Yummy New Yarns

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

Once again it appears to have been a week since my last meanderings - if someone could work out how the time goes so fast and how we could slow it down and/or how I could fit more things in per day, I'd really appreciate it. One option would be to give up work but I don't think the bank manager would take too kindly to that and, having met and chatted to several recent retirees they all say they don't know how they had time to work, they're so busy so, clearly, that isn't the answer.

On the other hand - it could just be that I'm so busy as we're still getting lots of lovely new yarns in and trying to fit them into the shop and then on to the web is time consuming but, oh, so much fun! There was a time when we had so much yarn in the shop we had a sack "stored" on top of the loo and we had to move it every time we needed to "go". We haven't resorted to that tactic again yet so - obviously - there's still room for more loveliness!

And the only reason we have all this loveliness is thanks to our wonderful customers who keep on buying it - so, thank you - and keep on buying so we can this nasty recession that we don't care and we're going to knit our way through it!

We had some amazing and lush new 4ply sock yarns in from Rico - Mexico and Santa Fe - and only £5.99 per 100g ball - brilliant! Check out these colours to give you a taste:






















































We also had some amazing new felting wool in from Rico. It's designed to be knitted on 8mm needles and then felted down and, what's more, it knits into fairisle - perfect for slippers and booties and handbags and ..................... Check out these colours:






















































We also had a delivery in from King Cole so there's loads of stock of the lovely Mirage, Splash and Bamboo Cotton.

Last week - as you know - was Wool Week and we offered a whopping 20% off Cornish Organic Wool. It was so successful that FB is now dyeing wool to fulfil some of the orders and we've decided to have a sale every week from now until at least the start of 2011. So - every Monday from now until January, something new will be on sale. This week it's Jaeger. Sadly, Jaeger has now closed it's wool producing department and we have some last remaining balls left over. We have gorgeous Extra Fine Merino Chunky in 4 colours, which for some inexplicable reason never sold well (being Merino, it's lovely and soft, of course), we have Ascot (which has suddenly started selling in the last few weeks so there must be some patterns of it somewhere - or maybe it's mentioned on Ravelry?) and we have a few other bits and pieces as well. Check them all out here. Prices have already been reduced so the price showing is the sale price.

We've actually had another delivery of more loveliness so I'll thrash/cajole FB into getting it photographed so I can get it to you as soon as .......... watch this space!

Savile Row

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

I never, in a million year of blogging, thought I'd have the title "Savile Row" on one of my entries but - who'd have thought it - here we are!














But first, of course, we had to get there and I can happily report that the little table on the back of the seat in front of you on the train service between Penzance and Paddington is just big enough for 5 balls of wool for your tri-colour scarf:














I knitted all the way and was very grateful for the comments of two students who were on their way to Reading:

Him (slightly hushed voice), "have you seen what that lady's knitting?"
Her, "I know, it's really cool"!!

Clearly, this doesn't indicate that I am in any way, shape or form "cool" but my knitting is. Chuffed to bits.














On Monday, we walked from Marylebone to Savile Row and there were a few shops on Oxford Street making a good effort for Wool Week:














Close up:




























and then on to:


















where there were, indeed, plenty of :














How, unbelievably cool is that?!! Savile Row, turfed and full of sheep - and their sheep dogs, obviously:














I felt slightly self-conscious standing there for a photograph:














but I really shouldn't have worried. This is what one of the main photographers was wearing:


















(Actually, he turned out to be a really nice guy [called Guy] and he took photographs of "our" wool but his get up was a little incongruous in the centre of London!).

Our wool was in Norton & Sons:














You can't really see it in that picture but I think the reflection is just fantastic. Here are some close ups:




























If you look closely, you'll see that this wool comes from The Prince of Wales' farm at Highgrove in Gloucestershire. Here are some socks, made by Wendy Keith Designs, made from it, for sale at Norton's:


















and here is me knitting a sock, in the round, in Norton's:














Many thanks to Alex and Gina at Norton & Son's for making us so welcome and accepting the intrusion with such good humour!

At the end of the day we went for a wander, en route to a reception at Selfridge's (don't you know), via various shops with woolly, sheepy things in the windows:










































Socks in Holland & Holland:




























and then, in Selfridge's, before we'd even consumed a sip of champagne we met these chaps:


















Utterly bizarre:




































Clearly the dresser in this department is a knitter! Good on him/her!!

