Knitting is out and cross stitch is in this week, as the temperature in the UK makes it a bit less fun to be playing with yarn. Nobody likes to knit with sausage fingers, after all. After discovering 8BitNorth Cross Stitch thanks to an uncharacteristically helpful suggested post on Facebook, I've tripled somersaulted into a cross stitch obsession. Having never had across stitch 'stash' before, I'm now edging ever perilously closer to having one. Guess it took some indie/Brtipop and pop culture themed cross stitch patterns to make a stitcher out of me! Full Shownotes and links at www.shinybees.com/178 Music this episode is with kind permission of Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink', available from iTunes.

Hybrid Yarn festivals continue in this episode where Jo is joined by Aimee of KnitSpinCake podcast to review her experience of attending Unravel's hybrid yarn show. Aimee took part in the social aspects, saw some of the vendor showcases and, after attending one workshop with Bristol Ivy, promptly booked onto another with her the next day. Aimee covered the organisation of the show and we discussed some of the technical aspects of how it was run, from a visitor's point of view. She shared her views on the workshop offerings as well as the vendor spotlights. You can find Aimee @knitspincake on Instagram and the podcast at http://knitspincake.blogspot.com Full shownotes are at www.shinybees.com/177 Music for this episode is with kind permission of Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need A Drink' available from iTunes.

This week we're exploring the evolution of yarn festivals through the past year or so. Many of the festivals were forced to cancel their in person offer and have looked to alternative methods of putting on their event. After discussing the idea of online events this week, Unravel Festival's hybrid approach piqued my interest. Having not been a fan of the endless parade of vendors on Instagram live as an alternative to the traditional yarn show, I was interested to see how they are looking to combine an in person element with an online offer. This will be both on the vendor offer, as well as workshops being offered online and in person and a series of talks on offer. Whilst I don't think Instagram live yarn shows offer a great user experience, a show hosted on a specific platform focused on offering a show-like feel could add a lot of value to the industry. You can find all the details for Unravel at https://farnhammaltings.com/events/unravel-2021 Full shownotes - www.shinybees.com/176 Music for this episode is 'I Need a Drink' used with kind permission of Adam and the Walter Boys, and is available from iTunes.

Knitting, gin, books and a lucky scarf. This week's show is dedicated to Liz Marley aka @greensideknits, dear friend and listener of the podcast. An epic knitter and all round awesome, kind and witty person who will be very sadly missed. There's a general update to get us started, with the tale of Liz's Lucky scarf and how it continues to bring me good luck years later. The podcast will be on the move again in summer to Surrey. Knitting-wise, I've been working on my #DeliciousLIttleJoysKAL project which still isn't finished. After a false start where I re-learned the lesson that one is never too old for a lifeline, I'm focusing on getting at least one row a day in on that project. I'm also working on a modular blanket project using West Yorkshire Spinners ColourLab DK to make a Nintendo themed blanket. Gin-wise, there's a recipe for a refreshing sloe gin fizz. On the book reviews, sticking to the Fantasy/Steampunk angle we have a review of the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carrier, Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw and The Stranger Times by CK McDonnell. Full shownotes and links at www.shinybees.com/175 Music is Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need A Drink' used with kind permission.

If you have a knitter in your life, you'll appreciate this roundup of knitting gift ideas, that isn't more yarn. In this episode, we'll cover some suggestions for six alternative ideas for gifts for knitters. 1) Adidas Samba Fox trainers 2) A wool blanket 3) Project bags 4) Sheepy themed toiletries 5) Stuff to protect the yarn 6) Sheepskin producers, slippers or moccasins. Shownotes and all links at www.shinybees.com/174 Music as always with kind permission of Adam and the Walter Boys - 'I Need a Drink', available from iTunes.

