Nottingham Yarn Expo 2018

This is one of Ellie's 'walkabout' videos which give a visitor's-eye-view of this recent event.

crafthousemagic.blogspot.com/2018/11/nottingham-yarn-expo-2018.html

In news that will surprise no-one who knits and spins, an Indian study has found that spinning every day has "positive and soothing effects on the participants."

To be more specific, spinning charkha for one hour daily may improve concentration, multitasking abilities, patience and mind-body coordination of young people.

indianexpress.com...spinning-charkha-may-have-positive-effect...

How Pantone Picked 'Living Coral' as the 2019 'Color of the Year'

Who chooses the colour of the year and why?

Here's a link directly to Pantone if you'd like to wade through some possibly meaningless waffle about the colour.

For my main link I've chosen Wendy MacNaughton's article on the NY Times. She has spoken to Pantone and has some answers. Her article also contains Johan Wolfgang Von Goethe's 1809 colour wheel, used as the 'wheel of influences', some previous years' colours, some example products in Living Coral and unusually for a web article it's written in handwriting which makes mine look good.

www.nytimes.com...business/pantone-2019-color-of-the-year-living-coral.html

Ancient fibre art is practised by re-enactor

This is Cristina Yonce with some of her work which was made by nålbinding, a technique that predates knitting and is more akin to sewing. It appears to date back to 6,500 BC

This interview appears in The Detroit News and gives details about the craft and Cristine's work.

With thanks to Knithacker for sharing.

eu.detroitnews.com...ancient-fiber-art-practiced-re-enactor...

Electric Eel Wheel Mini 2 Kickstarter campaign

We've had a look at the Electric Eel Wheel here before, this is the new EEW Mini 2.

Besides being palm-sized and ultra-portable, it features quieter design, switchable spin direction, roving slots to hold your roving and avoid singles untwisting, magnetic orifice hook holder, colour options, optional orifice reducer, optional USB power cord.

The kickstarter campaign is open for a few days after I send the full version of this newsletter, so there's time to get involved. I believe the opportunity is open worldwide.

www.kickstarter.com/projects/dreamingrobots/electric-eel-wheel-mini-2

Colour and power

Colour has often been associated with power, but to some, colour value (light or dark) has been more important than the hue.

In this article for Ply magazine, Katie Weston takes a look at the significance of colour in history and how these things could apply to us today.

plymagazine.com/2018/11/the-power-of-colour

Navajo spindle and WIP

rahardjo has posted these beautiful pictures of her Navajo Spindle.

This very long spindle is like a kick-spindle. It's used in a base on the floor and propelled along the thigh.

www.instagram.com/p/Bq0ymj5lz0O

The one-ball sweater | Combospin and embracing chaos

Yes, this is really 750g of handspun yarn wound into a single ball. Why? "I wanted to see what it would look like. It was glorious!" says Joyuna. There's more about the 'great yarnball' here.

Combospinning is popular, it's the new fractal spinning. In this post, Joyuna explains the process with pictures. It's "spinning by embracing chaos", the opposite of consistency.

blog.joyuna.com/2018/11/the-one-ball-sweater-combospin-and.html

What is differential shrinkage?

It's a scary-sounding term, says Fiber Sprite, but the principle is simple and it can be used to create interesting effects in handspun yarn and woven fabric.

www.fibersprite.com/blog/what-is-differential-shrinkage

A year in the making: Sparkle Cardigan

Not only is this a beautiful finished project, but Rachel has written a great blog post about the fibre, the spinning, swatching and knitting.

welfordpurls.com/2018/11/24/a-year-in-the-making-sparkle-cardigan

Sometimes, science is slow

These two skeins of yarn are identical except that one of them is opposing-ply.

That's a three-ply yarn with one of the plies spun in the same direction as the plying, which means that the odd ply has much more twist, and thus gives the yarn more strength.

You may have guessed from the title that this is an experiment to compare two socks, one made from an opposing-ply yarn. Knit/Wit made the test pair and has worn and washed them normally for five years.

In this post she documents the experiment, shows the results and shares her conclusion.

paknitwit.blogspot.com/2018/11/sometimes-science-is-slow.html

Walnut dye in September

Walnut trees grow well here. The dye that exists in the hulls and leaves is a very fast natural dye and doesn't need a mordant, says Riihivilla.

This picture showing her experiments shows some colours which are attractive as browns go.

