Helena Callum

Cragside Gloves and Hat

2012-05-25T18:54:00.000+01:00

Cragside Gloves and Hat, published in Knit Now magazine, June 2012. Photo by Tim Bradley for Practical Publishing
I'm delighted that my latest pattern, for fingerless gloves and a matching hat, is to be published in Issue 9 (June 2012) of Knit Now magazine. The issue will be on sale in supermarkets, newsagents and craft stores from Thursday 31st May 2012. And you can subscribe, or buy a single issue from the shop, via the publisher's website.

The photos taken for the magazine are gorgeous. Here's another one! Or, to see the photos for all the designs in Issue 9 go to ravelry (login required)

Cragside Gloves and Hat, published in Knit Now magazine, June 2012. Photo by Tim Bradley for Practical Publishing

This set was inspired by the National Trust gardens at Cragside in Northumberland, one of my favourite haunts. The gardens include an area with the splendid name Temperate Ferneries, where ferns grow among specially placed boulders. The name could also be applied to the hat and fingerless gloves – they carry a lace fern pattern and are lightweight and suited to temperate climes.

The gloves are worked from cuff to fingers and the hat from brim to crown. The lace pattern adds a gentle curve to the edge of each item. The stitch patterns on the gloves and hat are given in a chart.

SIZES
Hat: Small, Medium and Large to fit head circumferences 51, 56 and 60 cm.
Gloves: Small/Medium and Medium/Large to fit hand circumferences 17-19 or 19.5-21 cm

TENSION / GAUGE
Hat: 30 sts and 38 rows to 10 × 10 cm (4 × 4 in) in stocking stitch (stockinette stitch)
Gloves: 31 sts and 40 rows to 10 × 10 cm (4 × 4 in) in stocking stitch (stockinette stitch)

YARN
Eden Cottage Yarns BFL Sock (399m per 100g skein; 100% wool) – 1 skein in Laurel
Other 4-ply weight, wool rich yarns should also work well

NOTIONS

3 mm (US 2.5), 40 cm/16 in long circular needle and dpns for hat; 2.75 mm (US 2) dpns for gloves, or size needed to obtain correct tension / gauge
Tapestry needle
Stitch markers

Cragside Gloves, published in Knit Now magazine, June 2012.
This is a link to the ravelry pattern page (login required)

Shoddy and Mungo

2012-05-19T10:35:00.000+01:00

Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, UK
You know how it is. You learn something new, or are reminded of something you haven't thought about for years. And then the topic keeps cropping up.

This happened to me recently. It all started when I read an article about Annemor Sundbø, in the Winter 2011 issue of Interweave Knits. The article explained the pivotal role of a "shoddy" mill in her career. I then purchased Sundbø's most recent book (which I reviewed here), and this expanded further on the role of the shoddy mill: taking worn-out wool garments and rags and recycling them into a grey fibre often used to fill mattresses.

At this point, a little bell stated ringing in my head. Hadn't I seen the word "shoddy" quite recently? Then I remembered that every time I visit my local Lidl, I see a factory across the road which declares in big letters "Shoddy and Mungo Manuf-rs" (photo above). I vaguely recalled thinking, when I first noticed the words, that Shoddy it was an unfortunate name for someone in manufacturing.

A quick online search put me straight. Shoddy is recycled wool, usually from loosely woven materials. Mungo is recycled wool from more tightly woven material. And the embarrassing bit: Wikipedia notes that "The shoddy industry was centred on the towns of Batley, Morley, Dewsbury and Ossett in West Yorkshire, and concentrated on the recovery of wool from rags." It goes on to note just how important the industry was in the area in the mid to late 1800s.

Yes, you've guessed it. This is the area where I live.

I then realised that I'd seen the words somewhere else - on a map of the area around my house dated 1906. There used to be a Mungo and Shoddy mill five minutes walk from my home.

1906 map of West Yorkshire, UK

Book review: Norwegian Mittens & Gloves

2012-05-03T18:33:00.001+01:00

View mobile phone version

Norwegian Mittens & Gloves. Over 25 Classic Designs for Warm Fingers and Stylish Hands
by Annemor Sundbø
Trafalgar Square Books 2011 (English Translation)
ISBN: 978-1-57076-495-0

I bought this book because of my interest in knitting gloves and mittens in general, and because of my more recent enthusiasm for traditional Norwegian mittens in particular. The book was first published in 2010, and the English translation came out in 2011. I became aware of it when the author, Annemor Sundbø, was profiled in the Winter 2011 issue of Interweave Knits.

