The Bath Crafting Cranny

Why I love the Guardian!

I've been notified from someone working for the Guardian that 12 exclusive knitting patterns are being given away in the Guardian on Saturday July 26 in a special supplement, 'The rebel knitter's guide'. The supplement will contain 12 weird, wonderful and useful patterns designed by Mazzamatazz for such wonderful things as iPod covers, socks, fruit cosies, cup holders (for your hot cardboard coffee cups), a scarf, a hat and a bag - among other things! 

They are going to send me some postcards that includes one of the free patterns (a banana cosy) - I'll bring them along to give out at our next meeting...yippeeeeeeee!

**NOTE TO SELF: DO NOT SKIP TO THE NEWSAGENTS FIRST THING ON THE 19TH JULY AND SEARCH EXCITEDLY FOR THIS SUPPLEMENT. YOU WOULD BE A WEEK EARLY - DAMMIT**

The wonderfulness of words

I am peculiarly drawn to words in any form. I love the way they feel on the tongue, look on a page and the noises they make as they're written or typed...

I also happen to love fossils. A bizarre blend, I admit, but it works: and, but cheery happenstance, I happen to have found a job that encompasses the two (serendipity of the highest order, I'm sure you'll agree).

 My other fondnesses are wool/my pointy sticks and needles/threads. You can imagine my surprise when I discovered that to be a lover of both words and wool is not an uncommon union (I wonder if there are any other wordy, wool AND fossil lovers out there??)!

I know four other knitters in Bath that have also worked in publishing...I wonder what can be read into this? The trait of loving the minutiae and detail of life makes a patient stitcher? Whatever the reason, I am delighted.

There is a meeting of publishers in the Bath/Bristol area in the Raven pub on the first Tuesday of every month and we chat about words and drink beer.  There are freelancers, graphic designers, authors, website designers and even a Bath bard. We are a merry band – please join us if you are passing!

The organizer of the Publishing meetings, Richard Lawrence, has a studio in Widcombe Studios where he prints the most beautiful printing material. We went to a talk recently by Martin Andrews about a slightly odd wood-engraver called Robert Gibbings...what a colourful character Robert was (wrote and illustrated books on travel and natural history, ran off with the sister of his wife, a nudist, proprietor of the Golden Cockerel Press, did some of his drawings of sea animals underwater). Martin delivered the talk beautifully. The Widcombe Studios seem to be stepping up their public profile, which is great to see.

Here are some lovely machines that Richard uses: the Albion handpress (top left) and a Heidelberg Press (above right). I love these cuts (above left). They clearly display the printing process: the careful build-up of colour and lines to form the perfectly finished image. He's happy to take classes if enough people are interested, or you can pop in and see what he's working on and perhaps have a go yourself. You can contact him by email.

Richard tells me the place to visit for All Things Typographical is St Bride Library, Fleet Street, London...and the Type Museum is due to open in 2009...watch this space...

Waving my pointy sticks fiercely at life

Hello - I'm back! Popular to contrary belief, I have not been eaten by wool moths, suffocated in my stash o'yarn or got lost on the way back to my new house from the Stitch'n'Bitch meetings...

Now is not the time to go into details of the particulars of my life over the last 3 months - but it does involve: one house-purchase and house-move; one doctoral submission; a poorly parent; one new job; and two kittens amongst other stuff, not all of it good. For much of my life I have travelled around the outermost of it, patting it into shape and tucking in the edges - but the last few months, I've stood very still and life has whirlwinded around me. And I am breathless with the exertion of moving forward. Still, there we have it - sometimes life does us the favour of carrying us forward regardless.

I have been knitting furiously - despite my bloggy-silence and the knitting meetings have cheered me up no end (thanks very much to the cheery core of knitters: Helen; Betsan; Elizabeth (x2) and Peter).

There will be very little new yarn purchasing in the Pollitt household after this new house purchase and my and Helen's glut and 'I Knit London' excitement...I need to put a hole in my stash so I can demonstrate to John that I need more ;0) but there are lots of woolley-wonders balled up and waiting for me...

The two pairs of socks that I started for Andy and Neil's civil partnership were a little late (on return from their honeymoon) but gratefully received - I did apologize for the tardiness and had to explain that I'd been knitting them continuously for 3 months! THREE MONTHS. I forgot how big normal mens' feet are - as my boyf is a human-whippet. The repetitiveness of knitting plain socks has driven me back to my first love - lace - and, with insipiration from Helen, I have found a lovely lace sock pattern to knit with my favourite coloured yarn. And they've kept me a very happy knitter. Here's the pattern from Melanie Knit's blog: Download snowflake_lace_socks.doc

In other non-Bath stitching news, thought you might like this post about a seamstress and a snake. And you'll have all seen this Dr Who outrage, I'm sure...(as a publisher, and someone who should fight to support copyright laws, I should reserve judgement...but the knitter in me can't resist throwing a long, tutting glance in the direction of the BBC).

One of the ways that I remembered to keep an eye open for the Storyville documentary was by popping the Mindhacks website into my Bloglines.

Bloglines is a way to keep up-to-date with all the new posts on the blogs that you read. Helen reminded me of it recently and I've rediscovered it in all its glory. It's functionality is wonderful... basically plug in every blog you want to keep an eye on and everytime a new post goes out it will appear as a link in Bloglines.
It's beauties are:

• all new/updated posts appear within the Bloglines window, which keeps everything neat on your desktop and you don't drown in gazillion open windows (you can click on the links in the post to open them into new windows if you wish);
• by checking Bloglines fairly regularly you can keep up-to-date with your blogs without getting overwhelmed - I used to remember to check some of the blogs only every month or so and then had to spend a whole lunch-hour topping up...;
• once you've read the new posts of that blog, it disappears from your list until a new post goes up;
• you can mark some posts 'as new' if you like them and want them to appear in your  'updated feed' list permanently;
• you can tailor all the options to suit you, e.g., whether links appear in a new window/same window, newest/oldest posts first, display entire post/summaries, display items updated within 'X' hours/days; and
• you can mark 'all as read' if you know you've checked the sites individually outwith Bloglines or if go on holiday and can't be bothered reading the 403 new posts that await you!

The only disadvantage: I now read 44 blogs regularly...and the number is steadily rising! Gulp.

