Saturday 15 November 2014

Aran Workshop & Designer Trunk Show with Loom Dancer Odysseys



Knitfield took knitwear designer Edel MacBride on tour to lead an Aran Workshop & Designer Trunk Show for the 2014 Loom Dancer Odysseys Irish Textile Tour at Solis Lough Eske Castle, Co Donegal, Ireland.
'The Road Less Travelled' tour organised by Cari Mavler brought together a talented textile group from the USA and Canada.
'I took the road less travelled by and that has made all the difference' is a quote used on Knitfield literature, making this tour an instant connect.
(quotation from Robert Frost 'the road not taken' 1916)

Cari Malver MacGreagor of Loom Dancer Odysseys with Edel MacBride & Rufus Malcolm McGreagor III

Trail to the Presidential Suite

Follow the hand knit boots, all roads in the Castle led to the textile tour workshop in the Presidential suite

Edel MacBride Bowtie Booties

Aran Workshop

The group met with Edel and there was an air of suspense as they gathered around the oval table in the Presidential Dining Room. Gift bags were handed out which included original patterns by Edel MacBride, Donegal Aran wool and Knitfield's exlusive Sliabh Liag Yarn. While most people on the textile tour were interested in knitting, a few went elsewhere for the excellent horse riding and golfing nearby.

Aran Workshop with Edel MacBride
It was a relaxing afternoon knitting and yet for some it was more intense as they felt really inspired with the new yarn and aran skills they were learning. Edel enjoyed hearing the stories from each of the ladies and with such a diversity of home locations being mentioned, Edel was already planning a field trip..... Texas, Colorado, Canada....let's KNIT

Beverly with Edel discussing stitches

Edel demonstrated and worked her favourite Aran stitches in Irish moss, cabling and honeycomb as each of the group tried various stitches and some enjoyed a new skill. Everyone was interested in the folklore and meaning of the stitches. Edel talked about the tradition of Aran knitting that she grew up with, here in Donegal.

Edel MacBride Aran sampler Throw with all our favourite stitches, hand knit in Donegal by Eileen .

Designer Trunk Show

With skill and talent in the room from various disciplines including spinning, knitting, weaving and tapestry work the group and friends who joined them were ready to relax and enjoy our Trunk Show.  Our first model was a familiar face, Rufus Malcolm McGreagor III and he took a fancy to our handknit wool Donegal baby boots. Thanks to our friends who modelled too, Diane, Margo, Phyl and Heather.

Rufus Malcolm McGreagor III

Backstage in the Presidential bedroom our friends are preparing for the trunk show following the Aran Workshop

Phyl wears an Edel MacBride merino wool yoga cape with silk velvet buttons
available on www.edelmacbride.com

Cari does a little modeling on the grounds of the Castle in an Edel Frontier Donegal wool Cardi. 

Cari models Edel MacBride Fronter Cardigan in Donegal Wool


Rufus & Cari were very fond of the Edel MacBride aubergine velvet snood, which has now gone to a great new home


Rufus in Edel MacBride Aubergine Velvet Snood

Phyl in a Gatsby knit Dress & Crocheted Jacket by Edel MacBride at Solis, Lough Eske Castle

Phyl models Edel MacBride Gatsby Knit Dress & Crocheted Jacket
Thanks to our friends Heather, Diane, Phyl & Margo who had fun swirling & twirling at the Trunk Show.
Diane Marshall is a Plus Size Fashion Blogger - click here dianemarshall.com

Between Knitfield and the Solis are some worth stopping off at points!


A woolly Irish view on our drive to the workshop.

