HANDARBEIT AND HOBBY - report from Cologne

Helena and I in Cologne

It is always exciting for us to travel to Cologne for the annual Handarbeit and Hobby trade show. Drawing such an international audience really does make it THE trade show of the year and attracts a huge diversity of exhibitors and visitors. We had the opportunity to meet with buyers from as far afield as Korea, Russia, the Netherlands, Finland and Belgium, as well as catching up with a few of our stockists from Germany.

We were rather disappointed with the location of our stand this year. As you can see from the picture below, there was an enormous pillar right in the middle of the stand which wasn't at all what we had expected! Although next year we are hoping to be much closer to Christphorous Verlag, the German publishers who are currently translating Wonderland into German - an exciting development for us and one that our prospective German stockists were so thrilled to hear.

Before and after - what a transformation!

 

 

 That pillar . . .

Aside from the vast array of stands with everything from fabric, yarn and crafting accessories this Show excels at putting on an excellent fashion show and Saturday night entertainment. Helena went along to the fashion show but was stopped in her tracks outside by a flashmob dance group organised by the Boshi Boys - see the short video below . . .

The Boshi Boys proved to be really on trend at this years' Show - a crochet concept for cool, colourful hats that has filtered through to other brands. I imagine that the trend for these fun beanies straight from the snowboarding slopes will last for a good while yet.

As well as a business trip, this was a great excuse for Helena and I to spend some time together. We thoroughly enjoyed the Saturday night dinner and music entertainment, which I'm sure the organisers won't mind me saying is rather like being transported back to an 80's Eurovision extravaganza! We were lucky enough to be on the Rico table with Ellen and Yvonne and the rest of the Rico team - as you can see from the pictures, we had a very enjoyable evening.

From left: Yvonne, Ellen, Helena and I

For me, one of the most rewarding things this year was meeting the German stockists that signed up to stock MillaMia last year at H & H. You may remember that I was unable to attend as I'd not long had Johan, and so building on our existing relationships with them was invaluable for me. Thanks to Garnwelt and Wolle Roedel for stopping by the stand - it was lovely to meet you!

(posted by Katarina)

ERIK and Erika

Once I had completed Erik's head last week, I pushed right on and began knitting the rest of him - well, he looked a little embarrassed without a body! This part was surprisingly quick and easy - just a little bit of simple shaping in order to make his bottom half nice and plump - all in stocking stitch, except for his bobtail which is knitted in garter stitch.

I blocked the main pieces and the tummy panel overnight and then using mattress stitch I seamed all of the pieces together. The legs are constructed in such a way as to make them bend slightly to the front, so it's a good idea when you are seaming these main pieces together to bear in mind that you will need to ease the smaller front section into the larger back half of the legs. This is actually where mattress stitch is invaluable - I picked up one bar from the top/smaller front section and 2 bars on the larger back section and it worked out pretty much perfectly.

It's always a good idea to take some time to stuff these knitted softies well. Too firmly and you can see the stuffing through the stretched out stitches - not enough and your Erik will be rather limp! I found, much to my dismay, that I hadn't really got enough stuffing to plump out mine quite as much as our original Erik, and as a result my bunny looks rather skinnier! Slightly more delicate, not so butch perhaps and now that I look at the face, even this seems to be a little more feminine than our original Erik, and so the lovely Erika - companion to Erik has been born! Not that this is a bad thing - we had great fun with Erik and Erika yesterday who made their debut on Instagram - you can follow the adventures of Erik @millamia_sweden or see my own Erik Easter Bunny project on Ravelry.

If you are keen to knit your own Erik, then this pattern is completely FREE from our website or on Ravelry. More excitingly though, we have launched a Competition over on our Facebook page where you can win the yarn to knit your very own Erik Easter Bunny! As a seasoned traveller, Erik is sending postcards from renowned destinations across the world, and all you have to do is guess correctly which city and country he is in and then post your answer in a comment under the picture, Simple!

There will be 4 chances to win over the course of the next 2 weeks, so hop on over and have a go!

(posted by Max)

'E' IS FOR Easter and Erik!

With Easter just around the corner, we at MillaMia HQ have been busy bringing a sweet new knitted character to life! Erik the Easter Bunny knitted in our Naturally Soft Merino in putty and snow is due to make his debut this week in a series of adventures and in conjunction with an exciting competition, but more about that next week . . .


I have been lucky enough to sneak out an early copy of the Erik pattern ahead of launch next Friday 21st March and have already started to knit him! He is simple enough, with much of the shaping achieved by basic increasing and decreasing but I thought it might be useful to show you how I put his cute little head together as I know that putting faces on knitted animals is very often the most difficult part to get right.


