KCACOUK | Reflections on a decade of blogging

Posted in Blogging, Crochet by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

I’m about to tell you some information that might be startling. This blog that you’re reading right at this very moment— has just turned TEN YEARS OLD!

TEN. WHOLE.
YEARS.

A crocheted number is ten is displayed on the top of a image full of hand dyed mini skeins — Gorgeous yarn minis by Hook & Cwtch of current WIP and pattern for numbers by Moogly

A FULL DECADE. I DEMAND TO KNOW HOW. There are human beings younger than this blog, one of my human beings in fact, and it all started with this post. Short and sweet I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I wanted another outlet to talk about all things crochet (I’m an obsessive it’s true!).

So let me take you back to the heady days of 2014 — as a mum to a toddler and a recent graduate (after doing my degree part-time for 6 years whilst working full time) I found myself with a bit more time on my hands, and a newly discovered passion for all things yarny. As my obsession with crochet grew, and the people around me got progressively sick of hearing about it, I decided I needed another outlet to chat about all things crochet – and so the blog was born! And this is now my 637th blog post – crazy! That’s an average of 63 posts per year – that makes me feel like I talk A. LOT!

A chocolate cake in the foreground has number 10 candles on the top. Around the cake is a colourful crocheted scarf - pattern coming soon! — Sneak peep at a new pattern coming soon!

I really wasn’t sure if anybody would actually read what I written. Never did I imagine that I would be sitting here, a decade later, still crocheting as a hobby which then kinda-sorta-turned into a job. This blog, along with you constant readers, has been one of the most persistent and grounding things in my life.

There’s been several life shifts during the last 10 years; from being a mum of one to becoming a mum of two. From redundancy, to job changes, becoming a small business owner with Yarnybobs and Dear Ewe, creating a plethora of crochet designs, as well as dealing with sickness, mental health, worldwide pandemics and personal loss (phew that’s a lot!) Well it has been a decade!

A crocheted number ten is displayed on top of a sparkly ombre crocheted shawl - pattern coming soon! — Sneaky peep at another pattern coming soon!

Whilst I don’t always necessarily share all aspects of my life, this blog, and of course all the masses of crochet I’ve done in those 10 years (geez just think of that) has been a nice place to come and share what I enjoy.

From time to time, somebody will comment on a post and it always comes across what a nice crochet community (the best, in my humble opinion) there is in the world. It’s lovely to know that I’m not alone in my obsessions, and that you share them too. It’s an honour to be part of the crochet community, you’re a wonderful bunch and blogging has led to me meeting several of you in person and developing some real-life friendships for which I’ll always be grateful.

Heather Gibbs sits holding a chocolate cake with a number ten candle on it to celebrate a decade of crochet blogging. — Any excuse is a good excuse for a cup of tea and slice of cake!

If you’ve been here for the long run —thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me! And if you’re more of a newcomer—welcome! I’m so glad you’re here! There’s still lots to look forward to, I’ve got no plans of finishing blogging just yet! So feel free to poke around, check it all out, and let me know if anything’s acting weird (apart from me)!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for 10 wonderful years! I’m going to try and plan some giveaways to celebrate over the next couple of weeks, so keep an eye out here on the blog and on socials!

Until next time folks! Happy hooking, keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

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20Nov2023

My visit to The Knitting & Stitching Show 2023

Posted in Blogging, Days Out, Getting Crafty, Inspiration, Life, Outings, Yarn Show by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

Disclaimer: I received two free press tickets to attend The Knitting and Stitching Show from the show organisers. However I have not been financially compensated by the company to write this blog post. All opinions expressed are my own and based on my own experiences of my visit.

Howdy folks, how was your weekend? Mine was a great one! Mum and I went down to The Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate for a weekend away and we had such fun!

Image of a hand holding a show guide for the Knitting and Stitching Show Harrogate 2023

This year the show, which is held over four days, was on 16 – 19 November 2023 held at the Harrogate Convention Centre. After am early start and rather an epic journey (3 trains later) mum and I arrived into the city just before midday. After dropping our bags off at a nearby Travelodge we made our way straight to the show.

Images of the crowds at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate

Have you ever visited a Knitting and Stitching show? For craft lovers it’s like a little slice of heaven! So much to see and do and featuring hundreds of retailers selling fabric and patterns, yarn and thread, sewing machines and equipment, accessories, crafts kits and gifts, from well-known global brands to small artisan companies.

