magazine – Page 3 – Emma Varnam’s blog

A Yarn Story – The Factory

I won’t deny it, I love a factory. I have a deep love of industrial heritage and there is something so thrilling to see human ingenuity and the brilliance of engineering in practice. In another part of my world I have spent half a life-time telling the stories of the industrial heritage of Britain, both good and bad. Much of the time we talk in the past tense. However in the last year I have been to visit two factories which have been operation for over a hundred years and produce tradition products using the the latest high-tech machinery. The first was a biscuit factory which makes wonderful products like Custard Creams, oh my I could bore for Britain on that subject (and I have).

I had my second adventure a couple of weeks ago. Just an hour away from where we live, a little hop, skip and jump over the Pennines is Spa Mill, home to Spectrum Yarns who make the new brand, Yarn Stories. On a sunny Friday afternoon I arrived at their imposing Factory building to be met by the wonderful Juliet Bernard. Those who are in the know about the knitting world will remember Juliet’s impressive tenure as Editor of The Knitter Magazine and her extensive career, supporting, developing and celebrating knitting talent and design. She is in the knitting celebrity category and I was in some awe to meet her. Luckily like so many of the people you can meet connected with yarn, she is the most joyful and enthusiastic person. She was keen to show me the home of Yarn Stories and the people who are at the heart of making this wonderful brand.

I was introduced to Mick, who has spent his life dedicated to spinning wool and is the head operation honcho at the factory. He kindly gave me a tour of the factory from the very base to the top. Seeing wool spun, on an industrial scale is quite some spectacle.

Right from the early ‘slivers’ of soft fibre, through to the finest suiting wool thread ready for weaving into cloth for Saville Row. I was able to see the intensity and the precision of spinning wool for weaving suiting cloth.

I literally lost count of processes which were undertaken to get this majestic fibre from fleece to fine lines of yarn.

The machines used combine traditional wisdom with up-to-date technology. Breakages, knots and faults are detected and eliminated. The wool being spun in this British factory really is of the highest quality to make some of the most luxurious yet hard wearing material. It is no surprise that the woollen cloth originated from this Yorkshire town is so sought after across the world.

The factory has a number of different specialisms, which include making fine Merino yarn for sports jumpers. I was like a giddy school girl in the embroidery section. Look at these colours.

I also saw the massive distribution operation, yarn packed up and ready to be sent out across the country, indeed across Europe to yarn shops. Tons and ton of hand-knitting wool for fans of Stylecraft. I also popped into the laboratory to see where they test the yarns and the fibres which are spun for their quality and consistency.

What struck me, is the passion and the seriousness which this brand family take with their job. When I had completed my tour, my general feeling was pride. Pride that English woollen spinners were still spinning, that the industry is not only evolving and developing, but we are also still at the top of the international tree in terms of quality.

At the end of my visit I was able to hear about the vision and the products Yarn Stories are developing. I already really like the wool. Making the Steiger hat was a joy. Juliet is right, once you hold a ball of this softest yarn in your hand, you just want to whip out your needles and hooks and start creating something. I met the Head Designer, Amanda Crawford, and we chatted about the upcoming designs and projects for the brand. The lovely thing is that this British Company wants to invest in British design talent. If you go to the website you can see the design collections and the range of yarns.

If you get a chance get hold of a ball of wool. It is a delight to knit with and there is something so satisfying to know that care, time and some great love has gone into producing it. A brand and a yarn family worth investing in.

A Yarn Story – The Factory Read More »

The Claudia Cowl – Inside Crochet

I had forgotten how thrilling it is to see a design in print. Well more significantly how exciting it is to see one of my designs on the front cover of a magazine. Frequently you don’t get any warning from the lovely people at the magazine. Probably because they are working a minimum of three months ahead and once a magazine goes to print their minds are in an entirely different season.

When I saw the front cover of the current issue of Inside Crochet (63) I literally did a little jig. I just love the styling and the photography of this shoot and to see this image staring out at me at the newsagents, well that is very exciting.

