Gift Knits Day! Anyone who is already booked onto, or who books onto this course in future will get a £5 voucher on arrival, entitling them to £5 off yarns bought on the day!
You do not need to do anything. I will sort it all out for you on the day. Redeemable only on the day.
You’re welcome!
2019 is now live on the site. You can find them all here!
There are icord designs, Happy Endings, new felting, gifts and the return of Christmas at Court Cottage.
Each day explores new techniques and applies them to projects specially designed for you.
I would love to see you here!
Come to the Court Cottage WIP Amnesty event in 2019 and get back in touch with a project that you once loved – or quite liked – but shoved behind the sofa in 2017 and now can’t face.
We are trained* professionals with years of WIP experience. We understand the lure of casting on a new project. It is irresistible. But it is also true that completing an older project is very satisfying. We can evolve reward-based strategies for you, if that works for you. Or we can adopt the ‘tough love’ approach. Or we can agree that, yes, it is time to let that orange waistcoat for the dog go. And everything in between.
When I worked for Rowan in Johnny Lou Lou’s, I had a lot of experience of WIP wrangling. Customers would smuggle in a carrier bag of half-knitted bits of a cardigan, for example, and a rumpled pattern, and a few notes maybe, plus an assortment of knitting needles. They’d slide it across my table. In the manner of an arms smuggler checking the quality of the goods being offered, I’d play it cool and casually glance inside. If a cloud of moth did not emerge, I’d get it all out and have a nice long look-see. The most common problems were:
Often, a fresh pair of eyes on a project can resolve the above, except the last one.
Or, you may know exactly where you are, and have no problems other than boredom with the design. We can give you a kick-start and a list of good audio books/Netflix titles.
Or/and, you may in your heart of hearts want to quit. This is fine. Life is too short for a number of things, such as finishing books that are rubbish, peeling most vegetables, ironing, and forcing yourself to finish a WIP you don’t want anymore. With breathing techniques, whale-music, and finger-cymbals (Kath’s speciality), we can create a safe space for you to let it go. Or, as we have absolutely no emotional or financial investment in the WIP, we can start the ripping out process for you, we are ruthless rippers – job done! We can help you re-assign the yarn and make a fresh start.
It’s half price as it is not a teaching day. But we will both be on hand to help you, one-to-one.
*We are trained. I am a trained sausage-wrangler and Kath is a nurse.
I have just sent out the July Newsletter. In this edition, there is the usual mix of my news, industry news and new yarns.
If you want to get these up-dates, please contact me and I will add you to the email list.
If you used to hear from me and would still like to, the chances are we got lost in the great 2018 GDPR-gate fiasco and I have had, reluctantly, to drop your address from my previous list. This may be an enormous relief to you, in which case you don’t need to do anything. Or you might miss the odd in-box wave, in which case, contact me to go back onto the list.
Here are some images of the easy and so pleasing Slip Stitch Colourwork Throw for the July events – 2 places available for the event on Thursday 26 July.
I am planning to make a few short videos of some of the techniques I teach and release them after workshops. Here is the first one: a stretchy cast-on for top-down socks. This can also be used for the brim of a hat, the cuff of a mitten or anywhere that needs a good stretch that won’t go baggy. Here it is.
Hello there, welcome to the ghost-ship Court Cottage. The workshops have succumbed to an epidemic of cancellations – so there is a lot of space here in June.
This weekend, you can come and knit socks, either from the top down or from the toe up. This is a great skill. Socks are easy to knit once you have mastered the basics – and that, plus a few extras, is what this course is all about. I teach top down socks on DPNs and toe up socks on 2 short circular needles. Once mastered, socks are ideal in many ways: great, fast and economical gift knits; and perfect as a travelling project.
Next weekend, you can come and learn to knit a magical Moebius, or if you have done this with me before, you can knit a brand new design. Moebiuses are very addictive and great fun to knit and to wear.
Please follow the links above or contact me.
Just a reminder: if you were on my email list and did not opt back in when I sent out a recent pre-GDPR reminder, you will no longer receive my alerts and up-dates. So if you want to continue to get these, please contact me and I will add your name back in. If you did opt back in – thank you!
