Susan Crawford Vintage at KnitNation 2011, in photos.

We have all been really busy since coming back from Knit Nation last weekend. It has been a whirlwind, make no mistake, including manic sewing up and lots of work on the book. For that reason, I do apologise for the short delay in getting some pictures to you of the Susan Crawford Vintage stand.

So, with no further delay, here's a photostory of some of the things that happened at Knit Nation 2011.

On set-up day I got there a little bit before Susan, to set up her Susan Crawford Vintage Knitting stand, so made the most of my time and knitted like the wind in the quadrangle at Imperial College to finish the last piece of my Jan Sweater to wear on Sunday.

It was great to get lots of new garments from Susan's A Stitch in Time volume 2 out on display for the public to see. It took a whole day's worth of sewing up this lovely nile green Excelana fair isle cardigan, and it was worth every stitch, as it looked stunning on display with the other half of its twin-set.

The grey ribbed jumper with bobble detail was a real crowd-puller, with it's simple lines and easy wearability, as was the mustard coloured cardigan behind it. When  cover model, Theo wore the cardigan on Sunday she really turned heads. I'm only sorry that I didn't get a picture of her.

Julieta from Knitshop came along to help out on the Susan Crawford Vintage Knitting stand while Susan was teaching on Saturday. She modelled one of the new designs from A Stitch in Time 2 which is made from her own mercerised cotton.

Susan's was a gorgeous stand, with lots and lots of garments to look at and try on. As well as showcasing those from the new book, there were four from A Stitch in Time volume 1 and lots of beautiful accessories and garments from Vintage Gifts to Knit. The Perfect Christmas Jumper, which you can just see on the right had an amazing amount of interest for a humid July day!

Look! There was even a digital frame with lots and lots of beautiful shots of the knitwear from A Stitch in Time volume 2. It was a really great way to share a little of the work that has been going on behind the scenes with you all.

Of course, there was Excelana by the bagful. The Jan Sweater, seen here in powedered egg, the slip stitch jumper that can just be seen behind it, and the gorgeous fair isle accessories on the top of the cabinet showed a nice range of different ways to work with the wool. I think that ruby red was the runaway success of all the colours at knitnation. I wonder what you will all make with it?


All images copyright Ingrid Murnane

Susan Crawford Vintage at Knit Nation 2011

It is a busy week here at Arbour House, as we plan our stand, decide on our outfits and gather lots of books, patterns and yarn for this weekend's knitting event in London, Knit Nation.

Jumpers and Hats - see them in their entirety at Knit Nation!
Image copyright Ingrid Murnane

We have a stand this year in the marketplace, so do come over and visit us if you're attending. We shall have lots of goodies on display, with lovely vintage garments from A Stitch in Time volume 1. We shall also be taking lots of new garments and accessories, previously unseen which are from the forthcoming A Stitch in Time volume 2.

The marketplace is open on Friday evening for a class-attendee's preview from 5-7pm, then on Saturday from 10am-6pm, and Sunday from 10am-5pm. Our stand, Susan Crawford Vintage, will look somewhat like our Woolfest one below.

Woolfest 2011, image copyright, Susan Crawford

As you can see, as well as our books and Susan's patterns, we shall have lots of 4ply Excelana, which Susan has used for many of the patterns in A Stitch in Time volume two, including the two garments on the left of the picture above.

In exciting news, Susan thought it would be nice to offer a 10% discount on Excelana yarns to any pre-order customers of A Stitch in Time, Vintage Knitting Patterns, Vol2, who buy from her stand. To claim your discount please bring a print out of your order confirmation from the knitonthenet shop (only pre-orders directly made on the shop I’m afraid) and we will deduct 10% off any Excelana purchase.

Come and find out what this is at Knit Nation!

Image copyright Ingrid Murnane

We shall have a guide available for all of the garments that we have on show to work out how many balls of Excelana you'd need to knit them up in your size. Please do just ask, if you'd like to be ready for the book coming out, or would like to knit something in Excelana from Vintage Gifts to Knit or A Stitch in Time volume 1. We can work it out for you and advise which projects would be suitable.

We do hope to see you at Knit Nation. Do tell us in the comments if you're going to be going too.

