The Knitting & Crochet Guild Convention Part Two

Here is Part Two of my post about the Knitting and Crochet Guild Convention. It was such a great weekend, it needs two blog posts to do it justice! Our speaker after lunch on Day two was the very talented Louise Walker of Sincerely Louise. Louise is a commercial photography graduate who was determined to include knitting in her degree work! 

Faux Taxidermy Knit by Sincerely Louise

After several extremely creative projects, including knitted wigs, an appearance on the Alan Titchmarsh show and a Boden campaign, Louise was asked to create a book about faux taxidermy knits. Faux Taxidermy Knits has been very successful and Louise told us about the styling and photography she used in the book. You can find all Louise's knit kits on her Etsy Shop, Sincerely Louise. She is currently working on dinosaur knits and I can't wait to see what she tackles next!! You can read more about Louise on her blog. 

Faux Taxidermy Knit by Sincerely Louise

Faux Taxidermy Book and Knits by Sincerely Louise

Louise in conversation after her talk

After her excellent talk, Louise ran a "Photograph Your Knits" workshop. I was lucky enough to have been on one of her previous workshops at Unravel in Farnham two years ago and was keen to learn more. Louise had lots of tips for us and very kindly allowed us to photograph Hippo! 

Our photography workshop group

Our photography workshop in progress

Hippo by Sincerely Louise

The other excellent workshops that were going on at the same time were Brioche Knitting with Marie Wright, Irish Crochet with Sally Magill and Two Handed Stranded Knitting with Ann Kingston. 

Marie Wright's Brioche Knitting Workshop

Ann Kingstone's Two Handed Stranded Kniting Workshop

Sally Magill's Irish Crochet Workshop

After dinner, Tricia lead the Show and Tell session. I was absolutely blown away by the talent of my fellow delegates. The knitting and crochet on show ranged from exquisite shawls to protest banners and from fantastic dresses to heirloom garments that have now been donated to the Guild Collection.    Here are just a few of the many highlights of the evening.

Designer Ann Kingston was at the Convention with her beautiful new book, Lace Knits. Ann explained to us that the designs in her book are all named after her local area and that her best friend from school is one of the models! It is a gorgeous book with lots of detailed information about lace knitting and stunning garments and accessories to knit.

KCG Convention 2015: Show and Tell
Ann Kingston with her Lace Knits Book

Designer Rita Taylor was also at the Convention and talked to us about her lovely new book, Vintage Knits for Babies. If you look closely at the photo you can see Rita's crochet slippers! 

KCG Convention 2015: Show and Tell
Rita Taylor with her Vintage Knits for Babies Book

Betty had brought along her beautiful fuchsia waistcoat. She had knitted this lovely garment using the fuchsia chart I had designed for her after last year's Knitting & Stitching Show. You can read about Betty's Fuchsia Challenge here. 

KCG Convention 2015: Show and Tell
Betty in her beautiful waistcoat

KCG Convention 2015: Show and Tell
Betty's Fuchsia Waistcoat

KCG Convention 2015: Show and Tell

KCG Convention 2015: Show and Tell

KCG Convention 2015: Show and Tell

KCG Convention 2015: Show and Tell

KCG Convention 2015: Show and Tell

KCG Convention 2015: Show and Tell

KCG Convention 2015: Show and Tell

I was honoured to be asked to join designer Ann Kingston and crochet specialist Sally Magill as a judge in the Time for Tea competition. Thank you to everyone who entered and well done to our winners! 

The Winners!

Our last morning began with a detailed run through of the Guild's new website. Tricia took us through the new layout, page by page, highlighting many of the excellent sources of information that are available for both members and non members. You can take a look here.

After coffee (and cake of course!) we split into workshop groups. The workshops included Tunisian Crochet with Anne Flanagan, Knitting and Crochet for more than two hands with Judy Jones and beginners crochet with Trisha Basham. My workshop was with designer Sarah Alderson, who very gently led us through a double knitting project to make a Love Owl Coaster. I have done a little bit of double knitting, but changing colours was challenging! Sarah showed us how to correct mistakes and cast of in a beautiful braided edge. We didn't complete the coaster in the workshop, but my train journey home gave me the perfect opportunity and here it is!

