Mrs B's Podcast episode 15

Hi,

Thanks for watching the podcast (video can be found here). Below are the details of the various bits, bobs, and places mentioned in this episode...


Finished things:
Baby T-Shirt Vest by Sam Lamb

Baby T- Shirt by Sam Lamb

Cilla Socks with yarn from HooliganYarns

Finishing up the Cilla socks
in the sunshine

Hattie Socks with yarn from HooliganYarns

Half Hansel Hap by Gundrun Johnston

My Half Hansel in the wild!

Works in Progress:

Wildes Meer Shawl by Voolenvine Yarns
Socks with Blacker Yarns classic 4-ply
Custom Fit cardigan with John Arbon Textiles Corriedale/Alpaca blend

Cambrian Fibre and the first bobbin

Fibre and spinning:
Demelza's Delights
Pipps and Co Yarn
Spin City batts
Hilltop Cloud Time Travellers Club
Hilltop Cloud Cambrian collection

All spun up!

Plans and acquisitions:Myrtle by Kate Davies
Gamer Crafting yarns
Portuguese knitting pin from Atomic Knitting
Craftsy


Other bits and bobs:
Busy Pottering
Knitting with Attitude
Unravel
LouLeigh
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/laura-largan - my Head Nurse's fundraising page
Tiny Human Knits
Knittingilove
SkeinsintheStacks
Little Bobbins
Little Nugget Sweater pattern
3 Bags Full
So Faded by Andrea Mowry

I hope you have a wonderful week ahead, and enjoy everything you're making.

Mrs B x x

Postcard Podcast - in a spin!

Hi,

Thanks for watching the podcast (video can be found here). Here are the details of the various bits, bobs, and places mentioned in this episode...

Finished things:
Felt Fusion - hand dyed yarns
Mina Philipp baby sock recipe 
Baby Vertebrae pattern by Kelly Brooker
Ella Rae soft prints yarn
Screw Top Worsted pattern by Jenise Hope
One Skein Wonders for Babies book

Mum and I out on the moors in all the handknits

What I'm wearing:
Summertide shawl by Helen Stewart

Places/Events:
3 Bags Full
Cornwoolly - correction, this year was their second show! Sorry.
Kernow Chocolate factory
The Hive

One of my favourite views in the whole world. Kit Hill is the tor visible in the distance just behind the wheel house chimney. You can just see Dartmoor in the far distance too. 

Shops/New things:
Sara's Texture Crafts - sadly no longer available
Demelza's Delights
Pipps and Co Yarn
Brit Yarn - check out her IG feed @brityarn for info about her discount code (valid until March 28th)
Blacker Yarns

My next spin is under way!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and enjoy everything you're making.

Mrs B x x

Postcard Podcasts

Yesterday I went to Unravel 2018, the knitting festival held annually at Farnham Maltings, with my friend Alison. In this short podcast (find my podcasts here) I chat about my experience (I'm new to yarn festivals!) and my purchases. I hope you enjoy...

Podcasts mentioned:
Tea and Possibilities
Knitting Expat
Stranded Podcast
Skeindeer Knits

Shops mentioned:
Knit with Attitude
Beaker Button
Big Wigs Angora
Spin City
River Knits

Have a wonderful weekend and week ahead!
Mrs B x x

Soul searching

Recently I have taken a step back from all forms of social media. I have not posted to YouTube since October. I have not posted on Instagram since November. I have been doing a lot of soul searching.

Spinning is good of the soul - especially with home dyed Merino clouds 

Social media is great in so many ways. I have made amazing, true friendships through my podcast, and I have found inspiration through seeing what others are creating. However, it can also be a source of anxiety for me. I feel there is a pressure (although most of it self made, and very little within the crafting community) to get it 'right'. To be 'on trend' and 'insta-worthy'. And those are ideals and standards to which I do not want to live. I had become too involved in what I felt I should be putting out there and not what I wanted to be putting out there. Let's face it the 'shoulds' are a lot safer than the 'wants'. What I want is to honestly share my creations and my thoughts, and that is scary as hell. What if I get something 'wrong'? What is people are mean to me? What if no one likes what I make/do/say? And then...then I asked myself the right question. Why? Why do I want to share things? I thought about it for a really long time and here is what I came up with:

I want to share creative things with the wider world because it makes me happy. There are so many reasons to be negative, doubtful, and sad in this world of ours, that sharing things that make me happy, that bring some joy and positivity to my life, may help someone else find those things too. 

