knit nottingham !!!!

Hello all and welcome to Knit Nottingham; the loveliest yarn shop in Nottingham city centre. We want to be the hub of your creative experiments, catering for the experienced crafter through to beginners and even to those who don’t knit (though we’ll try our hardest to get you hooked…).

We stock a wide range of basic work-horse yarns, patterns, needles and notions as well as small injections of hand-dyed and spun yarn, hand crafted needles and locally designed patterns. For you non-knitters out there we’ll also be stocking a range of locally produced products like knitted and crocheted clothing and accessories, hand-made jewellery and beautiful cards (products to be added all the time so watch this space!).

We will be offering a wide range of workshops including the basics, socks, lace knitting and colour theory amongst many others and Eleanor will be on hand six days a week to offer one-to-one help and advice. If you don’t fancy anything structured, how about just dropping in for a cup of tea and a knit?

Starting straight away there will be easy ways of getting involved with charity knitting; the first project will be a group-knitted blanket for Afghans for Afghans, all we ask is that you knit a row or two.

We’re a friendly pair and we’d love to meet you so come along to the Grand Opening on Saturday 4^th September, 12pm– there’ll be cake and a prize draw!

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Opening Times:
Monday – Saturday – 10.30am – 6.30pm.
Sunday – 10.30am – 3pm.

Stockists:
Cygnet, King Cole, Crochetta Cotton, Prym Whitecroft and a full range of vintage patterns and needles. Local designers and artisans include: Eleanor Burke, Kate Bolin, GuzziSue, Wikkidknitter and many more.

Don’t be a stranger:
Pop into the shop from the 4^th September onwards.
Check the website – www.knitnottingham.co.uk
Email us at - knit@knitnottingham.com
Or phone on 07710978907 (landline to follow).
Search us on Facebook, Twitter and Ravelry.

Update

Hi

How come its already 2/3 the way though August!!! where does the time go? Well, at the end of July we headed up to Yorkshire for the Dalesman Rally run by Dean Valley Motorcycle club and enjoyed sunshine and beer with many friends that we had not seen for a few years.








I attended Nottingham Mela and listened the music whilst spinning some merino on one of the drop spindles.




Also dropped in at Pagan Pride with some friends and Wikkidknitter demonstrated a different form of spinning to that usually seen :-)










The Nottingham Riverside Festival saw The first meeting of the Ravelry 'spinnotts' group. We are a bunch of spinners who like to go out and spin anywhere and we couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend the afternoon spinning and listening to music.




I've finished some spinning so this....

became this...



and this......


became this...



Oh nearly forgot, we had a lively meeting at the guild as all the spinners decided to try and sit together and catch up with the gossip.



Finally, In my next post, I will have some news for knitters and spinners in and around the Nottingham area :-)

I've not disappeared!!

just not been doing too much over the last two weeks, the house and garden have needed our attention although we did get out to listen to some world music (good and bad) a couple of weekends ago.



Last weekend fellow raveler Wikkidknitter and myself had a fluff day, sorting, washing and carding fleece, dyeing tops and fleece and a spot of bobbin lace (Hubby went away for the weekend to get away from all this fluffiness, his spinning wheels are on his motorbike) We now have Superwash merino tops to start spinning later today and some merino/silk and Shetland waiting in the wings.



We have been continuing with our spin in public events, in a couple of the bars in town and hopefully later today at the castle. Recent drop spinning in the centre of Nottingham resulted in having photos taken by the tourists :-) the first appearance of a spinning wheel ( Petes) at the Contemporary bar was interesting especially as we were both taking turns to use it. The lovely staff never batted an eyelid and made sure we had chairs, table, pots of tea etc.



I will be back in biker mode soon, a trip to yorkshire is coming up and later in the summer we will head over the channel. The ferry tickets were so cheap this year!! shame about the exchange rate. Yes, I get to unpack the bike, usually as Ian tracks down a drink :-)

Below the surface

Below the surface,Below the surface,Below the surface, this has been going round in my brain for the last couple to weeks. It's the subject chosen for my Art House sketchbook and I'm having a hard time focusing on just one or two aspects of it. Each time I think I've got it nailed, another idea sails into my head!!
Even Biker Ted is getting in on this one, explained what I was doing and he went out for the day, coming back with photos of a cutaway motorcycle engine!!! Yes, all the gears, piston etc are below the surface.
Gggrrr, everything I look at now is making me think what happens if I cut it, peel it, break it up and put it under a microscope ( fortunately I don't own one).
Need to start to play so I think I will be boring for the time being and stick with buried items, from fossils to a particular favourite of mine,bog people. The bodies that are preserved in peat bogs for hundreds of years. Will also look to include something like Skara Brae in Orkney, a Neolithic settlement that was buried by rubbish and sand.

That is until I slice the next vegetable in half and think.....so that's what's 'Below the surface' !!!

Meanwhile, a friend kindly gave me some laceweight yarn to play with so here is the obligatory knitting photo :-)

spinning update

OK, here are my latest spinning efforts.

Polwarth dyed by Babylonglegs.









Shetland dyed by Wheeldale Woolcrafts plyed with white merino




Ravelry are currently running Tour De Fleece which is a personal challenge that runs along the Tour De France. For the duration on the Tour De France, you undertake to either knit an object, spin a given amount etc. You set your own goals for this so I'm just going to try and spin everyday.
The first day was Saturday so Wikkidknitter and myself headed to Wollaton park to start the challenge by spinning in public.
We nearly fell off the starting block when we spotted the carrot cake and the start was delayed somewhat but we soon recovered enough to do some spinning and an impromptu demo to adults and children in outdoor cafe area.






