Our cover design is one of two chic patterns, with or without sleeves, in 4-ply cotton. Both are easy to knit and cover a large size range from 71-76 cm (28-30 in) to 112-117 cm (44-46 in). We’ve 14 designs, with lots in 4-ply, and we include details for converting all our patterns for knitting on standard gauge machines. Sally-Ann Carroll reminds us that floral prints are out in bloom and Bill King can already hear the purists ‘tutting – but let’s live with his great ideas. We welcome Fay Butcher from Sydney, Australia, as a new regular contributor and her expertise will help all Passap knitters. Joan Lafferty confesses all and we pass on ideas, tips and how to knit 3, 5 and 7 stitch cords in Dear Anne. We always include news, books and fashion and have great reader savings on new craft books from Search Press.
May 2019
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Our May 2019 cover design and short-sleeved version in this lovely summer yarn are easy to knit and cover a large size range from 71-76 cm (28-30 in) to 112-117 cm (44-46 in with the actual measurement 128 cm, 50¾ in). We’ve 15 designs and we also include instructions for converting all our patterns for knitting on standard gauge machines. Iris Rowe introduces a new friend to the Toy Box, Sally-Ann Carroll reminds us to ‘think pink’ for spring and Bill King creates open fabrics on machines without a lace carriage. Karin Rogalski has designed some great hats to use up left-over yarn quickly and Helen Lewis helps newbies, step-by-step, to knit their first sweater. We’ve masses of ideas, top tips and golden oldies in Dear Anne and we always include news, books and fashion. We also have a special reader discount on new craft books from Search Press.
New machine-knitting course in Basingstoke
Posted onGillian is a fashion and textiles technician in the Art & Design department at Basingstoke College of Technology in Hampshire. She tells us that they’ve recently started to run evening courses covering various disciplines including sewing, crochet, painting, screen-printing and pottery. A new machine knitting course is running in May. Taught by Antonia Sullivan, knitwear designer and owner of Sprig Knitwear, this course is four weeks in length and will take place on Thursday evenings from 6.00 to 8.00 pm. Costing only £125 and with a small class size (enrolment is limited to 8) it’s a great introduction to machine knitting. Here’s the link for more information and online registration https://www.bcot.ac.uk/subject-areas/art-and-design/FEBC030.
May 2019 – Dear Readers
Posted onDear Readers
If you live within travelling distance of Nottingham, do join us at West Park Leisure Centre in Wilsthorpe Road, Long Eaton NG10 4AA. This year our show is on Sunday 14th April and Guest Speakers are Sue Booth at 11.30 am and Erica Thomson at 2.00 pm The lectures cost an extra £1 each and I look forward to seeing all those who can join us.
As we put the finishing touches to our Nottingham Show, I need to let you know that this will be the last time we’ll see Wendy Piper with her Knits ‘n’ Bits. After enjoying just one grandchild for many years, two more popped along a short while ago. Both mums and babies are now well, but there was a huge scare for the family when one baby almost didn’t survive. We all know that Wendy has had her own health problems over the years and she’s absolutely fine, but now wants to spend as much time as possible with her family. She’s talked it over with her husband and they’ve decided to cease trading. To this end, she’s already closed down most of her business and no longer has a business card machine or bank account. I’ve asked her to come to Nottingham to say bye-bye to us and she’s agreed. She’ll bring remaining stock and if you’d like to take advantage of huge discounts and bargains one last time, you’ll have to come along to the show with cash.
I chatted to Karin Rogalski recently and we both wondered what had happened to the weather. After the unseasonal heat in February we’ve been plunged back into some pretty chilly days, so she’s designed a very quick and easy hat using oddments from her stash. It takes Karin half an hour to knit one and join the seam. Use any small border design from your pattern library and remember to adjust the number of rows you knit on the back of the hem for the correct length. The shape of the hat won’t destroy your hair style and your stash will be pleased to part company with a number of cone ends.
