In The Press

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

Having your own wool brands is a constant marketing challenge - competing against the big boys isn't always easy but, when you have a message it's a whole lot easier. Getting designers to use your wool for magazine commissions is a great way to get your wool seen and, if you're lucky, the magazine may include some editorial as well. This month we've come up trumps! Two garments in two magazines! It's always amazing to see the wool you supplied months ago turn into fantastic garments, professionally modelled in magazines sold across the globe.

Tina Barrett lives in Cornwall and designs for Cornish Organic Wool as well as many other companies and for all the big magazines. When we introduced our Wool Britannia range we sent her a skein of each for sampling and when she was asked to design a girls' coat for Inside Crochet magazine she thought of Wool Britannia. And here it is:


















Kerrie Allman is the Senior Editor on Inside Crochet magazine (and Yarn Forward - she's a busy girl) and we meet at all the shows around the country. This is her gorgeous daughter modelling Tina's gorgeous coat. I love the cheeky look on her face in this picture:


















You can buy Inside Crochet on the site here. This coat is in Issue 6.

Our second garment is a fantastic man's sweater in Cornish Organic Wool which is in the latest Knit Today magazine, issue 44, which came out this week. Take a look at this:


















I really like this sweater, designed by Rita Taylor, and it only takes 7-9 skeins. If you buy the magazine and want to knit the sweater there's a customer code for you to quote when you ring us and you get 20% off your wool until 30th April. Buy now to avoid disappointment! Here's the back:


















The sleeves are knitted from the top down (in true Cornish Gansey style) so your man can try it on whilst it's being knitted and make sure the sleeves are the right length!

We've just sent some wool off to Sweden for a design for another Inside Crochet issue so - watch this space!

Here at home FB and I have been experimenting with a waistcoat I gave him for this birthday last year. Obviously it's Cornish Organic but I didn't knit it myself a) because I don't have time and b) because I wanted it to be a surprise. He loved it but didn't like the colour (cream) so, after much deliberation and faffing around he took courage in both hands and dyed it. The colour is fantastic but, for some reason we can't fathom, it stretched during the dyeing. He's now on a diet and losing weight so it's going to be enormous. We took a big gulp and put it in the washing machine!!!! Oh, yes we did!

This is the "before" photo:
















26" across - that's a 52" chest - even FB's not that big! Although the colour's fab, I'm sure you'll agree.















29" from top to bottom.
After felting:
















25" across. The photo doesn't really show it but the cabling has definitely started to felt but hardly any difference in width.
















A noticeable difference in length though as it's now 25". In other words, it's felted/shrunk in the direction we didn't want it to! The M-in-L is now going to take control of it and sew up the sides a few cm's in (you can see that the sides are ribbing) and then, once she's made a seam, cut out the excess knitting. Could be interesting. Rather her than me!

Tomorrow G runs his inaugural cross country race for Cornwall - keep everything crossed!

Think Global, Knit Local

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

Tinebeest's comment from yesterday has given me the chance to have a mini-rant about globalisation, our responsibilities to (and for) it, shopping habits etc, etc. Don't worry - I'm not going to have a huge, big fat rant - just a mini one. It just got me thinking a bit (and maybe some of you as well).

I am as guilty as the next person for doing the bulk of my shopping in a major supermarket beginning with T. But I do have some justification: FB and I run 3 companies, that's 3 lots of accounts to be kept up to date; I have 2 teenagers, that's 2 insatiable appetites to feed; said teenagers are at one sporting venue or another 3 nights a week and neither of them drive yet (perhaps fortunately); I work 6 days a week, that's only 1 day off a week; and the supermarket beginning with T delivers to my home. That means we can sit on the computer, day or night, order our basic essentials and they'll be delivered at a time that suits us. If you value your time at, say, £30.00 per hour and it takes 2 hours to complete the weekly shop (driving there and back, packing and unpacking etc), it makes far more sense, timewise (and moneywise), to have everything delivered to the door. It also means that one van is delivering to, up to, 10 houses rather than 10 cars making the return journey to the supermarket.

However (and this is a big HOWEVER), we get all our meat from local farmers - our pork comes from a friend and we usually get 2 half pigs a year from her (yes, we have a big freezer), our beef comes from the farm we live on and our lamb comes from "our" farmer's sister-in-law over the top on the north coast at Morvah. We produce our own eggs and, occasionally, we eat our own cockerels and pheasants and other game that the boys bring home from the local shoot! We only have one car and all of us, at some time or another, ride bikes to and from town (I ride mine every day as you know). Our local supermarket beginning with T does try to stock local fruit and veg when it can and we will always buy it when they do.

