Yarns from the Plain

Episode 15: UK Knit Camp (Part the First)

Hello from behind a pile of fibre and washing here in the Cheshire Plain. Another bumper episode this week, with a report from the weekdays of the recent UK Knit Camp at Stirling in Scotland. Despite organisational problems and a lack of communication for day visitors, I had a brilliant time. I took classes with Jon Dunn of EasyKnits, Lucy Neatby, Kate Tetlow and Mary Jane Mucklestone. Photos from Jon's spinning class...

...and shots of my handspun taken in Mary Jane's class.

Animal, spun from batts from EverImprovingMe

Navajo-plied fibre from DT Craft & Design bought at Wonderwool Wales in April

I also have an overwhelming desire to make Lucy Neatby's Bubbles Scarf. Luckily there's a knit-a-long for the pattern in September.

There's also an interview with the designer of the Knit Camp Vest, Ann Kingstone.  Finally, if you want to imagine me whirling Debbie Stoller around the dance floor, this video shows (sort of) what we were doing.

Music: Rondopolska by Barry Philips, from the album Tråd, available from Magnatune.

Feel free to leave a comment here or at http://www.yarnsfromtheplain.blogspot.com/, or email me at yarnsfromtheplain@googlemail.com. We have a Ravelry group here, so come on over to chat. You can find me on Ravelry as talesfromtheplain and on Twitter as talesfromplain (although I don't Tweet much!). TTFN, Nic

Episode 14: It's Show Time!

Hello from a distinctly un-summery Cheshire Plain. It's a bumper one this time around! This episode I share some finished objects, give you a history lesson and subject you all to my ramblings and reminicences on livestock. On the needles/wheel: I've finished the Manos del Uruguay Clapotis in time for the Clap-o-tea party at UK Knit Camp. I've also taught myself how to navajo ply on the singles I spun from a hank of unidentified fibre (possibly BFL and tencel) I bought from DT Crafts at Wonderwool Wales. No photos here, I'm afraid, but details on Ravelry for the Clapotis and the handspun. I'm also having a blast spinning some Muppet batts from EverImprovingMe. Gorgeous!!! Something I really like: Open Country on BBC Radio 4, particularly using the iPlayer. The Fair Isle Kntting programme is here. Upcoming Events: UK Knit Camp, 9th-13th August and UK Ravelry Weekend, 13th-14th August, Stirling, Scotland; I Knit Weekender, 10th-11th September, London; Fibre Flurry, 30th October, King's Norton, Birmingham. The bulk of this episode is taken up with information about The Oxfordshire County and Thame Show. It's something I attended every year as a child and teenager, but haven't been sinc ei went into teachign in the mid-90s. So, ready for the photo fest that is my record of Thame Show? OK, don't say I didn't warn you. There's a lot of photos. Seriously. Heaps. First up, the patchwork class.

The red certificate is for First prize, blue is Second, yellow is Third, white is Very Highly Commended. The first prize winner in the patchwork is the first piece completed by the entrant.Then it's the fibre classes. First knitting...   ... then baby and toddler knitting... ... then the single entry in the Crochet class. Then I wondered down the other end of the marquee to the vegetables. Later I went into the rabbit tent....   ... the pigeons.... ... and the caged birds. Onto the larger animals. This class appears to be for a South Devon bull, heifer and calf. Inside the tent were some beautiful livestock, including this Hereford heifer... and some Holsteins. Outside you can see some Jacob sheep in the pens on the left. Lookee! A livestock Judge, In a Bowler hat! A shot from the sheep judging ring. A Southdown with a fleecy face. Beautiful Alpaca! One of my favourite parts was the Sheep Show. Here's the lorry, with all nine sheep on show. Close up shots... Craig shearing his first ever Scottish Blackface. Some of the Sheep show participants. First Lenny the Lincoln Longwool... ...the Rupert the Rouge De L'Ouest from France... ... and finally Dougal the Scottish Blackface. Music: Rondopolska by Barry Philips, from the album Tråd, available from Magnatune. Feel free to leave a comment here or at http://www.yarnsfromtheplain.blogspot.com/, or email me at yarnsfromtheplain@googlemail.com. We have a Ravelry group here, so come on over to chat. You can find me on Ravelry as talesfromtheplain and on Twitter as talesfromplain (although I don't Tweet much!). Nic