Why complexity can be good in chaos

When going through time of stress and difficulty, the temptation is often to scale back crafting to something simple, something that does not require any thought or brain power to complete; a stocking stitch sock or crochet granny squares for instance. It allows the crafter to worry about other things whilst still occupying their hands and to keep on crafting.  

The last three months for me have been very difficult with lots of stresses coming from all different directions, but the main two have been dealing with a company who messed me around and my dad being very ill.

Knitting my Fenay

Throughout this time I have been knitting a complex lace project and instead of finding it an added stress, I think it has helped. The pattern is Fenay by my good friend Ann Kingstone, a lace bolero with Ziggurat shoulders and seamless set-in sleeves, all worked in the lace pattern.

Back in early September, before all the stresses got going, I started to knit myself the bolero, but to make it more(!) complicated than the original pattern, I was going to lengthen the bolero so that it would reach my hips, as I want to make it more of a cardigan, and also add some waist shaping which would involve writing my own charts to keep the lace patterning going throughout.

So how has this helped with stress? Surely making things more complicated would add to the stress rather than help. Except it didn't. I found that when I am knitting my Fenay I cannot think of anything else. I have to be in the right frame of mind to pick it up and make some progress, but I have found that this is the same whether I am working on this project or any other more simple one.

Fenay lace pattern

The lace pattern and shaping is such that it completely distracts me. My overactive brain has to settle down and just count stitches... k2, yo, k3, skp, k2tog, k3, yo, k3.... it cannot multitask and think of anything else whilst doing this. After a few minutes I am calmer, less stressed, almost meditative. It does not get rid of the situations that are causing the stress, but I believe it is helping me manage and cope with the worries and the uncertainties.

There is now a lot of research about the therapeutic benefits of knitting for many health problems, including depression, anxiety and pain. Stitchlinks is a great website that collates all the research and has tips on how to knit for health. I would certainly recommend it, and I often do to my patients.

Writing my waist shaping charts on Stitchmastery

So back to my Fenay; I am now working on the waist shaping and making steady progress.  The yarn is Isager alpaca 1, a laceweight 100% alpaca yarn that will make this cardigan very light but warm. I was hoping to have it finished by the end of the month but I have a fair bit to go yet. Knitting also teaches patience!

Next up will be a crochet blanket. I purchased the yarn a couple of days ago from Woolyknits, 8 shades of their blue faced Leicester DK. It was an impulse buy and a bit of much needed retail therapy!

My yarn binge for a crochet blanket

Sarah x

Socktober is over!

So I am a little late with writing this post, but I wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who bought my book and Florens pattern and joined in the Socktober Sock-A-Long.  October has been a very difficult month and I have spent the majority of it away from home and in a hospital with my very ill dad.  I was not able to do as much for the SAL as I had hoped, but life throws challenges in the way and I have had wonderful people around me giving support.

The SAL begins...

Back to the fun bit though, the SAL! I started a pair of Florens socks for myself in String Theory Caper Sock yarn in Firecracker that I purchased on holiday a couple of years ago. Hand dyed yarn is great for this project as it shows the pattern off beautifully. 

Longhairedknitter on Ravelry won the prize for the SAL challenge with these beautiful socks.

Longhairedknitter's winning socks!

Toe-up socks was a new technique to her and I love how she took on the challenge of learning new things. Her socks came out beautifully. Congratulations! You have a skein of the beautiful Lichen & Lace 80/20 sock yarn in the post.

My Florens SAL in String Theory Caper Sock yarn

I just finished mine on the 31st October just before midnight - so I just made the SAL challenge! I love them and the customisable fit is great. I have been wearing them since and they are so comfy.  Crafting can be a big source of comfort during difficult times and these socks have been a great way to pass time whilst waiting for news and things to change. I am now adding a few rows to another pair that I started months ago when testing the pattern. I have just over half a sock to go... but it is taking its sweet time to get finished.  Second (or technically fourth) sock syndrome is definitely striking!

Florens socks in Cauldron's Path Yarns Crescent Moon

I will be adding the other patterns from Beautiful Knits for Beautiful Sticks as individual pattern downloads today so keep your eyes peeled if you subscribe to my newsletter, an exclusive discount will be yours!

Sarah x

Yarndale Round Up!

