lead role in the Phantom of the Opera, so exciting! Hope you like it.

2011-05-19T18:52:00.002+01:00

First of two parter at City Lit last weekend, it's a 3D crochet class, so much fun was had making beads, weird and wonderful shapes and ruffles. Next class we will be concentrating on surface texture and experimenting, so more pictures to show with the outcomes of that next week!

inside crochet issue 18

2011-05-10T19:49:00.004+01:00

Excited about the new issue of Inside Crochet, which you can see a preview of here.

I adore Jennifer Cirka's Wedding Fascinator - my vintage lace top bought for four quid from Bexhill-on-Sea definitely came in handy for this beautiful shoot!

I also love the Eugenio Stork pattern by Yanina from Pica Pau, which I have made, so can enjoy in real life too!

3d crochet workshop

2011-05-09T21:54:00.003+01:00

Details of my upcoming class at citylit, perfect for crocheters who know the basics and want to try out some new techniques in a fun way, we will be going through shaping techniques, to create pieces which could be jewellery, toys or art pieces. Get booked on!

knitting vintage

2011-05-07T19:35:00.004+01:00

I have yet another new book out, this time one which is inspired heavily by fashions from the 20th Century, called Knitting Vintage. Here are a few pictures to give you a flavour!

pretty slippers...

2011-05-05T21:12:00.002+01:00

More pretty pictures from the kid's knitting book today. I love the idea that you can make a simple slipper pattern then customise them to suit your own character or that of your child's. I am sure any little girl who loves to dance will enjoy sewing ribbons to her pretty in pink pair, or if you are a Wizard of Oz fan like me, the ruby slippers are a must! A boy might even like to make some football boot slippers...would love to see any variations you come up with!

Knitting For Children

2011-04-27T20:13:00.006+01:00

I have been popping up all 35 patterns from my new book, Knitting For Children, onto Ravelry, quite a task! It has reminded me of my favourite projects and what fun the book was to write and shoot.

My personal favourite project from the book is probably these cute Mouse Mittens. All the kids I have shown them to adore them and can't stop playing with them, like puppets, while they are keeping their fingers nice and toasty! Usually the mice talk to one another, sometimes they kiss, occasionally they fight, but whatever they are doing, it keeps the child busy for hours - so take heed parents, it could be a great project to knit for them, even if they do not want to learn themselves!!!

stripes galore!

2011-04-25T15:58:00.005+01:00

I do so love a stripe!

Now that the warmer weather is finally here, it can be hard to find projects which still make you feel like spring, so how about some classic Breton inspired stripes for a fabulous naval look? My new book, Knitting Vintage has a lovely wide stripe sweater in, taking inspiration from just that look, and I love it, even if I do say so myself! I have been wearing it already!

You can also find my nautical striped sweater pattern on Ravelry.

If those are a little warm for you in this mini heatwave we are experiencing in the South East, why not try some very summery lacy stripes. This cute cotton sweater was in Let's Knit magazine last year, but if you can't find your copy, I shall be publishing it on Ravelry soon.

crocheted rag doll

2011-03-19T13:31:00.000Z

Just thought I would share with you another project from Crochet for Children, as I just love how this little rag doll turned out!

crochet granny square blanket

2011-03-17T09:41:00.000Z

My new book, Knitting for Children turned out so well that I have been asked to do the same thing for crochet. This will be my first crochet book - hard to believe as I have designed so much crochet throughout the years. I think somebody has finally twigged that crochet is being left behind in the lovely book stakes, knitting and many other crafts have many beautiful books to choose from, whereas crochet is only just beginning to bloom. Hopefully that is all about to change and we shall see a burst in crochet books in the near future. For now, here is a half finished granny square blanket I was trying to complete in between lessons at West Dean last month...

tales from the sock drawer

2011-03-06T22:59:00.003Z

...and here's my humble offering from the exhibition, along with the tale from the sock drawer...

Learning to Fly

"Old Mrs Habberknackle has a large chest of drawers in her bedroom, where she likes to keep her stockings and her balls of yarn for knitting, nestled cosily beside each other. It is a great joy to her every time she opens the little brown drawer full of all the colours of the rainbow and she always has a hard time choosing which pair of stripy socks to wear under her long swishy skirts or exactly what colour yarn to use as she knits another incredibly loooong scarf for one of her fifteen grandchildren.

The trouble is, it is not just old Mrs Habberknackle who loves the drawers so much. A few of the cheeky birdies from the neighbouring woods have discovered just how cosy it is to nest in balls of yarn – so much more comfortable than twigs and moss. So now every time old Mrs Habberknackle opens her drawers she is not quite sure who, or what, is about to fly out next, as each doting mother teaches her chicks the basics of taking off and landing!

However, she doesn’t mind, why should she be the only one to benefit from such a glorious set of drawers filled with a cosy, warm rainbow? Although next time she pokes her hand in, she had better be careful as I am sure I spied some sort of strange and hairy creature burrowing through the yarn last time she opened it – can you spot him?!"

tales from the sock drawer exhibition

2011-03-05T12:18:00.000Z

Some lovely little shots have come through from the final pieces entered into the Tales From the Sock Drawerexhibition, which I was madly making for last year, like these aliens,and birdies

It is so interesting how each designer has taken a totally different spin on the drawers set up, and I of course love Abigail Brown's unusual and fun display as I have mentioned before that I am a big fan of her work.

I also liked Kate Toms' creative drawers, which were opened up at the back so we could have an insight into a tiny secret world. It did make me wonder whether I should have thought a little bit more outside the box (or drawer) but as you know, I am a simple kinda gal and liked the way my simple tale fitted the drawers and display...more of that tomorrow!

experimental handknitting

2011-03-03T12:38:00.000Z

My first class of the year at City Lit was an experimental class, where we all basically sat around and played with yarn, stitch and colour for six Friday evenings! I had some very creative students who even had the chance to have a great week making their samples into felt with Heather Belcher while I was away in Florence. Here are some of the fabulous colours and strange yarns and fibres they put together.

Some beautiful samples made from yarn, ribbons and other oddments, plus the string saved from a well known veg box - that is what I call recycling with style!

crochet cables

2011-02-28T13:53:00.004Z

Here's another from Inside Crochet 15! This time, cabled. This issue has a bit of a cable theme, and I had lots of fun working these out - the J C Rennie yarn was also a dream to create crochet cables out of. It is a bit fiddly, but well worth it I think!

hairpin dress

2011-02-27T13:48:00.000Z

Wow, February is a short month - it is nearly time for the next issue, 16, of Inside Crochet to come out, and I haven't told you of a new pattern in the current issue of 15. This issue has a slightly retro air so my starting point was a link to this stunning dress placed onto the Inside Crochet group on Ravelry after my last hairpin piece in the magazine.

west dean vintage knitting

2011-02-26T11:03:00.004Z

Huge apologies for my lack of posting in February, but I have been unbelievably busy. Now a few of the pressures are off, I shall catch you up with everything I have been doing.

First, I spent a relaxing weekend in West Dean teaching a new class - adapting vintage knitting patterns - which is the perfect place to begin to learn how to design your own knitting patterns.

Had another great view from my room this time....

Pitti FIlati

2011-01-26T21:27:00.005Z

Day two in Florence and it's time for a trip to the fabulous yarn fair itself, Pitti Filati.

I headed straight for the Senso trend forecasting area to collect my shade card for Spring/Summer 2012 and see what those in the know are predicting we will be wearing and knitting in 2012.

The layout was slightly different to previous years I have attended, with the experimental and textural samples draped around tiny dummies to also provide an indication of the shapes for the coming seasons.

I noted a muted, organic colour palette, highly textured and layered, sculptural knits constructed with unusual yarns such as nylon monofilament, stiff raffia and draping, shiny tapes. The funnel neck also seems to be making a comeback - which we have already started to see in the present season.

There was so much to see, we were overwhelmed, so we are going back tomorrow to finish off the rounds of the yarn companies. However, we did round off the day with a trip to the unmissable second hand fair, Vintage Selection. The Italians have not yet grasped the vintage trend as wholeheartedly as us Brits, meaning the selection is simply stunning - they still have plenty of authentic items left from pre-1970, having not yet had every store plundered for goodies. Unfortunately, the growth in popularity of the show meant that the prices had increased too. I left with only some fabulous buttons to show for my trip. I had hoped to find a friend for the bargain basement price, amazing Italian leather, statement 60s suede wedges I picked up on my last trip. Twas not to be...perhaps next year!

italy...

2011-01-25T20:26:00.007Z

Well, here I am in Italy, in beautiful and exciting Florence to be precise, for the bi-annual yarn extravaganza that is the Pitti Filati trade fair, a yarn and trend fair for the knitting industry. We flew over the alps very early this morning on a beautiful sunny and misty day.

So far we have visited the absolutely stunning Duomo cathedral, which I never tire of seeing, and in fact made a beeline for today.

I topped off the day with the most delicious fruits of the forest gelato....

Well, you can't not have ice cream in Italy! When in Rome (or florence) and all that...

knitting for children

2011-01-14T22:14:00.004Z

I've finally received the first copy of my new book, Knitting for Children, and I am so excited - I love it! We tried to keep it colourful and fun, with simple and yet interesting projects that little ones will love to make. It's out in March, so if you have children who want to learn, or if you are young at heart or want to knit projects kids will love, go check it out and let me know what you think

Fern Cowl

2011-01-09T22:53:00.002Z

Issue 14 of Inside Crochet is out now and has a pattern of my own in - the Fern Cowl. I ripped out this cowl so many times trying to get the pattern just right, but now I love it, and hope it is still cold enough to wear it myself when I get it back.

