Shop Announcements – Page 4

18 September 20171 September 2017

Granary Knits at Craft Fairs

In November 2016, I had a stall at my very first craft fair, the Holmbridge Rural Christmas Fair, organised by my lovely friend Carole. It was fantastically well attended, and rightly so because the stalls had been carefully selected to complement each other rather than overlapping, the hall was beautifully decorated, and the organisation top notch.

Holmbridge Parish Hall in all its Christmas finery

I hadn’t known what to expect, so I filled my 2ftx6ft table with lovely things, got out my knitting, and prepared to sit and knit while the throng of people looked and smiled and passed by. I didn’t get to knit one stitch, and I barely sat down for the entire six hours! It was a fabulous day, and I was completely bowled over by the enthusiasm of the crowds that attended, but completely exhausted at the end. I learned a lot that day, about not loading the table too much, keeping an eye on the stall, and chatting to people, even if they are not interested in buying from you. I also learned that I needed help to mind the stall, as I had underestimated how many people would all want to buy at once!

This year, the fair is on Saturday 18th November, and I shall be there again, with new ideas for display, new ideas for jewellery, and, hopefully, my husband sitting with me to provide moral support, a second pair of eyes, and help when I need a break.

I shall also be taking along some copies of the Raspberry Pi Shawl pattern for sale to people who may not be on Ravelry.

I hope, if you are in the area on 18th November, you will have time to call in and see some of the wonderful things on offer at the fair. Even if you don’t buy anything, there is a great cafe attached to the hall, with lovely homemade cakes!

21 March 2017

Spring is Finally Sprung!

To celebrate the arrival of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere, I have been designing some more spring-like stitch markers, and they are now available in store.

First, the Spring is Sprung set of knitting or crochet markers. This set of five features glistening golden beads, the colour of daffodils waving in a balmy breeze (currently here in West Yorkshire it is about +2 degrees Celsius, but I can dream!), and a lovely banded agate marker in the colour of purple crocuses. There are also plenty of charm markers – a sweet bird with a big heart, a cute rabbit peeking through his paws, a Tibetan silver flower bud about to open, and a graceful tulip.

Apart from the golden bead and bird charm, these markers are also available as single markers.

April will soon be here, and April’s birthstone is the lovely Rock Crystal. As well as a single marker and a set of markers, I have also added a pretty pair of rock crystal nugget earrings. Beautifully polished and light-catching, these earrings are just perfect as a birthday gift.

Finally, a new line in Jewellery for your Knitting and Crochet – stitch marker holders. I do send a small free cloth bag with each order, to keep your markers safe, but a clip to hold them all together is a welcome addition to my range. I shall be adding to the designs over the coming months, but my first two holders have been listed today and feature either a large feather charm or a large heart with a cutout pawprint. I am always on the lookout for larger charms as they are ideal for stitch holders, so watch out for future shop announcements!

14 March 2017

New Stitch Markers

Today I have been adding to our already extensive range of stitch markers; a new set of six markers, and two styles of single marker are now in store.

The Chess Set of stitch markers features six lovely solid 3D charms in the form of chess pieces, one each of King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, Castle/Rook, and Pawn. Each piece is distinctive and rounded, and the set as a whole is available as either knitting or crochet markers.

The Crochet Queen is a charm I have been looking for for some time. Similar in shape and concept to my existing Knitting Diva and Knitting Queen stitch markers, these markers are slightly larger and flatter with a different finish. The Crochet Queen markers are a delightful addition to the range and I hope will find favour with crocheters; Crochet Queen is also available as a knitting marker.

Finally, to herald the Spring in the Northern Hemisphere, I have added the beautiful Tulip stitch marker. This is an elegant Tibetan silver charm, gracefully curved and finely detailed. It is available as either a knitting or crochet marker.

21 February 2017

Mother’s Day

Mothering Sunday, or Mother’s Day, is just a month away, at least for the UK; 26th March is the date this year (in the USA it is 14th May). As well as our fabulous selection of jewellery suitable for any occasion, Granary Knits is delighted to offer two new ideas in stitch markers for you to give to your Mum, with love.

The first is a single stitch marker, available as either a knitting marker or a crochet marker/progress keeper. It is a flat heart charm with the word Mother etched on both sides. I think this is a pretty stitch marker, especially for crafters who like to use a marker but not something too big or flamboyant. A quiet heartfelt statement.