I made this cowl in late summer, early autumn. The colour choice was done by grouping the balls of yarn together. Thinking of the colours of Spring, the purples of crocus, the yellow of daffodils and the pink of blossom is how I came to the final choice.

I also really like using buttons on my designs, usually very unfussy shell buttons. Cute, plain and timeless. Like many of my longer cowl designs, this item really isn’t about warmth, more a yarn necklace. A real staple of my wardrobe.

The Claudia Cowl – Inside Crochet Read More »

The Debbie Bliss Fan Club Week #2 – The Spring Summer 15 Magazine

So the second of my exciting Debbie Bliss blog posts features the designs I have done for Debbie in her new Spring Summer Magazine for 2015. As a knitter I love her magazines. I love the photography and the styling.

Basically anything styled by Mia Pejcinovic is going to be beautiful; clean and stylish. It is an honour to have the professional styling and a ‘look’ of Debbie’s work for my own patterns.

I wanted to create the perfect nursery toys which embody the spring season. I had in mind creating the perfect non-chocolate Easter pressie. Don’t get me wrong chocolate is always welcome, but on an Easter Egg Hunt wouldn’t it be nice to find these guys nestled in the undergrowth? Crochet is such a robust and hard-wearing fabric. You can be confident that your creations will live for generations to come.

Both Quack the Duck and Bob Bunny use the lovely soft fibre of Debbie Bliss Eco Baby.

Here is Quack mid-way through. I like to incorporate limbs into the crochet as I go, which makes the toy super-strong. If you are a beginner it is always worth investing in safety eyes for knitted and crochet toys so that you can have peace of mind. I also like to weight my toys and give them a ‘beanie-bottom’. Lots of toy makers do this and it helps your toys to sit nicely. I use a nylon stocking and some split peas which I place in the base of the toy and then add stuffing afterwards.

I was also inspired to create a small version of Debbie’s beloved Jack Russell, Smiffy. This toy uses Blue Face Leicester and is made in sections. Change the colours and you can create other breeds.

You can see that Smiffy has a staring role in the magazine and he features on the front cover of Debbie’s new hit book Woolly Woofers.

I do really hope you like these designs and get time to browse through the magazine. It is always a huge favourite for me and I am off now to read all the articles. If you like these designs please do leave a comment or perhaps pop over to the facebook page and tell me what animals you like making as toys.

The Debbie Bliss Fan Club Week #2 – The Spring Summer 15 Magazine Read More »

New quick and easy designs

I have two new designs to share with you for the New Year – one crochet, one knitting

Firstly, it has been a while since I hit the front cover on a magazine. The excitement of spotting a design on the newsagents shelves never goes away. Little B really loves it – there are usually shrieks, (this I assume will fade with age – shame). The nice people at Let’s Knit/Let’s get Crafting have a new magazine, Make it Today. My crochet square of sherbet yarns has made it onto the front cover. What a nice image.

Secondly I have a nifty wee ski hat which is in the latest image of Let’s Get Crafting. It is such a simple shape and a great beginners project. This square shape is also really fun and flattering and in a different colour scheme, popular with boys.

I used the basic pattern myself over Christmas to make a hat for a young friend of mine. Miss Sparkles is only very young, but she knows her design mind. We often chat about her ideas and one day I said to her, ‘If you draw me a design for a hat, I will make it for you’.

Well in fact she found her perfect design idea in a local supermarket. But she wanted her fox hat to be in burgundy, cream and navy. I was happy to oblige. I have no doubt that Miss Sparkles will knit, sew and create her own designs, I just love being part of her vision.

New quick and easy designs Read More »

Christmas Pressie Crush 14 #1

Hello Lovelies, I am sorry my blog was down for a couple of days. Not sure what was going on there. But my technical whizz has sorted it. Thank goodness for Big B! So what are you making at the moment? I have a couple of commissions in the pipeline, but I have tried to be kind to myself and not overload the projects. In previous years I have felt that my Christmas making has really taken a back seat and that has been a bit of a sad frustration. Making something personal for a friend or family member is one of my joys. When I can’t do that in the run up to Christmas due to unrealistically over-committing, then that is my own jolly fault. But it is not clever or wise.