In other exciting IC news, the website should be up any day - yay!

Sknitch

2011-01-06T21:24:00.010Z

Last batch of piccies from 2010 - a trip to the Clothes Show Live in Birmingham to man the Kal Media stall. It was the coldest December I recall, we awoke in our B&B on the second day to a magical frosty countryside and the car thermometer showing a temperature of minus nine, but it looked amazing.

The main show was a real disappointment - loads of screaming girls and cheap, boring clothes, it was a real homage to fast fashion and a homogenised high street, all very depressing for a craftsperson and hand maker. The Sknitch section, dedicated to the hand made side of fashion, was a sight for sore eyes amongst all the mass produced tat. Other exhibitors were Cloth Kits, the UK Handknitting Association, Josy Rose and lots of other inspiring businesses.

I managed to max out the credit card at The Eternal Maker, a shop I had been meaning to visit in Chichester since a friend from West Dean had recommended it, so I was over the moon to see the stall right next door to ours.

I could easily have bought up the entire stand but in the end I settled for as much as my tiny suitcase could carry home.

I indulged in a fabulous Oliver + S pattern, for a friend expecting a baby girl next month - I had wanted to buy one of their fabulous patterns for ages, but had not had a reason to myself, but a gift -why, that feels as good as spending money on myself, if not better!

For myself I bought some fabulous cute baby buttons in the shape of clouds and raindrops and an extra long tape measure - very handy indeed, and comes in a tidy little tin - great news for a messy crafter like me. I also bought a great array of fabrics in some of the prettiest and most quirky, fun designs I have ever seen. Lots were Japanese made, along with some of the buttons available, which added to the quirkiness and originality of the stock. You just cannot buy anything like most of their stock anywhere else in the UK.

I also enjoyed a catch up with Susan Crawford. You can see her eloquent and likeminded thoughts on the Clothes Show at her blog, Just call me Ruby. I was excited to find out that she is bringing out a vintage inspired crochet book - just what the crochet world needs, as there are so very few good quality crochet books around. She has also launched some fabulous kits - if you like vintage knitting, you should search them out.

More from 2010: Horrockses

2011-01-02T22:30:00.013Z

Amongst the selection of fabulous exhibitions I visited last year was the Horrockses Fashion at the FTM, the wonderful, intimate venue in Bermondsey.

For those of you who haven't come across the company the museum was highlighting, Horrockses Fashion Limited was a ready-to-wear manufacturer of fashionable, mid-market clothing in the 1950s.

Although they were mass-manufactured, the dresses were well designed, wearable and made from wonderful, uniquely designed textiles.

The exhibition was small, yet packed in a huge amount of interesting and colourful artefacts, including actual garments, original designs, signage, advertising and fabric samples as well as some ephemera donated by the public. There was a wall showcasing personal black and white snaps of glamourous 1950s young ladies donning the stunning sundresses.

A fabulous fact discovered in the fascinating exhibition literature was that the company came into its own just as Britons began to holiday abroad, as the lightweight, prettily patterned cotton dresses and sun suits were perfect warm weather attire.

I loved everything about this exhibition and found the beachwear and sundresses still eminently wearable. In fact, continuing my New Years Resolutions theme for these posts, I have my eye on a couple of the designs to try to recreate myself.

This must be the year I conquer my sewing machine, if only to benefit my first beach holiday in years, as I am not a typical beach holiday dresser. I think that I've mentioned before that I have what I like to call an 'English Rose' complexion - snow white and freckly! This means that in the sun I will inevitably eschew the short shorts and teeny bikinis for swathes of cotton, a huge floppy hat and oversized sunnies. (I like to think I look enigmatic and glamourous sitting under the parasol, rather than an eccentric recluse - think Joan Collins rather than Miss Havisham). These voluminous skirts will fit in perfectly with my alternative holiday wardrobe...wish me luck!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T13:27:00.010Z

I hope you all have a fantabulous 2011! I feel that this year will be a year when hopefully you will see a more focused and organised Monty. Last year was more of a transitional year for me, with many changes and projects and yet not a huge amount of time for decisions and planning. I achieved a lot, including becoming a magazine editor, which I love, and finishing a book that aims to teach children to knit (above), which I have wanted to complete for many years. However, as a freelancer, one always feels that no offers of work should be turned down, as you do not know what the future holds, so I have often wasted energy working on things that I have little interest in. I hope 2011 will be the year when I may complete fewer projects, but base them around themes and goals I have always wanted to achieve, while also working on having a lot more relaxation and personal time! (I am hoping that a long awaited holiday is on the cards this year!!)

Before I move on totally from 2010 however, I have just found a whole camera full of pictures from the end of the year that I never got round to posting about. So, over the next few posts, I shall give you a quick round up of those things, and some other important parts of my 2010.

Way back in the spring, I went to see the Quilts exhibition at the V&A with a very good friend who I did my textiles degree with. I really enjoyed this show, and surprisingly I loved the older quilts more than the modern versions, some of which I feel lacked the beauty and intricacies of the antique blankets.

However, I adored Sara Impey's Punctuation (above) and I have always loved Tracey Emin's quilts. At around the same time as the exhibition was on I read a great interview with Emin in Vogue where she stated that:

'...there [is] a contraditction within the quilts: the message [is] immediate, but that message would have taken a painfully long time to put together.'

This is what I love about Emin's and Impey's work, as well as that of the older quilts. The messages are important and instant to the viewer, but when you begin to look closely at the stitching and fabrics, you see the maker's hand and processes and the piece takes on a whole other importance, life and meaning. In Impey's work the negative space is as important as the stitches, as the lettering is made from the plain, unstitched fabric and the words chosen derive from a personal, family letter. Some of the older quilts were displayed so that you could see the reverse, with the templates the maker had used to create the quilt still visible. I love this reverence for the skill, process and time involved within the craft. As a textiles designer, I have always felt that the making is as important as the final piece with involved and time-consuming crafts, where the thoughts, conversations even relationships you have as you make a certain piece all add to the final product. As Emin stated in Vogue:

'It is not just the words I make that are sewn onto the blanket that are important. It's the thoughts and the words that are spoken as the blankets are sewn.'

This is a great way to end this post, as it refers back, in some way, to what I was speaking of at the beginning of the post; I am going to give myself the time and space to concentrate on my knitting, crochet and sewing this year and hopefully the decisions I make while creating some fabulous pieces will be all the better for the added time and care I have taken over them.

I still have some more pictures to show you from 2010, here's hoping I can learn more about where I want 2011 to lead from looking back at those, too!! More soon.

Merry Knitmas!

2010-12-24T14:04:00.002Z

I thought this was appropriate for the present weather!! Have a lovely Christmas and build lots of happy snowmen!

Debbie Bliss The Knitter's Year

2010-12-23T19:04:00.006Z

Debbie Bliss has always been an inspiration to me as a designer, she is a lovely woman and is very driven and hardworking. When I saw the title of her new book, The Knitter's Year, I thought it was such a fabulous idea and was so annoyed that I didn't think of it first!

The book is divided into four sections, one for each season, and there are 52 patterns - one for every week of the year. I am obviously a little bit sad, as I get so excited just thinking about how perfect this layout and concept is for a craft book. However, I must say, Debbie must have nearly killed herself by working on a knitting book with 52 patterns. My latest has around 30 and I almost had a breakdown writing it!

Like the Erika Knight book I talked about yesterday, the styling of the book is just as fabulous as the concept. The country cottage style setting, whitewashed wood and washed out colours are so pretty and of course make a good setting for every season and weather.

The projects are simple enough to actually able to give knitting a project a week for year a stab (maybe one year I will try it...!) but look interesting enough to keep you knitting. Another thing I like about the book are the practicality of its size and paper stock, it feels substantial yet ultimately usable.

The projects are, on the whole, relevant to the season they are in, which is great. I am partial to the plant pot covers in spring, the peg bag in summer, the pin cushion in autumn and the hottie in winter. I also love the opener pages, with their silhouetted illustrations of leaves and flowers in pretty colours.

My only niggle is that there are far too many decorations in winter. The chapters, or seasons, contain thirteen patterns each, and you would think that these would be split quite evenly between the three months they encompass. However, winter has dedicated nearly half of its patterns to Christmassy themed items, or colours that scream holidays. I would rather have more of the hotties and woolly warmers than Christmas nik-naks, even though I love this time of year. Aside from this and the flags, which seem a bit strange and out of context to me, the patterns are very in keeping with Debbie's great taste and style and are all simple yet beautiful classic pieces.

Erika Knight Simple Knitting

2010-12-22T22:27:00.006Z

Erika Knight has championed the cause of crochet this year by appearing on Kirstie's Homemade Home to show Kirstie the basics of the craft. In her book, Simple Knitting, she teaches novices the craft of knitting in a simple yet elegant style.

The book tries something new in its approach, treating the instructions and patterns within as if they are from Knight's own sketchbook, with pretty, pencil-drawn line diagrams and illustrations and casual graph paper grounds, strewn with pins. Despite the unusual layout, the illustrations are clear and easy to read.