And so we staggered home and, for me, this image sums up the feel of the whole day. Sheep happily grazing outside Hardy Amies, the Queen's couturier - what could be better?

Wool Week Sale

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

Contrary to my last post, FB has decided that we shall offer 20% OFF ALL CORNISH ORGANIC WOOL for Wool Week. Prices have now been changed on the site so the sale price is now showing - buy now to avoid disappointment for FB's amazing generosity!!

I'll report back when we return from the big smoke.

Wool Week

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

Wool Week is nearly upon us and the excitement is nearing fever pitch. The shooting stocking is knitted to the "stop" point but the tri-colour scarf is alarmingly short and probably too complicated to knit on a train - am undecided as to what to do about that little predicament except knit like fury tonight and pray the knitting fairies do a few rows in the wee small hours when I'm snoring.

I held my first "Learn to Knit" class last night which, I'm hoping, went well. Everyone there had actually done a bit of knitting so we ventured into the varied ways of casting on and all agreed that cable cast on is the neatest. Next week Tracey is going to teach the thumb method which may confuse all over again! I've sent them home with their homework which seemed to delight everyone - not like physics or chemistry when at school!

I start tomorrow with my flu jab (an annual thrill) and will then decorate the shop window for Wool Week. For one week only we're offering 10% off all Cornish Organic Wool!! Prices will change on-line tomorrow afternoon so keep an eye out to catch this special offer!

Some lovely new sock wools from Rico coming online tomorrow too - keep an eye out for them - you won't be disappointed!

Knitting for Savile Row

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

Sock knitting for Savile Row has taken up most of my knitting time this week - it started off as a sock but then the publicity blurb said I'd be knitting a "Shooting Stocking" (this is Savile Row after all) so the sock was tinked/frogged back (actually, that's a lie - I just ripped the whole wretched thing out and went to bed).

Day 2, I re-calculated the number of stitches (given that the rib is now going round someone's calf, not their ankle) and started again. Knitted the rib, no problem, then started on the body (on slightly bigger needles for a bit more "give" in the calf area. Knitted about 1" then re-considered and thought, maybe, I should be knitting in rib to give even more "give" in the calf area. Consulted a few photographs of shooting stockings - they are, indeed, knitted in rib. This time I did, carefully, tink/frog the whole lot back stitch by stitch. (Incidentally, do you know that the term frog comes from the fact that you rippit, rippit [ribbit, ribbit - get it?!]).

Day 3, re-calculated the ribbed leg and set off again. I'm now back onto small needles and approaching the ankle. Have decided to turn the heel and then stop so I can demonstrate on the foot bit. Concluded that turning the heel and trying to talk to people and be generally charming and not c**k it up totally would be too much to attempt (I know my own limitations).

In my head, I've designed the second project - thick woolly (obviously) winter scarf with tri-coloured cable. Designing in my head and putting into practice and writing up the pattern are three completely different things. I have one week. On the plus side, I have 5.5 hours on a train next Sunday afternoon.

There's also the matter of the second sock - to start or not to start - that is the question.


PS: T returned home safely at 4.30am on Saturday morning. Starving hungry. Went to bed after a fried egg sandwich. How can anyone be hungry at 4.30am? Of course, forgot, he's a teenager. He seems to have had a great time and might even have done a bit of geography.

PPS: Bad news - Deidre's ear has started to smell again. Can I cope with ear drops and shooting stockings in one week?

PPPS: More bad news - we ran out of oil (£500) and the car spectacularly (and hideously expensively [£500]) failed its MOT just two days after it had a £100 puncture. That, on top of very little sleep, is a very bad combination.

Pattern Books and Other Ramblings

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

Please forgive me, for it has been 6 days since my last ramble. Do not, for one moment, think this occurred as a result of FB whipping me off to a few days on a tranquil desert island for that much needed rest. In fact, life has been as busy as ever.

We had friends down for the weekend who we haven't seen for 9 years. As with all true, good friends we picked up as if we'd only been out of touch for a week or so, but with non stop talking for 36 hours so we could cram the last 9 years in. We took them over the top to our favourite pub and they were very jealous of our walk to our "local":











Dear T has gone on a Geography field trip to Barcelona which involved a 4am departure from school on Monday morning. Yes - you did read that correctly - 4 am. When I did Geography O level (as it was in those days) we went to Dorset and stayed in a B&B in Swanage - how times have changed!

