Summer 2022 :: A Yarny Trip

During July I was lucky enough to enjoy three trips away from home - one of them was a family holiday just a fortnight ago (can't wait to share that with you!), but for the other two jaunts it was just me, myself and I. With J working from home and the Little People being of an age where they are pretty low maintenance, it's possible for me to take off for a few days here and there without too much to organise. I count myself very lucky to have a really supportive hubby who always encourages me to enjoy time away when I need/want it and I appreciate it a lot. Like, a LOT-a-lot.

As you will have seen by the title of this post, this particular trip involved yarn and I needed to hop on and off two trains, then in and out of a taxi to get to my destination. Train travel is a bit of a hit and miss affair right now in the UK and very rarely runs smoothly. Trains seem to be breaking down on the regular, staff shortages cause all sorts of last minute delays and cancellations and the unusually hot weather has played havoc too. So it took me rather a long time to get to where I needed to be....

...which was this amazing, historic boutique hotel down in the very middle of the country close to Birmingham.

I arrived hot, weary and late, the last one to join the table in fact.....

...but I was sooooooo happy to see some familiar smiley faces waiting for me. Hellooooooo Blogstars and lovely Stylecraft peeps, how I have missed you all!!!! You can see me in the above photo (bottom left) smiling widely with an ice cold drink in my hand, soaking up the chatter and laughter and enjoying the late afternoon sunshine. We were a smaller group than usual as many of the  blogstars were unable to make it this time. But let me introduce you around the table - there's me bottom left, then moving clockwise around we have Sophie (Stylecraft), Helen Shrimpton (Crystals and Crochet), Bronagh (Stylecraft), Janie (Jane Crowfoot), Catherine (Catherine's Crochet Corner), Phil (who is hiding a bit - she's The Twisted Yarn) and Lucia (Lucia's Fig Tree). And taking the photo is Juliet who's part of the Stylecraft team and was the ninth seat in our party.

It's been a good long while since I was able to meet up with these yarny friends of mine, back in those long ago days before Covid put some huge spanners into all of our social works. Looking through my bloggy archives tells me it was in fact three years ago in 2019, can this be true? Well however long it's been, it really did feel good to be back in such creative company. We enjoyed a delicious evening meal and I personally also enjoyed the tremendous luxury of having a double bed all to myself, yes, it's often the little pleasures which unexpectedly feel like such a treat.

The following morning before breakfast I took a quiet stroll around the hotel grounds which were really lovely. This is a very ancient old building with over four hundred years of history, and in the peace of an early summers morning it was very atmospheric. But old stone walls and tall chimneys aside, there's yarny business to attend to so I better head inside and see what's on the agenda.

In case you were wondering, the Stylecraft Blogstars are a group of crochet and knitting designers who share their love of the craft across various social media platforms (not just blogs, but also Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Ravelry etc). We all really enjoy using Stylecraft yarns and it's been great to see this well loved UK yarn brand grow and expand over the years. There are currently seventeen designers in the Blogstars group and you can find us all listed on the Stylecraft website ((here)). 

The first part of the meeting is always a catch up session where we find out what we're all working on and what plans are in place for the year ahead. Often times when you see a new project released by a crochet/knit designer, it will have been many months (and sometimes years) in the making. It's exciting for us to be able to talk through our plans when they are still in the early baby stages and kept secret from the world at large.

The second part of the morning is all about Stylecraft and we are given a presentation where we gain insight into the year ahead in terms of design trends. This is where we learn about colour palette predictions, fashion shapes and details, and general "moods" for garments and interiors. The Stylecraft team also showcase their new yarns and patterns for the upcoming season  as well as any new colour additions to existing ranges. In the above photo you can see one of the brand new yarns that has just launched (I did double check that I'm safe to show you, because it would be just like me to get the dates totally wrong!)

To be honest with you, most of the new yarns are really lovely but not necessarily yarns that I would personally use, being more suited to knitting or to making garments. It's still fascinating to find out about them though, and we do get to fondle actual balls and have a really good squish. We are also given yarn wraps (shown above) so that we have reference to all the colours in new ranges to help with design decisions and to spark inspiration. In the above photo you can also see another of the brand new yarns which has just launched - this is called Colour Twist and is such a clever yarn made up from different coloured strands twisted together.

One thing I am always interested in, without question, is colour. Colour palettes form the beating heart of all my crochet designs and it's the very first thing I think about when I'm starting something new. In the above photo I was attaching the final squares to my blanket (yes, it's perfectly OK to crochet and have a meeting simultaneously), but in the background you can see a lot of yarn out on the table. We had been discussing the possibility of adding some new colours to an existing range of Stylecraft yarn and I am always, always up for this kind of chat. Colour, colour, colour, yes, let me at it!

I have to say, the team at Stylecraft who make the colour decisions are extremely talented and have art-based backgrounds, so every single range of yarn is always very well balanced and carefully thought out in terms of colour. However, it's still an exciting thing when we get asked for input from a design point of view and can help add some lovely new shades which we'll all be able to create with in future.

After lunch it's time for some gentle creativity and new skill learning, and at this meeting we were treated to a workshop by our very own Jane Crowfoot. We were taught how to add beads to our crochet which is one of Janes trademark design elements and something I've always wanted to learn.

My goodness, it's clever!!! Right from the start when Jane taught us how to actually get those teeny glass beads onto our DK weight cotton yarn, my mind was blown - did I mention how clever it is??! 

Jane actually has a video tutorial for this technique over on the Tube if you're interested in learning - you can find it by clicking the following link : {Janes beaded crochet tutorial}

We followed one of Janes patterns for a beaded flower motif and they turned out soooooo pretty!

If you are interested in using beads in your work, Jane recommends using these very pretty glass beads by knitting designer Debbie Abrahams, they come in around 30 different colours I think and you can find them online ((here)). 