The new Newsletter has just gone out to my email list. It contains news on my events, new stock, and an invitation for expressions of interest for Knit Camp 2019 – which will be in Bath and offer 2 or 3 night options. if nothing else, it is an easy read with a cuppa…
To receive my up-dates first, ask me to add you to my distribution list.
I am delighted to be teaching a short series of one day workshops for The Wool Palette in Plymouth.
This is the space, which I just love:
I can just see us there, can’t you?
There are four dates and topics:
17 March: The Smudge Scarf. I have not taught this event for at least five years and I won’t be teaching it here but it is a lovely day knitting a pretty scarf or wrap in Kidsilk Haze plus beads. So I think you should come to The Wool Palette and knit this with me.
19 May: The Sara Mitts. This is another topic I taught a fair bit when my second book came out and these mitts were the cover shot. They are a mix of two shades of Kidsilk Haze (but could be knitted in DK or 4 ply held single with the right needles and a bit of number-fudging). They are possibly my easiest ever mitts – but just because they are fairly easy, doesn’t make them boring. They are beautiful. And an ideal day for a beginner to knitting in the round on DPNs or someone who just wants a lovely, straightforward project and a nice day out.
20 October: The Magical Moebius. There may well be some people out there who I have not yet taught to knit these magical and mysterious objects. You will fall in love with it, I promise.
3 November: Christmas Stars. I taught this once here, but have never taught it since. This is a great festive workshop in time for you to knit a galaxy of stars. It’s a fun, fairly simple and highly addictive pattern too.
All the events will be held at The Wool Palette’s beautiful space at The Ocean Studio, Royal William Yard, Plymouth. You can see this lovely creative space here. I just know this is going to be our sort of place.
The owner of The Wool Palette and I have chose these subjects because they offer a range of levels (though none are hard) and I don’t really teach these any more – they are vintage back-catalogue items!
I know that places are limited and there were I think 3 places left for March last week. How can you book? Here is a link to the Wool Palette’s Face Book page with details and contacts.
Here’s a nice write up by Muddy Stilettos about the tour I am heading up this summer.
The designs for this are at the prototype phase – in my head and my note book. I know I am going to design a throw that can be steeked – indeed, it must be steeked or remain a tube for ever. I think this will possibly have a miniaturised version – a tubular scarf. This is dependent on the design for the Fairisle chart.
For example, this design would be perfect for throws, scarves or cowls:
But this one (still a WIP), not so much for scarves, though it would be very possible with an off-set addition, as it is motif based:
None of the above will be the new Shetland designs, but as an added bonus, you can choose any of my other Fairisle designs as a gift-pattern, including my all-time favourite (so far) the Bee Designs:
One of the many things we will be teaching on this tour is the importance of the top or dominant yarn when knitting Fairisle. Because we will also be teaching you how to carry yarns in both hands, you will be able then to choose which yarn – say A or B, or the background and the motif shades – you prefer to ‘dominate’ the pattern you are creating. I think this is fascinating stuff, but then I am HRH, The Queen of Nerd, as you will find to your delight on Shetland. You see, if you carry A in your right hand and B in your left, and A is your motif, it will sort of stand out more. This is more of an issue if you are knitting with closely matched shades. This difference in appearance is about how the wrong side stranding lies. All will be revealed on Shetland.
There will also be another version of the same basic design that will not be steeked and the problem is I keep changing my mind about whether this will be a hat – possibly a tam; or mitts; or a cowl. Nice dilemma though. I do want one to be fairly small so it might be finished while we are away!
But the main thing I want is to pass on my absolute passion for this style of knitting. I know my Fairisle is not super traditional, but that’s why I love it so much – this ancient knitting craft is so adaptable to both traditional and modern designs. I am sure you will love it too. And if you already do, you will love it more.
The flight info for this tour has now been added to the ECT Travel website. I would really love to share this adventure with you!
In July, I have been asked to lead a Fairisle knitting holiday in Shetland. To say I am excited is an understatement. In the same way that saying I quite like knitting is an understatement.
This is the full immersion Fairisle experience. No distractions. No ‘work’. Nothing to do except knit, learn, explore the island and its rich history, relax and have fun. Here!
