Land's End

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

In an attempt to quell the Sunday afternoon lethargy in front of the goggle box, FB and I have started a regime of weekend walks. We live in such a beautiful part of the country but, like many people, never see things in our local area. Yesterday dawned sunny and hot and we had to do some promotional photos at Land's End for the End 2 End Sweater so we decided to drive there and then walk along the coastal path. Promotional pics went OK but I always feels like such a lemon standing there with tourists walking past:














The sweater just laid back and took it all in its stride, photoshoots are par for the course now:














We then walked west along the southern coast to Nanjizal and it was simply stunning:




























The building on the cliff here is the Land's End complex:




























Round the corner to Nanjizel cove:
































Cornwall at its most beautiful. Reminds me why I chose to live here!

Learn To Knit!!

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

We've had the most amazing and wonderful yarns in the window over the past few months and several people have popped in and asked if we do classes to teach them how to knit. We didn't - but we are now!

Starting on Thursday, October 7th at 5.30pm we'll be holding 2 hour lessons for 6 weeks. During the course participants will knit their first scarf:


















(and optional wrist warmers), their first garment:














and their first cabled handbag:


















The cost of the materials is included in the total cost of £72.00 so, given that the materials are valued at about £35.00, we reckon that's excellent value for money!

If anyone's interested, please drop us an email or give us a ring on (01736) 367069.

If these classes are popular then we'll put together some more advanced classes and workshops - any ideas of what you'd like to learn or brush up on, please let us know.

Lots of Lovely Goodies!

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

I've inputted loads of lovely goodies onto the site for you today so kick back, get yourself a nice cup of tea/coffee/gin and prepare yourselves for some drooling.

Firstly we have two wonderful new colours in Baba: (slubby, pure wool, absolutely gorgeous)










three new colours in New Zealand Prints: (75% wool, DK)








we have one new colour in Knit Col: (pure wool, DK, self patterning with a bit of fairisle)














one new colour in Duo Plus: (cotton/wool mix, patterning)














new chunky range from Adriafil called Attimo: (wool/mohair/alpaca blend, subtle colour changes, amazingly soft, very, very gorgeous)











and finally from Adriafil the softest, most gorgeous, lovely, lovely 4ply alpaca you could ever wish to see, feel, knit and wear. Customers have been asking us for a 4ply alpaca and this is it! Your search for soft, wondrous alpaca ends here: Sierra Andina is what you've all been waiting for:











For a better, close-up image - take a look at the heathery colours in this little beauty:














We also have 4 new colours in Rico's Poems but have already sold out of one so catch them before they go (brilliant for felting, by the way). We have also completely sold out of Rico's Can Can, of which there's been quite a bit of chat on Ravelry. We had 60 balls and sold out completely in 12 days but have re-ordered and are taking orders both over the phone and online. Get your orders in to avoid disappointment! This yarns is the big hit of the moment and, clearly, we're not alone as Rico have practically sold out as well! Next delivery due to them in late October/early November so still enough time to get those Christmas presents on the needles, off the needles and wrapped for the big day.

Currently I have, on the needles, a pair of socks in King Cole's Riot: (late b'day present for my brother)











and this pattern from Stylecraft:


















(yes, I know it's shown on a child but I'm quite small and the pattern goes up to my size, fortunately and I really like it), which I'm knitting in this:


















Stylecraft's Life Super Chunky, which is lovely and soft and knitted on big needles (8mm and 10mm) so good for those of us with not too much time to knit! (Trying to knit this in the shop - 2 weeks to knit one [small] front.)

Ok - so that's the end of the update - hope you're now drooling - I'm off to continue knitting a very late sock.

Weekend with Friends

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

I have just had the second consecutive weekend with friends and not working in the shop at all. Thanks to Tracey, I've had two "proper" weekends and they were great. Back to normality the weekend coming but, in the meantime, I'm basking in the glow of Saturdays off.

This Saturday we walked across the moor to our favourite "local" pub (about 5 miles) - The Gurnard's Head at Zennor:










After a couple of swifty liveners it became necessary, indeed essential, for rugby to be played:














in the middle of the road ..........














and when cars came along, the game was to lob the ball over the car:














and then see how close to the car you could get. .... this one actually hit the car's aerial (!):














If you were the driver, I hereby apologise for the menfolk's childish and ridiculous (but entertaining) behaviour. (Thank heavens - this being deepest, darkest Cornwall there weren't too many cars - cannot recommend this game for the M5.)

