Great Adventures!

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This week I have had so much fun. On Thursday I traveled across to West Yorkshire to join the Knit Now – Knitter of the Year Awards. All the award winners were invited to West Yorkshire Spinners for a factory tour and absolutely gorgeous lunch.

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We had a wonderful day listening to the great things that British Wool are doing to preserve this great part of our industry and heritage. We learnt about the grades of fleece available in Britain and how they all have different purposes and weight. It is a stunning process and until you have looked and felt the different fibres, it is so easy to assume that all wool is the same  – it is not.

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The wonderful people at West Yorkshire Spinners gave us some background to their company and their passion for British Wool. The fabulous Peter and Richard provided a personal tour of the factory. We were able to see how the wool tops change from a fluffy fibre to strong and colourful yarn we craft with every day. We were even allowed to look at the very secret dye house, which was such a revelation.

west-yorkshire-spinners-emma-varnamhttps://www.britishwool.org.uk/Great Adventures

As mentioned in my previous post I have worked with West Yorkshire Spinners this year on our Bo Peep Great Adventures book. The trip provided me with the opportunity to put a face to the names of many of the great people I have been working with remotely. I met the lovely ‘Yarn Fairy’ Helen who has pattern checked and crocheted many of my designs. It was a thrill to see her.

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There was a lovely display of the patterns at the factory with the cutest mini-wardrobe. I was so thrilled to pick up the bears and give them a quick cuddle.

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I also saw my lovely friend Christine – Winwick Mum. She won the ‘Online Innovator’ Award and you should pop over to her blog for her in depth post of our day.

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The end of the day culminated in an awards ceremony. I have never won an award before so it was a very lovely thing. To celebrate the award and the launch of Great Adventures I thought it might be quite nice to have a fun giveaway.

Give away

I am giving away a copy of Great Adventures and the yarn to make a bear and the outfits. It is a wonderful opportunity. If you would like to enter the please leave a comment below telling me why you like to craft for children. Entries will end at 6.am (GMT) on 25th March 2019
This has now closed and CONGRATULATIONS to Chloe who was comment 21 – as picked up by the random number generator. Thank you to all who commented. It was so fabulous to read all your lovely comments and how you are inspired to create for children. x

54 thoughts on “Great Adventures!”

  1. Camilla Keable

    I love to craft for children because of the delight they have when you give them something you have made. I like to think they will treasure and keep the handmade items for many years to come.

  2. I have 6 reasons why I love crafting for children- my grandchildren! They are ages 6, 5, 4, 2, 2 and 4 months. There is a 7th reason too – she will be born in July.

  3. I love making things for my son because it inspires him to join in. He also pushes me to learn new techniques (like making your camper van as my first pattern).

  4. Mary-Lynn Dalrymple

    I love crafting for children because I get so much joy from seeing a child wearing or playing with something I have made with my own two hands!

  5. Trish scobell

    I love to craft for children because in hand making something and giving it to someone, especially someone young, we pass on tradition and skill as they are enthused to follow our footsteps and try their hand at crafting.

    Whenever a child has watched me make something, either knit or crochet, they have always said, “I want to do that!” …. and that’s a wonderful thing!
    Maybe my handmade traditions and skills will be seen in generations to come , so I love teaching friends and family to knit or crochet. Xx

  6. I love to craft for children, especially toys as it’s lovely to see the way they use their imagination to play with them. They bring the toys to life!

  7. I love crafting for children because I get so much joy from seeing a child wearing something I have made with my own hands

  8. Amanda peterson

    Seeing my grandchildren faces when I give them something I’ve knitted is the best feeling in the world xxx

  9. Karen tomlinson

    The joy that children show when they receive a handmade gift is so so precious. I have rag dolls that my mum made me and my children have crochet teddies, unicorns and a postman pat. These will be handed down and cherished for generations. They love having something unique!

