Design Life – Page 2

Posted on December 17, 2025December 17, 2025 by A — 1 Comment

New (old?) yarn adventure, and progress on Bríd

It’s not often I get to say “The usual, please!” to anyone, but when it comes to Townhouse Yarns and their Tara 4-ply, that’s kinda what I got to do a few days ago.

You see, Ard Rí, my “accidental wine bottle” shawl was one of the two that went missing in transit to a yarn festival. It’s always the shawl that gets me the biggest gasp during a trunk show or a workshop, and since I survive on audience feedback like a zombie needs brains, it is absolutely essential to remake it exactly as it was before. No messing around.

Close-up of hands holding a crocheted shawl with a striped pattern in warm brown and purple hues, showcasing the texture and intricate design. — Close up

A woman with long hair holds a large, intricately crocheted shawl, showcasing its circular design and contrasting colors, against a pink background. — Not-so-close up

My first step (after some liberal sobbing) was to contact Townhouse Yarns to ask if they’d even be able to reproduce the two yarns I needed. It’s been some years since I worked on this one – 2020, mid-pandemic, to be exact – and the gold – despite its stunning warm, antique appearance – isn’t a regular on their rotation. I’d need at least three skeins.

Luckily, Jenny had the recipe filed carefully away in an old notebook and through whatever acrane witchcraft she wields in her dye studio, she was able not just to dye these for me in a matter of days, but to reproduce it so exactly that I can’t tell the difference between old and new.

A hand holding a brown yarn ball next to several skeins of golden and purple yarns with labels from Townhouse Yarns, laid on a wooden surface. — Little ball of the original “Rosie’s Gold” (left), New skeins (right)

Tara 4-ply is a blend of Superwash Merino, Silk and Yak; all of which make it a great choice for a tunisian crochet shawl.

Superwash wool in general has a tendency to s-t-r-e-t-c-h when it’s first washed, and that quality (which can be a bummer in clothing that’s meant to fit a certain size) not only means this shawl grows after you’re done crocheting, but it adds drape, too.
The silk, on the other hand, ensures that the superwash doesn’t over-do it. Silk is brilliant for structure, and holds its shape really well once it’s blocked and dried.
And the yak, well, apart from adding softness and warmth and a silvery hue to everything, is also just a fun fibre to include.

A hand holding a skein of Tara 4-ply yarn labeled 'Rosie's Gold', showcasing its rich golden-brown colors. — Rosie’s Gold – yum yum yum

I’ll be taking a break from my progress on Bríd now that I’ve eaten up the first of the Ceremony skeins, and then I’ll wind some Rosie’s Gold and get started on Ard Rí.

A close-up of a crocheted shawl in progress, featuring warm orange yarn and a turquoise trim, with a hand sewing the edge. Several skeins of golden yarn are in the background. — Progress on Bríd. The original contained 30 panels, so this means I’m about half of the way through

But I’m curious if you think I should include the original ball of Rosie’s Gold in this new shawl?
Kind of like passing the torch?

Or should I do a completely new copy, with all its own, shiny new yarn?

Catharsis or nostalgia, people?! I don’t know which way to lean!

A person holding two skeins of Townhouse Yarns' Tara 4-ply yarn, one in a rich golden-brown and the other a smaller bundle. In the background, additional skeins in various colors can be seen in a bowl. — Comparing and contrasting old and new dye lots.

Posted on December 12, 2025December 12, 2025 by A — 4 Comments

Bríd Reborn?

Those of you who have been to one of my trunk shows or tutorials know that I ask people to be very careful not to snag my crochet shawl samples on rings, brooches and zips, because I am wholly incapable of remaking a piece when I’ve already done it before.

(This is why I only have one single mitten in each design made, for instance. Second Sock Syndrome is real, y’all.)

For me, it’s discovery that keeps the wind in my sails and helps me pile row upon row, stitch after stitch until I see the final piece complete.

But.

Oh my god. I find myself in the position this winter where I have to remake not ONE sample, but TWO.

a woman stands in front of a pink wall, her hair is long and blonde and she's wearing a gold and purple colourwork shawl over her shoulders, head and pinned at her chest — Ard Ri

Several weeks ago, two samples loaned out to display at a fibre festival went missing in transit, and have since been deemed ‘unrecoverable’. It’s a blow, I won’t lie; the samples in question were some of my favourites and some of my proudest work. Both are hard to lose.

Ard Rí was my show-stopper. She’s always been a crowd pleaser, and the yarn (Love you, Townhouse Yarns!) is just divine.
And Bríd – never released as a pattern – is an essential bit of kit because it’s the shawl I teach for Knittingtours.com‘s incredibly popular Fairytales & Flowers tour.

Now, it’d be easy to blame myself for letting them out of my sight and for not anticipating the possibility of losing them, but three things are important to remember here:

One. This is far from the first time they’ve gone on holidays,
Two. This also is far from the first time Knitting Tours have borrowed them and returned them with care, attention and gratitude,
And thirdly, these two shawls are also a great way to advertise my involvement with them and I have always felt the risk was worth it.

So, no blame please to them. They always treat me and the people who take their tours incredibly well. I’m still working with them, I’ll still lend them samples in the future. I love them all dearly. This wasn’t their doing and it wasn’t my doing. It was solidly the delivery company’s fault, and they too, are making amends.

But. That all doesn’t take away from the fact that I have to remake these pieces with a brain that abhors creative repitition and craves novelty like a 5-year-old coming down from a sugar high.

Eriú Yarns – Soft Yarn in ‘Ceremony’ and ‘Selkie’

With that in mind, and with the first batch of new yarn in hand (thank you Eriú Yarns!) I have decided to improve Bríd in new and interesting ways, and to not only swap the colours around, but also to use a new, softer Eriú yarn. That way I hope to trick myself into behaving as I re-crochet this piece.

Wish me luck!