Doesn't Portsmouth look pretty all lit up for Christmas

And so I am going to start using my blog more. I feel comfortable writing. A pen and pad of paper used to be my go-to happy place, my sanctuary. Somewhere along the way I censored that bit of myself, and I am working to release it again. I will start using my Instagram account again, and I will occasionally film for YouTube, but I just can't compare to the other crafting podcasts out there. I am not a prolific crafter so don't have a lot of projects to share, I don't have a camera that records with any sort of decent quality, and I feel more comfortable (for now) with pictures and text. 

My happiest of happy places - walking on the moors near Minions, Cornwall

So in the spirit of spreading some happy thoughts, and contented feelings, here are some of things that have been making me smile recently:

• Hallmark's 'When calls the heart' on Netflix - if you enjoy gentle, historical dramas you'll like this one
• Wool Exploration from KnitBritish (I came to this late, and not sure I'll make the first deadline - but love it!)
• Vlogmas with Katie, Mina, Dani, and Ellie
• Sleepy body lotion from Lush
• Anne with an 'E' on Netflix - Anne of Green Gables is one of my all time favourite book series, and this dramatisation is a good one!

Wishing you all a peaceful, contented, and very Merry Christmas!

Mrs B x x

#StashFest2017

I love my stash, my big boxes of yarn and fibre, they give me joy and it's about time I returned the favour!

This year I will be making a year-long concerted effort to show my stash some serious love, and I'm inviting you to join me. I am hosting a 12 month create-along in my Ravelry group which can be found here.

The rules are simple:

• Only stash purchased/received before the 1st of January 2017 can be used!!
• All projects must have been started on or after the 14th of December 2016 (let's give last year's WIPs a chance!) and finished after the 1st of January 2017
• All projects must contain over 50g of fibre goodness
• Knitting, crochet, and spinning projects all count!
• You can enter as many FOs as you like, but you will only have one post and all projects should be added to that one post (gives slower crafters a chance!) - simply edit the original post to add new projects
• You can enter at any point throughout the year
• Share your projects on social media using #stashfest2017

There will be a prize at the end of the 12 months, the winner will be randomly drawn on January the 6th 2018. However, there may (possibly depending on how things go!) be some smaller prizes randomly given along the way. A year is a long time after all!

Let's dive into the stash piles and show them some serious loving!

Mrs B x x

Happy New Year from me and the scruffy mutt!

Mrs B's Podcast Episode 8

Thank you for watching!

It's been a whole, crazily busy month since the last episode. Thank you so much for sticking with me, it's greatly appreciated. So....on with the show notes:

Keep Calm and Knit Along!

I am hosting a knit/crochet along in  honour of the Queen's 90th birthday over in the Mrs B's Podcast Ravelry group. It is running until June the 14th which is her official birthday. There are prizes for both the chatter thread and the FO thread so come on over and join in!

Here are the guidelines for entering the KAL:

• Knit or crochet something with some British spirit!
• You can use British fibre, or yarn dyed by a British dyer, or a design by a British/UK based designer, or a combination of all three! So long as one of those elements of your project is British, you’re good to go!
• Feel free to double/triple dip etc. with other KALs. Do check that the other KALs allow double dipping too before entering both. 
• Use the #keepcalmKAL on instagram to share all your lovely projects!
• You can enter as many FOs as you can knit.

Chatter thread prize:

English Afternoon Tea from All About Tea

Stitch markers from Of Blithe Spirit  (Huge thanks to Alitzah, the creator of Of Blithe Spirit, for donating a set of cake markers to go with the teacup and teapot markers)

Keep Calm and Carry On notebook

Tea themed ribbons from The Boutique Haberdashery

And a yarn prize will be added to this bundle at the beginning of June.

FO thread prize:

A project bag from Spinning and Stitching

A skein of yarn very kindly donated by Deb, creator of Fondant Fibre - Thank you Deb!

A bar of knitters soap in the Mizzle scent from Fondant Fibre

London notebook

English Rose Garden Tea from All About Tea

Best of British ribbon from The Boutique Haberdashery

A set of custom stitch markers from Koru Tumi (not shown, they are currently in production!)

