The Spring Knitting & Stitching Show at Olympia London in March will be hosting an exciting new celebration of the world of needlecraft – the National Needlecraft Awards (www.sewandso.co.uk/national-needlecraft-awards-2018). Developed by online needlecraft shop SewandSo (www.sewandso.co.uk), the awards are open to individuals and for nominations for talented friends and family. There’s also an opportunity to vote for favourite designers. There are General, Cross Stitch and Needlecraft categories and awards include Needlecrafter, Young Needlecrafter and Best Joint Needlecraft Project of the Year, Stitching Hero of the Year, Best Use of Colour and Designer of the Year for both Cross Stitch and Other Needlecraft and Best Contemporary Embroiderer. Entries are via the National Needlecraft Awards website and must be submitted by midnight on Thursday 15th February 2018. Shortlisted entrants will be notified by 17th February and will be required to post their submission for final judging. The awards take place at The Spring Knitting & Stitching Show at Olympia London on Thursday 1st March 2018 at 4.30 pm in the Creative Living Theatre.
2018
One week only – save 25%
At this time of the year we all need a treat so, for this week only, Marianne Henio has slashed the price of all her patterns, both hand and machine, by 25%. Use the coupon code 25percent Check out her website for those patterns that have tempted you and buy them now with great savings! Click here…
Mocha Swirl Coat
Everyone wants a wrap-around coat you can throw on over anything! Sometimes they’re a great way to hide from the world and Marianne Henio’s Mocha Swirl Coat is an absolute beauty. It’s almost floor length with an amazing twist at the hem. It’s a great way of taking a simple design and making it extra special. The details of how to create the swirl is fully explained in the pattern book. The coat can be knitted in any 3-ply weight and for more details, please follow the link and Click Here!
New Knit & Natter Sessions
Squire’s Garden Centres are launching new Knit & Natter sessions every Wednesday from 9.30 to 10.30 am in their Cafe Bars at selected centres. These free drop-in sessions are a great place to meet other knitting enthusiasts, swap skills and ideas, or just relax with a drink while you knit and natter!
Event: Knit & Natter
When: Every Wednesday 9.30 to 10.30 am (term time only)
Where: Squire’s Garden Centres – in the Café Bar
Locations: Badshot Lea, Milford, Shepperton & Twickenham
Website: www.squiresgardencentres.co.uk
G-carriage help needed!
I recently got my G-carriage out of its box after years of neglect and have forgotten the trick of getting it to start. It’s a Brother KG-93 linked to my Brother 950i. I’ve followed the instructions and watched a video on line. I get the pattern position red light to light up and that’s it! Any ideas please – if not, it’ll go in the bin! Thanks for any help, Elizabeth
Where did last year go!
Dear readers
Is it that we’re all getting older, or where did last year go? Before I seem to have turned around, it’s time to get into gear again for our Bournemouth and Nottingham shows. Machine Knitting LIVE! is on Saturday 3rd March at Bournemouth School for Girls in Castle Gate Close, Castle Lane West, Bournemouth BH8 9UJ. We then return to West Park Leisure Centre in Wilsthorpe Road, Long Eaton NG10 4AA for the Nottingham Machine Knitting Show on Sunday 8th April. After last year’s many concerns about these two shows continuing, please make every effort to join us and support our craft in 2018.
It’s with great sadness that we say goodbye to Dennis Wright, as he’s made the decision to finally retire. Dennis and I go back into the mists of time, to the glory days of machine knitting. He was always a much-loved exhibitor and long before they became popular, he’d bring a selection of immaculate circular sock machines in full working order to many of the shows. Often his wife Freda would come along too, as No. 1 demonstrator and I loved the soft purr of the rise and fall of the needles when I gently turned the handle. Advancing years and increasing health problems have finally caught up with both Dennis and Freda. I thank them both for many years of camaraderie and Dennis especially for all his help and trustworthy advice. Our warm friendship will continue, but we’ll no longer have Dennis as a contributor and Knitting Buddy. I hope life is kind to both of them and that their future problems are few and far between.