More brain nattering

Occasionally I watch something on TV that draws me up short...(not often, I might add, which is perhaps why they have such a strong effect on me...).

Last night I watched Storyville: The English Surgeon and was reminded of the fluffy knitted brain. It really was one of the most amazing documentaries that I've ever watched (brought to my attention by the MindHacks website *little nod in their direction*).

It was aired on BBC a while ago (I had it downloaded on my iPlayer) and, sadly, I don't suppose BBC will show it again for a while, prefering to re-run a load of rubbish instead (another documentary that I wish they would re-run was that of Henry Perkins, a touching programme indeed).

Henry Marsh is a neurosurgeon who works at the world-renowned St. George's Hospital, London, and has developed links with a neurosurgeon, Igor Kurilets, in the Ukraine over some decades. This documentary tells of the trips to the struggling Ukraine and work done by Henry (free of charge) with Igor to tackle brain medicine.

Notables from the programme that I thought you might also find food-for-thought were:

• Igor Kurilets struggles against the Ukrainian government - generally, it would seem, because he is successful (he keeps being investigated; they touch on the country's politics and it sounds dubious);
• Brain scans cost only $50-100 but most of the country can't afford this - and, sadly, with neurological problems time is of the essence. Some of the children that he sees have gone blind - their sight could have been saved by a simple scan and a simple operation;
• Henry collects the drill tips from St. George's that are going to thrown away (£80 a pop; 5 used a week) and gives them to Igor (who vows to use them for a decade);
• They browse the Ukrainian markets for tools, rivets and screws for their operations - assessing carefully for quality (although the scene when the drill's batteries start going flat is terrifying - and surely would have been for the patient (who is under only local anaesthetic));
• Igor has neither the skillful team or financial resources to use a general anaesthetic to saw open the skill and then local anaesthetic for the brain op (the patient needs to be awake for the surgeon to minimise damage to surrounding healthy tissue and thereby avoid any paralysis)...so...you guessed it...the patient has to lie awake and listen to them sawing open his own skull; and
• Probably the most moving part of the film was watching the two men discuss the scans of a beautiful 23 year old Ukrainian. She'd been told by some other doctors that she had minor encephalitis from a tick-bite but, in actual fact, she had a inoperable brain tumour and would soon go blind and then only live some 2-3 years after that. The two men spoke amongst themselves in English - she couldn't understand them but listened attentively. They decided that she must bring her mother with her before they could give her the bad news - she must have known when asked to revisit with her mum that this was serious but left the consultancy room with such grace. Igor sits with her later, she asks 3 times if the treatment will be expensive. He gently avoids answering her questions but does reassure her that it won't be expensive and the consultancy was free. They talk casually (he bluffs) about when she should return. "Should I come back soon?", she asks. "Don't leave it too long", he replies.

This programme will stay with me for a long time. Partly, as an amazing story in its own right and, partly, as a stark reminder that - whatever we say about the medical system and all its foibles in the UK - we have it good.

I could do with one of these...

A knitted brain!! Excellent!

Sigh: at the moment, I'm sure my own brain is fuzzier than this one...

Sustainable beauty

Some of the general Jess knitty-silence is due to an imminent house-purchase and move...and all that stuff that comes with it taking up much of my free time...packing boxes, signing lots of bits of paper, etc...

I've had much Google fun looking for fun housey things - inspiration from Design is Mine and her cited links (Another Shade of Grey is one of my faves). There's so much lunchtime fun to be had...and, ahhhh, to be a billi-squillionaire.

Anyhoo, I was particularly taken with this website: Reel Furniture. I can't remember where I first read about it (ooops, Jess = bad blogger; but it will be from Design is Mine and links from her)...I love the Reelfurniture website because it's so understated (the website is undeniably a little clanky and the photos aren't always wonderful quality) and because their vision is so simple, lovely and anything, no matter how big or small, is worth their effort (toothbrush holder; right; sellotape holder, left). Everything they sell is from recycled timber and made by craftsmen who care about the sustainability of timber resources and conserving our forests.

And there's no need to compromise anything on design: this chair (right) is seriously cool and on my wish-list for this summer!

Happy day

Bath is lucky enough to have the Fashion Museum at hand (formerly the Museum of Costume). Much to my chagrin, I've not yet been (only except when they had a teeny tiny bit of their collection open during the refurbishment last year).

So, Mary and I pulled on our big coats (snowing) and shades (sunny; the British weather lived up to all expectations) and popped down to have a gander. Brilliant (£7 but if you're a Bath resident then it's free of charge...bonus!).

In order to whet your appetites: here's a wee peek at a millionth of the vast collection that was available to gaze at.

(1) A white cotton lace dress and moulded leather collar: if there was ever a fashion paradox...here it is (left). Alexander McQueen's concoction: pretty 'field of flowers' charm coupled with a prosthetic-limb type harshness. Whether you ike it or loathe it: it's certainly challenging;

(2) There's a collection of knitwear, including this (right) from knitwear-designer Sarah Dallas. If you're vertically-challenged (me - but, hey, my mum's 4' 11'' so I've done pretty well all things considered), it's not that easy to pour over this bit (I'd like to have had a good ogle) but the written information that is provided is interesting;

(3) There is some wonderful knitted swimwear, like these trunks from 1943 (left). Men wore full body swimming-suits in the 1910s, an increase in the cutting-away of swimming-suits was seen in the the 1920s and 1930s (perhaps due to the increased trend of sunbathing?) and finally, by the 1930s, the wearing of trunks had became fashionable. (we are spared versions of Borat's 'mankini' - phew!); and

(4) There was a wonderful timeline of fashions - splendid dresses that would have let your chest hang out, but as long as ankles were covered then you were considered modest (?!) - and there dresses resplendent in ruffles and frills. We shrieked at this dress (right), which would have meant wearing cane 'panniers' on your hips. Seriously.

Topped off with a potter around the wonderful building and a cuppa tea and sticky bun - t'was a lovely day! Stitches for the soul.

Knitwear made from your pet...

Ooo, I can't work out what I think about this new-story...

Forgotten your needles?

Chris Evan's comeback is fantastic - I love his show - and he even talked about hand-knitting..! :0)

Embroider your own crockery

Ooo, look at this! What a lovely idea! Sadly, the rather 'YIKES' price of £114 (US $223) makes it a little less appealing though...

