Having your own wool brands is a constant marketing challenge - competing against the big boys isn't always easy but, when you have a message it's a whole lot easier. Getting designers to use your wool for magazine commissions is a great way to get your wool seen and, if you're lucky, the magazine may include some editorial as well. This month we've come up trumps! Two garments in two magazines! It's always amazing to see the wool you supplied months ago turn into fantastic garments, professionally modelled in magazines sold across the globe.
Tina Barrett lives in Cornwall and designs for Cornish Organic Wool as well as many other companies and for all the big magazines. When we introduced our Wool Britannia range we sent her a skein of each for sampling and when she was asked to design a girls' coat for Inside Crochet magazine she thought of Wool Britannia. And here it is:
Kerrie Allman is the Senior Editor on Inside Crochet magazine (and Yarn Forward - she's a busy girl) and we meet at all the shows around the country. This is her gorgeous daughter modelling Tina's gorgeous coat. I love the cheeky look on her face in this picture:
You can buy Inside Crochet on the site here. This coat is in Issue 6.
Our second garment is a fantastic man's sweater in Cornish Organic Wool which is in the latest Knit Today magazine, issue 44, which came out this week. Take a look at this:
I really like this sweater, designed by Rita Taylor, and it only takes 7-9 skeins. If you buy the magazine and want to knit the sweater there's a customer code for you to quote when you ring us and you get 20% off your wool until 30th April. Buy now to avoid disappointment! Here's the back:
The sleeves are knitted from the top down (in true Cornish Gansey style) so your man can try it on whilst it's being knitted and make sure the sleeves are the right length!
We've just sent some wool off to Sweden for a design for another Inside Crochet issue so - watch this space!
Here at home FB and I have been experimenting with a waistcoat I gave him for this birthday last year. Obviously it's Cornish Organic but I didn't knit it myself a) because I don't have time and b) because I wanted it to be a surprise. He loved it but didn't like the colour (cream) so, after much deliberation and faffing around he took courage in both hands and dyed it. The colour is fantastic but, for some reason we can't fathom, it stretched during the dyeing. He's now on a diet and losing weight so it's going to be enormous. We took a big gulp and put it in the washing machine!!!! Oh, yes we did!
This is the "before" photo:
26" across - that's a 52" chest - even FB's not that big! Although the colour's fab, I'm sure you'll agree.
29" from top to bottom.
After felting:
25" across. The photo doesn't really show it but the cabling has definitely started to felt but hardly any difference in width.
A noticeable difference in length though as it's now 25". In other words, it's felted/shrunk in the direction we didn't want it to! The M-in-L is now going to take control of it and sew up the sides a few cm's in (you can see that the sides are ribbing) and then, once she's made a seam, cut out the excess knitting. Could be interesting. Rather her than me!
Tomorrow G runs his inaugural cross country race for Cornwall - keep everything crossed!
How I wish I could take a wander down to your shop to touch and feel all the lovely yarns. Is the Cornish Organic very itchy?? I am the lady from France who was staying with her daugher in Penzance over Christmas. I have made 5 pairs of the socks on 2 needles, the pattern which I bought from you, and Clare has since been in and bought me some more wool which I have now received. She loved her socks and I made them from your Sirdar Snuggly double knitting.
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