Knitting has been dominated by Wool Week in two weeks time - for which I have been asked to demonstrate knitting in Savile Row! On Monday, October 11th Savile Row will be closed to vehicles and will be laid with turf and filled with sheep (see here for an artist's impression). We're going up, decked out in Cornish Organic Wool finery obviously, to launch the start of Wool Week, designed to bring British wool to the fore and back into British fashion and shops - and not before time. Supported by The Prince of Wales it's a movement we strongly endorse. Having said that - how can I make a knitting demonstration really scintillating? - it's a challenge, that's for sure. But then again - if you've never seen a sock being knitted - it might be quite fascinating. We'll take lots of photos.

And now time for a teeny, weeny rant (and I've been working out how to put this diplomatically for the past couple of days). For the avoidance of doubt and before I rant, I'm sure we are all aware that patterns in pattern books are not allowed to be photocopied. Copying them breaks all copyright rules and is unfair to the designers who designed the patterns, the photographers who took the lovely pictures, the printers who printed them and, ultimately, the yarn companies who paid for them. Every pattern which is photocopied denies all these people the money they deserve and - in the end - ensures that future pattern books will be more and more expensive. Imagine then - customers who come into the shop, spend about 45 minutes looking for exactly the right yarn, checking yardages and availability until they've found exactly what they want (wool is strewn across the shop by this stage) and then refuse to buy the pattern book. They want a photocopy and this is denied them (with the law being carefully explained to them). They even go so far as to say, "go on, there's no-one else here, no-one will ever know". The photocopy is still not forthcoming. They then storm out of the shop, leaving all the wool they've so carefully chosen with the immortal line, "we'll go to our local wool shop, they'll photocopy it for us". There are 3 points to this: 1) if your local wool shop will photocopy patterns, please remember it is illegal, 2) please don't ask a shop assistant to do something that's illegal - it isn't fair, 3) if you ignore point 2) and do ask the assistant to do something illegal, please don't be surprised/stroppy/bad tempered when she refuses. End of rant. Thank you.

To our great surprise we had a small delivery of Rico's Can Can yesterday. It's flying out fast so catch some while you can - I have no doubt it'll be gone by Saturday - this yarn really is the must have for this autumn (and the instructions are printed inside the ball band so no worries there!!)

New Season, New Knitters, New Patterns

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

The beady eyed amongst you might have noticed a new "Workshops" button on the front page of the site - right next to the "Blog" button. As a result of many requests, we've decided to launch a series of Learn To Knit lessons and other workshops that may be of interest. As I think I've mentioned before, Learn To Knit lessons start on October 7th and Tracey and I are currently working out what other lessons may be of interest to our customers. If anyone has anything in particular they'd like us to cover, then please get in touch - either via the blog or by email to julia@knitwitspenzance.co.uk or on the good old phone - (01736) 367069.

For us knitters (and, indeed, parents) if often feels like September is the real "New Year" to us - the time when children move up a class at school and the re-start of the knitting season (for those, unlike me, who stop knitting for the summer - why?!!!); so it seemed like the right time to start classes and workshops.

It's also the time when loads of new yarns and new patterns come in - as you may have noticed - and, to that end, I have new patterns in the phenomenally popular Marble Chunky range. And there are some patterns for children (only girls, I'm afraid):






































and for their mums:






































I've also inputted all the Debbie Bliss Andes patterns. I can't decide what to knit but am very tempted by this:



















As always - so many projects, so little time!

The good news is that eldest son (G) has told me that "all the girls are wearing knitwear in College - it's really trendy" - at last people - we are on trend and what we've all known all along is now known by the youngsters - knitwear is "cool"!!

So - I am ......................... (drumroll here, please) ........................ knitting a sweater for G!! Yes, 17 years old and he' requested a hand knit sweater, not too hot (college is boiling), not too expensive (in case he loses it), blue (but not all over blue as he'd then just look "blue" with jeans on as well) and nice and soft (obviously). FB couldn't quite believe the time it took to come up with the perfect combination (now he knows why some customers spend over an hour in here) but we came up with Bamboo Cotton in this colour:



















with occasional stripes in this:



















to break up the blue. I'm loving knitting it - my bog standard DK, round neck sweater with raglan sleeves pattern. Watch this space for G modelling it in about a month's time (it was a condition to me knitting it and he's agreed!).