Talking of cone ends reminds me to mention that Nick Traylen will happily find a new home for all your empty cones. Simply pile them in a bag and hand them to him at a show, or when you visit Uppingham Yarns. It really is worth a day out, as there’s much more to see at the shop than Nick is able to bring to the shows. My treat is to go on market day, when the town centre is a hive of activity. Although it’s been a Charter Market since 1281, trading has no doubt taken place there since the Middle Ages. Over the years the products may have altered, but the market’s popularity remains as strong today as it was centuries ago. It’s in a lovely part of the country with lots of places for lunch and a great day out. So, if you’ve not yet been, do call Nick on 01572-823747 for more details or visit www.wools.co.uk
If you’re a Passap knitter, look out for our next issue when we welcome the highly respected Fay Butcher as a regular contributor. She’s been running a Duo 80 knitting club each month since 1984 and she started the first E6000 club in Australia in December 1988. Fay did a Technical And Further Education (TAFE) course in Australia many years ago and you’ll perhaps recognise the initials. Over the years, Tony Bennett has introduced some of his exceptional TAFE students to us in his Down Under articles. Fay’s course included pattern writing and she also gives out notes on the topic of the month at each club meeting, so we’re sure to glean a great deal from her articles and patterns.
Finally, my sincere thanks to Karin Rogalski and to Helen Lewis for their excellent articles this month, as well as to all our regular contributors for helping me to keep the magazine going into its 34th year. The clocks have gone forward and it’s officially Spring, so let’s all knit happy!
NEXT ISSUE
June 2019
Subscription copies sent out Thursday 2nd May
On sale Thursday 9th May
Ask your newsagent to reserve a copy now.
June 2019 Subscriptions
Posted onThis is June 2019 and our current issue.
New subscription If you chose a new subscription, it will start with the July 2019 magazine – to be mailed out to subscribers on Thursday 6th June. If you’d like to start with this June issue, order a Subscription Bundle.
Subscription bundle If you chose a subscription bundle, it will start with our current June 2019 magazine and we’ll send you a copy straight away. Your magazine will then be mailed direct from the printer on the first Thursday of each month and the July 2019 issue goes out to subscribers on Thursday 6th June.
Nottingham Knitting Show 2019
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If you can travel to Nottingham, do please come along to the West Park Leisure Centre in Wilsthorpe Road, Long Eaton NG10 4AA. This year our show is on Sunday 14th April. The centre is about a mile and a half from Junction 25 on the M1. When you come off the motorway, take the exit to Long Eaton onto Bostock’s Lane. After about half a mile, at the junction with Longmoor Road, turn right onto the B6002. The road bears left and becomes Petersham Road. Continue along the B6002 into Wilsthorpe Road and the Leisure Centre is along this road on the left.
KNITS ‘N’ BITS As we put the finishing touches to our Nottingham Show, I need to let you know that this will be the last time we’ll see Wendy Piper with her Knits ‘n’ Bits. After enjoying just one grandchild for many years, two more popped along a short while ago. Both mums and babies are now well, but there was a huge scare for the family when one mum and baby almost didn’t survive. We all know that Wendy has had her own health problems over the years and she’s absolutely fine, but now wants to spend as much time as possible with her family. She’s talked it over with her husband and they’ve decided to cease trading. To this end, she’s already closed down most of her business and no longer has a business card machine or bank account. I’ve asked her to come to Nottingham to say bye-bye to us and she’s agreed. She’ll bring remaining stock and if you’d like to take advantage of huge discounts and bargains one last time, you’ll have to come along to the show with cash.
LECTURES We have two lectures which we hold upstairs, but there are stairs and a lift, so access is easy for everyone. Sue Booth will talk at 11.30 am about Surface Decoration including different ways to decorate a plain garment, making a top look like a cardigan, adding cords, simple embroidery, ‘e’ wrapping and so on. Erica Thomson will talk at 2.00 pm about Pressing Matters including using blocking wires, steaming ribs and how to try to rectify previous pressing mistakes. Do bring along samples or garments for advice.
CATERING We’ll have hot and cold snacks and drinks available and last year’s excellent caterers will look after us again.
EXHIBITORS This year’s exhibitors included Andee Knits, Arnold Bennett – the Button Man, Sue Booth, B Hague & Co, Bill King, David and Jason Hampson from The Wool Cabin, the Framework Knitters Museum, Hazel Green, Knits ‘n’ Bits from Wendy Piper, Machine Knitting Monthly also with Anjo Designs, Mapperley Knit & Natter Club with demonstrations and displays, Nina Miklin, Nottinghamshire Spinners, Weavers & Dyers, Rob Fountain, Erica Thomson and Uppingham Yarns. Watch this space as we update the details until the show.
