New Forest

I can't believe that only now I'm writing this post, so much has happened since my lovely holiday in New Forest it now seems forever ago, But looking back at the pictures I'm reminded how special and much needed it was.

April and May are incredibly busy months for me. I know this every year and yet somehow I'm never prepared and it all just hits me like a ton of bricks, and I just walk around in a daze from lack of sleep, feeling like all I'm doing is playing catch up.

I have been teaching non-stop over those two months and any spare moment was spent on designing and answering emails, but it is all that I love doing so when the holiday came around I wasn't ready to go! Can you believe it! Even though I desperately to needed to get away, I had so much work to still finish I couldn't imagine leaving it, even only for a week! Totally mad! But get away we did :)

And boy, am I glad we did. The holiday was everything I could wish for and more. New Forest is our favourite place to be, we both feel so at home there, it has everything that appeals to us, lots of forest, wildlife, country charm and peace and quiet, it is a place we definitely see ourselves retiring to.

We stayed in a quaint little village in Woodlands, each cottage there was so idyllic, as if an artist come and painted all the thatched roofs and climbing wisterias. Our cottage wasn't any different, it oozed country charm with its old fireplaces and wooded beams. It a kind of place that as soon as you enter you relax instantly and forget about everything.

Our days were spent walking, picnicking and just generally having a fantastic time and i did work, but my work is knitting so that's ok, especially when you find the most amazing spot to work in :)

                                                                   Spooky forest

                                                               Not so spooky forest

Dave is a very keen amateur wildlife photographer and he took some amazing photos. I really love his work. 

But the best place of all was the Petlake Alpaca Farm which was situated just 5 min drive from our cottage. We were lucky enough to see some babies alpacas that were born just 3 week earlier, they were very shy and hiding behind their mums. There were also some ''toddlers'' born over Easter.

The farm has the most charming little shop with lots of alpaca related stuff including YARN!!!!! It is super soft DK weigh yarn that comes undyed, three very gorgeous natural colours, of course I had to buy all three, and even our local birds got some alpaca fleece for their nests :)

The farm is really charming and they offer Alpaca walking tours and even a chance to adopt an Alpaca. The website is: www.petlakealpacas.co.uk please check them out and if you are ever in the area go for a visit, it's so worth it.

I even met a lady called Georgia who works in Costa in Lyndhurst that knits toys for charity and even was a nominee for a fundraiser champion. These are some of her toys proudly on display. 

 

The holiday was absolutely wonderful and I have relaxed so much, unfortunately few days after coming back I had some bad news that I'm still recovering from. It a kinda news that changes everything and of course I don't know if the changes are for the better, time will tell, I suppose, but maybe it's time for a change and something had to happen for me to actually take the plunge and do what actually make me happy. Anyway, when I feel less upset I'll tell you about it.

Anna xx

 

Crochet Now

In my previous post I mentioned the brand new crochet magazine coming out - Crochet Now- well the first issue is in shops now!!

In it you will find pages of treasures. It contains patterns for everything from garments to toys, and of course my gorgeous Chevron cushion cover, 100 pages of pure delight.

I'm really taken with the Boho Chic mosaic scarf by Jennifer Pionk and big top blanket by Ashley Cramp AKA lazydaisyjones. There are also few adorable baby projects such as booties, little dress, bunny toy and even a rattle, which is just perfect as two of my friends are expecting babies and I seriously need to get making.

Image credit: Practical Publishing
 

 Image credit: Practical Publishing
 

 Image credit: Practical Publishing 

There are also few good articles in the mag and a fantastic column on the last page by the super lovely Lynne Rowe from The Wool Nest. Lynne is going to encourage you every month to get creative with your yarn left overs by providing a lovely pattern to use up your yarn oddments, this month the pattern is for very useful nesting bowls.

Lynne, along with Fay Dashper-Hughes of Ma Dashper, have just started a new podcast called The Crochet Circle, the first episode is out now and it is a really enjoyable listen, actually it has encouraged me to take a closer look at my, ever expanding, yarn stash and actually tackle reducing it, I know! The horror!! But more on that in next post.

And if all of that wasn't enough there are also very useful news bites, yarn and yarn shop reviews, crochet workshop lists and tutorial on crochet cables and how to ready crochet charts and so much more, oh and included with the issue are three crochet hooks as a free gift. Honestly, this is truly a great mag and I'm not just saying that because of my pattern is featured in it, in fact it is a great honour to have one of my designs in such a great publication. Oh and if you turn to page 97 there's a little preview of what will be in next issue and one of those designs is mine, but I won't tell you which one yet :D

But let's talk about my chevron cushion......
It is a beauty! Made using tapestry crochet, a technique I absolutely adore, it produces beautifully firm fabric. I have again chosen Rowan Kid Classic in gentle colours, I love this yarn and just can't help crocheting or knitting with it, but of course any worsted yarn will be great to use for this cushion. If you haven't ever attempted tapestry crochet, don't worry, a full tutorial is included with the pattern, perfect for beginners.
Give tapestry crochet a go, it is such a fantastic technique I'm sure you will love it!