Love Owl Coaster by Sarah Alderson,
knitted by Emma Vining

Love Owl Coaster by Sarah Alderson,
knitted by Emma Vining

I had a really excellent time at the Convention, catching up with old friends and making lots of new friends. I am very proud and happy to be part of such a knowledgeable, interesting and friendly knitting community. If you are not already a member, please do come and join us!

The Knitting & Crochet Guild Convention & AGM 2015: Part One

What great weekend we all had at the K&C Guild Convention! All of the delegates were very impressed by the University of Sheffield facilities. We were looked after very well, from fixing plumbing late at night to sorting out return trips to the station during the Sheffield Sky Ride road closures. There are so many highlights from our two days that I have split them over two posts. 

The Guild's theme this year is Afternoon Tea and there was a lovely display of tea related items from the Collection. Some of these will be on display at Shows over the next few months. 

KCG Collection
Photo by Emma Vining

KCG Collection
Photo by Emma Vining

KCG Collection
Photo by Emma Vining

After introductions and dinner on our first evening, we were all treated to an entertaining and informative talk by Kerry Lord of Toft Alpaca. Kerry took us through her journey from her English Literature degree to her successful business, Toft luxury yarns.  Her clarity of vision for the business is very impressive. Kerry illustrated the high level of skill required during all phases of producing the luxury Toft yarns by describing in detail how she achieves colour blending with natural Alpaca fleeces. We all fell in love with Kerry's Edward's Menagerie Collections and were very lucky to preview the first copy of Kerry's new book, Edward's Menagerie: Birds. The crochet birds are fabulous and I love the descriptions of each one, written by Kerry in her very distinctive style. I know I am not the only one planning a trip to see Kerry at her wonderful studio and shop!

Kerry Lord's new Book

Two of Ed's Animals by Toft Alpaca

Our day on Saturday began with an excellent presentation by Meg Boyce. Meg is a student at Huddersfield University and has been working with the Guild Collection Team at Lee Mills. Meg took us through some of her research and her responses to the Collection. She also introduced the concept of using Forensic Science methodologies to find new ways of looking at the Collection. Her work with the huge number of knitting needles in the Collection has resulted in some beautiful artwork that will shortly be produced as cards for the Guild to sell. I will definitely be buying some!

Pence Jugs by Meg Boyce

Meg showing her smallest Pence Jug

Meg's Knitting needle inspired artwork

Meg's beautiful knitted response to the Guild Collection

Barbara Smith's presentation was all about beautiful Fair Isle items that we have in the Guild Collection. Barbara is the Publications Curator for the Guild Collection and I particularly enjoy how she links images, patterns and items together to show the social history behind the designs. Beginning with the classic 1922 fair isle sweater worn by the Prince of Wales at St Andrews, Barbara showed how this type of image began appearing in adverts for knits and yarns in the 1920s. Barbara's other examples of Fair Isle in the Collection took us through the decades and ended with the sweater that was recently "Visibly Mended" by Tom of Holland. You can read more about all kinds of knitting and crochet on Barbara's fascinating blog.

Barbara Smith's presentation

"Visibly Mended" Fair Isle Cardigan from the KCGuild Collection

Here are some more photo highlights of the Knitting and Crochet Guild Convention 2015 showing our delegates in action!

KCG Convention 2015

KCG Convention 2015

KCG Convention 2015

KCG Convention 2015

KCG Convention 2015

KCG Convention 2015

KCG Convention 2015

More on the Convention coming up in Part Two........

Tear Cardigan in Simply Knitting Magazine, Issue 135

My Tear Cardigan is in this month's Simply Knitting Magazine! This easy to wear cardigan is knitted in King Cole Riot Chunky. I love the long colour changes in this yarn. I have matched up the starting points for the fronts so that the stripes run across the garment, but it would also look great in more random stripes.

Tear Cardigan by Emma Vining
for Simply Knitting Magazine

The tear design is inspired by ripped jeans. The tears in the knitting are made by using the one row button hole technique. Each tear is at the wear points such as the elbows and the lower edge. There are even little tears for thumb holes. You can add in more if you like!

