Well, here we are at the end of May. How did that happen? Nearly halfway through the year, nearly at Midsummer. I know that it is a sign of getting older that time goes faster, but there it is. I have to say, separately from knitting, that I have seldom seen such amazing flowers in the garden. My roses are looking better than I have ever seen them, and now that we have had a little bit of rain everything is greener and happier. Anyway, it has been a while since I did a ‘what’s on’ style blog and, as it happens, we have quite a lot going on in June, so I thought I would remind you what is happening over the course of next month.
Most excitingly (I think), we have Blue Fern Yarns doing a pop up shop here all day on Saturday 14th June. Shannon will be here from 10am, with all her beautiful hand dyed yarns. Last time she came I accidentally acquired five skeins of yarn for the Stephen West Glittering Snowscape shawl, which I am currently knitting, but that will not stop me getting some more, I suspect, unless I leave my purse at home.
We also have one of our one-off courses in June – this is the Lace Knitting course on 14th and 21st June. It runs from 10am to 1pm on each of the two days over which time you will start to knit a gorgeous lace scarf in Lang Yarns Noelle lace weight yarn, picking up hints and tips on knitting lace successfully.
The 14th June is also Worldwide Knit in Public Day, so if you don’t want to come to our shop to see Blue Fern Yarns or learn to knit lace, at the very least you could come along to the shop in the afternoon and knit in public with many other like minded people. Personally I do not feel the need for a specific day to knit in public – I have no problem with knitting wherever I happen to be – but I can see that others might feel a little bit nervous about it, and feel safer in company with other people. And there will be cake.
We have a Sock Knitting course starting on 7th June and ending on 5th July. Over the four sessions, you will learn how to knit a sock, from the cuff to the toe, on double pointed needles no less. The pattern, yarn and needles are provided and you will be expertly tutored by Mandy, sock knitter extraordinaire! Once you have started knitting socks, which seem like a big deal but are not really, you will be hard to stop. I think they are one of the best kinds of projects – small, not expensive and useful.
As usual we will have regular Social Stitchers sessions as follows:
Tuesday 3rd June: 11am to 1pm
Tuesday 10th June: 2 – 4pm
Saturday 21st June: 2 – 4pm
All the Social Stitchers sessions cost £2 and include tea and cake. There is no need to book – just turn up!
We are not having a Tuesday evening session in June as it would normally fall on 24th June and I am off on holiday on the 22nd. Well, it’s called a holiday, but I will be sailing around the Hebrides, so whether it is a holiday or not will be entirely dependent on the weather! The shop will still be open, as Mandy will be minding it for the whole week, so do come by and keep her company.
Leaving aside what is on in the shop, Mandy and I have our hands full, as it were, with Works in Progress. Mandy has completed 7 of her Make 9 projects already, which is quite irritating to those of us who are competitive and have only completed one. In my defence, I have gone a bit off-piste and done several other things on the side as well. I am intent on finishing a very pretty top in Lang Yarns Fiesta in the next week or so, and I have earmarked the Shetland Wool Week hat to be done on the sailing trip as it feels sort of appropriate. And because I am always thinking about the next thing to knit, I am considering my yarn and colour choices for the Halibut sweater which I hope will form the subject of Knitalong starting in September. Currently Mandy and I are focussing on the lovely yarns from West Yorkshire Spinners, either Colour Lab DK or The Croft DK. Mandy is thinking about Black and Zesty Orange. I cannot decide whether to make the pattern lighter or darker than the main colour, and then will I go blue, or green or burgundy? So many decisions.
We hope that you will fit us in to your June plans and look forward to seeing you.
