I have been waiting patiently, oh-so-patiently to share this woolly story with you all, and am soooo excited that finally today is the day to tell. It's been six months actually, yes Half A Year that I've managed to keep this whole thing under wraps, and I have to tell you dear readers that it has been a devil of a job to keep shtumm. I don't do Secretive things very well, I am much happier with the Share Everything approach, so it is with some relief (phew!) and a huge amount of excitement (yippeeeeee!) that I am finally able to spill the woolly beans.
If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you will probably know of my Thursday morning routine. You will have heard me talk about jaunting off to the cafe each week for some sociable hooky time. The cafe in question is rather gorgeous. It's light and airy, decorative and happy. There are scrubbed pine tables, mismatched chairs, old wooden church pews piled with crochet cushions. And each Thursday morning it is filled with the noisy sound of chatter and laughter when the Knit n Natter group is in full swing.
Any gathering of like-minded woolly folk is always a good thing in my opinion, and the enjoyment of sharing a creative passion with others is not to be underestimated. There is such a lot of fun and pleasure to be had when solitary crafting finds it’s way into a social situation.
When the group first began, there was only a small handful of us that met regularly, but these days we are a rather large bunch who take over half the cafe. I would say the mix is fairly evenly spread between those who crochet and those who knit, and it's always a real joy to see what everyone is working on.
So....shall we chat about the knit and crochet squares in the top picture?
Here they are look, all handmade with love and ready to be put to good use. The whole of the Knit n Natter group helped to make these squares over the course of last Summer, and it was wonderful when we finally gathered them all in and laid them out.
....what a happy, woolly jumble!
The joining of the squares was undertaken by my wonderful yarny friend Carole who runs the Knit n Natter sessions at her cafe. She and I have been hooking along together for five years and we were both so excited to see this project coming together.
Whilst Carole was busy stitching up the woolly patchwork, I had a very important hooky job to do. I had to set aside my colourful yarns and work in shades of grey. With black details. I know!! I actually worked with BLACK yarn!!!
As you can see, the black yarn was needed for a pair of eyes. Cute eh?
When the grey and black was finished, I got started with the other part of my task which was to design and crochet a rosette. You know, the sort that gets dished out to Very Fine Animals at agricultural shows.
I so enjoyed making this rosette, it came together really well.
Time to attach the rosette to the woolly grey animal with the cute black eyes.....
Baaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh! I crocheted a Sheep's Head!!! Did you expect that??!!
I realise that at this point, you are maybe feeling a tad confused, I do apologise. First there was the cafe, then a pile of knitted squares, and now a sheep's head?! EH???!!!
Well what we were trying to do was to create a delightful, fabulous woolly version of the sheep logo in the above picture.
A handmade Patchwork Sheep no less.
Would you like to see how it turned out when the legs and face joined the body?
OK!
Look......................
Ta-dah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh I do love, love, love, LOVE our Patchwork Sheep!!
As you can see, we had a very definite job for our Patchwork Sheep. We needed something fun and colourful to adorn some postcards.
Postcards that tell folk about an amazing event due to take place in September this year.....
....introducing YARNDALE 2013. A festival of creativity, celebrating all things woolly and wonderful!
Yarndale will bring together a fabulous mix of retailers, manufacturers, craft workers and artisans from all over the country who are passionate about beautiful yarns, threads and textile treasures.There will be beautiful yarns, materials, haberdashery, books, kits and hand crafted goodies for sale.
There will be creative exhibitions, demonstrations, displays and workshops.
Did I mention the yarn?
And did I mention the creativity?
There is lots more information about the event on the Yarndale website, oh and Facebook too....
http://www.facebook.com/Yarndale
I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to being at Yarndale. It promises to be an exciting and inspiring affair, with a great mix of things to do and see. There are already a good number of amazing artists and craftspeople who have booked a stand, but the Yarndale committee is looking for more. Would you like to take part? Do you know of anybody who would love to come and sell/demonstrate their wool/textile passion? There is lots of information on the Exhibitor page of the website, so do please spread the word and get in touch if you are interested.
I will be taking part at Yarndale, oh yes, I will most definitely be there. I'll be sitting on a chair surrounded by crochet blankets with my back resting against a crochet cushion, hooking and nattering the day away in the "knit n natter lounge". I hope very much that some of you might come and join me there as it's going to be whole lot of woolly fun. Can't wait!
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How exciting! I'll be there for sure, looking forward to it already.
Posted by: GingerbreadGirl | January 09, 2013 at 10:49 AM
Oh, how I do wish I could be there! I have never heard of a similar event here in Switzerland. And, I am absolutely in love with your sheep. Thank you for showing it to us.
Posted by: Barbara | January 09, 2013 at 10:55 AM
That is an offer most of your readers just Can't Refuse Lucy! I do hope I can find a friendly doggy sitter and so I can have a little break and sit and hook along with the natterers!
Every happy hooking best wishes to you and your family for this New Year!
Val xx Ps I just LOVE YOUR SHEEP!
Posted by: Val | January 09, 2013 at 11:01 AM
What a wonderful idea! The sheep is spectacular.
