Emma Varnam’s blog – Knitting, nattering, crochet and craft

A cut above cat

20 Feb 2026

I am a firm believer that Stanley (our cat), is in essence a cowboy. He barges into rooms as if he is opening swing salon doors and announces his presence. It’s as if he is saying, ‘Right I am here… what’s going on? Everything can stop now… oh and get me a drink (dreamies) pronto!’

It frequently crosses my mind that I could really be more ‘Stanley’. I think at least once a week. He has happy high status…he knows who he is and is confident that we will be more than delighted to see him. He then sleeps wherever he likes in utter peace. When not comparing him to a gun-slinging cowboy of an early Western, I think of him being George Clooney. And oh…. Stanley is photogenic – very, very handsome.

He appears on my Instagram feed on a regular basis, mostly because we have a little weekend ritual of a morning cuddle, cat, crochet and coffee. A perfect combination.

I do realise that cats are not everyone’s cup of tea and I am biased but Stanley is very charming.

Stanley has been the inspiration of many projects – not least a front-cover star of my most enduring and loved toy book – Cute Crocheted Animals.

However, as a Mews (forgive me) he does rather like to get involved. I think cats are never very co-operative, they march to the beat of their own drum. But they know how to get our attention. This weekend I have been really enjoying a bit of collage.

When I did GCSE art, I made a couple of tissue paper collages which I really enjoyed. Their existence is long gone, and I had almost completely forgotten them. However, 2 weeks ago I popped to Harrogate with my two dear yarn friend Lucy and Christine (if you know, you know they are FAMOUS yarn people). We had a lovely time and on the Saturday, we swung by the aching gorgeous Toast. I love that shop…. Fullstop. Anyway, in the window was a collage by the artist Andrew Pierce Scott. He has done a number of collages for the shop – some in paper and others in fabric. Their simple yet energetic quality spoke to me. My mind was taken back to evenings and weekends spent at the kitchen table cutting, ripping, gluing scrap paper.

This weekend I had a few unplanned days and so set about collecting my old magazines. I knew what I wanted to make, a scene from our kitchen table. It would have my treasured delf jug, a cup and saucer, a pleasingly round Zauberball sock yarn and…. Look who strode into view. The main man.

I’ll be honest I made quite a few mistakes on my first go. Rather unfortunately I used a blue glue stick. I thought it was one of the glue sticks that dries clear. I was wrong and for a number of hours I despaired at the mistake I had made. Determined not throw the whole project into the bin I decided to have a go at dissolving the worst of the blue residue with a little water and miraculously I worked.

Luckily with a free weekend I was able to keep my project out on the kitchen table for two days. With music playing in the background the hours rushed past in a haze of cutting, drawing and sticking.

Hilariously Stanley sat on the image I drew of him, in exactly the same profile pose I had mapped out. Everything was exactly how it should be.

I loved every minute of this little project. The mistakes, the working out the problems. The whispered memories of projects of my youth. It is fun to dip into some thing a little different. I’m so grateful to have spotted the image in Toast and the artist Andrew Pierce Scott. I wonder how many more window shoppers have been inspired to get out their scissor and glue sticks

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Colour Crush – seeking inspiration in bright makes

29 Dec 2025

Since late Spring of this year, I have found it difficult to find inspiration for my yarn crafts. I’ve chatted about this in my last few blog posts. It has been rather perturbing if I am honest. I know there are worse things at sea, but when your main relaxation is noodling around with the needles, it feels upsetting that the crafting spark has fizzled.

Six to nine months on, I think there may be a new blanket design emerging in the little grey cells, but until then I am distracting myself with a little useful making. I’ve attempted a few novel ways to keep my crafting joy.

Whether its in the house or what I wear, I really do like bright colours. I wear A LOT of navy – always have done – probably always will. But I know that putting on a cheerful colour will lift my spirits. I thought it might be nice to make myself a cowl using Stylecraft Special DK from the stash. It took me a while to choose which pattern to make, but in the end I went for one of my own designs. A ripple pattern that features in How to Crochet. For this version I made the length twice as long so I could wrap it round my neck twice. So cosy! I have been wearing it this week on long mountain walks, and I’ve loved it. Firstly it’s bright and easy to spot, secondly I love the fact a cowl never unravels. Very practical. This should take me very much into Spring.

In the last two years I have reignited my patchwork and quilting love. Just as some non-crocheters love to learn a new hobby and pick up hints and tips from Instagram and YouTube, I have been really inspired by quilting channels. It has been lovely to enjoy a craft just for the making. I have made about 4 machine sewn quilts in the last 2 years. All of them have been pressed into immediate use. I never thought I would try to attempt hand quilting, mostly as I didn’t feel my handsewn stitches were neat enough.

However following the lovely account of Jennifer at Penelope Handmade I felt inspired to make a ‘whole-cloth’ quilt. This is really just hand stitching into a single fabric (or two fabrics). Shamefully I already have a ‘stash’ of quilt batting – the middle woolly fibre which creates the soft bouncy texture. I sewed two pieces together to make up the quantity I needed. You will understand when you see it that it was the fabric that drew me in. I chose this glorious woven fabric by Fablesim. Soft sherberty colours. My choice was the Swedish Holiday – Midsummer Check. Of course it is.

