Dear Readers

July update

Dear Readers

There’s been lots going on this month and I’ve very much enjoyed chatting to many of you. One of my first calls was from Sue Castro, who was busy doing some late spring cleaning. She’d found a news sheet dated 1871, thought I’d be interested and sent it to me. I was just as spellbound. It was clear the person writing it knew lots about locomotives, but found it hard to both understand and explain how a circular sock machine might work. I think you’ll also be fascinated and it will surely bring your daily chores to a halt for the day!

Jean Pugh from Whitfield MKC in Dover has kept in touch for most of this year, as she’s a volunteer at the East Kent Mencap ScrapStore. You’ll read in Clubline that she’s teaching machine knitting to people with a learning disability, learning difficulty or autism. She’s using a Brother Convertible she borrowed from a friend and it’s an essential part of her teaching. Thanks to Jean’s dedication her students have grown their creativity, gained confidence and developed invaluable skills. However, it’s not easy for many of them, as they don’t have the best dexterity and eyesight. We all know that mid-gauge and chunky machines make it easier to see the needles and move the stitches. So, if your knitting room has one too many machines and your stash would benefit from downsizing, please consider a donation to this very worthy cause. An old chunky machine would be wonderful, or something newer such as an LK150. Jean could then use DK, Aran weight and chunky yarn, as it’s much easier to see the stitches and handle the knitting. If you’ve odds and ends of thicker yarns in your stash, she’d use every inch of it.

Although East Kent Mencap is affiliated to National Mencap, they’re independently registered, governed and self-financed. So if you’d like to support Jean and her splendid work, please make donations directly to East Kent Mencap at Foresters Hall, Meeting Street, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 9RT. Call 01843-808964 for details, or visit www.eastkentmencap.co.uk

Stop press As this issue goes to the printer, I pass on the sad news that Ann Brown has died. Older machine knitters will remember her Posh Frocks designs and, I’m sure, join me in sending our condolences to her family and friends.

NEXT ISSUE August 2025

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June update

Dear Readers

A couple of weeks ago, many of us  thought Spring had finally arrived… and it did for a week! Despite that lovely sun, we’re now back to bitterly cold winds and rain by the bucketful. If this weather is the best the south can do, I’ll need every thick sweater I can pack, for one last essential trip we’ve to make to Scotland in a week or two.

I hope you’ll start to smile when you read Clubline on Page 10. Chris sent me the photos you’ll see, from the Easter Yellow challenge Janet had suggested for the Rumney Class & Club. One-by-one the pictures popped into my inbox and I was beaming long before they’d all arrived. Chris said that every club member was smiling as they arrived and unwrapped their items. There’s something very appealing about lovely shades of yellow and we all love Clair Crowston’s gorgeous top on Page 14. She’s included instructions for both Brother and Silver Reed machines with a lace carriage. If you’re just starting your machine-knitting journey and Clair’s design is too much of a challenge, do try her chain stitch cast on edge. It looks great and lays flat. She’s explained it in full and we’ve included step-by-step instructions for a latch tool cast on in Purls of Wisdom on Page 17.

Are you in the habit of going for a walk, especially in woodland? You might like to turn to Page 50 to see what you can do with a handful or two of young, waxy ivy leaves. Google and YouTube will whisk away any scepticism. I’ve only to walk to the end of my garden for ivy in abundance and you’ll read that Joan Lafferty manages a similar number of steps to her knitting room in Magical Memories this month! At the end of Joan’s feature, you’ll notice that Macmillan’s coffee morning for cancer support is on Friday 26th September this year. Bill King’s tea cosy is enduringly popular and if you join the seam completely, it makes a cosy hat to keep out piercingly cold wind. I’d better knit one quickly, as I’m sure to need it on our trek North. Until next month, knit happy!

