Crochet
I got flowers! Podcast notes Episode 8
Sit down, cuppa and crochet or knitting in hand (or the iron if you must) and come and have a chat in the Crafternoon Treats crochet podcast episode 8:
Giveaway winners this week!
To cut the suspense, I start with the announcement of the winners for the giveaways for this week’s podcast:
- The Victoria Shawl pattern and Deramores yarn – Shelagh Garside
- The Felted Button pattern: the Cottage blanket – Carla Nagel
- The Crafternoon Treats Stitch markers – Louise Carway
- Tea Cozies 4 – the book by Emma Varnam – Janet Knowles
- Once upon a time – the book by Lynne Rowe – A Fiber Reverie
Podcast notes
I’ve inserted some time points in the notes this week – hope this is helpful!
0.00 – 1.45
Intro chat
Visiting Harlow Carr gardens
1.45 – 5.48
What I’ve been up to this week – a visit to Harlow Car Gardens near Harrogate in North Yorkshire.You can read more about it and see loads of photos in the blog post I wrote earlier this week. You can also find the link to the website of Harlow Carr there with opening times, prices and events.
VIctoria shawl 2 is finished!
5.48 – 10.35
TaDah moment for the second Victoria Shawl that I’ve made
Pattern is the Victoria Shawl by Sandra Paul of Cherry Heart. Yarn is the Louise Harding Amitola and Tango (50% wool, 50% silk), available widely in the UK from local yarn shops and online retailers and online for international buyers.
Quick note about international orders – Deramores ships to the USA for £3.95 per order, irrespective of how large or small it is. Find out more about other international delivery charges here. Black Sheep Wools and Woolwarehouse UK also deliver internationally – click on each company name to find out more about their international delivery prices and terms.
Mango says Hi during the Tadah!
9.09 to 9.30
A quick visit from my ginger cat Mango…
One project ends… another begins!
10.35 – 19.20
I’m on the WIPs wall of The Crochet Circle audio podcast with 19 works in progress (WIPs). I did move down to 18 briefly when I finished the shawl, but I’ve started a new fat bottomed bag, which one for a charity project to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care with Cityknits in Birmingham. They have a tea party and online yarn auction each June and this bag will be added to the prize of stash.
Join in the fat bottomed Bagalong
I’ll be adding a separate blog post this week to introduce the new Bagalong, the first between the viewers of the podcast and the members of the Facebook group, Bagalong with Crafternoon Treats.
We will be making a simple fat bottomed bag and I’ll be writing tutorials, taking lots of pics and talking about how to make the bag in the podcast over the next few episodes. I’ll be opening up a pinned post or an album in the Facebook group to show your finished bag and to enter a giveaway draw – prize to be announced.
The first step is to make a retro granny square that is about 60cm square – you can download the free pattern for the square from Crafternoon Treats or Ravelry to get started.
In next week’s podcast I’ll be showing how to make and attach the lining and decorations and how to gather the sides of the square to form your basic bag shape.
19.20 – 40.19
Crochet and knitting (and other crafts) as therapy
I chat quite a lot in this podcast about the therapeutic benefits of crafting, in particular knitting and crochet.
Good resources for finding out more:
- Knit for Health and Wellness by Betsan Corkhill – available from Amazon UK (and probably all other Amazons and other online retailers)
- Christine (Winwick Mum) has been to a workshop with Betsan at Black Sheep Wools earlier in 2016 and wrote a very informative blog post about it.
- Articles by Kathryn Vercillo (author of Crochet saved my life) on the health benefits of crochet. This link contains more links to a huge number of really informative articles – I hadn’t found this when I recorded the podcast but this is a superb resource all about crochet and its health benefits.
32.10 to 40.19
Within the topic of crochet and knitting as therapy I introduce Amy of Stranded Dyeworks, who has given a beautiful skein of yarn as a podcast giveaway (winner to be drawn from subscribers to the Crafternoon Treats YouTube channel on May 19th 2016). Amy talks about her own battle with mental health problems and how knitting and yarn have helped her.
Read the blog post dedicated to Amy, her yarn and her story of how knitting has helped her overcome some very difficult times. And drool over the yarn she has supplied for the giveaway…
Another giveaway for the coming week!
40.20 – 42.32
The lovely Oom, who is based in Edinburgh in Scotland, makes gorgeous and fun yarn ball earrings, jewellery and some stitch markers and sells them via the Etsy shop HandDrawnYarn.
I’m wearing a pair of her earrings, very kindly given to me by Oom, during the rest of the podcast.
The lovely pair of red earrings is a giveaway prize for subscribers to the Crafternoon Treats Crochet podcast on YouTube – winner drawn May 19th 2016.
If you don’t win and would still like some of these earrings, you can buy them from Oom on Etsy.
Focus on two lovely UK crochet and knitting designers
This week, to mark passing 1000 YouTube subscribers, there are five giveaways and two are books supplied by designers that I really admire.
42.31 – 46.44
Lynne Rowe
I met Lynne for the first time at Yarn Shop Day a couple of weeks ago and she has very kindly offered a print copy of her crochet book Once upon a time… which contains patterns and detailed instructions on how to make amigurumi crochet figures for 30 fairy tales. Awwwwwww!!!!!
