Curious Handmade with Helen Stewart

Welcome to August! On today's podcast I have a chat about what I got up to (and didn't!) on holiday in Australia, and I have a couple of exciting announcements. Show Sponsors Today's show is sponsored by The Fibre Co, and their wonderful Acadia yarn.   Acadia is named after the oldest American national park east of the Mississippi river, a place of natural beauty where the sea and mountains meet, slopes are densely forested and wild blueberries abound. Acadia National Park is in the state of Maine, The Fibre Co.’s birthplace.  The yarn inspired by this beautiful region has a rustic look and a soft hand. A subtle tweed effect is created by the silk noil that is combined with a heathered base made from fine merino wool and brown baby alpaca. The yarn is a classic DK weight and makes a beautiful textured fabric that is perfect for next to the skin accessories as well as garments. You can get yourself some Acadia at our other sponsor's shop, Meadow Yarn:   Meadow Yarn is an inviting online retailer selling yarn, needles and notions. It's a small, family business based in rural Suffolk in the UK. Meadow Yarn was born out of a passion for beautiful yarn and knitting accessories and aims to bring you a range of great products. Yarns stocked include madelinetosh, Eden Cottage Yarn, the Fibre Co and many more. Holiday Yarn Haul I indulged myself with a few skeins from Australian producers. This beautiful wool which smells amazing from Ton of Wool Some lovely variegated wool from Skein Australia I was given a present of some gorgeous DK weight wool from Miss Click Clack, another indie dyer. The Curious Handmade Wardrobe Challenge I mentioned last week that I was going to devote August and September to the theme of A Handmade Wardrobe, but in the meantime the idea has grown, and I've decided that it would be great to turn this into a make-along challenge. I'll be hosting the challenge in collaboration with a fellow fibre artist, Susan, AKA Kizmet from Ravelry. We're stretching it out until October to give everyone lots of time to plan and create! Goal: Create at least one handmade item for your wardrobe by October, whether with knitting, sewing, or some other craft. August - planning month. The will be a thread in the Curious Handmade Ravelry Group soon, for support and chatter! September and October will be for making, and then we’ll aim to post a photo in the FO thread by the end of October Contest winner Tiffany L is the winner of the Boardwalk Collection Giveaway! This was her comment: "They are all lovely. My favorites are Peony, Neckinger and L’heure bleue and it is very hard to decide which one I would choose." Sorry to put you on the spot Tiffany, but it's time to choose! Have another look and let me know by email or Ravelry message which colour you'd like! Announcements Some really exciting news: Curious Handmade has made it to the finals of the UK Podcasting Awards! I can hardly believe it. Every vote counts and it would mean a lot if you'd take a moment to vote for us here! Thank you so much! Are you joining me on September 5th for the Great London Yarn Crawl. I'm going to share a stand with other breakout designers as part of their pop up marketplace Indie Designer Spotlight. Please stop by and hang with us! Plans for the first Curious Handmade Workshop with Emily Quinton from Makelight Studios and my friend Vicki Hillman, fashion stylist, will be heating up now that I'm home. So far I can tell you that it will be happening on Friday the 9th of October. Save the date! Thanks so much for listening. I hope you'll join in the Curious Handmade Wardrobe Challenge. It's going to be a lot of fun!  

Welcome to the very last post in July’s Summer Series! Today I’m looking back at the year so far: how I’ve done on the goals I set for myself in January. The word I chose for the year was “simplify” and it’s been pretty influential, though there’s always room for improvement! I also had the opportunity to review a wonderful pattern book by Hannah Fettig, Home and Away. Show Sponsors: Today's show is sponsored by The Fibre Co, and their lovely lovely Acadia yarn.   Acadia is named after the oldest American national park east of the Mississippi river, a place of natural beauty where the sea and mountains meet, slopes are densely forested and wild blueberries abound. Acadia National Park is in the state of Maine, The Fibre Co.’s birthplace.  The yarn inspired by this beautiful region has a rustic look and a soft hand. A subtle tweed effect is created by the silk noil that is combined with a heathered base made from fine merino wool and brown baby alpaca. The yarn is a classic DK weight and makes a beautiful textured fabric that is perfect for next to the skin accessories as well as garments. You can buy Acadia at our other sponsor's shop, Meadow Yarn:   Meadow Yarn is an inviting online retailer selling yarn, needles and notions. It's a small, family business based in rural Suffolk in the UK. Meadow Yarn was born out of a passion for beautiful yarn and knitting accessories and aims to bring you a range of great products. Yarns stocked include madelinetosh, Eden Cottage Yarn, the Fibre Co and many more. Show Links: I mention that I went back to listen to episode 56 of the podcast, “Hello 2015” and I that I’ve finished the Amy Herzog Custom Fit Pullover that I began back then! I discussed the design work I’ve accomplished so far this year: Whispering Island was a break from the plan, just a moment of inspiration I had to seize. Hole and Yarns, and two more samples with Blacker Shetland DK and one with The Fibre co Arcadia Re-releasing Pebble Beach with two new sizes and samples in yarn from The Uncommon Thread Re-releasing Afternoon Tea with a new size and the checklist pattern format, with another two samples in Anzula Squishy   I mention a book that I’ve found really helpful in my quest for simplicity: Essentialism by Greg McKeown it has a lot in common with another book I loved: The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo Book Review Home and Away: Knits for Everyday Adventures Hannah Fetig Includes an interview with Pam Allan from Quince and Co. Yarns While every garment in the collection is gorgeous and wearable, my favourite patterns from the book are Calligraphy, a long button-up cardigan. and Lesley, a pullover with a gorgeous neckline I love the book so much that I’m keeping it, but I have an electronic copy to give away! To win, just leave a comment by Thursday the 6th of August, telling me your favourite pattern from the collection, or whether you prefer top down knitting or knitting in pieces and seaming. Announcements: In August and September, the podcast theme will be “A Handmade Wardrobe.” Several people have sparked that idea for me, including: Libby from Truly Myrtle Felicia from Craft Sessions and her inspiring review post of her Me-Made May Karen from Fringe Supply Co. Kate from A Playful Day who talked to Ysolde Teauge about making your own clothes I've mention in previous weeks how much I'm looking forward to September 5th, when I’ll be involved with the Great London Yarn Crawl. I'm sharing a stand with some other (very talented!) designers as part of their pop up marketplace Indie Designer Spotlight. Please come and say hi! Plans for the first Curious Handmade Workshop with Emily Quinton from Makelight Studios and my friend Vicki Hillman, fashion stylist are starting to take shape! It will happen on Friday the 9th of October, so save the date! That wraps up the show notes and the Summer Season! See you next week, and until then, happy knitting!

