We’ve got the whole world in our hands

Saturday the 9th June was Worldwide Knitting in Public Day, and in thousands of locations globally crafters were taking up their projects and joining in.

Belfast Stitch and Bitch was no exception. This year our event was in the Dock, an honesty box cafe in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter. We are regulars there and it’s our second home after Starbucks. It was a special year as the group is celebrating its 10th anniversary and the celebratory pattern book was to be distributed and sold.

Nikki was our organiser and as the day got closer we were tempted with images of ballot prizes and promises of lemon drizzle buns. The event was due to start at 12.00, but a number of us were so excited we were beating the door down at 11.00.

After a frantic 20 minutes of moving tables, labelling prizes, setting up the book stand and launching up our brand new pop up we were ready for business.

It was a great day with over 20 crafters and their children ranging from 3 months to 16 years around the table. Crafts ranged from knitting, crochet and embroidery to spinning. The book was admired and purchased and us canny folk who had preordered even got a goodie bag and a badge.  We love a badge!

The buzz around the table was great and before too long, patterns, yarn, stories, Sharon’s magic dip and the lemon buns were being passed around. The unlikely hit of the afternoon was the raffle / ballot / tombola? Nikki had gathered a wide variety of prizes and we all had our eye on something special (number 16 – merino baby kit). With the odds at a one in five chance we were all keen to take part. After a slow start with only a few prizes won we all felt our chances had improved and a veritable frenzy resulted. Speaking personally my children will be living on beans all week due to my determination to win number 16 (which I eventually did). Helen won the coveted ball winder and Ruth got vouchers for no one but two yarn bundles.

Eventually the afternoon drew to a close and old friends and new drifted away and WWKIP day was over for another year. We left tired, but very happy and our minds turing to where our yarn adventures will take us next….

A big weekend

This Saturday is a big weekend for crafters everywhere – its World Wide Knitting in Public Day! While last years WWKIPD was all kinds of funs, this year we thought we’d do something different.

This years event is a double whammy! On one hand, its all about the knitting and crocheting and on the other, its all about Knit 10 Together –  yup, we’re combining WWKIPD and a book launch!

This Saturday we’ll all be heading to The Dock Café for lots of tea and crafting from 12 -5 so even if you can drop in for a few minutes we’d love to meet up with you.

 

 

As for this mysterious book launch, its taken on a life of its own (my fault really, lol)  You can get yourself a copy on the day for the princely sum of £10  Here’s a sneaky peek at the cover . If you’ve preordered your copy then yours will be ready and waiting for you 🙂

As well as all this, we’ve put together quite an excellent raffle/tombola type thing – pay your money and pull out  a raffle ticket. If your ticket corresponds to a number on a prize then you win. Simples.

So what have we? Well…. we have yarny and non yarny prizes from the following kind folks:

Parlour Yarns, Dye Candy, Mina Loves Designs, Secret Stash, Mourne Archery Centre, NI Big Sock  and Ewe Momma Knits to name but a few.

I’ll be showcasing the prizes every day this week on facebook so go check out the Event Page!

In My Spare Time…

Ok, so I don’t have a lot of spare time. But when I do have a few hours to kill, I like to sew. I like to quilt, make clothes, design costumes, whip up gifts (toys, baby accessories, notebook covers, etc.), and create bespoke bags. Bags for all kinds of occasions, like nappy bags, shopping totes, book bags, backpacks, and, of course, project bags. I’m obsessed with project bags. Of all sizes and shapes.

Lately, I’ve been making small project bags perfect for those smaller, on-the-go projects. The projects you want to pop in your purse, carry with you on the bus, sneak in a few rows before that meeting starts, and bring to social events where you might be at risk of DOING NOTHING. The horror. Seriously.

Anyway, these bags are great for socks, hats, shawls, mitts, cowls, scarves, baby knits, toys, wristwarmers, leg warmers, and anything else you can think of.

There are bags with cats, and bags with flowers. Bags with prints and bags with patterns. And more bags with cats. You can’t have too many bags with cats.

Each bag has a handle for easy carrying, a drawstring and toggle closure, and are lined. Some have a little clip to attach notions, your keys, or other small items. These are currently for sale wherever Secret Stash is sold, or you can request a custom jobbie or check out more of my stuff through my Facebook page, A Million Paper Stars.

I’m especially fond of these new ones featuring The Walking Dead. I mean come ON. They’ve got ZOMBIES on them!

So, who wants to knit for the zombie apocalypse with a matching bag featuring said apocalypse?! I think I’ve hit my nerd-vana. ❤

I hang my head in shame…

Not only did I fail to finish the thing I initially meant to blog about, but I forgot to blog entirely. Instead, let me briefly tell you the story of my Saturday.

