2014

World famous wildlife artist Pollyanna Pickering comes to CCW Leicester

Pollyanna Pickering is coming to Leicester’s Creative Crafting World (CCW) craft warehouse, 2 High Street, Oadby, Leicester LE2 5DE on the 13 December, from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm. Customers at the craft outlet will be able to see her paintings first hand and talk to her about her fascinating expeditions. There will be Pollyanna Pickering gift products on sale including her exclusive craft kits made by CCW. There will also be knitting yarns and lots of special offers. Refreshments will be served too as well as the opportunity to enter a raffle to raise money for Pollyanna’s charity. Lynda Chapman, a regular guest demonstrator on the Create & Craft Channel, will also be on hand to advise and chat to shoppers.

Pollyanna Pickering is the most published fine artist working in Britain today and is recognized as Europe’s foremost wildlife artist have won over thirty international awards as well as exhibiting her work at internationally renowned galleries including the Royal Academy. Pollyanna also has a raft of celebrity collectors including Princess Anne and Pollyanna has recently hit the headlines with her work with Queen’s Brian May.

www.creativecraftingworld.co.uk feels immensely privileged to be working with such an enormous talent and is pleased to bring her intricate designs into the paper crafting arena where it is certain they will be a big hit.

Little Northern Contemporary Craft Fair

If you live in the area, the Little Northern Contemporary Craft Fair at Christmas is coming up on the 7th of December. As a not-for-profit company, your support would be much appreciated and full details can be found at:- www.greatnorthernevents.co.uk

Christmas Craft Kits

It’s the time of year for last-minute ideas, so check out the following website for something seasonal from Texere.

http://www.texere-yarns.co.uk/texereshop/Shop_Sections_Single_Sheet_Crochet_Patterns_317.html

Calling all male knitters!

As part of Channel 4’s Christmas craft programme with Kirstie Allsopp this year, Raise The Roof Productions is running a Christmas jumper competition that’s open to men of all ages!

If you’ve hand-knitted a Christmas jumper that you’re immensely proud of, or you intend to knit one (yes, there’s still time!) they’d love to hear from you!

Please contact them ASAP on 07725-221140 or at Christmas2014@raisetheroofproductions.com including a photo of your work.

Patterns wanted for fine gauge Singer F360

Would you please be able to help me know where I can buy some patterns for this machine? I have a Brother KH-892 with ribber and a Singer SK260 both standard gauge machines, I have been buying and reading your magazines for almost 20 years now.

I have always found them so helpful and so does our club, I am in Australia, and if possible downloadable patterns would be great if I can buy them through the internet. Thank you very much, Ivy

Hi Ivy
Do you have a built-in KnitRadar? If you do you may find this book useful:

http://s216.photobucket.com/user/Britlady52/library/KNITMASTER SK 360 Knitting manual?sort=3&page=1

Regards
Sue.

Sue P
2014-10-28 17:00:31
http://s216.photobucket.com/user/Britlady52/library/?sort=3&page=1

Sorry the link in my previous post does not work! Try this one. On the lefthand scroll bar there is a Knitmaster patterns book which gives patterns for use with the KnitRadar.

Sue

Sue P
2014-10-28 17:05:48

New craft show launches

The programme, which will have its premiere showing on TLC (Sky 125 and Virgin 167) from the 3rd to 7th November, 9.00 to 10.00 am (two episodes daily, with new episodes aired at the same time throughout the week) is presented by Julie Peasgood and Wendy Turner Webster. Best known for her starring roles in Emmerdale, Brookside and Hollyoaks, Julie is a talented and enthusiastic crafter. Wendy is best known for hosting Channel 4’s Pet Rescue and Absolutely Animals and she shares Julie’s passion for making wonderfully crafty creations.

The programme takes two pairs of craft enthusiasts who are set the ultimate crafty challenge over a two day period. On the first day each team is given a few hours and a tiny budget to buy, borrow and beg all the items they need to produce a range of handmade crafts that are good enough to sell. The contestants must use all their ingenuity to gather in all the raw materials required for the job and then engage in a frenzy of activity making their products that afternoon (and through into the night!) On the second day the teams arrive at their pop up stalls in a busy town centre to sell their crafts side by side to the public. The winner is the team whose handmade crafts make the most cash.