Welcome to the third post in the Summer Series! Today I’m talking about knit alongs. I find them such a spur to my own creativity, and love hosting them, taking part in them, and just generally following them on Ravelry. I’ve got some suggestions for KALs that you might want to join. Also, to follow on from yesterday's interview, I have a book review of the gorgeous new book from Emily Quinton, Maker Spaces. Show Sponsors Today's show is sponsored by The Fibre Co, and their absolutely gorgeous Acadia yarn.   Acadia is named after the oldest American national park east of the Mississippi river, a place of natural beauty where the sea and mountains meet, slopes are densely forested and wild blueberries abound. Acadia National Park is in the state of Maine, The Fibre Co.’s birthplace.  The yarn inspired by this beautiful region has a rustic look and a soft hand. A subtle tweed effect is created by the silk noil that is combined with a heathered base made from fine merino wool and brown baby alpaca. The yarn is a classic DK weight and makes a beautiful textured fabric that is perfect for next to the skin accessories as well as garments. I've knit with Acadia before (most notably for my two-colour Whispering Island Shawl sample) and I really love it. You can purchase Acadia at our other sponsor's shop, Meadow Yarn:   Meadow Yarn is an inviting online retailer selling yarn, needles and notions. It's a small, family business based in rural Suffolk in the UK. Meadow Yarn was born out of a passion for beautiful yarn and knitting accessories and aims to bring you a range of great products. Yarns stocked include madelinetosh, Eden Cottage Yarn, the Fibre Co and many more. Show links: Skein Studio Shawl KAL/CAL Dates: June 1st until August 1st Not a lot of time left in this one but you might already have something on the needles that will qualify. The rules are that you can knit any shawl pattern, as long as you are using hand-dyed yarn. I'm actually knitting a Candlelit Shawl right now with some Skein hand-dyed yarn, but I began it before the cast on date! I'll probably still join in the chatter thread. Knitting Pipeline Cavepoint KAL Dates: July 3rd until August 31st You have to cast on and off within the time frame, so I won’t qualify for this one, but I highly recommend it! I cast on in June and I’m flying through this shawl. I love this pattern, am really enjoying the knit. Super relaxing knitting and very addictive. Knit Girllls Stash Dash Dates: 12:01am on May 22nd until 11:59pm August 14th. This is in its 4th year and it’s become quite a huge event on Ravelry! It covers the crafts of knitting, spinning, crochet, tatting and weaving, and it’s all about using up stash and finishing works in progress. It comes in three levels, measured by yardage: you can choose from the 3k 5k or 10k levels 2 Knit Lit Chicks Cardi/Tank/Tee KAL Dates: May 1st until August 1st This is another one finishing up soon but again you might already have a WIP that could be finished within the time frame. Given our recent discussion about summer knitting and all those great tee patterns, this one is very timely! Kettle Yarn Boardwalk Collection KAL Dates: August 2st until September 6th If you read my recent blog post for the Boardwalk Collection Blog Tour, you’ll know that the collection is full of inspiring new patterns, all using Kettle Yarn Co’s new yarn Islington DK. The KAL hasn’t started yet, so you have lots of time to choose your favourite! Yarniacs Colours of Fall KAL Dates: June 21st (Summer Solstice) until September 23rd (Autumnal Equinox) I follow along with this KAL every year, even though I haven’t managed to enter it yet. Loving colour the way I do, it really speaks to me.  The KAL is one that really get the creativity flowing. The rules are very simple: knit a fall look using one or more of the colour from the Pantone Fashion Colour Report for Fall 2015. Incidentally,

