Needles at the ready . . . the new Christmas Knits book is out NOW! Create your own Christmas Sweaters with a whopping 38 design possibilities in a great range of sizes from 61 to 112 cm (24 to 44 inches).
Take a look at the website at http://www.tbramsden.co.uk/catalog/designs/wendy-1/christmas_knits
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.
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 think your filing system might be somewhat better than mine so I wonder if you could help. Thanks and best wishes Phil Jackson
Here are a couple of patterns to knit with any 4-ply oddments, Phil.
BED SOCKS
Version 1
Push 39 Ns at centre of machine to WP with extra N at right. Using MY, cast on by hand. Set RC at 000. Using MT, K 50 rows. Dec 1 st at each end of every 10th row until 29 sts rem. RC shows 100.
* Shape heel ** Set carriage to hold. Push 1 N at carriage end to HP on next 16 rows. Push 1 inside N at opposite end to carriage from HP to UWP on next 16 rows **.
Sole K 60 rows. Adjust length at this stage, if required.
Shape toe Work as given for heel from ** to **.
Instep K 60 rows. Adjust length at this stage, if required. Place marker at each end *. K 100 rows. Push Ns to UWP. Lay yarn over Ns and K by hand taking Ns down to NWP, then cast off with a latch tool or work a loose cast off.
Version 2
Push 38 Ns at centre of machine to WP. Push every 3rd N back to NWP. Using MY, cast on by hand. Set RC at 000. Using MT, K 1 row. Using MT-1, K 39 rows. Push empty Ns from NWP to WP. Make a hem by placing loops from cast on edge evenly along the row. Inc 1 st at right edge. 39 sts. Set RC at 000. Using MT, K 10 rows. Dec 1 st at each end of every 10th row until 29 sts rem. RC shows 60. Work as for Version 1 from * to *. K 60 rows. Transfer every 3rd st on to adjacent N. Push empty Ns to NWP. Push Ns from WP to UWP. Weave in nylon cord, under and over Ns as a marker. Using MT-1, K 40 rows. Push empty Ns from NWP to WP. Make a hem by placing loops of marked row evenly along the row. Using MT+3, K 1 row. Push Ns to UWP. Lay yarn over Ns and K by hand taking Ns down to NWP, then cast off with a latch tool or work a loose cast off.
Making up Join foot and side seams, matching markers to sides of heel.
Every nook and cranny has been turned into a storeroom. However, Paul is confident that stocks will reduce once the museum opens from Wednesday to Sunday each week from the beginning of April. In the past, local companies have donated end of run yarn and whilst gratefully received, this has tended to be in just one or two colours. One huge bonus of readers’ yarn is that it’s come in every colour of the rainbow. This means that each area looks vibrant and exciting and the museum has sprung to life. More details from museum manager Paul Baker, Framework Knitters Museum, Chapel Street, Ruddington, Nottingham NG11 6HE.
Tel 0115-984 6914
Email Rfwk-Mus@btconnect.com
We’re a group of 16 ladies who meet once a month, we’re all experienced knitters and our excellent committee works very hard. Each month we’ve a guest speaker, mostly concentrating on knitting and related crafts. Also, each year two ladies come from the Guild of Machine Knitters to demonstrate. We meet on the second Monday of the month and we also have an all-day workshop every two months. We look upon it as a ‘help day with a theme’ and the first one this year is on the single bed colour changer. We’re all there for each other, we’ve room for lots more members and the more the merrier! To join our group, please call Mrs B Fenton on 01772-684712. Thanks and best wishes, Alwyn Yost
I’ve recently obtained a Brother 836 and can’t wait to use it, but worried about jamming it up. I’ve enrolled on a college course, but the one I’ve joined doesn’t start until the autumn. Can anyone help? I tried to call the number in the listing for Harrow but it doesn’t accept incoming calls. Please can you help? Thank you so much and fingers crossed! Kind regards, Jeanette Foster
Would you make sure, please, that any of your readers who are interested in membership of KCG contact our current treasurer, Tricia Basham and her details are given below. Thanks very much, Elspeth May, Director, KCG. Knitting & Crochet Guild, Unit 4 Lee Mills Industrial Estate, St Georges Road, Scholes, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD9 1RT.
Tricia Basham, Treasurer, KCG
Tel 07905- 796563
Email treasurer@kcguild.org.uk
The squares start and end on waste yarn, so they can be adjusted. Each Christmas the club holds a competition and the winner chooses the charity to support the following year. Pat Wright was presented with her trophy by Cllr Eve Martin. For 2014 she’s chosen Barby Keel Animal Sanctuary, Charity No. 1095382, so members will knit a blanket with animal motifs. They’ll also fund raise by selling small knitted items and holding a raffle. If you’d like to know more about Priory Knits, call Sue Castro on 01424-437468 after 6.00 pm or email her at sue@1066.net
On the Carbery Club stand, we were delighted to meet and talk to many machine knitters thinking of returning to the craft, as well as to new recruits. The sheer numbers of people attending the two speakers’ talks showed the enthusiasm there is for new designs and techniques. It was so refreshing to see how Denise Musk’s garments were so well received and admired. Fiona Morris’ talk also was much appreciated by those of us wanting to improve our knitting skills. So please accept a huge thank you, Anne, for once again giving us a show to remember. Best wishes, Joy Hopkins, Carbery MKC
Thanks so much for your kind words, Joy and I’m pleased to let you know that Denise is soon to join us as a contributor. Ed