A Knitted Christmas

Bit of a Robin theme going on here!! Two of the photos are of the mass of Robins that were knitted on Create's 'A Knitted Christmas' with Anne Makepeace on Monday and the other picture is of our lovely Robin that tweets at us in our garden. So realistic are those knitted Robins its hard to tell the difference!!!! I unfortunately had to sit in the office catching up on paper work as Miranda oversaw the course. All I could hear was a lot of laughter. I had to go down and see at one point and think it had a lot to do with how 12 people could all knit with the same yarns from the same pattern and come out with very different and individual (did I say weird - no!) looking Robins. Anne loaded everyone down with masses of patterns for Christmas projects and the feedback was that everyone had had a really fun day. We have another course booked for the 30th November and by then we will have loaded the Christmas songs onto the i-pod, got the Christmas tree and sparkling lights out and may even put Anne in a knitted Santa hat!! So get on that phone and book a place and you could go home with a Robin like these!!

Emma

Sewing Club Launched

We had the first session of our children's sewing club tonight. Ten eager children were very busy threading needles, tying knots, sewing in straight lines. It is the first of a 10 week session. Miranda (who is very proficient with her sewing needles) armed with all the Sewing Club material (a tried and tested children's sewing course from http://www.stitchclub.com/) taught the course and if my daughter is anything to go on they had a great time. Next week they are cutting out simple patterns and making little animals. We already have some on our reserve list so if you know of anyone who would like to join the next session (starting after Easter half term) then let us know. I have a feeling this is going to be very popular.

We had such a busy half term last week with sooooooo many pots painted we can't fit them all in the cupboards. Thank you for coming to see us - there really was some great stuff painted. We now have all the christmas stock out - baubles, christmas plates, bowls, santas, penguins and more is arriving on Tuesday. We have already had quite a few people in painting those very special christmas presents. It really does make a unique and special gift. We are going to have some late openings on a Wednesday so please give us a call if you fancy coming in one evening (Create Number: 01943 817788).

On the Christmas theme we have got the lovely Anne Makepeace coming in on Monday to take our Knitting Christmas course. This was so over booked that we have sloted in another one on the 30th November. If you fancy coming along then there are a few spaces left so please give us a ring.

There is quite a lot more to tell you but will leave it there for tonight ..............

Emma

We just love Debbie Abrahams' Courses!!!

Well Debbie Abrahams was back into Create yesterday to teach a full quota of eager students "Professional Finishing Techniques". You can see a few of them on the photo working very hard before Debbie allowed them to break for lunch!! Apologies this course hasn't been advertised on our website its just that it has been full for ages. Anyway everyone seemed to get a lot out of the course and were in fact asking us to run Professional Finishing part two as soon as possible!! Debbie brought in one of her lovely blankets (picture above). It was gorgeous. Its out of her book More Blankets and Throws. We have Debbie back in a couple of weeks to teach Fairisle and Intarsia which again am afraid is fully booked! BUT we do still have a couple of places left on Design your own knits (details on our website www.createcafe.co.uk) but I really would get in fast. Managed to get 4 more dates in the diary for 2010! but will post details as soon as we have fixed what we are going to run on those days. It was more a matter of getting in quick as Debbie seems sooooooooo busy.

We have Anne Makepeace back in next Monday to run Learn to Crochet - we were so over subscribed for the last one that we put this one in to satisfy the reserve list! However there are still some spaces left so let us know if you want to come along. Can highly recommend it as have taken this one myself and loved it. Have knitted for ages but never crocheted and really felt I had got the hang of it (well the basics!) after the day. Miranda had to run around doing all the coffee making and lunch preparation that day as hardly left my chair or put down my crochet hook - I was that hooked!!!!!!!!

Well not long now and I mean very very soon we will be announcing the launch of www.createwithwool.co.uk - so exciting. Anyway more to follow.

Emma

Gorgeous Cardigan in KidSilk Haze

I just love this cardigan!!!! Carol who is an amazing knitter and knits a lot of our samples at Create brought this in for us last week. The pattern is in the new Rowan Magazine (Number 46) and is called Wentworth. As you can probably tell it is a Kaffe Fassett design. Don't think the photos do it justice as it really is beautiful, a wonderful mix of colours! Ours is slightly adapted to the one in the book just to incorporate all the colours we have in Create - a vast array I can assure you!!

Pretty much as soon as Carol brought it in I whisked it away with me on a trip down south to visit friends (including a wedding and a 40th Birthday party - very hectic!). It got a lot of admiring comments. One of the days I took my daughter into London. We spent the majority of the time in Hamley's but we did make it to Trafalgar Square and saw the famous plinth where Anne Makepeace (a Rowan Consultant who takes some of our knitting and crochet courses in Create) stood with her knitting. Can't say there was anyone quite so interesting when we were there. We also went into the National Gallery and I can quite honestly say my cardigan did not look out of place amongst the Masterpieces!!! Anyway it is now proudly displayed in Create for you all to see.

Summer holidays are pretty much over. I find it sad when all the kids go back. The weather has certainly turned as well just to remind us that the summer has gone. Well at least I can get out my warm knits, put our new wood burning stove on and settle down with my knitting!

Emma