Kittens Take a Road Trip

This past weekend, a couple of my favourite kittens and I went on a road trip to Dundee. We were participating in The Big Knit; raising money for charity and attempting to break the world record of the most knitters knitting together. The atmosphere of the football stadium was charged with knitty excitement, and I could not help from emitting an odd squealing/giggling combo. I was also wearing my kitty fascinator and newly knitted Taliesin Shawl, which was also cause for much excitement.

Shawl pattern by Lucy Hague

 




















As it turns out, we did not break the world record we were aiming for. Le sigh. But we DID surpass the police record for the most offensive weapons in a football stadium (I don't know how offensive my wee Hiya Hiya Interchangeable circulars would be if it came down to it). And we raised over £3000! Well done ladies and gents!

I knit one blanket square during our recorded knitting time (30 stitches by 30 rows). I really do pity whomever is in charge of sewing all those bloody squares together. Sure, I will knit till the cows come home, but I will avoid sewing up at all costs! 

All in all, twas a great day out and I even got some sun. And I even met Miss Leona of Dundee's Fluph, so that was an added bonus. 

Maybe next year we can beat the record? 

And just as a wee reminder, its not too late to bring some wee Innocent Juice hats into the shop. I had a lovely mystery submission posted through my mail slot the other day, and I've just uncovered who it was this morn. Thanks Kate from Awesome Folk! I shall submit all our contributions at the end of the month, so get knitting!

Stellar Mohair

In my woolly experience you either love or hate mohair. There is no in between or compromise. I happen to love mohair, and have fallen head over heels for Marta's Mohair Mist. This luxurious and fluffy stuff is spun in France and dyed an array of beautiful shades in Australia. My Fair Isle obsessed pal Sylvie was so inspired by this 4ply fluff, that she designed a piece for the shop. The results of her labours are a whimsical and starry cowl called Stellar, and will keep you warm in approaching season. 

S T E L L A R

Yes, I know it is summer, but as a knitter I am always thinking ahead to the cooler times!

Mohair Tip #1: Keeping Mohair in the fridge makes it easier to knit with (particularly in this heat). When mohair is warm, it is more challenging to work with. So keep your mohair chilled like a nice bottle of champers. Believe it or not, it's a scientifically proven fact. Hence, the mohair in the fridge pic.

 

Stellar kits are available at Ginger Twist Studio (kid mohair and patter)for £24, so come pick out your colours today!

Back in the Groove

I'm back in my knitty groove with my productions rates back on track. Yay! So this past week, I've finished a few items: 2 jumpers, 2 hats. Not too shabby.

The first to be finished was a project that has been in my queue for ages and ages, TinCanKnits' Snowflake. This jumper has a lovely lace yoke, and best of all...buttons! Isn't choosing a colour always the most difficult? I try and vary my choices, and not always go for the same shades. Here is Snowflake, knitted up in New Lanark DK (limestone and wisteria).


 



















Next project to come off the needles was another one by TinCanKnits (obsessed much?). The Sitka Spruce Hat was a delight to knit, and the lace looks so lovely and squishable in the Cascade's Eco Alpaca. 

After this I was really feeling the whole hat vibe, so I made a baby hat out of Cascade's Luna (100% Peruvian Cotton). I'm the first to admit that I am not usually inspired by cotton. But I'm so pleased by how this turned out, and the colour is just fantastic! This wee elfkin hat shows off this cotton's lovely texture. Folks, I need a baby/smallish person to model this hat...or I may be forced into using my dog.

Free pattern on Ravelry: Aston

And finally, my pride and joy of the week: I call her Jewel. This summery jumper is PurlSoho's Cap Sleeve Lattice Top. It takes very little wool (for a jumper), and what a walk in the park! I wanted something to show off the stunning shades of METRO dk (wool of the month), and here it be!

More on knitting and such nonsense next week. But before I leave you, here  is a wee teaser. Does this photo mean anything to you? 

Let's play 'what doesn't belong.'

Closed For Now...

Opening up a wool shop requires juggling skills and multitasking. With so many ever changing tasks, I am constantly updating and prioritizing my to do list. One of these items was a knitted Open/Closed sign to hang on the door. This lady knows what is important!

