Knitting patterns

Strange Times

| jemweston

This is a very strange blog to be writing… I have so much to say about everything that is happening, but at the same time I have no idea what to say. So first of all – I hope that wherever you are, you are safe and well x

To anyone reading this who works for the NHS, in the food industry, in schools or any other essential services that are working so hard to keep us safe and well – thank-you thank-you thank-you x

Like many of you – we’re holed up at home, but we’re okay. Beardie has an underlying health condition so we’re very grateful that we’re in a position to be able to follow the guidelines of social distancing in order to protect ourselves and others.

If you’ve got a bit more time on your hands than usual and you’re looking for new projects – I have quite a few free patterns available on my Ravelry and Love Knitting pattern shops. I have added a 50% discount to ALL of my paid-for patterns on Ravelry (no code needed). Please note – this is on Ravelry only so if you prefer to pay full price you can hop over to my Love Knitting shop.

There are quite a few small projects on there which would be perfect for stash-busting, or if you have the financial means to buy new yarn – I encourage you to buy it from your local independent yarn shop. A lot of them also have online shops or are developing creative ways to get yarn to your doorstep (whilst maintaining a safe distance!).

Look after yourselves x

Shop Update

| jemweston

New from the Jem Weston shop…

Hexi Coaster & Placemat Yarn Packs!

Including four lovely colourful shades of Rowan Summerlite DK, this pack includes enough yarn to make a set of four coasters and four placemats from Cute Comfort Knits.

Cute Comfort Knits by Jem Weston | Hexi Coasters & Placemats

Yarn pack only: £18 –shop now

Yarn pack and book: £29.99 – shop now

Also back in stock…

Pheasant Cushion Yarn Packs!

These keep flying out of stock – so catch one while you can!

Yarn pack only: £28 –shop now

Yarn pack and book: £39.99 – shop now

Yarn Expo

| jemweston

I’m so excited to be exhibiting at Yarn Expo next weekend – the first yarn show in my home town of Nottingham!

I will be bringing copies of The Knitted Nursery Collection and my new book Cute Comfort Knits.

I will also have yarn packs for some of the most popular projects in The Knitted Nursery Collection…

And yarn packs for some of your favourite projects in Cute Comfort Knits…

Perfect for Christmas gifts or Christmas day knitting projects!

I will also have some old favourites, including kits for the Triangle Hat, Bobby Scarf & Hat, the Dice Cowl, Twinkly Beaded Collar and the Lazy Lace Cowl.

So make sure you get to me nice and early before I run out!

I’ve also done a big shop update, so if you can’t make it to Yarn Expo you can still join in with the shopping here.

While you’re in town – make sure you pop in to Knit Nottingham as well! Just a stones throw from the show.

See you there! x

 

Cute Comfort Knits…Sneaky Peeks!

| jemweston

Not long now until my new book Cute Comfort Knits launches on August 15th!

From Tuesday 1st August I will be doing some sneak previews of the projects over on Facebook and Instagram. So make sure you’re following me and don’t miss out!


Signed copies of Cute Comfort Knits will be available on my shop from Friday 11th August with the official launch following on Wednesday 15th August.

Cute Comfort Knits will also be available to buy from your local Rowan stockist. If you’re a lys stocking Cute Comfort Knits – please feel free to add your shop details to the comments below and we’ll come and find you!

Can’t wait to share the projects with you x

Cute Comfort Knits…coming soon!

| jemweston

This week has been very exciting…my new book went to print!

Cute Comfort Knits is my first venture into self publishing and it’s all gone beautifully smoothly thanks to the fantastic people who have helped with pattern checking, knitting, cake baking and compiling everything into an actual book.

This week I went to watch the book being printed and had a guided tour of Lion to see all the different stages. Unfortunately I didn’t get many interesting pics/videos for you…but I do love this one of the sheets coming off the press!

It’s so quick! Can you tell what it is?

Watch this space for more details and sneaky peeks coming soon x

The Niddy Noddy

| jemweston

What an exciting week it’s been!

I’ve been very busy this year working on my third book which will launch in the Autumn, and this week (after some manic last minute knitting…) we had the photo shoot down in Frome.

I’d been struggling to find a location for the shoot and a friend suggested looking at Airbnb, which is where we found the Niddy Noddy – suggested by my photographer Jesse Wild. It was perfect! The owners were really happy for me to use it as a shoot location and they were really friendly and helpful. My good friend Rosie came along to assist and make cakes – so it was the perfect opportunity for us to have a mini break in Frome!

For those who don’t know… a Niddy Noddy is a spinning tool used for winding yarn into skeins and the name was chosen for the cottage because the manufacturing woollen cloth was Frome’s main industry as far back as the 15th century.

Sheppards Barton, where Niddy Noddy Cottage is located, was owned by the Sheppard family who had the homes built for workers from their woollen mill. I love the fact that it has this link to the wool industry – the perfect location!

As well as being great for the shoot – it was simply a lovely place to stay. Small but perfectly formed with comfy beds and just around the corner from lovely shops, restaurants and cafes. There is a fire in the living room which looks like a real wood burning stove, but is in fact a gas fire which you can switch on with a remote control. Instant hygge!

A huge thank you to Rosie, Jesse and Rowena for all their help – and if you fancy booking a trip to the Niddy Noddy you can find them here.

Keep your eye out for sneaky peeks of my new book!

Merry Christmas!

| jemweston
I want to say a huge thank-you for all your support throughout 2016. It’s been a fun, busy and at times challenging year for me!

It genuinely makes me smile or do a happy dance (depending how energetic I’m feeling) every-time I receive an email saying you enjoyed one of my workshops, hear an order from my little shop ping into my inbox or see a picture of something you’ve knitted from one of my patterns.

So as a way of saying thank-you for sharing a love of everything knitty with me – I’m offering a whopping 25% off all my Ravelry patterns until midnight (UK time) on Boxing Day! Just choose the patterns you would like and use the coupon code Merry25 at the checkout (one use per person).

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone x

The Story of Cute Little Knits

| jemweston

IMG_7097I can’t believe it’s been almost four years since my first book, Cute Little Knits launched!

My idea for the book began back in 2006 when I was working in a haberdashery and wool shop in Leicester, starting up a Stitch & Bitch group and submitting patterns to knitting magazines. This is when I designed Chunky Monkey, who is definitely the star of Cute Little Knits (or as many people refer to it – “the book with the monkey”).

Getting my first job with Rowan in 2008 was a dream come true and all thoughts of designing went on the back-burner for a while. But ideas kept bubbling under, and spending all my time with knitters made me even more keen to create a small book of cute little knits.

So in 2011, after changing my role to free up my weekends, I approached the Rowan design team with my book proposal and secured a book deal with Berry and Co, who develop third party books for Rowan.

The process of completing all the designs and knits for the book was quite intense – with just a few months to pull everything together alongside my full time job as a Coats Crafts Territory Manager. My friends at knit group were really supportive while I hibernated to work on the book, and it didn’t take long to shake off the eye twitch I developed from lack of sleep!

Cute Little Knits is still available in yarn shops around the UK, and also from my online shop – but the news that Rowan have sold out, feels like the end of an era! It has opened so many doors for me and I know I wouldn’t be doing what I love now if it wasn’t for this book.

I’m looking forward to the cute little knits coming home to enjoy their retirement and I will always think fondly of my little book with the monkey!