Yiskah Knits

iPhoneography: Bristol Wanderings

30 Mar 2012

Now that I’m working from home full time, I’ve started going on lots of walks in the areas around the flat. Sometimes I have to force my butt out the front door to get some exercise, but other days it really helps me clear my head and I can’t wait to get out and explore.

I often find little snippets of inspiration on my wanderings so here’s a selection from the last few weeks. Bristol’s city farm is one of my favourite places to go – I was happy this chap(ess) was willing to stop for a photo!

Wednesday Whimsy: Watercolour

28 Mar 2012

These really beautiful watercolour paintings have caught my eye recently. My mum is an artist and watercolour is the medium she used most often while I was growing up. I remember playing with her paints, spending hours making a mess. Aren’t the colours and details amazing? They’re so versatile.

Jessica Durrant mixes watercolours and ink to create these amazing skyline pieces. I love the flicks and splashes.
Amber Alexander paints mostly animals and woodland creatures, the characters and expressions are amazing.
Amy Borrell‘s shop, cake with giants, is full of really subtle, sweet, illustrations and prints. She also illustrated some fantastic journals for Frankie Magazine - I want!
I can’t quite believe the depth of colour in Stina Persson‘s paintings. They’re so vibrant; I had a hard time picking just one to use here!

Wednesday Whimsy: Annie Larson Knitwear

21 Mar 2012

Annie Larson is a knitwear designer based in Brooklyn, NY. Her bold colours and patterns are just mesmerising, and her studio adorned with walls of bright yarn and part finished garments. She makes all her pieces on a knitting machine and I find it fascinating. Check out her blog for some really inspiring photos of her working process. I love it all!

Also visit her shop here.

Giveaway winner announced

17 Mar 2012

Happy St Patrick’s day everyone! I’m pleased to announce that … Jessi is the winner of a Yiskah Knits bow-tie necklace. Well done Jessi, your comment “Oh, and I follow you on Bloglovin! :p” was picked by random.org. Pop me an email with your address and colour choice and I’ll get it packaged off to you! Thank you so much to everyone else who entered and spread the word, I’ll do another sometime.

Feeling festive today with a forest green bow ring.

Wednesday Whimsy: Studio Meez!

14 Mar 2012

It’s Wednesday, and time for some more whimsy! I have become completely enamoured by the work of Studio Meez lately; a Belgian knitter, artist and craftsperson. I just love the atmosphere of her work, and the simplicity and richness of her photos. I have spent many an hour perusing the archives, oo-ing and aah-ing at every turn.

Please go visit the shop and blog to see for yourself!

DIY: Tiny envelope template to download – for little things!

12 Mar 2012

I’ve always gift wrapped my smaller jewellery items in dinky 7 x 10 cm brown envelopes, which I found in our local newsagents. They’re perfect, but I thought recently they could do with a bit more colour. That’s when I remembered I had some gorgeous floral paper stashed away in a cupboard; not too many minutes later I got to work and created a template and thought I’d share it this week. Just click the link to to download and start making your own tiny, pretty envelopes.
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Giveaway: Win your very own bow tie necklace

9 Mar 2012

I’ve been contemplating doing a giveaway for a while, and thought what better time than right now! So here’s your opportunity to win a Yiskah Knits bow tie necklace, in the colour of your choice. I’m opening this up to all destinations so there’s nothing holding you back!

To enter just leave a separate comment when you do each of the following, you don’t have to do them all but it will obviously increase your chances:

Follow @yiskahknits on twitter
Like Yiskah Knits on facebook
Follow this blog with Bloglovin’
Tweet about the giveaway using the link at the top of this post
Share the giveaway on Facebook using the link at the top of this post

Don’t forget to let me know which colour you’d like and I’ll randomly pick a winner this time next week. Good luck!

Wednesday Whimsy: Geometric Jewellery!

7 Mar 2012

I’m loving a bit of neon geometry this week. Normally I’m drawn to quite pretty, vintage inspired jewellery when i’m buying for myself, but these bright lovelies caught my eye recently. My jewellery box could do with a colour injection!

Black acrylic necklace: Hand drawn and cut from acrylic by Mariko in San Fransisco. I also love her clocks, very clever.
Tribal splash for the earlobes: Nicola Rowlands is from Manchester, I love the mix of quirky faces, prints and accessories in her shop.
Wooden tribal necklace: Lucie works in her garden shed in Suffolk making jewellery from reclaimed wood and china. So creative.
Geometric deer brooch: Another UK gal, Becky lives in Wales illustrating and sculpting original jewellery and prints. I’d buy it all now if I could.

Knitting in the news

5 Mar 2012

Just wanted to stop in quickly and share this feature that aired on BBC Breakfast News a few weeks ago. With special guests, Aneeta Patel, author of Knitty Gritty (the book that got me hooked on knitting as a complete beginner) and Lauren O’Farrell, author of Stitch London - who wouldn’t want to knit a Corgi?!

Wednesday Whimsy: Bears!

29 Feb 2012

I thought i’d start a regular feature to share with you the things that have got me swooning recently, a little spoonful of mid-week whimsy, if you will. To kick off it’s all about the bears!

Kirs Tate, Pinata Bear : Available at Society6, I want the iPhone cover so bad.
Jamie Mills, Diamond Bear : Available in print form from Etsy.
Jamie Mitchell, Bob : Available at Society6, love this one as a print too.
Handy Maiden, Sun Bear Totem : Danielle at Handy Maiden makes these adorable figurines from Polymer clay and hand paints each one, I couldn’t resist this guy. She also makes a pretty cute Polar Bear, too.