Hi Everyone
So, nothing has changed and I can’t yet give you any definite news about meeting up! At the beginning of July I received an email from the school in anticipation of being able to hire out the school premises with the relaxation of restrictions. I completed and returned the form for hiring the school room we use. They acknowledged receipt and said they would be putting the lettings calendar together within a couple of weeks and would contact us if there are any clashes with school activities.
Since then I’ve heard nothing so I’m in a bit of a quandary. Are they definitely hiring rooms again? Is everything ok and we can meet? What would we need to do to be able to meet? And anyway, do we want to meet given the way numbers are going up again? Would we want to meet if there were cases in school? The school term starts on 2nd September and the first potential date we could meet is Tuesday 7th September. So I can only guess that the situation will be reassessed as term starts and we’ll get very little notice one way or the other.
I sure you’ve all played your part and have had your jabs unless advised not to for medical reasons (yes, there are some people who are not able to be vaccinated or where medication makes they ineffective). It is so important we remember that having the vaccinations does not prevent us from getting the virus and passing it on; it just means we are less likely to need hospitalisation should we get it. I suspect that, like me, many of you have heard from your GP’s indicating that we will need boosters come September. If that doesn’t tell us that we can still get the virus then we obviously aren’t getting the same message!
I also think that we will need to put in place additional “precautions” when we do meet. Many of us haven’t had any of the coughs, colds and sickness bugs that go round regularly. Let’s face it, we probably haven’t seen anyone to catch them from. So it would be sensible to ask that if you do catch something, even if it is mild, please stay away from meetings until you are no longer infectious. Many of us are on a hospital waiting list or have immune suppressed family members. Procedures and operations won’t happen if we have any sort of infection and after waiting so long we don’t want them to be delayed further because of something like a cold!
Our health and the health of others is something that we need to take seriously, not just for meeting up again, but for all aspects of our daily lives. It’s going to be a long time before we get back to how we were pre-pandemic, if we ever do. Instead we must get used to a new “normal” and work with it. That’s enough - lectures over! Just take care and stay safe.
Let’s talk dates. These are very provisional at the moment and are the ones I filled in on the application for hire form. Provided the school is hiring out rooms, and provided they don’t clash with a school activity the we COULD potentially meet on
Tuesday 5th October 2021,
Put them on your calendar in feint pencil only. They could still change. I won’t be making any bookings for speakers or demonstrators for a while, but I’m sure we’ll find plenty of knitting and crochet topics to talk about when we meet.
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Exhibition Update
I’ve been keeping a close eye on exhibitions that are scheduled during August. I’ve heard through my contacts that many of the exhibitors scheduled to be at The Festival of Quilts at the NEC have withdrawn and we can probably guess at the reason why! The Knitting and Stitching Show organisers for Alexandra Palace and Harrogate which is scheduled for the autumn are asking that we register our interest presumably so they can judge whether it will be worthwhile going ahead and what restrictions might be needed. The exhibitors list looks a bit short but that could yet be expanded. The Creative Craft Shows (Exeter and NEC) have info on their website about extra precautions being taken. Lists of exhibitors look a bit short here too.
As for Southern Wool, which is to take place at Newbury Racecourse at the beginning of September, their website says lots of measures will still be in place and entry will be by timed ticket only. With about a month to go it’s only the first time-slot that is sold out.
I hope you’ve got a smart phone as shows are requesting you download your ticket to your phone to show rather than printing a paper copy to take with you. Nothing that I saw mentioned having to show proof of vaccinations or negative test but it could still be added.
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Thank you to the very few who responded positively regarding the possibility of us taking part in the Fleet Christmas Tree Festival. I have taken an executive decision on this and not applied as there is too few people willing to join in and knit tree decorations to make it viable.
Browsing the World Wide Web
I found another yarn company—Hooked is based in Portugal. All their yarn is made from recycled materials, however some are not recommended for young children because of the short fibre length. You can order direct from them but before you do check out whether you would need to pay duty, VAT etc. now we are no longer part of the EU. Alternatively you can order this yarn from Deramores where there is free shipping within the UK if you spend £25 or more.
On the subject of yarns, Marriner have been introducing new lines to their range of yarns. Take a look, but be careful as I’m sure you’ll be tempted to buy. (I have resisted so far!) Free postage on orders over £25 here too.
Another You-Tube video for you; the link was originally posted by someone on the KCG Facebook group. It’s just short but it is so “us” and about craft supplies.
For those of you who use Instagram, check out madewithlovebytomdaley Tom has knitted himself a pouch to keep his gold medal in and by the looks of it lots of other things too.
Whilst we talking celebrities, take a look at this outfit worn by Lewis Hamilton. It takes a confident man to wear something like that. Not sure we’d see anyone wearing it on our high street!
Missing being able to visit the V&A? Take a look at their website. They have a section about some of the knitting held in their collections as well as interviews with knitwear designers and textile artists. There are also some 1940’s patterns that can be downloaded for free. You might even recognise the tea cosy pattern!