For more information about the show visit www.craftybeggars.tv and follow @CraftyBeggarsTV on Twitter. Alternatively, visit the Crafty Beggars YouTube Channel- www.youtube.com/user/craftybeggarstv

I’ve a Knitmaster 100, pre 1970s basic machine

Okay, there’s no ribber or lace carriage and I’m not sure if there are tuck buttons, but I love it anyway. My question (before I find the money to subscribe) is will I be able to work the patterns in your magazine? So far I’ve found no patterns anywhere at all that are basic enough for my wee machine. The second question is, do you know of any groups in my area? Being new to this craft and this area I kind of feel all alone. Anyway, I hope to hear from you, thank you in advance.
Sarahjane – Helensburgh, Argyll & Bute, Scotland

Hi Sarahjane

Your Knitmaster 100 is a 6mm mid-gauge machine and will knit DK yarns. Anne usually includes patterns for this gauge in each magazine and there is also information on how to convert the patterns to suit the gauge of your machine.

I think you will find the following website useful:

http://www.scottishmachineknitters.org.uk/Index.htm

Kind regards
Sue.

Sue P
2014-10-08 14:34:24

Running into ribber trouble

Hi there!
I studied textiles at art school many years ago and learned the very basics of domestic machine knitting. I have recently purchased a Brother KH-950i with the KR-850 ribber. I have never used the domestic ribber before so am running into some trouble. I wonder if you can help. I have managed to set up my machine fine and have been following the instructions in the manual exactly. I have completed samples for 1×1 rib and 2×2 rib but cannot seem to knit a full needle rib.

I have been using 2/17NM Hinchliffe lamb’s wool. I cast on my first row tension 0, then knit my 3 rows tension 1 for a perfect selvage which knits easily. I then knitted my first row of full needle rib at tension 2, as the book recommends, which knits some stitches but drops around 5 stitches top and bottom in the middle of the sample.

I tried again the same way but changed to tension 4 to knit full needle rib – this was extremely difficult to knit and again dropped stitches and I also noticed that the racking handle moved. I was also tried the fisherman’s rib which I really liked, knitting at tension 3 but again the racking handle kept moving while knitting ruining the sample. Is there any way to stop the racking handle / ribber from moving? I am sure the problem with the full needle rib must be a tension problem, I know tensions will be different depending on yarn. Could you recommend a tension I should try with my lambswool? Please help me as I’m getting so frustrated! Thankyou!

Kind regards, Julie

Hi Julie.

Do you have the ribber clamped to the table? There are brackets behind the height adjustment levers. If it is secured to the table it should not move.
Do you have a differnt yarn you could practice with? Lambswool is spun in oil and needs a looser tension than other 2 ply yarn as it fluffs up when washed.
Make sure you have hung the weights on the cast on comb.

Hope this helps
Sue.

Sue P
2014-10-08 14:19:40

Passap DUO 80

Hi
I’ve now owned my Passap DUO 80 for six months and don’t seem to be making progress beyond the very basic knitting techniques. Is there anyone in the South Yorkshire, S73 area, who would be willing to give up some time to help me out.
Very kind regards, Alan

Hi Alan

Do you have copies of the Bramwell Duomatic books? They are called ‘Design for Duomatics’ by Eileen Metcalf and there are two of them. They contain patterns for various techniques with explanations of how to set up the machine. They are often available on eBay.

Regards
Sue.

Sue P
2014-06-04 11:53:54
Thank you very much for that I will take a look.

Very kind regards
Alan

Stivi
2014-07-08 10:41:10
Hi Alan

Do you have copies of the Bramwell Duomatic books? They are called ‘Design for Duomatics’ by Eileen Metcalf and there are two of them. They contain patterns for various techniques with explanations of how to set up the machine. They are often available on eBay.

Regards
Sue.

Sue P
2014-06-04 11:53:54
Thank you very much for that I will take a look.

Very kind regards
Alan

Stivi
2014-07-08 10:41:10