There is a splendid back story to the material in the book. Unlike others, this author didn't tour textile museums for her source material. No, back in the 1980s she actually bought a factory together with 16 tons of sacks of woollen waste! The factory was the last shoddy mill in Norway, a place that recycled wool from rags, which included discarded hand knitted garments. Realising that the items were a treasure trove of traditional knitted motifs, figures and symbols, Annemor Sundbø decided to keep a record of them, and also began researching into the background to the patterns.

For this book, a number of original mittens and gloves from the sacks at the shoddy mill have been reworked into pattern instructions. Most of the recreations look remarkably like the inspirational source, albeit using yarn available today. Endearingly, some are rather better than the originals, which show signs of being everyday items - not perfect, but entirely functional and attractive nevertheless.

The book is made up mainly of instructions for the recreated mittens and gloves. These are sandwiched between the introductory chapters and a concluding section suggesting how a mitten chart can be adapted to make other garments. There are two further features that make the book attractive even to those who may never follow one of the patterns. First, the chapter on Basic Techniques (written by Terri Shea) near the beginning of the book, and second a valuable table of standard measurements for mitten and glove construction.

The patterns include 22 for mittens and 8 for gloves (my count: it says "over 25" on the cover). There are 10 for women/medium adult/adult, 6 for women and men, 5 for men, 7 for children and 2 for small children. Finished measurements are not given, but gauge, stitch count around the hand and rows for the length of the hand are provided to give an idea of size. The instructions include charts for the colour work, and the patterns include full instructions (they are not recipes that assume you've knitted mittens many times before). Animal designs and more abstract patterns are both present.

My favourite pattern is probably "Mittens with a red thread", which combine the flower motif that I love with a lovely brown/natural/splash-of-red colour scheme. Added to that, there's the knowledge that the original mittens were never finished: the red thread in that pair was the one holding the thumb stitches. I also like "Lilies: Woman's Mittens" -a pair of grey and white mittens with a lily pattern. There's another pair I liked until I read that the pattern included a spider - but I think only those in the know would realise this!

Each pair of gloves or mittens is clearly photographed, in colour, showing both back of hand and palm, off the hand. There are no modelled or fashion-type shots. Also included are small colour photos of the original items.

All the patterns in the book call for Ask Hifa 2 by Hillesvåg, which is 100% Norwegian 2-ply wool with 315 m /100 g.

So, this is one for fans of traditional Norwegian designs and those who love to knit mittens; it will also be enjoyed by those who like to read about knitting history and the meaning of symbols.

Disclosure: I purchased this book

Fibre purchase - I'm ready to spin again

2012-04-21T13:44:00.000+01:00

Fine BFL (Burnish) fibre by Fluff-n-Stuff
from www.picperfic.etsy.com
I have decided that it is time to get the spinning wheel out again. I bought some fibre, concentrating very hard on not choosing the same orangey pink colour scheme to which I keep getting attracted, and I succeeded in choosing something very different. The next challenge will be to keep the colours well separated when spinning. I'll aim for a pair of almost matching skeins for a pair of gloves or mitts.

Book Review: Norwegian Handknits

2012-04-10T20:18:00.000+01:00

View mobile phone version

Norwegian Handknits. Heirloom Designs from the Vesterheim Museum
by Sue Flanders and Janine Kosel
Voyageur Press 2009
ISBN: 978-0-7603-3428-7

This book was published in 2009. I bought it because I wanted a book on Norwegian knitting, but didn't want one where the emphasis was on large garment patterns. This book offers a mix of content so was just what I was looking for. I am reviewing it now, some time after purchase, because I have at last knitted one of the designs from the book.

The foundation underlying everything in the book is the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Iowa. The museum was initially set up as a repository for materials, belonging to Norwegian immigrants to the US, which might otherwise have been thrown out. The authors have been frequent visitors to the museum (which is introduced to readers at the start of the book) and all the patterns have been inspired by textiles in the Vesterheim collection, the heirlooms of the subtitle. The word "inspiration" is appropriate, in many cases the patterns do not recreate items in the museum, instead a different item has been designed, using a motif or features from another. So a knapsack uses a Selbu star pattern from some gloves and a cushion cover is inspired by an embroidered shirt.

