Rebecca and Bithiah

Hello all,

I am proud to say that Inside Crochet have published 2 more of my patterns. I have created 2 animal called Rebecca and Bithiah. The patterns started last year just before Christmas, I made the mistake from the year before of knitting large gifts for each of my friends and family. My gifts ranged from gloves to socks.......the issue at the time was that I kept forgetting that I needed to make each thing twice. I decided that I wanted to create something smaller and quicker to make. This is where I decided to make an army of animals for each person. I decided to make each of my friends an animal which I thought represented them and name it after them. 

The fox is named after my sister Rebecca or Beccy. Beccy has been there a lot for me and helped me through the good and bad times. She has always supported me no matter what. She is also the mother of my nephew Ben (the one I created Benjamin's Bunting for). My sister liked items with fox designs on it and I thought it would be appropriate to make her own. 

Bithiah is someone who I went to university with. She is extremely lively and a joy to be around. Bithiah helped me through my degree and has been a great friend ever since I met her. We lived together in halls and now we meet every week for hula hooping practice. As she is such a lively character it made me think a squirrel would really suit her.

I enjoyed using Drops Safran yarn as the colours are extremely vibrant and comfortable to work with. I like the range and also the price makes the project extremely affordable. It was a pleasure to create and I hope to share some more of my makes at a later date. 

Another yarn that I have been enjoying is West Yorkshire Spinner Rum Paradise. It is multicoloured but so bright and cheerful. I am working on some designs with them!!!

I am looking forward to going to wool@j13 over the next weekend. I have signed up to a broomstick crochet workshop and have a good look at all of the yarn there. I'm really looking forward to it and I hope you can join me!!!!! 

Well lets get back to it!!!

until next time

Happy crafting

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Double the fun!!!

Hello all, 

I have completed my piggies order. The patterns are from one of my favorite knitting designers called Anna Hrachovec. Her quirky designs are so fun to make up and absolutely adorable. This pattern was from her first book called Mochimochiland. The second piggy has a mighty fine Mohawk going on. It was a great pattern as it was worked in rib stitch and then turned inside out. The little piggies have been sent to their new home and they have been well received :-)

I have started to work on a design for a cushion. I have returned to Tunisian crochet and I am working with West Yorkshire Spinners Yarn. I have found a basket weave stitch which I think would make an interesting design. I quite like the textures created. I will post a picture when I have a completed sample. 

I am approaching my 30's and have decided to make a list of things that I would like to do. This list includes things like a pottery course and a life drawing class......One item is attempt to break a world record. I haven't got to far into researching something that fits my talents (such as eating a lot of food) However, on Facebook I have found a knitting related one I  could join in with. Occ Barton On Humber are a group that create shoe boxes full of lovely things to send to different countries. One thing they are requesting are for knitters to knit teddy bear hand puppets. They are hoping to have the record for having the longest number of knitted bears in a line. This is a way I could tick this item off my list. If you are also interested, check out their Facebook page for more details.

Right, back to it :-)

Until next time

Happy crafting. 

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Man hat and Santa Dash

Hello all, 

I am happy to announce that the man hat is completed after all of the drama. As I did not have measurements, I felt it was safe to work with a 2 x 2 rib pattern. This would give the hat much give. I used DK weight yarn and cast on 112 stitches. I wanted the stripes to be distinct so felt it was best to change the colour of the yarn every 10 rows. I wanted the hat to be too big so this would allow a length to fold the hat back. This makes sure that the hat would not be too short. After much tea drinking and tv watching, I completed the hat!! I think it's fab but I felt I needed to make it clear where my loyalties are :)

West Yorkshire Spinners have gorgeous Christmas yarn, which I am now the proud owner of. They also have a beautiful sock pattern which I am currently working on. I only happened to find this pattern by going to my local knitting group at Stitch Solihull. The wonderful Anna showed me this pattern and I have fallen in love with it. The pattern has a new challenge for me as it is worked toe up. I will show it off when it is completed :) I found the pattern on the following link http://www.wyspinners.com/patterns/WYS_Holly_Berry_Free%20Pattern.pdf

