Ever found yourself ditching what you should be doing for a knitting project? Well, Meg sure did! As someone who favoured stitching to GCSE and A Level coursework during free periods, it's no surprise that knitting would become a big part of her life.
With all this free time not studying (ooops!), Meg's knitting skills levelled up fast. At 19, she joined her first knitting group and soaked up all the knitting knowledge she possibly could. Here, she found her groove with a simple, no-frills style – less is definitely more for her.
Fast forward to 2018, and Meg took her passion to the next level by starting No Frills Knitting. At first, it was just designing a few (not so fantastic) patterns and a knitting Instagram showing off what I was knitting. She even once did a translation test for Petiteknit around then too.
No Frills was then taken to the next level when she had a pants job during Covid lockdowns and desperately needed something else to do, so she set up her 'business in a shoebox' selling notions, needles and buttons. What a rollercoaster of a ride it’s been from there. From selling buttons and craft supplies out of shoe boxes in her bedroom to...drum roll, please... opening her very own shop right here in Bedminster, Bristol.
No Frills Knitting has been on Cannon Street (that weird bit where North Street meets Dean Lane meets East Street, ya know?) for almost 3 years now.
Starting as a one-woman band, Meg is now the chief knitter of a whole team of us and nowadays you'll catch her juggling sweet baby Jessie whilst serving you in the shop.
Meg was in the shop over lunchtime today so I thought I would pick her brains for her favourite knitting bits, WIPs, tip-top knitting tips for beginners and most importantly, what she'll be scoffing for tea tonight...!
Meg, what’s your favourite:
Yarn?
Lettlopi. I'm a huge Lopi fan which is why I had to put No Frills on the map as a Lopi Specialist. We've got most of the range now, pretty much.
Needles?
It's gotta be an even tie between Knitpro Symfonie and Pony Perfect. KnitPro cables are way better than the Pony, though so take the lead by a smidge. If only you could combine the two!
Type of knitting project?
I love a colourwork sweater. One of my most recent finished knits is the Nova Sweater by The Knit Purl Girl which I steeked and made into a cardigan - knit up using Lettlopi in my favourite shades of murk, of course!
Finished object?
I knit a jumper with Obama’s face on it way back when. You know the 2008 Hope poster? Picture that on a jumper. This pattern, infact, though no pictures of the actual article I knitted exist on any of my current devices. So, it's either that or a cardi I finished knitting in Spring 2018 called the Othona Cardigan. It was worked up on 2mm needles so to finish it was a triumph!
Meg has chosen the soft and silky World Of Wool Marble for this adapted version of The Knit Purl Girl's Baby Aosta Cardigan.
What are you knitting at the moment?
A Baby Aosta Cardigan by The Knit Purl Girl without the signature Andalusian stitch in World of Wool Marble. We've just had a big restock, so I'm making a striped version in four of the most beautiful shades (Olive Branch, Sea Breeze, River Mist and Water Grass for those of you interested).
What yarn features most in your stash?
I inherted a lot of Plotulopi recently, so I currently have a lot of that in various shades of blues, browns and creams. I also have a lot of random single balls of double knit, so I think I need to make a stash-bustery project, the Musselburgh/Seaglass hybrid hats I did back in the Autumn didn't bust much...
What are the latest 3 projects in your Ravelry favourites list?
Fairy Ring by Katie Green
Cloud Blouse by Petiteknit
Kastali from Lopi Book 42
Do you follow any knitting blogs, YouTube channels, or online communities?
All the knitstagrams! VeryPink Knits and Purl Soho are really great on YouTube for anyone wanting to learn new things. Ysolda is great for knitting resources such as size charts for designers and all sorts of knitting tutorials and courses.
What's your best tip for beginner knitters?
You will find your own way to hold your yarn with time and build efficiency, don’t try and copy someone else. Also - if you're learning from scratch, learn continental style, it makes knitting so much faster! Start as you mean to go on, and all that...
Meg showing off one of her latest cast offs - the Nova Sweater-turned-Cardigan by The Knit Purl Girl
Quick Fire Questions
Knitting or crochet? Knitting
Jumper or cardigan? Cardigan
Magic loop? Reluctant yes
Must have knitting tool? Scissors
What's up next in your knitting queue? Bothy Hat by Ysolda
Best yarn weight to work with? 4-ply or heavy DK
How do you get to work in the morning? Walk
Must have shop snack? Tony’s Chocolonely!
Socks and sandals? Yay, but only handknit socks with birkenstocks. For some reason that's ok.
Fruit or veg? Fruit
What are you having for dinner tonight? Romanian Chicken and Peas inspired by my friend Nicole.
Catch up with Meg over on Instagram at @nofrillsknitting