Sad endings
A Kingfisher Morning
by Juliet
3y ago
I love to knit, no, I really love to knit. But I have a real dread of finishing a project. It’s not because I don’t like sewing up or sewing in ends. I actually quite enjoy that process and mattress stitch continues to delight me every time I use it. No, I think it has something to do with the sadness of finishing a project that you have really enjoyed, just like the end of a special love affair. You’ve had the honeymoon period of falling in love with the yarn, the excitement of getting in to the project. There’s the long period of where you have settled in to the rhythm of the knit and then i ..read more
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Fruit Garden
A Kingfisher Morning
by Juliet
3y ago
I’m not the most proficient crocheter in the world, but I do love a good crochet along. There’s something about seeing how others are progressing and picking up on their hints and tips – I learn so much. Having said that I am pretty rubbish at keeping up. I am amazed how many people can so quickly complete a section, often the day that it launches. I guess in lockdown anything is possible. My first crochet along was Jane Crowfoot’s Crochet Club in 2011. The yarn was Rowan Cotton Glace and the design had a distinct art deco feel. It was pretty scary for me, but Jane’s pattern instructions and ..read more
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Antidote to the yarn diet
A Kingfisher Morning
by Juliet
3y ago
I am on another yarn diet. Two months down and just ten to go. It’s already testing my resolve with so many gorgeous new yarns out there. I cruise website, fill up my basket and then walk away. Sorry, but I am determined because I simply have too much yarn. Most of it is in the loft and I need to get it down for a cull but I haven’t had the heart yet. It’s lucky then that there are so many fantastic new books out there and I am not on a book diet, so let me show you my latest favourites. Norah Gaughan is a genius and I have admired her work for many years. Her latest book is called Twisted St ..read more
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Zig Zag
A Kingfisher Morning
by Juliet
3y ago
You know by now that I am a complete Fair Isle junkie and I am always looking for new opportunities to introduce knitters to the technique. Stylecraft are a client of mine and wanted a pattern for their Makealong group so I was delighted to be able to come up with a design for a hat and mitts for them. The Zig Zag design is an easy and repetitive motif for those who haven’t tried the technique before. Because you only float the colours over 3 stitches it somehow feels less scary and is very quick to get in to. The hat and mitts are also knitted in the round, which may be a new technique for s ..read more
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Còinneach
A Kingfisher Morning
by Juliet
3y ago
By now I’m sure you know how much I love Kate Davies’ designs and writing. Còinneach is the latest of her patterns that I have knitted in her own yarn, Milarrochy Tweed. I chose Cowslip as my main colour with Bruce, Garth, Cranachan and Stockiemuir. Knitting the yoke was such fun and even the acres of stocking stitch were enjoyable because of how the yarn just glides along the needles. Then I hit a problem – I didn’t like the length. I am very tall and I also like my cardis good and long. I thought I had made all the right calculations, but apparently not. There was nothing for it but to add ..read more
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Between the pages
A Kingfisher Morning
by Juliet
3y ago
Over the last year there have been so many fantastic books that have landed on my desk – there is certainly no lack of creativity out there. I thought I would share some of my favourites here. If you are a lover of Fair Isle and colour, you are going to love Colour Moves by Claudia Fiocchetti from KDD&Co under their Make//Mark imprint, which supports emerging talent in our industry. I was interested to read that Claudia is a wall-painting and stone conservator who has worked at places like William Morris’ Red House in Bexleyheath. The book is packed full of lots of accessory projects, th ..read more
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Hello
A Kingfisher Morning
by Juliet
3y ago
My dears, I am so sorry.  It has been over a year and I have no excuses, I just lost my mojo there for a while and life got in the way. But now I’m back.  Isn’t our world a strange place to be?  I knew what was expected of me during lockdown but each week now, even each day, things change and I have to completely reframe my world and expectations.  Is anyone else finding it exhausting? I am fortunate.  My boys are all well and gainfully employed and we have a gorgeous new puppy who we adopted in February and who joined us at the beginning of March.  But more about ..read more
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Knit By Numbers
A Kingfisher Morning
by Juliet
5y ago
I have been noodling around, swatching for some up and coming projects.  My yarn of choice this time was John Arbon’s Knit By Numbers 4 ply, which comes in an extensive range of colours – 109 0f them. I have knitted quite a lot in Knit By Numbers DK but never tried the 4ply.  The yarn is made from 100% organic Merino and my first impression was how well the yarn takes the colour. I was knitting on 3mm needles, when the recommended size is 2.75mm but as soon as I blocked the yarn it bloomed beautiful to give a wonderfully consistent knitted fabric.  Even if you are just knitting a  plain garmen ..read more
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Craftpod
A Kingfisher Morning
by Juliet
5y ago
I’m not all that good at embroidery. I can manage a little embellishment on a hand knit and I’m not bad at Sashiko but fancy stitches…. I’m just not that neat or skillful. I recently subscribed to a box scheme called Craftpod to help me learn and improve my skills. Although my first box arrived a while ago it was only on Easter Monday that I had the chance to see what I could do. It was a beautiful day so we flung the doors of our extension open. My eldest got my sewing machine out to make a shirt and I unpacked the two kits in my Craft pod. The embroidered and collage picture of a bird was a ..read more
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Warm Hands Competition
A Kingfisher Morning
by Juliet
5y ago
Anyone that knows me will be aware that I am a huuuuge fan of Kate Davies, who I first came across when she was writing for the Rowan magazines.  Her beautiful designs, in sumptuous yarns, translated into thoughtfully written patterns are a joy from start to finish. What you may not know is that Kate Davies Designs (KDD) is currently running an amazing design competition called Warm Hands, which was launched on Ravelry.  This could be your chance to see one of your designs in a KDD book which launches in the autumn.  Wow!  What an honour that would be. What’s really important is this comment f ..read more
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