In the evening we headed off to our local Chinese which does the most amazing all-you-can-eat buffet (for just £9.95 per head). After 3 lots of "starters" and 2 main courses our dear friend Rob challenged T that if he could eat a "dessert" of:

ice cream,
4 deep fried chicken balls,
sweet and sour sauce,
sprinkled with crushed up prawn crackers

whilst wearing a peking duck pancake on his head, T would receive the princely sum of £5.00. Never one to resist a challenge T acquired the necessary ingredients from the buffet (yes, that brown goo is chocolate ice cream):














and set to:


















(note the delicately balanced pancake).

Rob duly paid up:














Take note - this is a 15 year old who has just cycled from John O'Groats to Land's End - no challenge is too big or too small.

PS: To our amazement, he wasn't sick!

Adriafil

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

We've had an amazing delivery from Adriafil today - lots of boxes of lovely goodies - sometimes my job is like the best Christmas Day you could imagine! I've updated the stock for Knitcol, Duo Plus, Baba and New Zealand Stampato and I've got some really, really gorgeous things to add to the site, including the softest 4ply alpaca imaginable. Watch this space. Balls have already gone home with FB for photography.

For those of you deeply concerned about Deidre -















we have persisted (with much angst and swearing), his ears are smelling much better, he sees the brown blanket now and tries to run a mile (he forgets, though, that we're a tiny bit smarter than him and close all doors and windows prior to producing said brown blanket), the house is trashed, my cuts are healing and the vet wants to see him again tomorrow. £53 last time. FB and I are still debating whether a re-visit is necessary. I'll let you know.

Cats

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

Those of you who've been reading this for a while will know that - accidentally - we have 3 cats.

Eric - the boss, huge, black, very vocal, "my" cat, wanders off for days on end, only 3 legs (complicated story involving wandering off and cancer), prone to worms due to eating vermin on wandering sessions.

Tabitha - siamese looking, boss eyed, adopted us 6 years ago, c21 years old, stone deaf, showing signs of dementia (was found asleep in the dishwasher last week), very rarely moves from the side of the Aga.

Deidre - despite his name he's a boy, tabby, abandoned in the farmyard at 5 weeks, came home in FB's pocket, had a stroke at 1 year old, consequently dodgy eyes, now c3 years old, smells really, really bad.

Deidre is very friendly but the smell had got so bad last week FB couldn't have him in the office when he was working (Deidre never moves far from us) so a trip to the vet was arranged. By the simple method of sniffing every orifice, we'd ascertained that the truly appalling smell was coming from his ears.

Vet took a look inside and there's a raging infection and lots of grunge going on (especially in the left ear). So - treatment goes like this:

1. Get cat into house and lock all doors and windows to prevent escape.
2. Catch cat.
3. Wrap cat tightly in towel, blanket, coat/whatever is to hand after two hours of trying to catch cat who is now well aware that "something is going on".
4. Squirt cleaning solution into cat's ear.
5. Wipe cleaning solution off yours, and your partner's face, whilst still clutching growling cat.
6. Insert wads of cotton wool into furious cat's ear to remove grunge.
7. Drop precisely 3 drops of medicine into cat's ear.
8. Repeat from 3 with 2nd ear.
8. Release cat, simultaneously opening all doors to allow escape of now hissing, ball of feline fury.
9. Clear up mess, replace all unbroken ornaments on to shelves, find superglue to repair broken ornaments, find antiseptic cream for scratches on face and hands, drink stiff G&T.

Repeat every day for one week.

It's going to be a very, very long week.

Patterns, Patterns, Patterns

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

Working late tonight to get as many patterns on to the site as possible. I've managed to get all the King Cole Riot patterns on and all the King Cole Haze - so I'm feeling pretty chuffed.

Here's a quick sample of Riot:

























































and a quick sample of Haze:

























































The yardage of both is really, really good so you'll be amazed by how few balls these patterns take. Check them out by clicking on the links.

G got his final GCSE result today - an 'A' in Computer Studies - quite clearly he doesn't get his skills in that area from me.