Can you believe it has been over a week since Yarndale already? I had the most fantastic time and I hope you did too. This year seemed even busier than the last and Skipton auction mart was just full of woolly wonder! 

Thank you to everyone who visited my stall and said hello. It was lovely to meet so many people and discuss designs, yarn and all things woolly with you. Yarndale really is one of the friendliest yarn festivals.  Where ever I went people were smiling and having lots of fun.

The very full Yeti

We set off on the Friday with a very full car of books, tables and mannequins (there were a few strange looks from other car drivers for the rather indecent torsos). It is amazing what you can fit in a Yeti.

The Yarndale sheep sign

The drive to Yarndale is always a pleasant one for us as we pass through some beautiful Yorkshire scenery. The best bit though is approaching Skipton and catching the first Yarndale sheep sign - there were squeals of excitement!

The sheep pen before.....

Then came the hard work of transforming our sheep pen into a beautiful display. We had just got going with pinning the drapes around the pen in the above photo.

.....and after!

A few hours, lots of sweat, a few swear words as we pricked our fingers on pins and occasionally tripped over boxes and the stall was set up and ready for the crowds arriving Saturday morning.  For the eagle-eyed amongst you, yes I did put the hands on the wrong way round on White Lady.  Yes I am a doctor. No, I don't operate on people anymore and obviously that is a good thing! Thank you to the customer who pointed it out early on Saturday so not too many people noticed!

Alpacas!

One of the things I love about Yarndale is the animals. This year there were some beautiful alpacas and sheep around the auction mart, and we were lucky enough to be placed opposite the angora bunnies. I popped over several times to say hello to their fluffiness.

The Yarndale little woolly sheep

The other thing I love, and what I think makes Yarndale so special is the community crafting that goes on around the festival. This year was little woolly sheep! There were hundreds of them, made by generous crafters all around the world (32 countries!).  Each little sheep was identified by its owner and then auctioned off to raise money for Martin House Childrens Hospice, a very important charity that does amazing work for very sick kids. The auction raised over £3000 for the hospice which is just amazing. Well done to all the lovely crafters and people who bought them. There is the most amazing variety of sheep and their little woolly jackets. There were so many really imaginative ones it is hard to choose a favourite, but I think the little dragon-sheep (in red bottom right) and the Yorkshire White Rose sheep (in blue with white flower top right) are high contenders. I did not get chance to buy one but I am glad they all went to good homes.

Overall, a really fantastic fibre festival and an overwhelming success for the organisers, and all the volunteers who work so hard to keep everyone happy. I hope to be back next year with my next book!

Socktober Florens Sock-A-Long!

Socktober is nearly upon us so I am going to host my first Sock-A-Long with my Florens pattern in my Ravelry group!

The SAL begins on the 1st October and finishes on the 31st October. There will be a prize of the most scrumptious Lichen and Lace 80/20 sock yarn in the colourway Beach Glass that the Florens sample was knitted in above for the winner. The most imaginative finished sock photo will win the yarn!

To get you going, my Florens pattern is 20% off until the 31st October when purchased through Ravelry or my website, no coupon is needed and the discount will be applied on checkout. Of course, you can still purchase the pattern as part of the Beautiful Knits for Beautiful Sticks print or ebook.

I will be using the hashtag SoctoberFlorensSAL on instagram and twitter to show my progress with my socks. I would love to see yours too!

I know a lot of people are wary of trying to knit socks... so I will host some tutorials on the blog to help you with the techniques needed in these socks. These are fairly easily constructed with a toe-up design so you can carry on knitting until all your yarn is used, no wastage here!

Thank you to everyone who came to see me at Yarndale. I had an absolutely fabulous time and I hope you did too. I will be writing a Yarndale post soon, but for now I thought I would let you know that there is a little bit of the lovely Lichen and Lace yarn left and you can purchase this from my website shop. It has nearly gone though so better hurry if you want some of this loveliness!

Getting ready for Yarndale

Just two days to go until it is Yarndale!  Things are very busy and the spare room of Aldersign Towers is full of boxes and headless mannequins which looks very strange to anyone passing by the window.

I have been busy getting everything ready and I am just waiting for the final items to arrive.  I am very excited as I love Yarndale as a festival and had such a great time last year.

This also means there is just two more days to pre-order Beautiful Knits for Beautiful Sticks and get the ebook free with the print book or 10% off the ebook alone.  I will be taking all the garments from the book and will also be offering the ebook free with the printed book at Yarndale.

