Sunday 25 December 2011

Xmas socks

My brother models his handknitted Xmas socks. Thanks to @hayleycampbelly for the artfully arranged action shot!

Saturday 10 December 2011

Knitting frenzy - more presents finished

The Eleanor Cowl by Audknits (free Ravelry pattern) in gorgeous Fyberspates Scrumptious for another friend abroad...

S'cuse the dodgy shots taken last night on a train - I needed to get it in the post to make it to Canada before Christmas.  Talk about cutting it fine...





















Oh, and I finished these cashmere wrist warmers a little while ago but forgot to post them up (pattern to follow as soon as I've had time to write it up):

Sunday 4 December 2011

Another one off the needles

An early Xmas present for my gf from Singapore. I thought a little cowl would keep the December wind out.

Scuse the less than glamorous pic taken against a #63 bus seat. It all got a bit last minute... (as usual).


Saturday 19 November 2011

Woolshops of the world

Took a day trip to Bath today and was lucky enough to have a good rummage in Wool.

Great shop, very friendly and knowledgable owner and a lovely broad selection of yarns. Definitely worth a road trip

Thursday 17 November 2011

Off the needles - Xmas pressie #1

Finished Xmas pressie no.1.  It's for my mum but as she doesn't have an internet connection I think I'm pretty safe posting this without risking spoiling the surprise.

Now onto a sock knitting extravaganza!



Wednesday 16 November 2011

Knit your own Death Star and Light Sabre

Ok, so I'm geeking out a bit and having far too much fun on my lunchbreak, but LOOK AT THESE:
Both reblogged from the excellent craftycrafty.tv


Knit your own Death Star

By Lauren O'Farrell
knitted_death_star.jpgIt's a universally known handmade fact that Star Wars craft is the force that keeps all other craft together. Sure there are your run of the mill intricate heirloom knitted shawls, chic knitted dresses and cutesy amigurumi but nothing says craft WIN quite like a knitted Death Star.
Yes, you heard me right. The cosmic Nicole Kostelec has created a free knitting pattern for theDeath Star from Star Wars. Free, supremely geeky, and pictured shooting out a vibrant death ray at an unsuspecting planet.
I've said it before and I'll happily say it again. The craft force is strong with this one.
[source: the lovely Emsiepopples over on Twitter]

Knit your own Lightsabre

By Lauren O'Farrell
knitted_lightsaber.JPGYou can be pretty sure that both Yoda and Obi Wan knew how to knit. How else could they both survive all those dreary years in Jedi Master isolation? Now you can join them by using the woolly force yourself as a stitching Skywalker.
This Knitted Lightsabre pattern from the fabulously named Zombie Sheep (brandished here by a purly Princess Leia who obviously means business) is a free knitting pattern that can be downloaded from Ravelry (the home of some of the universe's coolest patterns).
It's well worth checking out the other patterns in her Inside Joke collection too. There's everything from hip knitted skirts to graffiti crochet cosies.
Yoda would be proud; the fibre force is strong with this one.
[Source Emsiepopples: via Twitter]

Monday 24 October 2011

I'm in print!

One of my projects was spotted by The Knitter magazine on Ravelry and they approached me to ask if they could include it in the Readers Page of the most recent issue.

Friday 9 September 2011

Footlocker on Oxford Street - look what I made!

Display plinth & alarm cosies
















































Unfortunately they wouldn't let me rearrange the alarm cosies so they don't sag, but a girl can't have everything...


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Converse/Footlocker 'Threads' ad campaign


I’ve had a bit of an exciting secret squirrel knitting project on the go recently which has finally launched.

Several yarn artists were asked to come up with yarn bombing concepts for various for a viral ad for Converse & Footlocker, to launch Converse's new Padded Cuff shoe.  
















I was commissioned to produce various cuffs and cosies for street furniture – lamp posts, trees, benches, fencing, scaffold poles etc. 

You can see the ad here:  



  

I was also involved in making some pieces for the in-store activation in flagship stores in London, Berlin and Milan, including cuffs for the door alarms, cosies for shop window plinths to put the shoes on, a massive advertising pillar in Berlin and cosies for bikes to go outside the store.  Pics below of the Berlin store which launched yesterday - really pleased with the way everything turned out.









Monday 5 September 2011

The excellent Kate Jenkins


I love Kate Jenkins quirky and humorous crochet work. Happily she's got an exhibition on until 24th Sept at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery on Charlotte St, London W1. http://r-h-g.co.uk/

Absolute genius













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Saturday 13 August 2011

Star Wars amigurumi - ok, so I'm a bit obsessed this morning...

Lucy Ravenscar's created a whole cast of Star Wars Amigurumi characters to make.  Star Wars themed Christmas nativity anyone...?

Bloody marvellous



R2D2 custom made jumper - in case that last post wasn't exciting enough....

OMFG!  Incredible workmanship from Etsy's Erica Knit.  I wonder if I can work out how to make a Darth Vader version with hat/mask....









Star wars fair isle charts - I can feel a twinset coming on...

http://www.knitting-and.com/knitting/patterns/charts/starwars.htm


 

This link is also worthy of mention:  http://www.angelfire.com/space2/swcharts/knit.html

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone


Monday 1 August 2011

Woolshops of the world - Lewisham

I've just been to the fabulous knitshop.co.uk 326 Lee High Rd, Lewisham.
They have their own range of gorgeous yarns and are incredibly helpful & knowledgable.

A great find in South London!