Following Ep 171 about great patterns for baby knits and Ep 172 about good yarns for kids and baby knits, this week is a roundup of all the community feedback on both these subjects. I’m also asking for some suggestion on behalf of Kat, a lovely listener, who is undertaking a fairly arduous physical challenge. She’d appreciate some suggestions on how she can record this with an accompanying knitting project. All of the chat for this feedback occurred within the Shinybees Podcast Community. You can join for free at shinybees.com/community Kat’s Project Hey Jo, do you remember the interview question 'What yarn would you take on a desert island'? I have a similar dilemma: I'm planning to embark on a long distance hiking journey from Belgium tot Santiago the Compostela (2400km). Not in one go, spread over different holidays. Not sure if I'll ever make it but I like the clear focus. I'll be starting hopefully in March with the first stretch from home to the south trough Belgium. That should fit in the current Corona regulations. Being a Knitter, I find myself contemplating the travel knitting almost as much as the actual walking :D I can't take a lot of yarn to keep weight down. I plan to take two projects: * A recreational lace shawl * A project that captures the memories of the journey day by day. Could be as simple as one garter ridge per km. Or I'm thinking some sort of modular knit with every small module representing a day. I don't really know what I want to track yet: weather (sun, rain, cold,...), feelings, distance, landscape. I don't think I can take colours to represent the different items because it's hard to predict how much yarn I would need per colour. Maybe texture is better. Anyone got ideas? Yarn, patterns, textures? Which items I could track? Yarns for Baby Knits Continued From the community, here are some further suggestions on great yarns for baby and kids knits. Helen Swann suggested Sheepjes Colour Crafter as a good alternative to Stylecraft DK. It’s 100% acrylic, like Stylecraft DK, but squooshier, with a fair amount of drape. At £1.99 per 100g and in 94 shades, there’s bound to be shades you will like. Wendy Dinnage has been knitting for a couple at work who are expecting a baby. They’re vegan and very environmentally aware. Wendy decided to use Nurturing Fibres Eco Bamboo as it has great eco credentials. Patterns for Baby Knits A perennial favourite, Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Baby Surprise Jacket from The Knitter’s Almanac was suggested by Helen Talbot and Linda Hartley. Knitted With Love by Jane Ellison is a favourite of Nichola Nolan. It’s currently out of print, but most of the patterns are available as single patterns from Purl and Jane. Nevis top-down cardigan from Marianna’s Lazy Daisy Days was suggested by Laura Stephens. This designer also does some lovely preemie sizes too. Alison Naylor’s favourite is the Overalls with Cable Detail and Dorothy Helen baby blanket by Oge Knitwear. Leafy Abby Blanket from Silk and Wool by Leyla Alieva was suggested by Maureen Bulger. She’s knitted it a number of times and it’s gone down really well. A couple of bonnet suggestions – from Anna Friberg, the Sunshine Bonnet by Katarina Lindhagen, and the Beloved Bonnet by Tin Can Knits was suggested by Laura Stephens. Jade Hawson, who is a new listener, did a fantastic Mosaic Blanket (Purl Soho) using a colour changing gradient yarn, which looks fab! Anna Jordan suggests the Gramps Cardigan by Tin Can Knits. Anna Grim likes to make Allsorts the Owls for new parents. Linda Hartley favours the Troublemaker Cardigan by Kathryn Folkerth. Shownotes for this episode are at www.shinybees.com/173 Credits Music for this episode is by kind permission of Adam and the Walter Boys with ‘I Need a Drink’.

Following on from ep 171, today we are covering some of my go-to baby and kid knitting yarns. Split into 3 sections, we'll cover 4ply, DK and patterned yarns, at a variety of price points. There are also different fibres covered, so if you don't like animal fibre, or you don't want to use synthetics, there is a suggestion for you. 4-ply yarns are Regia Baby Smiles My First Regia, Drops Baby Merino, Adriafil Rugiada 4ply Sparkly, Sublime Baby Cashmere Merino Silk 4ply, Sirdar Snuggle 100% Merino 4ply. DK yarns are Sirdar Snuggly Baby Crofter DK, West Yorkshire Spinners Colour Lab DK, Stylecraft Special DK, West Yorkshire Spinners Bo Peep Luxury DK and Rowan Baby Merino Silk DK. Patterned yarns are King Cole Big Value Baby 4ply Print, Stylecraft Merry Go Round DK, James C Brett Baby Twinkle Print DK, West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4ply Cocktail and Sirdar Snuggly Pattercake DK. Full show notes and links at www.shinybees.com/172 Join the Shinybees Podcast Community at www.shinybees.com/community Music for this episode is with kind permission of Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink' available from iTunes.