Happy knitting

Ingrid x

A Little Finishing

We're all still working hard, here, on the final parts of A Stitch in Time volume 2. Today, Susan has been pattern grading, Gavin has been laying up some of the patterns on the computer, for printing and I have been sewing up and finishing some sample garments.

Here's a sneaky peek behind the scenes.

The set-up for seaming and finishing includes equipment for blocking and pressing, including a large blocking board. We have copious supplies of darning needles, pins, the right yarns for sewing the right garments, and of course, the making-up instructions. The guitar in the background is entirely optional, but I find that listening to some podcasts or a bit of Tim Minchin helps it along!

 Here's a garment, almost finished. I'm setting in one of the sleeves here.

 

This is a cardigan made from Excelana -the main colour is Nile Green. It has some fair isle along the top of the two fronts which made for a rather epic session of weaving in ends.

 A little further along in the process - the ends have been woven in, the shoulders and side seams sewn up, the sleeve seams sewn, and here again I'm setting in one of its sleeves.

I'd love to show you the finished items, but I'm afraid you'll need to wait just a little bit longer!

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

All images are copyright Ingrid Murnane

To Make Your Monday Morning

There's lots and lots going on here at Knitonthenet Towers. Most of it is secret as of yet, and has to do with either the upcoming new site design, (which is within touching distance of being finished - hurrah!) or is part of the coming together of Susan Crawford and Jane Waller's new book, A Stitch in Time volume 2. Of course, we can't spoil the surprise of either of those quite yet, but there are some other rather good things on our own websites (SusanCrawfordVintage.com and IngridMurnane.com) and lovely new things in the knitonthenet shop that we'd love to share.

Susan shared a brilliant poem on her blog, Just call me Ruby, this past week that will make you giggle. Especially if you have ever put an item of knitwear into the wash and had it come out only to fit either a dolly, or an elephant... Bridget's Blunder.

Nobody Owens, image copyright Giles Babbidge

I have added another couple of pieces to my series of sock art, the Mrs Minivers with the Progression of Nobody Owens. Here I tell the story behind this latest piece with yarn and colour decisions.

Technical editor extraordinaire, Jen Arnall-Culliford has been working with Susan on A Stitch in Time volume 2 and has written a fascinating post for Susan's blog about why many vintage patterns are only written in one size.

  Retro Cloche Hat, copyright Arbour House Publishing

 We have new kits in the knitonthenet shop! As you know, we launched the kits with the Greta Turban and the promise of more - so here they are. We have a whole range of accessories which include the Evangeline Hat, the ever popular Retro Cloche Hat, the Victorian-inspired Tiny Tippet, Miss Laverty's Motoring Hood and one for the chaps, Busker Mitts. Do take a look.

 As well as all of that, there is of course, Susan's and John Arbon's new wool, Excelana. Have you tried it out yet? I have been knitting something for A Stitch in Time volume 2 in the powdered egg colourway and although I don't suit it to wear myself, it has quickly become my favourite colour to knit with. So sunny!

I have been thinking about the colour choices we make and the stitch patterns that we try out, lately, and decided this week to think about and update my Knitter's Geek Code. I wonder what yours looks like?

Lastly, today sees the launch of issue 31 of  UK knitting magazine, The Knitter, in which Susan has both an article about the craft and knitting shops of Paris, and a lovely pattern for a crossover top inspired by the 1920s. Why not get yourself a copy at lunchtime?

Well, I hope that some of that will brighten up your Monday morning! We're back to the secret stuff now.

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

Mother's Day Offers of Squishy Yarn and Fab Turban Kits

Susan's beautiful vintage inspired yarn, Excelana Luxury 4ply wool, is now newly available to purchase from our shop. Developed in collaboration with John Arbon of Fibre Harvest, and supported by the British Wool Marketing Board and the Campaign for Wool, this yarn is 100% British wool (70% Exmoor Blueface/30% Bluefaced Leicester). Available in 8 stunning colours created by Susan, this yarn is just what you need for your vintage knitting projects.

Buy 5 balls or more before midnight on Sunday (3rd April 2011) and receive a free project bag. And if all of that's not enough, we have a limited number of Susan's Greta Turban Kit in stock and we also have a 50% sale on all remaining Pepin Press products!  And, of course if you're not looking for a Mother's Day present, all these offers still apply! Happy gift-hunting Ingrid x

Excelana has Arrived!

