Just a quick hello and catch up before I head off across the Atlantic for Rhinebeck! On today's episode I fill you in on the special projects I have on the way, and try to formulate a yarn-buying strategy for my trip... Show Sponsors: Alongside an eclectic yarn range, which includes Hazel Knits, Icelandic Lopi & CoopKnits, we stock a carefully chosen selection of needles and notions. We’ve also recently launched ‘hand dyed by meadowyarn’, our very own in-house, hand-dyed yarn range. Working in our tiny dye studio, nestled in the Suffolk countryside, we are able to indulge our love of colour, producing complex tonal, kettle-dyed shades across a range of weights and bases. With regular updates our collections evolve and grow, inspired by the landscape and people around us. AYS is a wool boutique specializing in hand dyed yarns and luxury fibres from around the world. You’ll always find a well curated collection of yarns and colors on the shelves and a friendly knowledgeable staff on hand. Some of our favorite brands include Hedgehog Fibres, SweetGeorgia Yarn, Julie Asselin, Shibui Knits and The Fibre Co. You can find A Yarn Story on Walcot Street in Bath or online at www.ayarnstory.co.uk Show Links The Familiar Shawl Mini KAL will run from October 5th to November 2nd. The Shawl Society Season II Grand KAL will also end on November 2nd, so be sure to post photos of all your finishes TSS II shawls in the FO threads in the Curious Handmade Ravelry Group by then for your chance to win one of our delightful prizes. By the way if you still want to join The Shawl Society, just grab the collection on Ravelry…Familiar is such a quick knit you could easily whip it up before the Grand KAL for two chances to win! Hay Pullover by Claire Mountain Laine Magazine Road to China Light by The Fibre Co Jones Street Sport Copper Corgi Surprise Party Shawl Hue Loco Yarn Indie Untangled Voolenvine Duck Duck Wool Magpie Fibers A Stash of One's Own Clara Parkes Susan B Anderson Amy Herzog Knit.fm episode with Hannah Fetig on Stash Control That wraps it up for this week! If you're at Indie Untangled or Rhinebeck, please say hello! In the meantime, happy knitting!

  On today's episode I'm settling into those autumn feelings and daydreaming about everything I'd like to knit for my upcoming trip to Rhinebeck...some of them a little more realistic than others. I'm also announcing winners for our recent giveaway and the Wishmaker Mini KAL for The Shawl Society Season II. Show Sponsors: Alongside an eclectic yarn range, which includes Hazel Knits, Icelandic Lopi & CoopKnits, we stock a carefully chosen selection of needles and notions. We’ve also recently launched ‘hand dyed by meadowyarn’, our very own in-house, hand-dyed yarn range. Working in our tiny dye studio, nestled in the Suffolk countryside, we are able to indulge our love of colour, producing complex tonal, kettle-dyed shades across a range of weights and bases. With regular updates our collections evolve and grow, inspired by the landscape and people around us. AYS is a wool boutique specializing in hand dyed yarns and luxury fibres from around the world. You’ll always find a well curated collection of yarns and colors on the shelves and a friendly knowledgeable staff on hand. Some of our favorite brands include Hedgehog Fibres, SweetGeorgia Yarn, Julie Asselin, Shibui Knits and The Fibre Co. You can find A Yarn Story on Walcot Street in Bath or online at www.ayarnstory.co.uk Show Links We have a winner for our Blacker Yarns Limited Edition Brushwork Yarn giveaway! Our winning comment is: Jill October 4, 2017 at 10:32 pm Brushwork looks and sounds amazing and I’d love to knit something with it. The pattern I’ve been hoping to try out for some time is the Rose Bowl beanie (and cowl!) by Veera Valimaki Rose Bowl Beanie by Veera Välimäki We also have a winner for the Wishmaker Shawl KAL! The prize is also from Blacker Yarn The winner is Knitsnpurls aka Carol with Post 31 in the Wishmaker FO Thread Carol has a lovely video podcast: A Stitch in Time Andre Sue Knits Our beautiful Shawl Society enamel pins are now available! You can grab yours online at: A Yarn Story in the UK The Wooly Thistle in the US Hay Pullover by Claire Mountain Laine Magazine Road to China Light by The Fibre Co Jones Street Sport Copper Corgi Avalanche Pullover by Heidi Kirrmaier Plum Pullover by Junko Okamoto Moeke Elena That's everything for this episode: short and sweet this week. I'll talk to you again soon, and until then, Happy knitting! xx