Knitting Patterns For New Babies I’m now an Auntie! And that means I actually need to produce some knitwear for the little fella. As such, it seemed a good idea to talk about good knitting patterns for new babies. I have already sent on some hand-me-down hand knits from Sanimal that were knitted by my Mother-in-Law. One was a really cute jumper with little intarsia (yay!) insects on. The other is a cardigan with fishes on the yoke and little orange buttons in the shape of a fish. That was a Tin Can Knits pattern, that was bought from Fluph in Dundee, and knitted in West Yorkshire Spinners Airedale in a petrol blue and a neon orange wool/acrylic blend. Knitting Yarn for Knitting For New Babies Before we get into the patterns, I think it’s worth talking a little about yarns. I have a lot of new knitters who have just begun to listen to the podcast. As such, I’ll share a few tips about choosing yarn for knitting for new babies. If the recipient’s offspring is a knitter, you can be a bit more adventurous in your yarn choices. You’re not going to be adding on a lot of extra work for them to look after the fibres when washing them, as they are already likely to be experienced in looking after fibre that can felt easily. Commercial sock yarn is my secret weapon when it comes to yarn for baby knits. It’s very hard wearing, you can often machine wash it and it wears really well. They tend to be in bright colours and self-patterning, which can produce an impressive effect with very little effort. If they aren’t a knitter, or are not that experienced, although you might be tempted to knit something in a beautiful delicate yarn, think about the recipient. They will be devastated if they ruin the yarn and felt or shrink the item. They also will have to spend time and effort on caring for it that they likely don’t have, if they have a new baby. There is a space for acrylic. Sometimes that is all the budget will stretch to, and it’s easy to look after and launder for people who are not used to looking after wool items. My go-to acrylic blend is Sirdar Snuggly. It’s a polyester/nylon mix and comes in a range of colours and is affordable and widely available. Stylecraft also do a great range of brightly coloured acrylics that are affordable and easy to get hold of. If you definitely want a natural fibre, consider using something like Debbie Bliss Cashmerino, which again comes in a range of colours and is easy to get hold of. Patterns 1) Kaya Mei by Jamie Hoffman Published in Knitsophy designs, this is a free pattern for a worsted weight fair isle beanie. It is sized 6-12 months up to adult. This would work really well with a patterned yarn combined with a plain yarn. 2) Basic Baby Hat by Heather Tucker This is a free pattern for a DK weight basic baby beanie, with a ribbed bottom, stocking stitch body. I like to knit this in patterned yarn and add a ridiculously oversized pom pom on top. 3) In Threes: A Baby Cardigan by Kelly Herdrich This worsted weight cardigan is a super customisable pattern, with the resulting garment lasting quite a long time due to the design. It’s also really easy to extend the length to get some more wear out of it. It’s a paid pattern available for USD $6. The garter stitch yoke adds nice detail without being too complex. 4) Pilo Cardigan by Imke von Nathusius This is a classic unisex, staple, fingering weight cardigan with raglan sleeves and buttons. Sized from 0-3 months to 7-8 years, it’s plain stocking stitch that could work in most yarns. It’s available for €5. 5) Kashti by Liz Corke This is a square DK weight blanket that has a main colour and a border made up of 6 different coloured stripes. It’s a great way to use up a set of minis or scraps. Blankets are always useful and popular, so it’s a good choice. 6) Easiest and Fastest Baby Booties Ever by A La Sascha A super free patter for some worsted weight booties. Everyone loves a set of booties! 7) Little Dino by Susan B Anderson This knitted toy pattern is both cute and a super opportunity to try lots of techniques in one small project. If you’re a new knitter, this could be a useful project to upskill quickly. It’s available for $5 US. 8) Kicking Bag for Babies by Annika Sanimal was gifted one of these and it was a super useful item, especially when he was small. You can quickly pop the baby in the little bag and keep them snug and cosy. It’s fingering weight, so ideal for using us scraps or a much-loved skein of hand dyed. And it’s a free pattern. Winner. What are your favourite or go-to patterns for knitting for new babies? Let me know over in the Shinybees Podcast Community, @shinybees on social or via email. Full shownotes available at www.shinybees.com/171

What will be the knitting trends for hand knitters in 2021? Not that I am in any way an authority on the finer points of craft fashion and popularity, but these are my predictions for what will be a knitting trend in 2021.

Knitting Trends For 2021

1. Intarsia It’s not the first time Intarsia has featured in my list of predicted trends for the year, and it’s not quite fulfilled its promise as yet in terms of reaching that top knitting trend popularity. There have been a few notable patterns, but it has still to reach mainstream appeal. I think this is because the patterns haven’t been quite ‘must have’ enough, but also it’s a bit of a fiddly and more involved technique. Once one of the big designers gets in on this, I think it Intarsia will become a bigger trend.

2. Texture We’re all in need of some comfort as we slide into a second year of restricted living. As such, I think a big knitting trend this year will be chunky texture. Think big, thick comforting cables, heavier weight yarns and any project you can wrap yourself up and cocoon in.

