Knitting the Landscape

Hello! Kiloran Bay, a cherished childhood location for me, was the inspiration behind my latest knitting cast on. Last Saturday I hopped on the train to Perth to attend a Knitting the Landscape workshop with Karie Westermann! The workshop was planned by Eva from The Scottish Yarn Festival as a very generous way of thanking her volunteers - thank you Eva, I think we all loved it!

The theme of this workshop was to create a knitted piece based on a place or a memory of importance. I immediately thought of Kiloran Bay on the island of Colonsay, somewhere I loved being as a child and somewhere I then took my own children when they were primary school age. 

Karie encouraged us to forget about the constraints of knitting (such as following a pattern and sticking to the "rules") whilst at the same time to cling to the elements that were important to us (such as using the pair of needles which felt just right and working with wool with particular memories attached to it). We all shared our stories and our ideas which gave each of us a rich and inspiring expereience. 

The photo above shows the point all the participants had reached at the end of the workshop, my piece of knitting is on the large, straight needle. I'm knitting and allowing the images in my head and those from the photos I have to influence the lasting impression I have of this magnificent bay. I'm not working with much of a plan (though I did sketch out the beginnings of an idea), I'm simply allowing the yarn and the stitches to guide me. There will be crocheted elements too - I used a crochet cast on to make it even easier to crochet into later. I'll share more of my progress in a future post to let you see how I'm getting on.

Have you ever tried anything like this? Do let me know!

Until next time,

Marta xx

Can you explain why you love yarn in just 3 words?

Hello! I asked the question on Instagram the other day "Explain why you love yarn in just 3 words?" and I was amazed at the responses I got! Before I share a few of the answers I received, take a moment to think of your response.

When I asked the question I was expecting 3 single words as the response and I got plenty of those! For example; "portable, pretty, possibilities", "colourful, squishy, relaxing", "memories, colour, home" and "touch, sight, satisfaction" and I loved all of these!

However, some people really surprised me with their creative answers, for example; "something outta nothing", "escape the world", "I just do!" and possibly my favourite answer "make something lovely".

What would your 3 words be? Hit reply to this email and let me know!

I'll be back soon with more news, happy crocheting until then,

Marta xx

PS. Have you had a look at my new website yet? I'm making changes to it all the time, it's still a work in progress if you want to check back and see the changes?

Organised October WiP-Along

 

Hello! Next month, over on Instagram, I'm co-hosting the Organised October WiP-Along and I'd love you to join us!

What's a WiP-Along? Well, firstly "WiP" stands for Work in Progress and is widely used on Instagram to refer to projects that are on the go. The "Along" refers to the community support of cheering each other on to finish these projects.

If you have a project (or 2, or 5, or 95!) on the go, then this challenge is for you! Dig out those WiPs and take a a look at what needs to be done to finish them. Do you need to order more yarn/fabric/paint etc? Do you need help choosing colours? Do you simply need to get your head down and work on it?

As an extra incentive, there are printables to go along with this too! Laura (goslingandplumb on Instagram) has created a monthly planner, a weekly planner and even a fun bingo sheet with rewards! They are FREE to download so if you're into pretty stationary you should definitely check them out!

my current WiP pile - a mix of crochet & knitting

There will be prompts to encourage you to share photos of your progress - Motivation Monday, Share Saturday etc. We would really like you to post photos of your progress firstly to give you something to look back on and secondly for others to leave you lovely comments, motivating you to continue.

As well as myself and Laura, the other hosts are Ruth (@laboursoflovecrochet), Hannah (@andintothetrees) and Nasreen (@sewcraftynaz). There will be to be tips from all the hosts on tackling your WiPs, covering topics such as setting achievable goals, not comparing yourself to others and challenging yourself.

This annual challenge started back in 2017 and it's not just yarny projects that are welcomed either - you could include sewing, reading, gardening, DIY, calligraphy ... anything creative really!

Are you going to join in? We'd love to see as many of you as possible finishing projects, getting creative, making new friends and cheering each other on, Look out for more details over on Instagram and next week there will be a blog post on Tuesday with some top tips for making the most of this challenge. If you'd like updates straight to your inbox please subscribe to my mailing list here.

If you have any questions, please hit reply to this email or drop me a DM over on Instagram (you know that's my fave hangout!)

Until next time,

Marta xx

Would you believe that I was banished from knitting group in Primary School?

Yep, I was banished from the knitting group because I was so bad and was sent to go and make peg rocking chairs with the boys! I was 11 and every Friday afternoon the class was split in half with the girls doing knitting and the boys making things with wooden clothes pegs. I seemed to be constantly at the teacher's desk needing help, I really struggled - dropping stitches, knitting too tightly, adding stitches! One afternoon my teacher had had enough and I was banished to the boys' corner to make a rocking chair out of clothes pegs! Naturally I found this humiliating but I'm glad it didn't put me off forever.

