Ireland workshop

Once again I have had an amazing time out in Ireland holding a jewelry/decorative scarf workshop. I had lovely ladies come along on both days and we had a great time. Glen Gallery Crafts is a shop that is just full to the top with crafts and wool, you name it, they have it. 

I developed this workshop because firstly I love to make decorative things, beading with dangly bits, in fact anything fiddly and secondly I have a new i-cord knitting mill, oh my, it is brilliant !!!

This is the i-cord that comes off the i-cord knitting mill (right), just amazing !

Firstly I got the ladies to make themselves a brooch with 
i-cord and a leather flower and button.

And then they had to use there imagination to think what they would like to make. I gave them all a booklet of knitted and crochet flowers, leaves and necklace bases and they had to make a selection and put it all together. I had made a few ideas before hand for them to have a look at.

I think sometimes when you go on a workshop it gets your creative juices flowing because you are with like minded people. There was a lot of knitting going on as well as chatting and some of the ladies finished their pieces but the main thing is that they enjoyed themselves.

All smiles from the ladies

One lady decided to make flowers and decorate her throw that she had knitted and it looked fantastic.

 Lots of work in progress, I hope they finished the necklace because the colours were beautiful

 Glen Gallery Crafts have such a wide variety of yarns, this is a very small selection of yarns that are on sale. If you are ever in Belfast call into Glen Gallery Crafts, Fenagh Road, Cullybackey, County Antrim. Frances and Marilyn are two lovely ladies who are very happy to help  .

Hopefully I will get to go back but just to remind everyone that if you have 4 to 6 ladies who want to learn to crochet, knit or even do a crochet jewellery workshop, Myself and Sarah are very happy to come to you and teach, please ask for details.
So just to say happy knitting and watch out for our next blog.
Love Helen and Sarah xx

How Many are too Many?

I am of course talking about projects on the go! I mustn't be the only one of all you crafters out there that has more than one project being worked on at the same time. It drives my very patient husband mad! I have too many project bags and baskets scattered around the house ready to be worked on whenever I get a spare minute. Below are just a few of the projects which I am currently working on, each one equally as important as the next of course.

Current Projects

I must confess that I sometimes loose track of what I have on the go due to me having a terrible butterfly brain, which is so easily distracted when it sees beautiful yarn which will work perfectly with a pattern I have. My husband is the person who captures that butterfly and gathers up all the ongoing projects and deposits them into my craft room in the loft (Also known as my Lady Cave!) I then go up to get myself organised and sort the projects out so that I can at least get one completed. I find it helpful to lay them out on my crafting table as shown in the picture above and decide which should come downstairs to be worked on for this week. Let me take you through the projects on my table this week.

Rosamund by Kim Hargreaves

This is a lovely little cardigan which should be made using Rowan Kid Classic but I had been gifted some beautiful mohair so I am mixing it with the kid Classic, so watch this space for the finished result - Back and left front are done!

Rum & Raisin - Rowan Magazine 

This is a fabulous little Tee using just 5 balls of Rown Yarns Panama it is a lovely pattern and will be great over a little dress in the summer.

A basic crochet shawl 

Finally, a basic crochet shawl using Rowan Yarns Kid Silk haze, this will be a one ball shawl project, using just trebles and chain for a simple but beautiful shawl, a perfect handbag project needing just yarn and a 5mm hook!

A little summer dress

However, whilst I am confessing to my load, I must mention that when I went into the loft today I decided to cut out a dress for the summer using my lovely Merchant & Mills pattern The Camber Set. I have made this dress before and cannot wait to get sewing!!

The good thing about all these projects is that I am using up my stash of both yarn and fabric! One day I may have no stash left (Ha ha ha ha ha). Anyway I need to get on with my crafting now and I may say a little prayer for an extra day in every week or even an extra 12 hours in every day that no-one else knows about, pure crafting time!! Now wouldn't that be lovely!

Until next time keep well and keep crafting!! Helen & Sarah xx

How Long is a Piece of String??

Well I can honestly say that like yarn it depends on the ply the weight and the size of the ball! (Size does matter on this occasion.)

