Beaker Button Blog

It was my Mum's birthday today, so yesterday Short Round, Mum and I headed to Baiter Point in Poole for a picnic and a wander on the beach.  We're borrowing a friend's dog at the moment so she came too.  The sea and sky were very stormy so I managed to take some nice shots of the sea, and birds and shells.  I'd like to turn the shell photo into a felt picture. This is also the last post for our mini KAL, with instructions on how to put it together.  You've probably guessed from the post title that it's a mobile.   You will need two metal hangers, 75cm ribbon and duct tape .  The pattern and instructions are below.  If you'd like a PDF of the whole pattern including instructions for the mobile it's on Ravelry here Sleepy Sheep www.beakerbutton.co.uk   ©Jen Best 2015        I used Petlake Alpaca double knit for sleepy’s body and 3.5mm straight needles.  I used blac...

We went to my brothers for dinner on Saturday, which was lovely.  I was tasked with bringing a pudding, so while Short Round and I were shopping in Waitrose Saturday morning I spent a goodly amount of time searching through their delicious looking puddings for something without milk in (Short Round can't do cows milk, it makes him incredibly snotty).  Of course, everything, absolutely everything, has milk in so I resorted to an old favourite that my Mum makes.  She calls it Zebra Pudding.  I substituted normal natural yogurt for Goats milk yogurt (2 large tubs) and muscovado sugar for plain soft brown sugar (2 tablespoons full).  I like runny honey in mine as well (about 3 tablespoons). To make it you pour the yogurt into a shallow dish or tray, swirl in the honey and sprinkle the sugar over the top.  Leave it in the fridge for about half an hour (it will keep longer if you want it to) and all the sugar sort of dissolves leaving stripes and swirls, hence th...

This week my boys and I went on a little adventure.  It started when I was checking my Twitter feed as I was lying in the bath (like you do) and I spotted a post about the Lovejoy comet that's passing Earth at the moment.  Being a bit of a night sky freak (bet you didn't know that about me did you?) I sloshed out of the bath, threw on some clothes, rounded up the boys and headed out to Vernham Dean with my camera and tripod.  Vernham is the nearest place I could think of with dark enough skies.  We didn't manage to see the comet but I did get a nice shot of the Plough.  On the way home to hot chocolate I was thinking about my blog and what I wanted to do this week and I came up with the idea of making a night time mobile with stars, a moon and sheep (to help you sleep obviously).  This weeks free pattern is for a star.  He's called Twinkle (I wanted to call him Burt but I was told it wasn't appropriate) and he's waiting for you below.  Once all th...

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'm making my first New Years resolution early this year.  I feel very much that I neglect my blog, and having been told by several people that they do actually read it (Hi Y'all) I've been examining why I don't write more.  I went through all the usual excuses, like lack of time, too much to do etc. and decided that they were all bumpkin.  What is really going on is that I've got no interest in it.  So to combat this apathy I'm making it a seasonally themed blog with a new entry every week.  There will be patterns, including knitting, crochet, button and lots of other crafty stuff, recipes, poems, stories, in fact anything I can include within the seasonal theme.  Starting with winter obviously.  So Happy New Year everyone and hope you enjoy this weeks free hat pattern.  I've included a free PDF download for this hat on the Beaker Button Designs Ravelry page here . Remember Me Hat www.beakerbutton.co.uk  ©Jen Best 2014   ...

Right.  I realise it's been awhile.  I've been designing, going to shows and writing a book.  So this blog post is a shameless plug for said book. It's called......................(that was a drum roll in case you missed it) Dorset Buttons with a Twist.          Ta Da! For more information on the book have a look here It has 10 designs inspired by button brooches made in the 1930s and 1940s.  Each design is a piece of wearable art.  There is a brooch, hair grip, scarf ring, bracelet, shawl pin, pendant, key ring and a button.  I've posted photos below of each project.  It's available as an instantly downloadable PDF for £9  here   (Beaker Button's Etsy shop). I'm also running a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to do a print run.  There are some great rewards on offer so if you'd like a hard copy or you simply want to support us (and thank you so much) have a look here (kickstarter page). Button ey...

It was Yarn Shop Day today, and in true Spitfire Knitters fashion I decided that we'd celebrate by yarn bombing my car.  Let's face it, that particular yarn bomb has just been begging to happen.  So, for those of you who are also that way inclined I've complied a little photographic guide for covering your car with woolly stuff. You will need: One car with plenty of space around it. This is Katy Best by the way. A whole pile of woolly stuff to play with Scissors, string and coffee.  Well, fancy fruit tea for me... A big pile of blankets Willing helpers/minions (not that I have delusions of grandeur or anything)   First: Cover the back of the car with the blankets.  We tied ours on  Then: Using some of your woolly stuff arm knit nets to drape over the front and top of the car More draping and blanket tying At this point it's useful to press gang more minions.  Coffee and cake helps persuade t...