It seemed so obvious that if I was going to jump into hand sewing a quilt I should use a check to help me out. I thought i had enough fabric for the reverse side. I was wrong and had to pop out very quickly to my local remainder fabric store. Luckily for me they had some left over Tana Lawn from Paul Smith. I love tana lawn against my skin. It always feel silky and slightly cold. A good contrast against the soft open weave check.

I’m here to tell you that quilting in not as portable as crochet – but it is a snuggly craft and if the light is good enough, perfectly possible on your lap of an evening. What I hadn’t expected was the calming noise of the stitches as they pass through the fabric. The pop of the knot and then the soft swoosh of the thread as it passes through the fibres. No wonder people love to hand quilt. I found myself turning off music and podcasts just so I could enjoy the silence.

The colours of this project and the joyful simplicity of hand stitching have been so enjoyable. I have even rationed myself to a line of stitching per evening, just to eke out the process. So far I have finished the quilting part, but now need to choose the binding and complete the project. The stitching is not perfect or that regular, but it doesn’t matter, there is a joy in gathering new skills and witnessing an improvement.

Certainly distracting yourself with colour in fabric is good way to break through the crafting stalemate.

The humblest of tasks get beautified if loving hands do them
Louisa May Alcott

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Festive Making – now is a better time

27 Dec 2025

Don’t you think it’s all back to front? I know lots of you are organised, but really now – just after Christmas – now would be the perfect time to sit and make homemade presents. Before Christmas it always seems like a mad rush. If I was clever I would do what quite a few makers do and start in August. But I really really can’t face it.

I hope you are finding a little bit of time to do a little quiet making. It has been unseasonably sunny these last few days. How wonderful! So we have been out and about in the sun wrapped up in warm hats and mittens. Now is our time – the woolly folk. We have the ideal hobby. Lets look at our stash and find some cosy things to make.

As I have a few days of rest just before the New Year, there are a couple of winter birthdays that I can make for. There are a couple of winter projects I return to.

Firstly a pair of fingerless gloves are always a welcome present. They come at just the right season and if you are able to match your colour scheme to the recipients favourite colours its a good call. I have two favourite patterns. Firstly the pair from my book Granny Squares Weekend. I still get loads of images sent to me of crocheters who use this pattern time and time again.

In my most recent Granny Squares book – Vintage Granny Squares I made a new take on the pattern and love the puff stitch stripe on the cuff. It is fun folk look. I think I will be making both with some of the stash languishing in the wardrobe.

I might also have a look at making a few teacosies. You cannot go wrong with a teacosy – if they are used daily they will need to be replaced annually as the wear and tear and eventual staining will take a toll on the fabric. This rainbow granny square is super simple and effective. This one is is from the same Vintage Granny Squares. I did make one of my best friends a stripey knitted cosy for her December birthday. I was inspired by the Toast home catalogue but decided I would b able to make her a ‘homemade version. She is one of my most favourite friends to make for – as I know she sees the love in the stitch.

But also worth searching out in your book collection or your local library Teacozies 4 (I know 4!!!) This book has another one of my most favourite go-to patterns. The colourful granny stripe is very popular by lots of crocheters.

So all of these projects are fairly quick and easy. But what would you add to the list. It is nice to give crochet and knitting that people really need and want. Now is surely the time to make gifts and with the colder January and February coming – it is our super-power. Let’s cast on!

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October – Unsticking the Stuck

20 Oct 2025

Now I don’t want to panic, and in the scheme of things this is a minor issue, but I think we can definitely declare that for about 4 months I have lost my ‘cro-jo’. I haven’t felt the need, desire inspiration to crochet anything.

What on earth is going on? The lack of ideas is a little disconcerting. In fact a little inconvenient. My hands have not been idle, I have rather busied myself with some knitting. But since finishing my son’s aran jumper (see previous post), nothing has captured my imagination to make.

I knew something was seriously wrong when I started packing for my journey to the Knit and Stitch show last weekend at Ally Pally. I couldn’t think of anything to make on the train. **Alarm starts going off in the brain**.

So why has this happened? Well, I have been super busy in lots of parts of my life. Late nights working, lots of jobs to do in the house and unusually for a lapsed introvert, some socialising. None of which has ever stopped me knitting/crocheting before.

It might have been that after many years of writing and designing I have just run out of ideas. The cupboard is empty. There are enough blankets/toys/cacti in the world and I have come to an abrupt stop.

That is all fine, but at the end of a busy day I need to busy my hands. My processing of day at work needs my fingers to work the yarn. So what I have I done? Well I have I delved into the stash and chosen colours that don’t naturally suit me and begun another quilt inspired blanket. I have tried to unstick the stuck. I need not to care what the item will look like. I need to crochet with not a care and push through the block. At times like this, the pattern cannot be complicated it must be easy. The colour choice is a midway point between autumnal tones and winter hues. It has no set destination but it is very much a comfort piece. We will see how large it grows. We will see if the inspiration returns. I hope so.

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A cut above cat

Colour Crush – seeking inspiration in bright makes

Festive Making – now is a better time

October – Unsticking the Stuck