Norwegian Handknits has four chapters. The first includes seven patterns that use the most basic of knitting techniques, many of which were inspired by a baby hat knitted in 1891 and now in the museum. Chapter 2 includes five slightly more advanced patterns all including traditional embellishment of some sort. There are instructions for additional techniques, including on how to apply "shag" (a cut wool decoration). Chapter 3 is the longest chapter and focuses on two-colour knitting. There are 18 patterns here, for hats, headbands, socks, mittens, a knapsack and jumpers. Finally, chapter 4 covers what are described as Adventurous Techniques. There are four patterns, two using entrelac and two for cushions.

The two colour patterns are charted (only), and the charts are adequately sized. Some of the single colour patterns have both charts and written descriptions. A range of yarns from a number of manufacturers is used in the book, there are details of US suppliers and sufficient information provided for substitution.

The book starts with a Foreword about the museum, and includes photographs from the Vesterheim archive. My favourite photo is at the start of chapter 1, taken in the 1890s it shows a mother knitting as her little daughter sleeps. There are photos of the inspirational historic items (some more historical than others, I'm not too sure about gloves from 1950!) as well as clear pictures of the finished projects and step by step photos for techniques.

On first reading, in spite of the variety offered, none of the patterns really made me want to pick up my needles. However, a time came when I wanted to make a pair of traditionally-shaped Norwegian mittens with a big flower motif on them. The perfect pattern turned out to be in this book - Flower Mittens (p93). I found the pattern easy to follow and quite educational. Although there is no section in the book on traditional mitten thumbs and shaping, just making these mitts was an excellent primer. I used my own handspun for the contrast colour and some standard DK weight yarn for the background. I am delighted with the result. However, do check for errata before starting work. There are quite a few - find documents listing them here.

This is a great book if you like a little background (but not too much) about your patterns, like knitting accessories, enjoy old photos and have an interest in traditional techniques. It is not ideal for you if you want many large garment (jumper/jacket/coat/dress) patterns or want to work only with truly authentic materials.

Disclosure: I purchased this book

Spring lambs

2012-04-01T16:57:00.000+01:00

Two inquisitive, and very cute, lambs.
Holy Island, Northumberland, 27.3.12.

Alafoss Factory Outlet

2012-03-18T18:25:00.000Z

Alafoss Factory Outlet, Alafossvegi 23, 270 Mosfellsbaer
Last month, during a short visit to Iceland, I was able to visit the Alafoss Factory outlet in Mosfellsbaer near Reykjavik. I took a bus (number 15) from the Hlemmur bus station in Reykjavik, and it was a relatively easy trip - the landmark for getting off the bus is a branch of KFC. The instructions on the website are probably better suited to those travelling by car; I suggest printing out a street map from Google maps or similar, you then have more information to get your bearings. There are footpaths between the bus stop and the shop that mean it isn't necessary to walk on the busiest roads.

Alafoss Factory Outlet entrance
The nice surprise was that the yarns are not expensive (February 2012), even in the city centre stores. Although you only save a little bit by coming to the factory shop, I'm glad I made the trip. The shop is well stocked and the short trip was fun. It was tempting to buy too much, so I hope I limited myself sensibly. I got four balls of Einband, intended for a pattern in Lucinda Guy's Northern Knits (my review here), enough Lett-Lopi for about 3 pairs of mittens, a traditional mitten pattern and a bag to put it all in.

My Alafoss purchases. The sheep at the bottom right is a bag. But the mitten pattern is not included in the picture.

I made my first pair of mittens, using the new pattern, at once and am delighted with the result.

West Fjords Mittens.Pattern by Kristín Harðardóttir
... click on the r to see the mittens on my ravelry project page (login needed).

From the diary of a six year old

2012-03-01T18:39:00.000Z

Some of my creations from my early school days have recently resurfaced. I was delighted to find this entry in a little wallpaper-covered School Diary, written when I was six (I think). Not so delighted with the spelling, though I must admit I still like to get to the point when I can "carst of"!

Book Review: 200 Fair Isle Designs

2012-02-18T11:58:00.000Z

View mobile phone version

200 Fair Isle Designs.
Knitting charts, combination designs and colour variations.
by Mary Jane Mucklestone
Search Press 2011
ISBN: 978-1-84448-692-2
Published in the USA by Interweave Press as
200 Fair Isle Motifs: A Knitter's Directory

This is a stitch dictionary. But it is a stitch dictionary with added value as the information, and the way in which that information is provided, together turn the book into an inspiring and confidence-building resource.

