February. Is it Over Yet?

February is my least favourite month. It is a time when I really feel the gaping hole that my best gal pal Rachel left behind. She passed away just a little over 3 years ago in the Christchurch earthquake, and was the coolest and kindest lady I've ever met. Three years is a chunk of time, and one would think it would stop hurting. Newsflash: it does not, and I don't know if it ever will.

This being so, I really threw myself into the Ravellenics, and am feeling a bit of a knitty burnout (GASP!). So yesterday I treated myself to a haircut (getting my hair washed is the BEST part). And I can highly recommend Dionne at Charlie Miller at Holy Corner in Edinburgh! What an amazing blow dry!

I've also done a bit of knitting that was not specifically for the shop. As in, I'm using up some random personal stash. This is Almandine by Anushka Tay, featured in Pom Pom Quarterly, Issue 6: Autumn 2013.

I do love a hood!

I've also just finished a pair of Wristwarmers With Contrast Rib by Anna Wilkinson. It wasn't until after I picked out the colours from my stash and started knitting, that I realized I was subconsciously been inspired by TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). Do you see it?

TMNT

Now I'm all ready to start on Brill from the latest issue of Pom Pom Quarterly. One can see I'm getting on a real Anna Wilkinson kick. I've caked up the yarn, but just keep staring at it and petting each lustrous cake. Is this normal?

Ravellenics & the Dye Studio

This past week has been all go-go-go. Which is definitely a good thing! In knitting news, the Ravellenics have begun, and I'm well on my way with a few more days to go. For those not in the know, the Ravellenics runs alongside the Olympics. You can join a team if you like. I'm on the Geeky Girls Knit team, and its been really motivational. The Ravellenics, like the Olympics, is about challenging yourself. In this period, one is encouraged to craft like mad, maybe trying out or working on techniques that one is not quite so comfortable with. I don't think I will quite manage to enter every category...
Here is a peek at what I've been up to.  

 







 

 


 

I've also just finished a sideways shawl (being blocked) and casting off on a set of leg warmers. I might manage to squeeze in a couple of things before Sunday's deadline.

And if that is not exciting enough, I have gotten access to a proper dye studio thanks to Yarn Pony. Gone are the days of home kitchen dyeing in my PJ's. No, I'm a serious lady yarn colourer now. I even purchased a clipboard today for my studious note taking.

Tuesday, my day off was spent joyfully schvitzing over several hot pots and lots of yarn. Och, the colours! Besides having loads more space to more efficiently produce, it is just nice to not have loads of wet yarn drying in front of the television. I had just finished a full day of manual labour and the lighting was not so photo great, but here is a crappy phone pic of the day's toils. 

I will share more after I go to pick up the dry results. I'm sure there's a few in the bunch that are in the latest issue of Pom Pom Quarterly.

This is Vala: Designer of the Month Interview

GTS had the lucky chance to snag an interview with the current Designer of the Month, Vala. And for your viewing pleasure, here are a few photos of pieces she has made for the shop.

Rusty House Socks, Design & Photo by Vala

Peach Collar, Design & Photo by Vala

Winter Heather Fair Isle by Vala

Ginger Twist Studio: How old were you when you started knitting? And how was it that you started and who taught you?

Vala: At around the age of Nine and I was taught by my Grandmother. I remember vividly she was working on a fair-isle jumper and concentrating hard on it, and because I kept interrupting her she asked me if I would like to learn to knit. I guess to keep me quiet.

GTS: What is your favourite type and/or colours of yarn/wool?

Vala: Any type of pure wool, it just works perfect every time. At the moment any type of rich blue is a favourite

GTS: When did you get into designing and how?

Vala: My Friends Russell and Julie had just opened a bookshop called Analogue Books in Edinburgh, I had this idea that I could sell a product through their shop, I had made for myself a pair of wrist-warmers that had small beads knitted in to them. So I made a few pairs and my Partner Iain designed an illustrated box to pack them in, I reckon Analogue sold around a hundred pair, and that led me to having at some point around 5 other outlets for them, it also led to Iain becoming involved in illustration.

GTS: What is your favourite thing to design, and where do you get your inspiration?

Vala: I really enjoy fair-isle knitting and I try to keep my designs pretty simple. I'm inspired by lots of things, the big two would be films and books.

GTS: So you knit, crochet, and teach both skills. What else do you enjoy doing?

Vala: I'm also one half of the design team The Lindstrom Effect, so I'm always kept busy with that, other things are just the usual stuff, TV, films, music, books.

GTS: Would you say your photographer's eye influences what you like to knit?

Vala: Yeah but in an indirect way I suppose, photography has made me be a very visual person, I get excited by all sorts of things that I suppose a lot of people skip past, the other night I paused a tv show to look at a sculpture on the mantle-piece behind the actors. It just struck me as a bit of an unusual shape, and that's it, filed away in the old grey cells.

GTS: What are on your needles now, and what is the next project you have planned?

Vala: I just finished a baby cardigan and I think I'll make myself a jumper next, I've got lots of lovely grey wool that would work perfectly. Maybe some influence from that Sculpture I saw on Tv will sneak in too.

Hours & Heel Turns

Let us get the public service announcement out the way first. I am going away for the weekend, so the shop hours are as follows:

Friday 7 February: 11am - 2pm
Saturday 8 February: 11am - 2pm
Sunday 9 February: Closed
Monday 10 February: Back to the normalcy

The amazing Clare is filling in for me at the shop on Saturday, so be nice. Which reminds me, for those of you interested in workshops (particularly those on sock heels), there is one starting next weekend.
  

Clare's Heel Turns workshop takes place on the 15th and 22nd of February @ 11:30am - 1:00pm. This takes you through many different heels and their attributes. Try your hand at a couple of your choosing! There are still a couple spaces left, so if you are interested, do give us a shout. Check out the workshops page for all the knitty gritty details.

Some of you may know that Ginger's Hand Dyed has been featured in the newest issue of Pom Pom Quarterly. Check out Brill, the latest design by quirky colour fiend Anna Wilkinson. I'm so thrilled with how this turned out, and am in the process of caking up some skeins to start the shop sample this weekend. Seems like excellent cabin knitting, yes? 
 

Photo by Pom Pom Quarterly

And now what you have all been waiting for, the scoop on Rachel and Gustavo. Here they have been spotted last night on their first date. Things appear to be going very well over an elaborate cheese dinner by candlelight.