As you can see below, I have already knitted the head which is a flat, heavily shaped piece and therefore a little difficult to manipulate at this stage. I started by seaming the back of Erik's head with mattress stitch - yes! you already know that this is my favourite method of producing an almost invisible seam. I used a separate length of yarn to stitch the seam so that I can use the long ends to sew up the hole on top of the head and the other end to attach the head to the body.

 

Next the head needs to be stuffed firmly. Too little stuffing and you will find it difficult to achieve a nice round head shape, too much and you will begin to see the stuffing through the stitches. It is important that you leave the largest hole open at the moment so that you can position all the elements of the face easily.

I recommend a 'try and see if you like it' approach to positioning the face! Taking time at this point to make sure that you are completely happy with the features will save you much heartache later - the face, above all is what gives any knitted animal it's character. I have used safety eyes which can be purchased very cheaply at most haberdashers or craft stores. Remember to keep the seam at the back of the head and push the eyes through the knitted fabric approximately 1" apart. This can be tricky with the stuffing in but I find that seeing the head in its correct shape helps me to place the eyes much more effectively. Once you are happy with the position of the eyes, pull out some of the stuffing and turn the head partially inside out to expose the stalks of the eyes. Secure the 'washer' type backs and re-stuff.

The mouth and nose are a simple cross stitch with a double strand of snow yarn. Position this centrally and make sure to fasten off securely.

 

Next stitch up the end rows of the ears and tuck in any stray ends (I blocked these before stitching up to make it  little easier). The purple thread indicates the fold line - these ears have a little tip of grey. I used mattress stitch (of course!) to seam the inner white ear to the outer grey part.

Finally, position the ears on the head. I always pin them in place so that I can see if the whole face and head are visually symmetrical and most importantly, have the cute factor! Whip stitch the ears in place and the head is complete.

All Erik needs now is a body . . . !

Keep an eye on the Blog, FaceBook and Instagram next week to enter the Erik competition and find out where this rabbit about town has been visiting - he's quite the adventurer! Oh, and did I mention that this fun pattern is FREE?? Available next Friday from www.millamia.com or Ravelry, get your needles at the ready and knit up a colony of eggstatic Erik's for Easter!

(posted by Max)

A HANDMADE WEDDING

Not so many years ago, 'handmade' weddings were the norm. The cake would be made by a relative, the flowers by a friend of a friend - the food, photography, car and dress all taken care of locally and personally. Of course historically, the need to keep down costs was usually the motivating factor behind these wonderful contributions, but recent times have seen a resurgence of the handmade wedding not with saving money in mind, but in order to celebrate our new love of vintage, retro style and a heritage of handcrafting.

There are countless ways to achieve the 'handmade' look with a splash of vintage style - Folksy and Etsy both have beautifully crafted items to purchase if you don't have the time or skill to create them for yourself.

If you are determined to knit something for the special day either for yourself or as a gift then Ravelry too has a whole host of patterns. There are wedding ring shawls, socks, wraps, traditional Norwegian wedding gloves and even knitted cake!

 

We are incredibly privileged to share the wonderful story of a contemporary handmade wedding with you. Mandy McIntyre of Twisted Threads in Geelong, Australia has one super knitter customer, Ruth, who knitted her daughters wedding dress and reception suit entirely in MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino. The bride and groom, Sarah and Adam decided on the 'handmade' theme for their wedding with the most stunning results!


When we planned our wedding we wanted to do a 1950's as we both love this time and it is who we are. Our theme was handmade and we sourced from small enterprises or small individual businesses like Twisted Threads where all the yarn was purchased. When we heard about MillaMia wool it also fitted in with our theme.

Both gowns were knitted by Ruth (Mother of the Bride) using MillaMia yarn as her gift to the couple. The Wedding Gown design was inspired by a vintage pattern found in an old Nomotta pattern book which called for a cotton yarn, however Ruth substituted MillaMia wool instead. As she was knitting, Ruth realised that she would need to make the gown as 2 separate pieces given the weight of the garment. The skirt took over 400 hours to make and required 25 balls of wool. After that Ruth gave up counting her time and the number of balls!

The Reception Suit design (as seen above), also knitted in MillaMia yarn was taken from 'Knit Vintage' by Madeline Weston and Rita Taylor.

 

 

We loved building Lego together so it was used as much as possible.

 

 

Bride and Groom bears also knitted by Ruth.

 

With very grateful thanks to Sarah, Adam and Ruth for sharing the heart-warming story of this beautiful wedding.

