Crochet – Page 49 – Emma Varnam’s blog

Knitting Magazine 100th issue

I have been really excited about the new issue of Knitting Magazine arriving. I was actually so eager to see it that I popped in to my LYS and grabbed a copy. When I handed over my money at the till the assistant said. ‘This is such a good issue, I’ve spotted so many things in here that I want to make, there are so many good designs in it.” I smiled clutching the magazine and secretly a little elated.

There are 50 designs in the magazine, and I have spotted at least two that I would like to put on my favourites list. There are some great classic and modern pieces but some really practical mens patterns which is a delight to see. My favourite article so far is one that cover a week in the life of a magazine. It was really interesting to see how fast they work. I get the impression that publishing is quite a stressful occupation but the creativity and the adrenalin probably outweighs the worry about the deadlines.

Anyway I was thrilled to see my Mary Jane jumper in the magazine. The Editor, Emma Kennedy has a great styling eye and I always look forward to see the locations and the outfits she has chosen. Gorgeous.

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Getting Out and about – Show and Tell

Last night I had a great evening spent with a Knit and Natter Group which meets at a local pub. I think across the pond they would call it a ‘Trunk Show’, but it felt very much like a grown up ‘Show and Tell’. I knew quite a lot of the friendly faces. They were generous enough to welcome me and listen to the journey of my knitwear designs.

We talked about the process of designing and commissioning. I showed them some of the workings of a recent design and was able to follow it through to the final pictures in a magazine. I was also able to show them a few things which I have in progress and it was SO nice to hear immediate reactions. We swapped tips and hints and perhaps the loveliest part was having a nosy at what other people were making, some beautiful socks, a lovely featherweight shrug, a much loved hat, an self designed scarf, some totally gorgeous hand-puppets (they got me thinking!)

At the beginning of the evening my tummy was churning with nerves, I shouldn’t have fretted, as usual I find yarnsters to be an enthusiastic, encouraging bunch who just love to share. What a lovely time. I almost skipped back to my car.

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Inside Crochet Issue 27

The lovely people at Inside Crochet Magazine ran a blog award in the last few months, and some of you were kind enough to vote for me. I was up against some of the great Crochet Blog giants… Lucy at Attic 24 and Little Tin Bird – beautiful, inspirational sites.

But my own little site gets a bit of a look in – which is deeply nice. So thank you.

Also in the magazine is my lacy collar design. This is a detachable collar and can be worn with a cute little T-shirt, very Alexa Chung!

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Re-using the old

I think I am getting into the ‘shabby chic’ vibe more and more. After reading Sarah Moore’s book; Homemade Gifts Vintage Style I really loved the look of candles in tea-cups, but haven’t had time to make one. At the weekend at a local craft fair, a lovely stall holder had some for sale, so I was able to buy one without having to learn how to make it. Lucky me.

I want to do a proper review of Sarah’s book when she launches her shop. So I will promise you I will do that.

Now for a while I been getting a bit frustrated with my hook/needle organisation. Big B bought be a fantastic circular needle case for my birthday, (Yes you should feel sorry for him! – he is very long-suffering). But the hooks were still a problem. I kept looking and different mugs and jars in the house, thinking of requisitioning them, but I put those thoughts aside because they were actually quite useful for their original purpose. It wasn’t until a marathon porridge eating breakfast that we finished a tin of golden syrup. As it sat their in the recycling pile I remembered all those chic pictures in magazines which use the old iconic syrup tin. Genius! Just the job. Golden hooks in a golden tin.

If you have any fiendishly good ideas of how to organise hooks/needles/circular needles please tell me and I’ll try them out.

Addition – Wow how cool are you all for getting back to me. Have a look at CraftGirl’s blog on the cutlery roll made to keep her hooks in, beautiful. If you have amazing ideas please do keep them coming I am going to write an article about it for Inside Crochet Magazine – so any Etsy fav suggestions for even things you have bought in your LYS will be much appreciated.

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Vintage Play

When we were visiting some family over Christmas, there was some old Playmobil for Little B to play with. (Thank you K x) The shapes of the figures were so familiar to me, I was transported back to my childhood.

We spent a happy hour together, setting up little scenes and putting hats and scarfs on the little people and placing them in vehicles. There is a real simplicity to the shapes and the colours were so appealing.