More knitted teasets

I recently mentioned knitted china - and Bloesen stars some more...this time by Madieke Fleuren. I just love this knitted-style cup and saucer!

Seafarer gifts from landlubbers

The British and International Sailors' Society have launched their Woolly Hat Week 2008. You can download their pattern here and their fundraising pack here. They give them to seafarers to keep warm - many unaccustomed to our ghastly cooler climate.

Stitchlinks: World Knitting and Crafting Day

To celebrate this extra day on 29th February, Stitchlinks members have declared it a World Knitting and Crafting Day. With members in 11 different countries, word is spreading fast - so they want to see how many knitters, stitchers and crafters can link up world wide.

Their aim is to encourage as many people as possible to take time out for themselves. To indulge in some special time without feeling guilty that you have to be somewhere else or doing something else – after all it is an extra day! They’d like to encourage groups to meet up and invite anyone you know who might be lonely or isolated to join in. If you can’t get time off work then why not hold a lunchtime group to get to know new colleagues there?

Stitchlinks has a special 29th February Forum up and running, and open for everyone. So please leave a comment of support, discuss your ideas for the 29th, and on the day itself get together to chat across the globe. Make 29th February a day to kick-start putting a little fun back into everyday life! Let’s see how many people can be inspired!

For more information please contact Betsan Corkhill here.

Belgian knitting!

Our firm have just returned from a wee Jolly in Brussels - and a good time was had by all..! You can see some pics here. I lived in a village just outside Brussels, for some 4 years as a child, so I popped there first to stay with my adopted Granny and help feed the goats and dig up the endives. Lovely to be back...

Mosselen en frites in the wonderful University city of Leuven (right) and an abundance of beers and chocolate...perfect Jess time...

The morning that we were returning to the UK, we stopped at a cafe for a spot of Croque Monsieur and a coffee and I saw a Newsbite on the TV about knitting in a pub (left)! :0)

I did study French for many years but it's all rusted to dust now, I'm afraid. But I think they were saying that people are taking it up to survive the Smoking Ban in Belgian pubs (I'm a little confuddled about the status of the smoking law; some posters implied that it was banned in all public places from 01/01/08 - but we saw little evidence for this being enforced - and some websites imply that it is still allowed in pubs but not in restaurants/work places).

Knitting is a great distraction if you're a fidgeter trying to quit the evil weed (I speak from experience) and there's evidence that it's helped other smokers in the UK.

As an aside, I came across this intriguing article when I was googling this Belgian story and then this hysterical article...bwahaha! Oh the joys of internet browsing....now, I must get back to this freelance editing...sigh!

Chilly chickens

The weather is rubbish. Knitting with metal needles whilst waiting for a bus is now impossible without them freezing to your fingers.

But, imagine if you were a chicken! And a featherless one at that...

Brigitte Hawley from Benenden has been knitting her ex-battery hens little woollies to keep them nice and toastie. You can see the video here!

Last month's knitting merriment

Tuesday's knitting and wine continues to bring winter-cheer.

We met Lisa, who's starting a jumper (and modestly called herself a beginner...I've been knitting for a couple of years and am still working up to The Knitting of a Garment). Good tip from her: use paper-clips as stitch markers! Brilliant!

Helen has, as always, been a busy knitty-bee. She's been working on:

• a preemie bonnet from a 'Simply Knitting' pattern (left above; but from now on knitted without the ties or with the ties sewn on further down - less of a hazard);
• socks from Easy Knit's yum 'plums and custard' yarn (right; but Helen didn't like the Dublin Bay lace so the yarn is frogged, steamed and back on the needles);
• socks with own pattern loosely based on Simple Socks by Lucy Neatby in red Araucania Ranco Solid yarn, using the Magic Loop method (below; there's a good book coming out by Melissa Morgan-Oakes to help us with this Loop of Madness);
• she's made the most wonderful Nancy Bush Mamluke socks out of purple and yellow yarns (reminiscent of above 'plums and custard'). They are just gorgeous - they're blocking now so pics up here shortly...

Jackie's been knitting-busy too! Pudsey (right) is developing fast...two months ago he was just a nose, and now he's nearly fully-grown (except for his insides...)

I've been merrily knitting socks for a secret project (more later) but am a little bogged down with non-knitty matters at the moment (buying a house, yippee; freelancing in the evenings; becoming involved with the local Bath Geological Society; and much winter beer drinking) and still trying to rest my wrist (poor Flibbertygibbet's suffering like I am).

Knit Couture

Henry Conway has been gracing our newpapers and TV quite a bit at the moment! You will remember that his father has been reprimanded and had the party whip withdrawn for paying Henry and younger son Freddy salaries as researchers with little evidence of work done...

BUT, it would appear that he also recently co-wrote a book entitled 'Weardowney Knit Couture'. Amazon tells us that: "Gail Downey and Amy Wear, owners of Weardowney boutique, carved a name for themselves with their innovative range of intricate handknitted garments and couture and by publishing their seasonal Biannual magazine with each London Fashion Week. This imaginative and informative book will surely inspire knitting mavens and fashionistas alike. In addition to providing the reader with an in-depth knowledge to the world of fashion and knitwear, this gorgeous book features more than twenty designs complete with coloured photography and easy-to-follow instructions. Charming illustrations accompany advanced techniques used in the projects. Weardowney invites movement of a beloved craft, maintaining its unique successful qualities whist extending present limits to promote and progress an infinite medium."

Looks great! Although - given how much he was paid to sharpen pencils (allegedly (said in an 'Ian Hislop tone')) I'd rather not hand him any more cash right now..!

Ceramic knitting

The wonderful Design is Mine brought my attention to this (right): 'the collection crochetdream does not consist of soft crochet, as it may seem, but of solid porcelain. In the process of manufacturing the twine disappears and leaves only its cast. Only the spirit of crochet remains as ceramic mantle'! Isn't the collection beautiful: I love the crocheted fruit bowl!

Other knitting-related ceramics are: Alyssa Ettinger Design (left) and the UK's very own Joanna Kay Lewis' knitted seating (below) and ceramic knitting (anyone know of any others?).

 

Stitchlinks volunteers required please!

Betsan of Stitchlinks is asking if anyone would be willing to participate in a knitting research project?