I am also really pleased to be stocking Lichen and Lace 80/20 sock yarn which was used to knit Florens from Beautiful Knits for Beautiful Sticks.  I have eight colourways chosen, all of which are gorgeous and I have been struggling to not sneak a few skeins into my stash!

I will be bringing copies of An Elven Reckoning which did very well last year, and individual print patterns for Crowberry and  Woodville for knitters, and Xylia and Baby Owl Mobile for crocheters.

I have also been preparing lots of pretty buttons to add the finishing touches to your knitting and crochet.  I have several new designs including cute elephants, pretty hearts and flowers.

This year I will also be selling ribbons for covering steeks.  I used this ribbon to cover the steek edging on Adoris and it was easy to sew and looks very pretty. Covering steeks with ribbons finishes them off perfectly and looks very neat.

I will also have my beginner amigurumi knit and crochet kits with a new addition - a crochet Lil' Soot Sprite!  These little creatures are also known as Susuwatari and live in dusty or sooty places. They are small, black as soot and fuzzy, with round bodies and two inquisitive eyes. They like to help by moving dust around - and they have certainly been at work in Aldersign Towers!

Finally, I am pleased to be host Stitches Of Time again on my stall. Alison makes very lovely pincushions, needle and notion holders and cute baskets in lovely Liberty fabric.  You can read all about what she has made for my stall, as well as the amazing sewing she does for reenactment events here on her blog.

So there will be lots to see and buy!  I look forward to seeing you at Yarndale, please do pop by stall 125 to say Hi!

Sarah x

Manica and Camaura

I thought I would share the last two patterns to be released for Beautiful Sticks for Beautiful Knits together as they are a matching hat and glove set, Manica and Camaura.

Both the Camaura toque and Manica gloves will keep you both warm and stylish and were inspired by the Beauxbaton studens learning herbology in the palace gardens. 

A buttoned brim, flower buds and twisted stitches adorn this chic hat and glove set.

For Camaura (meaning a close fitting cap,) the brim is knitted in the round and turned inside out to flatter pretty handpainted yarns. Stitches are picked up to form the body of the hat and the twisted stitch pattern leads to a star-patterned crown.

The Manica gloves are constructed in a similar way with the cuff knitted in the round and turned inside out. Stitches are picked up and the twisted stitch pattern runs up the arms to the hand. These long stylish gloves will keep your hands warm whilst practicing wand waves in the palace gardens. We had a lot of fun in the photoshoot getting the photo above which represents the Beauxbaton Magical Academy emblem of two crossed wands.

Camaura and Manica are both knit with two coordinating yarns. The yarn I used for the cuffs is Handmaiden Fine Yarn Maiden Hair which has mohair in it to give a halo effect. The handpainted yarn looks lovely when reverse stocking stitch is used as this breaks up any pooling of colour. The body of the hat and gloves is knitted in madelinetosh Tosh Merino DK which is slightly thicker than most DK weight yarns and works well with the twisted stitch pattern as it gives good stitch definition. 

Beautiful Knits for Beautiful Sticks is available to pre-order here and has the special offer for early birds of 10% off the ebook or the ebook complimentary with the print book. 

Vesperis

Vesperis means evening star in latin and captures the essence of this lovely lacy top.  It was inspired by the glamorous Yule ball and I wanted to design a top that is both elegant and floaty to wear. 

Vesperis is knit at a loose gauge which means the fabric has plenty of drape and also makes it very quick to knit.  It starts with a ribbed cuff to bring the top in at the hips, then expands to give the loose fitting top. A lace pattern at both side seams gives interest throughout and the large boatneck shows of collar bones for elegance. A decorative lace flacon at the front is reminiscent of the french perfume bottles and finally the top is finished by gathered shoulders with i-cord ribbons. 

Overall the effect is simple and glamorous, trés chic!

I used La Bien Aimée merino singles light in Direwolf graffiti which is a lovely lace yarn. The splashes of colour on the silver base seem to shine like  neon lights and it knits up as a very pretty fabric. The majority of sizes can also be knitted with just one skein. 

As with all the garments in the book, the top is sized from 32in to 54in chest and the lace pattern has both charted and has written instructions. The drape on this top means it is flattering for most shapes and easy to wear.

