Happy Feet, I've Got Those Happy Feet

The weather in Aberdeenshire during April was, quite frankly, more like winter than spring.

So instead of thinking about lightweight pastel coloured knits for the warmer months, I found myself focusing on one of the projects I bought part of at Edinburgh Yarn Festival -  soles for cosy knitted slippers.

Here I am with Amanda of Joes Toes at the EYF marketplace.  The company sells slipper kits and also the felt soles and other constituents parts needed to make your own.  Amanda was lovely and took time to help me try on some of the sample slippers to ensure I was buying the correct size of sole.  I came away with turquoise outer soles (which have a latex grip) and fuchsia inners, really thinking this would be a perfect project for autumn.

When the days took a seriously cooler turn, I went to my local yarn shop, The Colour Corner in Inverurie, and bought some New Lanark chunky wool in the colourway Gritstone.  It's 100% wool and I thought it would be hard wearing but soft enough for my slippers.  Amanda of Joes Toes provided me with a comprehensive instruction sheet when I bought my soles.  Essentially, the knitted part of the slipper consists of a strip of garter stitch.  Its length is determined by the number of pre-punched holes in the felt soles.  The long side of the strip is then stitched onto the sole and the pre-punched holes make the sewing up really easy and straightforward as well as ensuring a neat job. 

So, a couple of evenings in front of the telly and my slippers were finished - the perfect companion to a pair of hand knit socks!  I'm really pleased with them and they're comfy and warm...

...but - come on May - could we please have some better weather so my next project isn't a fur coat?!

A wee cough...

It's a week since I returned from Edinburgh and I expected to be telling you all about my trip as soon as I got home.  Then I got flu.  Not a cold, not just a fever but aching limbs, lack of appetite, bone crushing weariness and zero desire to look at any electronic device.  I haven't even felt like knitting.  I must have been really ill!  One week on I still have a cough but at least feel able to share with you the most amazing colourful fibre experience that was Edinburgh Yarn Festival 2016

Just look at this selection from the many stalls in the market place : hand dyed yarn from The Little Grey Sheep, felted slippers by Edinburgh based Felting Studio, more skeins of hand dyed from Tall Yarns and fabulous  merino braids from the Porpoise Fur stand where I chatted to the charming Rachel Brown.

Each afternoon I was also helping on the stand belonging to Lindsay Roberts The Border Tart.  Lindsay, pictured left, dyes yarns and fibres with natural indigo as well as spinning beautiful fibres into yarn.  We met on a knitting retreat in 2014 and Fiona, standing beside me was on the same holiday.  Dorothy was interloping from the Ripples Crafts stand!  It was fun selling Lindsay's yarn, buttons, sari silk etc and meeting her customers.

Especially when Renee Callahan of East London Knit and Karie Westermann stopped by.  I also got the chance to meet and chat with other stall holders and admire the many goodies for sale.

From top left, going in a circle, here's Helen from The Wool Kitchen, me and the irrepressible Jess from Edinburgh's favourite wool shop Ginger Twist Studio, Lucy Hague and her beautiful Celtic inspired shawls, in the presence of royalty with Zoe Queen of Purls, me and my pal Helen of Ripples Crafts and Louise who is Spin City and whose Instagram I love!

No one minded being approached by complete strangers admiring their knitwear.  I accosted Nathan the Sockmatician to have a wee chat about his Sanquhar scarf and he explained the double knitting technique he'd used to create this very inspiring masterpiece.

Finally, the festival had visitors from all over.  These ladies are from Norway and came to find me after my husband told me his colleague's twin sister was at the festival - that's Turid Bo on the right.  Geoff has worked with Laila for years but I bet they never talked about knitting as much as when they found out this coincidence!

I had such a good time meeting people, helping out, shopping...  I haven't even mentioned any of the gorgeous purchases I made.  A future blog post for certain!

The eve of something special

It feels like the night before Christmas.  Tomorrow I am going to Edinburgh.  I'm attending the Edinburgh Yarn Festival, the UK's premier urban knitting event (according to the website), for the first time and I couldn't be more excited.

I'll be wearing this cardigan I made.  Knowing I wanted to wear it to Edinburgh really made me focus on getting it finished.  The pattern is Leaving by Anne Hanson. I'll also be wearing this wee crocheted shawl which is Fortunes Shawlette by Tamara Kelly

Both garments have been made using yarn hand dyed in Scotland - I knitted the cardy in merino dyed by Helen at Ripplescrafts and I crocheted the shawl in yarn dyed by Lindsay aka The Border Tart. Helen and Lindsay are exhibiting at the festival and I'm delighted to be helping Lindsay at her stall for part of both days.  I still have time to attend a class and enjoy the market place in the company of my knitting pal and travelling companion, Alison, as well as the hospitality of my sister who conveniently lives in Edinburgh.

But this festival is about more than just shopping.  It's bringing together like minded crafts people from all over the world.  It's a chance to meet people known only on-line thanks to the fibre community's virtual glue that is Ravelry and to renew friendships made in yarn stores and on retreats. It's an opportunity to meet the podcasters many enjoy whose episodes frequently accompany my crafting and who make me feel like I have an enthusiastic friend in my kitchen telling me all about her latest projects.  It's saying knitting, crochet and fibre crafts are really popular, hand made is truly valued and wool is cool!

The knitting community is generous with its time and materials.  Louise Hunt of Caithness Craft Collective podcast appealed for knitted baby hats to be donated to one of the special care baby units. I've managed to make two wee hats for early arrivals in the past couple of days. They really didn't take long to make and only use scraps of leftover yarn.

In the months prior to the festival, I've listened to Louise Scollay of the KnitBritish podcast get increasingly excited about the event as she revealed details of the knit night meet-up, podcast lounge, ceilidh and exclusive magazine.  I followed Helen's advice on her Curious Handmade podcast by looking sensibly at my yarn collection and all my works in progress, some of which I've realised I'm never going to finish.  Here's a case in point which I started in 1986!!

And finally, I've read some great tips for maximising enjoyment at knitting festivals by Victoria at Eden Cottage and Karie Westermann on their respective blogs .  In that spirit I've documented what I'd like to make in the future and what I'd like to buy in the lovely notebook my daughter gave me.

I know I'll be like a child in a sweet shop so I hope to be making careful, considered purchases.  We'll soon see if that happens!