Spinning & Dyeing Yarn - Book Review

Today on my usual day about spinning, I wanted to show you my newly finished fluffy Polwarth yarn.  Sadly, the light is terrible so I'm not even going to try and take photos of it.  Luckily I have something else spinning related to talk to you about today.  I recently received a package from the UK publisher of a new book. It contained Spinning & Dyeing Yarn by Ashley Martineau, to review. As with all the reviews I do on this site, I will give my full and honest opinion, and though I received the book without charge, there was no obligation on me to give anything other than my usual style of review.

The book itself is a very lovely thing.  It is hardback book with bucket-loads of clear photographs and beautiful paper.  (I do like it when books have nice thick and glossy paper, don't you?)  The contents of the book are divided into four sections; Section One - Fibre Identification and Preparation, Section Two - Dyeing Techniques, Section Three - Spinning Techniques and Section Four - Going Professional. Each section is subdivided into chapters and the contents pages at the front of the book clearly list the various items discussed in the books and gives page numbers.  There is also a nice clear index at the back of the book, so between that and the contents pages you should be able to find the things you want to look up, easily.

One of my favourite things about this book are the sections that deal with making your own equipment, including a spinning wheel!  It gives good photos and explanations about what each type of equipment is and how it is used, and then gives tutorials about how to make versions of the equipment at home.  Obviously not all equipment is easily made, but where it is possible, tutorials are given.  This is great if you are just thinking about having a go with spinning.  Most people don't want to spent lots of money on a new hobby, and this book will help them try new tools without spending vast quantities of money.  To be honest, the spinning wheel looks pretty complicated and I think you would need to be handy with a saw and a drill, but if you brave crafter you may be tempted to give it a go.

I like the small sections, throughout the book, where people who work in the fibre industry are interviewed about their work. For example, a shepherd is interviewed in relation to buying fleeces direct from the farm, which is in something most beginners probably wouldn't consider.Talking about the sheep and how you would process a raw fleece may give a reader confidence to give it a go.

The dyeing section was of particular interest to me as I have only just started my journey into this field. There are several different methods outlined, on how to dye different fibres and has techniques that I am interested in trying.  I don't think I'll get much opportunity to try solar dyeing though as it requires several hours of strong direct sunlight.  We don't get many good Summers in the UK, but it's worth thinking about if we get another Summer like last year.

One of my problems with the book is that though it is a great introduction to the world of fibre, it doesn't really give a good clear explanation of what drafting is, what it looks and feels like and how to do it. The only definition of drafting I have come across, before reading this book, were worsted and woollen.  However, this book refers to woollen and aran drafting and states that woollen drafting feeds the fibre forwards into the twist and aran refers to having your front hand hold the twist and pulling the fibre backwards before letting the twist travel up by moving your front hand back, towards the back hand, controlling the twist as your hand travels.

I have not come across the term aran drafting, but of course, I am a beginner spinner so it may be that I've just not come across this term, because nearly all I've learnt of spinning has been from American publishing and websites.  This version of the book has been published for a British audience, and the spellings make it obvious that they have changed terms for the UK, so it may be that in UK spinning guilds I would be taught these terms. I don't think a complete beginner could learn how to draft properly using only this book.  A beginner would probably have to watch videos or read further tutorials to understand what they were doing.

The book really focuses on spinning with a wheel rather than a spindle, though it shows some techniques on a kick wheel.  I think this may well be a route lots of new spinners take: trying to spin on a spindle, possibly using a home-made one, as in the tutorial in the book, deciding they like it and buying a wheel.  The book then jumps straight to creating many different types of art yarns, which is what the book focuses on principally.

The sub-title of the book is The Home Spinner's Guide to Creating Traditional & Art Yarns.  I think the "traditional" part of the title is over stating it somewhat.  This book essentially focuses on getting a spinner to the stage where they create art yarn as quickly as possible. I feel like the middle step of learning to spin is missing from the book.  It introduces basic equipment and then jumps to spinning art yarn on wheels.  There is no middle ground where you learn to spin basic, consistent yarns in a way that the spinner decides. Because of this focus on art yarn, I wonder if the book would have been better served by excluding all the basic information at the beginning of the book and adding more to the latter parts of the book.

The final section of the book, relating to becoming a professional spinner, has several useful subjects, the first of which, relates to photography.  It even shows you how to make a cheap lightbox to take photographs for a shop. However, even if you don't intend selling your yarn, this will be useful for any blogger, or someone wanting to take a good photographic record for listing your finished yarn on Ravelry.

There are several good tips about selling any crafted item, moving from a hobby into becoming professional, however, this area of the book doesn't go very far in depth.  The resources section is very good, as the book has been re-published for the UK, so includes some UK resources as well as US ones. This is very useful information to have, if you looking at developing your hobby, even if you don't want to go professional.

In summary, I like this book.  It has lots of interesting information that covers a broad range of information.  I think there are many books that go in depth in a very specific area of creating yarn, but there are few that touch on so many subjects.  It would be a good book for someone to use as an initial resource to give you starting point to find out if you want to go further in a specific area, and then go on to do more studying.  It shows you what is possible with spinning and dyeing and inspires the reader to try different things.

The publishers of this book have very kindly offered a discount from the RRP of £25 to £20 including UK P&P. To order Spinning and Dyeing Yarn by Ashley Martineau for this reduced price, telephone 01903 828503 or email mailorders@lbsltd.co.uk, quoting the offer code APG73 and the book ISBN 9781909342460.  The book is released in the UK on 20th February 2014.