Beautiful Knits for Beautiful Sticks is available to pre-order here and all pre-orders will have the ebook included complimentary with the print book, or 10% off the ebook price.

Florens

Florens is the name I gave to the next pattern from Beautiful Knits for Beautiful Sticks which means flowering in latin. It suits these socks right down to the toes.

Florens have a unique pattern which is inspired by trailing vines and flowers that often climb the walls in gardens of French chateau's. I love wandering around stately homes and gardens, and walled gardens make me wish for my own formal garden. 

Florens socks are knit from the toe up, making it very easy to use all the sock yarn. They have twisted stitch cables running up the sides and come in three sizes to fit all widths of foot. The toe-up construction means that length can be adjusted to fit perfectly. The rib and picot edging just adds a little touch of daintiness. After all, who does not want dainty toes?

I knit Florens in Lichen and Lace 80/20 sock yarn in colour way Beach glass.  The colour is just gorgeous and it reminds me of all those holidays as a child hunting for beach glass at the seaside.  I fell in love with this yarn and the beautiful colours that Megan dyes when I first saw them in a LYS in Halifax, Canada.  I am also pleased to announce that I will be selling this yarn in eight exciting colour ways at Yarndale. It is very beautiful and it has been very hard to not just add it all to my stash. There will be an offer on the yarn if purchased with the book at Yarndale and I have limited supplies so grab it while you can!

Lichen and lace 80/20 sock yarn in colourways (clockwise from top left): Beach glass, Rosewood, Faded rose, Lichen, Baby eggplant, Sweet potato, Wild Flowers and Calm waters.

Beautiful Knits for Beautiful Sticks is available to preorder now with the ebook added free to all preorders. If you wish to collect at Yarndale I am also happy to refund all postage costs.

Happy knitting,

Sarah x

Adoris

It is always hard to choose a favourite pattern from a book, but I think Adoris is mine.  I love playing with colourwork, and Adoris is a pattern that allows so many colours and options for matching and contrast, that it was pure joy to put together.

I really wanted to knit a stranded colourwork cardigan, but from the top down rather than the usual bottom up. Adoris starts with the yoke pattern and then separates for the armholes. It has gentle waist shaping and a button band to fasten. 

The yoke on Adoris has a snowflake pattern, whilst the body and sleeves have coordinating and repeating flower and heart stranded patterns. Adoris is knit in Rowen Felted Tweed DK yarn which is soft and has a fabulous range of colours to choose from.

Adoris to me means love and it is hard to not be in love with this cardigan from casting on to finish. The colour patterns mean that every row is new and it knits up quickly. Wearing it is like having a wooly hug wrapped around you, soft and warm. It conjures dreams of looking over the Beauxbaton palace gardens on a wintery cold sunny day.

Adoris is the third pattern from Beautiful Knits for Beautiful Sticks book and is currently available to preorder. All preorders will include the ebook free. 

Elegantia

Elegantia, meaning elegance in latin, perfectly describes this jumper that is the next pattern to be released from Beautiful Knits for Beautiful Sticks.

Inspired by the close-fitting elegant clothing the students at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic wear, this top is easy to knit and flattering to wear. I love the photo above. It was taken at Temple Newsam park in Leeds which has this ornate fountain in front of the house in the formal gardens and for me it was like we were shooting at the Beauxbaton palace itself with the Nicolas Flamel fountain. Joelle did a great job with the shoot.

The jumper is knit from the bottom up in the round with A-line shaping. It has an empire waist that is gathered in pleats, with a braided cable detail. Picot edging on the hems ensures a dainty look. A zip fastening at the back ensures it is easy to get off and on and gives a professional finish. Adding zips to knitwear appears frightening but are very easy to do, look great and so I have uploaded a tutorial here. 

This jumper was one of the first designs for the book and was partly inspired by the yarn. I used Baa Ram Ewe Titus which is a light but warm fingering weight yarn with alpaca, Wensleydale and Bluefaced Leicester wool. The Aire colourway (named after a Yorkshire river) is a perfect match to the colours of the uniforms the students wear in the Harry Potter films. I just knew I had to use it in the book and I am very thankful to Baa Ram Ewe for their yarn support.

Beautiful Knits for Beautiful Sticks is available to pre-order in my shop with a special offer of a free download of the ebook with the print book (normally extra). Delivery will begin on the 24th September with Yarndale.