Episode 40 - When in Barcelona

Hello there and welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast and the show notes for Episode 40 – When in Barcelona.
 
My name is Fay and this is my audio and video podcast for those that love fibre crafts, particularly crochet.  It’s a community for people that like to support their fellow humans regardless of race, gender, sexuality, ability, size or age. I hope you feel the welcome embrace and love of the Crochet Clan.  Come on in and stay awhile. 
 
In this episode, I cover: Inclusivity; Final Destination; En Route; Designs in Progress; Feeding the habit; Quick News Beats and Big Up.
 
This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co. 


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1 – Inclusivity
Following on from last month’s podcast and the actions I said I was going to take to increase inclusivity within our fibre community, here is what I have been working on: 
Claudia from the Crochet Luna Vlogcast has been putting in the hard miles, pulling together a list of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) crochet designers. She has created a permanent list in her Instagram ‘BIPOC Crochet Designers’ Highlights.  From that list, I have created a ‘BIPOC Crochet Designers’ blog post giving you the designers names, Instagram handles, Ravelry Designer names and other selling platforms.  If the designers have a podcast, website or Etsy shop, these have also been listed.
If you are looking for a decent article on the topic of inclusivity in the fibre community, I encourage you to read this one: The Knitting Community is Reckoning with Racism by Jay Saxena.  If for whatever reason, you have been in the fringe of the conversation or come to it late, this article gives a very good breakdown of what has been going on.  I meant to talk about this article in the podcast and through lack of organisation on my part, it slipped through the net. 
You will notice from the show notes below and video podcast (if you watch rather than listen) that I have started to show the makers behind the goods that I am buying. My intention is to create a greater connection between the makers and those watching the podcast and/or reading the show notes.  I want to showcase the faces that put all the hard work into the fibre community whether they are designers, spinners, dyers or yarn shop owners. 
I continue to use ALT text on my Instagram posts and within the show notes. My intention is to also expand this out to my website photos and blog posts (which I have started the process of). 

 
2 – Old Dog New Tricks
I want to touch briefly on gut instinct and using that to shape your colour choices and pattern following. 
 
You know that feeling when you have pulled colours together for a project, but your gut is bubbling, telling you that something isn’t quite right?  I have had that quite a bit recently.  I tend to think I am pretty good at choosing colours but of late, I have been asking for second opinions, mainly because I knew they weren’t right. 
 
The same can be said for a part of the pattern design within my Esja jumper.  I could see that the short row shaping was creating a different look within my jumper but I persevered with the pattern.  My gut told me I was wrong to do so but I ignored it – I won’t do that again.
 
Here’s a quick trick for testing your gut feeling on something.  Using colour choice as an example; you have two choices, grey and yellow or grey and pink.  You assign each choice with a side of the coin.  Toss the coin high in the air and before you move your hand to reveal which choice has been made, listen to the voice that is telling you which one you are actually hoping for.  That is your gut reaction and the one you should actually listen to, regardless of what the coin toss actually tells you.
 
I use this for all sorts of decisions that I make.  It’s a surprisingly easy way to make decisions and stop procrastinating!
 
3 – Final Destination
I have some quite varied finished objects this month. 
I finished off my latest version of Doppio Colosseum in ‘Worn Denim’ (4ply 50% Merino/50% Silk) by The Wool Kitchen.  It was a great reminder of how much I enjoyed designing this pattern and wearing it.    

ALT TEXT: Mannequin against a white and teal painted wall.  The shawl draped over the shoulders of the mannequin is in denim blue colours and you can just make out some of the lace lines of the pattern.
 
Did I mention I was in Barcelona?  Whilst I was there, I was completely taken with an amazing building on Passeig de Gracia – Rocamora Houses.  There is a ceramic turret that inspired my latest design.  I wanted to capture the colours of the turret and the transition between them. 
 
 
ALT TEXT: Rooftop of Rocamore Houses, Passeig die Gracia, Barcelona.  Bright blue sky with three ceramic tiled turrets showing on the skyline.  The tiles are in earthy shades of brown, orange, yellow and cream.  
 