Scrumptious Collection Volume 3 - Review

If you've read this blog for any period of time, you will be aware that I really, really like Fyberspates yarn. Fyberspates is an unusual yarn company.  It was founded in 2005 by Jeni Hewlett when it was established as a traditional indie dyer studio, with Jeni doing all of the dyeing personally.  Gradually Jeni decided that she could step up production and established her Scrumptious range of yarns, which is a full range of weights of yarn made of 45% silk and 55% wool.  Those yarns are dyed commercially and sold wholesale to retailers as well as directly through her own website.  Since the advent of Scrumptious, Jeni has subsequently added Vivacious and Gleam to her range of commercially dyed yarn.  In addition to these commercial yarns, Jeni still dyes yarn and fibre in her own studio to sell on her website, direct to the customer.  The Scrumptious yarns are available widely now, both in the UK and overseas.  I love that Jeni's business model allows her to maintain her creative individuality in her own studio but also gives a larger market access to her colour sense and yarn bases.

I've used Scrumptious yarns many times, the most recent use was for, my own design, the Refraction Shawlette, which used the 4ply/sport weight, but I've also used the lace weight for several shawls, and the aran weight for a hat.  It is a beautiful yarn, with deep and clear colours and a soft, drapey handle.  It is a pleasure to knit with and dream to wear the finished items.  Having a new book of patterns to inspire me to knit with this yarn again, would be no hardship, so when I was asked to review the new Scrumptious Collection Volume 3 and be part of the blog tour I jumped at the chance.

© Jesse Wild

Other bloggers, who have been part of the tour have focused on their own designs or their role in creating the book, but I come at this book as fan of the yarn and as a knitter.  I am currently in a bit of an accessories phase and because of this, those are the designs I shall talk about, especially as I plan on knitting at least two of them, if not more!

My stand out favourite from this book is the Simene Stole, by Melanie Edgar.  It uses a single skein of Scrumptious Lace and have already bought the yarn to knit it.

© Jesse Wild

As the book is designed to support Scrumptious yarns, it only gives information on the number of skeins of Scrumptious that a pattern may require, and not the exact meterage that will be needed for a project. A skein of Scrumptious Lace is 1000m, which is a generous meterage, so you might find it difficult to use a substitute yarn, without buying more than you might need.  However, I didn't want to use a substitute, I wanted to treat myself to a skein of my favourite colour, Teal.

I plan on casting this shawl on very shortly.  It is a beautiful showcase for this yarn, with it's bold and graphic lace.  The shawl is knit in two halves and grafted together and the patterns are written out fully as well as charted, which I prefer for lace, but I know lots of people prefer the written instructions.  Having both options is always a big bonus and shows attention to details.  The charts are really large and clear and as I have the PDF version to review, I can use knitCompanion on my iPad to keep a good track of where I am in the charts.  My fingers are itching to cast this gorgeous stole on, but I am suffering in our recent bout of cold weather and need I to knit the next project first.

© Jesse Wild

I adore these Lerryn Mittens by Rachel Coopey. I know they would be so much fun to knit, and will feel decadent to wear on my fingers.  I love cabling, especially without a cable needle, and these mittens look like a perfect candidate for using that technique.  This pattern uses the DK version of the yarn, which would mean the mittens could be used for Spring and Autumn as well as the majority of the Winter in the UK.  I need to cast them on immediately.

However, as you know, I have a weakness for hats.  I love them and have LOTS in my box of woolly wonders. I really shouldn't be knitting more hats, but the hats in this book are gorgeous!  I may have to knit a hat before I knit the mittens or the stole. The first hat on my list of gorgeousness is Kenwyn, another pattern by Rachel Coopey.  The hat is part of a set that includes a matching cowl, but it is the hat that makes my heart sing.  It has gorgeous lace and cables with just the right amount of slouch to give it a hint of sass without distracting from it's elegance.

© Jesse Wild

The crown decreases are so pretty and clever, I know I will be knitting this hat, despite not needing one, especially as it only uses one skein of Scrumptious Aran. Any project that uses a single skein will always be a winner in my book.

The other accessories I am very tempted by are the cover hat and mittens, once again by Rachel Coopey.  I am becoming a real fan of her work.  The Divelish Hat and Mittens are made with stranded colourwork, using the 4ply weight version of the yarn.  The cuff and brim of the set are worked as a cabled rib, which run into the colourwork pattern, seamlessly.  This set is a stunning masterclass in design and attention to detail, that uses one skein of each colour to make one set.

I am also very tempted by the lace cowl, by Judy Furlong, Loveny Mantle.  This is a more complex lace design than the stole I am planning.  It is very much thinking lace but the finished item is very pretty indeed, and I think when my mind is focussed enough it may be a wonderful challenge to take.

© Jesse Wild

I have focussed on these projects as I really want to knit all of them.  There are some gorgeous garment designs, but I'm not sure if they would suit my body type, and my budget doesn't really stretch to knitting garments in Scrumptious yarn, not matter how gorgeous they are.  My budget does stretch to these smaller projects that use one or two skeins of yarn and the accessories will feel so glamorous and indulgent I will feel as spoiled as if I were wearing a whole sweater's worth of this lovely yarn.

Over all, I really like this book.  There is a wide range of patterns, which are targeted at a range of knitting skills and techniques.  The patterns are written out in full as well as very clearly charted, which means they are easy to follow.  The photos, taken by Jesse Wild, in the book are fabulously clear and show off the knitwear brilliantly, as well as making the models look great.  Clear photos of knitwear AND nice looking photos sometimes doesn't happen in knitting books, so it is lovely to see it working so well in this book. Scrumptious Collection Volume 3 is very definitely a book designed by knitters for knitters. The layout, charts, schematics and photography echo that sentiment throughout.  Each pattern can be printed out without referencing anything else in the book, as the abbreviations and notes are all given within each pattern.  It's a small detail that makes it easier for the knitter, but I think is a very good example of how well thought out the whole book is, down to the smallest detail.

The book can be purchased in both print and digital form at a price of £12.00 or $26.00.  The digital version can be purchased through Ravelry or in physical form from Fyberspates, or your local Fyberspates Retailer.