The title of the book gives a good idea of the content: 200 Fair Isle Designs (UK version) or Motifs (US version). A key property of these designs is that they are recurring designs: patterns that are intended to be used repeatedly around the knitting, and can be repeated in the row direction too.

The book has two main sections: Essential Skills and the Design Directory. The organisation of the Design Directory is a huge strength of the book. The comprehensive collection of designs is arranged in careful order, first all the one row designs, then the two row designs, then the three row designs and so on. Within each row count, the designs are in order of increasing stitch count. Each design is presented in five ways: a full-size colour photograph of a knitted swatch, a black and white chart showing the pattern and background stitches, two colour charts (one for the swatch shown and a variation) and a black and white chart suggesting how the n-row design might be repeated to give an all-over design. The colour charts not only show the design, it is also indicated which is the pattern colour and which the background colour in each row. At the beginning of the Design Directory there's a visual table of contents, in which the knitted swatches for all 200 designs are displayed together with the relevant page number. Towards the end of the Design Directory "Mix and Match" boxes appear, showing knitted swatches that combine two or more of the basic designs in traditional-style repeated pattern.

The Essential Skills section of the book is clearly illustrated and includes practical advice on topics including knitting in the round, working with two colours at a time and steeking. An ability to read charts is assumed. This introduction is followed by advice on colour choice, project planning and design principles. Together with the Design Directory these elements are key to the success of the book. Many enthusiastic Fair Isle knitters avoid designing for themselves, or changing colours in a published pattern, because it just seems too scary to contemplate. The book will give such knitters sufficient confidence to start designing their own small projects. Furthermore, even if you aren't interested in traditional multi-colour Fair Isle designs (where although there are only two colours in any one row, a multi-row pattern might contain a variety of both foreground and background colours), the repeating designs work well with just two colours, and inclusion of the black and white charts is helpful in this regard.

Appropriately there are no projects in the book, but the author has separately released patterns (such as Muckle Mitts) that can form the base for design substitution and colour experiments. Following the guidance in the book I happily substituted a different design into the Muckle Mitts pattern, and have gone on to incorporate other designs into new projects.

This is an excellent book, highly recommended to enthusiasts for traditional Fair Isle and to any knitter interested in repeating colour work patterns.

Disclosure: I purchased this book. My review is of the Quarto Book published by Search Press.

Ermintrude fingerless mitts

2012-01-31T18:47:00.000Z

Ermintrude fingerless mitts by Helena Callum
My Ermintrude fingerless mitts pattern has just been published on the p/hop website.

p/hop stands for pennies per hour of pleasure, and the p/hop website is a knitting fundraising programme for the charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Although patterns on p/hop can be freely downloaded, the idea is that once you've enjoyed using the pattern you return and make a donation. This can be done in pounds, US dollars or Euros here.

The Ermintrude pattern is for a pair of fingerless mitts with a patterned thumb, long decorative cuff and plain hand. The mitts have a peasant thumb and are worked, in the round, from cuff to fingers. They provide just enough warmth and add a cheerful splash of colour to an outfit.

The pattern includes two sizes: Small/Medium (Medium/Large) - to fit an adult woman's hand of circumference 18 cm /7" (20 cm /8"). Tension / Gauge: 26 sts and 36 rows to 10 × 10 cm / 4" × 4" in stocking stitch / stockinette stitch.

The mitts are worked in DK-weight yarn. The mitt pictured above was made using Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK (a blend of 55% Merino wool, 33% Microfiber, 12% Cashmere, giving 110 m / 120 yds per 50g ball), though other DK-weight or light worsted weight yarns will also work well.

The main colour used was grey (18024), and the three contrast colours were dark green (18038), duck egg (18028) and bright green (18011).

If using stash yarn, then you'll need roughly 115 (135) m / 125 (145) yds of the main colour, and up to 55 (55) m /60 (60) yds each of the three contrast colours.

There are all sorts of possible colour combinations. The above colour scheme is spring-like. For autumn, perhaps something along these lines?

An alternative colour scheme
The colour work uses slip stitches, so there is only one colour of working yarn in use in any round. The slip stitch instructions in the pattern are given both as charts and as written directions

Find out why the mitts are called Ermintrude mitts here!

This is a link to the ravelry pattern page.

