The above pictures are some of my latest designs that are in the process of being tech edited or are ready for release. Reversible cowls which can be single or double, a top down tee-jumper and a wrap. I have just finished a shawl using very local yarn and have a garter stitch scarf/shawl thing on the go.
I think my crochet hooks think I've abandoned them in recent months. Despite there being the Hope Crochet Along I've ashamedly not crocheted a great deal since recreating the purple and pink version. Knitting has somewhat taken over. The confidence that the tech editing course I completed together with the designers three day input from Carol Ibbetson at Cool Wool Designs has been enormous. I actually understand the way a pattern goes together, how stitches, decreases and increases all create the shape. If you are a knitter I would thoroughly recommend completing Carol's Introduction to Tech Editing with the Designers VIP add on. It's just a week of hourly inputs which are recorded so you can watch them at your leisure. Just that week will give you so much useful information.
Here's a link to Carol's website: https://www.coolwool.net/workshops
Right, promotion aside I've been using my skills to play with yarn. I went to Fibre Quest near Bristol in April and oh wow was it amazing. Organised by the same people that do Stitch Fest here in Devon (https://www.stitchfest.co.uk/) it was on a farm with exhibitors and stalls from handspun, hand dyed British wool producers. I (slightly) overspent but have got lots of beautiful colours, a lot of which is really quite local which I love. My thoughts are if you are buying wool, and I mean 100% wools, that buying local or at least buying British (or whatever your country is) supports the wool industry in a more direct way. As a farmers daughter I knew 30 years ago that wool prices for the farmer were diminishing, now they are a complete joke with the farmer paying to have his sheep sheered for welfare reasons rather than making anything from the fleece. By buying wool locally produced you are at least supporting that chain in the hope that the price of the fleece will increase because the demand is there. Long gone are the days that wool is itchy and irritable to the skin, it is now processed so that it is soft and washes amazingly well without all the aftercare that you would traditionally think. Although, that might just be my mentality of chucking it in the washing machine on a wool wash and hoping for the best, its not failed me, yet.
Here are some of the yarns I bought with links to the producers:
Left to Right:
Wivey Weaver Yarn Alchemy https://www.wiveyweaveryarnalchemy.com/
Gullrock Fibres https://gullrockfibres.com/
Bluebell Yarns https://www.bluebellyarns.co.uk/
It's well worth searching up what yarn producers you have locally, you'll be surprised who is working away in their kitchen or garden shed creating beautiful yarns. There is nothing like squishing yarn and seeing their colours for your self.
Anyway, getting back to Fibre Quest I did two workshops, weaving and spinning. Both something I've wanted to have a go at and both confirming that whilst it was fun to do I really don't have time, or space, to do either. I really have a new appreciation of the woven fabric and of hand spun. Spinning is like patting your head and rubbing your tummy at the same time whilst keeping control of the fleece you're feeding in. Needless to say my attempt is a mixture of super chunky and double knit but I am very proud of it and grateful that I had the chance to give it a go.