The company that is hosting the event is ECT Travel in Bath, and we came across each other during my early preparations for Knit Camp 2017. That was ages ago and the idea they floated of collaborating seemed miles away, but after Knit Camp we go together and so we have drawn up a knitting holiday based in Lerwick. You can see the full itinerary and details here.
It will be from 27 – 31 July 2018. We will have a whole FIVE DAYS together! And if that is a bit alarming, do not be afraid, because I have of course asked Kathryn to join me so we will be teaching together and generally having such a lot of fun with you all.
There is teaching, of course there is teaching, this is me, but it is not a Boot Camp experience (as some of you have been known to murmur when you thought I could not hear). No, there are trips and visits every day; trips out together – and dinners with the high possibility of knitting at almost all times.
I love Fairisle knitting more than any other knitting. And I love knitting it in a traditional way, usually in the round, sometimes I steek it, I always adhere to the 2-colours-only-in-a-row guideline (rule), and I do sometimes include traditional motifs. But more often I add my own modern twists with non-traditional motifs, use of beads and even yarns such as Kidsilk Haze.
On this Shetland adventure, I will be showing you and teaching two brand new designs, designed especially for ECT Travel. I will draw upon the magic of the islands, but I will definitely be introducing some modern twists.
The teaching will focus on:
I will be on hand at all times* to help and encourage you!
Everyone who comes with us will have a choice of my other Fairisle patterns as a gift, but I will be focusing on the new designs – one larger (a throw) that will be steeked, but there will also be a design that does not need to be steeked. So if steeking is not your thing, you do not have to. But…isn’t this the perfect time to learn it, with us there to hold your hand every step of the way? (Obvs I won’t actually hold your hand or neither of us will be able to get any knitting done. Just a metaphor). You will have both patterns for the new designs too.
I will be emailing the group at regular intervals with news, images and up-dates on Project Shetland. ECT have an amazing reputation for really exciting innovative hosted holiday adventures so we will all be in very safe hands. We even get a Tour Manager! Kath came over all rock ‘n roll when she heard this, but I have talked her out of the leather trouser plus bandanna combo…
One thing we do need. YOU! Please come with us. I can promise you the best time.
*I will not be with you at all times, never fear. Just most of the time. Nor do I stay up beyond 10.00 pm so there will be respite.
View and book here.
The 2018 courses are now live here.
Next year, as trailed, we will be teaching:
In 2018, as there is a late and seasonal Knit Camp, there will be no Court Cottage Christmas Workshops. This makes me sad – but Knit Camp will be good, and I might hold a Court Cottage Christmas Knitting Party in mid-December, just to finish off what I really think will be a great year.
There is good availability for many of the date at the moment. We would love to welcome you here.
The Cables, Bobbles and Blackberries Scarf:
The Fables:
The next Court Cottage events are Cables, Bobbles and Beads, at the end of this month. The final pattern samples are almost ready – one of the designs is all done, knitted in 4 optional ways and the patterns all sorted. But the interruption of Knit Camp – lovely though it was – has slightly delayed the completion of the final offering. However, this is now 75% done.
Here are the Fables. This is the first pattern, and it is a fake cable – hence the fable name. I actually prefer this fable to a real cable, as it sits so flat and also there is no cable needle deployment. In these designs, I have added beads to the DK options, and the chunky option is not beaded, but with the addition of Kidsilk Haze, it could be. Fable comes to you as a knit-in-the-round cowl, or a flat-knit generous scarf. The patterns are easily adaptable to other yarns and other sizes.
Next is Cables, Bobbles and Blackberries. This features real cables, big bobbles and also a smaller bobbly texture using blackberry stitch. Further textural variance is achieved by knitting the cable ends of the scarf in chunky wool, turning the cable on its side, and picking up the rest of the scarf in aran wool. This design also features a new teach here – Kitchener stitch. This is a widely dreaded grafting technique but I can assure you that, rather like Kitchener’s exact opposite, Steeking, there is nothing to fear. It is simply a process, all the steps of which are very simple. There is no need to memorise the steps as I have written them down, so there is nothing to worry about. Also, we will be practicing this.