NEXT ISSUE July 2025

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May update

Dear Readers

It’s been a busy month and you’ll remember me telling you that my dear friend, Susan Guagliumi, has retired. We all know that her knowledge and skills are immense, so I’m very happy her library of online classes is in the safe hands of Nic Corrigan and the Machine Knit Community. (The full story is on Page 8.) The MKC is an exceptional online space for machine knitters of all abilities around the world. Nic is a designer with a studio in West Yorkshire. She offers step-by-step classes, modern designer-level knitting patterns, self-paced workshops, masterclasses and much more, along with an online support network at mkc.community

The MKC is a safe place to meet and be inspired by other machine knitters and it’s open for membership just three times a year. As we go to press, the next opportunity to join is in April. So make haste if it’s something you’ve been meaning to do, or you’ll have to go on the waiting list until September. The MKC encourages us to get the most from our machines so we can inspire, motivate and learn from each other. It’s packed with activities from monthly challenges to live events and classes. Many of machine knitting’s finest tutors and designers share a wealth of experience and knowledge, including our own Bill King.

As you’ll read on Page 8, the MKC is now the custodian of Susan’s invaluable online content. It will be available to MKC members in different formats within the online platform and makes sure her classes remain available to as many machine knitters as possible, for the foreseeable future. This change doesn’t affect Susan’s Craftsy classes, which are still available through Craftsy.com and it doesn’t impact anyone currently enrolled in her Teachable classes. You’ll still have access to the classes on Teachable, but no new classes will be sold on that platform. You’ll find their new home at mkc.community. All Susan’s free videos remain on YouTube and her books will continue to be sold at Amazon.com

Lastly, I’ll mention again that the digital version of the magazine is now up-and-running. Each issue from January 2025 is available as a high quality digital download at machineknittingmonthly.net/shop/. It’s a big file, so do make sure you’ve a good Wi-Fi connection! Until next month, keep knitting our way!

NEXT ISSUE June 2025

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April update

Dear Readers

My month started on a rather sombre note, when her husband called to tell me that Yvonne Knapman had passed away. In her time, she was truly a master of Double Jacquard on Japanese machines, producing some wonderfully ‘classy’ designs. Old hands may have bought her patterns, or her excellent book The Beginner’s Guide to Double Jacquard Knitting on starting the technique, which yarn to use, tension guides and how to convert Fair Isle to Double Jacquard. There are still machine knitters using her Jac-card holder to help with Double Jacquard. When she retired she took on some exceptional work for the charity Heather’s Hair. Back in 2015 it helped people with hair loss due to chemotherapy treatment or illness, but sadly had to close in 2018. We’ve been friends for a very long time and chatted a lot, so her passing came as a big shock for me. I send my sincere condolences to her husband Chris, their family and many friends.

Now do please turn to Page 8, to read the news that another dear friend, Susan Guagliumi, has decided to retire. For almost forty years, our paths have been linked and I’ve spent a working lifetime alongside Susan. The machine knitting scene was as vibrant in the USA as here and we became great friends. At one time, I was going to America almost every month and Neil and I had a wonderful holiday with Susan and her husband in 2017. Her knowledge and expertise are immeasurable, so I rejoice that her legacy is passing to a safe pair of hands. Flip over a page or two to News Extra for the full story.

Our ‘good news’ story of the month, on Page 52, has to be that Irene Krieger’s fundraising for cancer research has reached almost $13,000. Irene’s Bravery Beads and continuing efforts have played a huge part in getting clinical trials off the ground. She also reads the magazine from cover to cover each month and shares her thoughts on the inspiration she picks up from our pages.

Finally, I’ll mention that the digital version of the magazine is up-and-running. It’s early days, of course… and we’re still on a learning curve. Each issue from January 2025 is now available as a digital download in the shop on our website. The great news for many readers is that huge postal costs and customs delays in some countries are now a thing of the past. Find us at https://machineknittingmonthly.net/shop/ and knit happy!

