Relax+Knit and Knit‘n’Natter Autumn 2006

Thousands of young people have been introduced to knitting and crochet on Relax+Knit and Knit‘n’Natterstands at consumer craft shows around the country this autumn. Many knitting enthusiasts give their time generously, making knitting and crochet accessible and tempting to newcomers. Having seen pictures and read about celebrities who have taken up this new hobby, young people are keen to learn.  By providing one-to-one tuition, there is always a constant stream of people anxious to pick up the basic ‘know how’.

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NATIONAL KNITTING WEEK 14th – 21st October 2006

The UK’s 2nd National Knitting Week has just been held, with over 135 knitting and crochet events taking place across the country – and that’s just the ones we knew about!

A creative, stress-busting knitting craze is sweeping the nation, attracting some 3 million fans including celebrities such as Kate Moss, Cameron Diaz, Russell Crow and Geri Halliwell. Knitwear is splashed across the high street, in magazines and sported by all the latest designers from Missoni to Stella McCartney Thousands of young people have been introduced to knitting and crochet on Relax+Knit and Knit‘n’Natterstands at consumer craft shows around the country this autumn. 

This huge revival in knitting was celebrated during National Knitting Week 2006.  Some of the many events included…

Unravel Knitting Festival

Over 2,000 visitors flocked to the very first Unravel knitting festival, held at South Hill Park, Bracknell. The day was a great social occasion combining knitting, art, theatre, talks and live music. The event attracted exciting new knitted commissions, exhibitions, demonstrations, workshops, lectures and performances, including the Knit and Knot workshops, by Shane Waltener last seen at Tate Britain, a knitted cave ready for exploring, woolly prints by children from every primary school in the area, a knitting market, football cardigans by designer Julie Henry and extreme knitter Rachel John’s record attempt to knit with 1000 yarns simultaneously

‘Extreme Knitter’ Rachel John – World Record

‘Extreme Knitter’ Rachel John set a new world record this National Knitting Week by hand knitting 1,000 strands of yarn on giant needles whilst at the Unravel Knitting festival. This visual spectacle of 1000 glorious coloured spools of yarn was in itself a work of art. Rachel normally creates thick, luxurious hand knitted carpets using around 100-200 strands of yarn simultaneously and is in every sense the extreme knitter.

Gerard Allt – ‘Knit a River’

Founded by Gerard Allt in Feb this year, the ‘I Knit London’ group started their charity campaign, ‘Knit a River’ to raise awareness for Water Aid. Their pleas for blue knitted squares to make the knitted river resulted in contributions from all over the world. The river is already very long, wide and woolly!

Alison Murray – Life-Size Gingerbread House

Once completed, the Gingerbread House will be the size of an average living room and set in a knitted garden with 3 large knitted trees, with sweets, cakes and gingerbread men. Alison and Ann Murray have been involved in several life size projects already; a 25ft knitted Christmas tree was completed last year and is destined for the Eden project in Cornwall this Christmas. 

The Knitted Garden

The world’s first life-size Knitted Garden featured at Unravel event to celebrate this years National Knitting Week. The life-size Knitted Garden is the masterpiece created by over 300 enthusiasts with a real sense of fun who volunteered to take part at ICHF Creative Stitches and Hobbycraft shows throughout the UK over the past year.  Made from nearly 50 miles of wool it features flowers, fruit and vegetables, frogs and birds.  There’s even a picnic on the lawn that looks good enough to eat whilst you lounge in the knitted deck chair listening to the knitted radio! The knitted Garden is being exhibited at ICHF shows throughout the country.

The Largest Event in the South West

Organised by KnitWits and Cornish Organic Wool, this event was held in St Ives during National Knitting Week and had a large screen video-link to Alexandra Palace so visitors at the Knitting and Stitching Show could witness the events in Cornwall.

Guinness Record – Largest knitting needles

In an attempt at the Guinness World Record to knit with the largest ever knitting needles, Julia Hopson and the Lands End Knitters made knitting needles from tree trunks measuring 3.5 metres high by 6.5 centimetres diameter and knitted 10 stitches, 10 rows and cast off. This has been sent to the Guinness Book of Records for verification.

Other events on the day included speed knitting between the Scots in John O’Groats and Cornish speed knitter Frances Jago and speed knitters at the Knitting and Stitching Show, Alexandra Palace, all joined via a live video link. There were also book signings, quilting demonstrations, lace making, weaving, embroidery, spinning demonstrations, drop spindle demonstrations and crocheting with boat hooks by members of the RNLI.

