To a Mouse

To a Mouse is a well known poem by Robert Burns. So here is a mouse for this week's Robert Burns theme release. A very proud and manly mouse. Welcome him to the window display!




In other news, there are a couple new workshops on the books. First of all is the Fair Isle Wrist Warmers workshop.

Photo by Vala

There is also the Finishing Workshop, which combines both knitting and crochet together and effectively finish off your garments.

And for all you New Lanark fans out there, GTS is doing a promotion for the month of January. Buy 3 balls of New Lanark and get 1 free (most inexpensive item will be free). Just mention this blog post in order to take advantage of this sweet offer!

Drum roll please. I've finished OWLS by Kate Davies. I fashioned this out of my hand dyed, and as I made it cropped it took just a smidge over 4 skeins. This makes for some super duper cozy owls.  

Auld Lang Syne. It's a Robert Burns Kinda Month

I was such a busy bee today. There was loads of hand dyed to be labelled and hung, a window to change, a new Wool of the Month to put out, and of course tea and chats. Therefore, I did not get round to posting an update on the new window display and Robert Burns business till just now. So this week's tune is Auld Lang Syne. Combine that with Ginger Twist's Wool of the Month, and this is the result. Delicious Guernsey stitches.

This is the Guernsey Triangle by Jared Flood. It's really a fabulous pattern that takes classic Guernsey stitches and puts a modern twist on them by incorporating them into a triangle shawl. We should not forget traditions. Rather like old friends and old times, eh? Sounds a bit like a familiar tune.

I fashioned my small triangle with 2 balls of Guernsey 5-ply by Wendy in the natural colourway. This is January's Wool of the Month. Feel free to take a look at my project page on Ravlery. 

I've just finished with next week's Burns items, and it may be my favourite...

GIVE AWAY and Happy New Year!

The names have been put into a hat, and the lucky winner has been drawn. You may recall from last week that a little give away is being conducted. Drum roll please! And the winner of a complimentary copy of SOCK ANATOMY is...Aphaia! The pattern shall be sent to you via Ravelry. Congrats. :)

Don't worry if you didn't win folk, because all Ginger Twisters have a coupon code of their own for 20% off. So use it! The code word for your Ravelry checkout cart is 'ginger1'

As January is the month of Burns Night (the 25th), GTS' theme for the month is Robert Burns and his works interpreted into wool. A new item will be added to the window display each week, along with the poem or song it relates to. As I've not been in the shop since the 2014 has come along, the window display will be changing when I open back up on the 3rd. Tomorrow's themed item will feature the Wool of the Month to the tune of Auld Lang Syne. Oh what could it be??

In the meantime, here is a taster of recent additions to my knitting world.

OWLS by Kate Davies

Maize by Tin Can Knits

Wingspan by Maylin Tri'Coterie Designs

There are a few other things that have yet to be photographed. Luckily I was a good girl and got a fancy new camera for my Christmas!

Ginger Twist Studio has now been open 6 months, and its really been an whirlwind. Fun, exciting and stressful at times. I'm really excited for what potential the new year holds. But after running the shop for 6 months, this busy bee has been able to take a few days off over the holidays. Hallelujah! Mind you, I am spending most of this free time knitting and dyeing yarn (while in my lounge wear) and hanging out with my loved ones. It's been fabulous. And I'm now very much looking forward to getting back into the shop tomorrow.

Boxing Day Give Away: SOCK ANATOMY

Happy Boxing Day! The shop will be reopening tomorrow, and in the meantime, I thought some bloggy bits were in order. Today consists of sock chat (I know, I know! I just can't stop talking about them). I don't even consider myself to be a serious sock knitter. But enough about me, let us move onto someone who is a serious sock mistress.

Clare Devine is just too clever! You may have already heard some hubbub over her e-book on the interwebs. SOCK ANATOMY is an e-book priced at £9.00, which is a fantastic deal. It's 53 pages on sock techniques and methods, and includes some adorable baby sock patterns. This allows you to practice different techniques on a smaller scale (with less pressure), and you can then implement these techniques into your adult sock knitting. It does not matter if you do not have a baby to knit for.