The second new item in store is a set of six stitch markers designed for a daughter to share with her mother. It features glitz, colour, and lots of hearts! The central charm is a split heart, with the word Mother inscribed on one half and the word Daughter on the other; this forms two markers. Flanking this is a flattish double sided heart featuring Mother and a clear rhinestone on each side, and another of the same style featuring Daughter and a clear rhinestone. Finally, two lovely silver foil-lined heart beads in a choice of three colours – a rich red, a medium blue, and a glowing gold. You can have two of the same colour, or choose a combination of any two of the three colours on offer. With each order of this set, you will also receive an extra one of my pretty cloth storage bags so that you can give one half of the set to your Mother in a bag and keep the other half for yourself! The set is available as either six knitting or six crochet markers. If you would like a mixed set (three crochet and three knitting, for instance), please message me for a price quotation.

motherdaughter_knitting_flat_scaled — Mother’s Day Mother/Daughter knitting markers

motherdaughter_colourchoice_scaled — Heart bead colour choice

Little cotton storage/gift bags, made from quilting fabric

16 January 20178 January 2017

Knitting Rainbows

Rainbows are created by the refraction and dispersion of the sun’s light by rain or other water droplets in the atmosphere.

A sundog masquerading as an upside down rainbow

That’s the official scientific explanation for one of the beauties of nature. No matter how many times I see a rainbow, I have to stop and look at each one.

Recently, I have started knitting rainbows, as well as observing them:

As well as knitted rainbows, I am also partial to just threading them onto wire and hanging them from my earlobes:

creating pendants with rainbow beads:

or just drooling over the beads au naturel!

31 December 201631 December 2016

January Sale

To celebrate the start of a new year, we are having a sale! There are some bargains to be had in both stitch marker sets and single stitch markers. You can pick up some lovely gemstone markers for as little as £1 each.

The full list of reductions can be found here.

20 December 201620 December 2016

Winter Solstice: New in Store

There are only a few days to go till Christmas, and tomorrow is the Winter Solstice. So whether you celebrate Saturnalia, the Solstice, or Christmas itself, there is always time for knitting and crochet! This week, we are adding to our range of pagan imagery with a stitch marker set and some fabulous earrings.

The gorgeous Mother Earth set of knitting or crochet stitch markers combine charms, glass beads and some wonderful earthy gemstones. A spiral goddess reaches up to a beautiful Dragon’s Vein Agate bead; a tender mother elephant and her child sweetly entwine their trunks, dangling from earthy, rich, gold and brown Tiger’s Eye gemstone chips; a Tibetan silver ladybird is combined with glittery red seed beads; a silvery dove carries a leaf in its beak as it flies below a lovely mixture of sky-blue glass beads, iridescent and silver-lined; a mushroom waves its textured cap under a canopy of glorious green banded malachite chips.

The spiral Goddess also appears in an amazing pair of earrings. The goddess bridges the gap between the Earth – a lovely cushion of orange/brown Carnelian – and the Sky – a stunning Dragon’s Vein Agate faceted bead in cyan blue with light veining in brown. The Goddess herself is beautifully detailed, with spirals and swirls etched all over.

These earrings are stunning, very long (with a 80mm drop!), and they dangle and sparkle as you move. If you like the goddess earrings but would prefer different gemstones – perhaps Garnet or Lapis Lazuli, or glorious green Chrysocolla – then email me on sue@granaryknits.co.uk or message me on Etsy and I shall be delighted to discuss your requirements with you.

11 December 201611 December 2016

Symbolic Stitch Markers

I love using stitch markers in my knitting and crochet projects. I find them both practical (I rarely if ever make a mistake in pattern repeats when using them) as well as beautiful (I like the effect of their movement and glitter as I work). My favourite stitch markers have some sort of meaning for me; perhaps I made them from an old pair of earrings belonging to my mother; perhaps they were given to me by a friend; perhaps they have an intrinsic symbolism, such as Buddhist and Pagan iconography. You can see all of my Buddhist stitch markers in the Granary Knits Etsy store and I am starting to introduce Pagan symbols as well, so keep an eye on the shop for new additions.

I have been making a lot of new stitch markers recently. Some are themed and relate to the natural world that inspires me, such as Dreaming of the Sea and Deep in the Forest.

dreaming_of_the_sea_knitting_hanging_scaled — Dreaming of the Sea

deepintheforest_crochet_hanging_scaled — Deep in the Forest . . . something stirs!

Continue reading “Symbolic Stitch Markers”

6 December 2016

December at Granary Knits

This month’s new listings feature lots of new stitch markers, a brand new stitch marker set, and some fabulous earrings.

