Beaker Button Blog

Some of you will know that I've always wanted my own sheep, which I can produce a yarn from to sell in the shop. Unfortunately I'm mildly allergic to lanolin, which makes owning sheep tricky as you can imagine. However, I had to great fortune to get to know Elizabeth of Warrenfield Farm, which is just down the road from Beaker Button, in the Clatfords. Elizabeth has a delightful flock of Hampshire Down sheep and I've been using her fleece for years to teach spinning with. It's soft, springy and wonderful to work with. This year we've gone into partnership to produce Beaker Button Warrenfield Sock yarn. It's going to be a soft and springy sock yarn in 100g skeins spun at the Natural Fibre Co. in Launceston. Cornwall. I was lucky enough to be given a tour of the factory on Monday when we delivered the fleece so I thought I'd share some of the photos with you. For those of you who are wondering part 2 is going to be all about dyeing the skeins when they'r...

It's been a while I know. I've been updating (well, completely changing) the website so it's easier for my customers to use (once the kinks are ironed out) and easier for me (once I've learnt how to use it!) The whole process has been a very steep learning curve, what with learning HTML code, what the Google spiders pick up on, how to sort the data I'm putting on the site so it's easy and efficient to use. The bricks and mortar shop has had a makeover too. The shelves are now organised by yarn weight so you can see what you're looking for for your pattern much more easily. New shop layout This sorting fever has started to spill over into my personal life. For example I haven't touched my garden in over 2 years. I keep telling myself I'll get out and do something with the great load of weeds, brambles and fruit but each year slipped by without me noticing and the weeds and brambles get bigger and the fruit, well some of that got eaten. This ye...

I'm writing a new book; my third.  This one is a knitting pattern book with 10 designs, all of which feature Dorset buttons.  I plan to have the first draft finished at the end of this year, which means getting the patterns written and samples made up in at least 2 sizes.  There will also be a lot of pattern testing to be done (and if you're interested in pattern testing for this book please get in touch).  I've nearly completed the first design, a cable hooded cardigan in Malabrigo Rio Jupiter.      I was feeling great about this design.  The pattern is working out well.  The yarn is knitting up as I'd envisioned.  The cable sits well where I want it and I've taught myself how to knit a border along the side.  All was going swimmingly until I hit the button holes.  Normally I'm good at button holes but this time I could not get them to look how I wanted.  Pattern writers block hit big style.  After strugg...

I've got lurgy today. I haven't felt this unwell for years so it's a bit of a cheat post this week.  I've been rearranging the shop so I have a working and dyeing area. Somewhere to design and write my third book (knitting patterns this time, with Dorset buttons of course), to dye yarn including our new Mini Skein club , and to build my button kit wholesale empire. So here's the cheat bit. I haven't had time to write up the granny square pattern I'd planned for this post. This is a fingerless mittens pattern I wrote a little while ago instead. It can be downloaded as a PDF from Ravelry here . Stripy Knitcol Mitts Abbreviations below Tension: 5cm x 5cm square = 9 sts x 13 rows in stocking stitch, Size 4m needles or appropriate size to achieve the correct tension, yarn needle for sewing up. 50g Knitcol or similar DK weight yarn. 1 size fits most. Left glove Cast on 34 sts Row 1: *K 2, P 2* repeat last 2 sts, K2 Row 2: *P 2, K 2* repeat to last 2 s...

I've been meaning to post this tutorial for a while, and this morning as I was lazing in bed I thought 'Ah ha, I could post that Ring tutorial for Mother's Day!'  So here it is.  Plus I get to use it as a blatant plug for our spankingly brand new button yarn, hand painted in my kitchen!   P.S. we have rings on our website if you can't find any ;-)  Thank you to Noelle for modelling the finished ring.   Flower button ring tutorial. Materials 1 brass ring about 1.5cm across, approximately 2m of Beaker Button hand painted button yarn , blunt ended needle, scissors. Materials There are four stages to making a Dorset Button on a ring.  Casting, Slicking, Laying and Rounding.  Change the amount of petals by varying the amount of spokes.  Remember that you must have an even number of spokes. Casting Have a length of yarn approximately 2m long. Tie the yarn round the ring in a single knot, leavin...