Giant wool at the Knitting Show

Knitting with super chunky oversized yarn in the UK just got a whole lot easier!

At the Knitting and Stitching show in Harrogate (on till Sunday) I met Andrea of the superbly-named Woolly Mahoosive.  Giant merino wool and 2 acrylic alternatives are her speciality.  All the yarns are super-soft and come in a range of gorgeous colours.   They are for knitting on massive 25mm – 40mm needles.  They are also perfect for arm knitting!

Check out the display:

See the ginormous chunky wooden needles with signature cubed stoppers?  They are beautifully made from tulipwood and rosewood, and come in different lengths.  These needles are just what I was looking for when I started extreme knitting.  There were none available commercially at that time, so after I got lucky on ebay with a pair of wooden 25mm, I had my uncle make me a set of double pins and circulars in 2 big sizes.

So how did Andrea get hold of this array of giant knitting needles?  Does she have a helpful relative beavering away in a workshop? No, she made them herself.  Yes indeed.  Having no experience of woodwork, she informed herself, got hold of the equipment and set to work.

This kind of initiative and dedication is truly impressive.  Their prices are utterly reasonable too.  Bloggers, I would urge you to pop over to Twitter and give them a follow. They deserve it!

My head is now popping with ideas about what to make with these fabulous yarns.  Inspiration – that’s what the Knitting show is for!

Till next time

L x

Knitting again!

Such a long time since I picked up the needles. Crazy busy few weeks in the day job since January.

I had the pleasure last weekend of knitting a bamboo flute warmer for a musician friend. The size was 60 cm long by 3 cm diameter. So I knitted a long, long rectangle, eyelets at one end, and sewed it up.  I added a double ribbon drawstring and a few beads. It was simple and quick, and my friend loved it. I thought, how I’ve missed knitting!

Now I have a few days off the day job and some space in my head for other things. I finally got the t-shirt yarn out which I ordered ages ago, and cast on using 12mm needles.

It looks OK! But does it stand up?

Yes it does!

I see potential. Could this be the start of a new range?

Till next time

L x

 

Sold the last cat basket!

The very last cat basket I have is a size Small which I made a while ago and sent as a sample to Anthropologie.  They didn’t go ahead in the end, which was just as well, since the wool has been permanently discontinued. So they sent the sample back to me and it’s my very last one.

Then today my boss announced she has just reserved a new kitten in the local rescue centre – a ginger and white cutie – to keep her older cat company. Could she buy a cat basket for him? A pleasure that my last wool basket is going to a home where I can see it again! The kitten is going to be called Jimmy – how adorable is that?

In case my own cats are disappointed, I’m sure I could pull together some scraps and offcuts, maybe undo a couple of smaller prototypes, to fashion the very very last ever basket to keep them happy too.

Herbie would appreciate it.

Till next time,

L x

No more giant wool in the UK!

This week I got a great order for TWO medium cat baskets from a lady in France (thanks, notonthehighstreet.com!)

I realised I was down to my very last cone of giant wool and this order was going to use it all up. I contacted my supplier to place another order, and was shocked to find out the the wool is no longer available.

I contacted the only other supplier in the UK that I know of (who were more expensive), and sure enough they told me the same thing. This yarn is discontinued.

A google search yielded nothing remotely like it. Which didn’t surprise me because it was hard enough to source any kind of giant wool in the first place. One of the suppliers helpfully sent me some samples of their undyed yarn. But their thickest offering, a soft wool roving, was not even in the same ball park as the giant wool.

So with great sadness I will fulfil my last order for extreme knitting cat baskets this weekend.

Unless anyone out there can recommend a supply?

Till next time,

L x

A Love Affair with Wool

One of the reasons I fell in love with knitting is the wool. The texture, colours, feel and even the scent of pure wool were very appealing – and still are. When I was little I used to go and stay with my aunt who was a spinning and weaving teacher. Needless to say she always had a wool-related project to keep me amused. I remember sitting in her garden one summer’s day, handling some raw wool fleece. My job was to loosen the fibres by tossing it into the air, teasing it out, and letting the air in. I loved the feel of the wool under my fingers and the scent of lanolin it left behind.  To this day, handling pure wool is happily evocative of those times.