She has some interesting comments and tips.

riihivilla.blogspot.com/2018/12/walnut-dye-in-september.html

Redistributing left over singles, EEW-style

This is a short video of the Electric Eel Wheel in action. At first I thought that rahardjo had set up some unattended plying! But she is in fact redistributing singles from one bobbin to another.

www.instagram.com/p/BrBFYJglV2U

hand driven wheel

This is a style of wheel that I've not seen before. It looks very much like a charkha, a hand-cranked spindle.

There are many comments, within those wiesensalat reveals that the wheel is from a German maker, Wollwolff, this model is number 505 in their catalogue.

www.instagram.com/p/Bot2sFCnh19

The Knitcoin Edition

If you get the impression that this is a real version of the Monopoly game, it actually seems like a great idea.

If you want money, you knit it. No handouts after passing Go. This is a more accurate reflection of life through human history. I'm not so clear about the link with cryptocurrency.

This is a work of art, it is designed to encourage people to consider the consequences of the system of money for manual labour. The rest of the game remains unchanged, and apparently Monopoly was originally invented as a criticism - to demonstrate the unfairnesses of our system.

www.stitchingworlds.net/speculation/the-knitcoin-edition

Visit at Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk

Thanks to Linda Marveng for sharing these pictures of her tour of a wool-processing mill.

This mill is Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk at Hjelmås, outside of Bergen, Norway.

If this appeals to you and you're in the UK, don't forget that John Arbon are happy to run pre-arranged tours for groups, and have an open weekend in the Spring.

www.marveng-puckett.com/wordpress/2018/12/visit-at-hillesvag-ullvarefabrikk

Bags of interest in show and tell on guild day

I love these 'show and tell' posts by the Marlborough Weavers, they're a gold-mine of inspiration and ideas.

This one includes a joint cushion-cover project involving several of the weavers.

There are two more 'show and tell' posts to wrap up the year here and here.

marlboroughweavers.blogspot.com...bags-of-interest-in-show-and-tell-on.html

Team Colors Weave-along: Tips and Tricks for Getting Started

"You have to be warped to weave" goes the saying.

The Team Colours weave-along has already started, but even if you're not taking part in the weave-along, there are four patterns here along with a number of good tips for rigid-heddle weaving.

The idea to weave team colours for sporting events such as football, but you could use colours for your favourite team in any kind of event. Or just enjoy these rigid-heddle weaving tips.

www.interweave.com...Team Colors Weave-along: Tips and Tricks for Getting Startedteam-colors-weave-along-tips-and-tricks-for-getting-started

What to do with all those swatches?

Making a gauge swatch is good advice that not all of us take.

but what do you do with that 4" square when the project is finished. Here are some ideas which range from "bin it" to making bowls, coasters and other projects.

www.interweave.com/article/knitting/what-to-do-with-yarn-swatches

Five tips for faster knitting and why you shouldn't care

I'm guessing that as we approach the day that must not be named, you may well be knitting to a deadline.

Lisa Shroyer has five tips for faster and more efficient knitting (which will all apply to crochet and weaving too). She also warns that working to a deadline kills the fun, and you may not want to be a test knitter as much as you think.

www.interweave.com/article/knitting/5-tips-faster-knitting-shouldnt-care

Peter Collingwood's No Math Centering method

Thanks to Laura for sharing this tip. Using the Peter Collingwood method, you can centre your warp in your reed using a flexible tape measure and no maths.

laurasloom.blogspot.com/2018/11/peter-collingwoods-no-math-centering.html

Why Norwegian Purl?

In stranded knitting 'lice' are regular single stitches of the contrast colour, forming a fleck pattern.

These sheepy socks are Ann Kingstone's 'Drover' socks which feature such 'lice' on the cuffs, and in order to make the lice stand out, she recommends holding that contrast colour in the left hand. (continental held). This means making the regular purl stitches in the cuff using the yarn in the left hand.

This leads to her Norwegian Purl video tutorial. In short, purling using yarn held at the back.

https://annkingstone.com/why-norwegian-purl/

You've heard about waxed cotton, but what about waxed wool?

This jacket is made from waxed wool. I wonder whether the effect is similar to the way that ganseys would become more weatherproof as they were worn for dirty physical work and not washed.

