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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…

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

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.

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).

Kick away the New Year blues and help unwanted cats and kittens by making cosy blankets and fun mouse toys for the UK’s largest cat charity. Creative cat lovers can follow a suggested pattern or come up with their own designs to create blankets and toys which will make life a little more comfortable for cats in the charity’s care. With the long, dark and chilly nights well and truly upon us, there’s never been a better time to start stockpiling some homemade donations for unwanted cats and kittens. All the blankets and mice received are sent to centres and volunteer-run branches across the UK, where they provide that extra bit of comfort for cats as they wait to find new homes. Donations of knitted blankets or mice can be dropped into any of its branches, shops or adoption centres across the UK. Cats Protection is the UK’s largest cat charity, helping 190,000 cats a year through a national network of over 250 volunteer-run branches and 34 centres. Come up with your own designs or follow a pattern for the popular Captain Cat-Battler knitted mouse originally designed by Lauren O’Farrell (www.whodunnknit.com).

Cats Protection advises that when knitting a toy or blanket, it’s best to avoid the use of stretchy yarns or small plastic items, such as those that can be used for mouse eyes, to reduce the risk of injury to cats and kittens. Loose weave blanket patterns involving the use of large needles are best avoided too. The charity also suggests that cat owners regularly inspect cat toys for signs of wear or damage, not to leave cats unattended with knitted toys and not to use knitted toys or blankets with cats that have wool-chewing habits. More information about Cats Protection can be found at www.cats.org.uk

Are you making a New Year’s resolution to start an exciting textile craft project, learn a new skill or buy your very first sewing machine? Then The Spring Knitting & Stitching Show is the place to start and tickets are on sale now.  The Spring show opens its doors to thousands of crafters at Olympia London from 1st to 4th March 2018. From embroidery to dressmaking, needle felting to crochet, there are over 200 workshops and free demonstrations hosted by expert tutors, covering every textile craft imaginable. Whether you’re a complete beginner, an expert seamstress or somewhere in between, there’s something for everyone and with nine workshop classrooms, it’s the biggest Spring show programme ever.  Workshops are bookable in advance on the show website from mid-December.  Prices start at £15 for one hour, including all materials needed. Places sell out quickly so early booking is recommended. You’ll find plenty of opportunity to indulge in a little retail therapy with more than 150 specialist retailers under one roof.  From yarn and fabric, buttons and beads to the latest sewing machines and gadgets, you won’t go home empty-handed. Galleries by leading textile artists, graduates and groups are sure to inspire, with exhibitions by Kate Whitehead (Not From The Stork), Anne Kelly (Folk Tales), Dionne Swift and her students from around the world (Collective Stitches), City Lit (Making), The Quilters Guild (Commemorating World War 1) and SAQA (Concrete & Grassland). Contemporary cross stitch kingpin, Mr X Stitch (Jamie Chalmers) will be hosting The Mr X Stitch Guide to Cross Stitch, featuring new work by artists pushing the boundaries of the genre, plus cross stitch and canvas work from the Royal School of Needlework archives. Tickets cost £13.50 in advance (concessions £12.50, children aged 5-18 £6.00).  A wide selection of options is available from www.theknittingandstitchingshow.com/spring or by calling 0844 581 1319 or +44 0121 796 6165 from outside the UK.