Thank you

It was a pleasure to meet you all and we hope that you return to our shores again soon. Thanks to Cari for bringing the tour to Ireland and of course to Donegal. We want to go on all The Loom dancer tours especially weaving in Canyon de Chelly. For more information check the website www.loomdancerodysseys.com



Thanks to everyone at Solis, Lough Eske Castle for their hospitality



More information on workshops with Knitfield and Edel MacBride on www.edelmacbride.com

Irish yarns & Knitfield Kits may be purchased online www.edelmacbride.com

If you enjoyed this post or would like information on tours please message us here: info@edelmacbride.com

Photography by Elaine McInaw, Edel MacBride and Cari Mavler




Thursday 6 November 2014

Knitting & Stitching Show RDS as you learn to Cable without Cable Needles


Knitting & Stitching Show RDS - Knitfield Kits flying around the World

Knitfield Patterns & Kits went on tour with Knitwear Designer Edel MacBride and this time it was off to the Knitting & Stitching Show in the RDS, Dublin. 
The Knitting & Stitching client seeks beautiful yarns and contemporary exclusive patterns. The Rita Cardigan sold in a variety of shades from denim to burgandy, and as popular as ever were our Paint Wool Collar & Snood Kits. 
The Veronica Poncho Kit created a huge buzz as the season's must have fashion look & for the little ones the Rosa Cardigan Kit was in demand.
 It was Knitfield's Jack N Jill Cardigan which knits in one piece that was heading off to Massachusetts, Texas, New Zealand, Kildare, Tipperary, Galway and of course back to Donegal, most of these were going to be knitted for grandchildren, nieces, nephews and quite a few babies who are due to arrive in the New Year.
Art & Design Student Anna Duffy with Edel MacBride @ Knitting & Stitching Show RDS

Knitfield Donegal Yarns in demand
It wasn't just Kits that were dashing off around the world, our beautiful Knitfield Donegal Yarns were sought after, with such an arrange of beautiful colours in the Donegal Tweed Yarn it was no surprise that you had to take our colour packs home.  Our Donegal spun merino yarn was popular and the Donegal wool Hanks brought great memories to those who used to have to wind the yarn for their mothers. As always our Exclusive Sliabh Liag Yarn which was designed by Edel was a great talking point. 

Aran Cabling without Cable Needles Workshop with Edel

Edel MacBride centre Cabling without Cable Needles @ the Learning Curve Workshops
Edel had a Workshop each day in Aran Cabling without Cable Needles. Many Aran Knitters in particular never use a Cable needle, even for a Cross over of four or five stitches at once. A few Edel MacBride techniques are employed to assist in the speedier method of knitting cables. In the workshop the class all used Sliabh Liag Exclusive Knitfield Yarn. Everyone succeeded !!!! Now practice makes perfect and thank you for joining the class.
Sundays busy workshop in Aran Cabling without Cable Needles with Edel

We loved the view of the Amazing stand belonging to Liz Spillane across from our workshop at the Learning Curve Workshop, you can view the beautiful felt backdrop by Liz in the above photo.

Horst Couture - The Darker Side of Felt

Meeting like minded people each day was so inspirational as the staff at Edel MacBride stand A2 had the opportunity to discuss Knitting & Crochet Patterns with talented individuals all with a love of beautiful yarns & designs. The atmosphere of creation throughout the exhibition was exhilarating not only at our own stand but as we took an opportunity to look around the exhibitors. Beside us was Horst Couture from Ohio who discovered felt making to have countless possibilities. The Darker side of felt collection was an Autumnal feast of amazing vibrant reds, greens and ochres.
The Darker Side of Felt 


Renate Keeping - Ripeness & Age Exhibition 

Renate Keeping - Ripeness and Age, an wonderful exhibition beside us caught our hearts especially the storybook written about herself and her husband Charles as the characters Knittle & Threadle for their own children. An inspiring story and to add to the magic the book on display was the only one belonging to the family hence it was under lock and key.  read more: The Keeping Gallery
Renate Keeping - Knittle & Threadle

New Beginnings @ the Design & Crafts Council Exhibition by Bernie Murphy

Bernie Murphy, a finalist in our Knitfield Sliabh Liag Textile Competition was also a selected textile artist in the Design & crafts Council of Ireland Exhibition called Entwined Memories.
"New Beginnings, threads of life....celebrating my life and career in the manufacturing industry in Donegal. Shadows of that experience ensued a creative journey to recognition of the enormous impact of cessation."