I got out of bed. So far, so good.
Went grocery shopping, because I had nothing in the house. Then proceeded to have pie for breakfast while watching Fresh Prince.

Then, finally, I sat down and began what I had planned to do: Make a couple of project bags. Having managed two of the same type, I was quite pleased with myself…

So I thought, hey, why not keep going??? So I cut out some more fabric, pulled another zip, and kept stitching.

And then my needle broke.

Working down my Queue

I am a very impulsive crafter, I adore the process of making, and nothing thrills me more than learning a new technique or skill.
Noting those key things about me you’d not be surprised to find I don’t often make doubles of anything. Once a skill is mastered, a technique learned, or a unique item created I no longer feel the need to make it again.

But this year I am crafting with purpose, as I mentioned in an older post I am trying to finish all the half forgotten projects and make room for all the ideas in my head.

I’ve done quite well with this plan and now I need to look at that pesky queue I have on Ravelry.

It seems there were things on there that took my fancy ages ago but because I am so mercurial in my patterns (when I don’t plan) my tastes and skills have changed dramatically from the time I put the patterns on the list.

So I had to do a quick clean up of what I knew I’d never work on, and then go through my collection of patterns and choose some things I actually do wish to work on.

I also assigned deadlines to each project so that I can not allow myself to be distracted by the new and shiny patterns or techniques I see. So I will be accountable and that in itself will make sure I stay on track.

Plus it will give me an excuse to use up the project planning stickers I have.

Slowly but surly I will master the appearance of being a capable and accomplished crafter, and as my best friend always used to say ‘Fake it till you make it.”

Knitting together for 10

The buzz in Belfast city centre was not all about the marathon today.  It also marked the 10th anniversary of Belfast Stitch and Bitch.  We returned to our usual haunt of the Victoria Square Starbucks and were spoiled by the staff with sandwiches, cake and lots and lots of tea.

Never a group to do things by half, a plan was launched several months ago to mark the anniversary in style with the creation of our very first pattern book. Patterns from a range of knitters and crocheters, Nikki, Sharon, Anja, Nicky, Suin and Jaele are included and there is something for everyone. So if a bunneh is your thing or your more of a gauntlet kind of gal get on to Nikki to order your book and goodie bag (ropeadope_ie@yahoo.com).

The book costs a very competitive £10 and the book with goodie bag is only £15. They will be available for collection on our holy day 10th June (worldwide knitting in public day) or they can be posted for a small fee.

But Belfast SNB is much more than high days and holidays – the last ten years have been filled with fibre, fellowship and fun.  This powerful group of (mainly) women have supported each other through births, deaths and marriages, as well as divorce, unspeakable bosses, unreasonable landlords and much much more. Members know that on a Wednesday there will be a listening ear and a sympathetic shoulder as well as a willing audience to share the more lighthearted events of week. Sometimes it’s just enough to pitch up and craft quietly knowing that there are good friends around you. My mother once noted (not entirely ironically) that I had knit my way out of two nervous breakdowns!

So if you are looking for a haven from the hustle and bustle of the world and a forum to share your most outrageous stories (nothing is off the table at SNB), come along and join us for the next 10 years.

Snowballs

Something is coming.

Excitement is in the air.

The anticipation is building.

Facebook group members are being bombarded with silly pictures of excited things, a bit like the above really, but this is  because we are celebrating our 10^th birthday. Yes, 10 years ago this month a few friends met up to knit, and it snowballed from there.

10 years is pretty huge, I mean, who would have thought that we’d still be going strong!We’ve had plenty of people through our doors, some came for a night and some came and stayed forever. Its not a group of knitters anymore, it’s a family meet up every week.

And this family is a little bit crazy.

Back in January….or February, we were having one of our excited “what if” chatting sessions and talking about our birthday.  “What if we did something special”, “what if we designed a pattern for our birthday”, “what if we ALL designed a pattern” and this is where it snowballed.

Quick as a flash, we had a core group of designers (new and old hands) and a bunch of testers working furiously on the designs. Whatsapp was red hot with a dedicated chat just for this crazy idea, Jaele was being bombarded with emails with patterns in them that she had to format, meetings were held and the deadline was looming.

Because, ladies and gentlemen, we decided that the best way to celebrate our special birthday was to publish our very own pattern book.  Yes, you read that right, a book!!

We’ve put together a collection of patterns that we hope will appeal to a range of crafters –  we’ve got crocheted and knitted patterns, with colourwork, beads and the cutest toys.