The simple style continues in the colour palette, which keeps to neutrals and muted shades for a classic overall look. I like this coherent, sophisticated way of styling, which seems almost 'coffee table' book rather than craft book, which I love. I always try to aim for that styling in my books as I think it is important to enjoy reading and looking at a craft book as you spend so much time poring over the patterns when knitting! My only criticism is due to the fact that I love colour so much, I find the limited shades a little repetitive when you flick through. However, the very easy, beginner projects are very practical and the final products will all be fabulously classic and wearable if you make them in Erika's colours but will look just as good if you ditch the neutrals and grab a ball of bright pink to use!

new pattern

2010-12-19T19:17:00.005Z

Sorry for the lapse in posting but I have been very busy Christmas shopping, writing books and working on the magazine. I am very pleased with this month's issue, which has a beautiful cardigan by Sarah Francis on the cover. I have a very simple rug pattern inside, which is perfect for beginners and can easily be made into a throw or blanket instead of a rug - just use a cosy, fluffy wool yarn instead.

the aliens have landed!

2010-11-29T22:12:00.003Z

More toys made for the exhibition, I love how weird these ones are, and how much expression they seem to have with only their cute little button eyes...

little chicks

2010-11-17T22:51:00.004Z

More toys from the exhibition pile...

phop blogging

2010-11-13T17:57:00.002Z

nest

2010-11-06T12:18:00.014Z

It was with great excitement that this morning I visited the new knitting shop around the corner from my flat. Nest is not only just a few minutes walk away but is full to brimming of fabulous yarns that I have not seen sold in other bricks and mortar shops.

I love the way the shop has J C Rennie yarn on cones, which you can buy spun off into little balls of the exact weight that you need and wrapped in beautiful brown paper nest labels (above).

Other exciting stock is malabrigo yarns, (including Rasta and Lace which are both used in Linda Permann's Pebble hat in the Christmas issue of Inside Crochet) Drops yarn and patterns and British based John Arbon, Skein Queen and Fyberspates.

I was also saved from a trip into town by purchasing some lovely black and gold beads for a crochet project, which you can buy by weight (60p for 10g - very reasonable!) and was tempted by hello kitty buttons and vintage knitting books, maybe next time!

I spoke to Amy, one of the owners of the shop and her young man (who was clad in a very fetching hand made jumper) who are very friendly and I

have already heard tales of groups sitting down with tea

to knit and natter so I am thinking that this is going to be a cosy, must-see destination for North London knitters very soon - get down there while it is still quiet and they have plenty of stock!

While all of this is definitely a good thing, I can see myself frequently popping out for some groceries and ending up with armfuls of yarn and no dinner. Temptation should never be placed this close, to your doorstep!

toys, toys, toys

2010-11-04T22:34:00.003Z

Been busy making lots and lots of little creatures for an upcoming exhibition, Tales From the Sock Drawer.

Here are some Wise Old Owls...

...without faces....

...and with!

More little folk soon.

Stitching and Knitting

2010-10-19T21:01:00.011+01:00

I have finally found a free moment to fill you in on what else went on at the stitch and knit show at Ally Pally this year so here are pictures of some of the things which inspired me most....

Of course the students' work was my first port of call, as I love seeing

what the fresh young designers of tomorrow will be creating. This year I was mainly looking at crochet, following the trend that I seem to be following lately and for a change there was quite a bit of it!

Grace Hamilton's very wearable statement jewellery was my favourite as it was unique and exciting yet practical.

Emma Philpot's knitted and crocheted sculptural dresses were not new to me as I had first noticed them at her graduate fashion show, but it was great to get to see them up close and personal and they did not disappoint.

I was on the Kal Media stand all weekend, which was fabulous as I got to meet loads of people who I had only got to know virtually, and the new issue of Inside Crochet was really well received, which was lovely.

This is the Artyarns stand, which was a magpie's dream - all sparkles and glitter with heavily embellished luxury yarns glinting in the artificial light. Their yarn is also the one in the top picture, which just demonstrates what a fabulously vivid colour palette of yarns they stock.

Finally, (as I could go on forever, but bedtime calls) here's a glimpse of Mrs Moon's store. I have not yet managed to get down to the relatively new yarn shop in south London. It looks adorable, with pretty candy coloured yarns and decorated with girly printed wallpapers.

crochet floral necklace class

2010-10-09T23:47:00.004+01:00

This weekend it was Stitch and Knit show time again and I was asked to run some workshops for West Dean college.

We only had an hour so I taught my crocheters how to make a simple floral necklace, one of my favourite accessories.

More pictures from the stalls and the show later...

dmc patterns

2010-10-04T21:13:00.008+01:00

Earlier this year I was asked to design some patterns for a lovely new yarn by that well known threads company DMC. The yarn I was given to use was a new range specifically for crochet called Petra, which has all the fabulous crochet-friendly properties of a traditional crochet cotton, but with a fabulously bright and modern colour palette.

So, here are the final patterns which are out in all good yarn shops now! I designed the fashion based ones, but there are a range of interiors products too, so go check em out.

Origin

2010-09-25T12:17:00.011+01:00

I visited Origin yesterday in its new venue at Spitalfields market. I must admit, the new venue was a little disappointing. I have loved visiting Somerset House for the show for the past few years. There is a magical quality to that building and even though the Origin hall was always set up in the courtyard, I did love passing through the gates of the House. In contrast, the purpose built hall at Spitalfields had no roof and there was a strong wind a-blowing through the market. The temperature dropped rapidly yesterday meaning I did not remove my coat the whole way round, and I must say I didn't really savour the exhibits as it was just a bit too cold to dawdle, not to mention the pigeons we spotted nestling just over some beautiful knits...

I went with the lovely Bee, my parter in crime over at Make Do Mend. After my hectic summer of knitting I am onto a bit of a crochet binge and as Bee is also a huge crochet fan, we were especially searching out evidence of this beautiful craft.

We were not disappointed. There were some really stunning pieces. My favourite of these were created by Korean, Jeehyun Chung (pictured above) who combined strong linear wire shapes with ultra fine crocheted cotton and nylon monofilament. The oversized neck pieces were striking and fabulous as art pieces as well as accessories.

Aside from the crochet, I had a fondness for Joanne Tinker's recycled foil works, as she makes tiny little goblets from sweet wrappers, just as my granddad used to make for me to 'drink' from every time we ate sweets together.

It was also great to see Abigail Brown's adorable birds in the flesh. My favourite was this stunning flamingo. The attention to detail and handwork involved in these critters is amazing, the colours are beautiful and each has an irresistibly charming personality. Abigail was on hand to explain how each was made and I wish I could have taken one away with me, perhaps one day soon I shall treat myself, they would make a fabulous companion for my own Mr Crow.

Another exhibitor I admired and was unfamiliar with was Debbie Smyth who creates artworks from pins and thread. I must have mentioned hundreds of times how much I love linear art pieces, especially those involving thread, so her work is right up my street. I do regret not purchasing something now, but that blasted icy breeze did somewhat dampen my will to browse at leisure, although Bee made a smart purchase of a fabulous jaquard knitted neckerchief from the lovely Hikaru Noguchi which I was mightily jealous of as we walked briskly back to the bus stop!

sneak preview

2010-09-11T21:46:00.003+01:00

...of a massive book project. These were the first products finished, but now I have thankfully finally finished all projects, even with yarn going missing in the post, knitters disappearing and a near mental breakdown threatening to conquer me! Now just to finish writing the patterns...wish me luck!

Inside, Inside Crochet

2010-08-23T11:16:00.004+01:00

Thought I should probably put up some pictures of the hairpin lace crocheted top I designed for the first issue of Inside Crochet that I edited. I love this top, inspiration came from Pringle's Spring/Summer collection.

shooting the book

2010-08-20T20:42:00.002+01:00

...sneak peek of the gorgeous kids and lovely yarn from the shoot of my new book which will be for teaching children how to knit!

vintage at goodwood

2010-08-18T22:49:00.006+01:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure of visiting the Vintage at Goodwood festival to teach a few workshops and soak up the atmosphere, which was slightly damp at times, unfortunately for my sandals!

But when the sun shone, the Sussex countryside was glorious and the vintage style surroundings were great fun.

Here are some pics, if you didn't get the chance to go this year, book up for next, it was lovely! Although make sure you dress up - I made the mistake of thinking it was a typical festival and (shock! horror!) forgot my heels!!

let's knit

2010-08-11T23:18:00.003+01:00

I have a new pattern in the latest Let's Knit. Just right for the summer I think and I have got it back already and have worn it, which is a bonus!

Inside Crochet

2010-08-05T15:09:00.003+01:00

After two long and veryveryveryveryvery busy months the launch of the now monthly, re-designed Inside Crochet is here! And for those of you who don't know, I am the new editor!

Fancy that, eh? L'il ol me, editing a magazine. I am very excited! And over the next few months, I shall be adding to the new look of the magazine, developing the new website which is coming very soon, working on styling, getting in new designers to fill all the projects we shall need now we are monthly and basically getting very little sleep indeed!

Oh well, things could be worse, I could hate getting up for work in the morning!

If you are a crocheter, do let me know what you would like to see featured in the magazine, if you want to talk anything crochet, you can find me at clairem@kalmedia.co.uk

let's twist again!

2010-08-04T14:55:00.005+01:00

So Happy I could dance!

I got my jumper back, finally, from its travels around the world with Twist Collective and it is softer and cosier than I recall - the Frog Tree merino is such beautiful yarn.

