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Cat and Sparrow UK
Cat and Sparrow UK

beautifully crafted fibres and yarns – made in the UK, shipped worldwide

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Home » Tools and Notions » Other useful things

Other useful things

A selection of useful things for yarnsmiths

  • andean plying tool scarlet

    Turtlemade 3D-Printed Andean Plying Tool

    £19.50     Select options

  • Niddy Noddy – 3D Printed by Turtlemade

    £24.00     Select options
  • plum yarn bowl

    Turtlemade 3D-Printed Yarn Bowl

    £40.00     Select options
  • About/Services
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@catandsparrowuk on Instagram

It’s my birthday so I spent the morning at #bristollido swimming, sauna-ing, getting massaged and eating a delicious lunch. Perfection. The place is a trove of inspiration as well. So many gorgeous colours and shapes. I’m thinking of doing a Lido-themed shawl pattern. 😍#catandsparrowuk #designinspiration #openairswimming
I recently bought an electric drum carder from #classiccarders and hoo boy, it's fantastic. Making batts is almost as much fun as spinning them and I've got a few new ones in the pipeline. This one - Girl from Mars - is already up in the shop. It's a blend of Corriedale and Merino in chartreuse and gold, wtih mauve Mulberry silk and sari silk pops. Have you worked with batts? What's your take?
Clause 9 of the Nationalities and Borders bill broadens the government's powers to strip British citizens who hold dual nationality of their citizenship, without notice or right of appeal. This is yet another step along the road that this government has been taking over the last 15 years - that of weakening the claims of certain British people to their own citizenship, and of sending the message that a specific group of British people aren't truly British. Don't let this fly under the radar. Please sign the peitition. Link in profile. #clause9 #nationalityandbordersbill #racistpolicies #petition
Hello crochet people! Guess what I've got? 5 copies of the wondrous Moorit magazine in stock in the shop. It's about time something of this quality was available for the hookers amongst us. I am trying to work my way through a pile of wips so I can get to the #sivusweater, which happens to be made of a base very similar to my yakkety yak 4ply. There are 11 patterns in here - 3 sweaters, a skirt, socks, accessories and an amigurumi pattern, as well as an embroidered hankie and a fab article on garment fitting. It's the perfect Christmas gift for the crocheter in your life. If that just happens to be you, so much the better. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #giftideas #crochetersofinstagram #crochet #crochetpatterns #hookit #mooritmagazine #catandsparrowuk
Gilded Cage Mitt kits are back in stock! Hurrah! Kits include a printed or digital pattern, and 1 skein of sumptuous high-twist Merino/silk/yak yarn in four colours. These mitts were inspired by Mary Shelley, and the yarn was dyed specifically to work well with the twisted stitch pattern. They're super comfy and warm, and it's the perfect time of year to knit them. Kits make great Christmas presents too!
Due to popular demand, the Flora and Fauna Fibre Club is back again for the months of December, January and February. The first instalment will ship in mid-December, so UK customers should receive it in time for Christmas. Exciting stuff. There are some lovely inspirations this time - the natural world is a bottomless well of inspiration - and I'm really excited! As usual, there will be a hand-dyed top, custom blended top and a hand-carded batt to get your mitts on. Are you in? ⁠ ⁠
They’re live! Four sumptuous colour ways in 100% British Masham are now available in the shop. From first photo to last are Don’t Come the Raw Prawn with Me, Boat Race, Spinney and Kingfisher. 10% of all sales of Boat Race (yarn and fibre) will be going to Surfers Against Sewage because my god, we can’t seem to go five minutes without this government trying to kill us in one way or another, and allowing companies to dump raw sewage is such a ridiculously inevitable result of leaving the EU. Why isn’t it a no brainer? What on earth is in the water the Tories are drinking? Not sewage, you’d have to hope. Anyway, I hope you love the fibre! #mashamwool #spinstagram #spinnersofinstagram #spinningfibre #feltingfibre #handdyedwool #handdyedfibre #feltersofinstagram #surfersagainstsewage #brexitwasabadidea
This is coming soooon! 100#masham dyed all sorts of rich colours. Masham is a lovely long wool with a halo that takes colour with brilliance and depth. I also love that when you spin it, the staple is so long that multiple colours blend together throughout the spin. Such a joy. #spinstagram #spinnersofinstagram #catandsparrowuk #sheepy #handdyedfibre #indiedyer
My favourite spot close to my home is #magpiebottomnaturereserve, where there is a gorgeous orchard. It was spectacular today in the autumn sunshine. The ground was covered in perfect apples that just burst with colour. Happy days. #colourinspiration #colourpop #orcharddays #red
#westknitsmkal2021 SPOILER PHOTO for clue 1. I haven’t quite finished it yet but I’m really enjoying this one. I’m usually a bit twitchy about mixing yarn bases within projects unless it’s part of the design but I’m embracing the chaos this time! I’m using two of my handspun yarns, two colours of #ohsofinesock BFL and silk and one of @thewoolkitchen’s glorious Merino/silk in Finding fireflies. Handspun yarn behaves very differently to commercial yarn - it’s generally less consistent (at least mine is) and can feel as if it’s knitting up thicker than it should but I’m loving how this is turning out! #spinstagram #spinnersintheuk #handspinning #neverenoughshawls #shawlography #messyknitter
I’ve been spinning! This is Space cowboy on Polwarth, yak and silk spun superfine on my #lendrum. I love it! Normally I’m all about the speed but this is so fine I’m settling in for the ride. When it’s done I’m hoping to make the #anansishawl by @aoibheni. Let’s see how it goes! #tunisiancrochet #laceweightyarn #handspinnersofinstagram #spinstagram #catandsparrowuk