My favourite pattern from this book is Flexor. I've whipped up these teensy things using scraps from the shop stash; some Ginger's Hand Dyed Delight 4ply and King Cole Merino Blend 4ply.

Flexor by Clare Devine

This particular pattern uses an afterthought heel, which is a fantastic method for those beginners who may be terrified of heels. There are also instructions for both top down and toe up, take your pick. I used to be a toe up sort of gal, but have been converted to top down over the past couple years. 

Use up your wee scraps for wee socks!

Now we come to the GIVE AWAY bit. Which sock pattern out of Clare's new book is your favourite? Post your answer in the comments section below,and be entered into a drawing to win a copy of SOCK ANATOMY! The winner shall be drawn next Thursday the 2nd of January. Start your year off with socks!  

Alternatively, if you don't win or you just can't bear to wait, Clare is offering a discount to all you Ginger Twisters out there. Use the coupon code 'ginger1' in your Ravelry checkout cart, and this will give you 20% off SOCK ANATOMY (coupon code is valid until the 14th of January, so get on it like a bonnet)!

If you fancy reading more about Clare, please take a gander at this interview with her on a previous GTS blog post. You can also find her on Ravelry as knitsforklipskaap.

Yarny Christmas

We are now in the thick of the holidays, and last night was spent outfitting the button eaters in their Christmas jumpers, wrapping presents and decorating our dainty tree. With my Christmas Day dress all knit and blocked, I am feeling like I can actually start to enjoy the seasonality of it all.





















Now if you are feeling a bit panicky on your preparation level, and are in need of some yarn related assistance, GTS can assist.  Gift vouchers for GTS are available in £5 increments, if you are looking for a gift for another crafter or yarn appreciator. These can be used on yarn, patterns AND workshops.

Gift Vouchers from Ginger Twist Studio

WoolyKnit Lofty

Or if you are looking at actually making a gift (and time is short) go for a chunky accessory. Woolyknit's Lofty is a soft bulky yarn (80% super soft merino & 20%    nylon).




I've recently made the Smock-Top Jacket by GTS' Designer of the Month, Kristen Orme. The chunkiness of the wool made this a quick project, and only took 4 balls. You could easily make a unique and original hat or cowl out of a ball or 2. 

Smock-Top Jacket

Last on the agenda are GTS' holiday hours:

23rd December: 11-5

24th - 26th: Closed. While the kitty is away·..

27th - 30th: Normal hours

31st December - 2nd January: Closed

3rd January: Back to our regularly scheduled programme

So here is hoping the holidays allow everyone the opportunity to be merry and the time to craft! 

Have yourself a knitty little Christmas!

 

Designer of the Month: Kristen Orme

Word on the grapevine is that Kristen Orme is Designer of the Month at Ginger Twist Studio. Yay! We are delighted to feature such a talented individual. So let us dive into a bit more depth with the lady herself.

Ginger Twist Studio: Thanks again for taking the time to answer a few questions. I know you must be super busy with the upcoming holidays, work, teaching, designing and making the big move! Anyhoo, onward we go. So, tell me about your knitty beginnings? Who taught you an what did you make?

Kristen Orme: My first start was with my mum.  But I didn’t like the way she knitted (jamming the needle in her lap!) so I passed – until my aunt taught me.  Then it stuck.  I did two super-long scarves and then dove headfirst into a poorly-planned shawl cardigan.  Bright orange.  Without swatching.  Needless to say, I didn’t fancy holding onto it and I’ve learned a lot more about knitting since then!

Ginger Twist Studio: When and how did you get so involved, turning a hobby into a career?