The jacket is made in the UK. The wool is sourced from a British mill and the custom waxing process is applied in Scotland.

https://gearpatrol.com/2018/12/10/taylor-stitch-rover-waxed-wool-jacket/

Avocado Sock

Who knew that putting an avocado in a wool sock makes it ripen faster?

It does, according to the maker of the 'Avocado Sock' but I'm not convinced that wrapping something in wool warms it up unless it produces its own warmth.

Here are four methods of speeding up the ripening of an Avocado. If the 'avocado sock' really works, then there's a very quick and easy project - no heel to turn and no second sock syndrome!

www.thedailymeal.com...avocado-sock-and-3-other-hacks-ripen-avocados

'Cosy and warm' - the wool coffins made in Leeds

This coffin is said to be warmer and more approachable than the traditional wooden ones.

It's another British product, made by A W Hanswoth. It's 100% biodegradable and can be buried or cremated.

There is a tradition of burying people in wool which goes back to the 17th century.

Can it really take three fleeces to make one? That's a lot of wool.

www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk...the-wool-coffins-made-in-leeds...

Jigsaw - online

Thank you very much if you've had a go at any of these on your computer or tablet, particularly to the one or two people who've written to tell me that they've enjoyed them.

I've set them up with 35 - 50 pieces- just the right number for a coffee-break challenge and you gradually reveal the cartoon.

www.jigsawplanet.com/shieladixon/Yvonne

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The Intentional Weaver by Laura Fry

I've been following the progress of Laura's new book, The Intentional Weaver.

There's a recorded interview with Laura including some chat about her book in this episode of the Sweetgeorgia Show.

She's just launching and has an introductory offer running until the solstice on 21 Dec.

Laura is shipping Internationally, but contact her about the cost of shipping.

laurasloom.blogspot.com/2018/12/launch-time.html

The definitive history of Tiverton's wool trade

It's fascinating to think that the whole population of a town, men, women and children alike, were involved in some aspect of making woollen cloth,

This book will be of interest to spinners and weavers in Devon. It charts the many and varied aspects of the history of the trade from its beginnings to its demise.

www.devonlive.com...definitive-history-tivertons-wool-trade-2276126

Wee cardigan

Rebecca made this tiny doll cardy using Jamieson and Smith leftovers and it even has a steek.

needleandspindle.com/?p=4918

Wollyelly's teal fabric

This amazing bag is made out of a length of fabric that woollyelly wove to use up stashed yarn. The yardage included various handspun and overdyed fibres.

(Link is to Ravelry project for the cloth and has pictures of various projects made from it.)

https://www.ravelry.com/projects/woollyelly/teal-fabric

Why this Cornish town is being 'yarn bombed'

Yarn bombing stories appear in the news regularly now, but there are some great photographs on the Pirate FM website showing some of the guerrilla knitting that appeared for the Liskeard Wool Festival.

www.piratefm.co.uk...photos-why-this-cornish-town-is-being-yarn-bombed

Same model, same pattern, two interpretations

milancorinne has used the same pattern for two interpretations of this jumper. Both are handspun alpaca, "one with a touch of silk, one with a touch of Shetland".

www.instagram.com/p/Bq_7mEqFDL5

Turkish spindle

This month's sexy spindle shot shows some beautiful threewatersfarm fibre wrapped around mrs.addy's wrist and spun singles wrapped around her fingers ahead of winding onto her Turkish spindle.

www.instagram.com/p/BrJPqsWFI0v

Raglan pullover

I love this picture of the bubbly Chantimanou. As is evident, she had fun during the photo session.

The fibre is Corriedale, Shetland and Polwarth, hand-dyed, spun longdraw from rolags and Navajo-plied

She used no pattern, just knit a top-down raglan.

www.instagram.com/p/BqxD8AtFGxr

Weaving with texture

For some, the definition of art yarn is that yarn that's made for its own sake, but I love seeing art yarn used in a finished project.

In this case, twistedmyrtle has used these cocoon-like coils to give texture to woven fabric.

www.instagram.com/p/Bqh2bpYl2W5

Thinking About Coffee

Louisa used stash handspun yarn for this coffee-cosy, two strands held together to get the thickness required.

The pattern is Thinking about coffee by Lisa Risager. and it's free. It's knit larger than required and felted in a washing machine.

damselflys.blogspot.com/2018/12/seeing-in-dark.html

Necktie by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas

This is a smart necktie, and you can see that it looks great in a yarn with some colour changes. Maybe something brightly coloured for a festive feel or something solid or semi-solid for a more formal look.