It’s already the third week of our Summer Series! Knitters often struggle a bit with projects in the warmer months, when a lap full of wool sounds less cosy and more stifling. Today I talk about summer knitting: lovely cool t-shirts created with light, airy, breathable yarns, and the challenges and joys of moving away from wool to other, more seasonal fibres such as linen and cotton. Show Sponsors Today's show is sponsored by The Fibre Co, and their magnificently soft and beautiful Acadia yarn.   Acadia is named after the oldest American national park east of the Mississippi river, a place of natural beauty where the sea and mountains meet, slopes are densely forested and wild blueberries abound. Acadia National Park is in the state of Maine, The Fibre Co.’s birthplace.  The yarn inspired by this beautiful region has a rustic look and a soft hand. A subtle tweed effect is created by the silk noil that is combined with a heathered base made from fine merino wool and brown baby alpaca. The yarn is a classic DK weight and makes a beautiful textured fabric that is perfect for next to the skin accessories as well as garments. My two-colour Whispering Island Shawl sample was knit in Acadia, and it's gotten so many compliments. You can buy Acadia at our other sponsor's shop, Meadow Yarn:   Meadow Yarn is an inviting online retailer selling yarn, needles and notions. It's a small, family business based in rural Suffolk in the UK. Meadow Yarn was born out of a passion for beautiful yarn and knitting accessories and aims to bring you a range of great products. Yarns stocked include madelinetosh, Eden Cottage Yarn, the Fibre Co and many more. Show Links The summer knitting patterns I talk about are: Waterlily by Megan Fernandes from Pom Pom Quarterly’s Spring 2014 issue. The original is knit from Kettle Yarn’s Islington, which is what I used for the Sunburst Shawl last year. Linum Tee by Bristol Ivy in Quince and Co’s Sparrow Lina and Colina by Elizabeth Doherty also in Sparrow Elizabeth has a great post on working with linen on her blog. Here’s the original post.   I also discuss some other summer yarns: Aside from Sparrow, Quince and Co also has a worsted weight linen yarn called Kestrel Blacker Yarns Lyoness I’ve seen this used beautifully in the Drift Raglan Increase Shawl by Sonja Bargielowska Wool and The Gang Shiny Happy Cotton a lovely squishy, and super soft bulky weight 100% cotton yarn which is absolutely gorgeous knit up into Palila by Natalie Selles   As I mentioned last week, on September 5th I’ll be taking part in the wonderfully fun Great London Yarn Crawl and have a stand at their pop up marketplace Indie Designer Spotlight. I’m excited to be one of their five featured designers. I’ll be in the company of: Louise Zass-Bangham From Inspiration Knits Renee Callahan of East London Knits Boo Knits and Kate Atherley   Whether it’s summer or winter wherever you are, I hope you’re enjoying the show. If you have any favourite summery patterns or yarns, please tell me about them! Leave a comment here or join the discussions on Ravelry in the Curious Handmade Group. Don’t forget to join me on my travels on Instagram. Tag me and let me know where you’re listening from, or if you’re knitting one of my patterns. I love seeing your WIPs! Happy Knitting!

Welcome to the second in my Summer Series. I talk about the magical trip I had to New York and on to Squam back at the beginning of June, indulging my global nomad tendencies. I spent my time there doing a bit of "knitting crosstraining", stretching my creative horizons, and, as always, falling in love with lots of gorgeous yarn, only some of which came home with me. Show Sponsors Today's show is sponsored by The Fibre Co, and their magnificently soft and beautiful Acadia yarn.   Acadia is named after the oldest American national park east of the Mississippi river, a place of natural beauty where the sea and mountains meet, slopes are densely forested and wild blueberries abound. Acadia National Park is in the state of Maine, The Fibre Co.’s birthplace.  The yarn inspired by this beautiful region has a rustic look and a soft hand. A subtle tweed effect is created by the silk noil that is combined with a heathered base made from fine merino wool and brown baby alpaca. The yarn is a classic DK weight and makes a beautiful textured fabric that is perfect for next to the skin accessories as well as garments. My two-colour Whispering Island Shawl sample was knit in Acadia, and it's gotten so many compliments. You can buy Acadia at our other sponsor's shop, Meadow Yarn:   Meadow Yarn is an inviting online retailer selling yarn, needles and notions. It's a small, family business based in rural Suffolk in the UK. Meadow Yarn was born out of a passion for beautiful yarn and knitting accessories and aims to bring you a range of great products. Yarns stocked include madelinetosh, Eden Cottage Yarn, the Fibre Co and many more. What’s in the WIP I mentioned Paula Emons-Fussle’s new Cave Point Shawl on last week’s show, coming from the Shawls 2015 collection from Quince and Co. I’ve cast it on using that lovely Chickadee Yarn in Audouin and it’s a ridiculously addictive knit. I’m also working on the Coopey Oleum Socks and I’m up to the lace now! Show Links I talk about my road trip to Squam Art Workshops with my friend Stewart. We visited: Brooklyn General, where I splurged on a sale of Madeline Tosh yarn. Mood Fabrics in Manhattan, of Project Runway fame, where I managed to control my urges and didn’t buy anything! and in New Hampshire, we stopped in Harrisville, where they are famous for spinning wool. Notably Brooklyn Tweed (I bought some) but also their own Harrisville Yarn (I bought some of that, too.) Once I got to Squam I took two classes: An embroidery class:”Thread and Memory” with Joetta Maue A writing class: “Writing Your Own Myth” with Elizabeth Duvivier, the founder and director of Squam We also got to hear a talk from Clara Parkes who talked about her journey and her projects, especially her lovely Clara Yarn. The art fair at Squam had so many wonderful vendors, including: My friend Stewart’s Leather Wool Linen, selling beautiful bags Yarn on The House with their brilliantly coloured hand-dyed yarn Hannah Fettig was selling her pattern book Home and Away, which I will review in a future episode. If you didn’t make it to Squam and you’d like to make your own little retreat at home, online classes are a great way to introduce yourself to something new, stirring your creativity. I looked up some Creativebug embroidery classes to recommend. Rebecca Ringquist is a hugely gifted thread artist and teacher who has some really great classes available. Creating an Embroidery Sampler Advanced Sampler Class Kids Embroidered Pillow Class And a heads up about an amazing event coming up. Great London Yarn Crawl on Saturday the 5th of September, which is huge fun, and I’ll have a stand at the pop-up marketplace at the end! That about does it for the show notes this week! I hope you enjoyed this laid-back summer episode. Join me in the Instagram game while I’m away. Just tag me or comment away to get in touch. Happy knitting!  