I have now ordered my yarn for the Santa Dash I am taking part in. This is on the 13th December around Warwick. I will be dressing up with Santa with my friend and completed 2 laps of the park. To make this more challenging I have decided to crochet a scarf as I go around the course. I think it will be quite a laugh and hopefully I will be able to raise money for Myton Hospices which is a great cause. The charity support people through the final part of their life and also support families. If you are able to donate to this great cause please follow the link to my just giving page www.justgiving.com/sarahssantadash2015 

I have also now released my patterns on the Love Knitting website. Please check out the link to my designs http://www.loveknitting.com/catalogsearch/result/?order=relevance&dir=desc&q=sarah+reed

I think all of my Christmas knitted and crocheted gifts sorted to give to the family. I just need to sort out my decorations. I had a lovely time Christmas tree shopping but I still need to try and get other bits and bobs. I think I will be pulling out my Christmas stocking bunting and adding it to my fireplace. The dilemma is how soon can i put the tree up........

Right back to the Christmas socks

Until next time

Happy Crafting

Sarah :) 

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Autumn and the hunt for the missing leg

Hello all,

The weather appears to be changing quite quickly and I am currently............. freezing!!!!!!!! For a knitter, the change in season is great as it brings back more motivation to make woolly goods. I have completed my Christmas project for my sister.......with a lot of yarn left over, so I will need to think what other present I can create with yummy chunky yarn.

I have also finally completed my West Yorkshire Spinner's Mallard socks :) They are fabulous and really warm. I like the colour combinations and I feel they may come on holiday with me to the caravan. I have successfully recovered from the second sock syndrome and back to good health. I am now on my next project. 

Work has started on my nephew's dinosaur using the TOFT pattern. All was going well until I lost a leg that I had made..........I suppose there is a slight possibility it walked off (I guess more accurately hopped off as it is only one leg). The hunt to find it has began but it could be anywhere between Birmingham and Reading. If you do happen to find an orange crocheted leg about.....please tell it to come home!!!!!!

There are a lot of lovely knitted accessories coming out in the shops. Whilst with my sister, we found some sweet knitted jumpers for the nephew and gorgeous chunky cardigans for us in Primark. I am at the point where I am considering popping the heating on at home but I am trying to resist the urge...........until the real autumn arrives.

The holiday planning is going well. I am  trying to locate the local yarn shops near Bideford. (Please do share any recommendations) I have found a knitting cafe called 'Periwinkle' which I would love to pop in. Not only does it sell beautiful yarn but it also has tea and cakes. This sounds like a knitters dream to me and a must do on the holiday list. 

I am also still on my quest to find other socially acceptable place to knit. So far I have found on a train and a cricket ground. Tomorrow, my car needs to be serviced and I intent to be making my dinosaur in the waiting room. This is a new knitting territory for me and I hope it is well received. 

I am still fundrasing for Birmingham Children's Hospital after spotting all of the Big and Little Hoot owls. I am happy to say I have reached my target and I want to thank everyone who has been able to sponsor me. If you are able to help this great cause my page is www.justgiving.com/sarah-reed2015

Right....back to the dinosaur and the hunt for the missing leg.....

Until next time

Happy crafting

Sarah :) 

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Tunisian Cushion

Hello all,

I'm back from my break and now I'm knitting up a storm :)

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the latest issue of Inside crochet had been released and had arrived at my front door. Inside it contained my latest Tunisian Crochet Pattern  'Geo Cushion'. This project started months ago.

I was travelling to Reading to visit my sister and look one of my usual detours to Yarnfest. This is a lovely shop in an area called Hermitage and stocks a lot of gorgeous yarn. Another reason that a visit is necessary is for the opportunity to meet Ozzy the dog. Ozzy guided me to the yarn I just had to have. This was quite early in the year but summer was on my mind and I found that West Yorkshire Spinners had a gorgeous selection of colours. The way the shelf was stacked had the green and pink together and I loved the combination. It made me think of a watermelon and I knew I had to buy this yarn for something.................I was not heavily influenced by Ozzy's puppy eyes!!!!!!!!


Once back home I began to plot my pattern. I wanted something that would challenge me and develop a new skill. This is when I went to You Tube for Knitspiration. I came across an American crocheter (cannot think who it was) who had made a Super Mario blanket using colour work in Tunisian crochet. Using the different colours seemed to be similar to how a knitter does Intarsia Knitting. The video did guide me to twist the yarn at each colour change to ensure there are no holes. 


