Tag: Yarn

Our Monster Day at Woollinn!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Crafting

Happy Friday, everyone! And it’s been a double fun one for us, because we’ve just spent the day at Woollinn, Dublin’s festival of yarn!

I was helping out my buddy Diarmuid of S Twist Wool for the day, so there might be a bit of a bias in the photos…
S Twist Wool at Woollinn - CrawCrafts Beasties, Beastie HQAre you spotting a pattern yet? Still, I was pretty excited to see the new ranges he’s added since we last met up to talk yarn… And top of the list was definitely this spectacular batch of naturally-dyed Galway fleece! Check out those colours…
Natural Dye Yarns by S Twist Wool at Woollinn - CrawCrafts Beasties, Beastie HQAnother bonus is that the wool itself is ALL sourced from Irish farms… As you can see in the map in the photo above.

Oh, and of course there were a couple of Beasties knocking around!
An S Twist Beastie at Woollinn - CrawCrafts Beasties, Beastie HQThis little monster guy was specially made to tie in with a promotion Diarmuid is running on his stand at Woollinn this weekend. If you know the significance of his accessories…
S Twist Beastie Accessories - CrawCrafts Beasties, Beastie HQ… Bring along your copy of the “Guide” or a towel to receive a sneaky discount off your purchase!

It was also nice to catch up with another old friend – do any of you remember Ruari, the spinner’s assistant Beastie?
Ruari Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties, Beastie HQHe was helping out like a true pro, showing off some of LB Handknits‘ beautiful designs! This is the San Fhoraois sweater tank, which you can find here on Ravelry.
Ruari Beastie with San Fhoraois Sweater - CrawCrafts Beasties, Beastie HQHowever, our newer Beastie friend maybe had less success when he tried to model the Laitís sweater…
Beastie Modelling the Laitis Sweater - CrawCrafts Beasties, Beastie HQAll the same, he looks pretty cheerful – even if it is a little on the large side!

And, after a fun day helping out (and having a good squish at all the yarn, of course) I just had time to run upstairs and get a snap of all the stands from above!
Woollinn from Above - CrawCrafts Beasties, Beastie HQIf you’re in Dublin this weekend, be sure to check out all the yarny goodness at Woollinn for yourself! Or if you’re already planning to head there, let us know all about it in the comments!

We’ll be back on Tuesday with an update from a Beastie abroad, so be sure to join us then… In the meantime, have a wild woolly weekend!

A Busy Beastie Weekend!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Crafting, Explorer Beastie, Info

At The Fabric Counter, Dublin 7 - CrawCrafts BeastiesWow! Once again, it’s been a busy old week here at Beastie Towers – so much for those “lazy summer days” I keep hearing about. Still, we wouldn’t have it any other way… Especially since Explorer Beastie and I were invited to TWO crafty parties this past weekend!

The first one was a complete surprise – in the middle of last week, we got an invitation to the official opening of a new fabric shop just across the river in Dublin 7. Of course, they had me at “new fabric”, but once I found out that The Fabric Counter was just down the road from the neighbourhood where I used to live when I first moved to Dublin, I had to go and check it out!

Explorer Beastie and I had a great time looking through all the fabrics and trimmings… ALL OF THEM.
Explorer Beastie Checks Out the Stock - CrawCrafts BeastiesThere’s also plenty to keep upholsterers and interiors enthusiasts entertained…
Upholstery Fabrics and Accessories, The Fabric Counter - CrawCrafts Beasties…Plus a selection of haberdashery, patterns and a few quirky details to help this lovely spacious shop feel more homely!
A Tour of The Fabric Counter - CrawCrafts BeastiesYou can find out more about The Fabric Counter (including upcoming sewing classes) here, or why not pay them a visit in person?

Thanks so much to Cayeleen for inviting us, and good luck with your new store! Cheers!
A Monster Toast - CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd that’s only half the story! Saturday was World Wide Knit In Public Day – a perfect opportunity to catch up with some fellow woollyholics in my local yarn shop!
The Constant Knitter, Francis Street - CrawCrafts BeastiesThe Constant Knitter is right in the heart of Dublin’s antique quarter in Francis Street, and is surrounded by galleries, independent cafés and quirky boutiques. Since I’m all about embedding maps today, you can find them here…

… Or non-Dubliners can browse their selection of yarny goodness online!

The Knit in Public event was organised by Dublin Knit Collective, and although I will knit in public pretty much any day of the year, it’s unusual for me to get the chance to knit in company! I had loads of fun chatting with other knitters – including some I hadn’t seen in years – and enjoying lashings of tea and cake!
Explorer Beastie Hogging the Flourless Chocolate Cake - CrawCrafts Beasties(In case you were wondering, I tested this cake thoroughly and can confirm that it was as good as it looks!)

There were also PRIZES!
Explorer Beastie Inspects the Prize Table - CrawCrafts BeastiesBetter yet, I actually won something! (This is NOT normal!) I picked up a lovely Stolen Stitches pattern in the raffle, which I will use as my motivation to someday try my hand at lace knitting.

For the less lazy knitters, there was a speed knitting competition as well – you can find out who won here – but most of us were just happy to take it easy.
Explorer Beastie Celebrates KIP Day - CrawCrafts BeastiesThanks to Dublin Knit Collective and the Constant Knitter for a fun morning!

After that flurry of activity, we’re probably going to put our feet/paws up and get on with some new Beasties over the next couple of days… but don’t forget to pop back in on Friday, when we’ll be catching up with some monster news from overseas! See you then!

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My London Yarn Haul

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Crafting

Mirasol Sulka Yarn

By popular demand (well, one person asked… thank you, The Snail of Happiness, for this idea for a quick’n’easy blog post!) I thought it might be fun to share my recent yarny purchases – souvenirs from the trip Explorer Beastie and I took to London recently.

By the way, let’s keep these delectable fuzzy goodies a secret from the Beasties – I’m going to be using this yarn to make something for ME!

First up are a couple of skeins of oh-so-lovely Mirasol Sulka… a tasteful mix of merino wool, alpaca and silk. How could I leave THAT in the shop?
Orange and Black... YUM!

Try as I might, I couldn’t get the photos to show off the incredible glossiness of this yarn – but at least you can get a feel for the colours. I love the bright orange, and when I pair it with the super-classy raven’s-wing black it will really pop! That’s this autumn’s neckwear sorted, then.

Because funds and suitcase space were limited on this trip, I had to curb my (natural) impulse to buy one of everything in the store. After much deliberation, I chose this little beauty…
I Knit or Dye - Hand-Dyed Yarn

I Knit stock a range of their own hand-dyed yarns, which I wouldn’t be able to pick up at home, so that was all the incentive I needed to put a skein into my shopping basket. I picked this one because its cheerful yellow hues look like spun sunshine… perfect for getting me through the Irish winter!

Ready for the extreme close-up?
I Knit or Dye Hunky Dory

Lovely stuff!

If Explorer Beastie is very good, I might consider making him a scarf out of my leftovers… Here’s another photo of him with one of the dogs at I Knit, just to keep this post vaguely Beastie-related!

Explorer Beastie at I Knit

Has anyone else some classy yarns that I need to know about?