If you were one of the many who visited the Unravel festival of knitting at Farnham Maltings, you will have been among the first in the world to have seen Susan Crawford and John Arbon's new yarn, Excelana in the flesh (as it were).

We had a marvellous launch for this lovely, squishy new yarn, with our Susan Crawford Vintage Knitting stand alongside John Arbon's Fibre Harvest stand. The set-up worked splendidly, as it gave people the chance to see both the full range of the yarn in 4 ply (and two shades of dk) and also be inspired for knitting lovely vintage style garments with it at the same time.

Excelana will work wonderfully well for lots of the garments in both A Stitch in Time and Vintage Gifts to Knit. Most exciting of all, Susan is also using it as the yarn support for many of the garments in the forthcoming A Stitch in Time volume 2. Whilst at Unravel, both John and Susan gave separate talks about the development and making of Excelana, explaining their respective inputs and how the yarn came into being.

If you weren't one of the many at Unravel, or your shopping bag was already stuffed to breaking point by the time you got to us (c'mon, you know it happens) then I'm sure that you'll be pleased to know that Excelana is also available online at www.excelana.com. So whether you'd like some Nile Green or Powdered Egg, you can buy some for yourself by clicking here.

I came home with both Ruby Red and Cornflower Blue in the 4ply, which is the weight currently available. I have been knitting swatches up today and it is really lovely and silky around your fingers, and makes a beautifully soft fabric. Do let us know in the comments if you have bought some and how you're finding it.

Happy vintage knitting!
Ingrid x

Unravel and the Launch of Something Exciting!

It's the knitting festival, Unravel this weekend in beautiful Farnham in Hampshire... and we're going to be there!

If you haven't been lucky enough to attend before, Unravel is a three floor smorgasbord of knitting, spinning and crocheting goodies, plus talks, demonstrations and classes on all manner of knitting related stuff. It is all set in the Farnham Maltings, a beautiful old building by the river which is now used as an arts centre.

Susan, Gavin and I will all be there on both Saturday and Sunday manning our stand. This year we are lucky enough to be downstairs in the Great Hall and our stand will be trading as Arbour House Publishing and Susan Crawford Vintage, rather than knitonthenet itself.

Susan will be giving a really useful talk on Sunday morning about how to best choose yarns to knit your vintage patterns with. It's a subject that is very interesting and really important if you want to get your vintage clothing to fit and drape properly.

As for the launch of something exciting... well it all links in with finding that right yarn. Susan and John Arbon have been working hard on a stunning new range of vintage-inspired wool called Excelana. It is spun from 100% British wool from a sheep called the Exmoor Blueface. This sheep's fleece is wonderfully lustrous, and the resulting wool has a soft handle, lots of stretch and knits up with brilliant stitch definition. Sounds brilliant, doesn't it?

  Gavin explains a little further:

Excelana is the result of an exciting collaboration between John Arbon of Fibre Harvest andyou a luxurious knitting yarn evoking vintage wools from the ‘Golden Age of Knitting’. Susan Crawford, the knitwear designer and author, bringing

As well as being derived from British sheep, Excelana is processed and spun in Devon by John Arbon of Fibre Harvest, at Coldharbour Mill, which is one of only a handful of worsted fibre processing and spinning plants still operating in the UK.

Excelana is available in eight vintage-inspired shades, carefully chosen by Susan herself to be a fully complementary range. The four weights of 4ply, Double Knitting, Aran and (very excitingly for vintage knitters) 3ply are available in the following colours:

Alabaster · Nile Green · Cornflower Blue · Persian Grey
Ruby Red · Saharan Sand · French Rose · Powdered Egg

Sounds good, doesn't it? You can come and squish some Excelana and be the first to buy it at Unravel this weekend. I'm certainly going to be getting some in to start the swatches on the forthcoming book on socks that Susan and I are currently writing and I know that Susan is going to be using it for some of the patterns in the eagerly anticipated A Stitch in Time volume 2.

There are still tickets available from the Unravel site and you can also buy them on the door. We really hope to see you there - do come and say hello!


Happy knitting
Ingrid x