My final knitting project of 2024 was the Pressed Flowers Kerchief, designed by Savory Knitting for the Pom Pom and Hobbii garland yarn and pattern collection. As a big fan of PomPom magazine, I was really keen to try their new yarn, following the closure of the magazine last year. The yarn for this project […]
Pressed Flowers Kerchief Read More »
As a great lover of a vintage swimsuit, when I found out that Palais Galliera’s latest Fashion on the Move exhibition included a section dedicated to vintage swimwear, I planned a short trip. A few photos of the swimwear – and related ephemera – included in the exhibition, are below. Fan, 1920-25. Catalogue, 1939. Catalogue,
Vintage Swimwear at Palais Galliera Read More »
Back in September, I had a short article about my knitted swimsuit included in Slipknot, the Knitting and Crochet Guild’s members magazine. The magazine (like all roles in the Guild) is created by volunteers, so I was glad to be able to make a small contribution, and being the cover image was a nice surprise
Knitted Swimsuit in Slipknot Magazine Read More »
I’m a member of the national Knitting and Crochet Guild, and very occasionally I make it along to meetings of the Birmingham branch. At one meeting I did attend, I took home Sue Bradley’s Cotton Collection, published in 1988, which a fellow member was giving away after a clear-out of their knitting books. A number
Birmingham Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers holds a dyeing day every other year. It’s hosted by one of our members, Sarah, who prepares a selection of different natural dyes which are bubbling away in pots in her garden through the day. As an attendee, you just need to bring along prepared fibre, yarn or
Naturally Dyed Patchwork Sport Shorts Read More »
When we booked to travel to New York by ship, earlier this year, I knew I needed to sew a sailor top. I already had this fabric in my stash, and when I started looking at possible patterns, I realised that I already had the perfect pattern – I Am Patterns’ Osiris top. I even
As a teenager, I was an avid reader of 90s teen magazines (Bliss and Sugar) and was fascinated when one issue (bizarrely, as it certainly wasn’t a regular feature) included a pattern for a, presumably crochet, string bikini. I didn’t knit or crochet at the time, but the idea of that bikini stayed with me
Knitted Swimsuit from a Vintage Pattern Read More »
I attended my first weaving class in 2019, a week-long class at an Association of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers summer school. Despite buying a table loom after the class, I didn’t do any weaving (unless you count a couple of failed attempts at warping) until I attended a second week-long summer school in 2021. Friends
Recent Weaving: Scarves, Rugs & Tea Towels Read More »
Back in 2021, I purchased an issue of Little Looms magazine (Summer 2021 edition), tempted by the idea of weaving shoelaces. I’ve been thinking about attempting those shoelaces ever since, and finally made the effort to learn how over the Christmas holiday. The pattern, by John Mullarkey, uses tablet weaving (using cards to manipulate the yarn), which
The 2023 SewBrum meet-up was the tenth time the event has taken place, so I decided to make it a special one. The whole event took place in Moseley Village, home to Guthrie & Ghani, and I rented a second venue, Moseley Exchange, to give us more space. Across the two venues, we hosted social
SewBrum Swap Kalle Read More »