  10. I love crafting for family and friends, they love receiving my sometimes very random gifts, eg a Yoda figure for my very grown up son! Or a squishy cowl for a friend crafting keeps me sane, a release from everyday life

  11. Claire Pringle

    As they are such fabulous recipients. My nieces think I am an amazing aunt and woolly hugs gets great gifts for their charity efforts

  12. Janet Sowden

    Just love your patterns and have made many of your cute crocheted rabbits and mice for children. They have raised money for neonatal charity at my local hospital. I now have the chance to make things for my first grandchild, Elsie, who is 3 months old. Can’t wait to get going.

  13. Carole Godfrey

    I love to make all sorts of things for my grandchildren, and do so much more than I did for their parents. Probably because I have so much more free time now. It’s so rewarding to give them something I have made just for them, and quite flattering (but a bit scary) that they think I can ‘knit’ anything!

  14. Congratulations on your award! I really enjoy your blog and your work! I love crafting for children because I love feeding the spark of a child’s imagination! And toys are fast to make!

  15. The little ones in my family ask me to make toys. Cats, bunnies, owls, foxes. They get a lot of pleasure out of a toy made with love and I’m so pleased when they ask for a hand made toy rather than something from a shop.

  16. I like to craft for children because they can help design things, amigurumi crochet is great for this because of the variety of 3D shapes you can create and combine. I have a big bag of yarn especially for this and my kids love designing their own toys which they are proud of, they do the stuffing and one day soon I hope will pick up the hook and have a go. I even encourage them to design things to make as birthday gifts for friends!

  17. Hope that they will want to learn how to crochet for when they see what can be made with a hook and needle!!!

  18. Richard scarborough

    I love to make things for children because you can make things that are bespoke to them, their personality and passions that shows how special you think they are.

  19. I love crafting for children, particularly my smaller cousins, because of the joy when they receive the things I make for them. Also the knowledge that toys I make them could last a long time and be passed onto their children many years down the line.

  20. Crafting for children is nice because they are often so happy when they receive the item! Smiley faces are happy things 🙂 🙂

  21. Sarah Klaveness

    I love to take a ball of wool, and then add some time and lots of love to turn it into something that will be cherished.

  22. I love to make cute, crochet creatures for my Grandgirls…..even when the dog I made looked more like a dinosaur they still loved it!

  23. I love to make things for children because they appreciate them so much & you know that they’ll be happily playing with them for a long time. I’m lucky enough to have two gorgeous granddaughters to craft for.

  24. Crafting for children…well it’s so varied. My ‘baby’ isn’t a baby any more but as he has grown his responses to my crafting have changed from grabbing a colourful toy, to requests for favourite colours or designs, to now emulating what I make for himself. Crafting for children starts a journey with children. On one hand it offers a tangible product or garment but it really is a gift for life; a treasure house of memories and shared skills and movements in time which last for a lifetime.

  25. I love to craft for children because it is a wonderful way to make the kids feel loved. Spending time with and for them. Creating something to love and cuddle or something to wear.

  26. Because I craft every evening and weekend. Because I love my granddaughter and smothering her in hand-made craftiness

  27. I like to craft projects for kids because there are some many beautiful designs to knit or crochet for them; not to mention the feeling of knowing that they are wearing something that is not just going to protect them from the cold but it was also made with all the love!

  28. Hi, I’ve always crocheted for my five children and now for my six grandchildren, two would love the bear poncho x

  29. I like crafting for children because i love seeing the things i make come to life when the child plays with them. I also love the idea that, one day, something I’ve made could become a cherished childhood memory. X

  30. Suzanne Smith

    I love to craft for children as they love what I make even when the face of the bunny might not be right, they love it anyway.

  31. I love to make toys for my great nieces just to see the joy on their faces. It is amazing to hear them playing and giving the toy a voice, such imagination is what being a child is all about. I also get great pleasure from seeing a toy grow on your hook or needles.