Whilst we say goodbye to Dennis, we welcome back Clair Crowston as a regular contributor and we’ll be featuring a selection of her designs in the magazine. She’s been one of our Knitting Buddies for a long time and she’ll also join us at the Nottingham show. You’ll find many of her designs on her website at www.machineknittingdesigns-by-clair.co.uk and the patterns are a very reasonable £4 each. For a limited time, she’s offering three patterns for the price of two. Order the first two in the normal way and then send Clair an email with your choice of a third free pattern. Call her now on 01724-342130 or email clair.crowston@ntlworld.com if you’d like more information.
This issue goes out at the beginning of January, so all that remains is to send you my very best wishes and hopes for a happy, a healthy and a prosperous New Year.
NEXT ISSUE
March 2018
Subscription copies sent out Thursday 1st February
On sale Thursday 8th February
Ask your newsagent to reserve a copy now
February 2018 – Issue 241
February 2018 is our latest issue. It went out to subscribers on 4th January and is officially on sale on 11th January. If you order a latest issue and subscription bundle, we’ll send you this issue and your March 2018 magazine will be posted on Thursday 1st February.
Great offer
Little Knitting Fairy has waved her wand with a great offer. For the whole of January and until 11th February Joan Fielding-Browne is offering a FREE Bug Portable Sewing Machine worth £65 with the purchase of any knitting or sewing machine. They’re great for camping holidays, or if it rains and you get withdrawal symptoms. Contact Joan by phone for more details and all major debit and credit cards are accepted. For those who didn’t get the chance to knit warm socks, Joan has three pairs of ready-made left in size 6 to 8. (Joan is a shoe size 5 and they fit her well.) They’re lovely and warm in boots or wellies and a bargain at £9.50 per pair. Call Joan on 01896-850734, email joan@littleknittingfairy.co.uk or visit the website at http://www.littleknittingfairy.co.uk
Important announcement for Make it & Knit & Stitch It 2018 visitors
The Organising Team has announced that Make It and Knit & Stitch It will not now take place in Farnborough in 2018. Unfortunately the new venue will not be ready to host the 2018 show. With the already over-packed craft exhibition calendar, there’s no suitable alternative date for the show. They apologise to all their loyal visitors, will be back with a flourish on 22nd and 23rd February 2019 and thank all their exhibitors and visitors for their continued support.
Time for tea
The Spring Knitting & Stitching Show has teamed up with the Betty Blythe Vintage Tea Room in West London’s Brook Green to hold The Knitted Tea Room competition. From cream scones with jam to champagne flutes, teapots and cucumber sandwiches, the show’s organisers are looking for a sumptuous spread of life-size knitted and crocheted tea room items. Entrants can design their own tea room pieces or use a pattern and a tea cosy pattern by Monica Russel of The Knit Knacks is available to download from The Spring Knitting & Stitching Show competition page.
Entries will be displayed throughout the show and competition judges will be looking for innovative and beautifully made pieces. Judging takes place on Thursday 1st March and luxury prizes from the Betty Blythe Vintage Tea Room will be awarded to three talented winning stitchers. First prize is a Victorian-themed afternoon tea for eight, second prize is a Vintage Afternoon tea for six and third prize is a Cream tea for four.
All entries should be registered on the Spring show’s competition page, with up to five items eligible per entrant. Items should be submitted before 23rd February to The Knitted Tea Room Competition, twistedthread, 58 White Lion St, London N1 9PP, or brought along to the show on Thursday 1st March. The Spring Show takes place from 1st to 4th March 2018 at Olympia London. Spring Show highlights include over 200 workshops and free demonstrations hosted by expert tutors, galleries by leading textile artists, graduates and groups, drop-in knitting and crochet clinics and a unique craft shopping experience with 150 specialist retailers under one roof. Tickets are £13.50 in advance (concessions £12.50, children aged 5-18 £6.00) plus a booking fee of £1.50 payable per order.
A wide selection of options is available from www.theknittingandstitchingshow.com/spring or by calling 0844 581 1319 (+44 0121 796 6165 from outside the UK).