I have to say that, even though I may have contributed to it, I’m EXTREMELY proud of what our little crafting community has managed to put together, not just for us but for the whole of the Belfast Stitch and Bitch community. You may not have been able to join us on a Wednesday or a weekend knitting session, but your presence in the Facebook and Ravelry groups means a lot.

 

I hope I’ve managed to whet your appetite!

We’ll be hosting a Preliminary Viewing of the book and its contents:

Date: 1 May 2017

Time: 11-3

Where: Starbucks Victoria Square

Come and join us for a spot of crafting time and see what we’ve put together! At the viewing we’ll be taking pre-orders so you’ll be guaranteed a copy. You’ll also have the option of paying a little bit more for a goodie bag if you wish.

More information will be coming out on Facebook over the next few days….have to keep you all keen!  (But if you can’t make the preview and want to get a your hands on a copy, just email me: ropeadope_ie@yahoo.com and I’ll add you to the list)

Create-a-fun

This past Saturday morning, I left my house to join fellow Belfast Knitters, Weavers, (Fibre-)Artists of all sorts, really, at the Ulster Museum for a great day of showing off  our Arts & Crafts.

Since there’s a couple of shared members, and because we could, Belfast Stitch’n’Bitch paired up with the Ulster Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers for the event, in order to display the process from the fibre to the spun singles, to the plied yarn, to crocheted/woven/knit items of any and all shapes and forms.

Add other crafty and/or cultural ventures such as the Big Sock NI, as well as a little additional entertainment like dancing, comedy and music, and you have yourself a fabulous day.

And yes, if anything similar is going on in Belfast, the chances that at least some of us can be found there are high… ;P

The Taco and Spinning Party

I had a birthday not too long ago, and because as any good crafter knows, a celebration isn’t a celebration without a healthy dose of crafting involved, I hosted one of my infamous Knitting Parties.

Tacos was the elected food theme for the day, so I fired up my slow cooker and made the very simple and very lovely Stupid Easy Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken , diced some taco veg, heated some taco shells; made my Dill Salsa, and because I can’t have a Knitting Party without my Greek Dip, (though I make my own seasoning as the prepackaged one in this recipe doesn’t exist in the UK.) I made some of that as well.

My youngest son choose the cheeses for the, again required, cheese board, and then prepped the tea pot for guests to arrive.

People arrived with yarn, and projects a plenty, but what had happened organically was everyone who had a spinning wheel brought theirs as well! (People also brought awesome cakes and pavlovas as well! BONUS!)

So we set up in the biggest open space we had (in front of the food) and had a mini spinning party.

Of Us Learning to Spin

Actions Shots

The more experienced Spinners held us baby Spinner’s by the hand as we learned to treadle, to draft, and relax our grips.

We got to try different wheels to see which style suited each of us better, (and I am now lusting after a double treadle conversion kit for my wheel), and witnessed how fantastic one of our members is for learning to spin on her warped antique double drive.

Slubby Begginning lead to Smooth Yarns

I’m knackered.

The event went down quite well as everyone at lots of food, drank much tea, and had a good gossip.

The day was a great success and I have even plyed our singles into a rather fetching bit of yarn.

Today I wrestled an octopus

Well, not quite, but that’s what it feels like.

A few weeks ago I went to visit my friend in Munich (as I have told everybody who wants to listen and quite a few who don’t).  Being a good friend she had organised a tour of local yarn emporia.  In one shop I spied a large cone of the jersey material used for making baskets and similar.  I had previously fondled this ‘yarn’ in the Glen Gallery and said that when I lost two stone I would buy one as a reward.  Well pants to that, at the rate I am shedding pounds the yarn would have decomposed before I even got to buy it.

So having given up the straight path and narrow gate I grabbed a beguiling blue cone of the yarn and took it to the till.  I then realised I needed a hook, so I entered into a lengthy pantomime of waving and shouting at the poor shop assistant.  My German accent would not have been out of place in an episode of ‘Allo Allo’. Eventually the shopkeeper correctly interpreted my dance macabre and solemnly handed me a size 12 hook.

I carried my prizes back to Ireland where, like many previous skeins it sat on the shelf for a number of weeks until last night.  I had visions of rapidly whipping up a few baskets to house mother’s day presents.  Humph! The combination of the comedy size hook and the very bouncy yarn meant I got myself into a terrible muddle. Instead of a tasteful artisan receptacle waiting to be filled with goodies, I am in possession of a shambolic blue net which would not be out of place on a trawler catching the now endangered hake.

However, I will not be giving up, otherwise I will have to lose that two stone in order to buy the next skein I have my eye on!