Hope and Plans

In all honesty, I am so relieved that the election is over. It felt as though it would never end. During that apparently interminable 6 weeks, several people talked about hope – the importance of it and the lack of it in the population as a whole. We see this in the complaints people make here about the declining high street – a sense that nothing can be made better and everything is going downhill. With regards to our own high street, I am looking at taking matters into our own hands here in Fakenham so that we can have more say in improving the high street and perhaps bring about some sort of regeneration because while I have always been a person who has hope in something better coming along, I also know that you have to work to make it happen. Here’s hoping that this new government will be able to do the same for the country but I should imagine the task feels nearly as impossible as it currently does on the local high street.

I think the erratic and not very warm weather has not helped with general optimism – someone said it was my fault for suggesting that we could put away our woollies last week. Sorry everyone! As I write the rain is pouring down outside and several rather wet people have drifted through the door, but my weather app tells me that by this evening the sun will be shining – just in time for me to go home and have an end of the week G&T on the patio.

So, what is there to hope for here in Venetia’s Yarn Shop? Summer is not the best time for yarn sales although the demand for sock yarn never seems to lessen. I place a lot of hope in tourists coming in to pick up souvenir projects or to find something to amuse them while it rains. But a quiet time is a good time to plan. Mandy and I have a lovely time planning workshops. As well as the Crochet a String Bag one, we are putting on a workshop teaching you how to knit socks on a magic loop and we are re-doing our popular Fairisle and Amigurumi workshops. We have planned our next knitalong to start in October and will promote that later on in the year. I have already told you about the Kids Crochet classes we are running over the summer holidays. In addition, several artists are going to be putting workshops on in the Gallery Upstairs coinciding with exhibitions, starting in August with Candide Turner-Bridger’s workshops on ink-making. I should be able to give more details about these in the next couple of weeks.

We are also thinking about stock for the Autumn/Winter season – starting with the new colours in Colour Lab DK and Colour Lab Aran from West Yorkshire Spinners which are being launched at the end of next week. Stylecraft have just launched a range of chenille called Squeeze Me – not my usual yarn of choice as it is pure polyester, but lots of people ask for it and it does look lovely and soft, particularly for crochet projects, and would appeal to those who can’t wear wool or are vegans, so I am considering bringing some of that in too. What we would like is to hear from you if there are any brands that you would be interested in us stocking, or any kind of yarn that you wish we had more of. I would say suggestions on a postcard please, but you might find it easier to drop us a line here.

Most excitingly, Mandy and I are going to look at a venue locally for a two-day knitting retreat to take place in April next year. We are quite excited at the prospect I must say. The idea would be to spend two days in the company of like-minded people, knitting and chatting, perhaps with some sort of learning thrown into the mix. You could either stay overnight or come during the day, depending on your preference and how Norfolk based you are! Please let me know here if you would be interested in such an event and whether you would want to stay overnight or not so we can get an idea of numbers.

The photo I have chosen to illustrate this blog is one of the photos in the current exhibition in The Gallery Upstairs – all taken during lockdown in one place in Fakenham at sunrise – always a hopeful time. The exhibition is only on until 13 July, some come by and see it this week if you can.

So there is lots to hope for on a micro level. On a bigger scale perhaps England will make it through the quarter finals tonight? I am not confident to be honest – too many disappointments over my football watching life. But here’s hoping!