My second, third and fourth Muckle Mitts

2012-01-22T14:00:00.000Z

My first pair of Muckle Mitts

My first Muckle Mitt was introduced in an earlier post. Now I have finished the second one, and have my first pair of Muckle Mitts. This pair used my souvenir yarns from South Uist.

Delighted with them, and having purchased 200 Fair Isle Designs: Knitting Charts, Combination Designs, and Colour Variations by Mary Jane Mucklestone ( available in the US as 200 Fair Isle Motifs), I carried straight on to make a second pair. This time I followed the principles described in the book to replace the chart in the original pattern with a slightly different one.

My second pair of Muckle Mitts, using design #173 from 200 Fair Isle Designs: Knitting Charts, Combination Designs, and Colour Variations by Mary Jane Mucklestone

Design #173 on my second pair of Muckle Mitts

The original chart was based on design #172 in the book, and I didn't move very far to source my variation, which is based on #173. This has a different number of stitches in each repeat from the original, but as the repeat still fits into the number of stitches in the mitt, it works well. This was such an easy change to make - it makes a great first step towards Fair Isle designing.

I'm also pleased to have used some of my own handspun (it was starting to pile up) and have moved on to make some patterned mittens using the rest of the skein. The yarn (Ravelry Link - login required) was spun from prepared BFL & Sparkle dyed by Felt Studio UK.

Blue and green checked weaving - results

2012-01-22T13:11:00.000Z

Green and blue plaid weaving - finished.

Green and blue plaid weaving plan. "Thread View" design generated using WeaveDesign software. See original post

Although my fabric looks a bit wonky when compared with the perfectly square design, these pictures show that the software approach can give a good idea of the appearance of the fabric. I had to flip the plan image to match the order of the colours in the fabric, so I think I did not do the warping and wefting exactly in the order they should have been. The yarns used were: Texere Yarns Pure Lambswool 4 ply (natural), Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino in Tropical storm (blues) and Araucania Ranco Solid in 108 (Green).

My intention is to make a credit card wallet from this, fairly short, piece of fabric. I ran out of the blue yarn (lack of weaving experience here, if I'd thought a bit harder I'd have made the warp considerably shorter!), and the rest of the fabric has green replacing the blue in the weft, as seen in the image below. Some of this remaining fabric may eventually be made into a sunglasses case.

Green and green and blue plaid weaving.

My first Muckle Mitt

2012-01-12T14:38:00.000Z

I am excited about these mitts! I read about the Muckle Mitts pattern here on Mary Jane Mucklestone's blog, and saw another finished product at the end of this post on Kate Davies' blog.

The pattern uses motif #172 from Mary Jane Mucklestone's book 200 Fair Isle Motifs ( available in the UK as 200 Fair Isle Designs: Knitting Charts, Combination Designs, and Colour Variations). The pattern was a New Year gift from the designer and can be downloaded free until 16 January 2012.

When I was on holiday on South Uist last summer I bought two souvenir balls of yarn, each very different from the other. One is wool from a flock of pedigree Hebridean Sheep that live on the island, it is natural black and very springy. The other is handspun on the island from non-local merino wool, in a colourway called "Uist Landscapes - Atlantic". This yarn is full of beautiful blues and greens and is very soft. I had not really thought about using the two yarns together, but when I saw the Muckle Mitts pattern realised that this was the perfect opportunity to make myself a reminder of South Uist that took advantage of the qualities of both yarns.

I made the first one in a couple of evenings, and am doing well with the second. I think I shall probably make more, perhaps using my own handspun, and perhaps incorporating another of the motifs from the book. If you like the Muckle Mitts, then have a look at the Mucklemuff, the Muckle item that preceded the mitts.

Book Review: Knitting 24/7

2012-01-10T19:00:00.000Z

View mobile phone version

Knitting 24/7. 30 projects to Knit, Wear, Enjoy, On the Go and Around the Clock.
by Véronik Avery
Stewart, Tabori & Chang 2010
ISBN: 978-1-58479-844-6

This book is very clear about its intended readership: "Busy, passionate knitters". The idea is to provide projects that are portable, for those who like to knit whenever a brief opportunity presents itself. Furthermore the stitch patterns are relatively simple so that they can be easily memorised, and constant reference to a chart is not required. There are also one or two larger items, which make up for their lack of portability with ease of knitting.

