Cloudy Apples

We're a big fan of Ravelry at The Woolly Brew.  Finding patterns, yarns and seeing other people's projects has never been easier.

All you need to do is give your email address to register and then you can search the huge pattern, yarn and project database for lots and lots of knitting AND crochet inspiration.  You can also use Ravelry to keep track of your own projects - finished, in progress, what's next and favourite patterns and projects.

You can read more about it here and also check out Ravelry's own user guides here.  My user name is fionacupcake and Karen is tuechy.  You can check out The Woolly Brew shop page here and our group here.

One of the great things about Ravelry is easy access to great patterns by independent designers which you can buy online.  You can pay using a debit or credit card or through Paypal and your pattern will be emailed to you as a pdf and also stored in your own Ravelry library.

Our Color Affection in Debbie Bliss Railto Lace

For example Color Affection by designer Veera Välimäki.  You can see my Color Affection project page here and see other designs by Veera here.  AND you can see other people's Color Affections here.

Its not just single patterns that are available on Ravelry.  Designers are also putting together their own pattern collections into e-books.  Which are still emailed to you and stored in your Ravelry library.

One such e-book released recently is well worth checking out...

Cloudy Apples by  Kyoko Nakayoshi and Jen Arnall-Culliford

We're already a great fan of Kyoko's Cotton & Cloud patterns that we sell in the shop. Cloudy Apples (what a great name!)  is a new collaboration with Jen Arnall-Culliford.

You can see a short video of Jen and Kyoke here, where they talk about the inspiration behind the project.

The e-book has 9 patterns for accessories presented in a clear format with lots of photographs and includes links to further information and tutorials.

Brownsey Mitts - uses knitting AND crochet.  There is a matching hat too!

Dunkerton Sweet.  My new favourite sock pattern!

Puffin Apple - lovely in some Shetland Aran!

Clarinette - is it a shrug or a cowl?

{photo credits: Jesse Wild}

You can see all the Cloudy Apple patterns here on Ravelry.  Each pattern can be purchased individually but if you like more than 3 the e-book is a bargain at £9.

AND through Ravelry you can buy and send the e-book as a gift... another perfect Christmas gift!

REMEMBER you can't buy this book in the shop.  Its only available digitally... but we can help you pick out some yarn!

gifts to buy and give...

Following on from our Gifts to Buy and Knit, we've put together a list of Gifts to Buy and Give...  Perfect for a fellow crafter.

We have a selection of lovely craft kits - everything you need in a little package - perfect for a beginner or indeed for those looking for something a little different.


We have our own range of kits for both crochet and knitting and for some embroidery we have a felt flower corsage too!

knit and felt a bag

everything you need to start learning to Crochet!

felt flower kit, stitching guide included.

And we have a range of East of India kits for Knitting, Crochet and Sewing... All materials and instructions are included in the box.

What about adding to their stash?

pretty shell buttons

lovely reels of ribbons

How about putting together your own kit?

Half a dozen balls of Jamieson's of Shetland Spindrift or our brand new Rowan Felted Tweed for those who love doing colourwork.  Some Baby Cashmerino and a pattern book for those having a baby in 2013, or what about 1 ball each of our 10 shades of Ianthe... for a crochet blanket!

Scrumptious Lace Shawl kit

Angora Merino

Crafters can't resist pretty accessories... ours are practical too!

pin cushion

knitting needle case

stitch markers by Fripperies & Bibelots

Or how about a book?

Don't forget we also have Woolly Brew vouchers... for those that can't decide!

REMEMBER our shopping evening TONIGHT Wednesday 14th November!    Come along and check out our patterns and samples, find some gift inspiration for your friends and families - maybe have a demonstration of our latest scarf yarns which are perfect for Christmas gifts! Or maybe you'd like to make a wish list for yourself.

We'll have lots of yarnie inspiration and beauty and food gifts too from Fiona at Nirvana Spa  and Penny from Pittenweem's very own Little Herb Farm. They'll be bringing their own selection of spa beauty and gourmet food gifts for you to try and buy!  Festivities start at 7.30pm and you can check out and join our event page on Facebook here.  Please feel free to drop in!

gifts to knit and give... part 2

Continuing our series of Christmas gifts to knit (part 1 of our knitted gift guide can be found here).