An academic expert in depression, Dr Ulrich von Hecker, and psychology researcher Jeni Brown (of Fyberspates) from Cardiff University have been running a pilot study utilising knitting. They’ve been looking at whether the automatic nature of knitting is pushing out automatic negative thought cycles and rumination. 

Experts in pain management, depression, primary care, dyslexia and education are also interested in Stitchlinks' work and are in regular contact. Future projects are being planned. There is a distinct possibility that, if their theories are correct, knitting and stitching will be recognised as a valuable therapy for a number of conditions.

The pilot study run by Cardiff University only needs some 15 more knitters to complete it. The principal researcher Jeni has agreed to come up to Bath one Saturday to run the final stage of the study in Betsan’s house (with the consent of Cardiff University). Each contributor would be seen individually for ~45 minutes.

I'm definitely going: would anyone else be willing to take part? It’s on the weekend of the 9-10th February and Betsan will provide refreshments on the day! Email me or Betsan if you're interested please!

Happy New Year to one and all!

Another year has passed! A year ago I was still merrily knitting scarves and other rectangular/square shapes... with no hope of anything more tricky and now I can (almost) turn a sock heel whilst watching TV. My knitty-confidence is a lot higher - and that's definitely due to the S'n'B meetings... Thanks guys!

I hope the meetings have been as constructive and cheery for you all too!

I finally finished the Miss Potter mitts from Yarn Forward! It's a really beautiful pattern once you've cracked the editorial glitches. I think these are going to be on my list of favourite knits!

If you'd like to send me some pics of your Xmas knits (given/received) or any woolly gifts I'll post them up!

Knit a sheep!

Another knitting publisher friend (curiously, there seems to be quite a few of knitting logophiles - I wonder why that should be??) brought my attention to these chaps at the Little Experience.

I like the Knit-it Sheep Kit the most. Shear a sheep, to knit a sheep...brilliant! It's got the whole chicken and egg feel about it..!

Spinning cheer

The bad news is that I have another cold - blimey. So, it's back to the hankies and Lemsip. This is quite ridiculous - roll on Christmas - this is my third month of various plague attacks.

The FABULOUS news is that I am getting a spinning wheel for Christmas from my lovely parents! I'm literally bobbing up and down with glee. For a rather clumsy, left-handed person with a propensity to RSI this could prove a disaster - but I remain ever optimistic.

Fiona's been helpful, as always, and helped me with all the initial considerations that I need to make and I've been browsing the complete set of beautiful Ashford wheels. Aren't they beautiful?

My mum, bless her, has been researching it too apparently (and she's about as interested in knitting/spinning as a biro) - and she likes the beautiful, traditional-looking Ashford 'Fairytale' wheel (right). I do too, but I need to think about other requirements too:

• Space: I still need to leave space for my sewing-machine, table on which to cut fabric, vast hoards of wool and all my other wonders (known by some as 'junk')...;
• Looks: it's important to cherish what you work with, isn't it? I love the look of the Fairytale and Ladybug spinning wheels but am not so in love with, for example, the Chair Timbertops wheel. Not really sure why not, but there we have it;
• Cost: a factor here (but many of them are around the same price in the UK).
• I seem to easily discombobulate those pesky limb tendons, if I use them more than once an eon, so it's probably best to have a double treadle so I can alternate legs;
• on a related note, I might choose to spin left-handedly...in which case I need the orifice to be in the centre; and
• I don't drive/own a car so I need to be able to carry it around easily if I want to take it outside the house, e.g. Spinning Guilds.

So, I think it's a choice between the easily-portable Ashford 'Joy' model with it's rucksac (right; also owned by Amy Singer of Knitty: so I can glean some tips from her) and the charming and lightweight Schacht Ladybug spinning wheel (top left; which has also just been purchased by Amy!). Both available from the Guildford stockist Fibrecrafts (but there is, somewhat predictably, a waiting list for the latter already!). 

Chris' FAQ website on spinning wheels and her related Spindizzy site were helpful. I found some information on a shop called 'Spinning Weal' on the latter site. Spinning Weal is a new shop in Clevedon, Bristol - opened in May 2007 - that stocks Ashford wheels and look like they'll be able to help me. And, as a bonus, we'll be able to stop in the reportedly-wonderful Tyntesfield on the way!

I've been using this useful U.S. website too. And, if my eyes weren't big enough with excitement already - I've just realised there's a whole section of Knitty donated to spinning. Bounce, grin, bounce.

Independent traders and independent women

The following blurb is from the front of last week's Guardian's Shopping Directory:

'Identikit high streets packed with mighty brands and virtual shopping malls where all it takes is a mouse and a credit card to avoid the Christmas rushes and surly service - or indeed, any service at all.

The small shops, stocked and run with passion, commitment and specialist knowledge, are still there - but there numbers are dwindling and their squeaky voices are ever harder to hear amid the cacophony of the big-bucks corporate advertising...'

The directory aims to help, with concise listings organized alphabetically by region.

There are a few more I would have added: namely bookshops like 'Topping & Co.'; there are countless more independent gift shops in Bath than 'Hansel und Gretel' and 'Rossiters'; 'Country Threads', at least, in the Arts and Crafts section.

Tanis Taylor writes an very interesting article introducing the Arts and Crafts section: 'is craft a radical re-evaluation of women's skills or is it a slap in the face of feminism'? I've kept my head very much down over the 'Yarnstorm' media scandal earlier this year (sparked by this appalling article in the Telegraph: look at the number of comments to see some fine British outrage. Liz Hunt can now be added to the list of authors that make me froth (but Rosie Millard will always be top: for 2 counts)).

I watched the whole Brocketgate thing develop with increasing feelings of both mild despair and bemusement. I'm with Taylor very much on this: I don't see the increasing number of crafting, domesticated women will lead to the demise of the independent, strong woman. The key argument here is surely that we have the choice - crafting of any sort is not a necessity for British women anymore. We are not forced to sit quietly doing needlework - forgoing education and a career. Yes, Yarnstorm's life does seem idyllic and delightfully simple - but we all know that this cannot be her true life - her blog is simply her portrayal of her private life to the public: to give us all a little gloss, peace and beauty in a sometimes hectic and grey world.