New Beginnings By Bernie Murphy

New Beginnings by Bernie Murphy

Knitting Passion @ Edel MacBride stand at the Knitting & Stitching Show RDS

Back at A2 Bronagh Connolly Knits & discusses techniques with our fashion Intern Anna Duffy who is helping out on the very busy Saturday. Bronagh is using Symphonie Wooden Needles from Knitpro, they are her personal favourite. She's knitting using Knitfield Apple Donegal Tweed Yarn available online edelmacbride.com  

Bronagh Connolly using symphonie wooden needles from knitpro having a creative break at stand A2, Knitfied @ Knitting & Stitching RDS 2014



Fran Ryan visits the stand. Fran taught Edel to machine Knit when she was a student at Limerick School of Art & Design. Frans knitting centre was a fashion students go to zone and Edel knit things to sell at the shop too. Fran moved to Dingle, Co Kerry founding Dingle Linens and is a regular at exhibitions with her beautiful work.



Emma gets to take it all apart until next year.

Edel does her share from set up to show close on Sunday night!
and it's back to the hills of Donegal



It was a pleasure to meet all the new faces as well as  Knitfield friends from previous shows. We look forward to hearing from you all with pictures of your new projects completed, you can share images on facebook and twitter



Favourite Tweets during the Show


Enjoyed my chat with Eden from Knit field about her new COLLECTION...


Dressed up Crochet hope to visit tomorrow love love crochet


popped in to the RDS to see Edel's lovely creations!




Thanks all for visiting us and thanks to the http://www.theknittingandstitchingshow.com/dublin/ for all their hard work - see you next year!


Thank you Discount offer

 Enjoy 15% discount valid until 30th November.  Using the code: knitfield which applies to all Knitfield Yarns, Kits & Edel MacBride Designer Knitwear.



Saturday 25 October 2014

The Sliabh Liag textile Awards night at the White House


We are all about the Sliabh Liag (Slieve League) textile Awards at the moment.  Everyone at the studio can see the touch of magic it has brought swirling around our knitting needles. In fact the Edel MacBride studio has been a buzz and a blaze as everyone from youngest team member (Eamonn 5) right through to the Knitfield horses have opinions and favourite creative entries.

You've reviewed them and we hope voted in the online part of our competition.
 The happy and talented winner of which was Bronagh Connolly with 'The Elphin Sweater' a mastery of circular knitting with a wonderful connection to Sliabh liag via St Asicus who was the first Bishop of Elphin in Roscommon in 483 AD. He travelled to the Sliabh liag and lived on Rathlin O Birne island for 7 years. His monks came to Sliabh Liag to find him but he died enroute back to Roscommon and is buried still in Donegal.
Bronaghs circular work is reflective of hermit dwellings in Ireland, and not just an intelligent piece but a very beautiful and expertly finished one.
Besides being the online competition winner in our contest (facebook/knitfield) page, but also a 'Judges  Award' winner, being the chosen piece of one of our 3 very informed judges (more on them later).


Bronagh center (online winner and judges award for The Elphin sweater) in her 'halloween' lace knit dress. Anna Campbell on the left dressed in a limited edition chunky Donegal Yarn used to create the berry shrug design from Knitfield and made by herself expertly;
 Eilish on the right in classic Edel MacBride Irish Linen with Italian lurex hand loomed and crocheted suit.


Anna Campbells awarded piece on the evening which was joint third, based on the three judges
combined points was inspired by both her Shetland roots and Donegal life style.
Besides marrying Harris tweed and Donegal yarn beautifully in designs with unique combinations of Aran stitches, Anna is a star with Islandic knitting. Well she did grow up in Shetland with a clever gran who taught her.
In fact take a look at Bogbean designs her facebook  page as she posts the greatest finds to it.

