Two Angels - angels & petals AND crafty angel

Jelly roll speedy patchwork.

Begin by joining all the jelly roll pieces together, without sorting through them. Work straight from the top of the pile. If you chain pieced them all, snip all the threads.

This will make one very long strip of fabric. Then find both ends.

Being careful not to twist the huge strip of fabric. Easier said than done!

Put the 2 ends right side together and sew all the way down the strip.

When you get to the bottom, cut it open and repeat the process.

Until the quilt top is made. Speedy sewer of the day went to Emily, who finished first.

Then Sue's was complete.

Closely followed by Claire.

As far as we know Eileen is still in there working on hers! It'll be lovely when it's done though.

Just off to give her breakfast.

I had a lovely time on Sunday showing people how to crochet and knit (with extra help from some very special people - thank you). It is always a joy to watch people master something they never thought they could do. Special congratulations to Jodie, who took to knitting like a duck to water, and Katie who is already well into her first crochet blanket.
Our next session for beginners, or improvers if you've already grasped the basics, will be Sunday 26th August at 10am. Hope to see you there.

Time for a new hobby?

Next Sunday 29th July, we are running beginners crochet classes 10 -12 noon and beginners knitting 2- 4pm. Cost is £6 per session and includes your hook or needles to keep. If you'd like to learn, or refresh your memory why not sign up? Call into the shop to book.

Extreme again

I can't believe it's been so long since I blogged. Where do the weeks go too??

Anyway, we took knitting to the limits again this weekend and dusted off our 20mm needles, gathered together a heap of lovely yarn and away we went.

We find feeding the strands from a basket up through a mushroom box, helps to prevent too much tangling.

Learning to manage those big needles can be quite an undertaking. Non knitters find it much easier!

Up and running now. It gets easier the more rows one does, and grows super quickly.

And before you know it, you'll have a great chunky throw, or bag or cushion or whatever takes your fancy.

Its all that MATters

Ok, so today we embarked on a little weaving. Using a hula hoop as a frame and a pile of cast off tee shirts, we set to work making mats.

Spokes in place, its time to start weaving.

And weaving...

Looking good.

Then it was time to start cutting and tying to secure.

Working all the way around.#
Some were finished in the time allowed.

Others required more colour co-ordination or to be made larger,  so went home to be finished off.

 

I've never had such a Pants weekend!

You see it's been a full weekend of cutting, zig-zagging, gusset aligning and elastic pulling.

All in the name of knicker making.

We started with these kits, which contained the fabric, pattern and elastic.

The cutting out begins.

Zig-Zag stitching all the way around.

Attaching the elastic.

I did it!!'. First pair made.

Then began the Superman style modelling...........

Enough of that I think!

and that!

They really were super cute & fun to make.

Kits available in the shop if you fancy having a go.

Asking for trouble ...............

Perhaps surprisingly at our Knit & Natter we mostly crochet. Hatherleigh seems to house a clutch of those who shun the twin needle craft for the relative safety of a hook and one stitch. I have to say I am amongst them. Crochet I find relaxing and therapeutic, knitting makes me tense and irritable. (The girls prefers it when I crochet!).

 So, you see, out little band of crocheter are collectively known as the Hatherleigh Hookers.

So it was decided that we should tell the world, or at least the rest of Hatherleigh, how we feel.

We did this by screen printing our own bags.

As shown here by proud hooker Terri.

We made them in a range of colours and even thought about those proud hookers elsewhere and made a bag for them too.

There are a couple left for sale in the shop, so if you are into the hooky craft why not pop in and buy one so you too can tell the world how you feel about having mastered the versatile art of crochet??

Monday

Just a reminder that we are open as normal for Monday Morning drop in session. As well as being able to bring your own work in progress to get on with, there will be the opportunity to make a Jubilee Rosette in preparation for the evening festivities on the moor.

Come & make a rosette to get you in the party mood!

JUBILEE WINDOW

I asked the lovely ladies who regularly attend our Knit & Natter if they would make a simple flag for the shop window. The kind which could be waved on a stick, should Her Majesty decide at the last minute, that she would rather spend the weekend in the peace & quiet of Hatherleigh, rather than the hustle & bustle of London. I suggested an A4 sheet of paper and a little colouring would be fine, as I know they are all busy people. But no, they went far beyond the call and this week handed me some spectacular flags which far exceeded my expectations. Thank you ladies, you've done us proud.

Laid out and ready to go. A fabulous mix of patchwork, knitting & crochet.

Looking mighty fine in the window.

A look to the left...

and a look to the right.

Please do stop by and have a look over the weekend if you can. We are open Saturday, Monday morning & Tuesday.  I'll let you know if I see the Queen around town!

Life in Hatherleigh

Well we started the week here in Hatherleigh with great excitement, as the Olympic Torch was carrier through the main street...

and ended the week with an evening of Knit & Natter sat in the square, listening to the silver band practise, with bunting hanging over head, drinking tea and eating cake. It was worthy of any episode of Jam & Jerusalem!

More lovely weather please.