April 2019 – Latest issue
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Jazz up your wardrobe with our cover design – a jacket and sleeveless gilet to fit sizes from 71 to 117 cm, 28 to 46 inch bust. We’ve 13 designs and we also include instructions for converting all our patterns for knitting on standard gauge machines. Iris Rowe introduces a new Easter brood to the hen house in the Toy Box, Sally-Ann Carroll keeps us and our knits in line for spring and summer and Bill King uses a great technique to create some fabulous fabrics with a basic card. Rachel Mayer is back to do some shape-shifting in DesignaKnit and we Look At Life through Joan Lafferty’s eyes. . We always include news, books and fashion and we’ve a special reader discount on new craft books from Search Press.
April 2019 – Dear Readers
Posted onDear Readers
If you live within travelling distance of Nottingham, do join us at West Park Leisure Centre in Wilsthorpe Road, Long Eaton NG10 4AA. This year our show is on Sunday 14th April and Guest Speakers are Sue Booth at 11.30 am, Erica Thomson at 2.00 pm The lectures cost an extra £1 each, numbers are limited so please book in advance and I look forward to seeing all those who can join us.
As we put the finishing touches to our Nottingham Show, I need to let you know that this will be the last time we’ll see Wendy Piper with her Knits ‘n’ Bits. After enjoying just one grandchild for many years, two more popped along a short while ago. Both mums and babies are now well, but there was a huge scare for the family when one baby almost didn’t survive. We all know that Wendy has had her own health problems over the years and she’s absolutely fine, but now wants to spend as much time as possible with her family. She’s talked it over with her husband and they’ve decided to cease trading. To this end, she’s already closed down most of her business and no longer has a business card machine or bank account. I’ve asked her to come to Nottingham to say bye-bye to us and she’s agreed. She’ll bring remaining stock and if you’d like to take advantage of huge discounts and bargains one last time, you’ll have to come along to the show with cash.
I’ve had news from the Scottish Machine Knitters that their Spring Workshop takes place at the Parklands Centre, Alva FK12 5BG on 13th April 2019 from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm. Demonstrations run throughout the day and they’ll have a special area set aside for beginners. Tea and coffee will be available, but please bring your own packed lunch. Tickets on the door cost £5 for members, £8 for non-members and you can find out more if you visit www.scottishmachineknitters.org.uk
Life has taken one or two surprising turns recently, as I quietly celebrate publishing the magazine for 33 years. As you read this, you must share the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve played your own individual part in keeping the magazine and our craft alive. At times it’s not been an easy journey for me, but between us we’ve held together the craft we love. My very sincere thanks to you all, for your enduring help and support over the years.
NEXT ISSUE
May 2019
Subscription copies sent out Thursday 4th April
On sale Thursday 11th April
Ask your newsagent to reserve a copy now.
April 2019 – Bundle details
Posted onThis is April 2019 and our current issue.
New subscription If you chose a new subscription, it will start with the May 2019 magazine – to be mailed out to subscribers on Thursday 4th April.
Subscription bundle If you chose a subscription bundle, it will start with our current April 2019 magazine and we’ll send you a copy straight away. Your magazine will then be mailed direct from the printer on the first Thursday of each month and the May 2019 issue goes out to subscribers on Thursday 4th April.
March 2019 – Latest issue
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Our cover design is an easy top to fit a large size range, quickly knitted in King Cole Opium on chunky machines. We also include instructions for converting all our patterns for knitting on standard gauge machines. We’ve ten designs, so take a look at the Contents list for more details. Iris Rowe adds a triceratops to last month’s dinosaur in the Toy Box, Sally-Ann Carroll helps us to show our knits a taste of summer and Bill King reminds us about an enormous time-saver for even small pieces of fabric. Rachel Mayer returns to help DesignaKnit users work with Original Pattern Drafting and we shine the spotlight on Kingston student Edie Ashley and her design tribute to her grandmother Laura Ashley. We always include news, books and fashion and we’ve a special reader discount on a fabulous new book packed with information a machine or hand knitter would ever want or need.