I am teaching this a lot – at the end of this month and again into 2018. All the courses are fully booked except the last one, on 4 March 2018, which has one place. You can view and book that here. I probably won’t teach it again here so if you fancy it, do come along.
Here is Fable as a wide beaded scarf:
I think this has been the longest I have ever gone between blogs. That is mainly because Knit Camp 2017 happened last weekend and most of the 4 weeks prior to that was given over to the final preparations. I have worked in many different roles all my life but I have never worked as hard as I did on Knit Camp.
When I decided to run it, which was a decision taken in October 2016, I had a pretty clear vision of what I wanted to deliver. Somehow, I think we did deliver that vision, very close to the concept and the plans – in fact in many ways, even better. The concept seems simple: a knitting event that is not a holiday or a retreat, but a fully focused teaching and learning event. The emphasis being on high levels of technical content all pitched at a variety of levels from intermediate to advanced, and also a range of project sizes from small to large. All these factors determine the degree of difficulty for the knitters, and they also scope the teaching requirements for the teachers.
At KC 2017, we specifically taught:
Plus anything that was needed one-to-one.
Because it was over 2 days, Knit Campers could also choose and start more than one of the collection. I will add some images of the Bailbrook Collection here but if you want to have access to the Drop Box folder that I created for Knit Camp 2017, contact me, tell me you want to see the 2017 Knit Camp Drop Box album, and I will add you to the access list. Knit Campers have been able to look at this folder for some time now, but now it is over, I will widen the access.
I loved it. Don’t get me wrong, I also hated it at times, and there were several times when I wished I had not started it, and swore I would never do it again. The sheer volume of Knit Camp was (self-imposed but) daunting at times and I wanted to tick off every conceivable detail, to create an event that was unique, special and really enjoyable.
Teaching with Kathryn, and working with each other all year to perfect these designs, was a joy. I would never have done it alone. To teach this level of content to almost 30 knitters, and have the grades of project content, at the same time as organising and running a complex event was something I will admit I found challenging, but then there was nothing for it but to work and then work a lot more to deliver the event we imagined. So much was pre-planned, that on the weekend, it all just fell into place.
Next year, Knit Camp will return, in late November 2018. We will stay at Bailbrook House, in Bath, and the basic format will be the same. But this will be Knit Camp 2018 – the Christmas Edit. It will be coinciding with the start of the Bath German Christmas market and the gorgeous Georgian hotel will be starting to get dressed up for Christmas. So Christmas at Court Cottage will, in 2018, move to Bath. This means I can widen the design scope with some festive content. It will be Christmassy – but not too much; just enough to get that pre-Christmas tingle started.
My 2017 Knit Campers have first refusal, but inevitably, they won’t all want, or be able to attend. So in a week or so, I will be opening up Knit Camp 2018. If you are on my email list, you will automatically get an alert. But if you are not, or you are not sure, please contact me and I will add your email address.
If you join us, I can promise you a weekend of absolute indulgence, luxury accommodation, delicious food which was also not overwhelming, inclusive wine, full board with all catering needs included, the undivided attention of my little team, an amazing weekend of companionship and laughter with lovely like-minded knitters – and a packed knitting and teaching schedule with lots to learn and choose from. Along the way throughout the year, Knit Campers get regular Bulletins with news and previews, a private Drop Box folder as the designs emerge and first refusal at future events. It means we build up a community. And that is exactly what it felt like. If you want to join in, please let me know. You can see a general overview for 2018 and some of the 2017 feedback here.
The events for 2018 are now all decided and in the diary and I will add them to the website in October. If you are on my mailing list, you will automatically get an alert as they go live. If you want an alert and you’re not on my list, please contact me.
The schedule goes like this:
In the meantime, here is one of the designs for Cables, Bobbles and Beads. This is Fable (a beaded fake cable) knit as a luxurious wide scarf, and as a beaded neat cowl/neck warmer. This will also be knit in a chunky yarn, not beaded. And there will be a further design with real cables and bobbles. I am teaching this on four dates in 2017 and 2018 and the classes are all full except for the one on 4 March, 2018 which has one place.
