Dear 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.