With this in mind I decided to look back at an old patchwork book I had for a design idea. The one I selected was a star design. To sew this up it would involve 12 square which was a triangle that was half one colour and half another. If you look carefully at the patter you may see how these square would be put together. I actually did a tension square (I know !!!) to work out the sizing of my work. I had a spare cushion that was in desperate need of dressing and from there the pattern was created.

I emailed my idea to Claire from Inside Crochet and the design and it was a Tunisian cushion which happened to match the theme for an issue of the magazine. I really enjoyed this project and hope to use this technique again for a later design. 

I went to Guthrie and Ghani's Knit Night on Thursday and really enjoyed it. I love the atmosphere of the shop and how relaxed knit night is there. It was a nice place to focus on my latest design involving Tunisian Crochet in the round. Lauren stocks Rico and now Milla Mia yarn in a vast range of colours. There are also a number of different weight yarn available too. I have found much knitpiration here previously as this is where I brought the yarn from Benjamin's Bunting and Nice and Cosy. The next Knit night is on 30th July and well worth a visit :)

Right.........back to work 

Until next time

Happy crafting

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Tunisian Lamp Shade

Hello all,

I am excited to announce that Inside Crochet have published my latest Tunisian crochet pattern. I really enjoyed designing this piece and I think it  would make any room look amazing. 

The lamp shade cover came a bit of an accident really. I am easily influenced by internet companies postage policies. Around the time, my sister wanted a pair of hand knitted gloves. However, in order for me to get the yarn I would have had to pay £3 postage. Oh no !!!! I was not having that!!!!! The way around this was to turn my £4 order into a £25 one. I have no idea why this seemed to make more sense to spend more money than settle for the postage. I looked for the most random thing to increase the price of my order and came across the Rico lampshade......of course into the basket it went. Once it arrived I had no idea what to do with it. 

I am really into my Tunisian crochet at the minute and I wanted to move beyond a Tunisian Simple Stitch. I looked through a few stitchonaries and found this lovely lace stitch. It is a 2 line repeat and involves decreasing and passing a yarn over to maintain the same number of stitches on each row. I think the main trick to this pattern is making sure that you count the number of stitches after each row to make sure you have not lost any. The pattern allowed me to use the luscious West Yorkshire Spinner yarn that I had been saving. From there the project was created and published by Inside Crochet. 

To feed my Tunisian addiction I will be going to a Tunisian crochet workshop with the lovely Denise on Saturday the 6th June at Stitch Solihull. By the end, I will hopefully be able to do the same stitch on Tunisian crochet on each side of my work (exciting stuff!!!!!)

I need a cup of tea and a calm down from all of the exciting things that have been going on. 

Until next time

Happy crafting 

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I'm back!!!!

Hello all,

I seem to have lost track of time :s I hope you are all well. I am in the process of relocating to Birmingham to move nearer to some lovely yarn shops. I am having to face the reality of how huge my yarn stash is. I need a bit of a clear out but it is so difficult to do. Once I am in my new property I will have a whole room to fill with yarn goodness.

I am still in love with West Yorkshire Spinner's yarn. I recently visited my sister in Reading and went along to a lovely shop called Yarnfest. It is in Thatcham and filled with good quality yarn...including my favourite West Yorkshire Spinner's. There are other yarns such as Debbie Bliss, Noro and Louise Harding. There is also a cute dog which will help you with your yarn shopping. Yarnfest also run a variety of workshops that look amazing to attend. I will be sure to try and tie in a visit there whenever I visit my sister. Check out the shops website for more http://www.yarnfest.co.uk/

I have a couple more magazines commissions on the way (one includes the yarn I brought from Yarnfest) and I have also had a couple of patterns reprinted in a German magazine called Hakeln which is exciting :)

Toft are currently raising money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity and Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice. They are making a crochet jungle which will be on display at the Knitting and Stitching show in March. I am helping towards this project but if you are able to make some leaves or buy a monkey kit where a donate would be made to these brilliant causes, that would be much appreciated.  please check out their website for more information. 

 http://www.thetoftalpacashop.co.uk/Article_News_crochetjungle.aspx

Well I need to get back to typing up my patterns :)

Until next time

Happy crafting

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