The giant wool I use for my baskets and cat caves is not that far removed from raw fleece. It’s had minimal processing and still retains its characteristic aroma. I had a lot of fun devising my giant wool baskets and my cats love modelling them.

So I was thrilled this week when my extreme knitting cat baskets were featured on the Ovis-A wool blog.  Many thanks to Katherine for the mention!

Ovis-a.com is a new site which aims to promote and celebrate British wool and wool designs. From their Facebook page – “The overall ethos is to promote a forward thinking and contemporary way to showcase British Wool products, using a directory and showcase service.”  They are also on Twitter.

This is a great idea and I wish them all the best with their venture!

It’s not finished yet, Herbie

Till next time,

L x

Merlin Loves his Cave!

Looks like Merlin got his Christmas present early!

 

“Just opened up Merlin’s parcel and he wont get out !! He loves it 🙂
He only got out of his cave to eat and then snuggled up in it again :-):-)
Honestly, thank you so much for making them for me…you have made us all so happy x”

It’s wonderful to have such happy customers.  Many thanks to Merlin’s mum for sending these great pictures.

Merlin is a Birman – and doesn’t he make a stunning model for the Cat Cave.  My cats are too big for it. Monty once tried to coil himself snake-like in the Cat Cave, but only managed to roll himself upside-down and out again! How I wish I had that on film, it was priceless.

All for now,

L x

 

 

Cat Cave with personalised label

I just finished a custom order for a Cat Cave and a 14 x 10 inch basket.

The customer’s name was Merlin so I made this special label for him. Too cute!

Personalised label

This is going to be his Christmas present.

And the basket is for storing all his toys!

14 x 10 in basket

What a lucky cat Merlin is!

The Cat Cave in all its glory can be viewed on Not On The High Street, along with the cat baskets and other extreme knitting goodies.

I am also adding some cats and knitting-related fine art prints in the coming days!

Hope all your pre-Christmas plans are coming together,

Till next time,

L x

 

Giant Blanket in 14 colours

It’s always good if you can offer choice to your customers. My cat baskets come in three different sizes, but the wool only comes in one colour. Dyeing it is a possibility but on the other hand I really like the wool ‘au naturel’.

However, the yarn I use for the Giant Cable Blanket is a soft courtelle which comes in 14 different colours. So why on earth not offer all those colours to my customers? I put together a colour guide for my listings:

 

I can also make the blanket to fit any bed: double, queen or kingsize. Then the smallest size, 4ft by 5ft, makes a lovely throw for the sofa.

Giant Cable blanket under construction

It would be great to work with some of those bright and beautiful colours.

I notice that not all webshops are equipped for multi-choice listings. Etsy and Notonthehighstreet both offer the facility to list one item with variations. Other e-shops are not set up for this, which means you have to make a separate listing for each colour or size. This is a little inefficient, but I know this facility is under development.

Right, I am now going to attempt a giant cable knit cushion. Herbie has established himself on my lap but I think he’ll move when the giant knitting needles come out!

Till next time,

L x

Cat Baskets at Cool For Cats UK!

I was totally thrilled last week to find that Kathy at Cool for Cats UK has devoted an entire blog post to my extreme knitting cat baskets.

Kathy is a cat lover extraordinaire.  She volunteers at the animal rescue charity CHAT in London, and also works in a Cats Protection charity shop.  Her blog is full of great stories and product reviews.  I’m really flattered that she chose to feature my cat baskets and wrote about them so well.

It’s not finished yet, Herbie

Thanks again Kathy!

Till next time,

L x

New Baskets are Ready

New 100% wool baskets are ready and listed for sale.

9-inch square basket

9-inch round basket

11-inch round basket

18-inch round basket

Carefully designed and made over many weeks, these baskets have all manner of uses.  The wool is semi-felted and slightly spun, giving a firm structural finish but retaining its natural softness. As readers of previous posts will know, cats love them. There is a faint scent of fleecy wool about them which seems irresistible to felines. And of course they are snug and warm. If your cat has ever made a little nest on your woolly jumper, your cat will love these baskets.

Larry likes it

Monty takes 3 in one go

Herbie snuggles down before I’ve even had a chance to cast off

They also make great work baskets, ideal for holding all your bits and pieces for a small project.

Basket will grip your knitting needles and keep them safe

I have had a lot of fun making these, and I hope you like them!

Till next time,

L x