Day Two at the Knitting & Stitching Show

Another fantastic day at the Knitting and Stitching Show! I arrived to bright sun on Alexandra Palace and rain clouds over London. 

Inside the Show, we had another very busy day with lots of visitors to the UKHKA Knitted Textile Awards Stand. It was so great to talk to everyone who came along to TG Q13. Thank you for all the lovely comments about my Kagome Cardigan.

I was able to have a very quick look around the rest of the Show during the last hour when the aisles were a little clearer. 

I also had a lovely chat with Malabrigo Yarns, who said they were bringing in more shades of yarn in the morning. That will be my first stop before being back on the stand to talk to more visitors. 

Really looking forward to Day Three!

Day One at the Knitting & Stitching Show

What a wonderful day talking about knit and design at the Knitting & Stitching Show!

From the moment the doors opened at 10am, our stand, TG Q13, had a constant stream of visitors. It was great to show our work to so many interested and knowledgable knitters. 

The new UKHKA Knitted Textile Awards Open Category has lots to for visitors to see as our work is so diverse in all aspects. I am very proud to be 'on the wall' alongside all this great talent. 

Can't wait for day two!

UKHKA Knitted Textile Awards Set Up day

Today was set up day for the UKHKA Knitted Textile Awards at the Knitting and Stitching Show, Alexandra Palace. Arriving at Alexandra Palace at 8am, all was very quiet. The main entrance was all ready to go, but completely empty. I have never seen it like this before!

Empty Entrance
Photo by Emma Vining

The view over London from the top of the hill was as amazing as ever.

View over London
Photo by Emma Vining

As finalists arrived throughout the morning, the incredibly calm curator, Fiona Ross guided everyone through displaying their work. As the morning went on, the stand went from bare white to being full of colour and exciting knits of all descriptions. I am very happy to have my work up on the wall with all the other finalists. Just the name plaques to add and the photos to be fully stuck down and all is ready to go for tomorrow morning!

From this......

.......to this!
Kagome Cardigan
designed and knitted by Emma Vining

I am so happy with the location of our stand.  We are on stand Q13 in the Textiles Gallery. Round the corner you will find the wonderful Art Van Go and the excellent Loop. Also spotted were Malabrigo Yarns, Shilasdair and the enormous Coats Crafts stand that includes Rowan Yarns. Texere yarns are just through the door in the Main Hall, as is the incredibly colourful Collinette stand. 

I am really looking forward to the next few days, meeting lots of visitors, looking at all the other designs and visiting as many exhibitor stands as I can! 

Curves & Corners Scarf Pattern

My Curves & Corners Scarf pattern is now available in my Ravelry Store. The scarf is knitted in sections that are picked up as you go. The corners are mitred corners with a garter stitch ridge pattern and the curves are created using short row shaping in a rib and twisted stitch pattern. The stitch patterns are reversible.

Curves & Corners Scarf
Pattern and Photo © Emma Vining

Curves & Corners Scarf
Pattern and Photo © Emma Vining

The scarf begins with a little corner and a short curve and then builds up to bigger and bigger sections. As the sections are worked and the scarf grows longer, it begins to curl. The length along inside curved edge is approximately 170cm/ 67in.

Curves & Corners Scarf
Pattern and Photo © Emma Vining

There are many ways to wear Curves & Corners; draped lengthwise, wrapped around several times or folded in half and looped through itself. All ways of wearing make the corners stand out and give great structure to the scarf. When not being worn, the scarf can be coiled up and looks good stacked from small to large corner.

The scarf shown in the pattern is knitted using 3x50g balls of Sirdar Click Chunky with Wool in shade (119) Flinty (70% Acrylic, 30% Wool, 75m/50g). Please take a look at my Ravelry Projects page for versions in other yarns. Generally, the heavier the weight of the yarn the bigger the corners and curves will be. I have also knitted a version in 4ply yarn which results in a very delicate twist, but needs lots of extra sections worked.