Fast forward 20 years and I took up crochet followed by knitting and I realised that instead of creating a tangled mess I could actually make something beautiful with yarn. I started making scarves & hats and soon delved into the world of amigurumi. By this time I had a degree in Fine Art (specialising in Sculpture) and found that the sculptural aspect of crochet was something I enjoyed playing around with. 

I'm sharing this story with you today following a poll I ran on my Instagram Stories this week. My question was "Have you crocheted socks before?" and I was astonished at the result that 65% of people replied with "no". I then published a post on Instagram asking for feedback in the comments or via direct message, asking what put people off and what would help convince them to try. Answers to this varied - some were unable to find a good pattern, some felt a video tutorial would really help, some people thought that crochet would be too gappy for socks, some were worried about starting but not being able to get answers from the pattern designer if things didn't work out, others simply couldn't get their heads round the heel. 

Next week my Synthesizer Sock pattern will be released and I'm confident that this pattern will address all these hang ups ...

• The pattern has been tested in all its sizes by a team of 6 testers, reassuring you that most of the little errors and niggles have been ironed out. If any further errors do pop up (I'm only human) you will be sent an updated pdf.
• I've spent a lot of time over the last week putting together videos for each stage of the pattern - a total of over 30 minutes worth of video - I think I have everything covered.
• The extended double crochet stitches of the sole fit snuggly together creating a really good stretch but also a flatter finish under foot.
• I'm here and committed to answering any questions you may have about my pattern. You can reply to any of my emails or you can drop me a message on Instagram, I'm more than happy to help!
• And that heel? My advice would be to make sure you are relaxed, free from distractions and take each line at time. Try not to overthink or second guess what's coming up, focus on the row you are on.

I would love to see more people crocheting socks! I'm sure that once you try a pattern you will be hooked and want to try another one, especially with all that pretty sock yarn out there!

If you can't wait till then to give socks a go, check out my previously published sock patterns. Ravelry here and Lovecrafts here. 

Marta xx

Pretty yarn & pretty pattern

Hello! Yesterday I finished working with some really pretty yarn working from a really pretty pattern. The yarn was gifted to me by my family for Mother's Day - it was a mystery box from The Wool Shed (which I had given BIG hints on, but of course didn't know the colours I would receive, keeping it a surprise!). I should probably add at this point that this is not a sponsored post, all opinions are my own.

I was delighted with my surprise bundle; there was a 100g skein of speckled sock yarn in 'Tulip', a 20g mini to go with it, a little bee enamel stitch marker, a tea bag from Bird & Blend and a packet of wild seed mix - it certainly put a smile on my face! 

With the Marathon Sock KAL starting in a few weeks time on April 1st, I chose to keep the yarn aside for this special occasion. This KAL (or knit along) is a community project, hosted by Vikki Bird Designs and the idea is for everyone to knit pairs of socks and calculate how much yarn they have used. Vikki has an online form you can fill in as each pair is completed and once 26.2 miles of yarn have been used that's the project complete. I thought it was a wonderful concept for a KAL and couldn't wait to get stuck in! I should also add that crocheted socks are very welcome too! 

If you're interested, you can find all the details on the KAL on Vikki's website www.vikkibirddesigns.com and of course you can follow Vikki on Instagram here for lots of gorgeous sock patterns.

Since Vikki was hosting the KAL I thought it was about time I gave one of her designs a go. I had Siren Song Socks in my queue, waiting for just the right skein of yarn to knit them up, now seemed like my chance. Week one of the challenge was a sprint - knit (or crochet) a pair of socks in a week! I tried my best but gardening, crochet projects and life in general got in the way - I didn't quite manage 7 days but I did complete them in 8 days - for a UK9 pair I was chuffed with that!

The speckled yarn from The Wool Shed worked up beautifully with the little spodges of colour breaking up the solid colour perfectly. There are lots of lovely colourways to choose from, you can find a link to The Wool Shed's Etsy shop here.

After a few initial mistakes (which was really just me plunging in without reading properly) I found the Siren Song Socks pattern very easy to memorise and was quickly able to knit without referring to my laptop. The pattern is a cuff down design and has a variation for left and right feet which looks stunning. It's the first time I have worked a toe in this way - no need for Kitchener stitch on these socks! Here's a link to the pattern on Payhip, I'd thoroughly recommend it!

Yesterday Vikki announced that the challenge is 26% complete, giving me the chance to cast on a 2nd pair, anyone else fancy joining in?

