This week I am on holiday in Edinburgh, my first trip here and so far, I love it! The strangest thing was that this week’s pattern by Georgia Farrell for her “A Built World” Knit Along with Rowan is inspired by a building in Edinburgh so obviously I had to visit and take my knitting with me!
The building in question is The Museum Of Scotland and Georgia has chosen the new extension. I could see why when I got there! What a beautiful structure and the colours in the stone are stunning!
The Museum of Scotland is Georgia’s destination for week fourPart of the stunning new extension to Museum of Scotland
We spent a lovely couple of hours walking around and enjoying the exhibits … I particularly enjoyed the textile and fashion sections. I sat and did a couple of rows of the block while I was there too. My husband took a photo but I can never understand how he manages to make it so unflattering!
Relaxing with my week four knitting in The Museum of Scotland
This block was a very simple one to do which was lovely for a trip as we went by train so I was able to relax into the rhythm of it on the journey.
We are thinking of maybe doing this KAL in the shop as a course? What do you think? Would you like to come along and knit it with me? We can help each other out, drink lots of tea and talk about holidays! Let us know if you’d fancy this, it will be great for those new to knitting … as long as you can cast on, knit and purl, you can do it … and great if you’ve never done a KAL before and a little scared of doing one!
The clues are out for the next block and I must admit, they had me quite stumped! I got my husband onto it and he worked out that we will be heading to Beijing! Unfortunately I haven’t got a holiday booked for there next week so I will be back knitting at home in Suffolk!
Heavens to Betsy, working in the shop really does make the week fly by! I have started doing some knitting on my lunch break at work now to play some catch up as I am on the drag with the KAL. Unfortunately I had four days of gastric flu and simply didn’t have the energy to knit!
I am still only half way through the Toronto squares, but I’ve laid them to one side temporarily so that I can get at least a couple of this week’s squares done before next week’s release!
So this week I knew immediately where we were going as it is my home town … London. I was born and raised in the east end of London and no matter where I am in life or the world, I will always leave a big part of me there. I love it! I love how cosmopolitan it is, how the old and the new sit side by side contentedly. I love the juxtaposition of standing in a modern glass building gazing at a centuries old stone fortress and vice versa. I love it’s smells, sounds, dirt and grime, the business of the city streets and the tranquility of the extensive parklands. I love the history, the secrets that are hidden around every corner and, of course, the architecture!
I was excited to see which building Georgia chose…so much choice! Would it be old or new? Or would it be a bridge? (I have a thing for bridges!)
I recognised the building instantly of course, it is City Hall. I love this building. I love how it is iconic yet comparatively small. It would be lost amongst the Shard, the Gherkin, the Walkie Talkie, et al, but to me it is more magnificent in it’s compactness. When I visit London I spend a lot of time in it’s vicinity and never fail to take a photo of it glinting in the sun or reflecting the grey skies.
So, now that I am well again, Toronto has been placed temporarily to one side and I am busy knitting away at London.
Week Three of “A Built World” stops off in London
Again the pattern looks like it is very complicated and difficult but with Georgia’s video and support on the pattern and the Facebook group, it is definitely achievable … And Toronto taught me that I cannot knit and watch television at the same time as I do with crochet!!
London’s City Hall in stitches
Anyway, I am away now on a wee holiday in Edinburgh so the next post will be a little delayed but excitingly, the next stop on the KAL trip is a building in Edinburgh!
Welcome to my 2nd blog for the shop – the start of Georgia Farrells’s “A Built World” KAL for Rowan, how exciting!
Georgia built up our excitement with clues about our first ‘destination’ … I guessed right that it was Rotterdam thanks to The Beautiful South clue.
I dutifully did my tension square first and I was ready to start. You could clearly see the architectural influence in Georgia’s design … The building she chose was De Rotterdam and she posted one of her drawings of it on her Instagram feed and it so obviously translates into a knitting design.
“A Built World” week one’s design is based on De Rotterdam
“A Built World” week one’s design in Teal and Sky Blue
The pattern is really quick and easy for this first square and I felt confident knitting it. Georgia was definitely right that beginner knitters will be able to do it.
This was also my first time using this particular yarn and it really is a delight to work with. The stitch definition is wonderful and it slides along my lovely new needles really nicely. In fact I am enjoying it so much I have bought some of the yarn for myself to knit a blanket for home! I am using the same KAL but have chosen a slightly different colourway so that it matches my room.
My attention was swiftly drawn to the clues for the next square’s ‘destination’ … a bit of a tricky one this, with the sports reference are we going to North America or, most likely, Canada? Let’s wait and see – I’ll be back very soon to let you know and show you the second motif.
I hope you’re enjoying this as much as I am! Take care, Jenny x
Jenny here, I’m one of the new members of the Sew Much To Do team and I’m based in our Bury St Edmunds shop…I’m also taking over the shop blog and have a new project to share with you which I hope you’ll find as exciting and fun as I do!
As you know, we’re the local flagship store for Rowan Yarns and are huge fans of a designer called Georgia Farrell who regularly works with Rowan. So we were particularly thrilled that Georgia had teamed up with Rowan to do a Knit Along (KAL)!
Georgia’s “A Built World” KAL takes us on a global knitting journey with patterns inspired by Georgia’s travel journals.
The KAL features seven beautifully textured squares in a choice of palettes, using Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted yarn. Within the KAL, Georgia has created a collection of modern homeware designs that use different combinations of the squares and colours.
“A Built World” Knitalong Kit
Georgia and Rowan assure us that this KAL is suitable for those relatively new to knitting and will teach us some new techniques, so as a beginner level knitter we thought it would be great if I followed the KAL and blogged about it here. It would be great if you could join me too – we can chat about how we are doing in our Facebook group and maybe meet up at the shop when we have finished to show off our items!
Firstly let me introduce you to the KAL. All the information for it is available on the Facebook and Instagram accounts of both Rowan Yarns and Georgia Farrell. To access the KAL and it’s patterns, you will need to register on Rowan Connect – Rowan’s new dedicated educational area – it’s free and simple to register.
The KAL was launched in April with the release of a video of Georgia chatting with Kerry Kimber from Rowan Yarns about her inspiration, theme, colourways and options of the KAL. This was a really interesting and informative introduction and I couldn’t wait to get started!
Designer Georgia Farrell with some of her “A Built World” KAL samples
I decided to treat myself to some new needles especially for this KAL and chose the fabulous bamboo Sirdar needles from the shop. Aren’t they fun? I have coveted them since I started in the shop and this was just too good an excuse!
Cushions and Runner from the “A Built World” KALOne of the vibrant Runners from the “A Built World” KAL
In the starter video Georgia and Kerry talk about the importance of tension squares. This is something I haven’t really paid attention to before but will do so in this case. Obviously with making a blanket or runner it really doesn’t matter how big or small it turns out (within reason) but as the yarn supplied in a kit contains a specific quantity, I can see that in this instance it is essential…Imagine getting part way through and running out of yarn! As I waited for the first pattern to be released I did my tension square, put together my essentials kit and tried to guess where we are going for the first pattern! Georgia will be dropping hints all week leading up to the Friday release day.
Let us know if you are going to be joining in with us and which option you have chosen…And now that our blog technical issues are sorted we’ll get our blog back on track and I’ll post my next KAL instalments very soon to get caught up…ah, those technology gremlins, thank heavens for our knitting to keep us calm!!
