CollarMe

CollarMe
Originally uploaded by makeandboo.

I'm so excited about making it to the cover of www.magknits.com this month with my pattern Collar Me. I really enjoyed making it, using lovely soft and chunky HipKnits handspun.

I haven't been blogging for a while, mainly because of setting up a knitting business of my own along with my biz partner Sarah. It's called GiftedKnits. We've created a range of knitting kits for beginner knitters, including the fab Learn to Knit kit. I'm particularly proud of this because it contains a CD-ROM with video clips to show you how it's done! We shot the video and then I stayed up for many late nights editing the footage. Well, everything is now up and running so you can check out our wares on the website www.giftedknits.co.uk

This weekend sees the start of National Knitting Week and my diary seems to be booked solid with various knit-goings-on. Here's what I'll be doing this week:

Sunday: Attending the Knitted Wedding at the Pumphouse Gallery, Battersea

Tuesday: Buying lovely yarn at the Jarndyce bookshop, Gt Russell St

Wednesday: Teaching my Learn to Knit & Crochet class in Uxbridge

Thursday: Helping grumpy teenagers to learn how to knit (and not be so grumpy hopefully) at my local high school

Friday: Helping out on the MagKnits stand at Ally Pally

Saturday: Selling GiftedKnits kits at the Playground Market off Sloane Square

Sunday: Teaching rugby players from Ealing Rugby Club (and some shoppers) how to knit at Ealing Shopping Centre

Maybe I'll see you around...

Worldwide Knit in Public Day - June 11th

wwkip
Originally uploaded by makeandboo.

It's great that something like this is raising the profile of knitting even more.

We'll be at the VV Rouleaux Playground Market, Sloane Square, London doing a Big Knit Out at 3pm.

For more details, contact giftedknits*at*gmail.com

Well travelled sock

secondsock
Originally uploaded by makeandboo.

Time to post my progress. I'm working on about 5 different projects at the moment so it's good to be able to show something (half) completed.

www.yarnharlot.com talks about Second Sock Syndrome and didn't want to catch it so I cast on asap after finishing the first. This sock yarn has been to Prague and back - I even dropped the first sock in a puddle so there may be some Czech rainwater residue remaining!

I love this Opal sock yarn. It's self patterning so all you have to do is knit knit knit and the stripes appear before your eyes. It reminds me of a story my Granny told me about a girl learning to knit. Her grandmother gave her a ball of wool to which she had attached little treats along the way - saftely pins, beads etc to encourage the girl to keep going.

I expect today's teenagers will need more than a couple of safty pins for encouragement, but I certainly find the Opal yarn addictive: What will come next? Will it go light blue or cream? Thick or thin stripe? Oh! now it's an almost-fair isle pattern!

Do I need to get out more?

Czech me out!

cesky_knitting
Originally uploaded by makeandboo.

Sitting, knitting in Cesky Krumlov after visiting the massive castle.

The mulled wine was very good too...

Cesky Krumlov

cesky krumlov
Originally uploaded by makeandboo.

About a 3 hour journey south of Prague, Cesky Krumlov is a World Heritage site and full of picture postcard images. I especially liked the painted decoration on a lot of the exterior walls. This is a shot from the bridge up to the tower within the huge castle.

I found a wool shop, but only half an hour AFTER it had closed! It seemed to have dressmaking material and patterns in there too.

...and I got this

prague stash
Originally uploaded by makeandboo.

Well, I had to get some kind of souvenir in Prague. I didn't manage to track down a small wool shop so had to make do with the (mainly man-made fibre) selection in a department store. The two pinky-coloured balls are destined to be a hat. The multicoloured one is made from polypropelene and feels like recycled plastic bags. I think I'm making a bag with that as I can't imagine wearing anything so hard and scratchy.

Finally, the central one is lovely and soft and about 50% wool. It will make the first squares of my Travellers Blanket. I'm going to buy wool wherever I go and knit up squares from it. I couldn't face casting on a whole afgan but squares seem more managable...

Highly Commended

biastripe
Originally uploaded by makeandboo.

Finally up and blogging again so thought I should blow my own trumpet (once more) for my Biastripe Top. It was shortlisted for the National Knitting Award in the UK this year. All the finalists' work was displayed at the Sewing for Pleasure show at the NEC which was a pleasure to attend.

As well as drooling over the other entries on display, my stash runneth over with new purchases - photos to follow.

Love Hurts

Love-Hurts
Originally uploaded by makeandboo.

I've realise that my knitting frenzy has taken over; Since this is supposed to be a 'creative' blog, I thought I'd post another bit of Make and Boo I've recently created.

As part of the UK's Red Nose Day on Friday, we were challenged to make something using a load of Monopoly hotels, Connect 4 counters, red Play Doh and an Action man figure. This is what I came up with. You can just about make out Action Man's boots sticking out underneath the giant heart which has crushed him. Working with Play Doh's inherent drying quality/weakness, I was quite pleased as the cracks appeared across the heart, showing its fragility... :-~

Fluffy Belle

fluffybelle1
Originally uploaded by makeandboo.

Finally finished my dark red number. Sorry for the lack of full length shots... these are self portraits and despite my mate's best efforts, her pics came out a little too dark to use.

It's knitted in some random Israeli yarn which roughly translates to Twilley's Featherspun 75% acrylic 25% mohair. 7mm needles and 6mm for the lacy collar (with which I am most pleased). Designed by myself, the pattern is available on request but only in a large size at the moment!

more fluffy

fluffybelle2
Originally uploaded by makeandboo.

another shot showing the ruffle collar in all its glory (and the blingin' charity-shop brooch that holds the thing together)