Fyberspates have very generously offered to give a reader of this blog a copy of the book. If you would like to win a copy you should leave a comment on this post, explaining which of the designs in the book you would like to cast on first.  The winner will be drawn at random on Friday, 7th February 2014.  (Note: Your comment may not be visible straight away as all comments must be approved on this blog, before appearing)

This blog post is part of a tour, and though I was given a copy of the book to review, all opinions given in this post are completely honest, and my own.  If you are interested in some of the other patterns, their designers, and the work of some other people involved in creating the book, you can read the other posts in the tour (there might also be other chances to win a copy of the book too).  Full details of the tour can be found here.

King Cole Striped T-Shirt

I managed to get my King Cole Striped T-Shirt finished before the end of the Summer!  I actually finished it soon after my last post about it, but I didn't have an opportunity to take photos until recently.  And, as you know, I don't like to post without pictures!

As you can see, it is rather a generous size and there really is no shaping at all, which is not the most flattering of style on me.  However, it is amazingly comfortable.  The yarn is soft and light and I would use King Cole Bamboo Cotton again without hesitation, especially as it had nice colours.  It is a gorgeous and luckily I have loads of the yarn sent to me left over.  I don't know how it happened, but I have 2.5 skeins of each colour lef.  I got sent the recommended yarn and I got the recommended gauge and the garment is the size specified in the schematics.  They are obviously generous in their yarn estimates at King Cole.

It was quite nice knitting a garment in pieces again.  I haven't done that in a while and it does seem to go more quickly.  I know that was because I was knitting a t-shirt, but psychologically it does feel quicker because it is broken down into pieces.  With this garment I made my usual mistake of using the size for my full bust, rather than making the size specified by my upper bust measurements and adding in short rows.  I thought I would get away with it because of it being a boxy shape, which to a certain extent I did, but when you look at the back you can see that it is far too wide. I was put off from doing short rows because of the stripes, but what I forgot was I could have gone down a size for the back and knit the larger size for the front and done a bit of jiggery with the arm holes and sleeves.

I really love the placket and collar on this tee.  It's the first time I've done a placket and I love the look of it. It's a flattering style for me, as it breaks up the expanse of my bust!  The collar is ribbed so it lays really nicely across the back of the neck.  The button band itself was easy enough to do, apart from the little tiny piece of sewing to anchor the two sides on top of each other and into the garment at the bottom of the placket.  I messed up the sewing and it was a nightmare to unpick it and try again.  It still pulls a bit, as you can see, but it's not as bad as the first attempt.  It's tricky to sew it in neatly in such a small space and such thick layers.  If anyone has any tips, I'd love to hear them, for future reference.

The buttons I got from Minerva Crafts to finish off the project were these.  I really like this style of neutral button and have used the same style on various children's projects because they are nice and smooth.  I think they were the right style to use for this garment too, as they fit in with the unfussy look of the t-shirt.

Overall, even though the t-shirt is too big, I really like it.  It won't stop me wearing it, even though it's not the most flattering of styles for me.  It feels too nice to stuff in the back of the drawer, and it will look good with jeans or leggings.  It will be perfect to wear when it stops being so lovely outside, just before it gets too cold! We have had such a lovely long Summer this year that it's still been too hot to wear a t-shirt with sleeves for any length of time!

I have raved before about how lovely the yarn is, so I won't go into that again, but the pattern itself was clearly written and I didn't have any problems following the directions.

I'd like to say thanks to Minerva Crafts for sending me the pattern, yarn and buttons to review.  They kindly didn't put any time constraints on me to get the pattern finished and they didn't put any pressure on me at all to give them (or their products) a favourable review.  A sick blogger couldn't ask for anything more!  If you are in the UK, go and check out their range, they are not just a yarn store, but supply materials for lots of other crafts, so you may find something you like!

Single Minded Knitting

Over the last month I've had a bit of a scatter-gun approach to my knitting.  I've been doing lots of bits of things as they fit around my new obsession of spinning.  I have now cleared the decks a bit and I'm back to focusing on one item, my King Cole Bamboo Cotton T-Shirt.  I have managed to finish the back. (That stitch marker is to remind me to sew in some loose plies that got missed in a stitch. The one downside of this lovely yarn, is it's splitty nature.)

Yesterday I cast off the front too!

It looks a little low cut doesn't it!  That is where the placket will go, so I think it will be perfectly decent.

The longer I knit with this yarn the more I like it.  The yarn is so soft and drapes so elegantly I think it will be a very useful addition to my wardrobe.  Even though there is no shaping in the tee, it will look like it has, simply because of the finished knitted fabric.

I have finished the ribbing on the first sleeve and now that I am focusing on this one garment, almost exclusively, I hope I will manage to finish this soon.  I really want to wear this tee before Summer is over!

If you are inspired to try knitting with King Cole Bamboo Cotton, mine was supplied by Minerva Crafts to review.

As this is a work in progress, I shall link up to Tami's WIP Wednesday.  If you want to join in, click the button.

WIPs and Spinning

I haven't really done a WIP update in a while.  I think it has been all the excitement of starting a podcast and starting to spin.  Speaking of spinning, I have managed to finish plying my first Tour de Fleece 2013 project. I have got two 50g (ish) skeins of 2ply yarn.  They are currently drying, but here is the result, photographed just as they were finished.