So, I do think - in a small way - we are doing what little bit we can. (Oh, yes, I buy most of my clothes from charity shops as well - picked up some lovely Jaeger trousers for £5.00 not so long ago!)

Now I know there are going to be some people reading this and shouting at the screen, "yes, but I don't know a local farmer and I can't afford locally produced meat and I don't have a good local yarn shop" and, of course, that's true but I think it's all about doing the little bits we can do. If you do have a local yarn shop then try to support it and if you want something they haven't got, then - by all means - turn to the wonders of the internet (good grief, I have a website and I love receiving your orders!) but don't order on the 'net and then go to your yarn shop to have a feel of what you've ordered!

And then we have the whole "bigger picture" to consider. It is absolutely unrealistic to expect all knitters to knit with locally produced fibres all the time but it is also and undeniable fact that most yarns have a pretty horrendous air-mileage. Most cheaper yarns are made from petro-chemicals and have been spun in China, so there are the ethical issues as well as the mileage to take into consideration. Cotton is the filthiest product produced for textiles, bar none and even agro-chemists won't argue on that point (and believe me, I've discussed it with them). But, we like to knit with cottons and some of them are are really beautiful. With my Cornish Organic hat on, we are currently sourcing organic, fair trade cotton for our next line and, believe me, it's and long and complex business and so, yes, the net product may be more expensive but the extra cost is saving the planet and the health of the workers who are producing the cotton for us.

It's a big and complex issue so, what do I think? I think we should all try and think about where everything comes from and try to buy things locally when we can. For knitters, that may (should?) include trying to knit at least one locally sourced item a year - whether that's wool from your local farmers' market (or Cornish Organic!!) or some other local source and, if it's cotton try and make it organic. I may yet do another whole big, fat rant about organic cotton and dubious certification bodies but I'm sure you've had enough for now!

And, as tinebeest said, Think Global, Buy Local!

Customer Comments of the Day

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

9.05am: customer has 4 x 5p buttons - "I've just put all my change in the car park - can you change a £20.00 note? .........................."


"Have you got a 50g ball of white DK acrylic"
"Yes, we've got Snuggly (£2.92 a ball)"
"Oooh, I'm not paying that much - I bought 5 100g balls from the pound shop and I just need a little bit to finish it off ........................"


"Have you got the new colours in Click Chunky"
"No, I'm afraid we haven't, but we could get some in if there's a colour you particularly want"
"No - that's OK - I've ordered some on-line, I just wanted to see what it looked like ...................."


Customers - we love you really but sometimes you couldn't make it up!

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

TCG is progressing apace - am now on the patterned section for the second sleeve. If it's not pouring or snowing tomorrow I'll try and take a picture.

I spent yesterday digging out the understairs cupboard. Every house has its glory (gory?) hole/general dumping ground and our understairs cupboard was ours. I actually took before and after photos but FB was so appalled at the thought of our revolting cupboard being available for public scrutiny that he refused to format the photos. The "after" photo looks great but there's not much point in publishing that (a washing machine and a few coats/shoes in a cupboard) if you haven't seen the full horror before.

In the midst of it I also discovered that our washing machine outlet pipe was leaking (and probably has been for some time) so fixed that as well - dry as a bone now - if you need a plumber's mate, I'm your girl.

The charity shops have gained a sackful of our old/small coats and jackets and two sacks went in the bin. Next week, G wants us to tackle their old bookcase on the landing - this sorting bug must be catching .............. and, no, I'm not free to come and sort out your gory holes next weekend - you'll feel really good when you've done them, believe me.

TCG Picking Up Stitches

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

I managed to pick up the second sleeve last night, knitted 4 rows to the first increase and then fell asleep.

Lots of people hate picking up stitches and get in a real tizz about it, so - here is my foolproof plan/advice to picking up.

First of all remember the 7 P's - Prior Preparation and Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. So - prepare yourself first, don't just hurl yourself into picking up 320 stitches - it won't work, I guarantee you.

1. Remove all irritations from the room - specifically, husbands, children and cats. Goldfish can stay so long as they're well behaved and promise not to leave their tank whilst the picking up is in progress.