At first I thought that this book probably wasn't for me, as I am not the sort of knitter who must always have busy hands and loves to knit in the queue in the Post Office. However, it turns out that while the patterns are great for passionate knitters, they are also great for less fervent ones. The qualities that make them suitable for grabbed opportunities mean that they are also ideal for those who like to relax with some knitting in front of the TV.

The book is divided into three sections: a.m., p.m. and weekend, according to when you are likely to use or wear the result. This is a fairly arbitrary division, and a case could be made for including most of the items in any of the three categories! The book contains 30 patterns. There are five hats/headbands, four scarves/shawls, four pairs of socks, two bags, five mitts/mittens/gloves, five garments, a cushion cover, a bookmark, a tea cosy and two variants on a pair of slippers. All are attractively stylish. The books contents page is pictorial, with a photograph of every item. This is a good looking feature that also makes the book easy to use.

The photography is wonderful. There's a clue that it will be good on the cover, as the photographer Thayer Allyson Gowdy is named. The photographs not only show the designs well, they hint at a desirable lifestyle - I'd like to live in this book! The atmosphere is enhanced by including photos that don't include the knitting - the model stares dreamily out of a train window or orange juice and a crossword puzzle glow in the morning light. Yes, I want to live there!

My favourite patterns are the Heilo Mittens (p105), which have a very simple but very effective colour scheme and the Cabled Gloves (p117). The Elemental Pullover (p67) is simply delightful - so elegant. I was also taken enough with the Pinstripe Slouch Hat (p77) to make one. I found the instructions complete and easy to follow, though I did decide to work the hat inside out compared with how the pattern was written to reduce the amount of purling required.

The author owns St-Denis Yarns, and St-Denis yarn is suggested for a few of the patterns. Overall however, yarns from a wide variety of companies are suggested. Some of the yarns are obtainable in the UK, and composition and yardage is given which will aid substitution. Several different weights of yarn appear. The designs have written instructions but patterns, such as cable and colourwork, are given only in charts. The charts are clear and legible. The book seems to be relatively well proof-read, with only a few errata listed on the publisher's website (http://www.abramsbooks.com/stc_craft_errata_knitting247.html).

This is a lovely book full of easy and attractive patterns. Avoid it if you want only challenging patterns, want more garment patterns or are an absolute beginner hoping for learn-to-knit instructions.

Disclosure: I purchased this book

Weaving started at last

2012-01-01T15:23:00.000Z

Green and blue plaid weaving in progress.
Yesterday I warped my Cricket loom with the design I posted about, with the image below, many moons ago. Scanned yarn, blurred scanned yarn and two "Thread View" designs generated using WeaveDesign software. Collage made using Picasa.
I had rather less of the blue variegated yarn than I thought, so will have only a short length of the design exactly as planned, but otherwise I'm happy with how it is turning out.

Happy Christmas!

2011-12-24T10:00:00.000Z

Reindeer, ball 49
from 55 Christmas Balls to Knit by Arne & Carlos

Wovember photo competition

2011-12-21T18:37:00.000Z

"Goldilocks"
My photo taken at Masham Sheep Fair 2010, and a prize winner in the Wovember competition

Wovember was the brainchild of Kate Davies and Felicity Ford. Their idea was, for the month of November 2011, to celebrate wool and its unique qualities. They aimed to make people aware of what is special about wool, and perhaps to bring about changes in how garments and textiles are described. Too often the word "wool" is used for a fabric when the fibre content includes little or no sheep's wool.

There were many thought-provoking, finely illustrated and well crafted articles posted on the Wovember blog, see for example "Wool is ... " and "An end of Wovember story". And the masterful Hall of Shame showing examples of misleading marketing.

There was also a Wovember photo competition, where entrants were asked to submit photos that, for them, encapsulated the idea of 100% wool. There were lots of entries, and they can all be seen in the gallery. I sent a couple of my favourite sheep portraits, taken at the Masham Sheep Fair last year (my post at the time). Yesterday I was delighted to learn that one of my entries had been selected as a runner up in the sheep category! You can see all the winners here, and this post is a great one, giving an insight into the judging process: it is splendid to see the short-listed photos grouped together into categories.

I've won a voucher to spend at Blacker Designs, which will be fun. Thank you!

I think the sheep in my photo is a Lincoln Longwool: can anyone confirm that? or perhaps you know better?

