Eimear Earley introduces a gorgeous shawl inspired by the golden age of Irish art
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We were in Ireland last week, to see our new tweed yarn being spun by our friends at Donegal Yarns (much more of which soon!). It’s been a while since we were in Ireland, and it was lovely to revisit a few of our favourite spots, including Malin Head. It has changed a wee bit…
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O hap-py day! The Book of Haps launches today! And we are now open for pre-orders! During the pre-order period, Jen and I will be revealing (and discussing) one hap design each day. The haps in the book are wonderfully varied, but each was similarly inspired by some aspect of their designers’ everyday lives: from…
Read MoreI’ve just returned from a lovely weekend in Dublin, where I was teaching a workshop at one of my very favourite yarny places, This is Knit. The shop has recently moved into new premises in the Powerscourt centre. I always feel welcome at This is Knit. Upstairs, on the mezzanine, there is a great teaching…
Read MoreI am designing a few things at the moment with a yarn that is new to me. I really like this yarn – and surely the best way to find out some more about it was to visit the place where it is made? So, on Friday, Mel and I took a trip to Donegal.…
Read MoreI last saw Errigal eight months ago , when you may remember I had a bit of a time getting up and down the chuffer. It is a truly spectacular mountain — just as spectacular from the aerial perspective I saw it from earlier today. As this photo might suggest, Mel and I have spent…
Read MoreI am increasingly enjoying photographing wild plants and flowers – and spent quite a bit of time doing this while on holiday in Ireland. I particularly like the matt grey-green tones of coastal plants like sea holly (above) or frosted orache (below) I also love the humble sheeps-bit, whose purplish-blues and pinks are really quite…
Read MoreI rather enjoyed being a tourist in Ireland. Here are some of the touristy highlights . . . and a few lowlights of our trip. Best local produce Without a doubt, the culinary highlight was the wild smoked salmon at the Connemara smokehouse. The lowlight was Irish beer, or rather, the singular lack thereof. As…
Read MoreErrigal dominates the landscape of North-West Donegal. Everywhere you look, it is there. In the photo above, it is the fuzzy triangle at centre right, while, in the one below (taken from Horn Head), you can see its distinctive scree slopes catching the evening sun. I was reminded of the Hebrides in many parts of…
Read MoreHiya. I am Bruce. When the humans go away, I get to live in this box with them. Living in the box means that I can go exploring. This is good. But they still don’t let me at the delicious smoky things. This is bad. I eat meats, so why can I not eat these…
Read MoreProjects are completed, bags packed, and the wazzwagon has been pimped up with new tinted windows. Tom, Bruce, and I are off across the Irish Sea, and will be away for a wee while. Thanks for your interest in Textisles! I won’t have internet access while I’m in Ireland, so please bear that in mind…
Read MoreWe interrupt our regular proceedings with this cable. This is just to let readers of The Knitter know that I’ve a piece in the most recent issue of the magazine (no.13) — about the history and future of cable knitting. In the feature, I talk about Gladys Thompson, an old favourite inspiration of mine, and…
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KDD & Co 