Almost can't wait for colder weather so I can wear it!

If you like it as much as I do, you can buy it here

come dine with kate

2010-07-19T18:43:00.009+01:00

If you are a fan of crochet, then get down to the Rebecca Hossack gallery in Charlotte Street before next week, as Kate Jenkins of the knitwear brand Cardigan has a lovely little exhibition, Kate's Cafe there. She has crocheted plates of food and set up the gallery like a restaurant.

There are stitchy puns galore; sushi served with sew sauce, shepherds pie with wooly sheep on top for mash and After Kate mints served after dinner; everything is very cute indeed.

I loved the sushi, which seemed to suit the small, neat, crocheted portions, and all the sequinned fishy dishes, with shimmering scales.

Everything was served on little plates mounted in glass boxes on the walls which was lovely, like a tasting menu - it felt like you were trying everything on the menu!

Finally, to finish it off, you could have some sparkling metallic Babysew which I liked very much as I am a fan of the Babycham glasses and must admit to owning a few. I could imagine necking a few bottles of this after polishing off some wooly canapes and a crocheted fruit tart or two. Cheers!

west dean in summer

2010-07-14T23:08:00.011+01:00

The only season I hadn't been to teach at West Dean was high summer, which has now been rectified as I have just spent two days there teaching some beginners classes. The ladies in the class were lovely, even if the weather turned against me and I didn't get a long, lazy, summers evening stroll through the sheep fields.

The gardens were in full bloom however and looking just beautiful, even in the drizzle and the view from my fabulous room in the quaint vicarage was gorgeous.

I am teaching a new class at West Dean next time, looking at adapting vintage knitting patterns to fit the modern sizes and tastes. Come along and peruse my extensive collection of vintage patterns or bring along your own pattern to decipher.

craftravaganza!

2010-07-10T20:02:00.005+01:00

Today it was the Bust Craftacular at York Hall, Bethnal Green and I was there with my good friend gingerknits (check out the great cartoon about knitting she has posted this week).

The weather was probably a little too warm to spend a lot of time in such a toasty hall, but that didn't put off the hoards queuing to get in when we arrived. It was sometimes too crowded to see what was on the stalls, so we decided to take refreshments in the form of iced tea in these wonderful cups - I want some in china, and the tablecloth to match! All very summery.

Ginger and I noticed that there were quite a few themes throughout the show, including moustaches, birds and perhaps strangely for East London at the moment, foxes! (although these seemed way friendlier than the Hackney ones!)

I loved these birdie buttons from Four and Plenty and couldn't resist them, although I was very jealous of the last flamingo which Ginger snapped up quick smart.

I also loved Brat and Suzie's cute rabbit vest or squirrel on a motorbike cropped tee (more animals!) but resisted temptation. (If they'd had it in a red or green or stripy, like some of their other prints I may have succumbed...)

We then of course had to go to Prick Your Finger as it was just around the corner and had a chat to the lovely owner Rachael, who was busy knitting the new sign for the shop! Ginger had not been before, so of course had to buy some lovely new yarn, which happened to be a J C Rennie yarn in the exact same colour I have at home...I think we are turning into the same person....

I loved the mini exhibit they have in the window promoting John Paul Flintoff's new book, Sew Your Own, a book about a man's quest to find the meaning of life through making his own stuff...or something.

I must now read the book and see what the hype is about, as I love some of the products he made on his journey. This dress is for Rosie, the favourite bear of Flintoff's daughter and his sewing is on a par with mine (which isn't a compliment) but I love the naivety of it and the pretty print and the fact you can tell it is hand made. Fortunately for my sewing skills, I have always admired the childlike finish is sewing and the reverse of sewn works, with all the colourful tangling of loose threads.

All in all, it was a lovely day out in very good company so I am glad we dragged our freckled skin out into the midday sun.

easy kids knits projects

2010-07-08T09:41:00.004+01:00

Before I pop these pictures into my pattern book photo gallery, I wanted to share the beautiful interpretations of the patterns from my books by the wonderful Gabrielle. She is becoming prolific at knitting from both Easy Kids Knits and Easy Baby Knits for her adorable red headed grandchildren and I love how she gives each new project its own individual twist. She loves to choose the prettiest shades of gorgeous yarn from Loop yarn shop and then lets the colours dictate the end results.

Here are two very sixties style interpretations of the smock top from Kids, which is so very pretty.

I am sure Gabrielle won't mind me mentioning that the flowers were an addition to try to hide what she considered as untidy finishing round the neck, but I love the detail and the reason for it! My one big tip for knitters is to enjoy the pattern and knitting and not be too perfectionist with it - after all you could always go and buy a machine made sweater if you want perfection, and knitting is supposed to be relaxing.

Here, the mistake has become a beautiful feature of the top and I love how she has used the differing placements in each smock.

She has also made the ballet style wrap top and bonnet from Baby into a cute little set for the newest addition to the family, and there are those sweet little flowers again - not to hide anything this time, just to add a bit of colour. Gorgeous.

Keep up the good work Gabrielle!

I love to see your finished projects, so please do feel free to send me them, or to point me in the direction of them on Ravelry.

woolfest 2010

2010-07-03T23:21:00.008+01:00

My first ever trip to Woolfest this year was wonderful; I think it shall now be a firm date in my diary each year. The difference for me with this yarn fair is the variety of different events such as live folk music and dancing as well as the presence of actual livestock, like these adorable, punky alpacas.

The ewe's milk ice cream was stunning too, I had to try both the vanilla and mint choc chip flavours, naturally - it was very hot in the barn...

Last weekend the weather was beautiful, the views amazing and the company fabulous, what more can you ask for? Can't wait for next year.

Felt Studio's unusually beautiful handspun yarn

The natural dye studio

Helen from the Thread of Life with the biggest hairpin loom ever!

Yarn Addict's yummy hand dyed angora

loop grows up

2010-06-25T13:50:00.000+01:00

Last weekend loop finally made the much anticipated move into its new premises on Camden Passage, Islington. I went along to the grand opening to see how the beautiful yarn shop has matured.

When the first shop in Cross Street opened five years ago I was working in the shop and I thought that launch was packed and busy. However, the opening of the new, bigger store saw queues out the door and the ground floor heaving, which just goes to show how the little yarn boutique has grown to become one of the best-loved stores in London.

Loop now has four floors; one for storage, two for the loverly yarn and a basement for all sorts of exciting classes and events. There is even a small courtyard out the back! I cannot wait to attend all the wonderful happenings which Susan has planned for the shop.

She has, yet again, decorated the store beautifully, with surprising yet sophisticated colour choices for the features and fittings, a shed load of stunning reconditioned secondhand furniture and samples and products placed as if they were works of art.

I personally loved the weird yellow-y woodwork and picture rails and the striped carpet on the stairs - I cannot resist a stripe, especially a rainbow coloured one!

There are now lots of comfy chairs to recline in downstairs while you peruse the yarns, and a table upstairs for congregating round and knitting while meeting yarny friends; the only things that Loop Mark I was really missing.

After a few pieces of yummy cake and a glass of refreshing Pimms, I decided to not to brave the queue, but returned later in the week

to purchase some scrummy yarn for a few new projects - any excuse to make a repeat trip!

I love the new loop and am excited to see what new yarns Susan is sure to start stocking to fill up all the available space!

If you want to make a trip to the new loop, be sure to check out my earlier post about all the wonderful independent shops in the area so you can make a day of it.

i knit london

2010-06-21T15:06:00.005+01:00

I am very ashamed to say that until last week I had not made a visit to the infamous I Knit London store in Waterloo. I should hang my head in shame as a London based knitter, but I finally made it on Friday, after an epic bus journey across town through multiple roadworks (next time I shall get the tube!)

It is a small yet packed to brimming store, full of fun, bright, colourful and interesting yarns, products, samples, books and much more. I loved seeing George the sheep in person, clothed in what seemed like hundreds of skeins of Colinette Point Five in rainbow hues and placed in the prime spot in the window.

As per usual, I cannot leave a yarn store without a purchase, and seeing as I have finally succeeded in reducing my stash after an epic move, I settled on these wonderfully sweet Lego stitch markers by Bothered Owl.

I think I saw them first on the Stitch London newsletter and have been meaning to buy some for ages. They take me right back to my childhood, recalling hours spent following instructions for making houses, cars and spaceships. I also end up loosing so many stitch markers when I am knitting in the round - they pop off at the end of the round and disappear down the side of the sofa - I am hoping these will be big enough to spot! Ah well, if I lose any of these, it shall just be an excuse to pop back to I knit!

spinning a yarn!

2010-06-17T19:07:00.005+01:00

When I was asked to become a regular columnist in the UK magazine Yarn Forward I was unbelievably excited! While it may not bring in enough of an income to buy myself a wardrobe full of expensive shoes, like a certain infamous fictional columnist, it will keep the old stash ticking along nicely and it gives me even more of an excuse to witter on about knitting! (like I needed one)
Next month I shall be talking about the stresses of moving for a knitter with as much stash as myself - don't miss it!!

moving house...

2010-06-07T14:34:00.002+01:00

...which is why i have been away....

more news soon :)

knitting and crochet classes in london and the south east

2010-05-08T16:34:00.006+01:00

This is the latest list of knitting and crochet classes I shall be teaching in 2010:

Project Crochet; Chevron Pillow, an intermediate class run as my alter-ego, Make Do Mend, where we shall be supplying all materials needed to complete a pretty zig-zag patterned blanket as we hold your hand through the first steps of the advanced stitches. Each project we make throughout the series will increase in difficulty and be varied enough to hold your attention. Other planned projects include vintage style bags, flowers and simple first garments. 23rd May, Kingly Court, London.