ALT TEXT: White surface with crocheted cowl doubled over. A wooden carved crochet hook lying on a nest of egg yolk yellow yarn in the forefront.  The cowl is in a gradient fo four colours from cinnamon brown to cantelope melon orange, to egg yolk yellow to a pinky cream colour.
 
I visited All You Knit is Love, a yarn shop in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona run by Jennifer and Miquel, and bought some of their K2tog yarn which is 70% wool and 30% milk.  It’s beautifully soft and they had the perfect colours for the design.
 
I suspect that the design is going to be called Rocamora. 
 
Finally, I have been on a bag sewing mission.  I only meant to make one and ended up with 12.  I used a couple of different YouTube tutorials for these and consider myself to be a novice sewer:
Zippered box pouch
Double drawstring bag

 
 ALT TEXT: Cream surface with three machine sewn project bags.  The top bag has a teardrop coral shape and turquoise, charcoal and grey details.  The bottom right bag had a navy background with pairs of cats facing each other in pinks, corals, mustards and greens.  The left hand bag is woven grey wool fabric with a light mustard coloured zip and it's a boxy baggy. 
 
4 – En Route
My Esja jumper (to be made with yarn dyed by my friend Bec of Black Horse Yarns and Socks Yeah! in the colour 'Chryso'.  I am now on sleeve island and am desperate to finish this for Edinburgh Yarn Festival. 
 
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/esja-sweater  
Main Colour Yarn: https://coopknits.bigcartel.com/product/coop-knits-socks-yeah-yarn
Contrast Yarn: https://www.instagram.com/blackhorseyarn/
 
 
  ALT TEXT: Light blue jumper yolk with a variegated detail with blobs of orange and teal.  The stranded texture from brioche crochet is visible.
 
5 – Designs in Progress
The one crochet design that I have on the go at the moment is the Rocamora Cowl.  I want to make it again using some other chunky yarn so that I can test the theory that it can be made with any yarn and almost any quantity. 
 
 
 ALT TEXT: Cream background with the same four coloured cowl at the top left.  Three chunky, loose skeins of yarn are at the bottom of the photo.  L-R they are a mid-grey, dark grey and a fox orange.  They look springy and full of character.
 
The next version will be a short cowl using some number 2 yarn that I bought from Die Mercerie in Munich.  It’s a Bavarian yarn of some description… 
 
More on this next month hopefully.
 
6 – Feeding the habit
Hmmmm, there is quite a bit and not all of it is mine.
First up, the things I brought back from Barcelona.
All You Knit is Love shop is run by Jennifer and Miquel.  They have their own yarn label (K2tog and others) and Jennifer also dyes her own yarn called Mur.
 
 
  ALT TEXT: Blue background with a photo of Jennifer and Miquel from All You Knit is Love yarn shop, sitting on their sofa, knitting.
 
K2tog in shades Cinnamon Toast, Cantaloupe, Egg Yolk and Yellow Jade. 70% wool and 30% milk 105m/100g
 
 
ALT TEXT: Dark grey background with four skeins of yarn at the top.  The chunky, soft yarns are in a cinnamon brown, cantaloupe orange, egg yolk yellow, and pinky cream colours.  Ay=t the bottom of the photo lies a fifth skein in gentle variegated colours of teal, green, mustard and a mid purple is dominant.
 
Murmur in colourway ‘Guide’.  75% Merino and 25% Cashmere, 400m/100g.
 
Lalanalu shop is run by Eva and Kiara and they had lots of crochet and yarn from some local yarn dyers.
 
 
  ALT TEXT: Blue background with a photo of Eva and Kiara from Lalanalu yarn shop, stood side by sde with wool int eh background.  They are smiling straight at the camera and wearing knitted and crocheted shawls.
 

 
Ovejita Be! – in shade Greenery and Les Retrouvailles (the mini didn’t had a shade)  75% wool, 25% nylon, 425m/100g.