Marta xx

 

A visit to Queen of Purls wool shop, Glasgow

Last week I took a mini break to Glasgow with my husband. Our three boys were on holiday in Gibraltar with their local Scout Group so we took ourselves off to Scotland's largest city to explore for a few days! I can probably count on one hand the number of times I have been to Glasgow (I was born in Edinburgh hence it's the city I tend to gravitate towards if I am in need of a city trip) so we decided to stay right in the centre and use it as a base for delving into our surroundings.

Day 1, top of my list, was a visit to The Queen of Purls wool shop! Trying not to look too much like tourists, we walked along using Google maps on our phone to navigate our way to the shop. We found it easily enough, recognising the minty colour of the exterior paint straight away!

This impressive piece of artwork was the first thing I saw as we came through the door! Since posting the photo on Instagram, I have found out it's called a God's Eye - this is a very complex version of the ones I remember making with lolly sticks at school.

Moving round, I found one side of the shop was devoted to wool in all the colours of the rainbow! There was a large selection of Jamieson's of Shetland wool, which I have used for many projects including a Croft Hoose Hat I made (pattern by Ella Gordon) and a Paul the Toadstool (pattern by Lalylala). I really like this wool because I find that as I work each stitch I feel like I am engaging with the traditional heritage of wool in Scotland. Not sure if that strikes a chord with anyone else - maybe just me? Let me know in the comments.

Moving on a little I was blown a away by the gorgeous, rich colours of The Queen of Purls hand dyed wool! The colours were bold but in tune with nature - think of all the vibrant autumnal colours you can see in the park. The yarns are available in skeins and have either a Merino or Blue Faced Leicester base. The colours are not all over solid but have just the right amount of subtle variation to keep them exciting and alive.

As well as the pure wools there was a small selection of yarn by well known brands such as Wendy, Opal and West Yorkshire Spinners - plenty for sock knitters in particular to choose from!

There was also a wall featuring many different colours and varieties of wool tops for spinning and felting. My phone battery was almost dead, so I didn't get a photo of this wall, sorry! I did take a snap of my hubby, loom knitting a hat while he waited for me to look around ...

So, what did I buy? I chose 2 of my favourite Queen of Purls Citadel DK colours - Flowers of Sulphur and Space Junk (wonderful names too!). I have already begun a crochet scarf design based on this pair of colours, a fabulous "grellow" combination. The photo below shows my work in progress swirled into a snail shape to keep it slightly mysterious for now.

Until next time, 

Marta xx

Summer Projects

Oh dear, I seem to have neglected my blog over the summer! To help ease myself back into the habit I'll start with this easy post and share a few photos of some of the items I have made over that period.

At the start of the summer I made this 'Sunday Shawl' as a retirement present for my mum.

This is the first childen's garment that I have designed and crocheted.

I made 2 pairs of Happy scrappy Wrist Warmers. This pair is still available in my Folksy shop

I upcycled a handful of curtain pole hoops into cute little brooches, this is one of them.

Not a finished piece of work but a work in progress! This is my 'Sophie's Universe' blanket.

My first ever knitting design! A knitted washcloth with crochet border, in soft linen yarn.

Finally, my latest finished item; a Happy Scrappy Crocheted Scarf. I have just listed this in my Folksy shop 

That is a quick update of what I have been up to. I hope you have enjoyed my colourful photos because colour is such a key part in my creative work! You can keep up with my crafty adventures by 'liking' my Facebook page or following me on Instagram. 

New Project for 2015 - beekeeper's quilt

One week into the New Year I spotted an Instagram post about making a hexipuff a day and was instantly captivated by the idea! It was my pattern tester friend Anthea's picture and I quickly looked up the hashtags she had added and fell in love with the beekeeper's quilt! If you have not seen or heard of this kind of blanket take a look at this blog post https://tinyowlknits.wordpress.com/the-beekeepers-quilt/

my 1st hexipuff

Anthea (@forestflowerdesigns - Instagram, blog - http://www.talesfrommountpleasant.com/2015/02/the-beekeepers-quilt-2015-knitalong.html ) is hosting a knit along (or KAL) this year. In order to make this vast blanket more achievable the idea is to make 1 hexipuff a day for the year and by the end of the year there should be enough hexipuffs to make a blanket!  

2nd hexipuff, so squishy!

I am using Tiny Owl Knits pattern which can be found on Ravelry (http://www.ravelry.com/). It is very easy to follow and the photos are adorable!

Catching up!

Because I stumbled across the KAL at the end of the first week in January I had to knit fast to catch up. Initially each hexipuff took me around an hour but I can knit one in 40 mins now, so I am speeding up!

Placed side by side in blanket formation

Today I made my 22nd hexipuff and I am really pleased with how they all look together. It is going to be an amazing blanket one day ...