  32. I am learning to crochet and loving it. So far I have made a few granny squares and am currently making a blanket out of them. I would love to learn to make something like this.

  33. I love the comfort my crocheted unicorn gives (one of many I have made) to my granddaughter, who just happens to have Down syndrome. She carries it everywhere with her, from on the school bus to bed at night.
    As well as my Granddaughter I too get comfort from knowing how much a small crocheted toy gives to her and helps her through the day!

  34. Patricia Giles

    I love to craft toys for my great-nephew because of the joy and fun it brings him.

  35. Wow, looks like you had a fantastic day. Having once spent a morning watching sheep being sheared on the Shetland isles when visiting my uncle, it still amazes me how that fleece can become so many different things once spun, dyed and knit up.

    I love crafting for children (my own and my various different family members) as not only does it encourage them to learn the craft too once they see something that has been made for them, but also because the sheer joy in their faces at receiving something that has been made with such love and care can melt even the hardest of hearts.

  36. I love to make anything!!!!My latest was a llama for my youngest granddaughter.It wasn’t my best but she liked it

  37. Michelle Walker

    Children are the best to crochet for as they don’t hide their emotions. Pure joy, but if they don’t like it they will tell you!!

  38. Loretta Newnam

    I love to craft for children, I think, because I get pleasure in the things I make even if they are geared to children! I love the amigurumi and small garments are always a pleasure and a quick, satisfying project.

  39. I love crafting and I especially loved crafting with my three daughters when they were young. They now have basic knowledge of sewing and two can crochet and knit. I was taught to knit and crochet by my mum and she was taught by her mum. I love how we can pass skills down to the next generation. It also provides such fun and enables us to chat as we craft catching up on simple pleasures without technology. I’m now teaching my grandchildren they love to sew and particularly like making Pom Pom creatures. Crochet is our next challenge. Such a lovely giveaway x

  40. Rachel Finnegan

    Wow what an adventure you have been having, love to read about them,

  41. Pauline Sandifer

    It’s lovely to crochet toys for children as they are so genuinely happy with their very own handmade friend, they love choosing a name and love to tell me what they do with their cuddly friend and where they have been.

  42. I try to craft for my children (9, 10, 10 and 12) and feel it encourages them to also be creative

  43. Larissa Wilson

    I love the look they give me when they realise I made it…. like I’m some sort of magical crochet wizard!! My 3yo daughter can’t wait to learn how to crochet based on seeing me make fun things. Knowing they’ve got something that no one else has got is also really lovely.

  44. The bear has such a sweet face! I have never made a bear but I would make this guy!

    1. Crafting for children is lovely because often you make something that is loved for a long time, sometimes for ever.

  45. I love making for children because everything is smaller in scale and my males stand more of a chance of moving beyond a UFO! No, seriously I have always loved making for children, my own and i’ve Even been known to knit for other people’s (children are a bit like farts after all, you don’t mind your own, but can’t stand other people’s).
    Now I have 2 grandchildren who just love everything I make for them and Archie (5) will sit and ‘help’ me by holding the needles or hook. He is desperate to learn and takes a 3cm square that he ‘knitted’ everywhere with him. I can’t wait to be able to teach him and his sister (3) properly.

    The reactions of kids are amazing when they see me knitting or booking in public and I wrote a blog about my experiences of travels with my knitting some time ago – not up to your standards of course! If you do happen to have a read… I hope it gives you a smile r

  46. I love all things children! And, I especially like making Christmas gifts for the children of single parents at my college. I live in California and our State helps single, low income parents stay in school through a program called Care. Every year we gather donated toys for the Care families on my campus and it is often the only gifts these kiddos get. Making toys has become a real favorite and it gives me such joy to contribute. This year I hope to get one of our lands keepers to make some wooden toys from some trees that fell on campus during the storms. Oh to see a sweet bear in a little wooden wagon! What happiness!

  47. Pingback: Great Adventures! • Emma Varnam's blog - Knitting Crocheting Yarn

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