As soon as it s dry I shall show you how different it looks after a soak.  I also got this in the post yesterday:

Yes, my long anticipated supported spindle from IST Crafts arrived, along with an apology for the delay and a WPI gauge thrown in too.  I got the Purpleheart on Sycamore with Purpleheart shaft, without a brass tip, but with a bowl. As you can see, there is no fibre on my lovely new spindle yet.  That is because I am scared!  I don't know why, because I have some fairly robust fibre to practice on.  I have some Falkland fibre from World of Wool, that is undyed, which will be perfect.  I think it is because I have not found many videos on YouTube.  I think I will have to do some more searching.  I have bought Respect The Spindle, after deciding that it was so highly recommended that even if it didn't focus on supported spindles it would give me lots of valuable information.  I have only just started the book but it is really well written, clear and interesting, so I am reluctant to start spinning on the new spindle before reading more of the book.  I shall have to decide soon, otherwise I won't have anything to spin for Day 5 of the Tour!

So, moving on to my knitting!  If you have listened to my podcast you would have heard me talk about being approached by Minerva Crafts to do a product review.  I could pick a pattern that they sold on their website and make it using yarn they sold.  I eventually chose a King Cole pattern, because though I have knit with King Cole yarn, I've never knit one of their in house patterns.  The pattern I chose is King Cole 3324, which is for either a long sleeved sweat shirt type top, or a t-shirt with an open neck.  I decided I like the idea of making a nice simple t-shirt, especially as it has stripes!  I chose blue and white King Cole Bamboo Cotton yarn, as I've never used that yarn.  Having yarn as well as a pattern, that were new to me, felt the right thing to do if I was to give an unbiased review.  I didn't want to already know what the yarn or pattern would be like before starting.

I really am impressed with this yarn.  It is incredibly soft and drapey and is beautifully smooth to knit with.  I did a swatch and hung it to dry with clothes pegs attached along the bottom, as I was pretty sure this fibre would grow - and I was right.  The swatch before washing and hanging was no where near the gauge, but it was spot on afterwards.  The fabric is beautiful when knit up, even before blocking.

The style of t-shirt is very boxy and it relies on the drape of the fabric to give shape.  I think this will be an incredibly light and comfortable garment to own.  The t-shirt is knit bottom up and in pieces, which is pretty common for the patterns written by UK spinners, but in this case I think it is a good idea, as it will help anchor the very drapey fabric, so it doesn't stretch too far out of shape.

I have already knit up past the decreases for the armholes on the back and I'm really enjoying my stripey knitting.  At the decreases for the armholes I carried the yarn along the back of the cast off stitches in the same way as I learnt from here, whilst starting my Tribute Wrap (I really must pick that up again, I'm half way done!).  It was more tricky to use this techniquebecause the carried yarn wasn't cut, like in the tutorial, but I twisted the carried yarn one way for half the stitches and the other way for the other half.  It all untangled and I think it looks pretty neat.

I tried to take a full shot of the back, but my cat decided that as it was laid on the floor it must be for her.  It's unusual for her to take such an interest in my knitting, but I decided that I didn't want my knitting either being shredded or dropping off the needles due to her playing with it.

The other project I have started, and was mentioned in the podcast, was Henslowe.  It's a lovely simple shawl pattern that I learned about from Emily of the Watcha' Swatchin' Podcast.  I cast on immediately after seeing it, by using some Malabrigo Sock from stash, in Abril.

I already had this yarn caked, to play around with a pattern idea I had, that didn't work out, so it seemed a perfect match for this pattern.  I adore Malabrigo Sock.  It's a gorgeously soft and springy merino that is so wonderful to wear round your neck.  I can't imagine anyone wearing it on their feet, because I know the socks wouldn't last long with yarn this soft.

I quickly knit up the centre garter stitch panel that is knit side to side with yarn overs at the beginning of each row, and then cast off the top long edge using a suspended bind off.  As it was a technique I've not used before I looked it up and found a great tutorial from Bella Knitting. (I already shared that link on my Facebook Page).  The technique is really easy and though Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off is stretchier I think that the suspended bind off will keep the edge from stretching out of shape when it is worn.

I have now picked up the yarn over stitches at the end of each row to start knitting the lace panel outwards along the curved edges of the garter panel.

The lace is pretty easy and I was able to do it at knit night without having to rip any out.  I am really enjoying this pattern and I can't seem to stop!

One more thing before I go, I mentioned on my podcast that I wanted to start a KAL/CAL towards the end of the Summer using patterns from your crafting library.  The idea being that everyone could choose the type of project they wanted to create, but they would be doing something that they forgot they wanted to do, when they bought either a book or a magazine.  I also thought it would be a great opportunity to knit from stash, as often those long owned patterns also have yarn bought for them to knit when you "have time" or when you are not distracted by the new and shiny!  I am tentatively proposing the start date of Saturday 31st August and running to Friday 1st October.

I'd love to know if anyone would want to join in with my Crafting Library KAL/CAL and if the dates would work.  I am not proposing to set any particular size restrictions on the projects so you could do a baby jacket or a blanket.  I would probably give (some small, probably from stash) prizes at the end of the KAL/CAL that would be drawn from anyone who posted a minimum of three photographic posts in the update thread on my boards.  I think, that way, people could join in, whatever the scale of the project and not feel annoyed that their blanket or huge sweater would take longer than the baby jacket or hat, knit by someone else.  I want people to work on the projects that interest them, not force them into knitting something that has to be completed by a deadline.

If you are interested in taking part, or have any thoughts on what I have suggested, then please go over to the Ravelry Board and join in the discussion on the thread.

And if all that wasn't enough food for thought, you can click on the button to find out what everyone else is working on!

ChiaoGoo Twist Interchangeable Lace Needle Set Review

As promised on Friday, I have taken some photos of my new ChiaoGoo Twist Interchangeable Needle Set, and can now give you my view of it.

When I started knitting in 2008, I set out using Pony needles, as they were the ones available everywhere.  As I got more interested in knitting over the next few months I discovered the wonderful KnitPro Options Interchangeable needles.  These needles didn't cost the earth, were compact, pointy and pretty.  As I needed each size I bought it, which meant the cost of each size wasn't much greater than the Pony standard needles.