NEXT ISSUE May 2025

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March update

Dear Readers

It seems a while since I was ‘back in the saddle’ bringing you a monthly update and my news this month has to be that Neville Bramwell has passed away. Yes there are tears, but ‘happy tears’ that he lived to his 92nd year and was alert and lucid almost to the end. He slipped away peacefully with his children Alison, Tony and Peter by his side.

I often went to Bramwell’s offices in Clitheroe, while they were there for ten years, but everything took off when they moved to a huge warehouse in Altham, Lancashire. It was opened by the late Mary Weaver, a long-term friend from the 1970s. Back then Mary had written an article about using three ends of 2/30s high bulk acrylic. She’d bought a few odd cones (on which they lost money!) and suggested to Neville that if he could produce something similar as a single strand on a 500g cone, it would sell. After many visits to Weaverknits at Sutton-on-Hone in Kent, Bramwell’s Fine 4-ply was launched around 1972/73.

The company went on to develop other finer and fancier yarns such as Duo Magic, Hobby and Artistic. Mary was a fellow pioneer in the knitting machine industry. She visited Japan, learned the language and translated many of the machine knitting books and patterns. Mary Weaver’s Machine Knitting Technology, known as the ‘bible’ to many machine knitters, was one of the best-selling books. Bramwell would order five to ten thousand at a time!

The Altham factory had 30,000 square feet and employed 32 people. Bramwell had 808 retail customers in the UK, with a distributor each in Belfast and Dublin. It’s probably hard for newbies to know that in the heyday, machine knitters had the choice of 84 shades in Acrylic 4-ply. A carton held 24 cones and a forty-foot container held 800 cartons. As fast as they could pack the orders, forty-foot containers were shipped to Canada, both Perth and Sydney in Australia and Russia.

Over the years, Mary and her husband Alan became great friends to Neville and his family. Neville told me he always had a great admiration for Mary’s determination and business awareness. He was always grateful for the great trading years they enjoyed together.

So it now really is the end of an era as we say bye-bye to Neville. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed a long and happy friendship with him. I’ll miss his cheery calls, when we’d chat for hours about life and the industry. My heart, though, is filled with joy as I remember the funny stories he would share. Rest in peace, Neville, knowing your contribution to domestic machine knitting was huge. I send my sincere condolences to all his family and anyone who knew him.

NEXT ISSUE April 2025

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NEW DIGITAL VERSION From the January 2025 issue, you can now buy the digital version of the magazine. Just head for the SHOP and select either the hardcopy or downloadable option. The downloadable magazine is just £4 (sterling) for each issue and available straight away. It saves the huge expense and wait for overseas postage, so check it out NOW!

January 2025 update

Dear Readers

Throughout almost 39 years as your Editor and Publisher, I’ve not often written about my personal life, but last September was a special highlight. Back in February 2024, I had an invitation to a wedding. Someone I’ve worked with on the magazine, every week of every month for 16 years, told me that he was to be married. I’ve known Nick and his partner Cora since August 2008, when Nick took over as our Graphic Designer. He asked if Neil and I would like to come to the wedding, but quickly added that it would be in Germany. It took me no time at all to accept. The dates were a long way ahead so we’d lots of time to plan, especially as both of us needed to keep the magazine on schedule.

The last time Neil and I had a proper holiday was in June 2017, when we headed back to America to stay with Susan Guagliumi and her husband. So we decided to combine the wedding with a holiday and made plans to go up into the Austrian Tyrol, to a health spa in the mountains. As excited as I was, I decided to keep things under wraps, except for telling one other person on the magazine. Not having been to a wedding for many years, I’d need something to wear. As our Fashion Editor at the time and one of my best friends, who better to help me find the perfect outfit than Sally-Ann? Around this time she became a little unwell, but we giggled with glee at the prospect of a shopping expedition. We decided we’d turn it into a Style File feature for the magazine, but little did we know that we’d never make that shopping trip. Her untimely death in June 2024 was a huge shock for us all.

