Basically, we cover up all the shelves and lay out as many tables as we can fit into the shop; on top of these we put all the yarn we’re discontinuing. There could be whole ranges of yarn, shades of yarn and some you might not have seen before. There will be odd balls, several balls and packs of balls, no matter what, all balls are €3 each.
There are things to consider: you have to book your slot, you only have 20 minutes (you’re timed), you have to prepare, dig out the patterns, check your favourites on Ravelry, make sure you know how much double knit/aran/chunky you need. Have a look at the post linked above if you’re not sure and make sure you book your place quickly before they all go.
It seems we’ve finally got a hold of ourselves and tightened our belts (not sure mine was ever loose), we’ve seen the error of our ways and realised that everything isn’t disposable. There’s a whole upsurge in people learning how to remake, reupholster, upcycle and transform.
Change the sleeves on your dress
Hopefully there were very few of us that simply threw away a blouse if the buttons had fallen off but how many of us have given a dress away because we no longer like the style? Perhaps you cast away a piece of furniture because it didn’t fit in with your new contemporary styled living room? Can you see the charm in everyday objects from charity shops and house clearance stores if given a little love?
Reloved is a new quarterly magazine dedicated to restyling, transforming and revamping your world. In the first issue ‘Spring 2013’ there are 26 projects covering everything from transforming your clothes to upcycling your furniture. There is a masterclass on reupholstering a drop in seat pad chair and quick makes to create in an evening. There are several features including one on the original ‘Make Do & Mend’ series from the wartime upcyclers. Last but not least, there’s a guide to upcycling and knitting (ahem… of course).
The magazine welcomes you to a shabby chic lifestyle, full of colour and a renewed love for all things eclectic, mismatched and homely. Of all the projects some of my favourites are Changing Sleeves (above) and the Lacy Doily Lampshade which are really cool. In my house they’d have to be stained or painted though as the dust would turn them grey in a matter of minutes.
Lacy Doily Lampshade
On page 16 and 17 there’s how to create the Vintage Cake Stand, all the rage at the moment and much cheaper than some of those to buy in the shops. I think they’d look really good made out of old mismatched plates and full of naughty teatime treats.
Vintage Cake Stand
Loving all things knitted it goes without saying that the knitted Vase Covers on page 32 – 35 get my creative juices flowing and there’s also a lovely knitted footstool in the magazine. It’s cream and would again be a dirt magnet here, better to be done with it and make it in a tweedy grey for my home.
Vase Covers
Last but not least and my absolute favourite item in this issue is the ‘All Wrapped Up Chair’ which has actually been taken from the book Granny Chic. If I ever get the time expect to see very similar looking chairs in the shop one day.
All Wrapped Up Chair
The magazine has been extremely popular and you may find it difficult to get hold of a copy however the digital edition will be available soon on Apple Newsstand, Google Play and Pocketmags.com. You can get further information on the Reloved website http://www.relovedmag.co.uk/
The latest issue of Knitty has been released and as ever there are some truly beautiful patterns so be sure to go and have a look for yourself.
My three favourites in this issue are:
Lunatic Fringe
Lunatic fringe by Jennifer Dassau is a beautifully, quirky shawl knitted in Terra by The Fibre Company which is an aran weight yarn. Knitted from the bottom up, creating the fringe as you go to form an unusual, asymmetrical shape.
Easy As Pie is a technicolour blanket by OneHandKnits and is knitted in Sirdar’s Baby Bamboo which is a standard double knit yarn. Clever use of short rows and colour work creates this vibrant, funky blanket.
Last but not least and one that I have had to add to my ever extending ‘to knit’ list is Buttonbox by Elizabeth McCarten. This beautiful waistcoat is knitted in one piece using Brooklyn Tweed’s Shelter yarn which is an aran weight. The shaped waist and shawl collar make it a very flattering style, whilst the little box stitch pattern adds enough interest to the overall look of the knitted fabric.
If these patterns haven’t been enough to tempt you (why?), it might just interest you to know that there is a new coloum in the magazine – ‘Techniques with the Neurotic Knitter’. Kristin Fraser aka The Neurotic Knitter has a look at cast ons this issue via videos. The techniques she covers for Spring/Summer are the Backwards Loop, Cable, Knitted and the Long Tail methods. Great if you only know the one cast on method.
i also urge you to check out the Templeton Square Competition Winners to see just how ingenious some knitters are.
Yes my crochet is basic, very basic actually. Still, that hasn’t deterred me from picking up the first edition of the new Simply Crochet Magazine to have a nosey at.
The first thing you’ll notice about the magazine is the paper. It’s not your usual glossy paper, nor is it the heavier, recycled kind of paper that you get in Mollie Makes. It has a vintage feel about it, with more of a matt look and it’s absolutely packed with editorials, information, yarn reviews and most importantly patterns.
There are 30 items to make including motifs, home furnishings, a baby girl’s cardigan, a woman’s cardigan and a beautiful blanket too.