Floodlit Fountains Abbey

2011-12-21T09:00:00.000Z

The cellarium at Fountains Abbey
Floodlit for Christmas, 18 December 2011

Kindle cover pattern updated

2011-12-11T13:17:00.001Z

I have today updated my Kindle Cover pattern to include instructions for a cover to fit the smaller Kindle 4 (16.6 cm by 11.4 cm) as well as for the Kindle Keyboard 3G model (19 cm by 12.3 cm).

Huddersfield Festival of Light 2011

2011-12-05T20:47:00.001Z

16 ft tall tulips. f8, 1/6 s.
at the Huddersfield Festival of Light 2011.

Yorkshire Light Garden. f10, 1.3 s.
at the Huddersfield Festival of Light 2011.

No longer a scarf

2011-11-20T12:00:00.000Z

Button made from handwoven fabric. Natural lambswool and mohair boucle from Texere; handspun made from merino silk fibre from Old Maiden Aunt
Earlier this year I posted about my plans to weave a three-colour checked pattern on my Cricket loom. During the summer I did the weaving. I enjoyed the process and was pleased with the feel of the finished fabric, but just wasn't keen on it being a scarf as originally planned.

Last week I took the plunge and started cutting up the fabric. I have made two cushion covers - each has a strip of the handwoven fabric on one side and three covered buttons (as shown above) on the other. I used iron-on interfacing on the back of the fabric before covering the plastic button blank, and am pleased with the results.

Book Review: 55 Christmas Balls to Knit

2011-11-07T18:47:00.000Z

View mobile phone version

55 Christmas Balls to Knit: Colourful Festive Ornaments * Tree Decorations * Centrepieces * Wreaths * Window Decorations
by Arne & Carlos
Search Press 2011
ISBN: 978-1-84448-781-3

This book was first published in Norway in 2010 and was a huge hit. Under the title Julekuler it sold 37 000 copies, and was on the Norwegian bestseller list for four months. To follow up this success, versions of the book are now (October 2011) available in Finland, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, France, UK and USA. So, what's the appeal?

The concept is very simple. The book contains just one pattern - the shape of a knitted ball to use as a Christmas decoration - presented as written directions. Then there are 55 different stranded knitting motifs that can be worked on the basic shape. These appear in charts, which also show the basic shape. This simplicity hints a one aspect of the phenomenon - people get hooked. You make your first ball, then just have to get started on another one with a slightly different design.

The way the book is presented also adds to the enjoyment. We meet Arne and Carlos, a pair of knitwear designers who live and work in the Norwegian mountains (this video is worth a look). The book is full of photographs of their knitted balls artfully arranged around their home, or together with related items. I especially like the photo on p115. I thought a first they'd made a very large ball - but it turned out to be a normal sized ball inside a dolls house. As well as photographs, there are quotes from seasonal poems and even a little story from Arne's grandmother.

The introductory material assumes some experience with knitting in the round and stranded colour work, but includes instructions on how to increase and decrease and how to stuff and finish your ball. Then the different motifs are presented. They have been arranged into 16 chapters of related designs, e.g. "Reindeer" and "Hearts", and many are traditional designs. Most of the motifs are accompanied by a comment on the source of inspiration or a little seasonal reminiscence.

Arne and Carlos note that they could have come up with more variations, but chose to stop at 55. Clearly they recognise that once people have worked a few of these they'll be coming up with their own designs - there's an empty chart at the back of the book, ready for when inspiration strikes!

I've made one ball from the book - so far! The instructions were clear, it was easy to knit and took just a couple of evenings (faster knitters can produce two or three a day). The yarn used in the book is a sport weight (100 m to 50 g) yarn, but any yarn can be tried - the ball will come out smaller or bigger. Just choose a needle size to give a tight fabric so the stuffing doesn't leak out.

So. Avoid the book if you just want to knit a Christmas ball - other patterns are available. But get a copy if you like the tactile pleasure of books, great photography, traditional designs, winter scenery and the charm of something just that little bit different.

I loved it.

Disclosure: I purchased this book. My review is of the Search Press paperback edition.

Shoe last for felted clogs

2011-10-28T21:00:00.000+01:00

My personalised shoe lasts. See here for the instructions I used.
I have been thinking about buying a pair of polystyrene foot lasts (from here or here for example) to help get good results when making felted slippers. A few years ago I made several hats from this great Chicknits pattern, and know that the robust blocking of the wet, fulled garment is the most important step in getting a happy result. Here's one of my hats.

