Polka Dot Rock

Just what is Polka Dot Rock? PDR is the collective crafty goings on of a group from around the way. Manchester, Yorkshire, Western Mass and more. Some work together, some met through uni, through friends, others we found stood mesmerised in the John Lewis haberdashery department. Without much thought we're all making and designing every day and PDR is all about championing that. Paper, textiles, food - even leaves! Go find your black finer-liner, your tape measure, your apron. Get your positive pants on, and go make.

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What's In Store

Amazing what you can find on Zoopla

Trafford, MCR

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Yarn Guide

A quick ref guide to the many wonderful types and varieties.

Ply yarns

Ply, plied, or folded, yarns are composed of two or more single yarns twisted together. Two-ply yarn, for example, is composed of two single strands; three-ply yarn is composed of three single strands. In making ply yarns from spun strands, the individual strands are usually each twisted in one direction and are then combined and twisted in the opposite direction. When both the single strands and the final ply yarns are twisted in the same direction, the fibre is firmer, producing harder texture and reducing flexibility. Ply yarns provide strength for heavy industrial fabrics and are also used for delicate-looking sheer fabrics.

Cord yarns

Cord yarns are produced by twisting ply yarns together, with the final twist usually applied in the opposite direction of the ply twist. Cable cords may follow an SZS form, with S-twisted singles made into Z-twisted plies that are then combined with an S-twist, or may follow a ZSZ form. Hawser cord may follow an SSZ or a ZZS pattern. Cord yarns may be used as rope or twine, may be made into very heavy industrial fabrics, or may be composed of extremely fine fibres that are made up into sheer dress fabrics.

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dky & Chorley Market

felted bags, sock yarn, big buttons, Big Blue and more

washing machine experiments and that god damn frizzante yarn.

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Janet & The Sock Yarn

textural combinations and a 90 degree spin cycle

colinette jitterbug socks, WOOL SALE sign, boring boring baby pastels

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Lorem Lorem

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Knitting update: 

Circular needle madness. 

Cully’s got her feet under her with circular needles of various lengths and gauges and has spent the last week practicing tension, stitches and ribbing on the round, over and over and over.

Of note with stripes:

making sure the the new colour yarn goes under and to the right of the previous colour (which is above and to the left) so you don’t get holes

’cause you don’t have to purl to get back to the other yarn when you’re on the round it means you can alternate single rows rather than two as the minimum

doodles of spirals and google fu has introduced the idea of spiral/helix knitting which is ever so slightly on the diagonal and means you don’t get the jog on colour change cause the colours are cast on at the same time/same row

… there’s bloody wool and yarn EVERYWHERE <3

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A Glossary of hand stitches: 

Back tack - backward stitch(es) to anchor tacking or basting

Backstitch - sturdy hand stitch for seams and decoration

Basting stitch (US) - for reinforcement or for temporarily holding fabric in place (same as Tack)

Blanket stitch - used to finish an unhemmed blanket

Blind stitch (or hemstitch) - type of slip stitch used for inconspicuous hem

Buttonhole stitch - for reinforcing buttonholes and preventing cut fabric from raveling

Chain stitch - hand or machine stitch for seams or decoration

Cross-stitch - usually used for decoration, but may also be used for seams

Catch stitch (also ‘flat’ & ‘blind’ -catch stitch) - flat looped stitch used in hemming

Darning stitch - for repairing holes or worn areas in fabric or knitting

Embroidery stitch - one or more stitches forming a figure of recognizable look

Hemstitch (Hemming stitch) - decorative technique for embellishing the hem of clothing or household linens.

Overcast stitch

Pad stitch - secures two or more layers of fabric together and provide firmness

Pick stitch - hand stitch that catches only a few threads on the wrong side of the fabric, difficult to produce nicely so typically used for hemming high quality garments

Running stitch - hand stitch for seams and gathering

Sailmakers stitch

Slip stitch - form of blind stitch for fastening two pieces of fabric together from the right side without the thread showing

Stoating

Tack (UK, also baste or pin) - quick, temporary stitching intended to be removed

Tent stitch - diagonal embroidery stitch at a 45-degree angle

Topstitch - used on garment edges such as necklines and hems, helps facings stay in place and gives a crisp edge

Whipstitch - for protecting edges

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Yarndale 2016 

Red double decker buses,

a stayover in Leeds the night before, wifi bandwidth woes and more importantly, yarn yarn yarn! Cully ay have wept at the sight of the bus outside Skipton train station.

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What’s everyone up to? Crafty times, that’s what.

Cully’s been teaching herself how to knit and has signed up for a sock making workshop at the Stitched Up co-op in Chorlton, Manchester.

Kelly’s doing pottery courses at the Clay Studio in Hulme.

Lou’s churning out granny squares like a boss and Roo’s going through the fabric hoard to make a table runner.

Jenny’s making plush (a term that I don’t think has enough traction in the UK) koalas.

It’s dark, grim and cold as balls here in Manchester (Jenny, I can’t imagine it being any warmer in Mass?) so the only thing for it is hot water bottles, all of the yarn, pinterest and craft shiz.

Cully may have sat nearly sobbing in Costa yesterday after staring at some new sock wool and a particular stunning pic of hand dyed yarn on Instagram proved to be too fabulous. #toohigh We’ve all been there, right?