(posted by Max)

TRAVEL KNITTING

There is no such thing as a wasted moment when you're a knitter! Annoying delays at airports, time spent waiting for appointments, train and coach journeys and even those few minutes in the car waiting for kids to come out of school all present the perfect opportunity to add a couple of rows to your latest project.

Of course, the project needs to be portable and NOT a complicated lace shawl which requires focused attention or the need to finish the row. You have to be prepared to pick up and put down your knitting in a heartbeat, which generally means stuffing it hastily into a bag, hoping that your stitches will survive the manhandling!

 Happy to be on the train and wearing my Vanessa Cable Cardigan finished just in time to wear at CHSI, and my portable Nils project

You can create the perfect travel project with just a little bit of preparation. Circular needles are great because they take up less space in your bag and will prevent inadvertent elbowing of the person sat next to you on a train. A row counter can help to remind you of roughly which row you are on (or at least the last row you last completed), and a small project bag will keep it all together, and your yarn from rolling down the length of the carriage/footwell/surgery floor.

Tools for knitting on the go

Choosing the optimal project is also key to successful knitting on the go. I nearly always have a pair of 'vanilla' socks on my needles, just because I have knitted so many pairs now that I don't need to follow a pattern (less to force into my project bag) and are knitted entirely in stocking stitch. For the same reasons, a small, simple baby garment is also the perfect travel companion.

I cast on the Nils Stripey Top just before I set off to CHSI a couple of weeks ago, knowing that I had at least a couple of hours on a train to get to Birmingham on Sunday and another two to get back home on Tuesday evening. It may sound a little odd, but I was actually looking forward to those precious hours of enforced sitting and knitting. Interruption free, guilt free knitting with my earphones in listening to a knitting podcast (as it happens, aplayfulday) - what could be sweeter?

I didn't finish the pieces for my Nils on my trip to Birmingham, but I had completed the front and started the back almost entirely during my traveling time - such a satisfying result from what could have been hours of dull journeying. Another evening saw the sleeves finished and as soon as it was blocked I knitted on the bands and seamed it.

This lovely garment is the second part of my gift for the April baby - knit in cobalt and putty grey to match the Smilla Hat. I managed to get both items out of 2 balls of each colour and took such a short time to make that in knitting terms it provided instant gratification!

I'm looking forward to my next opportunity to indulge in some travel knitting, and planning another small and simple project to stow away in my bag. It's only just March so there is plenty of time to fit in another tiny gift before April . . .

(posted by Max)

KNITTING for an April baby

Ok, I admit that I'll use almost any excuse to knit for babies. I hear that a friend of a friend is having a baby and feel an urgent need to get out my needles and scour the books for something suitable. Of course, I love it most when someone I know well is expecting - there is nothing nicer than sharing the progress and birth of a new baby, but in truth, even an acquaintance is likely to receive something small, cute and knitted as soon as the baby is here.

Knitting for babies is a rather self satisfactory type of knitting for me - it's quick and provides almost instant gratification. When I cast on something for a baby I can rest assured that I won't be drowning in endless rows of stocking stitch, seaming mammoth pieces together or looking longingly at my next project whilst wishing that this one was over. Baby garments satisfy a good portion of my knitting urges - speedy, easily achievable, ridiculously cute and appealing even on the needles and importantly, they are always well received. There is nothing like the pleasure of gifting something handmade to a new mum and knowing, a little selfishly, that you enjoyed the making of it as much as the giving.

So, you may have guessed that my latest project is for a new baby boy expected in April. Astonishingly, I am well ahead of schedule with one completed item and one drying on the blocking mats, which probably means that I'll end up making something else as well!

The first item is the most perfect little hat. We launched the Smilla Hat last week as the latest free pattern available for download directly from the website, and I instantly knew that I would be making one for the April baby. It is simple in it's construction, but has the added interest of swiss darning (or duplicate stitch) motifs on the brim - and there are a choice of these fun motifs, charted in the pattern.

Knowing that this April baby is a boy has been great - no careful choosing of gender neutral colourways or styles - I've gone all out boyish, choosing putty grey and cobalt. The knitting of the hat is achievable in one evening, and the smallest size takes just 1 ball of yarn with a small amount for the contrasting motif. There is a stocking stitch border or rim and then the main body of the hat is garter stitch with decreasing crown shaping - all knitted flat to make swiss darning the motifs on easier. I thought that it might be useful to share the swiss darning technique in a series of pictures (below) so that you can feel confident to give it a go. The Smilla hats all have small, easy motifs on each hat - perfect for your first attempt at swiss darning!

Count in from both edges and place locking stitch markers to mark the area of the chart.