After an absolutely wonderful whirlwind time during June’s Design and Creativity theme, for July I’m casting my mind forward into the summer holidays. In fact, that’s the theme for this month. I’ll be travelling, so I’m pre-recording some episodes arou...

Photo © Norah Gaughan This conversation with Norah Gaughan is a really special one. Norah is an incredibly accomplished knitwear designer who has been sharing her patterns with the world since the age of 17. After a long time on staff at Berroco she has recently gone independent, but her workload has not slowed down even a little bit! She is constantly partnering with some of the biggest names in the yarn world to bring out a steady supply of amazing designs which play with shape, colour, and construction. Having her on the show was such an honour. She talks about developing her new collection with The Fibre Company and shares so many insights into how she conceives, designs, and creates her ground-breaking patterns. If you’re anything like me, I think you’ll find this conversation incredibly inspiring. Show Sponsors Today's show is sponsored by The Fibre Co, and their very wonderful Acadia yarn.   Acadia is named after the oldest American national park east of the Mississippi river, a place of natural beauty where the sea and mountains meet, slopes are densely forested and wild blueberries abound. Acadia National Park is in the state of Maine, The Fibre Co.’s birthplace.  The yarn inspired by this beautiful region has a rustic look and a soft hand. A subtle tweed effect is created by the silk noil that is combined with a heathered base made from fine merino wool and brown baby alpaca. The yarn is a classic DK weight and makes a beautiful textured fabric that is perfect for next to the skin accessories as well as garments. One of my Whispering Island Shawl samples was knit in Acadia, and it's just a wonderful yarn to work with, on every level. You can buy Acadia at our other sponsor's shop, Meadow Yarn:   Meadow Yarn is an inviting online retailer selling yarn, needles and notions. It's a small, family business based in rural Suffolk in the UK. Meadow Yarn was born out of a passion for beautiful yarn and knitting accessories and aims to bring you a range of great products. Yarns stocked include madelinetosh, Eden Cottage Yarn, the Fibre Co and many more. KAL News Pebble Beach KAL Just a little while left in this one, but people are still adding beautiful FOs every day! If you've somehow missed this one, but have ever knit one of my patterns, you can still enter until the 5th of July. Just post a photo in the FO thread, and you're in! Muse 2 KAL The KAL is about to wrap up - be sure to get your entries in by 30 June.  I'm still working on my Rachel Coopey Oleum socks. I don't know if I'll make that deadline, but I should have them finished for the Summer of Socks KAL in the Coop Knits group! Double dipping in KALs is the best. Show links The patterns we discussed in detail from the Norah Gaughan for The Fibre Company collections were: Times Square Skyscraper Oporto Atonium Metropolis District You can find the entire gorgeous collection on Ravelry here. Norah is also designing some really special pieces for Brooklyn Tweed these days, and we specifically mention her pattern Chainlink She’s always busy with yarn shop appearances and teaching engagements, which you can find on her events page. If you’re lucky enough to be nearby any of these opportunities, I highly recommend you check them out! We’re also giving you a chance to win pattern of your choice from Norah’s new collection with The Fibre Company. Be sure to listen to the end of the episode to find out how! As I mentioned, tomorrow I'll be doing a little trunk show for Pebble Beach  in Brighton  at YAK with The Uncommon Thread. June 27th from 2 to 5. That's all our notes for this episode! Thank you so much for joining us, and happy knitting!