Art to wear

Finalist and 'Judges Award' choice (our way of saying second as one judge gave the piece highest score) Katy Boyle with her Cliff Top view bag. This is a delightful design with a pictoral intarsia knit and embroidered front showing Katy's diversity of expertise and just beautifully finished with a leaf design cotton lining and magnetic fastening. We Wants! It capured the scenic inspiration and connection to our comp perfectly and we think sits very well with Celine Mc Glynn's oil masterpiece of Sliabh Liag borrowed for the evening. Celine was our very special guest.  

Knitfield's friend and our Harvey's Point Knit events star Judy Brannelly from Sligo is not just your Summer Milliner for the races of choice but always draped in her own masterful creations.
Judy's ladies handbag was a joint winner voted third place and an explemory example of freefrom crochet. The skill of putting this together and the practicality of the form totally fit for function was matched by a finish with expertly stitched linings, beautiful. Much sought after to purchase by viewers, but not for sale! A lot of hours went into this to achieve truly a one off piece.

Dancing to Tradition

Meanwhile as Vintage Tea was served with a Halloween flavour, by resident Knitfield chef Tess and homemade tea brack was flying, our youngest attendee and fan Eilish Kate (Edels granddaughter) was more interested in the mastery of the fiddle by the turf fire. Paddy Mc Menamin's magic notes filled the room in perfect harmony to the chatter that abounded.

'Wear something you made' we said, and Rose Coll did just that,we so love the fact that her glamorous friend was in Gold Edel too. Michael Carlin of the CPI centre and the White House garden (our abode for the event) was certainly blessed amongst women and we loved his venue and his china tea service for each table. Thank you CPI. It was lovely to see peoples faces as they came through the door and literally stopped in their tracks in awe of this beautiful space. Check our Blog in May this year on the garden show here.

All your own style

Something of a nursery rhymn in this, and the dish ran away with the ....wool.
Thanks for shopping on the evening Bronagh and not even using your newly acquired vouchers!
We love your hairdresser, the new look is ultra cool and keeps the glam in the knit world.

Mrs Mc Menamin was the first event ticket sold, thank you for your support and for loving our Harvey's Point Knit and Networks too. We don't know who taught your Sally to knit (and crochet) but they did a good job, Sally wears crochet in the background. Enjoying the turf fire and fiddle music.

Sally and friends enjoy the event with some of the finalist entries in the back ground.
Voy on the right is hiding the most wonderful handbag she made and we hope she might enter our competition in year 2!

Donegal yarns and fancy footwork


A pair of hand knit Donegal boots will take you anywhere, especially pink with turquoise bows, as Eilish Kate knows while she charms Chris Weiniger the manager of Donegal yarns. Chris gave a delightful closing address on the evening, thanks Chris and we were delighted Donegal Yarns was involved in the judging process too.
Chris comes from a background of four generations steeped in knitwear knowledge and history and is a yarn and manufacturing whizz. Don't show him 2 needles though! Well done on winning our star book prize on the evening too, an unopened edition of 'Princess Alexander rose of No fixed abode' by one of our judging panel, Sheila Clancy O Donnell. (Sheila could not join us as her book launch was the same evening!)
What stars collide indeed. Sheila originally hails from New York but now is Donegal based.


Emma arrives from Knitfields outpost at Number 20 the Craft Village Derry to take part in the event.
Emma wears Knitfields frontier kit pattern and snood with Edel on left in her own creation of Donegal merino, Ulster linen and leather! The lantern walkway designed by Elaine was enchanting.

All the worlds best models are from Donegal as Muireann here clearly shows us. Her mum Breda Logues piece was designed especially with her in mind and was the third piece choosen in our 'Judges Award' section (second place tie of 3 works). The poncho back displays a wonderful seahorse too and is accessorised by beautiful mitts and hat of the same theme. thanks you to Muireann for adding a wonderful drawing to our guest book.

New friends, 3 entrants in the competition, from left Marian, Katy and Alison meet for the first time perhaps? Wearing their own style too, while their entries for the competition are displayed around the room.

Bernie (right) with her entry 'Chompord' (comfort in irish) and friends enjoy the evening.
Bernies creation was voted the most desired for a Knitfield Kit Award. 