 

 

Thread a darning needle with your contrast colour and using the chart, count to the first stitch. Come through the knitted fabric from back to front in the hole below the stitch you want to 'duplicate'. Leave a long tail so that you can sew it in later.

 

 

Now put the needle through both legs of the stitch above and pull through - remember not to pull your stitches too tight as this can result in the underneath colour showing through and a puckered finish. Next, put the needle back through the hole you originally came up through to complete the stitch - you have completed one stitch.

 

 

Continue working in columns - travelling up the fabric until the required amount of stitches has been completed.

 

 

Once the first column has the right number of stitches duplicated, move over to the next column and work down in the same way. I am right handed and tend to work right to left, but left to right is also fine.

 

 

You will have noticed that the chart is upside down - this is because the rim will be turned back once the hat is finished. I have turned the rim around in the picture above just so you can see the cute finished elephant!

 

 

This shows both elephants completed and the rim turned back. There will be a few ends to sew in, which I did before stitching the back seam.

 

 

My finished hat will be even cuter when it's on a sweet baby!

 

 

The Smilla Hat pattern will available in hard copy format from all of our stockists in the next few weeks but if you fancy having a go at this adorable hat, then download your copy right HERE. Which one will you choose?

 

 

(posted by Max)

STOCKIST PROFILE - Spins and Needles

I know that I always say we are incredibly lucky to have such amazing yarn shops stocking MillaMia, and that the people who own and run them are some of the nicest people around - but it's true! So, at the risk of repeating myself, Sarah Freeman, owner of destination yarn and stitch boutique, Spins and Needles in Lincoln, really is the nicest lady and her yarn shop is pretty awesome too!

1) Tell us a bit about yourself and how Spins and Needles came to be.

I'm Sarah Freeman, owner of Spins and Needles yarn shop located in the centre of Lincoln. The shop came about when I was leaving my previous job and wasn’t quite sure what to do. Then one morning I thought, “hmmm, I think I’ll open a wool shop” and so I did! I’ve no technical training and like many am self taught and have picked up a lot from my friends, the internet and workshops held in other shops that I attended before I had my own.

2) The burning question that's on every kitters' lips - what have you got on the needles?

Currently on my needles is: Aoibhne Ni’s Pax shawlette in MillaMia, good for travelling with. A pair of Schoppel Wolle socks as my ‘shop project’ which is fairly easy so I can be busy in the quiet periods in the shop, and, I’m about to cast on Tea Jenny by Kate Davies in Rowan Felted Tweed – done my first steek on the tension square. I like to try the yarns in the shop so I can say what I think when discussing them with customers.

 

 

 

3) How do you go about selecting the yarn for your shop with the overwhelming array of yarn available right now?

When thinking about what to buy in for the shop I can be quite eclectic. I like yarns to have a high natural fibre content and good pattern support – this is what first led me to stock MillaMia.  I also have to consider what I already stock and how new lines will fit in. Just before Christmas I realised my penchant for 4ply meant there was loads of very similar yarn in the shop, so I had a big sale and slimmed this down. Boringly price has to factor as well, although I don’t focus too much on this as if it’s beautiful it’s amazing how price doesn’t factor.
 



Inside Spins and Needles



 

4) Do you have a 'go to' pattern that you've knitted multiple times that is perfect for gift knitting?

I don’t really have a go to pattern, I quite enjoy knitting hats, so I would say a chunky hat, or fingerless mitts. I do like the Birgitta Mitts from Country Escape especially as I love knitting cables.

Spins and Needles wall of yarn

5) Describe your ultimate fantasy craft project.

Mmmm . . . ultimate craft project . . . a huge Noro throw – I’m a sucker for their really bright colours.

6) What is your favourite MillaMia yarn colour and pattern?

I do really like bright colours, so I think that Scarlet and Fuchsia are my favourite MillaMia colours, and whilst I’m not a green person I do like Grass as well. I adore the Erika Cardigan, I really ought to knit it up as I know I’d wear it to death, and the brights used in it are fab.

Samples including an Emil Babygrow and Alexander Jacket

7) Tell us something unusual about yourself.

 

Something unusual? Last year I took part in Lipdub Lincoln, where I cycled my yarn-bombed bike up Lincoln High Street singing along to Take That’s ‘Shine’. This was as part of Lincoln Wheelers bike club and organised by BBC Look North (Yorkshire).

 

Sarah (left of pic) on her amazing technicoloured bicycle!

 

You can find Sarah and her lovely shop at 6, Clasketgate, Lincoln LN2 1JS, on Twitter, Facebook and Ravelry. You can even call her on 01522 522865 - she is always happy to help you choose some delectable yarn for your next project!

 

(posted by Max)