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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I just discovered your facebook page today Lucy and now the pics on there of the fabulous patchy sheep all make sense. Gosh I wish I lived in your town so I could come to your knit and natter group. Such a shame that we are planning a trip up to York and Yorkshire in September but it is at the beginning of the month. Would have loved to come to Yarndale. It sounds like it is going to be fabulous. Fiona x
Posted by: Fiona | January 11, 2013 at 02:21 PM
Hi Lucy, I just LOVE the sheep!! Well done to you all!!..I love your blog and read it most days..(If I don't, I catchup the next time I read it..:)..)..As someone who is mostly bedridden I really enjoy everything about your blog especially your enthusiasm and pictures of anything and everything! Thanks for taking the time to do your blog...Carole..xx
Posted by: carole wheeler | January 11, 2013 at 11:53 AM
Just popping in here to say that at our church seniors group yesterday we had a powerpoint presentation about a group of walkers who went on a walk from your area over to Windermere...along the Wharfedale....oh my - there they were walking alongside Bolton Abbey and I just had to think of you walking along there too....such wonderful countryside we have here in the U.K.
Posted by: Joyce | January 11, 2013 at 10:46 AM
So wish I could join you but will follow all the action on FB
Posted by: Quiltygal | January 11, 2013 at 10:38 AM
Wow I love the sheep! It will be very fun to see the different types of sheep that you all are making.
Will you be having your own booth or perhaps be making somethings for the fair yourself?
....I soooo wish I could come to the fair. It sounds so inspirational.
Birgitta, Iceland
Posted by: Birgitta | January 11, 2013 at 09:42 AM
Wonderful..I follow your blog from Italy. Wondering if I can combine a trip home..(near manchester) to coincide with Yarndale ...The look of that lovely cafe with tea and cakes makes me feel home sick. Happy hooking!
Posted by: Liz | January 11, 2013 at 07:35 AM
Wow! How exciting!!! What an amazing event it will be. I wish I could fly to England to come. The sheep certainly deserves first prize!
Posted by: Helen | January 11, 2013 at 03:25 AM
Love your sheep! It sounds fantastic - I may have to make a little (child free, of course) trip up to Skipton for the event with some yarn loving buddies.
Gillian x
Posted by: Gillian | January 10, 2013 at 10:14 PM
Your sheep is brilliant....high praise coming from New Zealand where sheep still outnumber people! Yarndale sounds great....if only I lived in England!
Posted by: Catherine | January 10, 2013 at 09:05 PM
Wow you knit n natter ladies are incredible!
Pity I live so far away as I would love to come to Yarndale; we haven't decided on our holiday destination for this year yet so maybe I can convince my chaps to come to Yorkshire - is there any mountian biking to be done there? that would definitely sell the idea!
Failing that I will look forward to all your lovely pictures of the event.
Posted by: Emma | January 10, 2013 at 08:53 PM
Dear Lucy,
how many hours do you have everyday to do such wonderful and beautiful things? Are there 48 hours in your days? My my, I admire you so much, blogging, posting things on Facebook.... taking care of your family..... Please, do take care of yourself, you are always so busy, pleasing us,
your loyal Lucy-fans! I love the things you do and everything you tell us. But DO take time to think of YOU. Much love!
Posted by: Liesbeth, the Netherlands | January 10, 2013 at 08:06 PM
Love the patchwork sheep! Did I miss where she resides now that her photo session is done?
Posted by: Sheila | January 10, 2013 at 07:53 PM
This sounds so wonderful - Oh why do I live half-a-world away?! Happy for you Lucy. It's gonna be awesome.
Posted by: Jenny | January 10, 2013 at 07:52 PM
Sweeeet! Might be the right time to fly over and drown myself in skein goodness and colour overload and maybe take a suitcase full of the most gorgeous yarns home!!
Posted by: Kirsten | January 10, 2013 at 07:20 PM
SUPER-SUPER-SUPER-CUTE!!!!
Posted by: scake | January 10, 2013 at 06:35 PM
¡Buaaaa!!!! ¿Por qué estás tan lejos, LUCY????
Mis mejores deseos para Yarndale.
Saludos
mamaosa©
Posted by: mamaosa© | January 10, 2013 at 06:07 PM
Fantastic! Have booked the caravan in at Bolton Abbey and conned the boys with promises of ruins, castles, puppets and good beer - see you in September xxxx
Posted by: Wilsy-bobs | January 10, 2013 at 04:20 PM
(Can't stop this in my mind: I'm thinking if I should organize a trip to go there... it is not so far from Hungary.)
Posted by: Lily | January 10, 2013 at 04:16 PM
Oh, it is sooooo Great! Can't wait to know and see more about it! ♥
Posted by: Lily | January 10, 2013 at 04:08 PM
What a fantastic sheep!!! Oh, how it would be fun to go to Yarndale...but I'm sure you will have fun when it rolls around. In a previous post you had your heart hanger...what a neat gift/project idea!!! Thanks for all your creativity!
Posted by: Taylor | January 10, 2013 at 03:58 PM
Oh gosh! September 28th! My birthday! how better to celebrate! It's do-able, very do-able. Thanks for the heads up, I'll get working on it, perhaps a few friends......yes, very do-able.
Love the whole sheep thing, how enterprising of you all! Lx
Posted by: Lynne Gill | January 10, 2013 at 03:50 PM
I love that sheep! :)
Posted by: idiosyncratic eye | January 10, 2013 at 03:42 PM
Wow, exciting! The "award" is really nice!
Posted by: LooneyCZ | January 10, 2013 at 03:18 PM
That's sounds like a great event, must start saving my pennies! Just wondering, will your book be ready for then, is a good opportunity for a launch (and signed copies!) x
Posted by: Helen | January 10, 2013 at 02:39 PM
What a lovely idea!!!! unfortunately I live in Argentina and it's quite far from you but please take a lot of photos and upload them to the blog!!!
xxx
Posted by: Daniela | January 10, 2013 at 02:31 PM