If you don’t win, you can obtain this book on Amazon UK (and elsewhere) too – Once upon a time by Lynne Rowe.
- Lynne (with Fay Dashper-Hughes of Knit it, Hook it, Craft it ) hosts The Crochet Circle audio podcast.
- You can also find her blogging at The Wool Nest and in her regular column in the new crochet magazine Crochet Now!.
- She also writes patterns regularly for Inside Crochet and Woman’s Weekly and has a large number of patterns on Ravelry.
46.44 – 53.12
Emma Varnam
I’ve never met Emma but I’ve admired her work for a long while now. She designs beautiful projects and works closely with Debbie Bliss, whose yarn brand is internationally renowned.
Emma has very kindly donated a copy of Tea Cozies 4, to which she contributed patterns in knitting and crochet.
Emma also does a lot of work for the UK crochet magazines, including Inside Crochet, she produces a large number of lovely patterns and has her own blog and social media:
- Emma Varnam’s blog — Knitting, nattering, crochet and craft
- EmmaV on Ravelry
- @emmavarnam on instagram
- Emma Varnam on Facebook
- @emmavarnamuk on Twitter
Her other published books include:
How to Crochet and Crocheted Keyrings and Charms
53.12 – 55.00
An update on my knitted shawl
This is the Linus Shawl pattern by Annett Cordes, which is free via Ravelry. I’m making it in Stylecraft Special Effects DK in Foxtrot.
55.00 – 1.01.29
Preliminary plans for my ‘scrappy’ project
To use up all those bits of sock yarn… Just at the ideas stage so far…
1.01.29 – 1.06.00
Why I’ve become a patron of the Bakery Bears Podcast
I have subscribed to the Bakery Bears Podcast on YouTube but I explain why I have pledged $10 a month to support their work on www.patreon.com. They are supplying loads of content for paid subscribers, including knitting tutorials from Kay, which are going to be really useful to me as I try to work on improving my knitting, and loads of other extra content. I’m checking out her tutorials on knitting mitred squares at the moment. Their podcast is really fun, and in this case, more is definitely more…
I also wanted to support them both as they have had a really rough time in the last few years, with Dan’s cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery (thankfully he now has the all clear and is OK!) and Kay’s family bereavements – she only lost her Dad a couple of weeks ago…
1.06.00 – 1.17.19
Getting experimental
A little bit about my early adventures in dyeing yarn with food colouring – just a bit of fun but it indulges the scientific crocheter in me!
1.17.19 to end
I got flowers!
My gorgeous flowers from Black Sheep Wools arrived as a thank you for going to their Yarn Shop Day with my bags. Not sure I deserved them as I actually went and just had the best day! But much appreciated and they are lovely 🙂
Hi Kathryn, a little late with my comment about your latest podcast I enjoyed very much. I found it very interesting and can certainly relate to the topic about the benefits of knitting an crochet. I have crohnns disease and my hobby for knit and crochet have helped me so much and still is.
I have just finished crocheting your Mega Granny Mandala and it is a joy to look at with all the lovely bright colours I have used, thank you for the pattern.
That’s OK Julie, I am very late with my reply! So much social media, so little time, etc. I’m glad that crochet has been helpful to you and that you have made the mandala! I keep meaning to make one in spring colours but spring is turning into summer already… xxxx
I copied your Bakery Bears badge to be displayed on my blog. I’m also a proud Patreon. I hope that’s ok?
Hi Diana – I guess so – I asked Dan for it and its what he sent xxx
I’m so glad that you’ve talked about Betsan Corkhill and her therapeutic knitting book. She’s a fascinating person to listen to and when you read about all the research that she’s done you wonder why knitting (and crochet) aren’t suggested as a matter of course to people who might benefit from them. Thanks again for another mention too! xx
Hi Kathryn, I love watching your podcasts. I have made a big stash bag and I am just gathering the sides of my fat bottomed bag. It’s the first time I have made bags and I am loving it. I’m looking forward to the Bagalong. 😊
Best wishes Jen x
Hi Kathryn I had found your blog before and mislaid it somehow so I was delighted to find your podcast. I am a new sewer having knitted all my life but am finding myself drawn back into yarn work. I really want to master crochet so your blog/podcast is just perfect, thank you. I fully agree with your section on mental health as I am in the midst of an awful time at present in my own life and creativity is helping me to keep going from one day to another.
Catching up with your podcasts is going to be a great way of relaxing so thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Dorothy xx
Thank you so much for your lovely comment Dorothy – I’m really pleased and you have found me again and are going to catch up with the earlier episodes. Sorry you are having a rough time and I hope my bit of natter takes your mind off things for a little while at least, love, Kathryn xxx
I really enjoy your podcast. Look forward to it weekly. What is the name of the tea shop you mentioned? It sounds really neat. Thank you for your podcasts
Hi LoriAnn Its the Tea House Theatre in Vauxall – its definitely worth a visit. Their website is at http://www.teahousetheatre.co.uk
Thanks for the mention <3