In the Wool #57 (free)
Celestial Season
Welcome Back!
This edition is centred around one of my favourite themes: astronomy and astrology. I love the colours, the starry nights, and the endless possibility, and it seemed like a great fit for our first November edition. As well as lots of free knitting and crochet patterns for a celestial season, I’m also bringing you behind the scenes at our yarn shop for an exciting announcement and an exclusive first look at our handmade Christmas window display!
I hope you find lots of inspiration to take away from this edition- happy crafting!
This week we’re shining a spotlight on one of our all time bestselling aran yarns: Shetland Heather Aran by Woolcraft. This is a yarn that is always selling out as it is so popular with our customers, and we recently started stocking 3 brand new shades. Let’s take a closer look!
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CLICK HERE to read this article!
November Giveaway!
This month we’re giving away a set of pins and a pretty pin cushion! If you have a premium subscription to In the Wool, you are automatically entered into our giveaway each month.
Celestial Season: Free Knitting + Crochet Patterns
I was originally going to put some celestial projects in the ‘Free Patterns’ section of this edition, but I ended up finding too many patterns to share with you! From beautiful blankets and trinket bags to wall hangings and marvellous mittens, there are some great free knitting and crochet patterns out there for those who love starry skies, moon cycles, and signs of the zodiac.
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New in November: A Yarn Tour
Here at Babes in the Wool, it’s been another busy couple of weeks with new yarns arriving left, right and centre! Our biggest announcement this month is something we’re very excited about, and that is just in time for planning winter projects. The big news? We are now officially stockists of Rowan! We’ve never stocked this brand before but they are very popular in the UK and, after they showed us some of their yarns, we just couldn’t resist putting in an order. Keep reading to learn about what’s new in November, and to discover a special offer we’re running with the first 5 purchases of Rowan yarns!
CLICK HERE to read this article!
Sneak Peek: Christmas Window!
We’ve been working on our handmade Christmas window display for quite a while now, and we recently began assembling some of the scenery. I’m giving you an exclusive first look at this window with a behind the scenes photo! Who’s excited for the big reveal?!
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When I chose the theme for this edition, it reminded me of one of the first maker interviews I did (this segment was previously called Craft Talk). This was back in 2020, showcasing a small business called Little Sky Arts, run by the very talented Radka. Radka recently took some time off to redevelop her brand and just came back with some new products, so this felt like a great time to call back to this article. Little Sky Arts embodies all things celestial, with gorgeous starry skies hand painted onto air dried clay coasters and trinket dishes.
CLICK HERE to read this article!
One of the best things about having a craft as a hobby is experimentation; once you have the basics down, you can use them to create whatever you’d like. For me, this is a really enjoyable aspect of crochet. I love coming up with random ideas that can be turned into real creations, even if they aren’t all winners….
That was my experience this week. You’ve probably guessed by now, I love all things celestial and to do with astronomy. I thought it would be fun to try and design something along this theme, and I came up with the idea for a celestial scrunchie. Unfortunately, it was one of those ideas that didn’t quite look how I envisioned it when put into practise.
I picked out all the yarns and crochet cottons in my stash that would fit with this aesthetic, lots of purples and dark blues (and of course a bit of sparkle). The idea was that there would be little star-like shapes hanging down from the scrunchie, but so far it’s not looking how I wanted. I think I’m going to keep playing with this project and see if there’s something there. I might have to change the yarn choices as I mixed a crochet cotton with Ricorumi Lamè. I also might have to lengthen the strands that hang down; I didn’t want to make them too long in case they looked ridiculous but now I’m thinking it might look better if I just commit to having them. We shall see😂
In other news, I’ve also been working on the crochet scarf I shared with you last…
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Community Creations
Another edition, another amazing collection of customer makes to share with you! The first 2 projects are both blankets made by one of our local customers, Sandra. The first one is inspired by the carpet in The Shining, and it is such a striking piece. The design is a bit psychedelic, and the colours really make the shapes pop. Sandra said a lot of tears went into the making of this blanket as it’s not as easy as it looks. Congratulations on both your skill and perseverance, Sandra!
The second blanket that Sandra completed recently is the Sirdar and Katie Jones Day Tripper Picnic Blanket. This was a crochet along from earlier in the year that quite a few of our customers have undertaken. This design never fails to impress, and Sandra’s version looks absolutely fantastic.
Our final community creation this week is from Alison. Alison used one of our new Katia yarns, Jarapa, to make this gorgeous accessory. Jarapa is described more as a tape with yarn and fibres attached throughout, which gives it a really interesting texture. Alison made up her own pattern for this bag, attaching some crochet tassels using webbing for the bag handles. She enjoyed using Jarapa so much, she has already set her sights on making a rug with it too!
Huge thank you to Sandra and Alison for sharing your fabulous #babesinthewoolhull projects with us!
Free Patterns!
Now that we’ve reached November, I have cosy handmade projects on the brain 24/7. Here are some free patterns for winter warmers!
Hot Water Bottle Cosy by Lulu Loves (crochet)
Alicia Ear Warmer by Desert Blossom Crafts (crochet)
Mug Cozy Coaster by Crochet ‘n’ Create (crochet)
Pine Needle Hottie Hot Water Bottle Cover by Hannah Haworth (knit)
Christmas Brew French Press Cover by Drops Design (knit)
Mug Cozy with Cable by Nimble Needles (knit)
Keep Reading…
In the Wool #56: Autumn Vibes (click here)
Next Edition: Sunday November 20th
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