I remembered some images taken by Lucy at Attic 24 and thought that it would be fun to capture these vintage figures on a vintage crochet blanket. (Lots of inspiration found there) The result is so innocent and colourful that it just makes my smile. These figures might not be as high-tech as the current version which litters our house, but they illicit the same joy x

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I love you Kitten – an ode to Bernard

I do realise that I haven’t posted a free pattern for a while (see previous post!) I was thinking about it over the Christmas break and decided to get ahead of myself and make a little Valentine’s gift. So this little amigurumi is an ode to our kitten cat Bernard.

Really it is a tale of unrequited love. As Little B would say, ‘ I think Bernard does love you Mummy, just not as much as you love him!’ Cut to cat scampering away – in a effort of avoid cuddles. Obviously you don’t have to make this little kitten for a festive occasion. I sewed his little paws together and fixed a button between them, you could use a little piece of felt instead, or perhaps pop a little secret message between his arms. I just knotted a little piece of 5mm ribbon around his neck or a collar. If you had proper time you could make a collar which had a little bell on it.

Most of the work is in rounds but the ears and the tail are worked in rows. Don’t feel you have to buy safety eyes to complete this little chap. I had them to hand – but buttons would work equally well.

I am not sure what Bernard would think of this level of affection…well actually I know, he stepped over the little kitten and knocked it off the table. Here’s hoping your creation gets a better reception x The free pattern is available here.

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What have you been doing?

I realise that compared to this time last year I am showing you very few on-going crochet/knitting projects. In fact I don’t think I have been busier design wise but I can’t show you any of it! Darn. Some will appear soonish – other things will appear into the spring and I am even working on some Autumn things. But that doesn’t help the yarn enthusiasts does it.

I think I have mentioned before that I am not always sure when things will appear in print, but I am very excited that this image appeared on Knitting Magazine’s blog. This is my Mary Jane Jumper being photographed for a photo-shoot for their March issue. This is quite an honour. It will 100th issue. If you don’t often buy a Knitting Magazine this will be well worth getting, they are putting together 166 pages 100th with 50 fantastic patterns. If you pop across to their blog you can see the wonderful behind the scenes photos.

My Mary Jane jumper is a nice combination of both knitting and crochet and is wonderful soft Milla Mia yarn. It fits into the Timeless Classics theme of the magazine and is something I would definitely wear myself.

Here are the front and back on my lovely mannequin companion, Lottie. See I haven’t been idle.

And because I was feeling a bit guilty that I was neglecting my ‘free pattern friends’ I have a brand new Ami which should be available by the end of the week. So keep popping in x

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Currently Loving…

Christmas domestic bliss has not yet landed in our house – due to rotten weather, rotten colds, hard work and just a little cheeky bit of socialising!

However bit by bit the festive spirit is appearing on the decoration front. I am currently loving…my favourite Christmas foliage – red berries.

Some hooky nonsense in daylight – so rare, so precious….

Finding an appallingly expensive decoration for Little B, and just having to buy it because I know he will love it. Hope you are having a great festive run up.

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Snail Mail Holiday Swap – things sent

So as I said yesterday, I really enjoyed thinking of things to send my swap partner Sarah. It is quite fun trying to imagine what someone would like to receive in the post. Firstly I thought of flat things. Tracy had had the wonderful idea of restricting ourselves to an A4 envelope. Very sensible. So I send little Rudolf Reindeer in a flat envelope. I hope he was easy to put together – there were no instructions.

I also cheated a little and sent a copy of this wonderful angel which a friend of mine made last year and reminded me of Little B. When he saw it he declared, ‘That angel looks like he is in the War!’ I assume that he means that it has a nice pudding bowl haircut, reminiscent of the 1940’s and not a ‘combat’ angel, but we will never know.

I sent a cheeky wee birdy robin. Which once I had finished, I felt I could hardly bare to let him go – but that is usually a good marker of an excellent pressie.

I popped a little pincushion in, which I find really useful.

Then this years total Christmas pressie hit. The Todhunter fingerless mittens. Brilliant! Glamourous purple with a small accent country style ribbon.

Finally, I couldn’t send off an ‘Emma’ parcel without a teacosy being included. And no I didn’t cram the pot in as well. I do hope Sarah enjoyed opening them.

Some other great swaps have been photographed by Dawn and Heike. Check out the beautiful knitwear. I will hope to send you photos of the parcel I received by the end of the week x

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