Kristen Orme: Working at a knitting shop inspired me to start designing smaller patterns for the unique yarns we sold.  That got me hooked onto designing and after much more knitting, I decided to pursue a Masters degree.  I chose Heriot-Watt University and immersed myself in the facilities there.  I learned a lot about the knitwear industry while experimenting with hand and machine-knit and was able to put that to good use while starting my career with an internship with Di Gilpin Ltd.  Now I’m working with Eribé Knitwear in the Hand-knit Production department.  Along the way, I’ve been developing my own designs and knitting patterns for sale and also teaching classes – I just love knitting and have to get involved in every way possible.

GTS: What is your favourite thing to design or technique?

KO: Ever since I learned 2-handed fair isle with weaving the floats, I can’t get enough of stranded knitting!  My fair isle used to be either too tight or too loose, but with weaving the floats in, I find the knitting to be perfectly even!  For designing, I just love garments.  If the deadline isn’t too tight, the challenge of writing a pattern for a garment is such a joy!

GTS: What inspires you to design?

KO: I wish I could say that it’s the colours in the sky or the texture of the hillside but really, it’s mostly techniques.  If I learn something new that I really like, I’ll try to think of how I can innovatively incorporate that into a design.  One of my recent designs from Knit Now magazine, the Bustier Tee, explored the effect of knitting with 1 and 2 strands together to create a fabric that is sheer and opaque in different places, specifically the line of a bustier top.

GTS: Now your next move to Florida moves you into a completely different (and hotter) environment. How will you cope? Cotton? Lace?

KO: I’ve been chewing on this for awhile.  I might move back into machine knit for the fun of it. Finer garments will be more wearable there, and I have so much more to learn with my trusty Brother knitting machine (yes, I plan to ship it to Florida!).  However, I love hand-knitting with wool so much that I might have to continue designing and knitting for the Scottish weather, even if I won’t be able to wear my knits.

GTS: Any advice for budding designers?

KO: Experiment and have fun! I also really appreciate a well-written pattern, so I tend to study other designers’ writing styles to see what I do and do not like about it. Then I am more informed about the pattern-writing style I would like to achieve. If you want to get involved in the industry, contact companies.  If you can manage starting with an internship, you can really learn a lot from the right company in that capacity.  If you work hard and have a good attitude, you will get noticed for the good job you do.

GTS: What is next? Could a book potentially be in the works?

KO: I wouldn’t rule it out, but I’m not sure I’m ready just yet.  I’m working on a few exciting patterns that will be coming out in the next year.  I’ve really loved working in hand-knit production and would love to continue in that vein, being involved with a great company that loves knitting!  The future is a bit hazy at the moment, but I love what I do and cannot wait to see where it takes me.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Never fear Ginger Twisters! A selection of patterns by Kristen Makes are available at Ginger Twist Studio. And we also have some of her lovely pieces on display. I've just finished one meself. Is that smocking I detect? Stay tuned!

 

The Holidays Are Coming

The start of December saw me running about like a chicken with its head cut off. But there was a lot to organize! Parties, workshops, window displays, advent calendars...and then there's knitting. But aren't the holidays known as a stressful, yet exciting time? I know its true for me.

Let's start with the first of December, the day the first window of an advent calendar is opened. I've decided to knit one for the shop, adding 1 ornament for each day of the month. It's hanging on the door if you are interested in coming by for a peek.

December also means there is a new Designer of the Month in toon! And that certain someone is of course the very kind and lovely... 

Kristen Orme, aka KristenMakes!

She has so generously loaned some samples for the shop display, and GTS is now stocking a selection of her single patterns.


 


 




















And I'm delighted to have a Designer of the Month be teaching a workshop in the month they are featured. There is one slot left in Kristen's Intarsia Workshop at GTS on the 14th of this month for some lucky lad or lass. Kristen created these lovely hats as samples for the workshop. Aren't they just too cute?! If you already know the ins and outs of intarsia, then this pattern is available for purchase in the shop.

Now I've got my gifts all made (still needing wrapped), I'm a few days ahead on the advent calendar front, and I'm' gearing myself up for the knitting club Christmas Shindig. It looks like the rest of my year is basically booked up. :) 

More to come next week on the Kristen Orme, Designer of the Month.