First of all, thank you to all my customers who have bought the Dreaming of the Sea and Sun Moon and Stars marker sets; it’s wonderful to see that themed sets of stitch markers have struck a chord with people in many countries. Today’s new stitch marker set is called Deep in the Forest. I love trees, the stillness in a forest when you can almost hear the earth breathe, the rustle of small creatures in the undergrowth, the earthy smell of woodland after rain. I have tried to capture this feeling in Deep in the Forest, a set of six stitch markers featuring gemstones and glass beads in shades of green, and charms that represent the elements of a forest that I love.

Gorgeous greens from the Fancy Jasper, Aventurine and glass beads, earthy tones from the Smoky Quartz and the Jasper again. This set is available as both knitting and crochet markers.

There are lots of new single markers, too, some with a 5 for the price of 4 option. Continuing the forest theme, there is a large solid acorn marker and an owl marker. And a stylised tree etched onto a round charm with a reverse stating Save our Planet, a sentiment I’m sure we can all subscribe to!

Linked to last month’s sea themed stitch markers comes a large decorative dolphin, a beautiful charm, ideal for those who like a larger stitch marker (or perhaps a project bag charm!)

Another large stitch marker added to store today is the beautiful spiral goddess, a real beauty.

The final two markers added this week are a pretty combination of charms and gemstones. The Lotus Flower is a popular and familiar symbol and I love searching out new forms of this icon. This double-sided charm has an opening so that a bead can be inserted into its heart. I have used blue banded agate in this marker, with lots more lovely gemstones to choose from if they prove popular!

The Hamsa Hand, or Hand of Fatima, is another favourite symbol, and I have found a charm which again has a hole in the centre just right for a small gemstone bead. This one feature Lapis Lazuli, one of my favourite gemstones, glinting with specks of golden pyrite. The beads in both the Lotus and the Hamsa are free to move, and turning them is a great way to meditate whilst you are knitting or crocheting.

New items of jewellery are always fun to design and make, especially those pieces involving knitting or crocheting with wire. And adding gemstones is just so satisfying! The Moonstone Flower earrings were no exception. The pale grey Moonstone I have been using has an exceptional glow in its depths as well as a beautiful sheen. These were crocheted using 99.9% pure silver wire and each earring has fifteen glowing milky grey chips in its five petals.

The last item for today features a gemstone new to me: Kambaba Jasper, also known as Crocodile Jasper. It comes from Madagascar, and has a very distinctive colour and patterning, not unlike the skin of a crocodile, in fact. As with all Jaspers, it is a spotty stone, although the spots here are rather larger than, say, in Dalmatian Jasper. The main colour is a moss green, with the spots and streaks in black or very dark green. These chips are square cut, giving the earrings a contemporary look.

I hope you have found something to delight and inspire you in this week’s new listings. Keep checking back for new items, or follow me on Etsy to get all the latest updates.

6 December 2016

New in Store Today

Over the past month I have been busy developing lots of ideas for new jewellery and stitch markers. I released the first couple of new stitch marker sets a few weeks ago – Dreaming of The Sea and Sun Moon and Stars – and they have been very well received.

Last month, I released the next themed set, Deep Blue Ocean, and I think it is gorgeous! It features dark blue and brown Tiger’s Eye, an intriguing stone with the same luminous striping as the more common brown/gold Tiger’s Eye; Amazonite, a fabulous turquoise blue gemstone; Mother of Pearl; and Blue Banded Agate, the colour of the Mediterranean. But that’s not all. Fish swim, Dolphins sport, and Whales flip their intricate tails as they breach and dive.

Cat and Moon is a new single stitch marker that has already proved popular. A shiny crescent moon hangs in the sky, and sitting on its edge is a cute little cat, tail curled around the curve of the moon. This is a pretty marker for either knitting or crochet, and comes with a special offer – buy five of this marker for the price of four.

The third new item is a Knitting Queen single marker. This is similar to the Knitting Diva marker already in the shop, and joins Yarn Ball, Yarn and Needles, and Knitting Diva as the specifically knitting-related charms that I offer. It also has a five for four offer.

The final new item released in November is a sweet piece of jewellery, a necklace featuring a curved bar suspended on a chain. The bar features a beaded rainbow. It is offered in both Silver Plated and Sterling Silver versions, and joins several other rainbow influenced pieces in store.

There will be more updates soon. To stay up to date, either follow this website, or follow me on Etsy.