I know that climate change is upon us and everything weather wise is a bit of a mess, but as I was deciding how to approach this week’s blog, which is essentially a look at what we are planning for August, the phrase ‘the Dog Days of August’ came to mind. Apparently, the Dog Days of Summer fall between July 3 and August 11 and are so called because, in the Northern hemisphere they tend to the hottest days of the year and they coincide with the rising and falling of the conjunction of the Dog Star, Sirius, with the Sun on 23 July. Sirius is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (Large Dog) and its name in ancient Greek means ‘glowing’ or ‘scorching’. The Romans noticed that Sirius reappearing in the morning sky in July and travelling across the sky with the Sun all day, so they imagined a double-whammy of warmth and believed that it caused the warmer weather. I do love that we still refer back to the ideas of the Romans nearly two thousand years ago.
Anyway, although I am still being told by people that they do not knit in summer, we are sensing that people are beginning to think about their Autumn projects. Mandy and I are still here, knitting and planning. And we still have things happening in August which we hope will interest you.
As usual, we have our Social Stitchers sessions on the following dates:
Tuesday 5 August 11am to 1pm
Tuesday 12 August 2 to 4pm
Saturday 16 August 2 to 4pm
Tuesday 26 August 7 to 9pm
We love our Social Stitchers sessions – they are a chance for people to meet up, chat with like-minded knitters, compare projects and get support. And you get tea or coffee and biscuits or cake (sometimes home made if I have had time).
We still have spaces available on the Beginners Crochet course on 2, 9 and 18 August, and on the Sock Knitting course which starts on 23 August. Believe it or not, crochet is actually a more popular hand craft than knitting – it seems easier than knitting, perhaps because it only involves one hook, but you can create such a variety of things with it, from tiny animals to enormous throws. Our Sock Knitting course will help you learn how to knit socks on a double pointed needles. This may seem complicated, but is in fact, I think, one of the easiest ways to knit socks. Furthermore, socks make a perfect summer knit, being a small and light project, easily transportable and not hot on one’s lap (although even I found it a bit much trying to knit socks in 34 degrees on my trip to Lords!).
We also have spaces available on the Crochet Amigurumi course on 16 and 23 August. In the past we have taught people to crochet a little cat, but I believe that Mandy will also be offering the chance to learn to crochet a bee. Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting small things and people get a lot out of this course. Once you have learned how to do one small animal, who knows where it will end?
On Saturday 9th August, we are being joined by Ellie of Crafthouse Magic who will be running a pop up shop here from 11am to 3pm. I believe that she will be bringing a selection of her hand dyed yarn and some of her gorgeous project bags, so do come along and have a look.
It is always slightly pleasing to do this look forward – suddenly August seems busier than I thought it might be. Not only that, but Mandy and I are thinking about our Autumn/Winter stock and I am beginning to plan my colours for my hand dyed yarns. We are moving the hand dyeing operation from my kitchen to the first floor of the shop, which is an exciting prospect. Following the success of the event this week, when Stuart Race from the Woolpatch in Long Melford came to show us how he dyes his lovely Lavenham Blue yarn with woad, we are planning similar events going forward, including, in October, a visit from some expert spinners who will talk about the history of spinning. In November, Blue Fern Yarns will be back here and we are hoping to coincide Shannon’s visit with the shop’s 4th birthday celebrations. Can you believe that we are coming up for four years of being open? Sometimes it seems like yesterday and others as though we have been here forever.
Enjoy what is left of the Dog Days – here is hoping that some of those days are warmer than this afternoon!
I thought they were dog days of summer were when it was hot and you behave like a dog lying out in the sunshine! Interesting to read this meaning of the phrase!
Every day is a learning day!