the tangled mess
knitting and crochet.
Both are relatively new discoveries for me. As I wirte in March 2013, I've been knitting for a little over a year, and crocheting for around 3 months. I love them. LOVE them.
On this page, I will be sharing lists of my favourite suppliers, magazines and blogs, as well as tales and photos of my own knitting and crocheting adventures.
On this page, I will be sharing lists of my favourite suppliers, magazines and blogs, as well as tales and photos of my own knitting and crocheting adventures.
what I'm working on
Possibly the most appropriate question here is: What am I NOT working on?!
The advantage of knitting (or is it a disadvantage to a procrastinator like me? I'm undecided) is that it's portable: you can put it down and pick it up whenever you like. You can stuff it in a bag and forget about it for a year or so, then just pick it up again and start up where you left off.
Not so with beading and decopatch: you'd have multiple miniature messes everywhere! A pile of beads or doesn't lend itself quite so readily to being stuffed in a bag: you can try, but the results are somewhat less coherent than with knitting.
The upshot of this is that I usually have multiple knitting and crochet projects on the go. I'm currently working on two projects from a knitting collection that I subscribe to: the first being a handkerchief scarf/shawl thingy that's taking a surprising amount of time (and yarn!) to complete! It's my first experience of increasing stitches by knitting into the same stitch twice, so I'm quite pleased with the result so far
The second project from the collection is a series of kinitted and crocheted squares that will eventually be sewn together to make a gigantic patchwork throw. There's something quite satisfying about creating something piecemeal like that. Even though you know the finished project is a loooooong way off, each little piece feels like an achievement in itself.
With that in mind, I've also started making some crochet granny squares. Crochet is so new and complicated to me, the discovery that I could make these miniature works of art was something of a revelation. So my flat is slowly filling up with lots and lots of little holey squares. Eventually I might actually have enough to stitch together and make something....
Oh. And there's my stripey scarf. The one I keep putting down and coming back to every few weeks. So far I've been working on it for about 6 months. So, I might actually be able to start wearing it somewhere around Christmas 2015....
The advantage of knitting (or is it a disadvantage to a procrastinator like me? I'm undecided) is that it's portable: you can put it down and pick it up whenever you like. You can stuff it in a bag and forget about it for a year or so, then just pick it up again and start up where you left off.
Not so with beading and decopatch: you'd have multiple miniature messes everywhere! A pile of beads or doesn't lend itself quite so readily to being stuffed in a bag: you can try, but the results are somewhat less coherent than with knitting.
The upshot of this is that I usually have multiple knitting and crochet projects on the go. I'm currently working on two projects from a knitting collection that I subscribe to: the first being a handkerchief scarf/shawl thingy that's taking a surprising amount of time (and yarn!) to complete! It's my first experience of increasing stitches by knitting into the same stitch twice, so I'm quite pleased with the result so far
The second project from the collection is a series of kinitted and crocheted squares that will eventually be sewn together to make a gigantic patchwork throw. There's something quite satisfying about creating something piecemeal like that. Even though you know the finished project is a loooooong way off, each little piece feels like an achievement in itself.
With that in mind, I've also started making some crochet granny squares. Crochet is so new and complicated to me, the discovery that I could make these miniature works of art was something of a revelation. So my flat is slowly filling up with lots and lots of little holey squares. Eventually I might actually have enough to stitch together and make something....
Oh. And there's my stripey scarf. The one I keep putting down and coming back to every few weeks. So far I've been working on it for about 6 months. So, I might actually be able to start wearing it somewhere around Christmas 2015....
my favourite yarn stockistsMy absolute favourite for yarn shopping has to be Deramores. They have a huge range of yarn, patterns and accessories, and offer free postage. What's more, they are FAST! Like, next day delivery fast! Great service, friendly team. Give them a visit!
Dragon yarns are one of the first online stores I tried for knitting stuff. They also have an impressive range, and I like their search function: you can choose how the products are sorted (by name, price etc). They also have the cutest mascot! The Knitting Shop is always worth keeping an eye on - they frequently have good sales free gift and money off offers. Sign up to their mailing list for a decent range of bargains, including kits for beginners. |
my favourite blogs/websitesKnitting SOS. I love this site. LOVE it. Aneeta Patel is my knitting guru (plus, she's blummin lovely)! She has written two amazing books on knitting (don't try to learn without them. Just don't), regularly runs classes, social gatherings and drop-ins in London, and also has an email helpline for frantic knitters in need of advice. Amazeballs!!
Check out Schrodinger Knits for general knitting rambling and the occasional free pattern from this talented knitter...I especialy love her Supple Rib Knit Armwarmers! She's not posted since 2010, but the blog is still well worth a look. One of the best sources of help, information and gorgeous patterns has to be Fluff and Fuzz. The lovely Amanda Berry offers free knitting and sewing patterns and tutorials, as well as a Folksy shop that's stuffed with goodies for you to buy! She's my go-to place for online instructions, with great, clear pictures. Need video instructions for both knitting and crochet? Look no further than Knitwitch! A fab site with loads of instructional videos, this woman truly understands the needs of the beginner. No skill is too small or simple for her to have created a video: from making a slipknot to backwards knitting, she has it all. WORD OF WARNING: if you are from the UK, the names of crochet stitches vary from the US versions used in this site. To be sure you know which stitch in Knitwitch's video collection you need, refer to this helpful conversion chart. Just don;t say I never spoil you! |