3. Textured Yarns Hot on the heels of the knitting micro-trend of holding mohair yarns double with a smooth yarn, I think textured yarns will be more popular. This may be in the form of novelty yarns (ok just me). More likely, it will be as an interest in different yarn constructions in natural fibres. Bouclé, chainette and fringed yarns will emerge in popularity. Designs will also feature bigger textured elements, such as fringing, tassels and frills.

4. Tank tops Once the preserve of the 70s, then the 90s, tank tops or knitted vests are going to be a catwalk trend this year. As such, expect them to become a hand knitting trend this year too. Whether it be stranded knits or more utilitarian pieces, expect more patterns for knitted vests.

5. Checks and Plaid Hand knitted checks will become more popular in 2021. Whether it is a tartan style, plaid, checks or argyle, it will emerge as a knitting trend.

6. Sophisticated Loungewear High quality knitted loungewear that’s a bit fancier than athleisure will be a big trend. Not necessarily hand knitted versions, but commercially available knitted garments as opposed to synthetics.

Yarn trends for 2021 I think more interesting yarn constructions will increase, particularly in natural fibres. Stash usage will increase as stock backlogs from Covid and Brexit delay distribution. What are your thoughts? What do you think will be a big knitting trend in 2021? Let me know in the comments below!

What do you want to hear on the podcast? Finish this sentence: “If I could get Jo to make a podcast on anything, it would be…” – put your answers in the comments or email me at [email protected]

DeliciousLittleJoysKAL The Delicious Little Joys KAL has come to a close. Prizes will be given out over the next week or so. It’s been great to see all the finished objects. The everyday Delicious Little Joys have been fun to join in with, especially right now when there isn’t much going on. I’m still working on my Glitz at the Ritz shawl by Helen Stewart. It’s a free pattern you can find on Knitty. Full Shownotes at www.shinybees.com/170 Music for this episode is with kind permission of Adam and the Walter Boys, with I Need a Drink, available from iTunes.

It's a new year so naturally, there's a lot of chat around about challenges, projects and planning. Today's episode is about knitting challenges. Are you taking part in any for 2021? Don't worry if you aren't; hopefully this episode will still be useful for you, and there is no lack-of-challenge shaming! There are plenty of variations on the theme of challenges, when it comes to knitting. Knitalongs would fall into this bracket, along with projects like Make 9, where you select 9 things to make during the year (not all of which have to be knitted). Dear friend of the podcast Helen Stewart of Curious Handmade Podcast is running the 20 for 2021 challenge. This is more flexible as far as challenges go, and is almost a series of prompts, designed to encourage you to try different things in your knitting, without any pressure. There's a hashtag to go along with it #20for2021 and you can tick off multiple prompts for one project, which means you don't need to do 20 projects to take part. A temperature blanket is another idea for a year long challenge. Louise Tilbrook of Everyday Knitter completed one of these in 2020, and has an ebook available, should you wish to create your own version. Here are my top tips for knitting challenges. 1) Don't feel like you have to do a challenge. It's your knitting. Do what you want. 2) Avoid the FOMO. Don't get swept up with the latest knitting celeb MKAL for a garment or accessory you're never going to wear. this about what you would love to have knitted. Break down what you need to learn or practice in order to be able to do that project. Choose mini projects to help you learn those skills in a more achievable and quick way. Use materials that make you excited and inspired to work with them. 3) Cut yourself some slack. If you don't keep up, so what? It's your hobby and it's the thing you are trying to learn and it should be fun, not an obligation. Enjoy the process. Full shownotes and links at www.shinybees.com/169 Music with kind permission of Adam and the Walter Boys.

This episode is fairly light on the knitting chat as my creative exploits this week are mostly focused around creating a vision board for 2021. My word for the year for 2021 came courtesy of Gery Cinnamon and his song 'Canter', which I heartily recommend checking out. Make it the radio edit f you have kids around, as the original is tagged explicit. The lyrics really called to me and I decided from that to make my word of 2021 'Canter'. Along with this there is some chat about vision boards and their utility. I have done vision board exercises with my business retreat attendees for years. Having discussed them this past week with my current coaching group, I chat some more about them in this episode. Have you ever done a vision board? I'd love your feedback and any good resources you would recommend. If you haven't made on before - are you considering it? Full show notes are at www.shinybees.com/168 Music for this episode is with kind permission of Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink', available on iTunes.