The KnitPro Options were incredibly good needles for a starter to use. I used them happily until last year, when as I started knitting more and reading more I decided to try Addi turbos.  I really liked them for their slickness and comfort.  However as they were fixed I needed lots of different cable lengths.  After a while collecting these needles, Addi brought out an interchangeable range, the Addi Clicks, which I decided to try.  Whilst the Addi Clicks had the slickness of the fixed circulars, the join wasn't as perfect as I hoped.  The connection caught on my finer yarns.  They were good when knitting with thicker yarns, but I do quite a lot of lace knitting in finer weight yarns and the set would probably create difficulties.  I decided I wouldn't bother getting that set.

My love of lace knitting led me to try ChiaoGoo Lace Circulars.  I really really liked these needles.  The cable didn't kink and coil up on itself, the points were incredibly pointy and the finish was lovely.  I started to collect these circulars and then the interchangeable version of these needles became available in the UK.  I bought 4mm needle points and a short cable and tried the needle.  After my trial I decided I wanted to buy the whole set.  You can also buy the small part of this set, the large part or individual needle tips and cables.  I decided that I didn't want to get the needles piecemeal as that can add up over time, in terms of postage if nothing else.  I also decided to go the whole hog as this year it is my 40th birthday and I decided to treat myself to something that I love that can be used every day and feel special, much in the same way that you might have a nice watch or jewellery.  It might seem a strange treat to a non-knitter, who might stumble over this blog, but we know what a sensible and luxurious treat to myself this is, don't we?

The set comes wrapped in a nice black and white cotton case, with a red ribbon running around it.  The fabric isn't the hardiest of material, but it isn't that flimsy either.  The front of the set has zipper pocket with a nice ribbon zipper pull.  In this front pocket is room for all the things (apart from the needles) that come with the kit.

There are some lovely stitch markers in various sizes, from large to tiny.  There are stoppers for the ends of the cables, to enable you to remove the needles for other projects without losing your stitches.  Also included in the top middle photo are the cable tighteners (they look like T Pins) and cable connectors so that a longer cable can be created from two smaller sizes.  The cables come in two sizes, small and large, to be used according to the needle size and there is a needle gauge.

The needle gauge is a bit redundant because the needles are all etched with size, along with whether a small or large cable is needed.

In addition to the numbers engraved on the needles, each pair of needles has it's own embroidered pocket.

As you can see there are pockets offset and below the labelled ones that can be used for other needles or crochet hooks.  I am tempted to add my KnitPro Options needles to this set, in which case the needle gauge might come in handy, for something other than calculating knitting gauge.  Newer KnitPro Options are engraved with the size, but my older ones aren't, and even the newer needles struggle to keep the needle size clear enough to read.

There is certainly plenty of room for the other interchangeable needle tips I have in this case.

There are 13 pairs of needle tips ranging from 2.75mm/US2 to 10mm/US15, which is the full set.  This is an improvement over the KnitPro Options which has 3mm as their smallest interchangeable needle tip, though the KnitPro Options go up another couple of sizes beyond the 10mm size of the Twist tips.

As I mentioned above, Twist needles have cables of different sizes, unlike the KnitPro Options which only require one type of cable connector.  Though this seems pointing, I think this sizing is probably one of the reasons the join between cable and needle is so smooth in this set.

As you can see, the connector has the size engraved on it, like the needle does, so I don't think matching up cable sizes will be too tricky, but it does mean you have more cables if you want multiple projects on the go than you would if using KnitPro Options.  In addition to having S or L engraved on the connector, the length of the cable is also engraved (on the opposite side to the one shown in the above photograph).  This means if a pattern specifies a particular cable length, you can find the right one straight away.

You can also see on the above photo, the hole in the connector part of the cable.  This hole is used to tighten up the connection and you find the same thing on KnitPro Options.  In the KnitPro Options I have used this to tie the end of a lifeline to, whilst knitting a row.  It saves sewing a life line through, a stitch at a time.  ChiaoGoo have recognised this technique, which I read about on a blog years ago, as being very clever and marketed this as an idea inherent in their design!

One of the things I loved initially about the ChiaoGoo Lace needles were the the fabulous red cables.  The cables are made from twisted steel wires that are coated with plastic.  This makes the cables very strong and it means they don't twist up on themselves or require soaking to straighten out.  Having these cables with this set was a real deal breaker for me as I believe part of the reason KnitPro Options untwist at the connection, is because the cable twists up and unscrews itself from the needle.  This drove me nuts, admittedly not nuts enough to soak my cables in warm water every time I used them, but nuts nonetheless.

The cables are not only clever and strong, but rather pretty too!  The needles are fairly attractive too, but they are really hard to photograph because of reflections off the metal.  I'm sure a professional could do it, but I'm only an amateur!

The above needle is 3.75mm, to give you an idea of scale.  As you can see the tip is very pointy, which I love, but I know that not everyone does.  I prefer to have pointy tips because I do lots of lace and find them easier when cabling without a cable needle (which tightens stitches up).  If you you push the tip of the needle with the pad of your finger tip to move your stitches up the needle, you probably don't want these tips as they would inflict significant pain on your poor finger.

The surface of the metal is not as slick as the Addi Turbo needles.  It's hard to see on the above photo, but there is a very slightly textured finish to the metal of the needles.  It gives them a sort of satin finish.  This means you can knit quickly and stitches slip up and down the needle quite easily, but the stitches don't fly off the tips in a hurry either, which is important in lace and cable.

I hope this review will help other knitters decide whether this set will be appropriate to their knitting style.  I know these tips would not suit everyone, but for me, they are perfect, and the only thing that would make me happier is having the case made in a sturdier fabric, as I think it will only last 5 years or so.  I don't think that's too much a cause for complaint if that is the only thing I can find to annoy me, do you?

