Blog - Cat and Sparrow UK

Choosing a supported spindle

a collection of supported spindles in a wooden bowl

Tibetan or Russian? Metal or wood? Which weight or length? This helpful post takes the mystery out of choosing which type of supported spindle to buy.

Choosing a drop spindle

Confused about the variety of drop spindles? This short blog post will help you with some information about the whys and wherefores of suspended spindles.

I get asked a lot of questions about drop spindles at shows, and in emails. Because they come in lots of different shapes and sizes, sometimes knowing how to choose a spindle to start with can be intimidating. Do you choose a drop spindle or a supported spindle? Top whorl or bottom whorl? Turkish or […]

A sense of achievement

Things have been very much up and down the last few weeks. A month ago I was taxing my brain to the max by doing quick crosswords whenever stress presented itself. Then, suddenly, the ability to use my brain at all deserted me and I’ve spent the last week inhaling Georgette Heyer Regency romances like […]

Out of the Woods

Well, after having rabbited on about the ‘new normal’, I got lost in the woods. I’ve spent the last week grappling with confusion and malaise. I’m sure I’m not alone – a lot of people I’ve spoken to are really struggling to get things done, to lift themselves out of a funk brought on by […]

The New Normal

This week has been a real rollercoaster. I’m sure it’s been the same for the majority of people. I veer from worry to panic to calm and I can’t seem to get a firm grip on how I feel from one day to the next. We’ve settled into a bit of a routine here with […]

Yarn shows go online!

It’s yarn show season in the UK, or it should be. Given the circumstances, many yarn shows are taking the sad but necessary decision to cancel this year’s events. Social distancing has been shown to make a huge difference to the spread of COVID-19, and we need to try and reduce the pressure on an […]

Trying to find silver linings

Well, these are odd times, aren’t they? I used to write a regular blog, years ago, when I lived in Namibia as a VSO volunteer. I had some mental health problems that writing regularly helped me to deal with. Now I have a blog that I haven’t written in nearly enough and times are stressful, […]

Meet the Yarn Shop Owner – Frome Yarn Collective

Frome Yarn Collective is my happy place. It’s just the loveliest shop, and it’s run by Nicky Jerrome, who is one of the most fun people I know. Her enthusiasm for yarn and knitting is infectious, and I always learn something new. She seems to like my yarn too, which is always a bonus! […]

Fibre wrangling – a story of transformation

Cat and I are both fascinated by the transformative process of creating fabric from fibre. The transformation begins when the fibre is dyed, and continues through spinning to the creation of a fabric, whether knitted, crocheted, woven or felted. Colours that stand out boldly in a fibre blend to create a completely different feel in […]