A word from Edel at the White house

Edel's White House address

Celine (right) and Edel frame this wonderful (on loan for the evening) oil painting by Celine of Sliabh Liag. Celine (editor of the Finn Valley Voice) newspaper and accomplished author and artist charmed us with a tale of her fathers obligatory Sunday Outings which first brought her in contact with the majestic cliffs.

 Norah and Olivia Anderson at the event. Norah made a beautiful blanket in crochet for the competition. Norah was taught crochet by her mum Liz in their holiday caravan.

Eilish and Lucy in contrasting Edel collections.


And the winner is........

Overall top votes when 3 judges scores combined was Karon Brennans piece (we think of as the homes of Donegal) but Karon names it very beautifully as Thanks "Ma" for teaching me to knit.
Karon who couldn't join us for the event (you can check out her shop on Pump Street Derry opened this week) sent us the following e mail on learning of the evenings result....

 'Are you serious. Never for one moment thought I was even a runner.
I only entered to make myself disciplined to sit and make this piece. Wow!!!!!
Thank you all so much.

Absolutely delighted!!!!!!!!!!!

Can't believe it.

Karon.'

A good result we think.

Karon's told us about her piece and inspiration as follows.


 Name of my piece:  Thanks "Ma" For Teaching Me To Knit.


My grandmother, we all called her "Ma" taught me to knit when I was little. Her house had lots of wool and I would spend happy hours just sitting with her knitting.  It brings back great memories and I feel I have inherited something really worthwhile.

Inspiration:  I wanted to do a sample of aran stitches and there is a wee bit of Buncrana in there.  The cottage represents many people in Ireland sitting knitting.

Combination of techniques:  I used aran stitches but as it was Edel's wool and she taught me to crochet, I used some crochet circles for the stones.

Extra information:  I would not have been technical enough to do a proper aran sampler so this was my interpretation.  It is a good way to learn about stitches.

The sampler was made for myself and it is not for sale.



Karon Brennan

We loved all the background information. 
While the pieces needed no explanation it seems you are all gifted with words and have linked greatly to those who inspired your craft world.

For more images from our Awards evening visit our facebook page at facebook/knitfield
and review the entries again on the blog piece.
We plan to print some more of the inspiration stories soon too.

Any one up for next year? write to us, right away!

Thank you All

A big thank you to everyone for turning out on the evening. A great big thank you to Gabrielle who will cover the event in The Letterkenny and Finn valley Post newspapers next week and to Celine for speaking so beautifully and we can look forward to the Finn Valley Voice coverage too on Tuesday next.
Thanks to our sponsors at The Villa Rose V spa, Kees hotel, Igloo Ballybofey, The Harbour restaurant in Donegal town, Sheila for a first edition of her book 'princess Alexandra Rose of no fixed Abode' and the beautiful flowers from Kates flowers in Ballybofey.

The Judging panel.
Thank you to these 3 very very busy ladies for taking our competition very to heart.
(Edel MacBride chaired the judging)
Nora Mc Fadden, head of colour development at Donegal yarns with over 30 years experience in the wool production business.

Deirdre Wild, Fashion & Textile centre development manager (The HUB Shipquay Street, Derry)

Sheila Clancy O'Donnell, Fashion Design lecturer & International retailer manager

(the full bio's of our judges are on display at the Knitfield studio and shop in Convoy)

A massive Thank you to the CPI centre for preparing the WHITE HOUSE for us and insisting we leave the dishes! The inviting fire and welcome always extended to us across the hill in Castlefinn has made it a home from home.

Thanks to Paddy for the fiddle music magic, to Tess for the food, To Emma and Stanislava for being just so useful when they arrived from Derry and to Elaine for pulling it all together so so well!

To order Knitfield Yarns click on http://www.edelmacbride.com/yarns/ 
Visit the Edel MacBride Studio @ Knitfield, Killynure, Convoy, Co Donegal
Shop at Edel MacBride, no 20 The Craft Village, Derry

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