  This is a bit of a packed episode! I open the show with some thoughts from the wonderful Blogtacular conference I attended last weekend, talk a bit about upcoming events, chat about the joys and challenges of my Muse 2 KAL project, and share a bit about my special edition re-release of Afternoon Tea. Then I launch into a conversation with Cathryn Bothe from Signature Needle Arts. It’s fitting after yesterday’s post from Blacker Yarns (where I talked about the importance of beautiful materials) that this interview is so focused on the importance of good tools. Cathryn is a keen knitter, and she plays a role in every part of Signature Needle’s daily operations, especially when it comes to building relationships with customers and nurturing their creativity. Show Sponsors Today's show is sponsored by The Fibre Co, and their lovely Acadia yarn.   Acadia is named after the oldest American national park east of the Mississippi river, a place of natural beauty where the sea and mountains meet, slopes are densely forested and wild blueberries abound. Acadia National Park is in the state of Maine, The Fibre Co.’s birthplace.  The yarn inspired by this beautiful region has a rustic look and a soft hand. A subtle tweed effect is created by the silk noil that is combined with a heathered base made from fine merino wool and brown baby alpaca. The yarn is a classic DK weight and makes a beautiful textured fabric that is perfect for next to the skin accessories as well as garments. I've had so many compliments on the Whispering Island sample I knit with Acadia, and it was an absolute dream to work with. You can buy Acadia at our other sponsor's shop, Meadow Yarn:   Meadow Yarn is an inviting online retailer selling yarn, needles and notions. It's a small, family business based in rural Suffolk in the UK. Meadow Yarn was born out of a passion for beautiful yarn and knitting accessories and aims to bring you a range of great products. Yarns stocked include madelinetosh, Eden Cottage Yarn, Hazel Knits and many more. KAL News Pebble Beach KAL It’s so amazing how many FOs are piling up in this KAL. I’ve been featuring some of the projects on Twitter, and it seems like everytime I search the #pebblebeachKAL hashtag there or on Instagram there’s something new and wonderful to see. Remember, the KAL is open until July 5th and you can submit any Curious Handmade pattern, no matter when you made it! Muse 2 KAL Our other KAL is rolling along well in the last week as we count down to the main event! I’m still working away on my entry, a pair of Rachel Coopey Oleum socks in John Arbon Textiles yarn, so if you haven’t cast on yet you’re not that far behind me! Show Links Signature Needle Arts My new edition of the Afternoon Tea Shawl Instagram post about my socks, with other people’s clever advice on avoiding the dreaded in-the-round twist! My yarn crush of the moment: Anzula Yarns I mention the amazing Afternoon Tea modified with a hood, by the talented Lindsay Koehler! Muse Connection is coming up next week! So exciting! I’m going to be at YAK in Brighton doing a little trunk show with The Uncommon Thread for Pebble Beach on June 27th from 2 to 5.   That about wraps up the notes for this week! I hope you enjoyed the show, and happy knitting!

Photo credit: Benjamin HoleThis is a really fun episode. Ben Hole of Hole & Sons Farm speaks to me about life on the farm on the Isle of Purbeck in beautiful Dorset. We talk about the process of creating their unique, wonderful, and much-coveted yarn, what it’s like to work in a place with so much heritage, and how he has brought the business into the online world with his wildly popular Instagram account. This interview would have been a great fit with April’s yarn theme, but Ben has so many eloquent things to say about creativity and living a life around your passions that it’s perfect for Ben’s love for his animals, the farming life, and photography is infectious and inspiring. It was such a pleasure to bring all that story and to my newest shawl pattern, Whispering Island. I hope you enjoy listening to this conversation as much as I enjoyed having it. Show Sponsors Today's show is sponsored by The Fibre Co, and their lovely Acadia yarn.   Acadia is named after the oldest American national park east of the Mississippi river, a place of natural beauty where the sea and mountains meet, slopes are densely forested and wild blueberries abound. Acadia National Park is in the state of Maine, The Fibre Co.’s birthplace.  The yarn inspired by this beautiful region has a rustic look and a soft hand. A subtle tweed effect is created by the silk noil that is combined with a heathered base made from fine merino wool and brown baby alpaca. The yarn is a classic DK weight and makes a beautiful textured fabric that is perfect for next to the skin accessories as well as garments. I've just finished knitting a shawl sample with Acadia and it more than lives up to its description. This is very special yarn. You can buy Acadia at our other sponsor's shop, Meadow Yarns:   Meadow Yarn is an inviting online retailer selling yarn, needles and notions. It's a small, family business based in rural Suffolk in the UK. Meadow Yarn was born out of a passion for beautiful yarn and knitting accessories and aims to bring you a range of great products. Yarns stocked include madelinetosh, Eden Cottage Yarn, Hazel Knits and many more. KAL News: Still a few weeks left in both of our KALs. It really isn't too late to hop into either! The Pebble Beach KAL can include FOs that you started or finished before the start date, and the Muse Connection KAL is full of lots of lovely little projects like hats and socks that you can finish up in a week or two - I'm still working on mine! Show links: Hole & Sons (lots of in-depth info about the farm and the yarn here which makes for great reading!) Ben’s Instagram The artisan mill where Hole & Sons yarn is spun: The Natural Fibre Company My newest shawl pattern, Whispering Island (which was inspired by Hole & Sons wool) is now available on Ravelry! The two alternate yarns I used for the samples are: Blacker Shetland in Fawn Fibre Co Acadia in Driftwood and Summersweet The Isle of Purbeck, home to the Hole & Sons farm. It inspired Enid Blyton’s Whispering Island, which inspired the name of my shawl! Events I also mention the wonderful Do What You Love course by last week’s guest Beth Kempton. There’s still a week left to register. As I said last week, this course was really powerful for me and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to invest in their creative life. If you want to hear more from Ben, he’s speaking this weekend at the Blogtacular conference on June 13th in London. I'll be there, and it should be a lot of fun! On Saturday 27 June I will be at YAK in Brighton for a trunk show for Pebble Beach shawl. Hope to see some of you there. Happy Knitting!