Pure Wool - Book Review

If you are a regular reader of this blog you will have probably noticed that I don't do reviews.  I don't do advertising,  in fact, the giveaway last week is the first time I have taken advantage of a giveaway sponsor.  This blog is not a commercial enterprise.  My patterns are for sale, but that income is for designing the patterns, not for blogging.  This is the way I like it.  This blog is my connection to the world, not a job.  I'm not well enough to make it a job.  If I have things like advertisers I start to worry about a posting schedule and blog content and all of a sudden I have pressure that I don't need.  However, I am going to make an exception today.  I am going to take part in a blog tour.  The blog tour is to promote a book about a subject that is dear to my heart - wool, and more specifically British wool.  This is a first for me, and I didn't receive any payment in return for my review, though I did receive a copy of the book, and I hope it goes without saying that all opinions are my own and I did not agree to give a positive review before taking part.

The author of this book is Sue Blacker who is a well known face on the British knitting scene.  She runs and owns Blacker Yarns which concentrates on the sale of breed specific British yarns, which are produced in her specialist wool mill in Cornwall.  She also spins the wool from other wool producers, who have small specialty flocks.  Sue is also well known for her work on promoting British Wool.  She has a vast range of knowledge about her passion and she has written this book about it called Pure Wool.

As I received a physical copy of the book I can tell you that it is slightly wider, but shorter than an A4 sheet of paper and the cover has a flap at both the front and rear of the book.  Jacket flaps are something I find really useful when reading or using a book, to mark my place. The text is in a nice clear font which makes it a pleasure to read rather an exercise in squinting.  The cover and the pages are matte in finish, and the font is a soft grey colour, rather than black, creating a muted appearance to the book, without sacrificing clarity.  As a "thing" this book is rather lovely.

Now, onto the bit you are probably most interested in, the content.  The book starts with a basic introduction to wool, discussing the process from shearing the sheep to the final plied yarn.  This introduction also outlines the philosophy of Sue Blacker and her work.

"It is obvious to me......that the arguments about and loveliness of natural wool should go hand-in-hand to sustain a future for both wool and sheep."

There is also a section that details the terminology used throughout the book, that will probably prove to be very useful in future encounters with yarn of any type.

After the introduction the book is divided into sections that relate to a specific breed of sheep and the fleece it produces.  Each section is subdivided into a section regarding; fleece, the yarn it produces and one or two patterns that optimise the qualities of that specific breed's fibre.  There are 17 breeds of sheep included in the book, some of which you will probably of heard of, such as the Blue-faced Leicester or Jacob, and others which are a little more obscure, such as the Manx Loaghtan and the Gotland.

Each section gives a description of the heritage of the sheep breed and summarises lots of sources of further information on the breed.  There is also a picture of the breed - and who doesn't like pictures of sheep?

Then comes my favourite bit of this book, the Fleece Fact File page.  This page has pictures of the raw fleece, scoured fleece and carded fleece. It also has images of different weights of spun yarn and an image of a knitted sample of the yarn, produced from this fleece.  The Fleece Fact File page also gives a summary of qualities of the fleece, such as crimp, colours, and handle.

It is these two parts of each section, that give all the information about the breed and it's fleece, which make this book a coffee table book.  You can dip in and out of each section looking at interesting pictures and gaining snippets of information about sheep breeds and their fleeces.  These sections alone would create a lovely book to own.  However, there is more to this book than pictures and facts, there are also patterns.

Each pattern is designed with a specific breed's fleece in mind.  They are created to utilise the qualities that are evident in each fleece, as well as to produce an attractive and useful end product.  The patterns range in complexity from a cafetiere and egg cosy, to stranded colourwork in a waistcoat and intricate cabling in a sweater.

My favourite patterns include; the Scallop Shell Top by Rita Taylor that uses Blue-faced Leicester wool,

Wavy Cable Jumper by Amanda Jones that uses Pure Cotswold wool, and, as most of you know, I love a good bag, the Hebridean Handbag by Sue Blacker that uses Hebridean wool.

The patterns are clearly written and have nice snippets of information about the designer and those who knitted the samples used in the book.  I like to know about the designers of the patterns I knit and it is also a nice touch that acknowledges the sample knitters who are an incredibly important part of the process of the publication of patterns.  Without good samples, no one would want to knit something, no matter how good they are told the design is.

After the main sections of the book are detailed tables summarising all the information about the fleece and yarn qualities and suggestions for yarn replacements for the patterns in the book.  It also has a section on dying the yarns.

Overall, this book is full of useful and interesting information, alongside a wide range of patterns suitable for most abilities of knitter, that they can refer to time after time.  It really is a lovely publication that I'm glad to have on my shelf of craft books.

You can purchase the book directly from Blacker Yarns for £12+£3 P+P in the UK or on Amazon or through the publishers Bloomsbury Books or Stackpole Books for $19.99 in the US.


The next blog on the tour, is Shannon Okey's Knitgrrl.  Go and read what she thinks tomorrow.


NOTE: All photographs were provided by Bloomsbury Books on my request for the purposes of this post, and are copyrighted.

Little Red in The City Review

A while ago, I promised you a more in depth review of Ysolda Teague's latest book, Little Red in The City.

Before I go any further there are a couple of different purchase options that need to be pointed out.  The first method of purchase is to buy the book directly from Ysolda's website for £20.00.  This was the method I chose.  Included in this purchase are the PDFs of the book.  This includes the patterns as well as the techniques part of the book.

You can order the book as a digital version from Ysolda's website and that costs £17.00.  You can also buy the book from Amazon, where it is priced at £17.00.  What I am not sure about is whether you get the digital version included with the purchase via Amazon.