Textile Art Exhibition: "Endangered Species"

Dorret Conway held knitting workshops and an exhibition featuring artworks and objects by new and established textile artists at the PAD Contemporary Art Gallery, Preston. This exhibition was a celebration of hand knitting reclaiming its status as a significant and special part of social and community life.

Sock Wars ‘Yarn Monkey’ website

This NKW game encouraged hundreds of people to attempt to knit a pair of socks and 784 registered to take part.  The aim of the ‘knitting game’ is to kill your target by knitting them a pair of socks and mailing it to them. Once each target receives a pair of socks they are dead and must immediately report their death on the “fallen comrades” section of the yarnmonkey web-site. They must also immediately send on the details of their intended target (who becomes your next person to assassinate) along with their unfinished knitting.

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NATIONAL KNITTING WEEK 14th – 21st October 2006

Launching at the Knitting and Stitching show at Alexandra Palace, 12th-15th October 2006

Following last year’s success, National Knitting Week 2006 is set to be an even bigger and better celebration and has already prompted a series of special knitting events organised locally and nationally, many supporting charities as well as raising the profile of knitting, crochet and yarn crafts.

Over the last few years knitting has experienced a meteoric rise in popularity. You will often see pictures in the press of celebrities like Julia Roberts and Sarah Jessica Parker knitting. An estimated 1 in 5 people in Britain can knit and National Knitting Week is set to encourage the knitting boom.

From Lands End to John O’Groats, the nation will be gripped and clicking. Plans include knitting festivals, mass ‘knit-ins’, exhibitions, workshops, cross-generation knitting and knitting installations by acclaimed knitting artists. Look on the dedicated National Knitting Week website for all the details and get in touch to let us know of any events you are organising or attending; www.nationalknittingweek.co.uk.

Kate Taylor, Editor, Knitting magazine:
“Last year there were 200+ events around the country as people picked up pins and got into knitting. From whacky knitting with oars to life-saving knitting for charity - this craft rocks once again from Sat 14th to Sat 21st Oct 2006.”

Whether your’e an experienced knitter or have never held a pair of knitting needles before, there are many ways that you can get involved throughout National Knititng Week. Why not organise your own knitting event?  There is plenty of information to help you with ideas as well as with the planning of events - a big selection will ensure there is something to  appeal to everyone. Join in!

If there is one week in the year that inspires a new generation of knitters, it's got to be National Knitting Week.If you can knit, even a little, why not teach a friend how to do it? It’s therapeutic, sociable and hot fashion!

Supported by the British Hand Knitting Confederation and GMC Publishing’s Knitting Magazine.

Click here for details of this year's events

Click here for the National Knitting Week website

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Hold your very own knitting event during National Knitting Week

STEPS TO SUCCESS

Name your event

Think of a catchy name to help people remember your event. Take a look on the UK Hand Knitting website for some more ideas, maybe tie your name in with a theme.

Location

Why not hold your knitting event in a local café, saving you the job of providing tea and coffee.

When planning your event, ensure there will be enough space for all your visitors. If outdoors, ask them to bring a rug and make plans for any bad weather – bring an umbrella!

Make a date

No group is too small, but if you prefer, see if you can join up with another knitting group on the same day and share resources. Look on the UK Hand Knitting website notice board for details of other groups in your area. Remember to check that no other local event coincides with yours, if it does why not incorporate it?

Who will attend

Make sure you have enough people to help you get organised for the big day. Maybe ask for help from volunteers. Be clear who will be welcome at your event, for example if children are invited, ensure there are facilities to accommodate them to help increase their creativity.

Attractions on the day

Create some form of added-value to attract people to your knitting day, such as a demonstration, knitting showcase, or even an auction of a knitted gifts. The BHKC have set up links with The Childrens Society with ‘Knit IT! campaign’, Breakthrough for Breast Cancer, and Help the Aged. Check charities on the UK Handknitting website for more details. You could even run competitions throughout the day to attract more people, offering small prizes to winners of different knitting contests.

A warm welcome

Make your special event a day to remember and an opportunity to create new friends. A fun, inviting and welcoming venue will help attract plenty of people.

Spread the Word!

Some easy publicity can increase the success of your knitting event.