The day passed by so quickly and soon it was time for us to pack up, say our goodbyes and head homewards. I generally enjoy train travel very much and find a lot of value in being gifted time to just sit quietly as you pass through changing landscapes, towns and cities. On this journey I was travelling up the backbone of England, through parts of the West Midlands, Derbyshire and into South Yorkshire, then finally tipping into my home county of North Yorkshire. It's always a sweet moment when I spy my hill view and know that I'm getting close to home.

My trains were delayed and running very slooooow, so it was almost eight o'clock in the evening by the time I was walking from the station towards home. The canalside always feels especially peaceful and still after the constant movement of a travel day...

....and I'm always glad to stop and catch my breath at the top of the steep hill climb and admire my familiar view.

Home.

I took a few photos of my finished beaded flower to show you, isn't it pretty? The whole technique of adding beads to crochet has lots of potential and I love the extra decorative element it adds.

Well I think that's a wrap and hopefully you've enjoyed a little insight into the "working" part of my life as a crochet and colour addict. A big thank you to Stylecraft for gifting us the opportunity to meet and enjoy such a happy, yarn-infused time, I'm already looking forward to the next get together.

⇧⇧ I've got some salty seaside tales to share with you next......yes, July was a very, very good month

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Comments

[Anne]

Hi Lucy, don't know if you can help none of your photos open up on my phone

[Patricia A]

Thanks for the reminder had forgotten to look at this group of bloggers.

[Marylin Ollivier]

Hi Lucy I really must find a group oF yarny folk to crochet with...like your Friday group...that would be a hoot!
With your love of colour and talent for design, have you ever touched bases with Kaffe Fassett? I have been a follower of his for probably over 20 yrs now. Here is a link for those that might be interested.
https://www.kaffefassett.com/gallery/

[CJ]

What a fantastic event, I can well imagine how much you enjoyed it, it's yarny heaven - wool and like-minded chums, doesn't get much better. What a lovely hotel as well. Glad you had such a lovely time. CJ xx

[Winwick Mum]

I'm glad you had a good time - it might have been hot on the train but it looked like perfect weather for drinks on the lawn! Love your beaded flower :) xx

[Beverley]

You were not far from this small corner if you were near Birmingham Lucy. I hope you enjoyed your visit and meeting up with friends.
The beaded flower mats are beautiful. I can visualise lots of them being joined together in a glorious riot of colour :)

[Kerry]

Hi Lucy what a delight to discover your blog by accident this morning. Thanks for sharing the joy of your journey and meeting with special friends. I enjoyed reading it so much and feel as though I've just been on a sweet break too. <3 <3

[Judy Bell]

Hi Lucy
How Id love to be a fly on the wall at this gathering of creative souls...thank you for sharing your trip away and introducing us all to more amazing talented people.
And also thanks so much for replying to my last comment re the canal boats...
Judy

[Susan]

What a lovely post Lucy & glad you got away for a yarny/colour full break. Look forward to see what you might get up to with new colours and those beads. The centre of a mandala, perhaps. Thanks for sharing, take care & hugs. BTW, your trains all over the place, sounds very like here.

[Elizabeth]

Pretty sparklies! I can just see your Bauble Decorations and Festive Garland embellished with crocheted-in beads. Is there such a thing as too much sparkle? So many things to do, so little time .... I noticed that one of your commenters was a new follower. Isn't it nice that your work can reach across time, and anyone can hop aboard the train at any time? I am right now reading the blog of a dynamo of a woman, Teresa Kasner. She has passed on now, and had passed on before I discovered her. But her blog is still there, and through it she still speaks. I am grateful to you, and her, for so generously sharing your worlds, because my world has been enriched by your stories, and pictures, and skills, and ideas.

[Jacqui]

Beautiful as ever!
Oh my goodness I love the idea of beads ....no no no you have other stuff to sort.......but buuut!
Is so pretty and well I could do that stuff tmo ha ha

[Hedy]

Such beautiful colorful yarns, I can see why this trip is so important. That beaded flower is beautiful and I kinda think we will be seeing a banner across your fireplace soon with beads. So glad you had such a great time.

[Simon]

I love the flower-filled planters in the first photo, I really think I prefer to see well planted pots to regular borders. I always enjoy fondling balls too! I like the idea of the new Colour Twist yarn, but I'd have to see a crocheted sample to know if it was for me or not. Your beaded crochet flower is lovely! I haven't tried this sort of thing yet, but I do have an idea for a Christmas-y thing that would call for it. Mmmm, maybe.
Take care!

[Bettina]

What a fun adventure! Thanks so much for sharing, Lucy.

[Angela]

Hi Lucy! It’s always so lovely to hear about your different jaunts and I’m looking forward to hearing about the seaside one too! I absolutely love the beaded flower, how pretty it is! Gosh the options are endless with beads and crochet! I really enjoyed your mandala/doily pattern that used beads. It was in one of the magazines years ago. Thank you for sharing with us all xx

[DeLynn]

What fun to hear of your travels, as always. I am happy for you to have had such a lovely jaunt. It's delightful to hear from you again this week!

I am always so fascinated by your canal photos. Do you have any friends who live on the canal? I would love to hear about what it's like and see pictures! :)

[Kathy]

Thank you, Lucy, for taking us with you on your jaunt. It is wonderful to see all these talented ladies including yourself. New yarny things are always a pleasure to see.

[Val]

Lucy, your enthusiasm shines out from your posts. Such an enjoyable read - love the hotel and grounds - sounds lovely. Thank you Lucy, x

[Jools]

It's so lovely to share your walks and jaunts with you, Lucy - it always raises my spirits. That is a beautiful beaded flower, you clever soul, and I so looking forward to seeing the completed blanket, too xxx