When I bought my book I got the digital version uploaded to my library on Ravelry.  This is particularly useful as I do tend to scribble on my patterns.  In the case of these patterns it is very useful indeed, as you have to enter the stitch counts yourself from the tables provided.  This do-it-yourself approach is incredibly clever as it lets the pattern be read in the most simple manner and you can add your own variations based on any amendments you might make after learning how to fit your pattern to your body.  It also means that the the author can create patterns with 15-17 sizes that are actually legible.

Now on to the actual review, which I have posted, in part, on Amazon.

This book is a work of art.  It is beautiful to look at and Ysolda's trademark whimsical stamp is on every page.  I love at least three of the seven patterns and quite like another couple, but these patterns are not the main reason to buy this book.  This book is a wonderful resource for knitters who have got a reasonable grasp of knitting other people's patterns, but are sick of them not looking quite right.  Every page of the front half of the book is dedicated to giving tips and tricks to improve technique, and adjust fitting of knitting patterns in a way that flatters.  The techniques involve such varied subjects as how to choose the right yarn to working out where to put waist shaping.  It also covers short row shaping, darts, and the importance of swatching properly.  I have learned several new and clever tricks to help with knitting that will improve all of my knitting and not just how my garments fit.

To help explain the techniques described, each of the patterns at the rear of the book is broken down into sections where you can insert your own measurements and calculations.  You are given hints on where to make changes to the pattern if you want to change the fit to one of the many sizes covered, which range from 28" - 60" busts. Each design is shown on two quite different sized women who are NOT models, but the author and her friend.  There are many worked calculations so that you can follow the step by step instructions without being very good at maths.

I plan to knit Melia, the hooded cape, which I already have the yarn for.  I plan to use some chocolate brown Fez.  However, it is too warm to think of these sorts of knits right now. I'll start it when it cools down a bit.

I also have ordered some yarn to make Laika, which is the lace patterned cardigan.  I've ordered the 4ply merino yarn already, but it is on back order, so I may have to wait a while.  I was told it would be some time in August, so while I have to wait, this will probably be my first knit of the book.

My favourite pattern, though, has to be Cria.   I wish the yarn was easy to replace, as the recommended yarns are either expensive or have to bought overseas!  I may have to save up some before I get to this one, anyone know of a cheap sport weight yarn with some silk content?

I know that this review has a very large absence of photographs, but if you want to have a look at the pictures from the book you can see them on Ysolda's Flickr PhotoStream, or on Ravelry.

I do recommend this book very highly, but I wouldn't recommend it for people who haven't knit at least a couple of garments before, as I think you would have information overload.  If you understand how a garment is put together you shouldn't have any problems.

Hopefully when I get my Laika yarn, I'll share my thoughts on the pattern writing too.

A Little Treat for Me.

I feel like I have been knitting for other people like fury for ages now.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy doing it, but sometimes I need a quick hit of selfish knitting.  I decided that I would delve into my new Boutique Knits book.

This book had been in my Amazon Wish List for, what seems like, forever.  I adore the hat on the cover and desperately wanted the pattern for it.  There were also a couple more other patterns that I loved.  I happened on it in Waterstones and decided to splash out.  I'm so glad that I did.  I only wish I'd done it sooner.

The pattern from this book that I decided to treat myself with was the Sideways Grande Cloche.  I chose this pattern because I just so happened to have some yarn that would work with the pattern.  I had some left over yarn from my Peru Gilet.  I had just over 2 skeins to be precise.  As usual I had set these extra skeins aside to be used for either repairs or small knits.  This pattern was the ideal small knit.  In the end I have about half a skein left for repairs now!

Isn't this yarn just meant to be made into this hat?  I love this hat even more than I loved the pattern.  I'm so happy I wasn't disappointed.  It took me a while to get gauge as I'm such a loose knitter, but I don't begrudge the time at all.  It is always worth swatching, even when you use the recommended yarn.

This hat is filled with interesting little details.  I love the twisted side accent.  This twist is made by picking up and knitting two bands of ribbing, twisting them together and then sewing them to the top of the hat.  This twist pulls the side up slightly to enhance the narrowing of the depth of the hat.  The body of the hat is knit sideways, getting narrower by working with progressively smaller needles.  The twist also covers the mattress stitched seam.

The top of the hat is knit by picking up and knitting along the top edge of the hat body, before the hat is seamed.  The decreases make a nice strong circular top, framed by the last rib on the body of the hat.

This hat is knit entirely on straight needles, so if you hate knitting in the round, this hat is perfect for you.  I love how it cups the back of your neck and covers your ears all the way down to the lobes.

My cloche will be warm and comfortable even on the coldest of days.  I am so pleased I have been able to knit this hat, in this yarn, because I have worn my Gilet constantly over the last couple of weeks.  It is warm, soft and breathable.  I LOVE this hat.  I am so glad I spent a day knitting this for myself as it has recharged my knitting batteries, so I'll be able to get back to selfless knitting again.

Going back briefly to the Boutique Knits book.  I can highly recommend it.  It has many interesting accessories, with imaginative twists on every day items.  There is a bag that incorporates both felted and un-felted knitting, which is really interesting and there are at least three hats, in addition to this one, that I want to make.  I think this book will be referred to time and time again for quick and interesting knits, especially if I'm running out of time on my gift knitting schedule. This is a valuable addition to my craft library, and anybody else's.

Book Reviews

I recently treated myself to a couple of new craft books.  The first one, I mentioned here. 

As I mentioned, I might of accidentally ordered it while I was looking for the Amazon link, to put on my blog. I am so glad that I did. This book is brilliant and exactly the sort of thing you should buy if you want to make bags, or have made a few and want to try and make something a little bit more complicated.  There are 8 bag patterns in the book, starting with a simple zip up pouch and a tote bag and working up to a fabulous overnight bag.  All the designs are lovely and I can't wait to make them, but these designs are just the cherry on top.  The main body of the book is all the amazing explanations of the various techniques you can employ in your bag making.  There are different types of fastenings, pockets and handles, along with different bag structures.  Within the pages of this book are enough ideas to keep you busy for years as you change and develop your bag making ideas.