It's quite a fine knit, it calls for 300 yards of fingering weight (14 wpi).

Click through to the pattern via Knithacker who made the suggestion.

knithacker.com...handsome-necktie-makes-a-great-gift-and-the-pattern-is-free

Thrumdrum Hat by Fran Rushworth

Thrumming means knitting scraps of unspun tops into the garment to create a thick puffy and warm layer.

This is the free pattern which also appears in Fran's 2019 "Twelve Months of Plant Dyes" calendar.

wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-thrumdrum-hat-pattern.html

Mermaid knit / crochet party wine sleeve

Not just a free pattern but a whole 25 days-worth of free patterns.

Darn Good Yarn have been publishing one for each day of December. They tend to be like this bottle cozy - quick crochet / knits for pretty handmade gifts.

www.darngoodyarn.com/blogs/darn-good-blog/day-9-of

Yule Mitts by Ella Gordon

I'm including this under 'free patterns' because Ella has included a voucher code in the blog post that I'm linking to. That code is good if you already own her Einar mitts. If you don't you can add both to your basket and get the Yule ones for free.

As the mitts have a festive theme I assume that the code will be good until Christmas at least.

Filoplume Shawl by Bex Hopkins - A Review

What a delight to spot this handspun cashmere shawl, modelled so well, and to discover that the pattern is by friend-of-HSN Bex Hopkins (ninjabex).

Fran has documented the blending, spinning and knitting as well as her comments on the pattern.

wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2018/11/filoplume-shawl-by-bex-hopkins-review.html

Congratulations to knittingsarah on finishing this jumper. It's made from yarn that she spun during Spinzilla this year, including a large quantity of the grey. The details of the fibre and spinning are back here.

The pattern is Tecumseh by Caitlin Hunter

www.instagram.com/p/BrGfASSFS4z

The Feral Shawl by Taylor E Owen

Congratulations to Taylor Owen who has published the pattern for this half-pi shawl that she made from heavy worsted weight yarn, spun from well-blended Jacob fleece.

www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-feral-shawl

Williamsburg Socks by Jaclyn Salem

Jaclyn designed these socks to use Harvest Hues from John Arbon. The fibre consists of dark zwartbles wool blended with dyed merino. It's now available in thirteen colours, 4-ply spun yarn as well as top for spinning.

www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/williamsburg-socks

A Scientifically accurate hand-knit sculpture of the human brain

I'm not sure whether the colours are totally anatomically-accurate, but the parts of this brain are complex and accurate.

Dr. Karen Norberg wanted to create something "mysterious and difficult" from a cuddly material such as cotton yarn.

For some reason, the zipper in the middle amuses me very much.

The article has various views of the work alongside actual scans of a real human brain. Maybe it's not for you if you're very squeamish, but I find it all quite beautiful.

www.thisiscolossal.com/2018/12/scientifically-accurate-hand-knit-brain/

Waltham Abbey Wool Show

Sunday 20 January 2019 10am-4pm, Marriott Hotel, Old Shire Lane, Waltham Abbey

VIP Guest for the 2019 show is LOUISE TILBROOK, knitwear designer and author of Everyday Knitter blog.

45 exhibitors, a selection of crochet, knitting, spinning and other craft workshops at a variety of levels.

www.walthamabbeywoolshow.co.uk

Unravel

Friday 22 - Sunday 24 February 2019, Farnham Maltings, Hampshire

In its 11th year, the event will host a marketplace of over 70 quality exhibitors selling yarn & fibre accessories and feature a programme of bookable workshops, talks & demonstrations led by UK & International experts.

craft.farnhammaltings.com/portfolio/unravel-festival-knitting

Edinburgh Yarn Festival

21 - 23 March 2019, Edinburgh Corn Exchange

(Classes and Fringe events 20 - 24 March)

A celebration of all things related to yarn, wool, knitting, crochet, spinning, weaving and felting. A fantastic market place with around 100 selected vendors, great workshops and a host of other attractions

www.edinyarnfest.com

Spring into Wool

13 - 14 April 2019, Grammar School, Leeds

The perfect event for all lovers of knitting, crochet, feltmaking, weaving, spinning, dyeing, and all things woolly!

www.springintowool.co.uk

Wonderwool Wales

27 - 28 April 2019, Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells

the 13th Annual Wonderwool Wales Festival. It's your chance to enjoy a fantastic range of Welsh and British artisan products and an opportunity to meet the wonderful people who made them. A great family day out with hands-on woolschool workshops and events showcasing the best in Welsh and British wool and natural fibres.

