National Knitting Week 2006

The second National Knitting Week has proved to be a resounding success thanks to all your efforts

Thank you to everyone who took part as an organiser, a participant, or both. You have helped to raise the profile of knitting and ensure its continued success as a popular craft as well as raising money for charities and other good causes.

We look forward to sharing with you some of the exciting events which took place.

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Berkshire: Largest National Knitting Week event in the South East at South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell

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Cornwall : The Celtic Challenge, Land's End v John O'Groats, in aid of the RNLI.

Throughout the day a number of local groups demonstrated their unique skills.  Never before had so many different, local craft groups gathered under one roof to display their extraordinary talents.  All visitors left having been inspired by the huge range of ideas they witnessed.  Demonstrations included: Beading with GJ Beads (St Ives), Lace Making with The Penzance Lace Circle, Weaving, Drop Spindle Spinning and Spinning with The Cornwall Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, Embroidery with The West Country Embroiderers from Penzance, and Rug Hooking from Newlyn.

Guinness World Record Attempt: ‘Knitting with the largest Knitting needles’

‘Julia Hopson knitting with the largest knitting needles’

This was successfully completed by Julia Hopson of Knit Wits Wool Shop (Penzance)/Cornish Organic Wool and Matt Hopson and James Morris-Marsham of Zennor Gig Club, who held the giant needles. A tension square of ten stitches and ten rows in stocking stitch was produced using knitting needles that were 6.5cm in diameter and 3.5 meters long. These were a ten times scaled up version of a standard 6.5mm and 35cm long knitting needle. The yarn was rope of 12mm in diameter. The event was officially witnessed by Claire Crompton, author of ‘The Knitters Bible’, and Maurice Stevens from The Cornishman newspaper.All the evidence has been submitted to The Guinness Book of Records and we await official verification from them.

Celtic Challenge: Cornish V Scots. Fleece to garment competition

   

This was the second time this challenge had been attempted, turning a fleece into a garment (or, in this case, a throw) in the quickest time. Both teams consisted of 8 spinners and 8 knitters working at any time plus 2 carders and 1 person to sew up. The Cornish team used Romney fleeces supplied by Cornish Organic Wool from The National Trust’s farm, Bosigran, just down the coast at Zennor. The Scottish team used Scottish Cheviot fleeces. Both teams had previously dyed one fleece (with tea) so the throw (which consisted of 63 squares of various patterns) was a chequerboard design. For the second successive year the Scots won the challenge – clearly, the Cornish knitters need to speed up!

Crocheting with boat hooks: RNLI - first ever attempt at crocheting.

Julia Hopson and Dave Nichol
Julia crocheting

Julia Hopson and Dave Nichol from the RNLI successfully managed to crochet a flower design, much to the amusement of onlookers. Behind Julia is the Landrover with the satellite sending the pictures live to Alexandra Palace.

Speed Knitting

Frances Jago and Johnny Rutherford from the BBC
Frances Jago during the speed challenge

Witnessed, via satellite, at Alexandra Palace in London, Frances Jago managed to knit 250 stitches in three minutes which, we understand, makes her the fastest in the UK this year. She said that, due to all the attention, nerves got to her and she feels she can do over 260 stitches in three minutes.

Rowan

Heather Esswood from Rowan inspecting Julia’s ‘Extreme’Knitting

Heather Esswood from Rowan spent the Friday advising and showing some wonderful yarns to the public. On the Saturday Heather ran a wonderful successful workshop where Rowan kindly donated their fee to the RNLI.

Seed Power

June Raingbow

Josh & Nikki Bond and June Raingbow demonstrated the ‘Yarn Shifter’- their unique weaving loom.

Fashion Show

Sirdar Loopa Scarf
Cow Beanie, Jaeger Cardi
UK Alpaca
Jaeger Fleece

The finale of the day was the fashion show put on by Cornwall College, Camborne featuring local designers as well as Jaeger, Sirdar, Debbie Bliss, Colinette, RYC and Cornish Organic Wool.

Claire Crompton

Claire had a successful day advising on knitting techniques and signed copies of her book, ‘The Knitters Bible’ and gave a sneak preview of her two latest books: ‘Knitted Accessories’ and ‘Knitted Bags’ which are due to be released in March 2007

School workshops

Jo McIntosh from Knitweave, St Ives ran some very well attended School workshops with the aim of bringing the younger generation on.  Many children left proudly clutching their first attempts!

Lancashire

Endangered Species Exhibition curated by Dorret Conway featured works by local, national and international textile artists Ruth Lee, Donna Wilson, Stephanie Speight, Fiona Rainford, Kat Button, Kelly Jenkins, Gaynor Deacon, Vicki Mulligan.

Ruth Lee's Spirit Dress
Endangered Species Preview Night

The exhibition was held at Preston’s flagship contemporary new gallery PAD – Preston Art & Design at 52 Church Street. The exhibition ran for two weeks. Highlights included:

Knitting Without Needles workshop with Ruth Lee.

Ruth Lee's workshop
Ruth Lee demonstrates the round loom

Ruth demonstrated different techniques including rib and how to achieve some of the effects such as fronds, produced in her own practice. She demonstrated using both round looms and long looms and a variety of yarns.

Painting with Wool workshop with Vicki Mulligan .

Felting
Nuno felting
Student's finished work

This creative technique combined basic felting with Nuno felting techniques and produced excellent finished pieces.

Presentation of cheque by the major of Preston

Mayor of Preston presents cheque
The Mayor admiring Ruth Lee's work

The mayor of Preston presented a cheque to local charity 'Help a Local Child' from Dorret’s 'Get Your Knits Out' campaign launched at the first National Knitting Week.

Ruth Lee’s Book Signing at Borders Store in Preston.
 

The whole event was great fun and worth all the hard work to organise everything. A huge thanks to all the artists who sent their work; Sirdar and Somic Ltd who donated materials for the workshops, Arts Council England grants for the arts for funding in support of the event and of course all the visitors who came and celebrated National Knitting Week at PAD.

London

Greenwich Community Colleges Craft Foundation held a knitting event at Greenwich Visitors Centre, The Old Royal Naval College for National Knitting week on Sunday October 15th

ENGLAND EXPECTS
THAT EVERY
MAN WILL
DO HIS DUTY

It was a drop in event although quite a number of people chose to stay all day and take part in a knitting event with a nautical theme. Knitters made a flag from the signal that Nelson sent through a series of flags just before the battle of Trafalgar. There was a flag for all levels of knitters from total beginners (plain garter stitch maybe with some French knitted detail) to more advanced intarsia techniques for the seasoned knitter.
The flags should be on display at the visitors centre soon

Yorkshire

       

Knitters from Bishop Auckland Knit n Natter, Darlington In Stitches and Knit Knots and Spennymoor SpennyKnit raised £390 for Bishop Auckland Butterwick Hospice. The money was raised initially during Nation Knitting Week in October, when the groups hosted two Knitted Teddy Bears Picnic events, sales of knitted items and a raffle of knitted blankets, all made by members of the groups. The leaders of the groups, Carrie Anne Dennison, Becky Sunter and Andrea Beel would all like to thank all the knitters involved for all their hard work, and also everyone who supported the fund raising events. The money was handed over to fundraiser Barbara Fountain at Bishop Auckland Butterwick Hospice on Monday 4th December.

Click here to read about National knitting Week 2005