  Show Sponsors Today's show is sponsored by the Fibre Co, and the wonderful Acadia yarn.   Acadia is named after the oldest American national park east of the Mississippi river, a place of natural beauty where the sea and mountains meet, slopes are densely forested and wild blueberries abound. Acadia National Park is in the state of Maine, The Fibre Co.’s birthplace.  The yarn inspired by this beautiful region has a rustic look and a soft hand. A subtle tweed effect is created by the silk noil that is combined with a heathered base made from fine merino wool and brown baby alpaca. The yarn is a classic DK weight and makes a beautiful textured fabric that is perfect for next to the skin accessories as well as garments. I've just finished knitting a shawl sample with Acadia and it more than lives up to its description. This is very special yarn. You can buy Acadia at our other sponsor's shop, Meadow Yarns:   Meadow Yarn is an inviting online retailer selling yarn, needles and notions. It's a small, family business based in rural Suffolk in the UK. Meadow Yarn was born out of a passion for beautiful yarn and knitting accessories and aims to bring you a range of great products. Yarns stocked include madelinetosh, Eden Cottage Yarn, Hazel Knits and many more. KAL News Pebble Beach KAL, There's exactly a month left to join this lively KAL which is being hosted by my friendPaula on the Knitting Pipeline Ravelry Group. I've been marvelling at all the gorgeous FOs people are posting, and it's been thrilling to see all the different patterns people are choosing. It's especially fun to watch the larger Pebble Beach shawls show up. If you can't resist jumping in, here's what you need to know: Any Curious Handmade pattern qualifies You can have begun or even finished the object before the start date? The hashtag for WIPs and FOs is #pebblebeachKAL. I'm stalking the hashtag on social media and it's so fun to watch people's progress! Muse2 KAL The event is just around the corner and the KAL is great fun. I'm participating in this one with a pair of socks by Rachel Coopey! Just a way for everyone to join in on the Muse Connection buzz, from anywhere in world. I’m participating and having a ball, and there’s another month to go (it runs until the 30th of June) so jump in with us! FOs just need to meet one or more of the following criteria: Any pattern from Pom Pom Quarterly magazine or website (hint there are several free patterns ) Any of coopknits- Rachel Coopey’s designs Knit in Anzula yarn Knit on Signature Needles Hashtag #muse2KAL for WIPs and FOs! Show links: I mention that I’m off at the magical Squam art retreat. Just like last year I’m planning to come home with some wonderful interviews with creative people, so we can all look forward to that! Beth talked about the book which started it all for her: Flying Lessons by mixed media artist and teacher Kelly Rae Roberts. We discussed some of the free resources available to anyone on the Do What You Love course website, including the Making Time email program. I personally recommend investing in yourself with the Do What You Love course. I took it last year and I’m still feeling the positive effects rippling through my life today. Beth is generously offering a discount to Curious Handmade listeners who register on the next course, which starts on June 15th. With the exclusive code DWYLHandmade, you can purchase the course for £115 instead of £129. This offer will expire on the 7th of June, but of course you can register for the course right up until it starts. Just a note to say that if you purchase the course after clicking through a link on my site, I receive a small affiliate commission. It’s a lovely way to support the show, so if you do decide to sign up, thank you so much! I also announce the name of my newest design, which will be released on June 12th,

