It seems that I’m not actually producing a great deal at the moment, and I’m really OK with that. I have stuff on the go and hope to have something to share with you next week…if I can just get my act together to sew the darned hem!
But I am also working on developing (n)ewe skills…and that, my dears, takes time.
Sadly, the jokes are still very, very old indeed!
This week, Lara Croft and myself treated ourselves to a colour-work knitting workshop at Baa Ram Ewe in Headingley, Leeds, to celebrate making it through the Easter school break without murdering the little horrors.
image from baaramewe.co.uk
We set off bright and early on Saturday morning with rare sunshine on the hills as we crossed over into Yorkshire. Thankfully our visas were up to date ;-).
Baa Ram Ewe is a delightful yarn shop stocked to the ceiling with beautiful yarns such as Jamieson and Smith, Rowan and Debbie Bliss.
image from baaramewe.co.uk
But their speciality is Yorkshire Yarns and their own Titus yarns had me twitching to make a purchase.
image from baaramewe.co.uk
Thankfully we were whisked off to a nearby coffee bar to start the day.
image from salvos.co.uk
Coffee in hand, Sara, our Rowan tutor for the day, lead us gently into the world of colour knitting.
Sara’s samples
At this point I’ll admit to be more than a little nervous. Lara Croft is a very calm and accomplished knitter.
Me…I don’t do calm.
But I’m going to let you into the three big secrets I learned during this course:
- Take it slow…what’s the rush. Enjoy the process (and you know I’m not a process kinda gal, so this is B.I.G.).
- Pay attention…this is knitting to lose yourself in.
- Don’t be scared…what’s the worst that can happen…it’s only sticks and string at the end of the day!
There it is…the secret key to colour-work knitting. It turns out even us mere mortals can do it!
BTW, I’m not being flippant. I realised that it boils down to knitting and purling and picking up and putting down two colours of yarn.
It’s really not that hard as long as you aren’t afraid to just get stuck in and give it a go, work slowly and pay attention to the chart and your work.
This isn’t knitting for in front of the TV…unless you’re far more skilled at this than I am. At which point I’ll tip my hat to you for being fabulous.
I left the day with the feeling that the lovely mittens pattern and yarn currently languishing in the loft can finally see the light of day and my needles.
I can do this!
And so, I think, can Ewe…
Disclaimer…no animals were harmed in the cracking of these jokes!
PS…I really would like to go back to Baa Ram Ewe and buy some of their lovely yarn.
PPS…The coffee at Salvos is delicious…as are their sandwiches
I LOVE this little hat. It’s made in very cheap acrylic yarn (Silcaress from Cygnet) as that’s all the local shop had in stock and I needed to get this on her head, and quick.
but also because the weather here is back on form and it’s howling a gale and bucketing down with rain. Plus ca change.
This is a super easy pattern, but did give me pause at the shoulders, which are shaped with short rows and then the seam is created with a three needle cast off. Well, there’s another skill learned. I do love it when these things creep up on you and you have to get to grips with something quick.