As you’ll read on Page 10, the weather did its utmost to disrupt the day. However, there was never a chance Storm Boris would win and I didn’t let the side down. Yes, my new wedding outfit stayed in the suitcase and machine knitting won the day! At the last minute I’d packed a much-loved outfit Iris Bishop made for me a while ago and it kept me toasty warm from morning till night.

I know you’ll all join me in sending our warmest congratulations to Nick and Cora. May their next 20 years be filled with as much love and joy as their first. To be sure, as one year draws to an end and another begins, let’s all wish each other a happy and peaceful New Year, filled to the brim with good health and good fortune.

NEXT ISSUE February 2025

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December update

Dear Readers

This month our knitting news stretches across the country, from Fair Isle in the Shetlands to St. Ives in Cornwall. We’re happy to remind residents in Cornwall that they can buy an annual £10 pass for unlimited year-round entry to Tate St. Ives, the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden. This year’s Winter Festival takes place at Tate St Ives on the 23rd and 24th November from 10.00am to 4.00pm and celebrates people of all ages coming together creatively. At the heart of the Festival, local choirs will be singing carols in the galleries. There’s a discounted entry cost of just £1 and it’s free for under 18s. Full contact details are in Clubline on Page 10.

            Our news from the far North is that designer Marie Bruhat, who we showcased in Spotlight in the June 2021 magazine, has a new online Academy. Her designs have always embraced the authentic style of Fair Isle, but she’s given them a modern twist on her Silver Reed punchcard machine. Marie works with over 80 colours of fine Shetland wool, which is spun and dyed on mainland Shetland. Marie will show us every aspect of knitting Fair Isle and the course is exclusively available on the Machine Knit Community. As part of joining the Academy, you get three months’ free access to the MKC, where you can make the most of all the other MKC content. There are live presentations, classes and a video vault of all previous events, with more videos than you’ll have time to watch in three months! I’ve been speaking with Nic at the MKC and Marie, to bring you a Spotlight feature about this new venture next month. In the meantime, Clubline on Page 10 has more details.

            There really is a lot going on in the machine knitting world right now and perhaps it won’t be too long before our craft is back on TV again. The hand-knitters are leading the way with a new Channel 4 series (see Newsline on Page 6) to join The Great British Bake Off and The Great British Sewing Bee. Next month I’ll look back at a wonderful holiday and wedding this year and look forward to a New Year filled with exciting things in machine knitting. Until then, knit happy!

NEXT ISSUE January 2025

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November update

Dear Readers

We’ve just returned from holiday and I’ve had to hit the ground running to finish this issue on time. So, news and photos of our holiday will have to wait!

Whilst I was away, I received one important item and I don’t want it to slip through the net. So let me tell you that a short course starts on the City Campus of Nottingham Trent University on 12th October. Called ‘Domestic Machine Knitting For Beginners’, it will run on a Saturday from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm for two weeks. It’s beginner level, no experience is required and the cost is £295. You’ll also have full use of the University’s modern library and free use of the IT equipment and software during the course. Brother or Silver Reed machines are provided, or you can take your own machine if you prefer. This course offers intensive instruction on domestic knitting machines. It will introduce you to thinking creatively about using a machine at home or at work and will focus on producing work with a contemporary perspective. It’s ideal for anyone just starting out, or returning to machine knitting after a break. You may know a young person showing lots of interest in our craft, such as a student or graduate looking to add machine knitting to their CV and portfolio. Anyone over the age of 18 interested in textiles and crafts and considering investing in a domestic machine will be very welcome. Please pass on the word and visit www.ntu.ac.uk for full details.

This month we’ve a treat for everyone with DesignaKnit 9. Our special feature takes you through all the stages of making a stitch pattern. So, if you’ve dithered about using this amazing software, turn to Page 49 and take a deep breath… your adventure is about to begin! Follow the step-by-step guide and, I promise, you’ll soon have the confidence to create your own patterns.

