Sampler Braid

I think a really exceptional workshop is one that not just teaches you a few new skills, but a whole new perspective on the possibilities a craft offers. That’s very much how I felt about the weekend spent with Jacqui Carey, where I finally found the easy way of creating warps (particularly with metallic threads) but also saw a more creative side to kumihimo beyond just copying patterns and playing with colour designs.

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Kumihimo Classes

It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to do even a full day craft course, let alone a multi-day one which is always a great treat. As you can probably guess from the number of RSN Day Classes and other pieces I’ve done I find taught classes and workshops really a lot of fun. Thankfully for even what used to be obscure crafts, the international sharing brought around by the internet has made people aware of some of the beautiful work and techniques out there, and I suspect encouraged the publication of ever more specialist texts.

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Secret Projects

I consider myself very lucky in life to have plenty of people that I would consider knit/quilt/sew/general-gift-worthy. As well as being generally excellent people, I know they will understand when I give them something with wonky seams, a couple of holes and maybe a forgotten pin, that it is the thought and the kind intentions behind a gift that counts, not necessarily the skill in the execution. However, that doesn’t make the creation of gift items any less intimidating…

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Knitting and Stitching Show 2018, Harrogate

From November 22nd to 25th, Harrogate Convention Centre was transformed to a den of fibre and fluff for the annual Knitting and Stitching Show. For those of you not familiar with the Knitting and Stitching Show, it’s a convention hosted at several sites in the UK, with the biggest being at Alexandrea Palace in London, features teams of suppliers, workshops and demonstrations for all things knitting and stitching.

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The Right Materials

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After my first attempt with my new acrylic marudai, I was very keen to start digging into some more kumihimo patterns and start exploring just what I could do. This is where only having 8 bobbins, or tama, was probably a blessing to keep my enthusiasm contained while I developed the skills I’d actually need for some more complex patterns.

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