Curves & Corners Scarf
2 Colour Sirdar Click Chunky
Pattern and Photo © Emma Vining

Curves & Corners Scarf
 Rohrspatz & Wollmeise 100% Merino Superwash
Pattern and Photo © Emma Vining 

Curves & Corners Scarf
Hand Dyed Silk yarn
Pattern and Photo © Emma Vining

Curves & Corners Scarf
Pasea by Plymouth Yarn
Pattern and Photo © Emma Vining

This pattern is very adaptable and I hope knitters will enjoy making this versatile scarf.

Cappuccino Felted Bag Pattern

My Cappuccino Felted Bag pattern uses reverse Fair Isle patterning to form a series of textured ridges, which separate graphic strips of ‘right way round’ Fair Isle. The 'Right and Wrong Side' Fair Isle stitch pattern is knitted in Blacker Yarns Pure Ryeland Aran Wool (Aran weight, 100% wool, 70m/76yds per 50g ball). To make the bag, you will need 4 x 50g balls of Dark Brown and 2 x 50g balls of Cream.

Cappuccino Felted Bag
© Emma Vining

Leather handles complete the smart look. The handles shown here are leather piped 18inch bag handles in shade 'Dk Choc', available from U-handbag.com.

Cappuccino Felted Bag
© Emma Vining

The Cappuccino bag is knitted in one piece and felted in the washing machine after sewing up. Felting gives the bag a lovely soft look and feel. After felting, the bag measures approximately 29cm wide and 30cm long.

Cappuccino Felted Bag
© Emma Vining

Cappuccino is now available in my Ravelry Store. The pattern was first published as a 'subscriber exclusive' in The Knitter Magazine, Issue 48.

Little Sunsets Scarf Pattern

My Little Sunsets Scarf pattern is now available from my Ravelry Store. Little Sunsets is knitted in four different shades of lace weight yarn from Rowan, Debbie Bliss and Manos del Uruguay. The colour combination of these lovely yarns reminds me of a beautiful sunset at the end of a summer’s day. 

Little Sunsets Scarf
Pattern and Photo By Emma Vining

The scarf is knitted lengthwise, using short row shaping to make the little sunsets in pink and red. The borders and stripes have a row of grey eyelets set between black garter stitch ridges. The pattern uses 20-25g/ 160-200m of each lace weight yarn shade. Detailed yarn information can be found on my Ravelry page.

Little Sunsets Scarf
Pattern and Photo By Emma Vining

I really like the reverse side too as the colours blend so well together and the lines of eyelets form beautiful waves.

Little Sunsets Scarf Reverse Side
Pattern and Photo By Emma Vining

Little Sunsets Scarf
Pattern and Photo By Emma Vining

Little Sunsets is part of a collection of scarf designs that use short row shaping to create 'pops' of colour. My Little Suns scarf pattern, which was published in the Knitter Magazine, Issue 47, uses two shades of Malabrigo Lace yarn to make bright yellow suns set in a blue sky.

The Mendocino Yarn Shop

The Mendocino Yarn Shop is a very friendly and wonderfully stocked yarn shop in the picturesque Northern Californian Coastal town of Mendocino. Both the shop and the town are an absolute delight to visit.

Mendocino Yarn Shop on Albion Street
Photo by Emma V

This yarn shop has so many different yarns in such a wonderful selection of weights and shades that it took me some moments to get orientated!

Lots of yarn
Photo by Emma V

More yarn!
Photo by Emma V

Buttons too!
Photo by Emma V

Luckily I had done some planning and was looking for Aran or chunky weight yarn to knit my curves and corners scarf. In the end I decided on Pasea by Plymouth Yarn and I will post the results shortly!

Pasea by Plymouth Yarn
Photo taken at Mendocino Headlands by Emma V

I enjoyed my visit so much that I returned the next day to purchase some lovely northern Californian Brittany knitting needles (almost have all of the sizes, but not quite!). This wonderful bright green lace weight Silky Alpaca yarn by Classic Elite Yarns had already caught my eye. Can't wait to design a pattern for the two 100g balls I bought. 

Silky Alpaca by Classic Elite Yarns
Photo taken at Point Cabrillo Light Station by Emma V