                                                             Image credit: Practical Publishing 

Happy crocheting,

Anna x

For the love of Brietta

I'm still on clouds nine after Brietta cowl got the front page treatment in Let's Crochet mag, which is a preview issue of brand new crochet magazine called Crochet Now. The mag is available together with Knit Now magazine. 

 As Let’s Crochet is a preview issue it contains carefully selected crochet designs that were previously featured in other magazines, Brietta was first featured in issue 65 of Simply Homemade magazine, which is just fab and jam packed with everything from cooking to card making. 

Brietta is a very eye catching cowl (if I may say so myself). The almond stitch gives you the perfect opportunity to play with colour, I have chosen hues of blue and turquoise, starting with the darkest and ending with lightest, the interruptions of cream colour in-between the almonds defines them beautifully. I have used one of my all-time favourite yarns for this cowl – Rowan Kid Classic, the Kid Mohair content of this yarn gives the cowl a lovely halo, not to mention the fantastic colour range the yarn comes in. 

You can really let your colour imagination let loose when crocheting this cowl. Choose your favourite combination or stick with subtly changing colours. I really like these Kid Classic combinations:

Of course you can use any worsted weight yarn for Biretta. At the moment I’m crocheting it with Louisa Harding’s Amitola Grande in Amelia sh. 527 and Rowan Kid Classic in Drought sh. 876. It is looking pretty amazing. Amitola is a gorgeous self-striping yarn, but the colour changes are not long enough to last for a full rows of almonds, at first I thought I might cut full colour lengths and use them as needed, but as I started to crochet I realised I really liked the two different colours in each almond.  

Let’s Crochet is available together with Knit Now Issue 58 – on sale now in newsagents, crafts stores and supermarkets. For more info or to order a copy visit: http://www.knitnowmag.co.uk/item/527-issue-58-on-sale-now

Happy Crocheting 

Anna x

Yarniness

Over the past two weeks I've visited two great yarn festivals: Unravel and Knit & Stitch Show Olympia.

Both are quite different shows with something else to offer. Unravel is definitely yarn only orientated while at Knit & Stitch show all craft lovers will find something for them, from sewing, knitting, card making and much more.

It was my first time to Unravel so I really didn't know what to expect, and boy what a treat it was! The festival lasts three days and is held in Farnham Maltings, spared over three floor, with little rooms going off main halls ending with The Long Kiln Gallery at top of the building. It felt a bit like being Alice in Wonderland, with every room holding different adventures.

  

Every room was packed full with the most delicious hand dyed yarns, a true visual treat. I was absolutely amazed at the quality and luxury of the yarns on offer, the most stunning colours in silks, wools, cashmeres and so much more all from indie yarn dyers, and of course all complemented by  the beautiful designs on show. 

 The Little Grey Sheep Stall 

The sparkly delight from Spin City

My favourite yarns were from Natalia Steward whose lace weight gradient silk yarns were just made for shawls, and Whistlebare-NorthumberlandFinest Yarns who produce hand dyed mohair and Wensleydale yarn from their Angora Goats and Wensleydale Sheep. Their yarns are all dyed using natural sources such as vegetables and come in 3 weights: 4ply, DK and Aran, all of them are just lush and begging to be knitted.

 Whistlebare-NorthumberlandFinest Yarns

 Faux taxidermy knitted fun from Sincerely Louise

Of course not only ready to buy yarn was on offer, there was also stalls with ceramics, felting, machine knitting, textile, even a charming stall with gorgeous wicker baskets. Lots of workshops and talks such as shawls/shapes by the fab Veera Valimaki and Bavarian Twisted Stitch with Fiona Morris. I was particularly sad to miss ‘The Making of The Vintage Shetland Project’ with Susan Crowford and film screening of ‘Yarn’, they were both on Saturday and I was there on Friday. 

And if all that wasn’t enough you were treated to the colour festival that are Amanda Perkins' blankets. Displayed in The Long Kiln Gallery, they were truly a visual delight.

 Amanda Perkins' gorgeous blankets

After all this crafty goodness you were welcome to grab a coffee and join ‘cast on, pass on’ bunting making in the foyer with the Surrey Knitting and Crochet Group.

In comparison The Knit & Stitch Show Olympia is very different, purely because the building has no character or old charming history, but the show itself offers delights for all craft addicts. Sewing addicts would find the festival a dream come true, there was everything from patch working to garment sewing. My most favourite stall was by Sew La Di-Da Vintage who makes stunning vintage patterns. Not only that, but there were great stalls with knitting and crochet accessories such as needles, stitch markers, you know the cute stuff, especially buttons from Kate Holliday which I’m addicted to! To be honest whatever craft you are into you will find something there for you.

As at Unravel there was lots of workshops on offer from jewellery making to felting. Also absolutely adorable hubs with drop-in knit sessions held by LoveKnitting and Toft. And an exhibition of dresses from National Fashion Textile Competition.

Both show offer something different and both are great, but what I liked the most is that both had displays of amazing knitted items.

                                        My girlies and I at Knit & Stitch Show Olympia :)



Anna xx