Fist I did a bit of fiddling around with making up some charts. Spacing was very important in order to obtain the same size for each side of the sign; "open" and "closed."I enjoy doing things by hand, and as a result my chart looks pretty rough around the edges.

The main body of the sign was knit with New Lanark and the lettering used up some of my random scraps. Don't you love when wool is efficient? Time for a wee soak.

Wooly Trip to the Spa

With both sides blocked, I crocheted them together with a bit of cardboard and wadding between; a firm, yet puffy piece. It was then, things really began to move forward with the shop set up. This was obviously one of the most important things to complete, yes?! I'm now in the middle of a shop makeover and painting up a storm.

 

Closed for now...

 

Opening Soon!!

 

Design As You Knit

If you recall from last week, this was another design-as-you-knit dress. I did not put a lot of thought into the piece before casting on, and just let the knitting happen. Without a specific vision, I wasn't sure what I would produce. Without further ado, here she is in all her glory.

A la Ginger Twist, I adorned my dress with large and funky fabric covered buttons (made by yours truly). Buttons can completely alter the look of a garment. Should you make a statement or blend in? I'm feeling pretty satisfied with my final decision. For those intrigued individuals, I will be selling a range of these buttons in my shop.

This dress also features straps in a woven stitch. I chose this stitch for its non-stretchy-ness. Droopy straps are a pain in my beehind. 

Did you notice the cheeky wee pocket? Dresses with pockets make my day.  Och, and I forgot to mention the cables running down both sides of the full skirt. Everything must have a lil' twist. 

On a really exciting and positive note, things are moving forward with the shop opening. The lease is signed and everything is official. Pure satisfaction.

Happy Ginger Twisters!

Oh, Oh, Oh, It's Mohair, You Know.

Do you recall that hit tune by Pilot? I so cleverly replaced the word "magic" with "mohair." 

Random fact: Pilot formed in 1973 in Edinburgh, Scotland. What does this have to do with mohair? Very little to nothing.

A couple weeks ago I posted a pic of what appeared to be a mountain of purple fluff. This turned into a dress of course. Honestly, what else would I make?


Designed to be knit from the neck down,this Ginger Twist original features a cowl neck, cap sleeves, pockets and an interesting hemline. 




On to the next item of business. In the past couple weeks, this luxury ball of kid mohair has become...

             ....

                 ....

                      ....

THIS!

I appreciate the process of studying a ball of wool, and seeing what it can become. My vision was something simple, airy and interesting; creating my go-to summer cowl. This colour is an outstandingly bold choice, and I didn't want the pattern to detract from its beauty. Using a couple of different textured stitches, I feel that I have accomplished my mission. Now this busy bee is on to her next project.

Tradfest 2013

The Scottish Storytelling Centre is currently hosting Tradfest 2013. This wee festival was kicked off on the 26th by displaying a variety of traditional crafts in action. I volunteered my knitting services, which involved me knitting all day and chatting with folks about my projects. There are definitely worse ways to spend my time. Dressed in my Chanel suit (this has become my go-to dress to impress outfit), I sauntered over with a few finished pieces for display, some Town Mouse Knitting Club flyers, and 3 projects to keep me occupied for the day. This included a hat, blanket and a dress.

A wee peek at my slapdash display table

A couple of ladies from the Haddington Spinners and Weavers were in attendance, and we had some lovely fiber and wheel chats. One woman was spinning wool to make a jumper, which is quite an epic effort! Spinner #2 was working with bits of fluffy fibre that she had chanced to pickup on her walks about. These recycled scraps will eventually become a pair of socks with a very interesting story.

The Edinburgh Lace Club also sent a few representatives. What a delightful and talented bunch of ladies!

And they even let me try my hand at a bit of bobbin lace. I may have found a new craft!

Featured below is a member of the Scottish Basketmakers Circle. Contrary to how this appears, she is not wrestling with a giant wooden spider. She is actually making a basket. I know, right?!

And here are a couple more fun upcycled/recycled projects brought to you by the Scottish Basketmakers Circle.

Tray of used bottle tops

Mobile case of crisp packets