Friday 15 July 2011

Etsuko Ichikawa's inspirational burn art

Etsuko Ichikawa’s work uses a unique process to create wonderfully organic, almost balletic pieces.  Watch this wonderfully shot video to see it in practice.
 
  

Friday 8 July 2011

Design trend: Looking to the past

Thanks to my lovely colleague Alexa Saller at Bloom for permission to re-blog her excellent Design Trends thought piece:


Design trend: Looking to the past

Last week we posited that one of the reasons for Habitat’s demise was that its futuristic furniture was no longer to the public’s taste.  Increasingly in design we’re noticing a trend for reviving the old and making it relevant to the present.
A blast from the past
Since the mass fashion market exploded in the mid 20th century every decade has had its own particular style – hippie in the 60’s, rockers in the 80’s, grunge in the 90’s. This century has certainly had its own style notes – leggings sadly being a defining feature – but increasingly fashion brands are reinventing the past for the present. Prada has done an exceptional job of this in their S/S 2011 campaign.   They’ve done more than just take influence from the 70’s, they’ve fully embraced the decade to create a retro collection that really stands out from the crowd.Pradacampaign2Modern Classic
Christian Louboutin has chosen to recreate a number of 17th C portraits for his Fall collection. In doing so he has created a shorthand for ‘classic’, a statement that his shoes, a hallmark of the modern age, will stand the test of time.F81c131f78886acb_lb4.xxlargeThe age of ingenuity
Whether influenced by the Doctor Who revival or the imminent arrival of the final instalment of Harry Potter, we’re not sure, but Steampunk has become a thriving cult movement.  
Embodying a kind of neo-Victorianism Steampunk has spawned a whole culture, influencing everything from architecture to music to fashion. The movement’s appeal seems to stem from its roots in counterfactual history, which encourages followers to use their imagination and consider – what if? 399px-Steampunk-falksenAuthor G. D. Falksen, wearing a steampunk-styled arm prosthesis by Thomas Willeford, exemplifying one take on steampunk fashion.
The Golden Age
Despite many consumers having to tighten their purse strings, the upper echelons still have plenty of cash to splash.  However in an era where superstructures are a dime a dozen and 3D tvs are the norm it can be difficult to impress the jet set.  Yet the past is rarefied and can therefore form a compelling reference point.  The fog of time has a tendency to preserve only the most glamorous features, making the memory all the more precious. To this effect Van Cleef & Arpels have recently created a Bals de LĂ©gende collection of jewellery. Consisting of 160 unique pieces, the collection has been inspired by five of the most extravagant balls of the 20th C.  Today equivalent events aren’t nearly as exclusive and many have beencommercialised, making a celebration of a bygone era is even more fantastical for its rarity, you almost can’t help but be impressed.
A simpler life
The last couple of years have also seen growing support for The Prince of Wales’ rejections of modernist architecture and a long waiting list to buy a plot in Poundbury, his New Urbanism development on the edge of Cornwall.  Again this seems to stem from a desire to return, not to the extravagances of the past, but to a time when things were simpler and communities were smaller.Img_3skbrmcqgldcu
Breathing new life into an old brand
Brands are also tapping into the past.  The most recent example is the Little Chef redesign, which has leveraged one of the brand’s biggest assets - nostalgia.  The simplification of the marque helps the quirky chef to stand out even more.  Meanwhile the bright modern colours prevent it from looking dated, giving it greater longevity than the Hovis packs, which have arguably gone too far down the nostalgia route and now just look a bit dated.Little_chef_logoLittle_chef_wild_postings
The past can be used at all price points in a multitude of ways - to inspire, excite and engage. Furthermore it provides a short-hand of associations, meaning you don’t have to re-educate the consumer. It’s not suitable for every brand, but get it right and a strong emotional connection with the consumer will be your reward.

Wednesday 6 July 2011

Super cool book designs

I'm a big fan of Jules Verne so I was a bit over excited to come across these book cover designs by Jim Tierney


Monday 4 July 2011

V&A exhibition - Cult of Beauty

One of the best exhibitions I've been to - well put together, thorough and really interesting.  The Cult of Beauty ends on the 17th July, so if you haven't had a chance to go yet, I strongly suggest you get your collective arses down there:



Thursday 30 June 2011

Embroidered Toast

My excellent brother @joelgolby just sent me a link to this awesome craft series by Judith G. Klausner
As I'm rubbish at sewing I'd personally want my work to last a bit longer than a couple of days before going mouldy



Wednesday 15 June 2011

Triathlon

I've been a bit busy TRAINING FOR A TRIATHLON.  Yes, you heard right, it was a Sprint distance one (ie. half a proper Olympic distance) at Blenheim Palace on Sat 4th June - 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run.

My mate Jas thinks we've slipped into an alternative reality but I think it's more likely I'm having a mid-life crisis.  I'm also jonesing after getting another tattoo done.  Oh well, at least it's not toyboys and sports cars...

I did the whole thing in 2hrs 24mins.  The swim in 19mins (11 mins quicker than my goal time), bike in 1hr 04 and the run in 50mins.  I was determined not to walk any of it, despite a couple of the girls walking past me faster than I was managing to run.
The bike was quite tough going as there was a big old hill in the middle of the the lap (3 laps).  The main thing is I didn't finish last, by 158 people at the last count.  
It was an amazing day and I'm incredibly proud of myself.  So much so that I've signed up for another one in September.  This time for charidee.  If you fancy sponsoring me, click here

Unflattering pics to follow: