The Sliabh Liag textile Awards night at the White House

We are all about the Sliabh Liag (Slieve League) textile Awards at the moment.  Everyone at the studio can see the touch of magic it has brought swirling around our knitting needles. In fact the Edel MacBride studio has been a buzz and a blaze as everyone from youngest team member (Eamonn 5) right through to the Knitfield horses have opinions and favourite creative entries.

You've reviewed them and we hope voted in the online part of our competition.
 The happy and talented winner of which was Bronagh Connolly with 'The Elphin Sweater' a mastery of circular knitting with a wonderful connection to Sliabh liag via St Asicus who was the first Bishop of Elphin in Roscommon in 483 AD. He travelled to the Sliabh liag and lived on Rathlin O Birne island for 7 years. His monks came to Sliabh Liag to find him but he died enroute back to Roscommon and is buried still in Donegal.
Bronaghs circular work is reflective of hermit dwellings in Ireland, and not just an intelligent piece but a very beautiful and expertly finished one.
Besides being the online competition winner in our contest (facebook/knitfield) page, but also a 'Judges  Award' winner, being the chosen piece of one of our 3 very informed judges (more on them later).

Bronagh center (online winner and judges award for The Elphin sweater) in her 'halloween' lace knit dress. Anna Campbell on the left dressed in a limited edition chunky Donegal Yarn used to create the berry shrug design from Knitfield and made by herself expertly;

 Eilish on the right in classic Edel MacBride Irish Linen with Italian lurex hand loomed and crocheted suit.

Anna Campbells awarded piece on the evening which was joint third, based on the three judges

combined points was inspired by both her Shetland roots and Donegal life style.

Besides marrying Harris tweed and Donegal yarn beautifully in designs with unique combinations of Aran stitches, Anna is a star with Islandic knitting. Well she did grow up in Shetland with a clever gran who taught her.

In fact take a look at Bogbean designs her facebook  page as she posts the greatest finds to it.

Art to wear

Finalist and 'Judges Award' choice (our way of saying second as one judge gave the piece highest score) Katy Boyle with her Cliff Top view bag. This is a delightful design with a pictoral intarsia knit and embroidered front showing Katy's diversity of expertise and just beautifully finished with a leaf design cotton lining and magnetic fastening. We Wants! It capured the scenic inspiration and connection to our comp perfectly and we think sits very well with Celine Mc Glynn's oil masterpiece of Sliabh Liag borrowed for the evening. Celine was our very special guest.  

Knitfield's friend and our Harvey's Point Knit events star Judy Brannelly from Sligo is not just your Summer Milliner for the races of choice but always draped in her own masterful creations.

Judy's ladies handbag was a joint winner voted third place and an explemory example of freefrom crochet. The skill of putting this together and the practicality of the form totally fit for function was matched by a finish with expertly stitched linings, beautiful. Much sought after to purchase by viewers, but not for sale! A lot of hours went into this to achieve truly a one off piece.

Dancing to Tradition

Meanwhile as Vintage Tea was served with a Halloween flavour, by resident Knitfield chef Tess and homemade tea brack was flying, our youngest attendee and fan Eilish Kate (Edels granddaughter) was more interested in the mastery of the fiddle by the turf fire. Paddy Mc Menamin's magic notes filled the room in perfect harmony to the chatter that abounded.

'Wear something you made' we said, and Rose Coll did just that,we so love the fact that her glamorous friend was in Gold Edel too. Michael Carlin of the CPI centre and the White House garden (our abode for the event) was certainly blessed amongst women and we loved his venue and his china tea service for each table. Thank you CPI. It was lovely to see peoples faces as they came through the door and literally stopped in their tracks in awe of this beautiful space. Check our Blog in May this year on the garden show here.

All your own style

Something of a nursery rhymn in this, and the dish ran away with the ....wool.

Thanks for shopping on the evening Bronagh and not even using your newly acquired vouchers!

We love your hairdresser, the new look is ultra cool and keeps the glam in the knit world.

Mrs Mc Menamin was the first event ticket sold, thank you for your support and for loving our Harvey's Point Knit and Networks too. We don't know who taught your Sally to knit (and crochet) but they did a good job, Sally wears crochet in the background. Enjoying the turf fire and fiddle music.

Sally and friends enjoy the event with some of the finalist entries in the back ground.

Voy on the right is hiding the most wonderful handbag she made and we hope she might enter our competition in year 2!

Donegal yarns and fancy footwork

A pair of hand knit Donegal boots will take you anywhere, especially pink with turquoise bows, as Eilish Kate knows while she charms Chris Weiniger the manager of Donegal yarns. Chris gave a delightful closing address on the evening, thanks Chris and we were delighted Donegal Yarns was involved in the judging process too.

Chris comes from a background of four generations steeped in knitwear knowledge and history and is a yarn and manufacturing whizz. Don't show him 2 needles though! Well done on winning our star book prize on the evening too, an unopened edition of 'Princess Alexander rose of No fixed abode' by one of our judging panel, Sheila Clancy O Donnell. (Sheila could not join us as her book launch was the same evening!)