Do you know the giftee's shoe size? How about a pair of hand knitted socks in some patterned sock yarn (we have a basic sock and glove pattern too!)

And what about some cabled socks in our new supersoft Regia Angora Merino...

very soft socks!

Something for the hands maybe?

Ysolda Teague's Sherbet Lemon in Scrumptious 4ply

These would look great in our Rico Poems Aran

Camp Out Fingerless Mitts by Tante Ehm, available for free on Ravelry

A bag or purse maybe?

by Louisa Harding in Ondine

For little girls, what about a whole wardrobe of clothes... for their dolls!

Or maybe a new doll? And don't forget a ruffle scarf - great for all ages!

Patons Fairy Dolls

don't forget the boys...

animals in Patons Colourworks Aran (remember we sell toy filling too!)

or a new sweater... no sleeves makes it even quick to knit!

Shore Vest by Cotton & Cloud

Chunky Monkey by Jem Weston, Cute Little Knits

We did scarves in Gifts to Knit and Give Part 1, but we want to add this one.  Its proving very popular with our customers as a Christmas gift...

2 strands of wool silk Louisa Harding's Amitola held together

If you're Christmas knitting list is getting out of hand and you don't think you will have time to make everything BEFORE Christmas why not make up an IOU gift with the promise to make something in January instead?

Or better still... promise to teach them to knit or crochet!


REMEMBER our shopping evening on Wednesday 14th November!    Come along and check out our patterns and samples, find some gift inspiration for your friends and families - maybe have a demonstration of our latest scarf yarns which are perfect for Christmas gifts! Or maybe you'd like to make a wish list for yourself.


We'll have lots of yarnie inspiration and beauty and food gifts too from Fiona at Nirvana Spa  and Penny from Pittenweem's very own Little Herb Farm. They'll be bringing their own selection of spa beauty and gourmet food gifts for you to try and buy!  Festivities start at 7.30pm and you can check out and join our event page on Facebook here.  Please feel free to drop in!


and watch out for Gifts to Knit and Give Part 3! 

Gorgeous Rowan Felted Tweed in the shop!

We now have Rowan Felted Tweed DK in the shop!

makes a warm lightweight fabric, each ball has is a huge 175m 

An amazing addition to our collection of yarns, we hope you will love this merino/alpaca/viscose blend in a gorgeous colour palette.

We're also adding some Rowan patterns, including the new Rowan Knitting & Crochet magazine and Quirky by Kim Hargreaves.

Quirky by Kim Hargreaves

And two books...Cute Little Knits by Jemma Watson and Janet Smith Can't knit by Susie Johnson

These books and magazine use various Rowan yarns including Felted Tweed DK and Rowan 4ply which we currently have in the shop.

There are also lots of free patterns from Rowan for Felted Tweed DK.  Check them out at the shop...

Needless to say we are speed knitting a sample...

gifts to knit and give... part 1

Some ideas for a handmade Christmas...  suitable yarns and most of these patterns are available in the shop, some patterns are available through Ravelry.

Accessories make a great gift to knit and give... they can be quick to knit and are always useful!

A scarf or cowl can be a quick knit in chunky yarns or a ruffle scarf yarn.

For a 2 hour ruffle scarf we currently have Frilly (new shades available!) and Designer Choice's Bolero in stock (one ball makes one scarf)

We also have 2 chunky yarns - softly spun Norse and Purity a wool/alpaca blend.  And some cowl and scarf patterns to suit!

New to the shop is a Super Chunky Patons Fab BIG.  Its a supersoft acrylic and comes in whopper 200g balls. At only £6.25 a ball, one ball can make a statement scarf very quickly, in fact Karen is currently knitting one!

pattern books available too!

a Lacy Baktus is a useful and colourful gift with a £10 Zauberball!

Or how about a quick and squishy neck warmer in our Rialto Aran or Rico Poems...  an easy pattern (great beginners project!) available in the shop.

short cowl using 1 balls of Rico Poems

Tauri Mini by Berroco Design Team available for free here.

How about giving a hat?  We've got lots of patterns in the shop to suit all face shapes and yarn weights (and knitting experience!)

You can see a small selection here.

Alfur by Woolly Wormhead

or maybe a headband...