Before I moved to Canada last year, I belonged to the Dorking Knit and Natter, which was great fun. We regularly knitted outfits for a giant cockerel statue that stands on a roundabout entering the town. When the Olympic cyclists did some laps on Box Hill, the cockeral was sporting Bradley Wiggins side burns, compliments of the Knit and Knatter group.
I've joined a new knitting group here in Nova Scotia, and am hoping we might 'Twin' with my English group, wouldn't that be fun!
Love your blog, you always see the positive in life. Thank you!
Posted by: Lynne Kovan | January 09, 2013 at 11:03 AM
Are you kidding, I'm hopefully moving to the area very soon and that just sounds like a wonderful opportunity I can not miss, see you there!!!!
Posted by: Nicola Revill | January 09, 2013 at 11:09 AM
Oh wow. I want to go, I need to go! Now I have just a few months to convince my wonderful husband that he wants to look after our (sometimes!) wonderful children by himself for a whole weekend so I can come too!! Fantastic idea you clever lady! xx
Posted by: Helen | January 09, 2013 at 11:12 AM
That sheep is amazing I LOVE it! I sooo want to go to Yarndale but we live all the way down on the south coast :( My birthday is in September though... perhaps I'll get treated to a mini break in North Yorkshire :) xxx
Posted by: Naomi | January 09, 2013 at 11:14 AM
Oh, so exciting! Perhaps I'll be able to persuade my husband that an autumn-vacation to England is a brilliant idea. Sweden to England may be a bit far for yarn.. Or not!
Thank you for your lovely blog! I've been very inspired by you, check out my blog and see! In swedish though, but we all speak Yarn don't we :D
X
Claudia
Posted by: Claudia | January 09, 2013 at 11:15 AM
I have to find a crochet group and join it! What fun! That sheep is super cute! Your event looks like lots of fun! I wonder what we have here in the US that is similar?
Posted by: Dana | January 09, 2013 at 11:21 AM
That sheep is awesome!!!
Maybe I'll be seeing you at Yarndale in september. As a Dutch woman and being an Anglofile, I'll try to visit the UK once or twice a year. Let's see if I can get my hubby interested in a visit to North Yorkshire :)
I have a look at your blog almost daily and I love it. Like me you love colour :)
And like the lady above said: you always see the positive in life. And that's a good thing!
Keep up your good work.....I love it!!!
Posted by: Marja | January 09, 2013 at 11:23 AM
Oh - it sounds wonderful and exciting. I'm just wondering if I can get there - Sussex to Skipton - not a 5 minute journey, and its my son's birthday weekend, but I want to go! :)
x
Posted by: Sara Jenkins | January 09, 2013 at 11:24 AM
Oh this sounds wonderful - pencilling it in my diary now!!
Posted by: Lucy in the Clouds | January 09, 2013 at 11:34 AM
Illicitly reading this at work (sssshhh!) and am so excited....
Posted by: One-oh-four | January 09, 2013 at 11:42 AM
:O :-) [--) :D
Posted by: Rose | January 09, 2013 at 11:52 AM
Oh man!!!!!!!! I'm 15 million miles away living in the states!! You guys are toooooo lucky!! Have fun and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE show lots of pics if able!!
janie
Posted by: janie | January 09, 2013 at 12:01 PM
This was so fun to see and read about. You all are so creatived! I love the patchwork sheep. So wish I could be there.
Jeanine (in MI)
Posted by: Jeanine | January 09, 2013 at 12:09 PM
Sounds fab! Love the patchwork sheep. My husband calls sheep "Mini wool factories"...harsh, but true! x
Posted by: Heather | January 09, 2013 at 12:15 PM
Absolutely awesome!!!! :D xxxx
Posted by: Nanita | January 09, 2013 at 12:25 PM
This soulds brilliant and its not TOO far from Leeds... i'll have to try and find someone to come with me!
Posted by: Clare | January 09, 2013 at 12:25 PM
Oh I love the sheep too ... !!! Would you mind if I blogged about Yarndale on my little tiny part of the blogging world and use your picture of the postcard ... most will probably have heard but if I could attract one or two more ... I would love to spread the word a little further ... xxx
Posted by: Mellie | January 09, 2013 at 12:26 PM
Such a splendid project Lucy!!! What a nice idea!!! I would love to participate, but living in JK doesn't help....!!!
The sheep is amazing, too!!!
Sometimes is really good to get out from our comfort zone!!!
xxxx Ale
Posted by: Alessandra | January 09, 2013 at 12:42 PM
What a lovely little sheep!! Yarndale sounds like a blast, if only I could hop over the pond to get there ;)
Posted by: Megan | January 09, 2013 at 12:49 PM
It's times like this I wish I lived in England! Hate that I can't be there but that sheep is just too adorable :)
Posted by: Barbara | January 09, 2013 at 12:52 PM
Must put Yarndale in my diary, do you think they would like someone who crochets and weaves rugs with un spun yarn?
Posted by: Liz Barnard | January 09, 2013 at 12:57 PM
Woohoo - this sounds wonderful. I think sometimes large fairs sound a bit daunting but I imagine this one will be much more friendly. Looking forward to September! (and I must mention the sheep - genius!)
Posted by: Jane | January 09, 2013 at 12:58 PM