Finally, if you knit for tiny tots, head for your stash and have a trial run at Carole Dunkerley’s cute baby cardigan, hat and bootees on Page 52. I’ve included a sneak peek of next month’s adaptation to turn it into a fabulous Christmas outfit. Until next time, knit happy!

NEXT ISSUE December 2024

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October update

Dear Readers

Have we had summer? It seems to have been and gone without many of us noticing! To come back down to earth with a bump, Iris Rowe reminds us that October is here, with her seasonal Hallowe’en pumpkins and Nic Corrigan has held her second Machine Knitting Retreat in the heart of the Pennines. On Page 10, we join the MKC behind the scenes at their recent 6-day workshop holiday. To help and support MKM readers with their machine knitting, Nic has given us a very special offer. The Community opens its doors for new members just three times a year, but membership of the Machine Knit Community is available to MKM readers immediately, as well as a one-month free trial. Two exclusive on-line Zoom classes are also included in the offer, but you need to hurry. The first is Victoria Salmon’s live class on the 11th September on Plated Ribs. You’ve a little more time before the first of two Bill King classes on Double Bed Jacquard. His first class, on the 25th September, will cover the basic mechanics and method. There are no strings attached. All you have to do is head for https://tinyurl.com/MKMFREE and register before the free trial offer expires on the 6th October. There’s more to discover on Pages 11 and 19 and I’m wholeheartedly supportive of Nic and the Machine Knit Community.

In Dear Anne on Page 12, I’m very happy to thank Ann Wallington for finding the original design Carole Dunkerley adapted for her pop-up dolls’ pattern last month. I’m equally grateful to Carole for further adapting it, so we can make a start on some ‘seasonal’ knitting soon. Yes, it’s that time of the year again!

Finally, I need to let you know I’ll be on holiday for a chunk of September. Neil and I are going away for a couple of weeks, but not before I’ve finished the November magazine! It’s for a very special and happy occasion and there may even be a photo or two, but you’ll have to wait until the December issue to discover what we’ll be doing. Until then, knit happy!

NEXT ISSUE November 2024

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September update

Dear Readers

A week or two ago I joined other ‘funeral fashionistas’ in respecting the wishes of our late Fashion Editor Sally-Ann Carroll. We gathered at her funeral, wearing a rainbow of bright colours, to celebrate her life. If a funeral could ever be called ‘happy’, this was one such occasion. As we went into the church, her sons had prepared the board that you’ll see on Page 14. It had us all smiling as we remembered our own favourite sayings. Shortly into the service and perhaps sensing the atmosphere of the sea of colour in front of him, the vicar said: “I know you’re in church, but you can clap”! Our tears of sadness turned into tears of joy and her sons treated us to a gleeful walk through the life of their amazing mother.

 Sally-Ann and I worked together for years before she started writing for the magazine. Back then we had a photo shoot each month and she soon became our permanent Fashion Stylist. She was always full of fun, extremely hard-working and could turn any ill-fitting jumper into something ‘very fashioney’. We talked through the idea of a feature showing how to combine an old knit with up-to-date styling, for an on-trend look that wouldn’t break the bank. She always had her finger on the pulse of current fashion and kept us up-to-date with the latest trends. She showed us how to give a jaded sweater a new lease of life, when we couldn’t bear to throw it away and told us when to dig out an old check skirt from the back of a wardrobe to be bang on trend. At first her feature didn’t go down at all well. ‘It’s taking up two pages that you could use for another pattern’ was a typical comment at the time, but we persevered. Gradually, she won us over and we all came to love her. The letter from June in Dear Anne is typical of the many tributes you’ve passed on and I’m most grateful that you’ve taken the time to express your sympathy.

We all pass on our sincerest condolences to her husband Mike, sons Toby and Sam and their families. Rest in peace Sally-Ann and your much-used (and loved!) quotes are on my office door. They’ll be a constant reminder of the fun and laughter you brought into all our lives.

NEXT ISSUE October 2024

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