Mother-daughter Getaway In Amsterdam!

Hello! I'd like to share a little about my recent trip to Amsterdam with my mum - what an amazing trip that was! We sailed on the overnight ferry from North Shields just outside Newcastle to IJmuiden just outside Amsterdam. It rained non-stop on our first day which spoiled things a little but we still found our way (after many wrong turns!) to Stephen & Penelope - the yarn shop which inspired the whole trip!

The shop was absolutely everything we'd hoped it would be. The yarn was all set out beautifully: there were samples hanging everywhere for you to see; the staff were super friendly, knowledgeable & helpful; they had all sorts of notions and books; AND it was dry inside - a welcome haven from the rain!

I bought 2 skeins of yarn and a few souvenir bits and pieces - I was very restrained, but I've never been one for keeping an extensive stash! Before I went, I knew I wanted a skein of Tandem from West Yarns, but when I got there the colour range was so vast I almost couldn't choose! With help from my mum I chose a colour I wouldn't normally go for - Dijon - a mustard/ olive colour which is very autumn! With this DK merino skein I plan to design a crocheted hat. I'm beginning to see the pattern forming in my head, will give it time to develop before I begin. 

The other skein was from a German dyer called Punk Rock Unicorn whom I had heard of via Claudia (Sunbird Crochet) and others. Her yarns did not disappoint either - the colours were stunning! I was looking for some colour changing yarn to knit socks and I chose something bright and colourful - can't wait to see how it knits up! 

My other purchases were a wooden needle gauge and a trio of notions nests. Two very practical items to keep as souvenirs and remind me of my trip to Amsterdam with my mum.

After our Stephen & Penelope visit we grabbed some very sweet and indulgent waffles smothered in Nutella and broken Oreo pieces - YUMMY! We continued exploring until it began to get dark and we found a cosy Italian restaurant for dinner. Everyone we came across in Amsterdam was so friendly and helpful, it's such a lovely city to be in. 

Back at our hotel we took our knitting and crochet to the bar area in the hotel and unwound over some wine, chatting all about our day and planning the next day.

The following day (also our last day, it was a whirlwind trip!) the rain had stopped and it was so good to see everything properly! We headed to the Rijksmuseum via the Metro - what an amazing museum! I think you could spend a week inside there and still not see everything! I really enjoyed the paintings by Rembrandt and the more modern exhibits, including a dress by Yves Saint Lauren.

There was time to squeeze in some more coffee & cake and a little more wandering (gazing at canals never became dull!) before it was time to meet up with our bus for the drive back to the ferry. If you ever have the opportunity, I'd definitely recommend a trip to Amsterdam! Stephen & Penelope yarn shop is delightful and the rest of the city is too!

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Until next time, 

Marta xx

 

"Nobody crochets anymore" - REALLY?

 

Hello! I've been thinking over a conversation I had a few years back with the owner of a yarn shop. I walked in, had a look round, took in the wide variety of acrylic yarn on display, then interupted the assistant who was sitting with her head bowed over her knitting to ask "do you have any pure wool?". She answered, "No, nobody wants pure wool anymore" before burying her head back in her knitting. I was determined to find something good about this shop, so I walked over to the binders full of patterns. A quick glance told me they were full of knitting patterns, so I had another attempt at engaging the surly woman behind the counter - "do you have any crochet patterns?", I asked. "No, nobody crochets anymore" she said, shaking her head.

REALLY? Had she done any market research or even looked at the magazine aisle? Also, here was a potential customer in front of her, was she not even curious? I'm pleased to report the shop has now changed hands and is so much better!

Crochet always seems to play second fiddle to knitting which is a real shame because it's such a versatile craft that, in my opinion anyway, deserves an equal amount of attention.

I love that publications, such as Moorit magazine, are doing their best to raise its awareness. Fay Daspher-Hughes (@crochet_circle_podcast) and Claudia Carpenter (@crochetluna) were live together on Instagram a couple of weeks ago talking about the profile of crochet (the replay is still available to watch if you're interested, it's a really good chat). Fay's advice was to stress at the checkout what you're going to be CROCHETING with your purchase. If we all did this, we could just make a difference. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing knitting here! If you've been following me, you'll know I love to knit too. I simply feel that crochet is so often perceived as the lesser of the two crafts.

Last week I was fortunate to visit a fantastic yarn shop in Aberdeen called Wool For Ewe and it's a real gem of a shop which I love to visit whenever I'm in the city. They stock a good balance of yarns, from acrylics, to cottons, to skeins of pure wool, crochet & knitting patterns and all the little nick nacks too! I bought 2 skeins of Baa Ram Ewe Titus (50% Wensleydale Longwool, 20% Blue Faced Leicester/ 30% UK Alpaca) and 2 balls of Wendy Knit's Recyled (98% recyled bottles/ 2% viscose). Here's a photo of me and my purchases with the Kaye, the daughter of the mother and daughter team.

Follow me on Instagram to find out what I crochet with this lovely yarn - www.instagram.com/marta.mitchell.designs

Until, next time, happy crocheting,

Marta xx