Without wishing the summer away, I have completed the design and knitting (almost) for the Christmas Gifts events in September. These are the days that kick off the autumn term – and I can’t wait to get back to the workshops! Having the summer ‘off’ enables me to focus on some other designing, notably this year finishing off the last two designs for Knit Camp and the Christmas Gift events in early September.
The concept for this teach is to produce some fairly easy (but not boring), and economical accessories – so none use more than three balls of wool, and none will take an average knitter who also has a job or a busy life, more than a week of evening knitting to complete. For example, Kathryn can knit the hat pattern in one night; I can do it in two-point-five nights. Kathryn can knit a pair of the mittens in two evenings; I can knit a pair in four evenings.
This year I have taken one stitch – a zig-zag rib that looks like a little cable, but is not – and used it in both flat and round knits. There are hats – womans (beaded) and mans; a split scarf; and a pair of mitts with a beaded peplum detail. I am really happy with the finished items and I will definitely be making some myself as gifts this Christmas.
I love this concept, because for one thing it frees up the Christmas at Court Cottage events and allows me to just focus on festive decorations. Also, mid-late November is possibly too late for you to make a few hats, scarves or mitts. But early September is plenty of time.
The courses are both full but I have three names on a waiting list so if you are interested, let me know – we may be able to set up an extra date.
Another knit that would make a great gift-knit is my Brioche in the round cowl, which I am teaching again in Devon at Spin-a-Yarn (fully booked but I am trying to fit in an extra date or two) and also on 4 November, at the Totnes ‘Stitchfest’ – more details on this will follow soon. I can accept up to twelve bookings for the Totnes gig, so contact the organisers if you fancy a place. This is the same event that I taught here, but slightly abbreviated.
In the meantime, here is the split scarf for the September events, which I love and it makes me feel all Judy Garland in ‘Meet Me in St Louis’.
If you missed my Brioche in the Round courses here and you fancy having a go at this technique I am teaching it again at Spin-a-Yarn in Devon on 19 October, 10 – 4. This is an easier way to knit Brioche than the flat version so it’s a great entry-level to a fantastic new skill. I have designed three cowls, all variations on the same theme, in a range of yarn weights. To take part, you need only know how to cast on, knit and purl and follow a fairly straight forward pattern – I will do the rest! the Brioche cowls are the ones along the top of this gallery.
I am also teaching the Lined Fairisle Cowl on 9 November, 10 – 4. I have taught this here and the courses were sold out so if you missed it, come along to Spin-a-Yarn and learn how to make this reversible cowl – a modern twist on a traditional Fairisle look. To take part, you need to be able to knit, cast on and off. If you have never knitted Fairisle before, the charts for this are moderate – I am happy to teach you how to read and knit from charts and how to hold the yarns in both hands for perfect and even stranding. Other skills include picking up and knitting which again, I will be able to show you on the day. The lined cowl images appear on the bottom line of this gallery.
For both events, you will receive the patterns for all the designs on the day, plus full tuition and notes. Be great to see you there. Please contact the shop for details on availability and to book.
The designs for my Knit Camp are now all complete, and the final two items are on the needles. Those people who are coming to Knit camp have been seeing monthly Knit Camp Bulletins from me with news and glimpses of the five featured designs.
So here are some of the images of things I have been working on.
The theme is Bath – its culture, history and architecture. This has proved a rich seam for me. Next month all the designs go off to the pattern checker, the inimitable Donna Jones, and then I will do the photo shoot. If – and I very much hope it will be – the event proves to be fun, exciting and packed with knitting time, we may well run another Knit Camp again, in future years. Let me know if you’d be interested in that.
These dates could do with a few more knitters. Based on the current bookings, everyone will have to eat 3 slices of cake and a plate of savouries – and that’s just not fair, even by my feeding standards.
All the fees (£15 a head) will be donated by me to Macmillan Cancer Support.
So it would be awesome (overdone phrase, but in this case, justified) if you could see your way to coming along. They start at 2, and finish at 5. You can come/go at any time around these points.
It is just a knitting session, with afternoon tea served basically all the time. I am making a couple of cakes and some sarnies and if you want to bring something to add to the tea table, that would be marvelous but not by no means compulsory. Just bring your knitting and crochet.
Here is the link, where either date can be booked.
Please come. Thankyouplease.