Tear Cardigan by Emma Vining
for Simply Knitting Magazine

The ribbed border bands are knitted as part of the fronts. The rib is carried on round to the back of the neck and stitched into place after sewing the shoulder seams. The shoulders are worked in short row shaping for a flattering drape.

Tear Cardigan by Emma Vining
for Simply Knitting Magazine

The cast on edges are in stocking stitch for a natural curl.

Tear Cardigan by Emma Vining
for Simply Knitting Magazine

There is also a '5 Minutes With......' interview with me on page 10, where I talk about cables, tensions squares and my worst knitting habit!

Spinnaker Sweater for Yarn Stories

My Spinnaker Sweater is currently featuring on the Yarn Stories home page! I am delighted that my design in now available as part of the Yarn Stories Marine Collection.

My Spinnaker design featured on the Yarn Stories Website

Spinnaker is knitted in the wonderfully soft and light Yarn Stories Fine Merino DK. The stitch pattern was inspired by beautiful mosaics at the British Museum and combines cables, twisted stitches and moss stitch texture to capture the feeling of waves breaking on a sandy shore.

Spinnaker by Emma Vining

The scalloped edges of the sleeves, front and back are made by combining cables, moss stitch and ribbing.

Rib and cable scalloped edging on
Spinnaker by Emma Vining

Rib and cable scalloped edging on
Spinnaker by Emma Vining

Spinnaker is available from the Yarn Stories website and through Ravelry. Yarn Stories are currently running a limited time promotion - order a shade card and receive a code to download a Yarn Stories pattern for free!

The IKnit Fandango 2015

The IKnit Fandango 2015 took place in the Royal Horticultural Halls in London on Friday and Saturday 15th & 16th May. The hall was overflowing with colour and gorgeous yarn! On Saturday I was helping on the Knitting & Crochet Guild stand.

The K&C Guild Stand at the IKnit Fandango

The big draw on our stand was the yarn winding. We had a display of swifts from the collection and Barbara had also brought along her wooden swift. For a small donation to the Guild, we wound visitors gorgeous skeins of yarn into balls so that they could go home and start knitting immediately!

Yarn winding on the K&C Guild Stand

Yarn winding on the K&C Guild Stand

It was incredibly hypnotic to watch the winding and fascinating to see the colour blends change from Skein to ball.

Our K&C Guild and Yarn Stories competition was very popular and we handed out lots of leaflets. I can't wait to see the entries! There is still time to enter: details here. 

I had a chance to chat to other exhibitors and am over the moon about my lovely Navia yarn from the Island Wool Company. It was a pleasure to chat to Fiona and Anna. Anna's sweater designs are just amazing in the gorgeous yarns she has chosen. I also had a chance to chat to the very talented Jennie Atkinson. Her stand was so beautiful and it was lovely to see her designs close up.

Right across the aisle from our stand was the extremely popular Easyknits Stand. I spent all day looking at a shawl knitted up in their wonderfully dyed yarn and was very impressed with the graduated colour changes. The shawl design is Orbit and the yarn in question is the sushi roll dyed yarn. The sushi rolls come in many colour combinations and you unravel the roll as you knit up your shawl - so clever!

Orbit Shawl on the Easyknits Stand

I really hope that the success of the show this year means that the IKnit Fandango is back on the calendar as a regular event.

Etro at London Craft Week

London Craft Week is a new event showcasing the best in craft at many locations throughout the city. Workshops have been opened up and designers are demonstrating their skills, from delicate watchmaking and engraving at Vacheron Constantin to weaving by the London Cloth Company in the window of Daks! One very special event that took place on Thursday 7th May, was when the Italian Fashion House, Etro, invited visitors to see an artist at work in their Old Bond Street Store.

Signature Etro design
Photo by Emma Vining

Mr Maury was working on a very delicate Paisley design. Paisley patterns are the iconic signature design used prominently by Etro and it was amazing to see the tiny details Mr Maury added to the beautiful paisley swirl in front of him.

Mr Maury at work on a Signature Etro design
Photo by Emma Vining

A signature Etro design in progress
Photo by Emma Vining

There were beautiful designs on the walls of the store and I loved the way they showed both the initial drawing and the added colour / black and white work on the same piece. We were also able to see the final printed designs on the garments and accessories on display.