The main accusation leveled at Yarnstorm by Liz is that she incites guilt amongst her readers. Really? I can't imagine any women feel that their crafting lives are pressured upon them; that it is some kind of competition or carry shame about the jumper that took 14 years to complete. Of course, there must be times when we all look at someone else's work and wish we had the time/inspiration/money to make such wonders - wee pangs of envy, perhaps, but surely never obligation? What do other people think?

Here's a sneak preview of Taylor's mentioned upcoming U.S. documentary 'Handmade Nation' (I wonder if it will come to the UK? Or if there will be a simlar UK-based programme?):

UH-OHHHHHHHHH

I'm thwarted. Despite recent noises from me about healthy knitting - I've succumbed. Dammit. I've had nerve pains in my left arm since my spectacular bike fall but, last night, I started getting throbbing pains in my wrist...

It is, I fear, the beginnings of that old knitting chestnut - RSI. And it's making typing tricky. Pretty irritating that I'm left-handed too - if I can't write, then I'm scuppered at work...people usually like editors that can write!

I am gently lying down the WIPs and stepping away swiftly. I might pick up the projects that are on larger needles over the weekend - but only if I don't get any discomfort. (This will be difficult for an impatient person...)

Has anyone got any unusual tips on how to deal with this, other than the obvious?

Incidently, how can I avoid the lovely Knitting Callous?? My left index finger is starting to feel strangely disconnected from me as it toughens up...I brought these finger protectors from the Stitch Shop but they're shiny and the needle keeps slipping. Oh dear, why am I such a physical puzzle? 

Treely good ideas!

I know it's a bit Scroogy - but I've always found the idea of pulling up and killing a lovely tree in order to stick it inside in a tinselly pot for a fortnight a bit sad. Especially when I read that the average age of a Christmas tree is between 6-10 years old. Their production is resource and energy intensive, and they take ages to degrade in landfill.

Here are some tree-thoughts from the FOE:

- Buy a real tree with roots that you can re-plant for next year, ideally from a UK grower - see the British Christmas Tree Grower's Association for details;

- If you buy a cut one, check your local council can recycle it afterwards; and

- If you already have an artificial tree, get the most out of it, as it's best to avoid buying a new one.

I always beetle north for Christmas so I don't bother (and we never have a tree at home)...but if I did spend Christmas at mine I would have one of these (left) with some Christmas pot pourri for the festive bouquet...

Sigh.

I'm not in a good place with the ole string and sticks, to be honest (hence the lack of recent posts). Everywhere I look there are half-finished projects: pesky single, lonely socks, scarves without their edging, felted fabric pleading to be cut and sewn...you get the picture. And I go back up north to the Homeland in TEN days. I'm all a dither. And suffering from sock-fever...like Fiona (but she's just finished whereas I have a gazillion to go).

Yikes.

Anyway, I've managed to finish some things! My lovely friend Claire has left the fossil molluscs aside for now to have a little human and I knitted up a wee baby hat for her. The pattern was knitted flat and taken from the 'Vogue Knitting Beginner Basics' book (the BEST beginners' book I've found - taught myself to knit from it). With a cheery pom-pom added.

I'm currently battling with the beautifully tantalizing but infuriatingly incorrectly written Miss Potter/Beatrix mittens (Yarn Forward, Autumn 2007, left pic). Every blogger I've found who mentions this problem just says that they scratched their heads for a bit and then worked it out, rather than giving the solution, but I don't even have time to scratch my head!! AND the Yarn Forward errata links on their website don't work... :0(

Birdwoman from Ravelry (thanks Ravelry!!!) did help me out but she advises to knit even rows to the pattern but it didn't work when I did that. I don't even have time to think about why. Knit first, think later (?!).

I'll expand on this later - but for any hair-torn-out peeps in a similar emergency situation here's what you need to do...

Helen helped me work out the first confounding bit = for DD, slip the next two stitches knitwise TOGETHER, K1, pass these slipped stitches TOGETHER over the knit stitch. In my first attempt I slipped them individually (instructions are a bit ambiguous) and ended up with a messy line of stitches rather than the neat, tidy line you need...THANKS HELEN (aka, my helpful knitting elf)!!

For the rest:

Knit as pattern until thumb gusset.

R1 TG: K26, m1b, K2, m1b, K11

All even rows: K1, yo, k4, DD, K4, yo, K2, yo, K4, DD, k4, yo, K*, yo, K4, DD, K4, yo, K1 (where * is the remaining stitches, increasing by 2 every even row)

All odd rows: K26, m1b, K*, m1b, K13 (where * is the remaining stitches, increasing by 2 every odd row)

I think row 21 onwards is fine - but I'm not there yet...

And the worst bit - once I've done this mitten I'VE GOT TO DO THE OTHER ONE! Sob.

POSTSCRIPT: I've passed row 21 now - Round 1 of 'end of thumb gusset' should read:

K26, slip 1 stitch, transfer 19 onto waste yarn, slip stitch back and K2tog, K12. 

The pinny gets popular

I love the 'Listen Again' facility - surely one of the very best things about the internet..? A half hour squealing at 'I'm sorry I haven't a clue' and then I found myself listening to 'Woman's Hour' (it's a slippery slope).

Last week aired an interesting discussion about the revival of aprons (it's in the last 10 minutes of the programme if you want to fast-forward.) Here's the blurb:

'Gone are the days when the pinny was a symbol of domestic drudgery. This year’s Christmas gift buyers will find no end of pretty fabrics and patterns adorning the once humble kitchen apron. So are we ready to reappraise the pinny? Jenni talks to pinny collector and enthusiast Barbara Jones, and Good Housekeeping’s Judith Gubbay, to look at why this staple of 1950s kitchenwear is making a come-back.'

(There was one bit that had me sucking through my teeth - Judith seemed to pass scorn on those of us who use bread-machines rather than make their own...grumble...grumble...bread-machine owner and proud of it).

My lovely friend Mary got me Danielle Proud's book with a lovely apron pattern - I've got the fabric (top left) so, after the Xmas knitting deluge is completed, I will definitely be making my own...

By the way, troublesome clicky internet fingers also took me to this interesting programme about the Swede botanist Linnaeus - I've been reading about his classification system for years - to help me with those pesky fossils - but this programme brought the man to life. Highly recommended. Next week, John's off to the city made famous by Linnaeus for a conference - but this time he has instructions to find this yarn shop rather than bringing me back any taxonomic souvenirs...

Raining wool?

