As keen supporters of The Campaign for Wool, Baa Baa Brighouse is launching the Ganny Lock Knit-A-Long (KAL) to celebrate UK Wool Week 2016 and encourage knitters everywhere to support the British wool industry.

Ganny Lock is a warm and cosy wraparound shawl and is the first pattern to be designed in-house solely using Baa Baa Brew, our 100% British Bluefaced Leicester DK yarn which is reared and sheared in the UK, then spun in Yorkshire and hand dyed here at Baa Baa Brighouse HQ using traditional methods.

It is available in eight colours, including two new shades for the Autumn/Winter 2016 season which were officially launched at Yarndale 2016. All of the shades, known collectively as ‘The Brighouse Collection’, are named after areas of Brighouse, the town in which the yarn was dyed. They are Thornhills, Woodhouse, Brookfoot, Rastrick, Clifton, Hove Edge, Bailiff Bridge and Wellholme.

The inspiration for Ganny Lock came from the Calder and Hebble Navigation Canal which at one time played a crucial role in the Yorkshire textile industry and wool trade, carrying raw fleece for spinning at the many mills that litter the Yorkshire landscape and taking the finished products off to the surrounding towns and cities to be sold.

The shawl uses two contrasting skeins of Baa Baa Brew. It features stocking stitch, lattice lace sections, stripes and a waved lace edging symbolic of the water on the canal.

The Ganny Lock Knit-A-Long will take place over two weeks beginning on Monday October 10th to coincide with the beginning of Wool Week, with pattern installments sent out to participants via email direct to their inbox.

Sign up to the Ganny Lock Knit-A-Long, get a head start on that Christmas knitting and receive all seven pattern installments. We’d love for you to share pictures of your progress and finished project with us on our social media pages or alternatively email pictures to info@baabaabrighouse.co.uk

Baa Baa Brighouse is joining forces with Age UK Calderdale and Kirklees and Innocent to lend its support to The Big Knit 2015-16.

We’re calling on knitters far and wide to pick up their needles and get clicking. We need you to make as many little woolly hats as you can to dress bottles of Innocent drinks this Winter.

For every hat you knit, Age UK Calderdale and Kirklees will receive 25p from the sale of each Innocent bottle that is dressed to impress!

The funds raised will be used by the charity to support its Spread the Warmth campaign which aims to stop unnecessary deaths during the harsh Winter months.

There are as many as 25,000 people who may die needlessly due to the cold but by getting involved in The Big Knit, you could help to reduce that number.

You can be as creative as you like with your hat designs as long as each finished hat meets the size guidelines for the bottles.

The quality control rules are simple:

1). The hat must fit comfortably over the lid and lip of the small Innocent drinks bottle.

2). The hat should have a ‘topper’ such as a bobble, button, ribbon, bow or tassel securely sewn or glued to the top of the hat so small children can’t pull them off easily.

3). Before stitching your hat, it should roughly measure 1.5 inches (4cm by 11.5cm).

You can send your finished hats directly to Choices Centre, 4-6 The Square, Woolshops, Halifax, HX1 1RJ or you can mail them to Baa Baa Brighouse, 11 Church Street, Rastrick, Brighouse, West Yorkshire, HD6 3NF and we will forward the hats on for you.

The deadline is November 14th, 2015, so come on people, let’s get knitting and raise some much needed funds for a great local cause!

Download the following patterns for sizes and suggested designs:

Big Knit Pattern – Beginner

Big Knit – Intermediate

Big Knit – Advanced

Big Knit – Grapes

Big Knit – Pineapple

Big Knit – Watermelon

It also coincides with the first anniversary of the launch of Baa Baa Brighouse and the setting up of our regular Knit and Natter Group which is held at Rastrick Library, Crowtrees Lane, Rastrick on the first and third Saturdays of every month.

To celebrate, we are hosting our very own World Wide Knit in Public Day event at the library from 10.30am to 12.30pm and we’re inviting everyone who is anyone to come and join us.

If you’re a seasoned knitter or crochet enthusiast, simply bring along your current work in progress. If you’ve never picked up a pair of knitting needles before, come along and have a go – we’ll be happy to show you how to get started.

People of all ages and abilities are welcome and if you have little ones, feel free to bring them along too as we always organise some simple woolly related crafts to keep small hands busy.

Refreshments will be available including tea, coffee, juice, cakes and biscuits and the event is absolutely free to attend – we simply ask for a small donation towards the cost of refreshments of whatever you can afford.

We will also be holding a raffle in aid of the Friends of Rastrick Library who do so much to organise special events and encourage people through the door to make use of this fantastic venue and community resource.

World Wide Knit in Public Day is a wonderful way to meet like-minded crafters, perfect some skills or learn some new ones with people who will provide guidance and encouragement all in a relaxed, informal and friendly atmosphere.

World Wide Knit in Public Day was started in 2005 and is now the largest knitter-run event in the world aimed at bringing people together to celebrate their craft.

If you’re stuck for what to knit on World Wide Knit in Public Day, you could help the UK Hand Knitting Association break a World Record – they are just 65 metres away for knitting the longest linked chain.

You can download a copy of the pattern here: Longest Chain Pattern, but however you decide to celebrate World Wide Knit in Public Day…have fun and happy knitting!

Expressing your love for somebody on a particular day of the year, simply because convention demands it, seems a little contrived for my liking.

Whenever I have bought into the myth, I felt nothing but awkward – whether it’s giving a gift or receiving it.

You see, I’ve been one of those people standing in a card shop faced with the task of finding an overpriced piece of paper that will convey my feelings.

I’ve been one half of those uncomfortable couples you see every Valentine’s Day sitting in a restaurant amid forced romance.

I don’t like it. I don’t like it one little bit.

Then, one year I discovered handmade – whether it’s baking a cake for the one you love or knitting a garment that can’t be bought at any high street chain – the satisfaction that comes with knowing you’ve created something special is immense.

Now every Valentine’s Day I won’t give anything but handmade items, and my husband appreciates it all the more because he understands the time and effort involved in the making of them.

I’ve searched through the Rowan archives to share a few free Valentine’s inspired patterns with you all and encourage you to have a handmade Valentine’s Day this year.

First of all, there’s the Cridhe Gadget Cover by Anna Nikipirowicz using Rowan Felted Tweed in Rage, currently on sale for £5 at Baa Baa Brighouse. This lovely little pattern can be knitted in two sizes and is perfect for Ipads and tablets.

Secondly, why not brighten up your home for Valentine’s Day with this Valentines Hearts crochet pattern by Lisa Richardson. The pattern uses Rowan Pure Wool Worsted which is on a special three for £21 offer at Baa Baa Brighouse at the moment allowing you to mix and match colours as you wish and complement your home decor.

And with the leftover yarn, you could make a lovely Valentines Mug Snug, also a crochet pattern by Lisa Richardson using Rowan Pure Wool Worsted and Kidsilk Haze.

If you don’t see the colour you want, simply contact us and we’ll order it in for you.

So, have a Happy Handmade Valentine’s Day!