The Impressionist MKAL by Curious Handmade Giveaway.

Hello, my friends, I really don't know where the first part of the year has gone. It's been a very busy time over the last couple of months with work and everyday life, unfortunately, it was my blog had to take a back seat. Hopefully, things are settling down a bit and I will get back on track.

After much anticipation over the last few weeks, the first clue of the Impressionists MKAL shawl by Helen Stewart has just been released.

The inspiration behind this mystery knitalong is from impressionist artists and their works using your beautiful skeins of yarn. The pattern uses three skeins of yarn a light, medium and dark and lends itself very well to the popular speckle yarns.

I had the pleasure of test knitting the design and my colours were inspired by this stunning painting by the talented contemporary artist, Dmitry Spiros.

These colours really aren't my usual colour palette but after seeing this wonderful piece of art, I knew which of my yarns I'd be using. The one in the middle is La Bien Aimee Merino Singles in Romance and the other two are a Zen Yarn Garden Serenity 20 set in Elated. I absolutely love how it turned out and how the yarns worked together.

Helen has done it again with this design, I had so much fun knitting this shawl, I obviously can't give anything away as it's a mystery but I would definitely knit another one. I enjoyed choosing the yarns, looking at the impressionist art and the knitting. There are pages of inspiration over on the Ravelry Forum if you want to take a look.

Helen used a set especially dyed for the design by Kristen of Voolenvine Yarns, she is having another update today 31st March at 10am ET. They do sell out very quickly so if you don't manage to nab one, Circus Tonic Handmade was dying some sets inspired by the Belle Èpoque.

Helen has kindly given me a pattern to giveaway to one lucky knitter. I will pick a winner after the Easter weekend if you can just leave a comment and your Ravelry name.

THE WINNER IS LEE GIFFORD.

Have a great Easter Weekend
xxxxDebxxxx

Snowmelt MKAL 2017........coming soon.

Hello there.......

               

              Where has this week gone, it's flown by but as promised I'm back and have a renewed love for my blog. I would like to thank you for the welcome back comments and to Stefanie for the advice on different blog platforms.

Today I want to talk about a test knit which I've been working on.......

"It’s that moment between the last slow weeks of winter and the first sweet days of spring. There’s a gentle tension in the air as the thaw begins: the cosy joys of hibernation give way to a pleasant restlessness. Your heart stirs and the sap starts to run. This is a season of growth and change, but it begins quietly, deep in the frozen ground, before the last of the ice has even disappeared.

 

This time of year feels nearly miraculous. It offers a chance to renew the dreams that have slept for so long beneath a blanket of snow. The earth is preparing to surprise itself again with a wild swell of springtime creativity. It’s a call to adventure and an invitation to stretch our own creative powers. It’s time to uncover what this fresh new season has in store." 

Helen of Curious Handmade is hosting another MKAL (mystery knit along) and after the success of last year's, the Summertime Shawl, Helen is back with another stunning shawl design, the Snowmelt MKAL 2017. After reading those beautiful, descriptive words who wouldn't want to join in.  

I can't give too much away as what would be the fun in that, been a mystery and all but what I can tell you, it is a three colour shawl! Helen used some gorgeous La Bien Aimee, single ply fingering weight yarn but any 4ply/sock yarn can be used. This pattern is a great stash buster for all those one off skeins that your not sure what to do with, speckled and varigated yarn also work really well with this pattern.

 

I did stashbust and used three pretty skeins that I bought from the Yarningham yarn festival, it's Whimzy Sokkusu O, a Superwash Merino in colours Ethereal, Dusky Rose and Chocolate. I absolutely love single ply yarn and after looking through my stash for this project, it made me realize how little single ply I have. I will remedy that and this year I will buy more soft, cosy single ply yarns from the yarn festivals I attend. Some of my favourite singles are La Bien Aimee, Mad Tosh Light and The Wool Barn Silky Singles so they are on my list to purchase.

There is already lots of chatter on the Snowmelt MKAL Ravelry Chat Thread, so if you want to join in the fun, it goes on sale on Ravelry this Monday, 23rd Januray at an early bird price, so look out for that. The MKAL runs for 5 weeks with one clue each week........

Thursday Feb 2nd: First clue is released
Thursday Feb 9th: Second clue released
Thursday Feb 16th: Third clue released
Thursday Feb 23rd: Fourth clue released
Thursday March 2nd: Fifth clue released

Thank you so much for stopping by and happy knitting.

xxxxDebxxxx