Are you ready to ‘Stash Bust Your Blues’? January can feel like it’s 100 days long. To make the time fly join us all at Black Sheep Wools and finish off those pesky WIPS. Throughout the month of January we will be rooting through the naughty corner and finishing off the makes that may have defeated us at first go. Get that rush of good feeling every time you finish off a project. You may need to sew up a seam, finish the sleeve or even frog it completely – whatever you choose to do with your UFO embrace it and finish it off! Bust the Blues on Monday the 20th January and join us in-store at our ..read more

We have compiled a Crafters Christmas gift guide. Gifts that you may well wish to receive and those to give to a crafty friend or relative. Ideas and inspiration for knitters, crocheters and stitchers alike.  Season's Greetings Festive StockingA fabulous knitted Christmas stocking kit that you can enjoy knitting and then become a piece of your Christmas decor for many years to come. The pattern designed by Debbie Abrahams is also available separately. It is a Black Sheep Wools exclusive for just 3 months.  KnitPro Oasis Interchangeable Crochet Hook SetsA new phenomenon for us at Bla ..read more

Section One – Hem Put a tray on your lap when threading beads. Then when you drop one it’s easy to find. Put the beads into small containers (like small jam jars) it makes them much easier to manage. Try not to cast on too tightly, as we are using smaller needles it can make it difficult to pull the yarn through. Use a post it note to mark where you are in the pattern. As the hem is on small needles for this weight of yarn it is a bit tricky, stick with it. It does get easier. Remember to change needles – it’s easy to miss it. Fair Isle Section 1  Don’t panic! This is a very simple 1 ..read more

Bury Tank Top in Mode Softest Alpaca I fell in love with Mode Softest Alpaca as soon as I touched it. It’s so soft it’s almost ridiculous. Made from 70% alpaca it is light and airy with a huge 130 metres on each 50g ball. The first thing I made with it was a Kylie beanie. This is a legendary FREE pattern that has been downloaded from our site thousands of times. I soon knew I needed to make something bigger. Well say hello to Bury, a perfect square shaped tank top with wide shoulders that I’m hoping with help me. I’ve only spent a few hours with this project so far   but I love it. It gro ..read more

The name of this yarn does not lie, it really is the softest alpaca. Rowan Softest Alpaca is a blend of 70% Alpaca, 23% recycled Nylon and 7% wool, it is super soft but surprisingly strong. So strong you can use it with confidence when sewing up your garments.  I couldn’t wait to get it on the needles. I had one ball so I needed a small project. I thought I’d try out the Kylie Beanie, this is a free pattern on our website and it’s a cute cabled hat. The tension worked out perfectly and it knitted up in just one evening. The yarn lends itself to cables and was a joy to knit with. It glid ..read more

August is always a tricky knitting month, you never know what the weather will bring. Will it be too hot to knit with wool, will it be so hot that I can only cope with a cross stitch? Alas August 2024 has been a bit of a wash out in Warrington which means I have crocheted with merino, knitted mohair and spent lots of time on the sofa with both crafts.    King Cole Warm & Toastie I’ve finished two things this month. The first is my King Cole Warm & Toastie  crocheted cardigan which is far too small for me! It’s my own fault. My tension is perfect but for some reason I ma ..read more

Fabulous toppers have been popping up on Royal Mail Post Boxes all over the country. To celebrate the makers of these crocheted and knitted masterpieces, we ran a competition this summer and had nearly 100 fabulous entries!  You can see the winners on our Post Box Topper page. The winners have been chosen by Faz and his team at our local Post Office in Culcheth. They loved being involved in the competition, saying, "This was great fun to judge and we can't believe how clever and imaginative people have been!". We had lots of other entries too, there are too many to share them all b ..read more

Black Sheep Amy has knitted the brightest (almost neon) shade of pink into a beautiful puff sleeve top. Knitted in the fluffiest and most fabulous - Rowan Kidsilk Haze. Held together with a strand of white cotton - Rowan Summerlite DK. Let's see what she has to say about knitting the garment. Pattern name: Elyna from Mode Collection 10 book | Elyna digital pattern Yarn: Rowan Summerlite DK with Rowan Kidsilk Haze Shade number / name: Summerlite DK - 465 White Kidsilk Haze - 712 Ultra What size did you make? 28 - 30”     How did you find the patte ..read more

Sara has a little catch up on what she has been working on in July. There's some new crochet and even a pair of knitted socks on the needles. Yes, you heard that right, Sara is knitting Winwick Mum's amazing Black Sheep Ruby socks.  If you are wondering what the bright chenille yarn is on the video cover, that's King Cole Warm and Toastie. Sara is making a cosy cardigan in this new yarn. Watch the YouTube video to discover more. Sara's WIP rediscovery is the cover garment from last summer's Rowan Magazine - 'Veronique' knitted in Rowan Handknit Cotton.  ..read more

It must be time to share one more of Carmen's latest knitting projects. This top is knitted in lightweight summer yarn - King Cole Linendale Reflections.  Pattern name: 6129 King Cole Yarn: King Cole Linendale Reflections Shade number / name: 5640 What size did you make? 36 - 38" How did you find the pattern? Did you make any adjustments? A nice pattern to follow. It was enjoyable to knit. I did have to go down a needle size to achieve tension with it being linen. Have you used this yarn before?  First time knitting with it. I like the texture of the yarn ..read more