Let’s end the week with a real treat, shall we? Confident Knitting designer Janette Budge was kind enough to take the time to answer some questions about lambing and life on a Shetland croft! Janette’s lived on Shetland her whole life and is a woman who has worn many (handknit) hats, from helping out on the family farm, to working in IT, to a career in Clinical Aromatherapy, as well as being a knitwear designer and tutor. So grab a cuppa and settle in for a great read!
Read moreMaz's Knitting Story
Over the summer, Jen shared an awesome Ama Sweater on Instagram that friend and customer Marian Alsbury aka Maz had knitted for her daughter. I think it’s fair to say, was a very big hit! Maz was kind enough to answer some questions for me about her incredible knitting journey, and has shared some of the stunning projects she’s made. So pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join us for a little chat!
Read moreFinding joy in the everyday : An Interview with Felicity (Felix) Ford
Last week, I was lucky enough to catch up with Felicity (Felix) Ford ahead of the release of the Skystone Armwarmers, this month’s Boost Your Knitting pattern! Felix is a knitter and sound artist who translates the joy and beauty of the everyday into amazing stranded colourwork knitting. Her books, the Knitsonik Stranded Colourwork Sourcebook and the Knitsonik Stranded Colourwork Playbook, empower knitters to unlock their own creativity by observing the world around her. We’re so lucky to have her beautiful design and expertise for this month’s knitalong — and I think you’ll agree Felix’s enthusiasm for colourwork really come through in our chat! I hope you enjoy it!
Read moreAn Interview with Thea Colman
Last week, Boost Your Knitting designer Thea Colman’s delicious Apple Swizzle Hat was released. Thea is a prolific independent designer who likes to play with cables, lace and motifs that, in her words “look harder than they are.” The result is timeless garments and accessories full of fun and interesting twists — make one of her patterns, and I venture a guess you’ll be wearing it for years to come! I caught up with Thea last month to talk about dip stitches, design, and the highs and lows of turning a favourite hobby into a career.
Read moreTexture Talk with Sarah Hatton
May’s Boost Your Knitting pattern is the Totally Tubular Mittens, designed by texture goddess Sarah Hatton. The mitten’s 1x1 rib cuff begins with a tubular cast on in the round – the technique we’re mastering this month – from which charming mock cables grow. Sarah is a prolific designer who loves to use interesting textures to make timeless wardrobe staples. You’ll recognise her designs from The Knitter Magazine (where she and Jen first met), Simply Knitting, Rowan, West Yorkshire Spinners … the list goes on! And of course, she also created a beautiful pattern for A Year of Techniques: the Yellow Wagtail Scarf. And Sarah was kind enough to take time out for a little chat with here on the blog!
Read moreAn Interview with Nancy Marchant
We catch up with Nancy Marchant on the blog today, chatting about all things tuck stitch, as well as her recent makes, future plans, and that beautiful Chanel-style jacket.
Read moreFruity Knitting Interview
Have you ever wondered what exactly a technical editor does? Are you interested to know how we came up with the idea for A Year of Techniques? Or perhaps you would like to know how Jim and I came to be working together? These are just some of the questions we answered in our interview for Fruity Knitting which was released yesterday. We were absolutely delighted to be approached by Andrea and Andrew to do an interview on their fantastic podcast – they have such a professional approach and it is really well executed.
Read moreInterview with Tin Can Knits
Back in August we enjoyed knitting along with the beautiful Tin Can Knits baby blanket, Little Tern (part of A Year of Techniques), and I'm delighted to share a short interview with Emily Wessel - half of the design team behind the fabulous Tin Can Knits brand, in partnership with Alexa Ludemann.
Read moreBristol Ivy talks intarsia
We've been beavering away behind the scenes to get A Year of Techniques ready for the final copy editing and layout process, which is why it's been a bit quiet around here. In between all that I've been knitting like mad on my Brambling Shawl. I'm feeling a little bit sad that it's nearly done, as I've enjoyed it so much. But I'm also bursting with excitement to share May's pattern with you next week. It's a corker!
So how have you found intarsia? Was it as tricky as you thought? Or were you already a seasoned intarsia expert who had knitted a heap of picture sweaters in the 80s? I've been chatting to Bristol Ivy (the genius designer of Brambling) about her experience of intarsia, and I've pumped her for pattern inspiration for my next intarsia project. Here's what she had to say:
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