Center Row Lace Headband  by Mary Shawclose see it on Ravalry here

more ideas to follow!

REMEMBER our shopping evening on Wednesday 14th November!    Come along and check out our patterns and samples, find some gift inspiration for your friends and families - maybe have a demonstration of our latest scarf yarns which are perfect for Christmas gifts! Or maybe you'd like to make a wish list for yourself.

We'll have lots of yarnie inspiration and beauty and food gifts too from Fiona at Nirvana Spa  and Penny from Pittenweem's very own Little Herb Farm. They'll be bringing their own selection of spa beauty and gourmet food gifts for you to try and buy!  Festivities start at 7.30pm and you can check out and join our event page on Facebook here.  Please feel free to drop in!

freeforming

One of our customers Liz is a passionate freeformer.  She co-moderates the UK Freeformers group on Ravelry and has produced many amazing pieces of work using a mix of crochet and knitting.

This is a cardigan she made for an Autumnal challenge set on the UK Freeformers group.

Liz's freeform cardigan in Scrumptious Lace

the back view... she made this up!

You can read more about Liz's cardigan and her other freeform work on her Ravelry project pages.

Freeform crochet (or knitting or embroidery or felting etc etc!) is exactly how its sounds.  Its free. You simply take your materials and... doodle.  Some rules can be set... for example for the aforementioned Autumnal challenge the following 'rules' applied...

"Take 1 skein of a solid autumn coloured yarn, cast on 20 or make a foundation chain of 20. Without breaking the yarn, continue to knit and/or crochet till your yarn is finished. You can change direction, incorporate any pattern, cast off or on at any point, be doing crochet and/or knitting…..wherever it takes you! There is no restriction in the weight or size of your skein."

It can be great fun, a way to try out new techniques, stitches, yarns (and use up odd bits!) and its very liberating... no patterns to follow, no rows to count...  unless you want to!

When she was last in the shop, Liz mentioned another knit along/challenge that the UK Freeformers had...

"Have you been thinking about trying some freeforming, but not known how to start? Why not join us in making basic scrumbles from which we will make a bag. The plan is to use one colour: different shades and textures can be used. The bag can be made in knitting and/or crochet and will be lined with material or crochet. You can make it any size you wish."

Now... a scrumble means different things to different people... but it can be a collection of knitted or crocheted motifs or even just bits of crochet or knitted yarns that a joined together to form bigger pieces and so on until a desirable fabric or structure is created... In fact it doesn't even need to be knitted or crocheted!

...yes it does sound vague but then... it is freeform.  You can find some Google images of scrumbles here and of freeform crochet here.

I have undertaken the freeform bag challenge... and selected grey as my colour...

I haven't done much freeforming before.  A little embroidery and some knitted pieces.  So I'm very much a novice!  This is how I approached it.

leftovers

This is what I have made so far...

can you spot the piece of knitting? 

I class myself a knitter but I think my personal preference is to crochet if I'm freeforming... so I simply started  by chaining a few stitches and I either joined them into a ring and did some double and/or treble and/or other 'stitches' into the ring or I crocheted back and forth along the row of chains.  Stopping it when it 'felt' finished or I got bored.  I then started a new piece.  I tried to use a different type of yarn each time.  I  crocheted or sewed them together when I felt I had enough that looked nice joined up.

For my next set of pieces I'm going to try different combinations of stitches to get more height and thus texture for my bag.  Although I'm not entirely sure it will be a bag... or indeed which stitches will give me height!

It can seem daunting at first especially if you are new to crochet and knitting and you're not really sure what the outcome will be but you're really working on such a small scale.  If you don't like it stop and start again.

Keep the bit you don't like though, it may fill a spot later!

If you fancy having a go too, please take a look at the UK Freeformers Ravelry group.  The discussion board and gallery.  You can check out my freeform bag progress on my project page here.

This is the stunning bag Liz made for the bag challenge... I have a loooooong way to go!

Liz's freeform bag

If you'd like to learn more about crochet, remember we have our crochet workshop on Sunday 25th November (10am-4pm) in the shop.  You'll learn crochet basics -  how to hold the hook and yarn, basic stitches, changing colour, understanding terminology, working in the round. All materials are included and you'll make a washcloth or crochet hook case.  This is NOT a freeform class, but the skills can be useful to a freeform piece!