Signature B&W Etro design
Photo by Emma Vining

Etro designs on the wall and on garments
Photo by Emma Vining

There was great attention to detail in all of the designs and this wonderful jacket had a surprise edging that was only obvious close up!

Signature Etro design and jacket
Photo by Emma Vining

Signature Etro design and jacket
Photo by Emma Vining

Signature Etro design and close up of jacket edging
Photo by Emma Vining

Time for a quick selfie in the big mirror as we made our way back downstairs to look at more gorgeous garments and accessories!

The Etro London Store was a beautiful place to visit and seeing the creation of the Etro paisley designs was a fantastic treat. Thank you Etro!

London Craft Week 2015 runs until Sunday 10th May and there are many demonstrations, exhibition and events to visit. You can view the full programme details here.

Exciting Competition!

As you may know from several of my previous posts, I am extremely interested in and enthusiastic about the Knitting & Crochet Guild and the wonderful Collection of knit and crochet items that the Guild holds. A short while ago, I received very exciting news: the lovely yarn company that I design for, Yarn Stories, have teamed up with the K&C Guild Collection to announce a design competition open to everyone.

K&C Guild Collection

The aim of the competition is to promote the K&C Guild Collection and encourage more people to join the Guild. I have been a member for several years now and love being a part of this community. Sharing knowledge and information with other members has encouraged me to try new techniques and attending the Guild Trunk Show has meant I have seen some of the wonderful knit and crochet items in the collection up close.

The competition is all about using the K&C Guild Collection to inspire new designs. Yarn Stories have added inspirational images of items from the collection to a Pinterest board and would like you to design a 15cm knitted or crocheted square in DK yarn, inspired by any of these images. Full details of the competition, including the judging panel (Debbie Abrahams, Jane Crowfoot and Angharad Thomas from the K&C Guild Archive as well as the Yarn Stories design team), the prizes (lovely Yarn Stories yarn!) and the closing date (5th June 2015) are in the press release below.

Happy designing and knitting!

The Knitting and Crochet Guild Archive is an amazing resource with knitted and crocheted samples going back to the 1830s as well as a huge collection of pattern leaflets and every kind of knitting needle and crochet hook you can imagine. 
Yarn Stories believe this is an historic collection, arguably larger than the Victoria and Albert Museum and one that should be treasured. So we have come up with a very special design competition for knitters and crocheters from all around the world to enter. 
We have gathered together a selection of inspirational images of items in the archive on Pinterest - Knitting and Crochet Guild design competition https://uk.pinterest.com/YarnStories/knitting-and-crochet-guild-design-competition/ We would like you to design a 15 cm blanket square in DK yarn inspired by the archive, which can be created in either knit or crochet. 
The competition is now open and closes on 5th June. A judging panel including Debbie Abrahams, Jane Crowfoot and Angharad Thomas from the KCG archive as well as members of the Yarn Stories team will choose 10 finalists by the middle of June. Then Yarn Stories will throw open the judging to knitters and crocheters all over the world to vote for their favourite square during July and August. The overall winner, announced on 4th September, will receive £100 of Yarn Stories yarn and each finalist will receive two balls of the Yarn Stories yarn of their choice. 
But the excitement doesn’t end there. All the finalists’ squares will be put together into a blanket pattern that will be available on the Yarn Stories website with 50% of the revenue going towards the continued protection and support of the archive. The finished blanket will be at The Knitting and Stitching show in October for you to see. 
You don't have to be a guild member to take part, but it is an organisation we highly recommend you join. 
Amanda Crawford, Head Designer at Yarn Stories says: “I have been lucky enough to visit the Knitting and Crochet Guild Archive and it is such an amazing collection. We wanted to do something to support this vital piece of history for knitters and crocheters everywhere. Our competition is a fantastic project and we are very proud to be able to help the archive.” 
Entries for the Yarn Stories competition should be sent to 
Yarn Stories/KCG competition 
Spa Mill 
New Street 
Slaithwaite 
Huddersfield HD7 5BB 
Or by email to information@yarnstories.com