Join me today as I chat with with Vicki Hillman, Fashion Stylist. We talk about original and classic ways to style all those beautiful handmade shawls that we spend so many hours creating. Vicki talks about novel ways to wrap and wear a shawl, knitting patterns that reflect current trends, and how to pair shawls with fashion items for a timeless and unmistakable style. Show Sponsors   Meadow Yarn is an inviting online retailer selling yarn, needles and notions. It's a small, family business based in rural Suffolk in the UK. Meadow Yarn was born out of a passion for beautiful yarn and knitting accessories and aims to bring you a range of great products. Yarns stocked include madelinetosh, Eden Cottage Yarn, Hazel Knits and many more. This episode is also sponsored by The Fibre Company and their lovely yarn, Arcadia. Acadia is named after the oldest American national park east of the Mississippi river, a place of natural beauty where the sea and mountains meet, slopes are densely forested and wild blueberries abound. Acadia National Park is in the state of Maine, The Fibre Co.’s birthplace.  The yarn inspired by this beautiful region has a rustic look and a soft hand. A subtle tweed effect is created by the silk noil that is combined with a heathered base made from fine merino wool and brown baby alpaca. The yarn is a classic DK weight and makes a beautiful textured fabric that is perfect for next to the skin accessories as well as garments. KAL News Pebble Beach KAL, hosted by the wonderful Paula from Knitting Pipeline Ravelry Group, is cranking out amazing FOs. We’re even starting to see some of the new sizes rolling in, which is so exciting. With the deadline off on the horizon (July 5th) there’s lots of time left, and new people are constantly joining. If you’d like to be one of them, there are a couple of easy rules and pointers: Any Curious Handmade pattern qualifies Did you begin or even finish the object before the start date? No problem! Don’t forget that there’s a Ravelry coupon code: use KPKAL30 for 30% off until May 31st The hashtag for WIPs and FOs is #pebblebeachKAL. It’s so great to see all the projects on the go! Muse2 KAL Just a way for everyone to join in on the Muse Connection buzz, from anywhere in world. I’m participating and having a ball, and there’s another month to go (it runs until the 30th of June) so jump in with us! FOs just need to meet one or more of the following criteria: Any pattern from Pom Pom Quarterly magazine or website (hint there are several free patterns ) Any of coopknits- Rachel Coopey’s designs Knit in Anzula yarn Knit on Signature Needles Hashtag #muse2KAL for WIPs and FOs! What’s in the WIP? Rachel Coopey’s Oleum socks for the Muse 2 KAL are still on the go! And as I mention on the show, there's a new shawl pattern on the way... Show links: Fashion-friendly patterns that Vicki and I discussed: Greco by Courtney Spainhower Emma Boatneck Jumper from the Country Escape book by MillaMia Farmhouse Shawl by cabinfour Pomelo knit bag by Clare Lakewood Pure shawl by cabinfour If you’re in the neighbourhood, drop in to YAK Yarn and Knitting Brighton 27th of June, when I’ll be visiting for a little Pebble Beach trunk show! I talked about the new shawl pattern that's on the way very soon! It was inspired by the magnificent Hole and Sons wool which sold out in minutes when it was released this year, but I’m making up samples in some wonderful and easier-to-source yarns as well: Blacker Yarns Shetland DK Acadia by the Fibre Company That wraps up the notes for this week’s show! Thanks for listening, and happy knitting.

In this episode I talk about some of the factors that make for an enjoyable shawl project. As always, choosing yarn, pattern, and needles that all play nicely together are really important. I also chat a bit about all the shawls I'm daydreaming about knitting these days. Show Sponsors   Meadow Yarn is an inviting online retailer selling yarn, needles and notions. It's a small, family business based in rural Suffolk in the UK. Meadow Yarn was born out of a passion for beautiful yarn and knitting accessories and aims to bring you a range of great products. Yarns stocked include madelinetosh, Eden Cottage Yarn, Hazel Knits and many more. This episode is sponsored by The Fibre Company and their newest yarn, Cumbria. Inspired by England's stunning northwest region with its deep blue lakes and sheep-grazed fells and valleys, Cumbria is a lustrous blend of brown wool from the rare breed masham sheep, fine South American wool and mohair from South Africa. The resulting light brown-grey shade is then over-dyed creating lovely deep saturated colours. Cumbria is a staple yarn, perfect for garments and accessories alike. KAL News Meet My Yarn KAL We have a winner!! Number 25, skibum, aka Anita in real life, has won that special skein of yet-to-be-released Cumbria yarn. Her yarn was Rustic Fingering by The Neighborhood Fiber Co. and she was swatching for Monomania by Ann Weaver. Thank you so much to everyone who took part in this KAL. It was fascinating and a lot of fun! Pebble Beach KAL, hosted by my friend Paula from Knitting Pipeline Ravelry Group, is still going strong. The deadline isn't until July 5th, so there's still loads of time if you'd like to get involved. The rules are simple and chilled out: You can use any Curious Handmade pattern It's okay if you began or finished the object before the start date Don't forget that there's a Ravelry coupon code: use KPKAL30 for 30% off until May 31st The hashtag for WIPs and FOs is #pebblebeachKAL. There are already some great projects showing up on Instagram and twitter! Muse2 KAL We've put this together so everyone can join in the fun, no matter where you are on the world. It's going until June 30th. Nice loose rules on this one, too. Just submit a FO that meets one or more of the following criteria: Any pattern from Pom Pom Quarterly magazine or website (hint there are several free patterns ) Any of coopknits- Rachel Coopey’s designs Knit in Anzula yarn Knit on Signature Needles Hashtag #muse2KAL for WIPs and FOs! What's in the WIP? I mentioned last week that I'm planning to knit Rachel Coopey’s Oleum socks for the Muse 2 KAL. So far I've printed out the pattern and wound the yarn: it's progress, and I'll take it! Show Links I talked about the two Craftsy classes I'm enjoying right now Shawlscapes by Stephen West Laura Nalkin’s Mastering Lace Shawls I mentioned that specialist lace needles, like Addi Lace, can be handy for the delicate lace yarns. Three shawl patterns mentioned in this episode: Aisling by last week's guest Justina Lorkowska Swallowtail by Evelyn A. Clark Echo Flower by Jenny Johnson Johnen That should just about wrap it up for this episode! I hope you enjoyed the show. Happy knitting in the week ahead!

