News

I promised to go through how I set up Woolgethering Sandbach as part of The Crochet Circle Podcast (Episode 22).  There was so much detail that I turned it into this blog post to support what was said on the podcast. I had been going to crochet classes and suggested to the other attendees that we continue to meet up and craft together every couple of weeks.  Given that it was my suggestion, it was up to me to find the location. Location:  At first I was going to house the group in a local cafe but although the space was...

First up, let me put it out there that I have absolutely no intention of becomming a yarn dyer.  There are so many incredible dyers out there and I could never hope to attain the levels of greatness that they can achieve. That said, I have a hunger to understand crafting skills and processes.  I am very inquisitive and this all leads to me dabbling in lots of things - possibly too many!  Dyeing is my latest finger in pie action and it doesn't have to stop at wool and yarns, you can try fabrics too. So although I don't...

I hope you have a cuppa in front of you because finishing and blocking your garments is a big subject area and if you know me, you know that I am thorough and passionate about this subject!  I should really change my middle name from Bella to Robust. To my mind there are four key areas to properly finishing off a garment (this actually applies to many other projects too, not just things to wear): Washing and blocking your project Joining seams - including weaving in ends Adding the trims/ buttons Recording your process - this may seem like it...

How many times have you finished off one pattern and know that you will definitely make it again? Did you immediately write down all of the little changes that you made, the number of rows you did? At some point have you gone back to that pattern only to find you can't remember what hook/needle size you used and so you go scrolling through your Instagram posts to see if you unwittingly saved the day by posting a photo of your WIP with the hook/needles in the frame? That was me, all of the above, until I decided that enough...

Before you dive into the depths of an intarsia project it might be worth trying out the technique on a small but useful project such as the Hove Purse. Having designed the Hove Beach Bag (available for £3.50 on Ravelry) as part of the wider KIHICI bag range I wanted to create a simple intarsia project so that people could test their skills before they go headlong down the intarsia crochet rabbit hole. The first crochet intarsia project that I tried was mind boggling.  I hadn't tried the technique before and there were too many bobbins of yarn at the...