  ALT TEXT: Blue background with a photo of Teresa the yarn dyer of Ovejita Be!  She is sitting on a sofa with a multicoloured crochet blanket over the back of it.  Teresa is looking down at three balls of yarn in her hands.
 
Soc Una Troca – in shades Ratafia, Golden Hour and Oberon. 75% Merino, 25% Nylon 420m/100g.
 
 
 ALT TEXT: Blue background with a photo of Laia the yarn dyer of Soc Una Troca!  She is stood in front of her wooden company sign, wearing a green top and smiling.  To her right is a hook with some skeins of yarn dangling down.
 
I also came across an amazing fabric shop called Nunoya and bougtht this amazing selection:
 

 ALT TEXT: Lots of different coloured fabrics arranged into a swirl.  There are cat , moon, bear, bat, sock, llama, cherry, umbrella, raindrop and bee patterns.  
 
At Unravel I bought these bits and pieces: 
Frida Kahlo by Helen at The Wool Kitchen,  75% BFL, 25% Nylon, 400m/100g.
 
 
 ALT TEXT: Blue background with a photo of Helen the yarn dyer of The Wool Kitchen. She is stood taking a selfie with her phone and a Frida Kahlo phone case.  Helen is wearing a purple checked shirt and a purple hat that she had=s just finished knitting.
 
 
 ALT TEXT: Cream background with a single skein of Thw Wool Kitchen yarn, called Frida Kahlo.  It is a mallard green base with "zips" of colour at one end of the skein in luminous yellow, pink, orange, green and turquoise.
 
John Arbon Textiles new Exmoor Sock Yarn in shades Blooth and Hemel.  60% Exmoor Blueface, 20% Corriedale, 10% Zwartbles, 10% Nylon,  200m/50g.  I will be pairing this up shade Mizzle which I already had in my grubby little hands.  These are going to be made into Acanthium Mittens by Katie Green and hopefully, ready for Edinburgh Yarn Festival.
 

 ALT TEXT: Blue background with a photo of John and Juliet Arbon.  They are sat down with their mill machinery in the background.  Both are facing forward and smiling.  John is in fawn dungarees and Juliet's curly dark hair is in pigtails. 
 

  ALT TEXT: Cream background with a photo of two skeins of Exmoor Sock Yarn.  One is a dark forest green and the other is an aubergine purple.  Both have a white skein band with yellow bubbles and an old fashioned sheep drawing. 
 
I also came across a new to me dyer, Tara, from Irish Artisan Yarns.  I love that her yarn dying is inspired by the landscape of Northern Ireland.  I bought a Carrick-a-Rede inspired colourway from her, 75% Merino, 25% Nylon, 400m/100g.  And she kindly gave me a mini in a little goody bag. 
 
 
 
 ALT TEXT: Cream background with a photo of a full skein of Irish Artisan Yarn in subtle blue and greens.  Above it is a mini skein in all the denim blues.  Both have white skein tags with "IAY" on them.
 
7 - Quick News Beats 
1 - Global Hook Ups – The next dates are Saturday 9th March 1t 8pm GMT and Sunday 10th March at 9am GMT.  The links for the sessions are all available over on the Ravelry thread.
2 – If you are anywhere North Wales, Nikki from Ewe Felty Thing is having a party on Saturday 16th March to celebrate the first birthday of her yarn store. I will be there from about 12 – 5pm and would love to see you there.
3 - I am heading to Edinburgh Yarn Festival on the Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.  On the Thursday I will be on Tanya’s stand – TJ Frog.  Please do pop along for all things Dorset Button, Dorset breed wools and generally lovely goods.
 
8 – Big Up
If you are looking for a non-crafty podcast, I heartily recommend David Tennant Does a Podcast With…   He basically interviews his friends and it is very funny and also sweary, so not for everyone.
 
I have also been relishing The Great British Sewing Bee – an hour of sewing escapism every week and just the nudge I needed to get my sewing machine out again.
 
I will be back on Friday the 5th April!
Fay x
 
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