We had a really good day which was rounded off by a little dragonfly looking insect landing on my finger, just not quick enough with the camera and ice creams whist looking round the global market in Nottingham.



oh and I seem to have a bucket of fleece soaking outside hehe

East Bridgford Show

Hi, I have a few posts to do over the next few days regarding sketchbooks and spinning but for the time being I will share a few photos from last weekends show.
Our branch of Weavers , Spinners and Dyers put on a demo and display at this annual show and this year I was able to join them and had a very enjoyable day spinning, watching Zulu dancers, one mad and his dog herding ducks!! meeting very friendly sheep (and buying their fleece) not to mention countless cups of tea from the local WI.







Spinning and chatting is one of my favourite chill activities and I am very conscious that I have been ignoring embroidery for a while and even the lace has gone untouched. But we have a bobbin lace session pencilled in for later this month so watch this space.

new neighbour

Hi, not really got a lot to say this week except that we seem to have a new neighbour :-)



oh, and I did sign up for the sketchbook project with the theme below the surface. Hopefully this will spark off some creativity again.

Have a good weekend everyone :-)

World wide knit in public day

Not that I need an excuse to sit and knit :-)This spinning lark seems to have been my obsession for a while and just when I think my knitting skill are sufficient for my needs ie basic grounding in knit and purl, someone throws a challenge in my face!!

So we packed our bags and headed off to Nottingham Contemporary Cafe which has become a favourite with us. Fellow Raveler Wikkidknitter produced this ball of mystery fibre



and said 'you should knit this pattern next' Ok, lets have a look at it,



see what I mean about a challenge, isn't it pretty!!!! the patterns is echo flower shawl by Jenny Johnson Johnen and I think it will be on my needles at some point soon.



We spent the afternoon quietly knitting and spinning on drop spindles, drinking tea and catching up with the gossip. It wasn't until we were on the way back into town that we realised that we hadn't a photo of us!! But I have got a very blurrey photo of me spinning in a bar in Nottingham two weeks ago so that will have to do.



Thanks Peter, I had a great time and hopefully will do it all again real soon :-)

Just one more thing, LOOK what they have done to our council house, is this the biggest England flag in the country?



I hope you all have a good weekend and find time for a cup of tea and a few moments relaxation

The Sketchbook Project: 2011 » Art House Co-op | We build art projects and communities

The Sketchbook Project: 2011 » Art House Co-op | We build art projects and communities

I've been thinking about taking part in this as I have been neglecting the sketchbook recently. Is anyone else taking part?

Thanks for all your comments about foreign objects found in washing machines, I'm just waiting for some to finish and wondering what I will find this time!

On the fibre front, things are a little quiet, just some spinning and sampling. Although it is world wide knit in public day so you will find me in Nottingham somewhere, needles in hand :-)




Handpainted shetland tops by Wheeldale Woolcrafts plyed with merino, very small sample to see whether to ply with white or with another painted top, I'm liking this version which is a two ply, sort of sock weightish.

Have a great weekend everyone :-)

Is it just me?

Am I the only one to unload the washing machine and find a piece of motorcycle in it? Yes, one relay for a Motoguzzi 1100, nice and clean but will probably never work again :-)

Stop Press!! Outbreak of spontaneous dancing hits Nottingham

random acts of dancing were confirmed in Nottingham city centre today!!!









accompanied by music from Wee Willie Harris



and the Jets



In spite of the rain!!!

City Pulse and country chill

Hi
It's the start of a holiday weekend here in the UK and we will be spending some time down in the city centre at the City Pulse. For anyone near Nottingham, this is a free music festival spread over 3 days in the city centre with four venues being used, all but one outdoors (the other being in a marquee) Full details can be found here. Bikerted is really looking forward to seeing Dr Feelgood whilst I will be happy to listen and spin to anyone. I suspect the drop spindle will get plenty of use :-)

For a taste of what is in store, check out these posts by Bikerted .reviewing previous city pulse events.

What have I been up to recently? well our bike club (Drake MCC) had our annual summer rally last weekend and for the last ten or so years these have been famous for their bad weather. Thunderstorms and torrential rain are usually the norm for this event seeing soggy bikers sat in the control tent or hiding in the pub. However this year thinks were a little different !!





On the fibre front, I was able to do quite a bit of knitting over the weekend and a little spinning whilst hiding in the shade. It was the hottest weekend of the year so far and we all had a great time although I suspect the ride back may have been a little painful for one or two sun burnt bodies!!



I also had the opportunity recently to catch up with fellow raveller Wikkidknitter for an afternoon of knitting and spinning and drinking coffee!











The weaving attempts continue with a little untidy tablet weaving, some more texture with hand spun silk and one of the spinning wheels has alpaca/merino on it. The other wheel, the sonata, has some Shetland along with a practise bobbin for when I take it out with me.








Todays tasks are to tidy the house then head out and enjoy the music, umbrella ready in case. After all this IS a British bank holiday, its bound to RAIN!!

Have a great weekend everyone, and thanks for reading, I really appreciate your comments and friendship.

a little fibre content

as well as admiring beautiful motorcycles, I have been playing with my new spinning wheel and the spears weaving looms. Loom size 2 came out of its box and produced about 5 inch wide piece of woven fabric, the yucky tension is all my fault:-)



Tried making braids with handspun yarn.



Loom size 4 is continuing to be used to practise on, the green yarn is all hand spun.





I also managed to score these two books in a charity shop in Northwich :-)



I hope you are all having a good week and that it is fine at the weekend as I really need to catch up on the washing and get it out on the line!!!