A list of accommodation and camping in the surrounding area is available on the Wonderwool website.

www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk

Leeds Wool Festival

Saturday 1 June 2019

This popular event includes a market offering a range of goods from local traders, workshops and activities, demonstrations of special techniques, tips from professional speakers, a Q&A with our Knitting Gurus, and children's crafting activities.

www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries/armleymills/leeds-wool-festival

Woollinn

14 & 15 June 2019, City North Hotel, 20 minutes north of Dublin Airport

Ireland's Festival of Yarn

woollinn.com

Woolly Worstead

Saturday 15 - Sunday 16 June 2019, Weavers' Workshop, Dilham, Norfolk

Sheep-shearing demos, crochet, knitting, spinning, weaving, felting- demos and "have a go", alpacas and donkeys to feed and pet.

worsteadweavers.org.uk/woolly-weekend-2019

Woolfest

Fri 28 and Sat 29 June 2019, Cockermouth, Cumbria

Woolfest was founded to provide a showcase and a celebration of the best of wool and wool crafts.

The event is all about creativity and design with beautiful quality, amazing colours and skilled craftsmanship.

www.woolfest.co.uk

Yarningham

Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 July 2019, Uffculme Centre, Birmingham

www.stitchesandhos.co.uk/yarningham/4591459403

Fibre East

27 - 28 July 2019, Redbourne Community College, Flitwick Road, Ampthill, Bedford MK45 2NU

An annual event created to celebrate all things natural fibre and handmade, with a focus on the Best of British: supporting the finest quality British wool, made from the fleeces of British sheep, reared by British farmers.

www.fibre-east.co.uk

Yarnfolk Festival of Wool

3 August 2019, Whitehead's town centre from 10am - 5pm

Whitehead in Co. Antrim will once again play host to Yarnfolk Wool Festival for the 3rd year.

www.yarnfolkwoolfestni.com

British Wool Show (formerly British Wool Weekend Show)

Friday 9 and Saturday 10 August 2019, York Auction Centre, Murton Lane, Murton, York, YO19 5GF

Supporting the Campaign for Wool.

Exciting treasures to discover; wool from fleece to finished items and other items you will need to spin, weave, knit, crochet, hand dye, cross stitch, embroider or make felt.

www.britishwool.net

Southern Wool Show

Saturday 31 August and 1 September 2019, Newbury Racecourse, Berkshire

The perfect event for all lovers of knitting, crochet, feltmaking, weaving, spinning, dyeing, and all things woolly!

www.southernwoolshow.co.uk

Yarndale

28 and 29 September 2019, Skipton Auction Mart, North Yorkshire

Stunning exhibitions, skill demonstrations and a full programme of textile workshops create a visual feast and make Yarndale a real must-visit for yarn lovers.

yarndale.co.uk

Shetland Wool Week

28 September - 6 October 2019

A busy week dedicated to celebrating Shetland wool and textile heritage.

Includes classes, talks, drop-ins, art. See website for the full events listing.

shetlandwoolweek.com

The Wool Event, Masham Sheep Fair

Saturday 5 and 6 Oct, 2019, Masham Town Hall

Craft market and fleece stalls, specialising in British wool to compliment the sheep-related events that fill the square of Masham over the weekend.

www.mashamsheepfair.com

Bakewell Wool Gathering

Bakewell Agricultural Centre Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 October

A wool festival dedicated to the best of yarn, knitting, and crochet, in the heart of the Derbyshire Dales.

There will be exhibitors, demonstrations of fibre crafts and a fleece stand selling plenty of local fleece.

bakewellwool.co.uk

Loch Ness Knit Fest

16 - 20 October 2019, Inverness Leisure Centre.

www.lochnessknitfest.com

Our linen stories

Scotland is more usually associated with tartan and tweed, but linen and flax are an important part of its history

This touring exhibition aims to combine stories from the past with new works from contemporary designers.

The towns in Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands that the tour visits have their own stories and this gives the opportunity to include local designers and stories.

https://ourlinenstories.com