On today's episode I'm introducing a shawl that might just be my favourite of this season's Shawl Society, and reviewing the wonderful Berlin Knits festival and all the lovely classes I took there, along with a few announcements and some cameos from a few of my favourite knitters... Show Sponsors: Alongside an eclectic yarn range, which includes Hazel Knits, Icelandic Lopi & CoopKnits, we stock a carefully chosen selection of needles and notions. We’ve also recently launched ‘hand dyed by meadowyarn’, our very own in-house, hand-dyed yarn range. Working in our tiny dye studio, nestled in the Suffolk countryside, we are able to indulge our love of colour, producing complex tonal, kettle-dyed shades across a range of weights and bases. With regular updates our collections evolve and grow, inspired by the landscape and people around us. AYS is a wool boutique specializing in hand dyed yarns and luxury fibres from around the world. You’ll always find a well curated collection of yarns and colors on the shelves and a friendly knowledgeable staff on hand. Some of our favorite brands include Hedgehog Fibres, SweetGeorgia Yarn, Julie Asselin, Shibui Knits and The Fibre Co. You can find A Yarn Story on Walcot Street in Bath or online at www.ayarnstory.co.uk Show Links   Yesterday was the launch of our 6th and final pattern, the Familiar Shawl   Companions of wise women and magicians down the years, these helpful household beings took the form of a loyal animal: a black cat was the most traditional, but your familiar could be just about anything. A dog, an otter, a raven, a discreet little mouse or fleet brown hare. Some say these magical animals could change shape to suit the task at hand. They could deliver messages, assist with magic, defend their human, but most of all they were company. The life of a magic-maker can be a lonely one, and having someone by (and on) your side is important, even when it’s “just” an animal. Harry Potter’s beloved Hedwig, the beautiful snowy owl, is an updated interpretation of a familiar. More than just a pet or a mail carrier, she was one of his very best friends. Anyone who has ever formed a bond with an animal knows that friendship is one of the strongest kinds of magic we have here in the real world. Our sixth design for this season, the Familiar Shawl, taps into a little of that magic. Familiar will be a cosy companion on frosty days, offering warmth and comfort when the wind blows wild. Texture plays a strong role in this design, which features unusual soft cables, inspired in part by Hedwig’s downy feathers. It has a “familiar” favourite shape: a crescent, and is finished with a simple ribbed border. The yarn, a fluffy, luxurious bulky weight, is soft enough that your first instinct is to stroke it affectionately. Familiar knits up so quickly some people might suspect you’ve used a helpful household spell in its construction. The Familiar shawl is a tribute to companionship and loyalty wherever we find it: furry or feathered friends, close human confidantes, or a tribe of like-minded makers scattered across the globe, connected by technology. As such, it seemed like a fitting end to this magical season of The Shawl Society. Making, like magic, can be something of solitary pursuit. Familiar reminds us to reach outside ourselves into the rich world of camaraderie and connection that waits for us, closer to home than we might imagine. I used a familiar friend of a yarn for this one, Tundra, from The Fibre Co, which was also our sample yarn for Sonder, last season's final shawl. I'm such a fan of the amazing yarn that I really wanted to revisit it this year. The Familiar Mini KAL will run from October 5th to November 2nd. The Shawl Society Season II Grand KAL will also be ending on November 2nd, so be sure to post photos of all your finishes TSS II shawls in the FO threads by then! I'll be drawing winners for a range of wonderful prizes.