Crochet; The Basics, a taster day at West Dean College, Sussex, 13th July

Hand Knitting; The Basics, a taster day at West Dean College, Sussex, 14th July

Crochet for Beginners at City Lit college, Covent Garden, weekday evenings, 28th-30th July

There are also quite a few interesting classes in the pipeline for fairs and festivals this summer and autumn, which I am excited about, so I will let you know when these are confirmed.

spring into knitting

2010-05-04T12:58:00.015+01:00

Another incredibly busy few weeks has seen me teaching knitting all over the place. This bank holiday weekend brought me to my favourite place of all; West Dean College in Sussex and it just so happened to be my favourite time of year to visit too; the lambs were gambolling all over the front fields, ducklings paddled in the pond and spring flowers bloomed everywhere. The food was divine as usual, using all the local spring produce and of course, as with any time of the year, the company was excellent.

I had a rather more art based collective of students than usual, which led to an interesting, fun and inspirational weekend, fuelled by very different creative personalities. We also had a Kiwi taking a stop gap travelling the world and an Oz based Brit, making us a very cosmopolitan group, which also added interest to the colours chosen, as the ladies who saw the sun a little more often were more daring in their palettes than those of us more used to wet, grey days!

Most of the experimental pieces made at the weekend looked like they should have been at the bottom of the sea, as part of some great, vibrantly coloured coral reef - perhaps it was the antipodean influence. Whatever it was, it made a typically grey bank holiday weekend much brighter and the oddly shaped jewels, beads, flowers and art pieces all served to inspire and intrigue.

This weekend, there were two other jewellery craft courses occuring at the same time as mine, a felt making workshop run by Heather Belcher and a polymer clay workshop with Carol Blackburn. Both looked like great fun and I always enjoy watching Heather's industrial carder at work. She also had fabulous colours on display in her unspun wool hanks, it seems that, just like me, she cannot resist a rainbow! I wish we had all realised beforehand we were all doing jewellery at the same time as our students could have bartered over each others colourful and unusual beads, creating a truly unique necklace out of it.

Next time at West Dean, after my taster days teaching beginners knitting and beginners crochet, I shall be doing a vintage fashion and knitting patterns inspired course. Keep an eye out for more details soon.

coatigan

2010-04-17T17:09:00.004+01:00

The new issue of Yarn Forward dropped onto my doormat this morning and inside was my Coatigan pattern. I like it as the stripes and little bow remind me of Dr Seuss' The Cat in the Hat for some reason and that makes me happy!

Hope you like it too.

catch up

2010-04-16T12:15:00.006+01:00

An insanely busy few months has meant that recently I have been rather neglecting the blog I am afraid, so sorry! I have been trying to cater for all you lovely folk who want to learn how to knit and crochet, and so have been running round London teaching with my friend and co-crochet obsessive ChainCreative. Alone we are just two mad yarn freaks but together we are the dynamic duo Make Do Mend, so do let us know if there is anything you wish to learn!

All this means that I have forgotten to tell you about the interviews with li'l ol' me in a few craft mags around and about and a few patterns in Yarn Forward which have come out recently. So there you are, I was in Yarn Forward a couple of times and in a Baby Knits Craft special of Lets Get Crafting and with an exciting new collaboration with Yarn Forward coming in the next few issues, you may be fed up of me soon! More of that very soon.

Therefore, I shall keep it short and just let you know that I am off running round London Teaching improvers knitting classes this weekend, firstly at High Tea of Highgate on Saturday morning, then at City Lit college on Sunday, which is a three week course. Let's hope the weather stays nice as I love walking round Covent Garden on my lunchbreak - spending my wages as fast as I can earn them!

Oh, and I shall be in Bethnal Green on Monday teaching some crocheters to make granny square motifs, not just square onesbut also granny circle, triangles and rectangles! Pop by if you fancy making yourself one of these Paul Smith inspired cowls, which is one of my latest projects. Crochet seems to be overtaking the knitting recently, I am also working on a crocheted cushion, a bag and a hairpin lace top - everyone is going mad for crochet! If you don't yet know how to do it, now is the time to give it a try!

french knitting

2010-04-11T14:11:00.005+01:00

The Easter hols are done and dusted and that means the next thing I am looking forward to is a trip to the South of France to teach some lucky folk how to adapt patterns and even design their own. Here are some pictures of the last class I did there.

If you are free from the 13th-17th May and fancy some sun, sea and some fabulous knitting along with great food and company, come along! Check out the fabulous Les Soeurs Anglaises site for this and other great classes. I fancy the Tango myself....

happy easter knitting!

2010-04-02T13:11:00.006+01:00

Just before I rush off to relax my knitting fingers over the Easter weekend, I wanted to let you know of the Easter workshops I am running for children next week at Sally Bourne in Crouch End, North London.

You have a choice from Wednesday 7th or Friday 9th in the morning from 10.00 - 11.30am. We will be aiming to make little wonky toys, a little like my mad alien friend above, with buttons, felt and the basic knitting stitches. So if your kids are driving you mad this holiday already, send them to learn a craft with us!

Have a happy Easter and don't eat too much chocolate!

artreach quilting bee

2010-03-27T10:24:00.008Z

In the past few weeks, I have mentioned that I have been working with Northwood Artreach, running crafty workshops for the community. The outcome needed to be a group art piece which could be displayed, so with the present popularity of quilts, not least due to the fantastic V&A exhibition, I decided to make a quilt-like wall hanging, with inspiration from Tracey Emin's beautiful textiles artwork. Finally, we have finished our own version of an art quilt, with each individual contributing a beautifully crafted square based on our initial inspiration of Winter Colours.

I had a fantastic time with these lovely folk and am glad I could help bring out their creative side. Some of them may never have done any textiles work before, while others had not touched a knitting or sewing needle in years, but were inspired to begin making for themselves again after the class.

I am very impressed with the diversity of colour, texture and technique used and the individuality of each contribution and the final piece has come together really well. The picture (above) shows the initial arranging phase of the final quilt. I will post a final picture hanging in situ asap. It will be displayed in a community theatre very shortly, which is fabulous for the quilters!

alice's knitted dress and cardi set

2010-03-21T19:52:00.010Z

I am a very lucky girl; not only have I got to spend a lot of time recently with a fabulous bunch of folk at Northwood Community Artreach, but one of them has gifted me the most beautiful children's clothes. Alice wore this knitted set wen she was a child, as you can see in the adorable picture below. It is the softest yellow wool with chocolate brown Fair Isle edgings and would look as fabulous on a child today as it does on Alice as a little girl.

The set was hand knitted for Alice by her grandmother, Cecilie (what a beautiful name) who was of scandinavian origins - hence the neat tension and simple yet striking colourwork detailing. Cecile is pictured below, right, next to a photo of Alice with her mother, Inger, a very smart and stylish lady if ever I saw one! These ladies knew how to dress, and how to dress their little ones.

I am determined to use this dress to make a replica in modern yarns so that others can dress their little girls in this style, as I think it is a warm, practical and beautiful way to clothe children and I wish there were more patterns and clothing available like this today.
Any ideas on the colourway I should knit it would be greatly appreciated. I love the yellow and brown, but want to make something a little more contemporary. Perhaps a pale blue with blood organge red contrast? Or olive green with pale pink? Oh, I could go on and on...

Thank you so much Alice for sharing these with me, I shall treasure them.

More pictures soon of what the talented folk of Northwood have been working on, and hopefully of my version of the Alice dress.

fabric corsage tutorial

2010-03-13T18:40:00.018Z

I thought I would share this simple yet stunningly effective pattern which is just one of the many I demonstrate in my craft workshops. You do not need to have any previous sewing experience as all the sewing happens at the back of the corsage and so is hidden away. It also takes no time at all to make so it is unfussy, easy and quick – meaning there is no excuse not to make one!

How to make a fabric corsage
Materials

A variety of fabric circles as wide in diameter as you want the corsage to be. The one I am working on here is 6cm in diameter. You will need at least 10 circles, but you can add as many as you need to make the corsage as full as you like.
Scissors or plinking shears, dependant on the edge you want to achieve
Sewing needle and thread
Safety pin or kilt pin, or hair slide, dependant on whether you want a brooch or hairclip

step one

Cut out the circles, using a template to ensure each is the same size

step two

Fold each circle in half and sew it to secure

step three

Attach each folded semi circle together along the fold using simple tacking stitches and keep adding circles until the corsage is as full as you desire

step four

Attach a safety pin, kilt pin, brooch back or hairclip to the back of corsage.

Et voila!

Contact me, or take a peak at Make Do Mend if you like this pretty and simple tutorial and want to learn how to make many more beautiful knitted, crocheted and sewn corsages like these:

knitted rock

2010-03-06T12:49:00.006Z

A few weeks back, I went to see the knitted rock at the Tate Britain. It was part of an installation by Andy Holden called Art Now. I was really interested to see the exhibit as I had seen the rock in pictures and have to admit I was not that impressed. However, I am not the sort of person to judge without seeing with my own eyes, so made sure to search it out when I went to see the Chris Ofili exhibition.