A genuine string  bag made from just 2 balls of....... string!

In light of the recent plastic bag tax we have all been purchasing bags from retailers which we give the dubious name of 'bags for life' and if you are anything like me you will have numerous bags but they tend to be somewhat on the large size for my quick run around boots for a few bits and bobs. So as you can imagine when I spied a ball of string in my craft room my mind started to think of a way to work with this to create just the thing! 

Yes we really do mean string!

They really do make such pretty accessories
Avilable on our etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/
and search HankandSkein

Well I have been getting quite carried away with myself and ended up even making a string dispenser to hold the ball of string, yes you guessed it, made out of string!! The joy of both crochet and knitting is that you can produce not just practical but also beautiful items for everyday use.

I have also been playing with Annie Sloane paint as a way of dying my string to make it into a unique colour, I got this idea after going to the most fantastic open day at The Ministry of Upholstery in Manchester. The Ministry is just a haven of creativity and is one of the most inspiring places I have been to in a long time, so much so that I have signed onto an upholstery weekend. I just love to learn a new skill and I could not think of a more fun thing to do than learn from people with such passion. I will share my results as soon as I have finished playing around with this.http://www.ministryofupholstery.co.uk/ Oh and I have signed up for a footstool course with them too..... watch this space!

Now as you will know if you follow us on facebook (FB) we ran a beginners crochet course for lovely group of ladies and we had a fabulous day. We have decided that groups of between 4 to 6 people is the perfect size for you all to get the attention required when just starting out with a hook and thread. Watch out on FB for future courses.

The table is set out for our lovely ladies

They all worked so hard and went away with a new skill

Maybe you have friends who would like to learn how to crochet and you would love to do it as a group, if so just drop us an email at  hankandskein@gmail.com  and we will organise a day of crochet just for you (groups of 4 to 6)

I must also tell you that inbetween all of the above I have this week become a finisher completer having finished, finally, Erin by Kim Hargreaves I have taken some time completing it but I am sooooo......pleased http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/erin-5

I shared this picture earlier in the year

I am now very proud to share the completed garment 

When we did our crochet course we were asked why we used yarns such as Rowan and I think the result above explains it, vibrant colours, good quality yarn which makes all those hours of knitting or crochet worthwhile and it will wash beautifully too. Need I say more!

On that note I will close this post, and take the time to wish you all a very happy weekend to come! Thanks for taking the time to drop in..... 

With love Sarah & Helen xxx

Perfect Patchwork !!

I would love to you some amazing patchwork blankets I had the good fortune of seeing at an exhibition I went to a few weeks ago in Sale, Manchester. On display were the most amazing blankets, wall hangings, cushions that were machine and hand sewn. It got me inspired and wanting to get on with my patchwork.

 They are amazing aren't they !!

Anyway, moving on, I have started going to patchwork group myself, with lovely ladies that I have met through my craft group. We started with a small project, hexagons to make a pin cushion .

 The finished pin cushion, just a button to be added to the centre.

 Michelle's millions of hexagons to make her blanket. 
(and also Happy Birthday to Michelle this week as its a very special birthday x)

Here are Tilly and Marion who join us every week to sew (Tilly doesn't do much)!!
Tilly even got hold of my pin cushion as I dropped it on the floor and ran like hell out of the dog flap into the garden, it was like a comedy scene off the TV trying to get it back.

I have now purchased some lovely fabrics to make a circle cushion with diamond shapes. I will let you know how it goes.

Sarah and I are looking forward to our first workshop together this weekend, a small group of ladies are joining us for our Beginners Crochet course we are really looking forward to it. It is so much fun to learn a new craft alongside other like minded people and Sarah and I love sharing our skills too. We will post some pictures of their day soon.

Sarah has also signed up for a weekend upholstery course at the Ministry of upholstery http://www.ministryofupholstery.co.uk/  we can't wait to see her finished project and will definitely share some pictures with you

Whatever needle crafts you are doing, enjoy and have a good weekend 
love 
Helen and Sarah xx