What stars collide indeed. Sheila originally hails from New York but now is Donegal based.

Emma arrives from Knitfields outpost at Number 20 the Craft Village Derry to take part in the event.

Emma wears Knitfields frontier kit pattern and snood with Edel on left in her own creation of Donegal merino, Ulster linen and leather! The lantern walkway designed by Elaine was enchanting.

All the worlds best models are from Donegal as Muireann here clearly shows us. Her mum Breda Logues piece was designed especially with her in mind and was the third piece choosen in our 'Judges Award' section (second place tie of 3 works). The poncho back displays a wonderful seahorse too and is accessorised by beautiful mitts and hat of the same theme. thanks you to Muireann for adding a wonderful drawing to our guest book.

New friends, 3 entrants in the competition, from left Marian, Katy and Alison meet for the first time perhaps? Wearing their own style too, while their entries for the competition are displayed around the room.

Bernie (right) with her entry 'Chompord' (comfort in irish) and friends enjoy the evening.

Bernies creation was voted the most desired for a Knitfield Kit Award. 

A word from Edel at the White house

Edel's White House address

Celine (right) and Edel frame this wonderful (on loan for the evening) oil painting by Celine of Sliabh Liag. Celine (editor of the Finn Valley Voice) newspaper and accomplished author and artist charmed us with a tale of her fathers obligatory Sunday Outings which first brought her in contact with the majestic cliffs.

 Norah and Olivia Anderson at the event. Norah made a beautiful blanket in crochet for the competition. Norah was taught crochet by her mum Liz in their holiday caravan.

Eilish and Lucy in contrasting Edel collections.

And the winner is........

Overall top votes when 3 judges scores combined was Karon Brennans piece (we think of as the homes of Donegal) but Karon names it very beautifully as Thanks "Ma" for teaching me to knit.

Karon who couldn't join us for the event (you can check out her shop on Pump Street Derry opened this week) sent us the following e mail on learning of the evenings result....

 'Are you serious. Never for one moment thought I was even a runner.

I only entered to make myself disciplined to sit and make this piece. Wow!!!!!

Thank you all so much.

Absolutely delighted!!!!!!!!!!!

Can't believe it.

Karon.'

A good result we think.

Karon's told us about her piece and inspiration as follows.

 Name of my piece:  Thanks "Ma" For Teaching Me To Knit.

My grandmother, we all called her "Ma" taught me to knit when I was little. Her house had lots of wool and I would spend happy hours just sitting with her knitting.  It brings back great memories and I feel I have inherited something really worthwhile.

Inspiration:  I wanted to do a sample of aran stitches and there is a wee bit of Buncrana in there.  The cottage represents many people in Ireland sitting knitting.

Combination of techniques:  I used aran stitches but as it was Edel's wool and she taught me to crochet, I used some crochet circles for the stones.

Extra information:  I would not have been technical enough to do a proper aran sampler so this was my interpretation.  It is a good way to learn about stitches.

The sampler was made for myself and it is not for sale.

Karon Brennan

We loved all the background information. 

While the pieces needed no explanation it seems you are all gifted with words and have linked greatly to those who inspired your craft world.

For more images from our Awards evening visit our facebook page at facebook/knitfield

and review the entries again on the blog piece.

We plan to print some more of the inspiration stories soon too.

Any one up for next year? write to us, right away!

Thank you All

A big thank you to everyone for turning out on the evening. A great big thank you to Gabrielle who will cover the event in The Letterkenny and Finn valley Post newspapers next week and to Celine for speaking so beautifully and we can look forward to the Finn Valley Voice coverage too on Tuesday next.

Thanks to our sponsors at The Villa Rose V spa, Kees hotel, Igloo Ballybofey, The Harbour restaurant in Donegal town, Sheila for a first edition of her book 'princess Alexandra Rose of no fixed Abode' and the beautiful flowers from Kates flowers in Ballybofey.

The Judging panel.

Thank you to these 3 very very busy ladies for taking our competition very to heart.

(Edel MacBride chaired the judging)

Nora Mc Fadden, head of colour development at Donegal yarns with over 30 years experience in the wool production business.

Deirdre Wild, Fashion & Textile centre development manager (The HUB Shipquay Street, Derry)

Sheila Clancy O'Donnell, Fashion Design lecturer & International retailer manager

(the full bio's of our judges are on display at the Knitfield studio and shop in Convoy)

A massive Thank you to the CPI centre for preparing the WHITE HOUSE for us and insisting we leave the dishes! The inviting fire and welcome always extended to us across the hill in Castlefinn has made it a home from home.

Thanks to Paddy for the fiddle music magic, to Tess for the food, To Emma and Stanislava for being just so useful when they arrived from Derry and to Elaine for pulling it all together so so well!

To order Knitfield Yarns click on http://www.edelmacbride.com/yarns/ 

Visit the Edel MacBride Studio @ Knitfield, Killynure, Convoy, Co Donegal

Shop at Edel MacBride, no 20 The Craft Village, Derry

Special offer for our Readers

15% Discount with offer code 218A0AEFD1D1 (valid until 30/11/14)

www.edelmacbride.com