Angelknits (London Group): November 2005

Any Old Swatches? Plus thanks to Susan Cropper for free yarn from Loop

If you don't have time to knit a square for the homeless then an old swatch can be helpful if you're willing to donate that. Nothing too small though as I am not a great seamstress and it all needs to be joined up to make a blanket. Also, if you have any woollen body parts, like an old sleeve that didn't get frogged or finished, I have ideas for that too. I might continue to collect squares as an ongoing project and then sew up as soon as I have enough so that there is always an Angel Knits blanket on the go. It may work to be able to make a 'scrumbled' i'e patchwork from anything for a blanket and could look very interesting made up of abandoned bits of sweater that haven't been pulled out. The only thing I have to insist on though is that it is all 'hygienic' as I don't have resistance to diseases found in very old yarns, garments or second hand books. got any jumble that would be cool as long as it is freshly washed. Many thanks to Susan from Loop who will be donating some yarns for the blanket project. This might persuade some knitters who can't resist swatching a new good quality yarn to participate! Thanks Erssie

In town from NY - want anything from the states

Hi guys...or rather gals,

Rachel here from NY. I'm actually going to be in London in a few weeks time for graduation - I'll be at angel knits on 13 and 20 December - I can't wait to see all of you.

I'm just letting y'all know that if you've seen some wool/yarn that you've been wanting to order from an American website but they don't ship abroad here's your chance, I'll be happy to bring it over for you. I'm going to ask Abi to send out an email with more specific info, but you have to hurry. I'll be going to Israel for the first half of my trip in just one week to see the new nephew for whom I've been knitting the interminable baby blanket - the end is finally near.

Also, I wanted to ask if any of you have good patterns for a scarf y0u can bring on the 13th. I really want to make a nice winter scarf for myself , but as it's going to be in black I want a pattern that's going to be interesting.

Thanks a ton, can't wait to see all of you.

-rachel.

Please help me to help a homeless man right under Angel Knits wing!

I am a big softie and on the way to Angel Knits the other eve whilst I was sweating under layers of alpaca silk and Bigga, I met an unfortunate homeless man begging on the streets who has multiple illnesses and was freezing! I swear, if my knits had been any other colour than pink I would have taken them off and wrapped him in them! Putting judgement and cynism aside, regardless of his reasons for being here I felt he deserved a chance of some warmth and so I have bought some Bigga to knit him a scarf, I may stretch to a hat. What he really needs is a big fat knitted blanket. I have done six sad little Aran 8" squares(38stsx50rows) in shade Garnet in textured stitches, I need many more to make a blanket. If any of you can forget the reasons why he got into this state and be kind enough to knit just one square I would be so grateful. I've put a notice on the Castoff info board and I'm hoping knitters will volunteer to knit a square in ANY colour ANY yarn weight and I will sew the blanket together. It could be a chance to swatch, try a new stitch without pulling it out again, perhaps try some intarsia if you've never done it before. I can provide yarn in Aran weight,DK weight, Chunky and have a source for getting more. Please, I'd be so grateful to anyone who can find a bit of time to do a square, just let me know what weight yarn you need if you decide to do this. This is a good cause right under our noses in the Angel Knits manor! Thankyou Erssie

Mittens pattern

Here's the pattern we were discussing last night: http://www.kategilbert.com/ms_gifted.html bulky mittens on 2 needles. Have fun!

Anna xxx

HipKnits sells my stitch markers

Hi All,

This is so exciting!

Some of you may know that I have been creating beaded stitch markers for a while. I now have my first stockist as you will find them for sale on HipKnits, go and take a look: http://www.hipknits.co.uk/saletwo.htm

Hope you'll like them.

I'd be grateful for any feedback.

Anna xxx

Christmas Decorations

Hello just to let you know my Christmas Decorations are available as a free download on the Children's Society website to encourage knitters to knit for charity. Have a peek they can be found in the Fundraising/knitIt Xmas pattern pages on

www.childsoc.org

People have been asking me where they can buy them. Perhaps I'll do a pattern for sale one day then! See you Tues eve. Had a break from knitting (well, a bit I just knitted more slowly than usual) but I'm coming back.

Wips - 5 Santa hats, 3 gothic scarves, 1 boyfriend sweater, 2 warm hats, and a pair of bootees for a babe (there's a song there somewhere if I change the numbers around).

Erssie

From Fleece to Fleece - Part 3

So your ball is wound, your needles are ready, what do you knit?
Here are some ideas courtesy of the angelknits crew:

From Fleece to Fleece - part 1 & 1/2

This is what Ann's spinning ended up as. She so kindly gave me both yarns as she wouldn't have otherwise used them. I'm already working on the purple/grey one, which I hope to finish in the next couple of days, so look out on my blog for pics.

I've also made some desktop wallpapers based on these two babies, you can find them here: http://www.annarella.co.uk/wallpapers.php

Happy knitting!

Anna xxx

From Fleece to Fleece - Part 2

Once you're done spinning you will end up with something like Anna is holding on the left. That is approximately 500grams worth of a very long piece of string.

It's not something you want to start knitting with because you will then end up with a 500gram knot.

Anna spent the previous night winding 250grams into a ready to knit ball. It took hours. So she called in some help from Nikki who brought along her Swift and Ball Winder.

Here it being set up, swift on the left.

And here it is in action. As I explained to my husband, the swift replaces the need for the husband to have the yarn in his hands and the ball winder replaces the need for me to wind the ball and get finger ache.