Unlike Gerard from IKL, I'm afraid I'm just not a Alan Titchmarsh fan. But, why, you ask? Well, it's pretty much for the same reason that the fairly innocuous James Blunt manages to get up some people’s noses…

Actually, my pseudo-aversion comes from the fact that he seems to be the David Attenborough replacement and, as for his geology-based programmes...well, don't get me started. The fabulous Aubrey Manning would have been a far better choice (a hark back to my cheery Edinburgh days) or the masterly and merry Richard Fortey (but, then, I am biased). Luckily, BBC seems to have realised the error of their ways and are starting to recruit the wonderful Iain Stewart instead.

John watched his 'Nature of Britain' on Wednesday while I battled with a sock heel - and Alan did actually make me ears prick up. He tells us, such were the concentration of spiderlings hatching one year, that 'it rained wool round about the stronghold of Compsa (note 147: Pliny the Elder, Natural History: A Selection.' 77AD)'. Raining wool! Excellent! (This is the earliest known written reference to spider silk, by the way...)

As ole Alan has the irritating ability to pop up on every radio, TV, website and newspaper (often concurrently) and shows no sign of abating, I guess I will have to learn to love him. I promise I shall try.

Bath Christmas Market time again!!

Hurray! It's the time of year again! I've resolved to buy one of Donald Yule's beautiful clocks this year - after drooling over them for the last 2 years! He makes house signs too...

Hysterical knitting :0)

Julie Stewart is a knitting writer and is working on a sitcom based around a knitting group! As she would like it to be UK based, and aimed primarily at the UK market, she is now approaching almost 100 UK knitters for participation. I’ve pasted some information from her email below:

'I have been knitting for 40 years and I am also a writer. I am currently writing a sitcom based in/on a knitting group. I intend to write a light, hearted, fun, family show and to do for the images of knitting, knitters and knitting groups what "The Vicar of Dibley" did for female clergy. That is, I want to explode the stereotypes but also make us stand out as the unique types that we are!

I have created the main group of 6 characters, and I have planned a series of episodes. My next job is to layer the content, to enrich it and to decide on some story arcs for each character. At the moment I am working on the pilot and have set myself a deadline for end of January.

Initially, I would like to hear from any groups or individuals who would be interested in collaborating on this project by sharing anecdotes, special things individual knitters or groups have done/achieved, happy/sad knitting related stories, successes/failures - anything, even if it is just a short notion of 20 or 30 words or so. I have set up a private forum: http://purltwotogether.makeforum.org. Please sign up to this project and share it with other knitters who I may not have contacted.  Even if you cannot think of any ideas just now, you may do so later. If not, you will still have opportunities, via the community that I shall build, to contribute your opinions. I have added some content - and will be adding more about the proposed characters, plot synopses and ideas for episodes. Members of the forum will have access to the scripts. All, and any, ideas - however insignificant they may seem - will be welcome. So any ideas, catchy knitting-related phrases, stories and experiences, weird things people have knitted etc etc etc will be welcome. I shall also discuss directly with individuals the use of their contributions and let them read any scenes/episodes in which their contributions feature and discuss any points of interest or other issues with them. Anything that is used will be credited.’

I wonder if she might be interested by my near demise-by-knitting-needle??

THIS THURSDAY!

Get a discount from the Cath Kidston shop on Thursday! It's current store is on Bartlett Street.

I think it's opening a new store near 'Stone the Crows' shop and St. Christopher's Inn and it looks bigger than the current store.

I do love Cath K - and her background is interesting! But somehow I find myself wishing she'd not widened her niche. In her early days her items were selective but well-made and I was willing to pay the difference. When I went to her (enormous) store in Brighton I found myself disappointed with how eclectic the items are with her name on now...it's like she'd filled every possible branding opportunity and the items didn't seem very well-made at all...

On a related note, a couple of years ago I was going to buy some of her fabric to make a knitting needle-holder. And then her knitting collection came out...it is interesting to note that her needle-holder was going to cost a third of the price of the fabric alone and included a few pairs of needles too. That, surely, says something about the low cost of the labour for the making-up of her items...or the amazingly overinflated price of her fabrics? But I still can't resist her.

Some comic knitting ideas

Lovely Carol from work (who's taking me to Dick and Debbie Mather's 'Crafts at Home' tomorrow) lent me a wonderful book called 'Wild Knitting' by Angela Jeffs. It was published in 1979: does that help to give you some idea of what delights this post is going to dazzle you with?

So here are some of my favourites! The Armadillo Wrap (upper left); the knitted lipstick! (upper right); the sardine tie (left). There's some more pictures on Monster Crochet (check out the duck-feet socks)!

The farmers' jumper has a pipe-cleaner fence and pompom sheep. The bobble hat has a yellow bobble as the sun! (right). Just wonderful!

Tuesday's knitting merriment (even with a limp)

About time for a post with photos, I think!

Tuesday was a good knit-knatter - nice to meet Sarah and Nikki! I was a little fragile - post-knitting-needle-injury - and got soaked by a lorry whizzing through a lake on the Bathwick Street. Humph. But tea and knitting cheer awaited :0)

Peter's been working on his tubular knitting and, in particular, the problem of short rows. Here's his work on the wrong side (above, left) and right side (above, right). He's going to put all this tubular brain-work online in the new year...I'll give a link to it when it's all up and running..!

Helen's been battling with her pair of socks on one circular needle (left). (Beware: this way lies madness!) But they look excellent and this is one way to truly solve the deaded SSS (second sock syndrome). I think Helen's getting a bit bored of continually moving the work around the needles (one of the sides of the work is especially fiddly). I'm sure it'll all be worth it in the end!

Jackie's in the midst of knitting Pudsey (and here's his nose; above, right)! When it's completed it's going to auctioned here for Children In Need, so keep a beady eye open...

Ravelry wonder

A month of bouncing up and down on my seat - and I'm in! Hurray!

And what a bag of wonders Ravelry is! I'd played in it this morning but had to sign out after half an hour: my eyes were nearly bleeding with overload.

Some porridge and a mug of tea later and it's all seeming a bit more manageable. The functionality is great. You can work in the following categories: projects (WIP, ordered by 'happiness'!! chortle!); stash (what you have/want/are selling); queue (Grand Ravelry Plans for the future, and you can save other website patterns in here too!); favourites; friends (to find people in your area, etc.); groups; needles and hooks (to make a list of what you own! Surprisingly useful); and books (Amazon wish list-esque for knitting).

