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She’s a Rainbow

My newest and most exciting news is that our new MKAL (mystery knit-along) launches next month – on January 8th! Llanberis is a small colourwork item in three shades and kits are available for £20 from Yarn O’clock. Alternatively you can buy the pattern on its own for £4 directly from me and it will be available to purchase in advance, although you won’t receive it until the launch date.

The pattern is being released in three parts on January 8th, 15th and 22nd. All you need is 3 x 25g of DK yarn in different colours, 8 stitch markers, 3.25mm 40cm circular needles or dpns and 3.75mm 40cm circular needles and/or dpns. It’s so good to have something to look forward to in the New Year – why not join us?

The picture above is the a little part of the quarry at Llanberis. We miss going there as we’ve not ventured far at all since March.

It’s also been a fairly intense week on the computer – but I now have all my recordings and notes done and uploaded for my second course on Craftucation. I’ve even put on lipstick for the first time in well over two years for the sections where the camera was on me.

Me with lippy!

Changing the frames per second rate to 60 from 30 made a massive difference to the image quality of hand close-ups, but it doesn’t half eat up the storage space on your computer! Before I had finished my 1TB storage was full and I had to go through my hard drive to delete the old and unnecessary. It’s amazing how much junk you transfer from an old computer to a new one without realising.

All that’s left now is for me to take stills from the videos to add to my notes and “Knitting for Beginners 2” will be submitted for listing on Craftucation. The website launches in just over a month – January 18th 2021.

My plan for my next course to go on there is “An Introduction to Lace Knitting”. If you have any requests for knitting courses do let me know and I’ll see what I can do!

I have been delighted with how my yarnie advent calendars have been developing. The flower wreath from Yarn O’clock is stunning and I keep thinking of new possibilities for the mini skeins from Bear in Sheep’s Clothing.

Yarn O’clock Advent Calendar Wreath
Days 1-5 Mini Skeins
Days 6-10 Mini Skeins
Days 11-15 Mini Skeins

So, it’s dark and chilly, but we have yarn and colour. I’ve also noticed that lots more people locally have put up Christmas lights this year, which is really cheering.

If you want to add any more colour into your life with a knitting kit then you have until the end of this week to order. After that I won’t be posting anything out until the New Year. Digital downloads of patterns are, of course, available twenty-four hours a day. ☺️

Keep knitting and remember to stretch. K x

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Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful!

The pervasive sound of pneumatic drills is going on outside, which has led me to write this week’s post earlier in the day than planned. You won’t hear it, but if I try recording anymore of my online knitting course right now it will be very audible on that. Maybe once they’ve gone home (they must be getting soaked) I’ll do some recording – or early tomorrow morning if the rain doesn’t let up too!

I had an exciting delivery yesterday – my new business cards from Moo. They are lovely and I’ve redesigned them to include my logo and website, neither of which existed when I had the last batch printed. Two have already been given out – one in an online order for a Hanging Heart Decoration and one to one of the people who came to service the gas fire this morning! She had been admiring the knitted nativity in the lounge window, but said she couldn’t knit, so I told her about the launch of Craftucation next month where I will have online courses for beginner knitters. You never know when you’re going to able to make a new knitter, do you?

I made the nativity years ago for my wife’s school, but it can’t be put on display there this year because of Covid, so we get to enjoy it at home for a change. My favourite is the donkey, I think – what about you? (Sooty, Sweep, Frosty the Snowman and the bearded gnome are not traditional parts of the nativity, but … actually I don’t really have an explanation for that. It’s just one of those things that happens here sometimes). As an aside the window isn’t really curved – that seemed to be what happens when taking a panoramic photo close up.

You may have seen the progress of my yarnie advent calendars on social media. I’m posting daily pics of the flower wreath from Yarn O’clock as I add one each day and of the wonderful palette of yarns that is emerging from Bear in Sheep’s Clothing. It’s a little moment of joy each morning opening the paper wrapping to see what colours are next. If you haven’t seen them – check them out! Links are at the top of the page.

There hasn’t been anything in the way of designing happening this week, but that’s probably due to my brain being focused on recording (thanks again, drills!), editing, transcribing, and knitting for the new course. There has been some spinning though! I’m not going to show any pics of it yet as it’s going to be a gift to the lovely person who gave me a whole bag of different fibres – I’m pleased with it and my ability to produce and maintain an even yarn is really improving!

I’ve finished re-listening to the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaranovitch (I do hope there’ll be more) and my mysteries have moved from the magical to the mundane as I’ve gone on to Val McDermid’s Broken Ground. I’ve read it before and it’s a cracking good tale with lots of subplots and jumping about in place and time while you put the pieces together.

If you’re knitting anything lovely at the moment or enjoying an unusual advent calendar I’d love to hear about it.

Take care, K x