They're all up! Thanks for your patience! I didn't realise it would take so long to put them all on the website, but they're there now, down to the dinky nanos, which are amazing. I managed to spin cobweb on both the nano and the micro like it was nothing. They're SO COOL.
All the received Insta-wisdom says you shouldn't apologise for being quiet on social media, because people might not have noticed, but honestly, I'm a human, not a robot, and yes, I have been quiet. Everything became overwhelming, and something had to give, so I took a break. However, the arrival of these babies has officially marked the end of my Insta-silence. I love them so much. I haven't uploaded them to the shop yet, but spindles are coming, and there are two new sizes to salivate over - micros and nanos. I only got 5 of each of the smallest sizes, so I could see how they go, and now I want to keep all 5. They're so cute and dinky, and they spin like magic and wizardry. They'll be uploaded to the shop on Friday, but in the meantime, just admire their colourful perfection...⁠ ⁠ #3dprinting #turkishspindles #spindlespinning #handspinnersofinstagram #handspinning #spinningyarn #spindlelove #wemakeyarn #spinnersofinstagram #spinnersofig #spinstagram #spinspiration #turtlemade #catandsparrowuk
It’s back! This blend of Shetland, Cheviot and alpaca is such a star. It’s perfect for deliciously woolly sweaters and socks - the Cheviot and Shetland are both hard-wearing, and the alpaca is strong and super warm. I’m spinning some at the moment, and I’m going to make them into a pair of DK boot socks. It’s a real joy to spin too - open-handed, soft and fluffy. The grey base gives loads of depth of colour, with the three bases each adding their own character to the dye. I love it. So far there are three colour ways - swipe to see them - but I’ve got more planned. Watch this space! ⁠ ⁠ #spinstagram #spinnersofinstagram #handspinning #spindlespinning #sockblend #sweaterblend #indiedyer #handdyedfibre #shetlandwool #cheviot #alpacafibre #sockknittersofinstagram #feltersofinstagram #needlefelting⁠
As a beginner knitter I made a few questionable yarn choices that resulted in less than loveable knitwear. It's sometimes hard to know whether a yarn is going to suit a particular project, and there are half a ton of things to consider - fibre content, structure, weight ... I've written a blog post on how knowing the properties of the fibre that's in your yarn can help you make decisions about what you use it for. Check the linkin.bio to go and have gander!⁠ #knittersofinstagram #knitting #knittingaddict #yarn #yarnaddict #yarnlove #crochet #handdyedyarn #indiedyer #handdyed #igknitters #crocheting #craftersofinstagram #yarnhoarder
Watermelon swirl… #colourinspiration #summercolours
Meet Brocket! I’m really excited to share this - @lizcorke.knits has designed this beautiful sock pattern, inspired by the curved shape of a deer’s antlers as they grow. I love Liz’s design aesthetic - it’s simple and elegant, and her designs really make the yarns shine. She’s knitted this in Cat & Sparrow Eco-warrior Sock - a sustainably produced blend of British Bluefaced Leicester and Tencel - which suits the delicate lace perfectly. It’s pictured in Green Room, but I have kits available in ALL the Eco-warrior Sock colours. Kits include the pattern and yarn. Even more exciting, I’ve just added five new colours to the Eco-warrior Sock range (swipe to see them). I reckon this pattern would look amazing in all of them. #sockkit #yarnkit #knittingkit #sockknittersofinstagram #sockknitting #joyofsocks #sockknitters #knitstagram #knittersofinstagram #knit #knitallthethings #knitsocks #catandsparrowuk #sustainableyarn
I did a fair bit of dyeing in preparation for Unravel, and didn't manage to photograph it all before I went to the show. I'm uploaded the new fibre colours, on Polwarth, Polwarth/Shetland/Silk and Merino/Alpaca/Silk, and I'm photographing the many, many new yarn colours today. Meep. ⁠ ⁠ Anyway, this is Fruit Salad on Polwarth, which is super bouncy and fluffy. These juicy colours work so well on Polwarth, as it has a rather matte finish to it, which allows the depth of shade to really bloom. I looooooove it! ⁠ ⁠ I've also had a bit of an issue with my site, as when I synced it with my point of sale software it put everything in the shop to 'out of stock' so if there's something you've been looking for, it might be back in again, as I've just fixed it. Technology is NOT my jam. ⁠ ⁠ I hope you're enjoying the lovely weather! Perfect for al fresco knitting, crocheting or spinning. I'm going to pop out for my lunch in a bit and do a bit of casting on.
I've been meaning to list these gorgeous Namaste Buddy Cases in the shop along with the Namaste Train Cases and they are finally here! I love them. They have such a satisfying snap closure, and a little concealed magnet inside to stop your stitch markers from spilling. The vegan leather is really sturdy and the cases are beautifully made. They're just right for a little collection of notions. They'd make a great gift too (just ask my Mum - she loves hers). Pop over to the shop to have a look! There's a linkinbio in my profile. I've also uploaded some new colourways in Polwarth, Polwarth/Shetland/Silk and Alpaca/Merino/Silk fibre for your delectation. I've been busy!
I've been meaning to list these gorgeous Namaste Buddy Cases in the shop along with the Namaste Train Cases and they are finally here! I love them. They have such a satisfying snap closure, and a little concealed magnet inside to stop your stitch markers from spilling. The vegan leather is really sturdy and the cases are beautifully made. They're just right for a little collection of notions. They'd make a great gift too (just ask my Mum - she loves hers). Pop over to the shop to have a look! There's a linkinbio in my profile. I've also uploaded some new colourways in Polwarth, Polwarth/Shetland/Silk and Alpaca/Merino/Silk fibre for your delectation. I've been busy!
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