This weekend I'm off to Scotland for the Edinburgh Yarn Festival! I've been busy getting ready since Unravel and I'm excited to add a few new things to may table. My new banners arrived this week just in time and I now have my lumberjack baby socks available as a pattern or in a kit! Also looking forward to meeting some of my favourite Scottish yarn dyers and designers!
Weekend at Unravel
The venture down to Farnham for Unravel was an especially fun experience and over-all successful weekend. I started off the festival with my workshop on stranded knitting. It was a pleasure to teach in this fantastic dance studio and to be accompanied by a great group of ten ladies. I hope they enjoyed their morning as much as I did.
I spent the rest of the weekend behind my stand getting to meet and talk to many knitters from Farnham and afar. The craft team at the Maltings was incredible host. There were many friendly faces from the customers and vendors as well. I was in the Courtyard Kiln with Texere Yarns Ltd and The Fibre Company, who were fantastic neighbours to have for the weekend.
The weekend weather was fairly dry but of course it had the rain during set-up and take-down. I got to feast my eyes on the beautiful colour pallets by The Fibre Company during my spare time and that never hurts!
My first experience at Unravel was exactly what I expected, fun, refreshing and motivating. Meeting new people in the knitting industry and chatting up with old acquaintances was exactly what I needed to spark my inspiration for this coming fall and winter. I'm already looking forward to next year at Unravel!
Unravel
I'm almost packed and ready to hop on a train to Farnham this afternoon. Unravel, a festival of knitting, is this weekend and I'm excited to finally experience this event I've been hearing so much about!
Illustration by Emma Block
Join me in Farnham this weekend! You'll have three days to treat yourself to delicious yarns, talks and workshops at the Farnham Maltings building. I'll be kicking off the weekend with teaching a class. My Stranded Knitting workshop has sold out and I'm excited to share my revamped Foxy Friends pattern with my students! Hope to see you there!
New Year
I have been computerless for the last few months. However, a new year + new computer = new blog posts. Before I get started on new projects and plans for 2015, I thought I would share some of the projects that have kept me busy. Five months ago I came to England only intending to stay for four months to expand my knitting and personal horizon by interning with a few knitwear companies I admire. Once I settled in London, it was apparent that this is where I need to be. It has been a fun ride and also lonely at times. I've had to make the hard decisions to leave the people and places that I love. However, in return, every project and every team I have worked with since arriving have surpassed my expectation in the best possible way.
Last winter, my first pattern was published in Pom Pom Quarterly and a year later I find myself lucky enough to be in London and a part of their Winter 2014, Issue 10. This time I was able to contributed by interning and helping out with the photoshoot, editing, knitting samples, and illustrating Lydia's article, The Grammar of Knitting. My illustration is now available as a limited edition print in the Pom Pom Shop!
Photo Credit: Pom Pom Quarterly
If you follow Pom Pom's blog regularly, you'll have noticed some of my photos and projects. If not, these are my favourite blog post I helped with this autumn.
Seventeen Seeds & Rye, two free patterns designed by Saran Hale Spencer. I had the pleasure of knitting these samples up and creating the pattern layout out for knitters to enjoy.
Selsey Cowl, an alternate version to my pattern Selsey in Issue 9: Autumn 2014.
Issue 11: Behind The Scenes, where we spent the day at The Island Queen Pup in Angel shooting winter's collections. Here's a few photos I was able to snap in-between outfit changes and of course, a pub lunch and lots of tea!
It was a fantastic experience to see behind the scenes while in the meantime, my first pattern Take Heart has reached its first year. I have had the chance to see and meet other knitters who have made it for loved ones or for themselves. Last Christmas I knit another Take Heart for my sister Mila. Again I used Toft's Aran Alpaca and added a homemade fur pompom from reclaimed fur. Here she is, set against the beautiful backdrop of the Rocky Mountains.
Here is my original illustration of Take Heart, which you may recognize from the issue. I'm also really excited to say that Take Heart is now available as a single download in my Ravelry Shop! I can't wait to share some photos of what I got up to at Toft Alpaca Shop next time.
Renegade
This past weekend marked my first introduction to the London craft community as Fiona Alice. I was lucky enough to participate in Renegade's London Holiday Market at the Old Truman Brewery. It was a pleasure to be surrounded by extraordinary UK crafters and to socialise with lovely customers. Thank-you to everyone who stopped by for a chat and to try on my knitwear.
Photo Credit: Renegade Craft Fair
