Happy 2012!

It's getting a bit late for Happy New Year, so Happy 2012 to all readers. Thank you for your support and interest during 2011. May I wish you health and happiness for the coming months. Wealth, I agree, would also be nice, but you know, I think the other two are more important.

So, I am going to look forward to the coming year. I am not going to discuss the unfinished projects, including the two Christmas presents for Mum and Dad. They much preferred their bought sweaters (shameful, I know). I am not going to think about the other goodness knows how many projects started and abandoned. I am going to think about the Fairisle hat I started and finished over Christmas. Photo here.



This is a pattern from Jamieson's of Shetland and I will be selling this as a kit pretty soon. It was easy to knit although I found the horrid dpn's that I had made it hard going on my hands. Once I was able to get my hands on some KnitPro dpn's it was all a bit easier. It looks better on, but today I don't have a model - Rex is too small. I have started an Alice Starmore cardigan in Jamieson's Shetland Heather, a lovely yarn which I hope to start selling soon. It is beautiful, not one of her most complicated designs by any means, but painfully slow. Still, I am aiming to have it ready by October so this might be achievable. What are you planning to knit?

Not everyone is a happy recipient of a knitted gift

I have been clearing out some Sublime in the shop and when stock taking it the other day, found this lovely pattern. I had all the colours in stock and so decided to make a couple of hats for my niece's sons. (That sounds so much better than great-nephews). They turned out really well and I was very pleased. Sent them to my niece who immediately sent this photo

My niece tells me that Jakey is 'learning to like his hat', which is a valiant take on it I think.

Not Knitting...

One of the reasons I haven't been doing much knitting recently is that I have gone over to the darker world of needlepoint. Some years ago (not that many) I made needle point Christmas stockings for the family. I was given a kit from Jolly Red as a present and became hooked! I have made the Angels for Lucy, the Christmas Alphabet for Joe, Ian has Dreaming of Christmas and the Dogs (yes, I know) share the Noah's Christmas stocking. I have the Fairytale one. This year, weather and other conditions prevailing, daughter Lucy is hoping to spend Christmas with us and is bringing her partner Malcolm. What will he do for a stocking? I was asked. Well, luckily for him, Jolly Red had brought out a new kit - Puppies. You may know that I love dogs and so I snapped up a kit.

It sat staring at me for quite a few months - we have been busy! But eventually the 1 November deadline was drawing close and I was under pressure. I stitched until my fingers bled (bit of an exaggeration) but it's finished, and I'm very pleased with it.

I am pleased to report that I'm now back to knitting - fast and furious at that too! Having just decided to knit Mum and Dad Christmas presents, the pressure is on. Why do I do that? I don't know, but let's hope they get finished in time. I'll keep you posted. Anyone out there knitting under pressure?

A finished project!

Well, it's not very often I finish a project but not only did I finish one garment, but made a couple more.

This little set was for my niece's new baby who was born in September (I know, it's taken a while to get this up). I used Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in Duck Egg and Ecru and it was really pleasureable to knit. The yarn is so soft and gave excellent stitch definition. It also made it much easier to sew up. The only slight annoyance was that the cardigan took just over one ball of each colour and so I had masses left. Hence, the hat and socks. There is still enough left for mittens, but I had had enough of stripy baby stuff. After all, I don't think I've finished a project for months! I would like to reassure readers that I did finish the second sock.

At the moment I am knitting a scarf with Kidsilk Haze stripe - the colour combinations are pretty, although I have to say I'm not a great fan of lace weights. But my all consuming project/problem is a needlepoint Christmas stocking which has to be at the making up company next week (well Tuesday really). Once that's done, then I can concentrate on making sweaters for both parents for Christmas, finish the scarf for friend's birthday (early Jan), knitting another scarf for an early Feb birthday and finishing the almost 101 projects sat around the house. Oh, and don't forget the Emily Peacock needlepoint picture for the Bath Studio wall which is 85 cm long and is taking forever.

What are you making?

Some Pictures of the GBY Studio

Just a reminder that the Great British Yarns showroom will be open this Saturday between 10.00am and 4.00pm. If you haven’t been along yet please do drop in. If you can’t make it here are a few pictures so you can see what you’re missing!

The showroom – lots of lovely yarn

The knitting club/workshop area – still needs a few pictures putting up

The Proprietor – ready to serve

Mr Herdy

The control room – office & packing

The stock room – that’s a whole lot more yarn.

Great British Yarns Showroom

The normal hours of opening of the Great British Yarns Showroom are as follows:

Monday to Saturday - 10.00am to 4.00pm
Sunday - Closed

Great British Yarns
Unit 9
Brassmill Enterprise Centre
Brassmill Lane
BATH
BA1 3JN

To check on opening hours please call ahead on 01225 462776 or email info@greatbritishyarns.co.uk

Directions to the Great British Yarns Studio & Showroom:

From Bath town centre follow signs for the A4 in the direction of Bristol and head out on the Upper Bristol Road past Victoria Park (on your right). Continue straight on at the next set of traffic lights and after approximately 400 metres bear left (at the next traffic lights) onto Newbridge Road. Continue for approximately half a mile and turn left into Brassmill Lane leading to Westfield Park South (the next turning on the left after Westfield Park). Follow the road for approximately 600 metres and turn right into Brassmill Lane Enterprise Centre (the turning by the cycle-path). You will see Unit 9 in front of you – just look for the sheep!

From Bristol take the A4 to Bath and follow signs for Newbridge Park-and-Ride bearing left onto Newbridge Road. Take the first turning on your right beyond the Park-and-Ride into Brassmill Lane leading to Westfield Park South. Follow the road for approximately 600 metres and turn right into Brassmill Lane Enterprise Centre (the turning by the cycle-path). You will see Unit 9 in front of you – just look for the sheep!

There is limited parking to the front of the unit (please do not park anywhere other than directly in front of our unit and please do not block the road) but there is plenty of unrestricted parking available on the main road.

An Eventful Day

Two really good things have happened today. Firstly we have just gone live with an updated version of the Great British Yarns website. This has been quite a lot of work for Sharon but we’re really pleased with the new look. There are a few teething problems with the odd broken link but this should all be resolved over the next few days. Click here to take a look (if you access our website from your “favourites” you may need to refresh the page next time you look).

The second thing is that we have received another order of KnitPicks Yarns direct from the USA today. The boxes are piled up all over the floor at the moment while we open them and check off the delivery.

The new stock will be available for sale on the website shortly and it includes some yarn that we haven’t stocked before as well as new shades of others. It may take a day or two before it’s all available for sale so keep checking back to the website!