2. Throw that wine down the sink. Picking up and alcohol don't mix.

3. Prepare the area. Personally, I find the kitchen table is the ideal spot for picking up. Lay out your pins (yes, you'll need several of these), pattern, wool, needles etc.

4. Place your pins. OK - so, let's say you've got 132 stitches to pick (like I had last night), divide by 2 - 66 for each half, fold your edge in half and place a pin at the half way point. Then divide each half in half again and place pins. So - you've got 4 spaces which need 16.5 stitches each. 16, one on the pin itself and then another 16. Easy. If you go wrong you've only got to pull back 16 stitches.

5. Keep your pins in place until you've finished. You've done your first 16 sts plus the one where the pin was. Place the pin there. So you know that's 17 sts and you don't have to keep counting back to the beginning every time.

6. Spacing is always tricky because the number of stitches picked up is never the same as the number of rows. This is because knitting stitches aren't square. They are longer than they are wide. Oh, yes they are. If you pick up one stitch for each row the edge will be too loose and "bag". It's irritating but we have to learn to live with it.

7. Once you've picked up all the stitches and counted them a couple of times you can release the husband and children from the locked cupboard et voila - picked up stitches perfectly done each time.

8. NOW you can drink that wine.

My Weekend

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

We had friends to stay for the weekend which is simultaneously wonderful and great fun and totally exhausting. Our home is not exactly what you'd call a "show" home. We don't have one whole end, storey or even wing left empty for the arrival of guests. We fill every corner of our abode so when 4 friends descend there is a general mass panic and huge amount of organisation to be done.

G has to move out of his room and the (2) beds are changed and made ready. This, obviously, involves finding sheets that vaguely resemble each other and can pass off as a match and towels that aren't ex-rugby ones and aren't more hole than towel.

We then have to squeeze 3 boys (teenagers at that) into T's room which initially involves removing the entire contents of T's wardrobe from their normal resting place on the floor in to the drawers and wardrobe they were originally intended for when I washed them (why do I bother? - answers on a postcard, please). We then have to arrange the 3 beds in such a manner as the 3 boys can get into them without walking all over each other and, again, find sheets and duvets that vaguely match.

Needless to say, the light outside the airing cupboard has broken and, apparently, it's a bigger job than just changing the bulb so I could be found on Friday afternoon, grovelling in the cupboard with a head-torch on trying to find approximately matching linen.

We had a great time but not a single stitch was knitted. For obvious reasons I have decided against any "Knitting Olympics" this year - Ravelry and Yarn Harlot are organsing them for those who feel the need - even I acknowledge that I don't really need any more stress.

However - we do have a Gansey update:


















That, my friends, is a Gansey with one whole sleeve completed - oh, yes.

On Saturday we took the GCSE students amongst us (that's 3 of them, George is now progressing towards A levels) to see some living, breathing geography:













That is Loe Bar on the Lizard Peninsula. The water on the left is a freshwater lake, on the right is the sea. Caused by longshore drift and all that kind of stuff .......... remember all that geography?













This is us.

Tonight I aim to cast on TCG second sleeve ................ but, I may just fall asleep.

It's So Cold!

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

As you know by now, I come to work on my trusty bicyclette. Down hill on the way. Up hill on the way home. In the current arctic conditions I have 6 - yes, 6 - layers on for the ride down the hill:

1. Long sleeved thermal vest
2. Long sleeved t-shirt
3. Fine pure wool sweater (not hand made, sorry)
4. Thicker pure wool sweater (made by me)
5. Pure wool jacket
6. High viz jacket (pink)

Three pairs of gloves:

1. Thin plastic ones (usually used for emptying the cats' dirt box)
2. "Proper" cycling gloves
3. Peruk (75% Cornish Organic Wool/25% alpaca) fingerless mittens with flaps knitted by me.

One scarf (woven, mostly pure wool, by me).

Despite all of this, I am still cold. I arrive in town unable to operate the bike lock properly or operate the keys in the shop door. I am a knitter but even I am getting fed up with this - and we don't have more snow, yet - unlike some of you.

Next year I will have The Cornish Gansey to wear (update tomorrow) and it'll probably be unusually warm. For now - whoever the Weather God is - please, give us a break. I, for one (and I suspect I speak for many) have HAD ENOUGH.