#50 Shades of Colour - No. 5

I have developed yet another crafting obsession. Not satisfied with my other pursuits of felting, spinning, sewing, knitting, crochet, cake decorating, paper crafting etc… I have now also developed a passion for 'extreme knitting'!

It is a form of knitting that uses your arms or mega-oversized hooks and needles to create lofty, chunky pieces that make amazing blankets and throws as well as garments. And I love the instant gratification of working on such a huge scale because it not only panders to my naturally impatient nature but also because the projects work up so quickly. Who wouldn’t want to be able to complete a blanket from start to finish in less than an hour?

I passionately believe that crafting is great for our overall wellbeing, but what I hadn't banked on was just how physical jumbo knitting is! It felt more like a 60 minute workout than a creative crafting session!

I have previously experimented with arm knitting but did not like the final fluffy, heavy feel of the blankets that this technique often produces. So after a lot of experimentation with different blends of fibres, thicknesses of yarn and various techniques I found a method that works amazingly and produces quality results every time!

The first ‘BIG’ project that I have designed and added to my range is this knitted blanket that is made mainly in Corriedale wool and features some of my own handspun alpaca, silk, merino blended yarns as accents. I love the way that the super –textured handspun ‘pops’ out of the puffy stitches, offering hints of pinks, browns and fawns to add contrast and texture to the soft and squishy blanket.

As soon as I made this one it was snapped up by my sister for her new home so I have been making several of them since then, in varying shades. They are all available for purchase on my website but the pattern and kits will also be available very soon, and I do ship all over the world.

I have also made a matching cushion, which is not quite finished, but I just wanted you to have a sneak peak at it anyway…. Let me know what you think.

Be kind to yourself - create some happiness everyday.