So this year I have made a start. Actually when I was editing the photos to fit them onto the blog, they made me laugh. Basically I have reverted to what I know. Hats, keyrings, teacozies. I have made another hat using the Lumio yarn. I simply love this reflecting effect which is woven into the yarn. We did a test drive of Little B’s hat the other night, and it looked fabulous.

I have also perfected my go-to teacozy pattern with Debbie Bliss Donegal Aran Tweed. A really rustic country look. I just need to buy quite alot of teapots to go with each gift.

Finally I have made some bead keyrings. I saw this idea in Prima Craft magazine. I can’t remember which issue, but it seems like fun. Gradually I am making some in all my friends favourite colours. We have started the Christmas crafting….but we have by no means finished!

Christmas Pressie Crush 14 #1 Read More »

Baby, it’s cold outside

Back in July, when we embarked on our summer holiday. I had in my project bag a number of commissions from Let’s get Crafting magazine. I had already completed a pattern for knitted and crochet stockings for the tree. Now we were into the full thrust of Christmas crafting, how funny. I can remember distinctly working on these baby Santa mitts very, very early in the morning, when the rest of the house was fast asleep. Happy silent making, fortified by a strong filter coffee. Don’t they look sweet on this bonny baby?

I also made these angels, which were actually really satisfying to make and I think you could use them for place settings as well. You could use all sorts of decoration to embellish them. It would also be a nice idea to embroider the date on the skirt if you were giving one of these away as a gift for Christmas.

Finally, perhaps my favourite project for a long time. These mug hugs made me giggle from beginning to end. I loved making them and then Little B and I spent time positioning their arms. Lots of fun.

Over the years I have amassed quite a few festive patterns which I make as gifts. Knitting and crochet for friends has already begun. One of my favourite finds is a ball of Lumio from SMC which has a reflective strand throughout the wool.

I found this ball when visiting friends at Black Sheep wools. I have set myself a challenge recently to see if I can make something that Little B will wear, and this techno yarn geekery spoke to me. So I made this chunky hat last night. I also found this gorgeous faux fur pom-pom. This Rico Wild Wild Wool fur pom-pom is very good quality and worth paying for if you are giving this hat as a gift. You could keep one as a pet. Well as the predicted the pom-pom is not required but the novelty of sparkly hat is looking promising. How cool is that!

Baby, it’s cold outside Read More »

The belated summer tablecloth or getting inspiration from inspiration

I cannot tell you when it was that I decided I wanted to edge a table cloth for summer. I had fully intended to edge a round table cloth for use outdoors on our garden table. Don’t ask me why I bought the most humongous rectangular tablecloth instead. I have no idea. Luckily plain white tablecloths were much reduced at our local supermarket and this large white monster was being sold off cheaply. We also have an enormous kitchen table, so whilst my outdoor table remains naked, the kitchen table has new finery. Perhaps this arrangement is fortuitous, because the whole process of edging this monster (whilst working on other projects) has meant that that the TA-DAHHH moment has rather missed summer.

I think I had in the back of my mind the idea of using up some of my remaining stash of Bergere de France Cotton. Just as I was ready to put the finished cloth on the table, this rather lovely email came from Julie via email. Julie made a rather fine version of my Campervan Doorstop a while ago and called him Archie.

This year she has made the Mystery Wrap I made for Inside Crochet magazine. Isn’t it beautiful? You know what – how beautifully blocked this version is and I do love the colours. Anyway see her pictures got me thinking. I got out my original version of the mystery scarf and laid it out as a table runner. Very bright and quite autumnal. (Mine is a bit crumpled in comparison).

The following day we visited my favourite garden centre who were having a little Shindig and my boys bought me a bunch of the most lovely late summer blooms from this lovely grower/florist.

I do love dahlias, look at that colour! So pretty and they pack a punch. I am not sure if it was a subconscious purchase but what a wonderful combination. So yes, it took me ages to finish my summer tablecloth. But do you know I am kind of glad it did.