Felted Bucket Hat. It was blocked on a paint can. See here for the pattern.
But the polystyrene lasts are expensive, especially if you aren't making many pairs of slippers the same size. So, I had a quick Google and found this useful page: Make your own shoe lasts for felted boot projects written by Sally Pointer in 2004. Luckily I had some of the necessary silver tape in the house, so I went ahead and made some lasts.

Because I was planning to make slippers not boots, I didn't include the piece of card to give a flat sole shape. This may or may not have been a good move, but once I've worn my slippers for a while I'll know what to do the next time!

I used the lasts as I would have used my own feet - at the drying stage, when the slippers had been completely fulled in the washing machine. I'm happy with the results, and it was certainly easier than wearing wet slippers. With hindsight it might have been a good idea to make the toes rounder, as that part of the slipper wasn't stretched enough by the lasts.

If I find my new slippers comfortable and easy to walk in, I may still invest in a polystyrene set of lasts - I like the idea of using them in the washing machine for the last step of the fulling process. My home made lasts are a little squishy and I'm not confident about their water resistance.

Book Review: Northern Knits

2011-10-23T16:50:00.000+01:00

View mobile phone version

Northern Knits. Designs inspired by the knitting traditions of scandinavia, iceland, and the shetland isles
by Lucinda Guy
Interweave Press 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59668-171-2

Lucinda Guy has written a number of books focused on designs for children, but this book, published in 2010, is very grown up. The content is inspired by traditional designs and techniques associated with the north European regions of the subtitle, and the whole book has a cool colour scheme and stylish layout to match.

The book is divided into four main chapters on Iceland, Shetland, Norway and Sweden. Each chapter contains four or five patterns, and starts with a two page introduction to the history of knitting in that region. The designs are worked in yarn from the relevant country, with URLs supplied for the original manufacturers, which should allow readers from around the world to identify a suitable stockist. These are designs that will benefit from using the specified yarn, or something very carefully chosen as a substitute. I can imagine only disappointment resulting from any attempt to substitute with acrylic!

The patterns include eight pullovers and tops, two cardigans and jackets, two shawls, three gloves/mitts/mittens, two socks, two hats and a bag.

My experience with Icelandic yarn and patterns dates back some 25 years. I made a few jumpers then, one or two in traditional style and one in a sideways-knitted 1980s design that I still love. However I rarely wear them as they are so incredibly warm. It is notable that although the Iceland chapter does include a thick Lopi jumper (Unnur), there is also a beautiful thinner pullover (Hulda) knitted using a laceweight yarn. This would be worn more than once a year! My favourite design in the book is the Yrsa Laceweight mitts, which have a calm and subtle colour scheme.

I also like the Sweden chapter. This includes the cover pullover (Pia) which is another laceweight garment worked on 3 mm needles. This chapter also includes designs that use the "twined" technique, and though neither of these designs appeals to me particularly, the notes about the technique here would make it easier to work a twined pattern from elsewhere.

The Shetland chapter includes designs using both Shetland lace patterns and Fair Isle colourwork. There is a cap (Nell) that would be a good pattern for the novice Fair Isle knitter. The designs in the Norway chapter all include folk patterns that you'll either love or hate. Notable here is the long knitted cap (think Wee Willie Winkie), which I can see being worn happily in a ski resort, if not in the local railway station (Inger).

The book contains charts for the colour work designs and for most of the lace work; where charts are given, these are not duplicated with written instructions.

This book will be appreciated by intermediate to expert knitters interested in the knitting traditions and the special yarns of these northern lands, but perhaps not yet wedded to one tradition in particular. It is more likely to appeal to those who like to thumb through knitting books, without necessarily following more than a pattern or two.

Disclosure: I received this book from a magazine as a free gift when I took out a magazine subscription at a show. I suspect it was the magazine's review copy.

Callisto Glove

2011-10-14T18:30:00.000+01:00

Callisto: lined cuff
Callisto is another striking glove design from the talented Asa Tricosa. You can find the pattern on ravelry. I've finished the first glove of the pair. The cuff is lined by working a 4 cm hem. I like the refinement of this very much, and am glad I chose to make it a different colour from the rest of the glove.

Callisto also features a single striped finger.

Callisto:left glove

Callisto: one striped finger
Click on the r to see my ravelry project page (login needed), for details of the yarns used.