Fancy designing? – Yarn Stories Design Competition

Museum collections and archives have always been a huge inspiration for me – both in my design and professional life. Some of you might remember that last year I produced a cushion cover pattern inspired by the Gawthorpe Hall Textile collection.

Well this year I have discovered the Knitting and Crochet Guild Archive, which is an amazing resource with knitted and crocheted samples going back to the 1830s as well as a huge collection of pattern leaflets and every kind of knitting needle and crochet hook you can imagine.

The new yarn company, Yarn Stories have come up with a very special design competition for knitters and crocheters from all around the world to enter.

They gathered together a selection of inspirational images of items in the archive on Pinterest  and would like you to design a 15 cm blanket square in DK yarn inspired by the archive, which can be created in either knit or crochet.

The competition is now open and closes on 5th June 2015. There will be a judging panel including Debbie Abrahams, Jane Crowfoot and Angharad Thomas from the KCG archive as well as members of the Yarn Stories team and they will choose 10 finalists by the middle of June. Then Yarn Stories will throw open the judging to knitters and crocheters all over the world to vote for their favourite square during July and August. The overall winner, announced on 4^th September, will receive £100 of Yarn Stories yarn and each finalist will receive two balls of the Yarn Stories yarn of their choice.

But the excitement doesn’t end there. All the finalists’ squares will be put together into a blanket pattern that will be available on the Yarn Stories website with 50% of the revenue going towards the continued protection and support of the archive. The finished blanket will be at The Knitting and Stitching show in October for you to see.

You don’t have to be a guild member to take part, but it is an organisation that I recommend you join.

If you fancy having a go, then pop over to the Pinterest board and get inspired and you can send your entry to:

Yarn Stories/KCG competitionm, Spa Mill, New Street, Slaithwaite, Huddersfield HD7 5BB

Or by email to information@yarnstories.com