Finished Objects

Annie' Slippers - Pattern: Simple House Slippers by Simone. A on Ravelry. Yarn: Rowan 100% Wool Aran (discontinued). Needle size: 4mm

Babby Thneed - Pattern: Baby Vertebrae by Kelly Brooker on Ravelry. Yarn: Truffula on Single Ply Merino fingering weight from Felt Fusion. Needle size: 2.75mm and 3.25mm

All the pinky purples - fibre from Owl About Yarn (Merino/Polwarth blend). Spun on an Ashford Traditional Wheel

Works in Progress

Dusky Smooth - fibre from Felt Fusion (Merino/Tussah Silk blend) - project bag from Spinning and Stitching

No bigger than a Pekingese - Pattern: The Love of Spiders by Melanie Berg on Ravelry. Yarn: Shot through the Heart and Deep Space by Felt Fusion. Needle size: 4.5mm - project bag from Knit and Stitch Bits

Autumn Cables - Pattern: Twisted Trails by Lisa K. Ross on Ravelry. Yarn: Wendy Aran with Wool. Needle size: 3.75mm and 4.5mm - project bag from Knit and Stitch Bits

9 to 5 socks - Pattern: plain socks with a twisted rib cuff and a thumb joint afterthought heel. Yarn: Superwash Merino and Nylon sock yarn in Supernova from Felt Fusion. Needle size: 2.5mm - project bag from LouLeigh (pictured at work!)

My own shawl design - Pattern: by me and currently unpublished. Yarn: Cornish Tin 4 ply by Blacker Yarns in Pengenna Green, Botallack Blue, and Wheal Rose Red - project bag from Little French Meadow

New things!

Peter Rabbit box from Rosie's Moments

Spinning fibre from Sara's Texture Crafts

Spinning fibre from Hilltop Cloud's Time Traveller Club

Soap, and beautiful gifted yarn (thank you Deb!), from Fondant Fibre

Yarn by The Boutique Haberdashery

Bergere de France Goomy 50 from Handmade Studios

General Chit Chat

Knitlandia by Clara Parkes

The Boutique Haberdashery in Fareham

Mrs B's Podcast Episode 7

Thank you so much for watching!

Show Notes

Finished Objects

Mermaid Princess socks in Blink colourway by Truly Hooked (not shown as they are now at their new home!)

Hilltop Shawl by Helen Stewart in Blacker Yarns Cornish Tin 4-ply in Levant Grey and Dolcoath Turquoise

Simply Handspun slippers (pattern is Simple House Slippers) in my own home spun combo of Black Welsh Mountain and Whitefaced Woodland from Fondant Fibre

Works in progress

9 to 5 socks in Supernova colourway from Felt Fusion

Babby Thneed (pattern: Baby Vertebrae by Kelly Brooker) in Truffula colourway from Felt Fusion

No bigger than a Pekingese (pattern: The Love of Spiders by Melanie Berg) in Deep Space and Shot through the Heart colourways from Felt Fusion

Spinning

Jessica by Owl About Yarn (50% Polwarth/50% Merino d'Arles)

Birthday gifts from my lovely family

Tunisian Crochet set from Knit Pro

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe box from Rosie's Moments

A beautiful bag made by my mum

Dotty about Spotty sock blank from Suffolk Socks

Knitlandia by Clara Parkes

Project bags from LouLeigh and Quince Pie

Other additions to stash

Birthday flowers box from Korutumi

Hand dyed yarn from the Boutique Haberdashery

Dr. Who scarf yarn from Fab Funky Fibres

Music video themed box from Felt Fusion (Turn it up [video] and On the Radio [video])

Pure Wool by Sue Blacker

Podcasts/KALs mentioned

Inside Number 23 Harry Potter KAL

The Knitting Broomstick Harry Potter KAL

Running over in the Mrs B Podcast Ravelry Group - here

This is the first knit along for the podcast!! To celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday we are having a British themed “Keep Calm and KAL”!

The KAL will run from April the 21st (her actual birthday) to June the 14th (her official birthday). The chatter thread will be open from today, but no projects started before April the 21st can be counted.

The guidelines are as follows:

• Knit or crochet something British!

• You can use British fibre, yarn dyed by a British dyer, a design by a British designer, or a combination of all three!

• There will be a prize for the chatter thread, and another for the FO thread.

• Feel free to double/triple dip etc. with other KALs.

• Use the #keepcalmKAL on instagram so that we can all see your lovely projects!

Have a wonderful day! Mrs B x x