I was pleasantly surprised, as I actually loved it! The rock was covered in panels of stocking stitch and I do love a simple piece of knitting; it allows the yarn and texture of the stitches to really stand out. This was very true of this piece. The yarn was plied up from strands of slightly differing shades, making a subtle melange of colours, dotted with slubs of darker and lighter fibre, which had a very attractive texture.

The panels of colour were also placed well, fading from darker at the bottom of the rock, to lighter at the top, making it look even larger and higher. Certain sections were shaped with short rows to fit every contour of the object, which I found very pleasing - it would have been very easy to cut and sew each section with little thought to the shape.

It was great to visit with a fellow knitter who is also well travelled and saw the piece not just as a small rock, but also seemingly a landscape. When looked at in this light, each fluffy dark slub of fibre on top of the rock looked like some shrubbery or trees way off in the distance on some desolate rocky knoll.

All in all, I found this piece to be a fabulously interesting work of art, perhaps especially due to my innate love of a piece of knit!

my top five knitting tips

2010-03-04T15:06:00.008Z

People often ask me what little tips and tricks I can give them to help with their knitting, especially when they are beginners. I have compiled my Top Five with regards to practicality - how to try to prevent strained wrists, tennis elbow and cramp, finishing - different techniques for a professional finish, and enjoyment - how to make knitting as relaxing as possible. So here goes...

1. Try to have at least two projects using differing weights of yarn on the go at the same time. I find it eases any RSI related aches and pains – a knitting project and a crochet project is especially good at varying the repetitive motions. Also, don't knit for long periods at a time - especially as a beginner; build up your tolerance to the repetitive motions.

2. Always buy more yarn than you think you need – most good yarn shops will allow you to change that extra ball if you find you don't need it later.

3. Learn a few different cast ons – they all have specific jobs, like durability or stretchiness – which will suit different projects.

4. When learning to knit, get into the habit of counting your stitches at the end of each row so you can catch mistakes when they have just happened – it is easier to rectify straight away, and you usually don’t have to frog, you can correct most mistakes on the next row.

5. ...and most importantly – Practice makes perfect! Anybody can knit, it just takes practice and patience at first - you will soon be doing it without thinking, in front of the telly and really quickly. Push on through all your first 'beginner' mistakes and don't get too precious at first - remember the mantra 'knitting is relaxing!', don't tense your shoulders, try not to think about what you are doing too much and most importantly, don't forget to breathe!

Next, I shall try to compile my top five for more experienced knitters (although all these 'beginner's' tips can apply to you too). If you crocheters out there think I have forgotten you, maybe I will get round to my crochet 'top five' too!

let's get crafting!

2010-03-03T22:19:00.005Z

I am very excited as I have just received my copy of the special baby knitting issue of Let's Get Crafting in which I am interviewed. If you do not own Easy Baby Knits, the adorable little wrap cardi from the hardback version's cover is featured, so you can try before you buy!
My top five knitting tips are very useful even if I do say so myself, so I shall feature them here tomorrow. Watch this space...

mothers' day knitting class

2010-03-01T21:55:00.006Z

If you and your mother have always wanted to learn to knit, or you are a mum who wants to knit with her children, then here's some good news; I am teaming up with the fabulous Millamia knit company to teach a class over Mothers' Day weekend in London, the 13th and 14th March, using their fabulous kits to create a beautiful scarf.

more houndstooth...

2010-02-23T11:54:00.003Z

Strangely enough, after my last post about a houndstooth cardi, I have just discovered this blast from the past. It is a picture of one of my outfits from a project on my degree at Middlesex University - Fair Isle houndstooth galore! I must be obsessed...

p.s. please also take note that this photo was taken nearly ten years ago...

houndstooth cardigan

2010-02-21T13:02:00.006Z

I have been so busy recently that I totally forgot to post about my pattern in the last issue of Yarn Forward. It is influenced by the Autumn/Winter 2010 trend for houndstooth and checked woven fabrics, which I translated into a simple yet effective all over Fair Isle pattern. It also has pockets which you can wear hidden or as a plain garter stitch contrast to match with the collar and edging, which isn't shown fully in the spread.
Alexander McQueen's collection especially was a great inspiration here and I was extremely saddened to hear of his untimely death this month. I for one will miss the anticipation of wondering what he will do next in his theatrical catwalk shows.

Point de Croix

2010-02-17T11:57:00.009Z

Here are the pictures as promised from the amazing cross stitch exhibition at l'Aiguille en fete in Paris at the weekend.
The first section of the exhibition displayed some sweet and incredibly complex samplers in the Souvenirs de jeunesse or 'Memories of Youth'. These demonstrated how, in the exhibition's explaination, young school girls of past years learned the skills of women by practicing their cross stitch, sewing, knitting and repairing skills on small samplers. There are some great examples on the website, so check it out.

Amongst these were also more complicated and beautifully detailed samplers from the colleciton of Joke Visser, some from the 17th century. My personal favorites were this stunning olive green piece and the one below it with a very cute yet, strangely, at the same time stately stag.

Another section was from more modern cross stitchers, called Treasures of Cross Stitch. Amongst other pieces, I liked this one based on the metro. Each part represents a station on the Paris underground system.

The most intersting exhibits to me were definitely the hundreds of vintage sewing, embroidering and cross stitch artefacts. I liked everything about this section; the way the objects were all arranged higgledy-piggledy; the colours; the retro pictures and graphics printed on the packaging; the small and intricate cross stitch embellishments on scissor cases and needle wallets.

I am a sucker for a hook and eye, especially when its packaging is as sublimely pretty as these:

What I would give for some of these storage solutions, especially this wooden and glass box, labelled appropriately of course!

This arrangement of items is really appealing to me, it has it all - some religious iconography, wooden spools (with or without yarn - I don't care!), tin boxes and pretty, shiny threads. Sigh.

Overall, though, I think these star shaped darning thread cards are simply divine and my absolute favourite display. They are almost like little gleaming war medals or falling snowlakes. My cards of darning yarns are almost always square, I would be so, so happy if I were to find a little six-pronged wrap of yarn like this, let alone a collection as fab as this one. As it is, I had to settle for this intriguing exhibition. However, it left a fabulous impression and was a great inspiration.

l'aiguille en fete, paris

2010-02-15T21:42:00.018Z

Loop yarn shop had a stand at the 'needle fair', l'Aiguille en Fete in Paris last week and I went along at the weekend to help out, or rather to hinder sales with my pigeon French. I understand quite a bit of the language but tend to dry up in fear when I have to speak it, so I stuck to such reliable terms as point mousse (garter stitch) point tricot (stocking stitch - except apparently it is not, it is 'jersey' oops! See comments below), tres doux (very soft), the numbers for prices, grams, meterage and needle sizes and the trusty old Parlez-vous anglais? when all else failed!

It was really interesting to compare and contrast the fair with British alternatives such as the Stitch and Knit show. There were very few yarn stalls and the French crafters were intrigued by many of the yarns on Loop's and Habu's stands which we knit with frequently in Britain, such as the hand dyed sock yarns and unusual fibers we are used to. Most of the fair consisted of needle point and cross stitch, although there were a few things that caught my eye. There was an incredibly cute toy kit stand, la Sardine and you know that I cannot resist a plushie textiles creature.

I also spent most of the spare time I had poring over the Japanese book stall Junkudo. I have long admired Japanese craft books, but had yet to make a decision on which of the many beautiful books to buy. However, it almost proved more difficult having the hard copies there to thumb through as I found I wanted them all! I succumbed eventually to this retro styled amigurumi book which reminded me of some pictures I have of myself as a child with my own toys. I also really wanted a sewing book, however I spent most of Sunday agonising over which one to buy - I know from my previous forays into sewing that I would not end up using them all, so I was very restrained and decided on the simple tunics and one piece book, as it seemed the simplest.

The draping book, while fabulous, may be beyond me and the one with the fantastic grey dress with pockets on the front (regular readers note; my dress/pocket obsession is getting ridiculous) had no other patterns I liked.

Aside from the Japanese book stall, my favourite part of the fair was an amazing cross stitch exhibition. This was so fabulous, it needs another post, so stay tuned for a lengthy post on vintage needlepoint and artefacts and in the meantime feast your eyes on the la Tour Eiffel at the top of the post in glorious textured cross stitch to tide yourself over 'til then.

I cannot leave you without sharing a great and very apt picture, which I promised the lovely Juju I would post. Outside of the fair, it seemed the needle fever had spread throughout the city, as across from our hotel was the amazing 'Knitting Pig' restaurant. It was actually called Au Cochon de Lait, but the sight of the milk laden pig knitting ecstatically in the sign was all we needed to change its name. So there you go dearest internet, even the livestock knit in Paris; now I feel my affinity with the country of my ancestors even more...

japantastic

2010-02-12T12:36:00.005Z

I took a trip down memory lane yesterday when I visited the Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture at Middlesex University's Cat Hill campus; I was a student on the constructed textiles course there when it was built in 2000 and it was a great resource. The museum is a little gem if you are interested in interiors or textiles, with a fabulous and extensive collection of artefacts which you can use for reserch or just for inspiration.

The current exhibition is called Japantastic and is small but perfectly formed. There are beautiful Japanese inspired textiles fom the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries, when there was a craze for all things relating to Japan. The wallpapers and fabric were produced by the Silver Studio, who supplied designs to Liberty.