I'm back! (and sorry I've been away so long)

I seem to have taken a rather a long break over the summer - ooops! The school holidays were full of long sunny days, trips to the beach, picnics and of course lots of crafty days with the boys!

Rather than typing thousands of words about what I have been up to over the last few months I will use photographs to tell my story. If you would like to know more about anything you see please leave a comment and I will get back to you.

 the youngest and I learning how to use double pointed needles

 a giraffe I crocheted for the middle boy and an elephant for a friend's baby

 a new style of brooch which I have designed and started selling in my folksy shop

 the youngest drew this monster and I recreated it in crochet!

 middle boy wanted the same, of course!

 youngest showing off his finished hat in Fluph wool shop, Dundee

 anniversary day out with the hubby! He takes his loom knitting everywhere!!

 a friend commissioned me to make this sweet little mouse

middle boy designed and made a den for his crocodile and a water bowl

 eldest sprayed and painted his Nerf gun

 my latest yarn bomb in Dundee, Blackness Road area

 I finished the african flowers blanket which I had been working on for a long time

 detail of finished blanket

I have taken up quilting using the english paper piecing technique

Well, that's a snapshot of my summer! School has been back for a month now and I will get back into blogging and restocking my folksy shop https://folksy.com/shops/martasecocrafts

Dundee Yarn Crawl

A few weeks ago my friend Jo posted a link on my Facebook page asking if I had been to 'Fluph', a yarn shop in Dundee. A week or so later I posted a link on her page, asking if she had been to 'The Knitting Pin', another Dundee wool shop. Several comments later we agreed we would do a yarn crawl of the 4 main Dundee wool shops!

After a little more organising, I caught the no. 73 bus into Dundee with Jo and her daughter, who loves to knit. I had my youngest and eldest sons with me too because they are just getting into knitting and crocheting. Our first stop was 'The Knitting Pin' up Albert Street (here is a link to their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Knitting-Pin/249792755194830?rf=263565830472270  ). We timed it well because my friend Liz, who had a greed to meet us there, had arrived moments before us. We spent a happy 20 minutes looking high and low at all the different wools. This shop is jam packed, bursting at the seams with hundreds of different types of yarn! There is something for everyone, and if you can't find what you are looking for the super friendly staff will help you. It was the owner's husband who was in charge today and he kindly gave the children lollipops too! I bought a ball of Sirdar Eco wool, DK which I have been using lately to dye with natural dyes.

inside The Knitting Pin

Next we strolled down the hill to the town centre (about a 15 minute walk). It was a sunny day and we all chatted away as we walked. We soon reached 'Wool Craft' which is a hidden gem in The Keilor Shopping Centre. The shop was very busy as usual, both with customers and stocks of wool everywhere! A large and unusual variety of knitting and crochet books were displayed for sale. There were special offers and bargain buckets too. I bought 4 little Anchor tapestry wools in different colours to fit into my latest granny square project. I can't find a website for the shop, but here is a link with a little more info and a map  https://plus.google.com/111923526296304615649/about?gl=uk&hl=en .

Wool shop no. 3 was only a 5 minute walk and we headed straight through the city centre towards it. Wool&co. is the newest of the Dundee wool shops and immediately we noticed how different it was to the others! The shop had a simple, uncluttered layout set against clear white walls. All the wool was set out beautifully on the shelves. There were some gorgeous knitting books and patterns on display too. We noticed that this shop also caters for machine knitters with lots of cones of wool. The yarn was high quality luxury brands, such as a large selection of Erika Knight wool (one of my favourite brands!), Blue Sky Alpaca and several types of Rowan wool, including their popular Big Wool. My youngest son spent his pocket money on a ball of Erika Knight's british blue wool and some bamboo needles to knit it with. This is a link to the shop's website  http://www.woolandco.co.uk/index.php .

me and my eldest, outside Wool&co.

From here we had another 15 minute walk (up hill this time) to 'Fluph' (here's a link to shop's Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/fluphshop ). I think our tiredness left us immediately as we entered the beautiful shop. We were full of wonder as we looked around at the beautiful wool and quirky handmade decorations. The wool was a mix of skeins and balls of pure wool, alpaca and silk. The owner Leona and her super cute cocker spaniel made us feel very welcome, inviting us to rest our weary legs on the comfy sofas and work on our current projects too.

concentrating in Fluph

While the others caught their breath I nipped across the road and attached a yarnbomb to the lampost. It was my first yarnbomb of the year and it felt good to put it up as everyone walked past or sped past on bikes and in cars. When I went back to the shop I bought 3 balls of Drops alpaca, 1 ball of Drops karisma and my sons bought a ball of Drops eskimo each.

yarnbomb on Blackness Rd, opposite Fluph

We left Fluph with our purses lighter and our bags bulging with wool agreeing it had been a fantastic morning, full of discovery!