My knitting is 'Fyne'

After finishing the Big Needle Knitted Throw I wanted a new knitting challenge. I was trawling through my folder where I store all patterns and things of prettiness that I swear blind I'll make one day, umming and ahhing and it jumped out at me. A tank top by Rowan called 'Fyne' and made using Rowan Felted Tweed yarn...

Great... I have my pattern! On a high, as Fair Isle is definately a new challenge for me, off to my knitting box I went and found the right sets of needles - fantastic! now I just needed the yarn :/

So, a few weekends back I poottled off to the nearest Hobbycraft which have quite a large yarn / wool selection. After walking up and down the aisles several times and to my dismay I realised that they didn't have this highly sought after Felted Tweed. I quickly whipped out the Blackberry and searched for the elusive yarn only to discover that over half of the shades I needed are no longer available! (turns out that I had pulled the pattern from Simply Knitting magazine in 2008) I made a snap decision to buy the closest matched Rowan yarn that Hobbycraft had and be on my way. It was a hard decision as the colours were all different and I wanted what was in the picture.

The same day I started knitting. I did the waistband which was now in a mottled dark grey colour and then changed to the main body colour... la la la

The following day, I wasn't 100% happy with my substitute yarn so went on a trip to John Lewis in Southampton. Yayyyyy!!! They sell the Felted Tweed!! :) and lots of it. Although half the shades are no longer available, the range of colours in this yarn created a kid in a sweet shop scenario and I matched the missing colours as near as I could with the above picture.

I then frogged everything that I had previously done and this is where I am up to so far...

Luckily the colours that they still had in production were the blue for the waistband, the fawn for the main body and the striking ginger

I love it and cannot wait until I am finished :) I'm tempted to go and get an extra of the blue and fawn though... just incase I run short and then find that they have changed their stock :s

What are you working on at the moment?

Two big finishes

I have been a busy bee lately at work and play but I have still found time to be crafty :)

For some reasons all of the crafty projects that I start appear to be mammoths!

Well in this past week I have finished two big projects - the 'big needle knitted throw' and the cross-stitched 'Lizzie*Kate Flip-Its'.

Here are a few pics...

I love it. It feels heavy and comforting and definately keeps you warm. For an idea of size that's a kingsize bed.

I used all sorts of yarn throughout... fluffy, sparkly, soft, textured, glittery, velvety.

And here are my 'broomstick' needles again :)

The other big project - the cross-stitched Lizzie*Kate Flip-Its...

I started this a long time ago but half way through the August Flip-It (the one with the sunflower) about 6-7 years ago, it was put in the craft box and temporarily forgotten about.



I think my favourite two months that I stitched were January and February because of the snowflakes and the colourings :)

Which are your favourites?

At the start of this year and due to one of my new year's resolutions, I re-discovered several crafts and projects that I had boxed up. A sudden thirst made me charge on to the finishing line and I am delighted to have finished these two big ones :)

What projects are you currently working on? 

Wool...

A while ago, I went to a big craft fair up at Olympia or was it Ally Pally?? can't remember it was that long ago! but I was inspired by a variation on a great craft... knitting with big needles. We're talking B.I.G. needles. The type that you couldn't really wip out of your oversized bag on the train in fear of not only taking someone's eye out but possibly knocking their head off!!

Here they are... (that's not me by the way!)

I was intrigued and I wanted to give this new found craft a go but I didn't want to pay the extortionate amount for the giant needles, so I set about a plan to create my own.

I purchased a broom handle for a couple of pounds and chopped it in half. Then I used a stanley knife to sharpen one end of each of my 'sticks' to a rounded point. I then needed something on the other end to stop the wool slipping straight off, so I got hold of some oversized elastic bands and wound them round the ends very tight. Perfect! I now had my own giant needles.

And this is what I created...

It's folded in half but it is a heavy throw to go on a bed. Its wide enough to span the width of a bed but is only two foot deep. I had originally given it to my mother-in-law who admitted that it doesn't get the use that it should.

My plan is to expand...

I discovered that there is a wool shop in town, Sandcastle Yarns, that for some reason I had never ventured to before (maybe because it is a fifteen minute walk from the high street) but I decided to have a lunchtime walk today to check it out and get some new yarn for the throw...



The treasure trove...

Wool, fabric and threads...

Fabric and threads...

More wool (oh and fabric)...

Buttons galore... (I restrained myself, I was coming for yarn!) 

So, this is the little stash that I purchased. I was specifically looking for the textured variety. I was quite amazed and the variety of craft materials that they sold, I will definately be going again :)

I've added them to my existing stash, which is now ready to let the throw extension commence.

I would definately recommend Sandcastle Yarns to anyone remotely insterested in craft. A fabulous find :)