BritYarn #8 This Could be a Podcast

As many of you will know I have recorded a few Periscopes over the last month or so which I then upload to You Tube.  

While I love the interactive chat with you all on Periscope, it is not the easiest way to show you what I am working on and to share BritYarn news.  So, I have been brave and made a proper recording.  You might call it a podcast!  Below are some notes with links for the things I have mentioned and some photos from the British Wool Show.   

BritYarn #8 This could be a podcast?

INTRO 

• Me
• Where you can find me Website www.brityarn.co.uk , Instagram, Twitter, Ravelry as BritYarn and blog http://brityarn.blogspot.co.uk. You can subscribe BritYarn's You Tube channel and follow us on Periscope.
• NEWS
• New yarns Chillia Valley Alpacas Aran 100% alpaca and 70% alpaca 30% Shetland Lambswool and Chunky 70% alpaca 30% Shetland Lambswool
• Erika Knight Maxi Wool 
• Bags  including new canvas ones.  Pop over to our Ravelry group chance to win one.
• #scollayalong KAL with Louise KnitBritish.  Just over half way.  Virtual party last Friday night.

FO’s

• On the Edge by Joy McMillan Yarn used Yarns from the Plain Mobberly 4 ply in the BritYarn Colourway.  
• Fourth Day Ear Warmer free pattern by Emily Green Blue  Erika Knight Maxi 42g wool.  Gift knitting?
• Colossus from Bletchley Collection Eden Cottage Yarns Milburn 4 ply

What's in the Jam Pan aka WIP’s

• Scollay #scollayalong ends 25th September.  Still time to join in!  Just button hole band and buttons to go.  Blacker Lyonesse DK Rose Quartz 
• Show off socks by Anne Campbell
• Talavera by Amanda B Collins using Eden Cottage Yarn BFL sock Pom Pom Summer pattern 
• Mahy by Karie Westermann Lincoln Longwool Laceweight hap construction 
• Lemon Difficult by Kate Atherley brioche Blacker Elegance and Crazy Zauberball

British Wool Show 

Friday 7th and  8th August York.  

High Farndale Farm Peter Mawson Whitefaced Woodland sheep fleece.

Queen of Purls.  

English Angora Society

Low Lands Legacy

Wheeldale Wool Crafts

Peter from High Farndale Farm

Lots of hand dyed British wool by Zoe from the Queen of Pearls

The Sheep Show

FO's Baskerville and Paddle

My Baskerville Hat

I know it's summer (apparently) but I wanted to share with you my Baskerville hat and Paddle gloves I recently finished.  Small projects like these are brilliant for trying out new yarns that your not familiar with.  For just over 50g of yarn each I got to knit a brilliant hat and some very cosy gloves.  

I purchased two balls of yarn from Dodgson Wood.  The yarn is a Castlemilk Moorit and Cheviot blend.  I first came across them through the power of Twitter. Dodgson Wood have their own farm in the Lake District where they specialise in rearing rare and native British breeds.  They have recently started to get their fleeces spun into yarn and selling the yarn locally.  I couldn't resist dropping them a line and making a purchase.  I decided to use the yarn to make a Baskerville by Karie Westermann.

Castlemilk and Cheviot yarn

     

The blend in the yarn was not one I was familiar with so I was really interested to see how it would feel and how it would knit up.  The yarn in the ball has quite a rustic feel to it (which is a positive in my opinion) and once knit up had great definition.  It also withstood lots of tinking (knitting lace on an evening when tired perhaps was not my smartest idea!).  

Despite my mistakes Baskerville was a quick hat to make.  You do need to keep an eye on your stitch count and where your stitch markers are throughout the pattern as the end of the round sometimes changes its place.  I am super happy to have another knitted hat to my collection ready for the winter!  

Paddle Gloves

The second FO was my Paddle gloves by Tin Can Knits.  These were cast on to test some new yarn I was interested in stocking, so each glove is made in a different yarn!  Only one of the yarns made it into the shop - the UK Baby Alpaca.  These were another quick and simple project.  I  used some of my left over Dodgson yarn from my Baskerville for the stripes.  The UK Baby Alpaca is so, so soft, probably the softest yarn I have ever knitted with! 

Over the coming months BritYarn will start to stock a range of yarns from smaller producers.

Have you started or finished any unseasonal projects recently or using any new to you British yarn?   I would love to hear from you on Twitter, Instagram, Ravelry or comment here on the blog.

FO's Rosthwaite Socks and Vanilla Socks

I love knitting socks!  I started by first pair in 2013 and have not looked back.  Here are two of 2015's sock FO's.  

The first to be finished this year was Rosthwaite by Louise Tilbrook.  Back in September 2014 Louise hosted a 'Sock Design Challenge', inviting her blog readers and members of her Ravelry group to vote on a series of sock design questions.  Louise gathered the results and created a pattern to reflect the winning votes.  The result was Rosthwaite! 

In keeping with the colours used in the pattern I decided to use West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4ply in Nutmeg.  I had originally planned to use Butterscotch for the toes and heels but I had a late change of heart and opted for Blueberry Bon Bon instead!

I really enjoyed making these socks.  The pattern is interesting but easy enough to memorise.  They were also my first socks with an afterthought (forethought) heel.  Louise included some helpful links to tutorials in the pattern.  I couldn't believe how straightforward and quick the heel was.

Louise's other patterns can be found on Ravelry.  Many of her sock designs are written for both cuff down and toe up. I think this is brilliant especially if you prefer one way over the other.  

I also finished my first pair of man size socks!  After making several pairs for myself Mr D expressed an interest in having a pair of knitted socks!  He choose Pheasant, one of the West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4 ply Birds range for his.  I am overjoyed to report that Mr D is a knitted sock convert and has requested more!  

Don't forget you can share your British yarn projects over on the BritYarn Ravelry Group or on Twitter and Instagram.  I would love to hear all about your sock adventures!

A FO Vivid blanket in WYS Aire Valley DK

Hello!  It's been a busy few days following BritYarn's launch on Tuesday.  A big thank you for all your support.  I want to share some of my FO's and in future posts my selection of WIP's.  It is something I used to do on my old blog and enjoyed recording the process.  So here is a FO I finished a little while ago.........

This blanket was for a new family member who was due in January.  Despite casting on the first square last year other projects got in the way (I am a sucker for a KAL) and it was delivered a 'few' months late in April.  I must admit to falling in love with the squares and wanted to keep the blanket for myself once it was finished! 

The pattern is Vivid and is one of ten patterns included in Handmade in the UK by Emily Wessel of Tin Can Knits.  The blanket can be made in any weight of wool.  The sample in the book is made using Jamieson & Smith Jumper Weight (a 4 ply wool).

I decided to make mine in West Yorkshire Spinners Aire Valley DK.  The wool is available in a big range of colours and has the added bonus of being machine washable.  I chose the  Blueberry Bonbon, Wine, Butterscotch and Emerald.  One 100g ball made five squares with some left over.

Each square is knitted from the middle out on DPN's or circular needles. It was great seeing the lace work develop and then magically turn into a square at the end.

I blocked all the squares at the end to ensure they were the same size.  The Aire Valley yarn blocked really well.  The Yarn overs and the decreases really stand out to create the inner flower design. 

My husband volunteered to sew all the squares together as it was for his sisters new baby.  It was the first time he had sewn up anything knitted and he did an amazing job don't you think?

If you are thinking about making a Vivid blanket Tin Can Knits have written a really useful tutorial available here.