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!!! And now I really need to lie down. I can see the vortex of my life being sucked into Ravelry for every spare future minute of my life...but it will be fun!

Happy weekend fun

I’m off to this happy event on Sunday (see their Exhibitions page)! Yippee!

I was introduced to Debbie through a friend from work that lived near her. Debbie crochets lovely garments and accessories and Dick is involved in woodwork and woodturning. I bought the most wonderful cherry wood bowl from him last year: carved from a donated tree from Marshfield vicarage.

There’s an entrance fee of a couple of quid (which goes to charity) and this also entitles you to a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie! It promises to be a lovely weekend!

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Crafts at Home
Saturday & Sunday, 24th and 25th November, 2007
11am to 4pm
A selection of crafts for Christmas in our own home (see their Contact page).
Our work, plus the work of some invited friends.
Entrance fee to include mulled wine and mince pie. All profits from the event go to CLIC Sargent.

Yarn shops in Bath Spa and the West Country

We've been talking about where to shop locally for yarn - so here's a wee list of yarn stockists in Bath Spa and its surrounding area. It's undoubtedly not comprehensive; please email me with details of ones I've missed!

-------------------------------------------

Bath Spa and immediate area (central marked with *)

Edna's: 4 Brookside House, High Street, Weston BA1 4BY. 01225 423058

Sew 'n' Sew*: Stalls 11-18, Guildhall Market, BA2 4AW. 01225 482648

Janeen: 43 Upper Bloomfield Road, Bath. 01225 833240

Wright's Wools: 94 Mount Road, Southdown, Bath BA2 1LN

Wool: Old Orchard Street, Bath

Bristol and area

Get Knitted: 39 Brislington Hill, Bristol. 0117 300 5211 [HUGE store, with lots of choice, get the X39 bus from Bath].

The Crafty Stitcher: 83 Quaker's Road, Bristol. BS16 6NH. 0117 975 9004

The Ball of Wool: 47A High Street, Bristol BS37.

Wells

Wells Knitting Centre/Mandy Wools: 5 Mill Street, Wells, BA5 2AS. 01749 677548

Yeovil and area

Enid's: Church Street, Yeovil, BA20 1HE

Good Yarns: 38 High Street, Wincanton, BA9 9JF

PS., and more here...

The great outdoors...

I was very pleased to see that Bath's Tim Gatfield has a honourable mention in the last week's Observer! Great stuff. Read more about Cherry Wood project here...

On an outdoor note: we've been expanding our allotment this weekend! I've been playing with the tools I got for my birthday! You can see our allotment progress here (soon to be updated with photos from our summer glut..!). I won't post too much about our 10 rods of land up here...far better to leave it to the Wiltshire experts: My Tiny Plot and Veg-plotting.

Oil your needles: there's a competition!

Apologies for not giving you more notice! (Beverly Evans emailed the details of this to me back in September. Ooops.)

Good news: the deadline was on the 10th December but has now been (unofficially) extended to the end of January!! Debbie Bliss will be judging the entries in early February.

Details are here: Download competition_leaflet.pdf!!

Knitted phone (k)natter

For the person that has everything?

On a related note, a friend lent me a 1970s knitting book - so there's more odd knitting ideas coming up - watch this space..!

POSTSCRIPT: see here too for woolly weirdies...

The Big Knit 2007

'Innocent' (those yum little drinks) are at it again!! :0)

Here's their press release:

'The Big Knit has arrived. Over the last few months, people have been busily knitting little hats for our smoothie bottles. And these behatted bottles are now available in Sainsbury’s – for every one sold, innocent and Sainsbury’s will give 50p to Age Concern. If we hit our target of 400,000 hats, we’ll raise £200,000 to help keep older people warm this winter. Good eh?

So why are we bothering? Well it's simple. Almost 25,000 older people died of cold related illnesses last winter, and we wanted to do our bit. Age Concern will use the money raised to provide support to older people in winter, including hot meals, blankets and advice on how to keep their houses warm.'

It's absolutely freeeeeeezing out there now! Their news blog is here and get some inspiration here!

And there's a comical video..!

Beautiful voice...and buttons

I heard Ruth Notman on Mike Harding's Radio 2 show last night and was bowled over: her voice has a beautiful purity (not dissimilar to that of the wonderful Alison Krauss). And, with a album cover like this, (right) what's not to like?! You can read a review and hear her dulcet tones here.

Project paralysis

I'm at the end of my pink cotton socks and need to think about my next cast-on. But, the thing is: despite being completed over-excited (in a magpie-in-jewel-shop, kid-in-lolly-shop kind of way) about my vast stash, I now also feel strangely immobilized.

It’s as if I had sped up with projects as I neared the end (or, at least, end-ish) of my stash and now the huge number of awaiting projects has completely discombobulated me.

I wonder if I can find a circular needle long enough to cast on every single waiting project so I can knit them concurrently, like Helen's pair of socks??!

For impatient souls like me – knitting is a tricky pastime. I have to stick to my house rules:

• only 3 projects on the needles at any one time;
• write down any pattern-changes as I go rather than relying on the dubious idea that I'll remember them all;
• less haste, more speed;
• when I make an error, however small, I must rip-back rather than make-do; and
• stop trying to inhale patterns immediately, take the time to read them slowly and ponder them first.

What are other people's knit-rules?   

Someone sit Helen down and give her a cup of tea please!

Helen and I crawled home on the last train after some debachery in Leicester Square (we'll not talk of the bus not turning up at Swindon and the National Rail having to put us in a taxi to Bath - I can feel my jaw clenching already). So, we got home at around 2am on the Sunday morn and met up again some 12 hours later for the Sunday SnB meeting.

The only things I had done since I'd last seen Helen was: sleep, take a Berocca and clean my teeth. Helen, on the other hand, had nearly finished her second glove (above; note that her nails (deliberately) match her yarn! hehe!); wound up her Easy Knit's 'plums and custard' yarn; thought to bring me lots of exciting pattern books to borrow; and very kindly bought me a lovely sewing-box for my birthday! :0)

And there's more..! She's been battling the drop spindle (above) whilst repeating the adage of 'practice makes perfect', and plans to dye it golden with onion skins once it's spun! I've played with mine a little but am a bit too preoccupied with sniffing the practice wool (it smell so delighfully of baby, fluffy sheep).