I would highly recommend that you get down to see this exhibition if you can and if you haven't been before, check out the permanent exhibition Exploring Interiors about domestic living from the early twentieth century. There are some fabulous pieces, including a stunning singer sewing machine cabinet, which I could easily have walked out of there with if it wasn't so darned heavy....

i love lucienne day

2010-02-07T22:24:00.008Z

It was a sad moment when I heard the news of Lucienne Day's passing last week, so I felt I must write a little about why she was such an creative inspiration to me. I had the great priviledge of hearing her talk about her career a few years ago, while I was studying textiles at the Royal College of Art. She must have been the grand age of 86, but stood for a couple of hours talking eloquently about her fascinating work, her life and her husband and also held a questions and answers session, throughout which the passion she held for design and textiles was still very much in evidence.

Although she is extremely well known for her fifties and sixties prints, such as the infamous Calyx (top), which hung at the Festival of Britain in 1951, she talked most about the tapestries which held her interest for most of the latter part of her life, and were very beautiful. She was an inspiration of a designer, working with a great creative drive, right into her final years, yet also with a solid home life as a mother to her daughter and wife and occasional collaborator to her husband of over sixty years, Robin Day.

Robin is a furniture deisgner and for those of you who do not know, he designed the ubiquitous polypropylene chairs we all grew up with, sitting on at school, in church halls and pretty much everywhere mass seating was needed. The couple rarely collaborated on the same projects, but their pieces worked harmoniously together, as with Calyx, which hung in Robin's display at the Festival of Britain, and in this great photo from the Design Museum of their house. I would move in tomorrow - what a stylish and classic yet cosy pad!

The pair met at an RCA dance in the forties, which is a lovely reflection of how I met my own partner. Although I am also a textiles designer and a RCA graduate, I can only hope to achieve her success and level of creativity and prolific output. Her designs were truly groundbreaking at the time and even now, although they are very familiar and well worn, they do not look dated, with similar designs continuing to be replicated in contemporary interiors. In fact, her designs are still being produced by companies such as Heals, with whom she worked for long periods.

One of the aspects of her own and Robin's ethos which I most identify with, similar to William Morris' Arts and Craft Movement, which she also admired, is the idea of great design for the masses at affordable prices. Usually this is a contradiction which connot be reconciled, but the Days managed it with style.

A sad truth is that most ideas and avenues in textiles have been explored today, so it is unlikely that we shall ever see such a startlingly new and groundbreaking textiles designer again, so Lucienne will be sadly missed. However, her designs, I believe will be relevant for many, many years to come.

artreach craft workshops

2010-02-05T12:56:00.006Z

Here are some photos, courtesy of Joy, from the workshop with Artreach in Northwood last weekend. We made crochet flower necklaces and simple floral corsages, while other groups made hand sewn brooches or painted silk greetings cards.

Here is Susie Johns, who it was a pleasure to meet again, showing her groups how to paint beautiful designs onto silk.

And here I am reintroducing a mother and daughter to the delights of crochet.

Lots of fun was had by all and I have since begun a series of mixed media workshops with the group, aiming to create a colourful textiles wall piece, or 'quilt' around the theme of snow days. Will post pictures here when it is completed in a few weeks time.

Vintage Knits for Modern Babies

2010-01-29T10:34:00.005Z

Following on from this week's theme of children's knitting, I was pleased to finally see Hadley Fierlinger of She's Crafty's new book Vintage Knits for Modern Babies in the flesh. Loop are now stocking it and I was excited to see my own recommendation on the back cover.

I still stand by my thoughts that it is a charming and somehow familiar book with pretty patterns and lovely photography. Here are some pictures from it to prove my point.

I love vintage knitting patterns, and I did use them as an inspiration for my own Easy Baby Knits. Hadley's book is not only full of vintage inspired patterns but also vintage inspired pictures, including pretty pastel knitting needle shots; collecting vintage needles being yet another of my obsessions.

artreach craft workshops

2010-01-26T10:24:00.003Z

This weekend I will be running a workshop in Northwood alongside one by the lovely Susie Johns. I will be bringing along some crochet hooks and a big mystery bag full of lovely fabric, yarn, buttons and other assorted fabulous bits and bobs. We shall be learning basic crochet chains and sewing techniques to create simple flowers and cute necklaces.

Must get my camera fixed before then so I can post pictures next week!

millamia baby and children's knitting patterns

2010-01-22T15:10:00.010Z

Recently I have discovered this exciting new knitwear company MillaMia, who produce wonderful knitting patterns and yarns ideal for beginners, but which even the most experienced knitter will love. I urge you to go take a look at their website and search out the yarns in a store near you - they have started to stock in many local yarn shops in the UK including the new shop Yarn Gathering in Staffordshire.

MillaMia is run by two Swedish sisters Katarina and Helena, who live and work in the UK. The Scandinavian influence of fresh and contemporary style is easy to see in their beautiful designs. Their design ethic, especially when it comes to knitting for children, matches mine completely and was exactly what I tried to achieve with my books:

'As knitters we were not that inspired by the patterns on offer for baby and children's wear in the market today, and realising that there was a knitting renaissance underway, we saw a gap for stylish, modern baby and children's hand knitting patterns. Patterns that had a real design edge but still easy to knit and practical to use.'

I actually first came into contact with Katarina at Loop in Islington, where she asked for my opinion on the yarn she and Helena were developing. The yarn was beautiful, but I also suggested that injecting a dose of bright colour would be a good idea, as I find it so hard to obtain gloriously clean and bright shades, especially in wool yarns. While I am in no way suggesting I had anything to do with the final results, I am so glad they decided to really go for it with colour, as their designs are so joyous and I for one am going to enjoy using some of them. I will also be using the yarn for future classes, so if you want to try it out, come and join me!

The images on the website are so fresh and cute; they show so much joy, movement and laughter. One of my favourites is this Carlota dress - won't somebody make me one now?! It has all of my favourite things - stripes, colour and pockets; I think I have mentioned here before how all my favourite dresses have pockets!

I shall definitely be using MillaMia yarns in my future projects, and you will be the first to see them here!

prick your finger

2010-01-19T13:16:00.017Z

Finally, after months upon years of promising to visit, last week I made it to Prick Your Finger in Bethnal Green. A yarn shop with a difference, the owners Rachel and Louise built all the shop fittings themselves, spin some of the yarns and try where possible to support British designers and yarn companies. It is filled with trinkets, button jars, scraps of fabrics, wonky creations, needles, hooks, spinning wheels and even a little studio out back. This leads to the shop having a friendly and welcoming atmosphere with an ecclectic, eccentric feel and you cannot help but come out with a smile on your face.

The yarns from companies such as Tait and Style (above) and Jamiesons are displayed unconventionally, presenting them in their full glory, hanging from walls allowing their pretty hues and interesting texures to be admired easily.

Below are some of the unique yarns spun in the shop in short runs from unusual materials such as fabric and cassette tape, ensuring if you knit yourself something from these, you will not see its like anywhere else. With this and the shop's thrifty 'make it and mend it' attitude, there are no embarrassing matching party outfit worries here!

Ribbons tumble from drawers in some kind of colourful organised chaos which just adds to the shop's quirkiness...

The sales desk is a display cabinet filled with 'sock specimens' and topped by jars of thimbles, spools of thread, crocheted creatures, a bell jar showing off free-form crochet foliage, a massive pin cushion and all kinds of other nik naks.

I wondered if the girls know where eveything is, or if things kind of find their own little space in the charming clutter and get lost there in their own world....I almost imagine this shop as a kind of Bagpuss & Co, where, when there are no customers around, the little toys and creatures come to life and help Rachel and Lousie with their spinning, darning and knitting while singing a little song....

Oh, how I wish that were true! As A toy maker myself I have a strange kind of affinity with these little characters, with their own individual personalities and I adored the crocheted reptiles and amphibians hanging from the ceiling and the massive crocheted hedgehog with needles for prickles.

With so many lovely things to look at and with my self imposed eleventh commandment; Thou shalt not leave a yarn shop without making a purchase, at the front of my mind, I succumbed to this Money For Old Rope yarn. I was drawn to the defined ply and washed out lilac colour. Hopefully this will be whipped up into a floor cushion in no time at all! Will post the first pictures of it here, in the meantime, make sure you take a trip to get your finger pricked.

P.s. There is also a fab cafe round the corner, the Gallery Cafe which you can catch your breath in afterwards. I have written a little about it here.

january essentials: knitted socks!

2010-01-16T12:34:00.008Z

'Tis definitely the season for hand knitted woollen socks. Recently I came across one of the socks I had knitted for Easy Kids Knits and found that it just about fit me, despite being designed for a ten year old child...I have small feet and the yarn is very stretchy! This, with the added incentive that my feet haven't thawed since December, spurred me on to knit its twin and now I am glad to report that I'm warm and cosy in my lovely socks. The yarn is the splendid and very reasonable Regia Silk sock yarn, which I purchased from Liberty (any excuse for a visit!)

After finishing the second sock, I realised I had enough left over to make the 'negative' pair, so now I am starting on a fuschia pair with sugar pink contrast. Soon I will have a drawer full because, as any sock knitter worth their salt will know, it is an addiction and once you start, you cannot stop! I have already got some Misti Alpaca sock ready in the wings to begin when I have thought of a suitable pattern.

