Two Angels - angels & petals AND crafty angel

Acorn scarf

 
I was really pleased with the way my Acorn Scarf came out. So called because the little twists of crochet reminded everyone of acorns. Easy to do in treble crochet and using Poems yarn,  this will be available in kit form from the shop, next week.

And there's more............

 
Lets take a closer look at some of the other blankets exhibited that weren't in Isabella's top 4, but certainly would have been if there was any way she could have juggled it!

 
Sarah Hill's lovely pink cot blanket whos textured hearts and delicate edging were admired by many.

 
Inspired by mulled wine & log fires this random patchwork blanket of Jo Barretts was soooo tactile. I spent half the afternoon stroking a furry pink square. (sorry Jo!)

 
Sue Rogers, Master Knitter!! created this gorgeous blanket the rest of us could only marvel at. It really had to be seen to appreciate the work that went into it. Sue must have been awake for many nights to finish this one.

 
How pretty is Chrissie Cole's baby blanket? Inspired by Spring and adorned with daisies, this blanket had many admirers on Sunday.

 
Holes where they are meant to be! Now that was a novelty - a real talking point for our visitors and a favourite with many. Designed and made by Trish Back and inspired by pebbles, this blanket had real movement & texture.

 
Our own Jane Richards tucked herself away in her lovely cottage and then produced this beautiful double bed sized crocheted throw - as if like magic! I know there were times when she was tearing her hair out trying to decide how to edge it, but the results prove it was all worth it.

 

At last!  Emily Kemp's gorgeous blanket in all it's finished glory! Our judge was very taken with the 'sweater style' textures & stitches of this one. Well worth staying up all night to finish Em.

 
Well, I couldn't set my lovely K&N ladies the challenge of making a jazzy blanket and not join in, could I? So here is my offering, inspired by a cottage garden.

I hope you have all enjoyed viewing our work. If you would like to join Knit & Natter, we meet every Tuesday & Thursday in Crafty Angel/Angels & Petals, Hatherleigh at 7.30pm. Our next exhibition will be in the spring. Look out for details, coming soon.

A blanket triumph

 
Wow! What a superb display of blanket we had to show off on Sunday. Thank you to all of you who worked so hard to make it a truly stunning exhibition. Not forgetting those who provided an array of delicious cakes which kept us sustained throughout the day and were greatly appreciated by our visitors. I have been stopped a couple of times today by people who popped in to see the exhibition and were genuinely impressed. You all deserve a pat on the back and I hope you are really proud of what you achieved.

 
One side of the hall

 
And the other.

 
Isabella Whitworth had the unenviable task of choosing her favourites. A task she took seriously and ensuring I knew her thoughts about each blanket, which I could pass on.

 
And winner was Debbie Fowler's cable edged beauty, inspired by sweet peas in her garden. Well deserved indeed.

 
Second place went to Sue Tinkler's raspberry, grey & white blanket inspired by a favourite Ikea cushion. Isabella especially loved the rippled edging. On the left is Olive Bush's Neapolitan ice cream blanket who's tonal shades were admired by our judge and awarded 4th place.

 
3rd place went to Rosemary Cooke and her cot blanket inspired by log cabin quilts. The hard work that went into all those little peices of knitting was appreciated by Isabella who also felt it truly was a 'Jazzy Blanket' .

Well done girls.

Check back later in the week to see all of the blankets we had on display

If the badge fits - wear it!!

 

I'm not saying anything!!

Well, I can't argue with that one.

Now available from A&P.    Limited stock on Hookers!

 
 

Knit, Natter and so much more!

When we started Knit & Natter about 10 months ago, it was a fairly quiet fortnightly event. Oh! how things have changed! The popularity of knitting & crochet combined with the camaraderie of sharing a passion (or even just a little hobby!) with like minded women is a huge draw and we are now a twice weekly group (Tuesdays - still very busy and Thursdays - room for a few more) who really look forward to our gatherings and a chance to catch up on our projects alongside having a really good laugh.

 
 
Gallons of tea are drunk and home grown vegs is swapped.

One member is doing very well with her extreme knitting using the pair of cucumbers technique - hurry up and finish Em before they start to rot!!
 

And we do have our 'wow' moments, when ladies bring in their finished project, like this very pretty crochet bag that Sue had done,

Lining it with pretty spotted cotton, which complimented it beautifully.

If you fancy joining us, just pop along on Thursday evening 7.30pm - you'll be very welcome.
 
 

Cotton Pickin'

Recently we all seem to have fallen in love with cotton yarn. It is so lovely to work with and makes fabulous throws which are warm and cosy, without being too heavy.

So I was very pleased when these new colours from Sirdar arrived in their Calico range.

Ice cream colours - yum yum! 

Who's idea was this????!!!!

So, we've all been beavering away, busy making our blankets. Now some of us have finished, some of us are nearly finished, some of us just wish we were finished! and just a few of us haven't yet started, because they can knock up a beautiful blanket in an afternoon!

Today I decided to empty my bag

and see just how many squares I'd made

Mmmm, a fair few - will it be enough though?

Unfortunately not!

Keep going girls - they're going to look fantastic.

 
 
 

A blanket challenge

Remember the colours from yesterday?

Well, I have challenged our Knit & Natter group to make a blanket using as many different colours as possible (or that they feel comfortable with!).

We thought some of you who can't make it to K&N might still like to take part. All you need to do is create your blanket, anything from cot size to double bed, using a good selection of colours.

Blankets can be knitted or crocheted, or a combination, and should be finished by the beginning of October. We will then exhibit them. Don't let that put you off though! it is just to spread the word about our craft and to encourage others to pick up hook or needles.

If you would like to join us just leave a comment here on the blog or call into the shop to leave your name.

Choosing colours can be a daunting task, here is a link to a website I find extremely useful

www.color-collective.blogspot.com

Simply click on the link to take a look and be inspired.

Big Knits

We had another packed night at Knit & Natter last night and everyone seemed to have a good time.

These evenings are getting very popular and I'm considering adding in another one, probably a Thursday. Anyone have any thoughts on that?

There was much discussion last night about free patterns on the internet and where best to find them. My suggestion is always www.ravelry.comwhich is a massive site for knitters and crocheter. Full of patterns, some free, some not, which you can download for your own use. It also includes a forum and a whole host of information. Be warned though, this site can seriously damage your productive use of hours in the day!

Success!!!

Once again we had a lively Knit & Natter session last night and 2 of the ladies who attended the flower session on Saturday afternoon proudly brought the finished fruits of their labours along to show us.

Chrissie had knitted this beautiful chrysanthemum style flower in a gorgeous blue slightly fluffy yarn. The result as you can see, was stunning.

Emily, who had never picked up a crochet hook before and was nearly driven to screaming point on Saturday! some how managed to go home and over the rest of the weekend produce this very pretty garland of flowers. Not one to be easily beaten isn't our Emily!

Well done girls, and to all whole learnt a new skill.