And, if that wasn't enough for a Monday, Helen's started knitting up her 'plums and custard' yarn into a pair of socks. And I do mean just that: one pair of socks. On the same circular needle (left). The mind boggles...

I'm going to ask her if she'll put a wee tutorial up on here - this is far beyond any of my knitting capabilities...

But I am assured that: (1) it is possible; (2) it involves a lots of needle manipulation (3) it looks impossible; (4) it is fun; and (5) she's not sure if it will ever flow..!

Helen wants to email Jon of Easy Knits (above right, with Easy Knit Roy and me) a 'progress report' so the pressure's on - don't forget to sleep, Helen!!

IKL Big Day Out

The knitting group/shop 'I Knit London' (IKL) hosted the UK's first official Stitch 'n' Bitch Day last Saturday and Helen and I were happy partakers. Meeting at the train station at 7am was a rather auspicious start to the day – but it rapidly improved. We managed to pour over the street-map for a good few minutes trying to work out where the hotel was – before realizing that we were standing next to a massive sign for it… I’d like to blame it on the early start to the day but, frankly, it’s just because I’m rubbish at directions.

We popped next door for a quick coffee and sugary victuals to give us some shopping energy…and then, suddenly, it was 11.30 and we’d managed to miss Jane Waller’s ‘A Stitch in Time’ and Debbie Stoller’s workshops. Damn. So now I have no sense of direction and no timekeeping ability. I did have a browse through their books though – and they’re both definitely on my Wish List. Furthermore, all the woolly gems in the market pulled us in and meant we also missed the crochet flower workshop by Jane Brocket (AKA Yarnstorm).

Anyway, less of what we managed to miss and more about what we did do! Erm…shop. And fiercely! And lots of: “ahs”, strokes, squeezes, rummaging, planning, envisaging and “ooohs”. 

There were lots of stands selling wares. In a mere 60 minutes, Helen and I managed to notch up the following...

Skeins of: Manos Del Uruguay silk (very top left, I recommend clicking on the photo to see its full glory); Natural Dye Studio's Mirage (very top right) and teapot cosy kit (right); Fyberspates' wool in a gorgeous bluey-teal and their reversible 'Wave' pattern (can you tell what my favourite colour is yet..?; upper left); Easy knits' Liquorice yarn (upper right) and the spectacular Plums and Custard (left); drop spindles and lovely wool tops from the lovely lady at Fibrelust; and lots of goodies from Garthenor Organic pure wool (bottom left and right).

More about Easy Knit and Fibrelust later but just a wee word about Garthenor Organic wools. All their yarns are unbleached and undyed from traditional and rare breeds of British sheep. They sell oiled and washed versions of their yarns so you can experiment...My biscuity-coloured wool (the 50g balls in the photo) is a blend of a brown and white spotty breed (I love this thought - I'll giggle whilst I knit with it!).

Chris King was really helpful and informative and his son helped me find the right wool (I asked him if he'd got roped into helping, to a little nod...I said that I hoped he was getting a treat after, to which he whispered 'pizza!' Tee hee!)

All my rules about buying yarn only for planned projects went completely out of the window. I did consider hiding my wool in a cupboard and producing it in small batches so John wouldn’t notice the sheer volume… But, anyway, I am convinced that this splurge will get me through the throes of ferocious winter-knitting and out clearly the other side...

And, thankfully, we did keep an eye on the clock in time to see Betsan’s wonderful presentation about the therapeutic effects of knitting. You can read more about her work here. There was so much in her talk to fascinate - and I'm going to share it soon - but, for now, enough woolly-waffling. I'm off to wind my Liquorice sock yarn and drink wine. The best way to spend a Monday evening...

Knitting before breakfast..?

I'm an oats-&-yoghurt kind of girl but when my brother came to visit we had to get something a bit more sugary...(this is the lad who eats sugar cubes by the handful...). We brought Shreddies for him (and got a glower for not choosing the more sugary Frosties...humph...)

But, I'm now a convert...the little side-labels of ours says that they are knitted by Dotty! :0) And look at the back of the box -------->

(JohnBoy is a one of those lovely people who actually listens to what people say and stashs it away in a brain-folder somewhere: but I was slightly shocked to see how much he listens to my whitterings. 'Isn't the granny's tension a bit tight if she knits something so small from such big needles??'. Er, yes, Dear. (Blimey!))

Gloves to keep those knitting hands toasty

Helen's lovely, lovely gloves ('cuse the flanking beers) are made from Louisa Harding's Kimono Angora (shade #8). I absolutely love this yarn and ordered some today from Cucumberpatch *little bounce*

The pattern was inspired by Iris G's Malabrigo Gloves, but with a 3+1 rib cuff and the fingers are left open-ended. 

I reckon the second glove will be finished on the train by the time we get to this Big Day Out! (providing we don't fall asleep - we're getting the 07.15 train on a Saturday - bleugh).

Widcombe Studios, Bath

Widcombe Studios are having their Open Day at the end of November (I think it's the 30th Nov-1st Dec). Details are coming soon so I'll keep you posted...

A friend from the Bath Publisher meetings, Richard Lawrence, has his printing studio there: he has a wonderful treadle press and an amazingly-old hand press there, all in use. When I last visited, he was in the midst of printing beautiful hand-printed flyers for the Edinburgh Fringe festival. It really is a step back in time.

I'm desperate to visit the Type Museum in London: but it's under development, with limited access to the collections at present. I excitedly emailed them and I was told they don't know when it will re-open to it's full capacity - but will keep my beady eye on its website...

Stash increase!

Stash, a lovely yarn shop near my parent's house, are having a massive Autumn yarn sale: hurray!

I'm looking forward to popping in there over Christmas...if anyone wants anything picking up, drop me a line!

I'm told patience is a virtue

Ravelry is - I've heard - a wonderful forum for all thing knitty. Will I get to #1 on the waiting-list quicker if I stop checking how many people are ahead of me all the time??

• You signed up on November 1, 2007
• You are #51643 on the list.
• 9177 people are ahead of you in line.
• 2726 people are behind you in line.
• 77% of the list has been invited so far