The socks are so cosy, it has led me to want to throw out all my useless old black cotton socks and begin again. The resulting empty drawer has become quite dangerous, as on entering the divine Brora store, I was drawn to these ultra cosy cashmere ribbed socks. Now, I have been promising for months to make myself a pair exactly the same as these, even down to the colour, so I just gave in and bought them instead. They were in the sale, after all...

High Tea and Knitting

2010-01-14T12:09:00.003Z

New Beginners knitting class booked for Saturday 6th February from 10 am-12 pm at High Tea of Highgate £25.
All materials included, as well as lovely home made cakes and lashings of tea!
You will have enough yarn to make a small scarf or modern cowl.
Contact me for bookings.

Independant shopping - Islington. Part II!

2010-01-12T20:31:00.008Z

The suspense is over! Here is the list of really quirky fashion boutiques you must visit when in Angel.

My absolute favourite place to browse is Labour of Love. I remember this shop when it was a very well established lingerie and hosiery shop, with piles of fantastically colourful and amazingly cheap tights, stockings and underwear on every available surface! It was a sight to behold, and I think I still have some neon lacy tights purchased from the helpful and aging owner at the bottom of my underwear drawer. I felt quite upset when it closed and thought the history of the place would be torn out and replaced by a sterile, shiny new coffee chain or high street store. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find this little gem in its place, stocking ecclectic pieces of clothing, jewellery and accessories compiled by the owner, Francesca Forcolini, a designer herself. She lovingly restored the shop, keeping some of the original fixtures and fittings and uncovering a beautiful old gold sign over the door, which reads 'Berwick' - a little tip if you are trying to find the shop, as it can be confusing!

I am drawn to the strange yet desirable products within and Forcolini's eye appeals to me; her choice of knitted products is interesting and eccentric, which I adore, with brands such as Lowie, Peter Jensen and Kind offering unconventional designs which are still easy to wear. The Labour of Love label also follows these same rules of classic pieces with a sense of humour, with kooky yet wearable styling, which give the shop such a unique and exciting flavour. My favourite item when in at the weekend demonstrates this completely: a beautiful Peter Jensen cream dress with warm tone houses printed onto it complete with a little cape.

Across the road on Canonbury Lane is the delectable Palette, a melting pot of vintage and contemporary labels meticulously handpicked by the owner Mark Ellis, who if you are lucky enough to find in store when you visit will happily give you an interesting low-down on each piece or label as you try them on. I swear by the gorgeous Becksondergaard eel skin purses they stock. I bought one years ago and rather than declining it seems to get better and better with age!

Diverse is another great boutique along Upper Street. There are separate men's and women's stores a few doors away from each other. The ladies' boutique is two floors of desirable high end labels including my favourites A.P.C., Melissa and Vanessa Bruno. I must also point out that they do wonderful sales, where I purchased my gorgeous Chloe tights last year at a bargain price!

As a little aside, when you want a little break from your tiring shopping, there are many places to take refreshments such as cocktails, tea and cakes and all sorts of cuisine from all over the world. There is a fabulous whiskey bar, Slim Jims, on Upper Street and a more traditional style pub, The Old Queens Head on the Essex Road which often has crafty events as well as great djs, so check out the website.

Independent shopping - Islington

2010-01-10T22:20:00.015Z

As I have mentioned here before, I am becoming more and more frustrated by the homogenised nature of the British high street. British consumer choices and trends has been a special interest of mine ever since my MA thesis; a comparitive study of teenage girls' consumption choices in the 1970s and the noughties. Praised throughout the world for the mass availability of high trend, low priced fashion, I nevertheless find our standardised town centres and shopping malls increasingly repetitive and boring. The long term sustainability concerns of such consumerism is another factor in my turning away from most of our well known stores.
With all that in mind and before I get too preachy, self righteous and hypocritcal (I still can't resist a cheap copy from Topshop, so long as I know I will wear said bargain loads!), I am going on a bit of a treasure hunt around London to see if I can root out some truly unique and interesting independent boutiques and I thought I would share my findings here.

As it is a bit chilly at the mo, for my first trip, I did not wander far but stuck with what I know - the Angel, Islington. Seeing as there are so many great independant stores here, I am going to blog in two parts and will hopefully keep you waiting with bated breath for the next installment!! Part one covers make do and mend, with vintage and craft stores.

It seemed logical to begin in Islington, seeing as I spend a lot of time in one of the best independent stores in London, Loop, which is situated in the fabulous Cross Street. Walking down this little road makes me feel I am as close as I can get to what London used to be like in the past, with its cobbled alleyways, terraced houses and colourful shop fronts. I don't need to tell you much about Loop as I mention it here so often, but if you are a craft addict, its rainbow of tactile yarns are a temptation too strong to ignore. Buying yarn to knit my own bespoke garments also ticks all the boxes in my desire for unique and interesting fashion. There is even the handy sewing shop Sew Fantastic round the corner, and The Make Lounge up the road on Barnsbury Street, making Islington a handy crafty hub.

While we are here, Cross street also has Wild Swans, which is one of a small chain of boutiques offering desirably subtle and sophisticated Scanadinavian brands, the sensuously pretty lingerie store Tallulah and a smattering of other interior shops and galleries.

Since Loop opened almost five years ago, the street has seen quite a few small businesses come and go, a sad sign of how hard it is to stay afloat in the tough and expensive capital.

Another sad tale is of the vintage and antique stalls and shops in and around Camden Passage, which used to be much more extensive. Now there are fewer, while in their place are a few more well known stores from the high street. However, many are still going strong, and the market on a Saturday and Wednesday morning are worth a trip. Here, Annie's is my favourite shop, a treasure trove of vintage clothes and textiles. On my latest visit, I could not resist some beautiful hand worked Victorian lace trim. Just over the road, Cloud Cuckoo Land comes a close second, with more affordable yet just as high quality vintage pieces.

While on the subject of second hand stores, the Essex Road is home to the one store I can never walk past and one I rarely leave without a purchase: Past Caring. It sells anything from the tiniest buttons to huge sideboards and just about everything in between. On this weekend's visit I coveted a retro 60s olive glass pulldown light, a Star Trek annual from 1975, some brightly coloured assorted glass objects and the fabulously kitsch horse and sultry lady paintings. Ah, such bliss. If only I had the space for yet more clutter...

A store which encompasses a little of all the shops I love to frequent is My Sugarland, which stocks a little bit of vintage, a little bit of contemporary fashion and a little bit of hand made, all packaged in a stylish, yet effortless way. They also host yoga and craft classes and exciting events such as wedding and styling evenings.

Phew! As you can see, there is a lot of shopping to be done around here, which is possibly why I was out all day on Saturday! Next up, the quirky contemporary fashion stores, some less ubiquitous high street shops and my tips for where to grab tea, lunch or something a little stronger!

new patterns

2010-01-07T15:43:00.003Z

Well folks I am on a roll now! The snow break from my work at the college has given me time to sort out a load of patterns I have had sitting around in my cupboard for months . Two new ones are up now on Ravelry.

The Oversized Beret is a very simple pattern, ideal for beginner knitters bored of scarves and has the option to knit it straight or in the round.

Sash Style Belt does what it says on the tin - not a practical belt, but a pretty adornment to cinch in a little black dress or layer over sloppy cardis.

Get 'em while they're hot!

Autumn/Winter new collection

2010-01-05T11:53:00.005Z

I cannot believe that I have actually started publishing the patterns for my Autumn/Winter collection while it is still mid-winter (and boy, it really is winter this year). I am finally getting on top of the pattern writing and am aiming to get most of the collection up in the next few weeks, which is great. The first two patterns up are a beautifully warm 'snood' type affair, reminiscent of the 80s fashion accessory and of the cowls seen everywhere on the A/W 09/10 catwalks.
Cables and subtle stripes add texture and interest and the Rowan Cocoon yarn is really cosy and great to work with.

The Chunky ribbed hat was bourne out of the freezing weather and the emergency of needing a final, very quick to make Christmas present! This is also a great pattern for those of you who want to try working in the round. The Debbie Bliss Como yarn, with its touch of cashmere, is very soft and warm and with the stylish, retro shape, the original proved a huge hit with the recipient.

You can buy both these patterns singly on Ravelry now, and the ebook will be up shortly, with more patterns to be added including a simple yet beautful scarf pattern with at least three different variations, some elegant wrist warmers, a crocheted cape and a couple of suprises.

happy knitting new year!

2010-01-02T17:36:00.003Z

Happy new year to all, I have had a wonderful relaxing holiday and now it is time to start looking forward into the new year and planning lots of knitting related activity.

I am launching the new decade with a series of classes at City Lit in January, which I believe is full to bursting; a great sign of how popular the craft has become. I am however holding more knitting and crochet classes throughout the year at the same venue, so check it out anyway.

The place I am most looking forward to visiting this year is Les Soeurs Anglaises in France. They have just updated their website, which is looking fabulous, with fantastic courses running throughout the year. The beautifully sunny pictures are proving extremely alluring for me, sat wrapped in layers of clothes and a wooly blanket while temperatures drop below freezing outside. Roll on May, I say!!

My Autumn/winter collection is still coming along nicely; will post pictures later in the week and I already have one eye on next season's offering, perhaps it has something to do with longing for warmer weather...!

Finally, I am hoping to really run with my new workshop venture Make Do Mend this year, so expect lots of new classes booked soon.

Phew, looks like it is going to be a busy year! Here's to a creative and happy new year to everyone.