This is a little snippet of the home furnishing patterns –
The instructions for this super chunky cowl are also included, it’s made in Rowan Big Wool but you could substitute any other super chunky yarn instead.
Some of my particular favourite patterns in the magazine are these little hearts. I can think of several friends that would adore a few of the little decorations dotted around their homes.
All of the patterns have a little pictorial information panel at the beginning indicating the stitches used in the project, the weight of yarn it’s made in and the size of hook required, which is extremely helpful when selecting what to crochet. As a ‘novice’ I can spot the projects I’m capable of straight away by which stitches are used. For example the Cosy Baby Blanket uses shell stitch, which I’m yet to learn.
The magazine will be published on a monthly basis around the 10th of each month and costs £4.99/€7ish, although there are the usual subscription offers enticing you with cheaper issue prices if you take out one. There is also a digital version of the magazine available too on Apple Newstand, it’s www.simplycrochetmag.com/digital and for Android/PC customers go to www.zinio.com
A 13 month digital subscription costs £44.99 about €57 which is quite a bit cheaper than if you bought 13 printed issues.
It’s difficult to tell if an experienced crocheter would enjoy the magazine as much as I have as the projects all seem to be aimed at people with beginner and intermediate levels of skill. I can guarantee you’ll enjoy the magazine if you like funky granny squares, quirky hearts and looking at what other people have created (Pinterest anyone?).
The Simply Crochet Magazine blog http://www.simplycrochetmag.co.uk/ complements the magazine beautifully, there are even links to the odd free patterns, plus readers news and competitions.
I hope future issues of the magazine are as interesting and appealing and that it continues to be chockablock with patterns of all kinds. If you’d like to have a little look at it, I shall have my copy at the shop for a while.
I thought this special edition of The Knitter would be the best way to kick off looking at the various different knitting and crochet magazines that are available to buy. At present (to my knowledge) there are six different UK publications for knitting and one for crochet, including:
Simply Knitting
Knitting
Yarnwise (formerly Knit and before that Yarn Forward)
Let’s Knit
Knit Today
The Knitter
Inside Crochet – title speaks for itself methinks
All of the magazines have something to offer and what works for one knitter might not be what another wants from a magazine. They all typically contain approximately 10 patterns and tend to have a similar format of: letters to the expert, a rundown on certain yarns and a look at ‘what’s new’ in the world of woolliness. Some of them will have an interview with a designer or perhaps a shop owner or knitting group organiser.
The Knitter is one of my personal favourites and since January 2009 when the first issue came out I haven’t missed an issue. The magazine is aimed at the intermediate to experienced knitter or for those that want to take their knitting a little further. The patterns are at first glance a little more intricate but the magazine includes both written and charted instructions.
Back to the Lace Collection – This ‘special’, as the cover highlights, contains 24 gorgeous patterns for every season. Sadly, for me, they have all been in previous issues. However it does present them all in one handy publication. In addition, if you’re new to The Knitter or missed several issues, the collection would be a good addition to library.
Of the patterns inside, some of my particular favourites are the Deco Lace Jacket by Teva Durham.
Rather unusually the lace jacket is knitted in a super chunky on 9mm. The design was originally in issue 22 from August 2010.
I’d also previously added the Mulligan Stole by Tanis Gray to my ‘to do’ list as I think it’s truly beautiful and very wearable.
It’s made in double knit using a 4.5mm needle and was previously in issue 23.
Elwood Hat
The Elwood hat by Kirstie McLeod combines cables and lace in a beautiful 4ply hat and takes approximately 360 meters of yarn. Elwood was originally published in issue 16 in February 2010.
Jan Sweater
Lastly, I absolutely adore Susan Crawford’s Jan Sweater. It appeared as a supplement in issue 32 but originally appears in Susan’s book ‘A Stitch in Time : Vintage Knitting Patterns 1930 – 1959, Volume 2’. I think the boat neck and the way the lace pattern forms an increasing V is simply stunning. Truly vintage.
The Lace Collection contains a review of six lace knitting books and a Who’s Who of lace designers, which gives the reader a little insight into the best lace talent from around the world. There is also a great masterclass by Jane Crowfoot on how to create flawless lacework, which gives you tips on avoiding and correcting mistakes too. I have to admit to loving the showcase review of 24 different lace weight yarns available; it’s a great resource for me when it comes to shopping for stock for the shop.
Personally I love knitting lace but I’d be the first to say it can be time consuming and usually requires more attention than other patterns. I know many accomplished knitters that can knit cables with their eyes closed, but actively avoid knitting lace.
One of the easiest and most lovely of all lace patterns is Old Shale. It works great in most weights of yarn and it’s a four row pattern, with only one of those containing any yarn overs and working stitches together. I shall pop a pattern and some examples up here in the near future.
In the meantime I’d recommend The Knitter Lace Collection to anyone that wants to try lace or would like to go a little further with lace. However, if, like me, you already have the magazines, maybe you should consider whether the €15.12 I paid for my copy in Eason might be better spent on a different knitting book?
Confessions of a Fibre Strumpet 