As you might have guessed, I am already a big fan of Lisa Lam and her tutorials.  If you can't decide whether you want to buy the book or not, read some of her free downloads and if you like them, you will love the book.  If the tutorials don't help you in any way then you should probably be writing your own book and this one will be dull as dish water for you.

The second book I bought, because if you are ordering from Amazon, then it is foolish not to get at least two books (well that is what I tell myself anyway).  The second book I bought was this one:

I decided to get this book because I have seriously fallen in love with lace knitting recently and I find myself wanting to have a go at designing my own shawl/scarf.  I don't have many stitch dictionaries and the ones that I do have are mainly part of a larger book and therefore quite limited in content.  I decided that this book would really help me if I wanted to design something with a bit more interest in my stitch patterns.

I have sat down and had a thorough look through the book and there seem to be a really good selection of lace patterns, with only a few duplications on those I already have.  The layout is fairly basic and it could take quite a while to find a specific pattern that you remember vaguely from before, as there don't seem to be very clear categories.  The other thing I didn't like was the lack of charts.  I like charts with my lace knitting.  I find it easier to memorise when I can see a chart.  If I was to use a stitch pattern from the book I would have to chart it first.

By the way if you want to create a chart, I use the free knitting font available here.  If you want something that is web based you can use either KnitChart or chartGen.  Personally I use OpenOffice and create a chart using the knitting font, it makes it easier to insert it into any patterns I might write.

Going back to the book, it will make a useful addition to my library, but I probably wouldn't have invested in it if I wasn't going to use it to write my own patterns.  I don't think it would be much use to a knitter who always sticks to the pattern, even if it might be nice to occassionally add a little lace edging to a plain stocking stitch sweater.

I hope you liked my little reviews, I thought I'd give them to you as I always find reviews on craft books very useful on other blogs I read.  There are so many out there, it is hard to know what is useful to me.  If you are interested, I have a page on the blog here, that lists all the books I own and rate quite highly.  If you know of any other "can't do without" craft books, please let me know, I'll add them to my Wish List for Christmas ;-)

Don't forget that you still have time to enter my blogiversary giveaway by leaving a comment on this post, before midnight (UK time) on 17th September.

My Christmas Books

I got some amazing presents this Christmas. I am such a lucky crafter. The main craft haul is made up of brilliant books that I have coveted for such a long time. I used my Amazon Wishlist to good effect and now I have the following:


French Girl Knits has some lovely patterns with interesting constructions that I had not considered before. Not all the patterns jumped out at me, but there are several very elegant knits that I have had in my Ravelry Favorites for some time. I was so pleased to get this book and know that it will have several projects knit from it, as well as construction ideas swiped!

Sew It Up is written by Ruth Singer, whose blog I have read for some time. I love her textile creations and I also like that she works in Leicester. This book is fabulous. It has been reviewed all over the place in ways that made me want it. It has lots of clear photographs that illustrate the thorough instructions on how to carry out many sewing techniques. This book will hopefully enable me to stretch myself in the sewing field as I never really had a sewing teacher. I hope Ruth will become my literary version of a tutor, and there is so much in this book to fulfill that hope.

Reversible Knitting is another book that has been reviewed elsewhere in ways that piqued my interest. There are 50 stitch patterns in this book that work equally well from the front or from the back. The book is designed to encourage you to open your mind to new knitting possibilities. There are also over 20 patterns that work in different ways to the norm. One of my favorites is the Geometric Dress by Teva Durham which has two different geometric patterns, one on the inside and one on the outside. It isn't just colourways that can work on different sides but the cables and lace stitches are worked in fascinating ways to produce stunning garments that are flexible and versatile. I love the idea of having one garment taken away in a suitcase that can be worn in multiple ways!

I think this book will really expand my vision of what knitting can achieve. I really want to be challenged over the next few years to view knitting as a three dimensional object that should be viewed from all sides. I am sure this book will help me push my boundaries.

Jenny Hart has become a little bit of a hero of mine. She started to tackle embroidery with very little help and has become part of the vanguard who pushes the boundaries set by the preconceptions we all have about embroidery. She creates fantastically cute and fun embroidery patterns and explains the stitches in the most simple ways that even a total beginner, i.e. me, can understand.

I am so excited about getting Sublime Stitching as the patterns included can be ironed directly onto fabric and used as a template up to 9 times. This book along with the Hand Embroidery Network's Stitch a Day blog should have me embroidering with confidence in no time and then I'll be coveting the next books in the series.

This Noro book was given to me by Clare of Mary Clare. I am pretty sure it was a "thank you for making the website, now don't leave me to administer it myself" present. I love Noro yarn, it has always been one of my favorites and this book has designs that use the yarn to best advantage. There are really unusual patterns that really make the most of the unusual yarns and the long striping colourways. I wanted this book because it has really unusual constructions that step away from the usual garments you get in magazines. I am really trying to broaden my horizons in this respect and again this book is a valuable addition to my library.

Craftivity was given to me by my friend Emma and I am sure it will feed my thirst for all things crafty. I haven't had a good look at the book yet, but a cursory flick through on Christmas Day made me want examine it more closely. It looks like a combination of all my favorite crafty blogs in one book. I think you may see some projects from this book in the near future.

I think this sums up all my Christmas books nicely. I did get other gifts that I'll talk about soon as they are very cute and deserve to be examined closely by the whole of blogland, who will sigh with envy at what a lucky CraftyCripple I am! Until then, if you have any recommendations for good craft books that I can put on my Amazon Wishlist for next year, let me know, as it is looking a little empty now!