Sandra's Designing Blog

This is an exclusive area of my web site where you can find out more about my knitted designs, what inspires me, how I work and what I like (and don't like) to design. 
 
Click on the arrows on the right to see my other blog posts.
 

 RSS Feed

Category: K & C Guild

  1. A Little Escape to Hawes… and a Reminder That Men Knit Too!

    Posted on

    We’ve visited Hawes in North Yorkshire many times in the motorhome, but somehow there has always been one place I’ve never managed to properly explore — the Dales Countryside Museum.

    The reason? Well, we usually have Jed, our GSD, with us, and unfortunately dogs and museums don’t always go together!

    This time, though, my sister-in-law was with us, so I finally managed to escape for a couple of hours and have a good look around.

    And I’m so glad I did.

    The first thing that caught my eye was actually in the museum shop. There, on display, was a copy of Angharad Thomas’s book on knitted gloves.
    If Angharad’s name sounds familiar, that’s because she’s a Huddersfield member of the Knitting & Crochet Guild, and she talked about the book in her interview with Fruity Knitting a few months ago.

    Naturally, I had to take a peek!

    But it was the display upstairs in the museum that really caught my attention.

    Knitting was work, not just a hobby

    The display explored how, through the centuries, hand-knitting provided a livelihood for thousands of people.

    It was a fascinating reminder that knitting wasn’t simply something people did for pleasure or to fill a few quiet hours. For many families, it was an important source of income — or at least a way of bringing in some much-needed extra money.

    Men, women and children all knitted stockings, caps and guernseys as part of their daily routine. And I particularly loved the fact that miners would knit on their way to work!

    In fact, it was this part of the display that prompted my sister-in-law to turn to me and say:

    “I didn’t know men knitted!”

    Well, you can imagine my response!

    Of course they did — and I was more than happy to put her straight. 😂

     

    It’s easy to think of knitting as something traditionally associated with women, but the history tells a very different story. Knitting was a practical skill, and if you could knit, you could potentially earn money from it — whoever you were.

    What really struck me was just how embedded knitting was in everyday life.

    People knitted while travelling, while walking to work and alongside all the other things they had to do each day. It was a skill that could be fitted around life because, quite simply, life depended on it.

    And I think that’s something worth remembering when we pick up our needles today.

    For us, knitting might be a creative outlet, a way to relax, a social activity or simply something we love doing. But for previous generations, those same needles could help provide an income and support a family.

    Standing in that museum and seeing the history brought to life made me look at our humble knitting needles in a slightly different way.

    And, of course, I was delighted that my little visit also gave me the chance to spot Angharad’s book in the shop!

    It just goes to show — even somewhere you’ve visited time and time again can still have something new to discover.

    Have you visited the Dales Countryside Museum? And did you know that men were such an important part of the history of hand-knitting?

    I’d love to hear what you think — especially if you have a story about knitting being passed down through your own family.

    Happy knitting,

    Sandra

  2. Highlights of the Knitting & Crochet Guild Northern Regional Day

    Posted on

    At the end of June, I helped arrange the Knitting & Crochet Guild Northern Regional Day here in Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire, working alongside the team to ensure everything ran smoothly. It was a fantastic event, bringing together so many talented makers and enthusiastic members (& non members).

    I’d love to share some of my highlights from the day with you.
     
    HIGHLIGHTS OF THE K & C GUILD NORTHERN REGIONAL DAY
    We were treated to some fantastic talks during the day, with our keynote speaker Kandy Diamond sharing her playful and thought-provoking approach to knitting and design starting off the day. (Find out more about Kandy's Knit & Destroy brand here)
    and Hazledene Flock giving us an insight into their rare breed sheep and beautiful yarns,
     
    One highlight was the embroidered knitting workshop, where participants explored the beauty of adding embroidery to their knitwear. We began by looking at some stunning vintage embroidered knits from the K & C Guild Collection, learning about their history and techniques, before having a go at embroidering our own knitted swatches. It was a wonderful opportunity to combine two crafts and spark new creative ideas.
    My own embroidered swatch. I absolutely loved the effect – it added such beautiful texture and colour. However, I found it really difficult to keep my stitches the same length and evenly spaced, which was frustrating.

    That’s why I’m so excited about my new Stick & Stitch products, which get around this problem completely by giving you a clear guide to follow for neat, consistent embroidery on your knits.
    * Folk Birds * Folk Cats * Folk Dogs * Folk Flowers * 
    Add a touch of Corrinne Lapierre to your favourite clothes, accessories and homewares with these easy to use self adhesive water soluble transfer sheets. 
    Simply cut out the design, peel off the backing, stick onto your choice of fabrics (yes it works on knits!). Once you have completed your embroidery, the pattern can be rinsed away in warm water leaving your beautiful embroidery behind. 

    Each pack contains a minimum of 10 designs as well as some smaller patterns to dot around or place in smaller areas AND a stitch guide. 
    Browse the Stick & Stitch Packs
    I'll share more highlights of the Northern Regional Day in my next newsletter so stay tuned. 

    Happy crafting x 

    Sandra