A Productive Few Months

Over the past few months I have been finishing off projects and beginning new ones. Once again the Brisbane Stitches and Craft show is looming and I am thinking about knitting up samples and making up kits. 

I love the Cascade 220 Superwash Merino Sport yarn. It is especially great for kids because you can just throw it in the washing machine. The colours are wonderful and so with that in mind I am going to knit a baby blanket and offer it as a kit. These are just a few of the colours that I have in mind.

 I also wanted to see how far one skein of the gorgeous Knit Collage Rolling Stone would go. I have crocheted with it before to make a hat and it took 2 skeins but it is just gorgeous yarn and I know that some people could not afford to indulge in 2 skeins. Ta da! A one skein Drop Stitch cowl. I just need to write up the pattern and it will be free with the yarn.

 At last over the holidays I completed the Jane Crow 2012 Mystery Blanket. I decided to make it into a table runner as I have so many blankets. I am truly thrilled with the result and I finished it in 2012! The box of yarn from Rowan for the 2013 blanket arrives any day now so I am excited. The influence for 2013 is Persian.

In November we had another fabulous Freeform weekend with Prudence Mapstone. We had 10 ladies in class each day and we were stretched to the maximum. They all had a great time though and two are returning with friends for March. Some serious creative scrumbling went on!

These are two samples that I knitted for the October Craft Fair last year. The one below is the Meredith dress made from 2 skeins of Cascade Ultra Pima cotton. Above is the Ishbel made from less than one skein of Zauberball.

It wasn't all about me and the shop though. I managed to squeeze in a cable knit for my eldest son. He was freezing down in Sydney in August and begged me to knit him a nice warm jumper. I have asked for years if he wanted a jumper and it just wasn't cool. Finally he realises that homemade and made with love is better!

3 Weeks Until the Craft Fair!

Once again I have been consumed by getting things prepared for the upcoming Brisbane Stitches and Craft Fair in just over 3 weeks time. So many things to make to show people just what you can do with the beautiful yarns in the store.

I am also conducting another class in the Craft Circle Workshop area each day. I had to find a project that I could teach in 50 minutes so I came up with the Crochet Flower Lariat. It only consists of 3 stitches and is made from the BC Garn Allino yarn which is perfect for the hot summer.

I have also made a Colourful Alpaca Blanket which is all crochet using The House of Alpaca yarn. 15 balls of it in fact!

See you at the Craft Fair!

Knitting!

 The last few weeks have been devoted to knitting. I am usually crocheting up a storm but I felt that I needed a knitting fix. I was dying to use the Koigu KPPPM yarn and so made a scarf just using the simple linen stitch. Very happy with the result.

Then I think I had a purple explosion! I do love this colour though. The hat is Pasha from a pattern written by Jane Richmond. This is the third Pasha hat that I have made using The House of Alpaca DK yarn.

The colours in the range of The House of Alpaca are stunning and the wool is so very soft. At the moment I am designing a knitted blanket in this yarn to sell in a kit form. I haven't decided how many colours I will use but there are 20 so I will have plenty to choose from!

Ripple Blanket

For the last couple of weeks I have been crocheting a Ripple Blanket. I absolutely love this easy pattern and the bright colours. I used 12 balls of the super soft BC Garn Semilla organic wool and a number 4mm hook. This pattern is so easy and fantastic for a beginner to crochet as it only has 2 stitches, chain and treble. I love how it turned out!

I will be offering it as a kit at the next Craft Show as well as through the shop. Email me at susan@yarngloriousyarn.com.au

KOIGU KPPPM!

I am pretty excited as I have taken delivery of some gorgeous wool from KOIGU. I have been wanting this yarn for ages! Today I loaded it onto the website and I just can't wait to use some of it myself. What to make? What to make!?

Embroidery Withdrawal!

Yes, I am having embroidery withdrawal. It has been ages since I have picked up a needle and thread as my life has been taken over by yarn! That's not such a bad thing of course but I do have several unfinished projects and I would love to finish some of them.

"Lucky" from a workshop with Di Van Niekerk

"Possum" from a workshop with Jenny McWhinney

Gumleaves in the Possum blanket

Finished!! "Strawberries and Jam" Blanket

"Strawberries and Jam" another workshop with Jenny McWhinney 

At the moment I am enjoying crocheting a ripple blanket in Semilla Organic 8ply wool. Beautiful soft wool in fantastic colours. So far I have chosen 11 colours for the blanket and I am enjoying watching it grow. I am hoping to offer this as a kit at the next craft show in October.

Ripple

I just need more hands and more hours in the day!

A Freeforming Weekend!

What a great weekend we just had and what a wonderful way to celebrate Mother's Day! Nine lovely ladies spent the weekend at the Freeform Workshop here with Prudence Mapstone. Lots of noisy laughter, food, good company and creativity over two very relaxing days. We had ladies come from as far as Mackay and Dalby as well as all over Brisbane.

And we plan to do it all again in November!!