Do you get a gap when you bind off mid-row that you’d rather not have? Circle of Stitches shows a method to avoid it.
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Sally sent some links that came to her in her position as Branch Coordinator of the Knitting and Crochet Guild. Don’t forget that the Guild posts regularly on Instagram as well as Ravelry and Facebook. You don’t have to be a member to view them but they’d love for you to join.
The first link is to a knitted dress—a look alike similar to what celebs are wearing now and the second to a designer bikini.
Paris Fashion Week catwalk shows happened at the end of June. Many of the designers offered digital shows and they can be found by following the link.
Bucket Hats are back according to Vogue. Scroll down to see their suggestions. There are plenty of YouTube tutorials on line as well as free pattens such as this crochet one by Darsi Stitches.
My Stay and Home and Keep Busy List/Chart
Who’d have guessed it – those tops and the adjusted dress that I talked about last time really have come in useful! I must admit to staying inside out of the sun and in the coolest places I could find as much as possible. I am not a sun worshiper!
But before the temperature rose I had been continuing, very half heartedly, to sort through my craft stash. I made the decision that I had to get rid of the things I’d sorted so far as I had no room to do anything more. I also come to the conclusion that it would be impossible to sell the vast majority of it, especially as I wasn’t prepared to go through the process of photographing and advertising, then posting it out to anyone who wanted a small bit of it. So my next thought was who could I give it to. Too much for local charity shops and they probably wouldn’t want it anyway. But I knew just one place that might like it. Tools with a Mission Their website showed they were accepting all the things I had to get rid of and there was a local collector just a few miles away. I made contact and arranged to take the things to them.
There were things that I hadn’t touched in probably the last five years if not longer. I might have looked at them in passing whilst looking for something else, but that was all. It included bags of ribbon, lace, tapes etc, not just knitting yarns. I had to ditch most of the elastic as it had lost its elasticity! If I’d not even contemplated using it for that length of time what was the point in keeping it?
I made a date to take things to TWAM but there was still plenty to sort through. Having a target date helped my decision making! To further help I decided that I would only keep what I could stash away in set areas. Once they were full that was it. If there was something else I wanted to keep then another thing already there had to go! I was also determined not to retrieve anything that was already set to go out. Don’t get me wrong, I still have more yarn than I can use in my allotted lifetime however long that may be, but it is down to a more manageable quantity now.
By the time the day came there were piles of boxes and bags everywhere. When my husband loaded the car it was touch and go whether there would be room for me too! There was just a small space left so maybe I should have found a few more things instead of going along for the ride!
I still have more sorting out to do, and there will be lots more to get rid of, but at least now I have space to sort through it. I also asked if they take instruction books and patterns and got a positive response so once they have been sorted I know where I’ll be taking them! And the more I sort into the “to go” pile the easier it becomes to say goodbye to it. I’m becoming more decisive too so instead of keeping it because I might want it one day I am letting it go because I can always borrow or buy a more up to date similar item. Giving things to TWAM or any of the other charities that take our surplus craft materials is a much better idea than it going to landfill!
I do get the odd wistful, but thankfully fleeting, feeling of there might have been things I should have kept but the overwhelming feeling is of relief that it has gone. It feels good now when I look into my craft room (and everywhere else I’d piled my stash into) rather than the feeling of helplessness and not knowing where to start. It has also helped me be strong when I see crafts and yarns on sale. I must not be tempted those offers, no matter how good a deal it may seem.
I needed a rest once the boxes and bags had gone, so I spent a couple of days on card making. I have got into the habit of starting on my Christmas cards in the summer when I can sit in the cool and move about little. I have so much card making stuff now that I wanted to make this years cards from the supplies I already have. After a while of looking for ideas on the internet I made my decisions and set about making up my own kits so that everything was together when I started to assemble them. So now I’m ready to start sticking and stamping when time permits.
When the weather turned so very hot I did little in the way of crafting so no ticks on my chart this time. I have knitted more squares and only need 6 or 7 more to complete the lap blanket. I am not keen on the sewing together part of any project so I made sure to join the inner squares together before I started the outer ones!
I did finish the large granny square knee blanket I was crocheting and there is a picture of that in the Show and Tell. Perhaps next time I will have something more to show you!
Show and Tell
Not much for the show and tell this time. I guess the weather is to blame as it’s been far to hot to play with yarn! However Gaynor has been in touch. She said:
Many thanks for your newsletter. I agree with your thoughts about getting out and about at the moment and thought I would let you know that you are not the only one feeling reclusive at the moment. I think this might be true for many many people.
I really enjoyed the links to Sandringham and crochet etc. It’s lovely to see just how creative people can be and how much time they work on their projects. Talking of which, I enjoyed seeing your transformations and knitting too. Thank you for your efforts putting together the newsletter. I, for one, really appreciate it.
Thanks Gaynor. I know just what you mean about the ends!
And finally:
Until we meet again
Keep Calm
and carry on
Knitting or Crocheting!
Hands, Face, Space
Keep Active, Stay Positive - We will meet again
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