Today I have the pleasure of speaking to the lovely, funny, and incredibly talented Justyna Lorkowska of Lete’s Knits. She talks about her signature knitting style, the journey from her hilarious and humbling teenage projects to her current sophisticated designs, and how to choose a shawl shape for every occasion. She’ll be launching a brand new hap shawl this weekend at the Berlin Knits Yarn Festival with Walkcollection, so we’ll all be looking forward to seeing the new pattern once it hits Ravelry. Show Sponsors   Meadow Yarn is an inviting online retailer selling yarn, needles and notions. It's a small, family business based in rural Suffolk in the UK. Meadow Yarn was born out of a passion for beautiful yarn and knitting accessories and aims to bring you a range of great products. Yarns stocked include madelinetosh, Eden Cottage Yarn, Hazel Knits and many more. This episode is sponsored by The Fibre Company and their newest yarn, Cumbria. Inspired by England's stunning northwest region with its deep blue lakes and sheep-grazed fells and valleys, Cumbria is a lustrous blend of brown wool from the rare breed masham sheep, fine South American wool and mohair from South Africa. The resulting light brown-grey shade is then over-dyed creating lovely deep saturated colours. Cumbria is a staple yarn, perfect for garments and accessories alike. KAL News Pebble Beach KAL, which Paula is hosting on the Knitting Pipeline Ravelry Group, is running until July 5th, and we already have loads of chatter and more than 50 FOs, all competing for that scrumptious skein of Uncommon Thread Merino Lace in the Mermaid colourway. You’ve still got lots of time to join in, and the rules are loose on this one! Remember: You can use any of my patterns It doesn’t matter if you began or finished the object before the start date If you want to purchase a pattern or collection, use Ravelry coupon code KPKAL30 for 30% off until May 31st The hashtag is #pebblebeachKAL so we can find all your WIPs on Twitter and Instagram! Meet My Yarn KAL has just wrapped up and I absolutely loved everyone’s swatches and stories. I’ll be announcing the winner next week: they’re going to get their hands on a skein of the wonderful Cumbria yarn from The Fibre Company. As I’ve mentioned before, this yarn won’t even be available to the public until late summer. Muse2 KAL is running from May 1st until June 30th, so that everyone can be a part of the fun. Enter with any FO that meets one or more of the following criteria: Any pattern from Pom Pom Quarterly magazine or website (hint there are several free patterns ) Any of coopknits- Rachel Coopey’s designs Knit in Anzula yarn Knit on Signature Needles I’ve just decided on my project for the KAL: Rachel Coopey’s gorgeous Oleum socks. It’s the perfect pattern for the great John Arbon Exmoor Sock Yarn I was talking about a few weeks ago. Show Links Visit Justyna’s busy, happy Ravelry Group and take a look at the Shawlicious KAL, ending June 30th You can find all of Justyna’s amazing patterns on website and her Ravelry profile, but here are the ones we discussed specifically: Fickle Heart hoodie Shifting sweater Aisling shawl Masgot shawl Hermit shawl If you're free over the weekend, pay a visit to the I Knit Fandango, happening the 15th and 16th of May at Royal Horticultural Halls, Lindley Hall, Westminster, London, and say a special hello to three friends of the podcast: Kettle Yarn Co, Pom Pom Quarterly, and Rachel Coopey. That's everything for this week! Thanks so much for listening, and happy knitting!

Today I introduce the theme for May: shawls. I talk about how I got started knitting the not-so-granny garment that I now love so much, and how exciting and magical shawl design can be. Show Sponsors   Meadow Yarn is an inviting online retailer se...

Today I have a special guest on the show to wrap up yarn month in a perfect fiber-y package. Clara Parkes is joining me to talk about ...yarn! What else?! Show Sponsors   Meadow Yarn is an inviting online retailer selling yarn, needles and notions. It's a small, family business based in rural Suffolk in the UK. Meadow Yarn was born out of a passion for beautiful yarn and knitting accessories and aims to bring you a range of great products. Yarns stocked include madelinetosh, Eden Cottage Yarn, Hazel Knits and many more.   This episode is sponsored by The Fibre Company and their newest yarn, Cumbria. Inspired by England's stunning northwest region with its deep blue lakes and sheep-grazed fells and valleys, Cumbria is a lustrous blend of brown wool from the masham sheep, fine South American wool and mohair from South Africa. The resulting light brown-grey shade is then over-dyed creating lovely deep saturated colours. Cumbria is a staple yarn, perfect for garments and accessories alike. Knit Along News Knitting Pipeline Pebble Beach KAL Paula at Knitting Pipeline is hosting a KAL of my designs to celebrate the relaunch of Pebble Beach. Muse Connection 2 KAL - Beginnings A Playful Day Kate and I are hosting a KAL starting today - join in on the Muse Connection Ravelry Group Meet My Yarn KAL Where I challenge you to introduce your favourite yarn to the group here by creating a swatch in by 14 May - the deadline was extended by two weeks. This KAL is sponsored by Cumbria yarn by The Fibre Company Clara Parkes, Yarn Whisperer interview Knitter's Review Clara Yarn Benjamin Hole - Hole and Sons Yarn Make sure you listen to the episode to hear how to win a precious skein of Clara Yarn Cormo 1.0