The belated summer tablecloth or getting inspiration from inspiration Read More »

Debbie Bliss Fall/Winter 2014

You know how much I love Debbie Bliss. Seriously, a brilliant woman. Well I love to read her magazines. I particularly like this issue. Why? Ok let us get this out of the way, I have have an article in this issue about the adventures we had with the Gawthorpe Hall designs. That was nearly a year ago, I can’t quite believe that. This article gives you an in depth look into all the inspiration behind those designs and you can download the patterns from Ravelry.

My lasting memory of the visit to Gawthorpe was all the laughter we had on that day. You can read about the day here. On the car journey on our way back from Lancashire to Cheshire. I was driving Debbie and Claire Montgomerie back to the train station. I can remember one particular roundabout just outside Burnley where I nearly crashed the car – we were laughing so much.

If you ever get a chance to hear Debbie speak, take the opportunity – she is so self-effacing and downright funny. If you are in London this weekend she is holding a Woolly Woofers workshop in The Queen Elizabeth Room at Southwark Cathedral from 2-4pm this Sunday. Visit Debbie’s facebook page to check out the details.

So put that aside, there is a very kind review of my book as well – *blushing*

‘But what about the content?’ I hear you cry. Yet again there is an excellent mix of patterns in this issue, modern and fashionable knitwear. The colourful aran collection is absolutely stunning.

I always fall in love with the modern accessories. Look at this hot water bottle cover – so scrummy.

Few designers really share their thought processes and design inspiration, but Debbie always includes a really good section on what is currently inspiring her and there is also a wonderful article with her top knitting tips. There is also an article about my new knitting crush, True Brit Knits. I spied these badges a while ago and knew I wanted one. The ‘prefect’ style appeals to my sense of humour. Sorry. Pop by their lovely website if you fancy your own.

Finally there is a great review of the Knitwear – Chanel to Westwood exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London. I went to the exhibition last weekend and loved it. The crochet items were particularly impressive. Such style, such drape – couture at its best.

The shop was well stocked as well. So all in all. I love this magazine, plenty to get your teeth into and very quintessentially Debbie. (Of course you can always buy online here)

Disclaimer: Whilst I do collaborate with Team Debbie Bliss – I am under no obligation to publicise Debbie Bliss- Conway Bliss apart from being a mega fan/stalker and official part-time cheerleader.

Debbie Bliss Fall/Winter 2014 Read More »

World Pomination

I do love a pom pom. Little B and I have had a fabulous time making little creatures with spare wool. Here is our little Penguin – so cute. Making pom-poms is so much easier than when I was a gal. Threading wool through a cardboard doughnut for hours on end would never induce you to make a garland or hair-band.

The new pom-pom makers are a complete boon when it comes to creating the fluffy spheres. When Kirstie Allsop featured them on her craft programme, retailers sold out of them within hours. I did a quick tutorial of how to use a pom-pom maker here.

The image above is copyright Lucy Smith, Smith Imaging

Recently I was browsing the gorgeous Mollie Makes Handmade Wedding magazine and was inspired by some mohair pom-pom garlands. I knew I just had to make them for my friend Lucy, who is the most amazing photographer. (More about Lucy in the next few weeks). I think a pom-pom garland would make a great decoration for a winter wedding. Such a pretty idea.

Making pom-poms with mohair yarn is so satisfying they are like little baby chicks of colour – SO FLUFFY

If you are similarly obsessed and would like to pom for charity, Kirstie Allsop is attempting to break a world record using pom-poms. Simply make 3 or more pompoms, tie them together and attach your name, then either drop them off at your local Hobbycraft store or bring them to the Handmade Fair this September. Hobbycraft stores across the country will also be holding ‘pomination workshops’ during the summer holidays for children to join in the fun. Check out the website here for more information.

Worth mentioning is that Let’s Get Crafting magazine are giving away a pom-pom maker in their current issue so if you have yet to experience the modern way of making these fluffy beauties check it out!

World Pomination Read More »