I don’t know why but I wasn’t expecting the Harrogate show to be quite as big as the London shows I’d visited previously (read about those here and here). But it was actually quite huge! Held over 4 large rooms (Halls A, B, C and M) with several places to get refreshments dotted along the way.

As we were going to be there for two days we resolved to be fairly systematic in our approach – we decided that the first half of our day would be spent mainly looking at what was on offer, and the second day would be more purchasing. Now it didn’t work completely like that, as there was some buying on the first day, but it seemed like a good way to see the show.

One of the beautiful yarn stalls at The Knitting and Stitching Show Harrogate

Show guides were priced at £5 and were available from a show merchandise stand at the start of the show. This handy programme included details of events and workshops and list all the vendors – great if you want to plan out what you are going to see before you start walking around.

There was about 150 plus vendors, which in the guide were themed for things like yarns, craft supplies, fabrics and buttons to name a few, Though it is kind of fun to walk around and come across new stalls I found the guide particularly useful later on when we wanted to backtrack to a stall where we’d seen something that we liked.

The TOFT stand at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate 2023

The first day we arrived was the Saturday, which as you can expect, was very busy. At times, just because of the amount of people, it was a bit slow going to get through the crowd, and to see a stall if there were people around it, so we did do some doubling back at times. But we worked our way through all of the rows looking at both sides, through each of the buildings and I would say we took about 4 hours in total – as we were oohh-ing and ahhh-ing over things we spied as we went.

As we were browsing the stall and we found ourselves at Tanya’s stand from The Woolly Tangle. Tanya has been our stall neighbour a couple of times when we’ve been out on the road with Dear Ewe. It was really nice to catch up with her and hear about her experiences of the show – and I may have rescued some yarn from her that needed to come home with me.

The lovely yarn by Tanya of The Woolly Tangle

It was nice to see the dedicated ‘The ‘Yarn Village’, section of the show, it was a place of small-scale specialist retailers who were offering a selection of unique, high quality yarn and accessories, not found on the high street.

As a fan of all things yarn I wouldn’t have been sad if ‘The Yarn Village’ section was even bigger and included even more yarn and things for crocheters and knitters, though there was a very nice selection to be had from the vendors that had their stall there.

Image of a glorious yarn wall at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate

A highlight of the show were the fabulous textile exhibitions that were a delight to walk round. Even if it’s not your particular craft I don’t think you can fail to appreciate the artistry involved in the work -and they are incredibly inspiring! This year’s Textile Galleries featured exhibitions by Art Textiles: Made in Britain (Illuminate),

Close up of 'Fancy Free' Open Textile Art by Kate Panhurst

Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn (Rhythms & Reflections), Ailish Henderson (Maker: Mended), Mandy Pattullo (Well Worn Work), Batool Showghi (Talking Threads), The Quilters’ Guild Collection (A Diverse Patchwork), Sabine Kaner (Hand Stitched Stories), Susie Chaikin, Susan Chapman and Sue Dove (Head, Heart, Knees and Hands), the winner and shortlisted entries for The Fine Art Textiles Award 2023, and winning entries from The Festival of Quilts 20^th Anniversary Quilt Competition.

Images of quilts on display at The Knitting and Stitching show in Harrogate

As well as stalls and exhibitions there are also demos and workshops that you can choose to take part in. We didn’t actually catch any of the Creative Living Theatre shows this year – though there were several free daily demonstrations. We also decided not to do one of the workshops (though there were several that looked really fun) as we decided we were going to do something else that Harrogate is famous for.

As we’d walked our legs off at the show we decided we needed a bit of a rest so we headed off to find Betty’s Tea Rooms! Betty’s is quite a famous tea room that has been serving irresistible treats in Harrogate for over 100 years. I’d had the opportunity to go once, possibly about 15 years ago, but mum had never been so we decided we needed to make a visit whilst we were in town.

Dusk exterior shot of Betty's Tea Room in Harrogate

You don’t have to book for Betty’s but you do have to be prepared for a bit of a queue. We waited for about 10 minutes and were provided with a menu to peruse whilst we were waiting. We opted for the festive afternoon tea option and it didn’t disappoint!

Our sandwiches consisted of things like Wensleydale with red onion and cranberry chutney, and then we had mini cakes like chocolate cubes. Our favourite though had to be the cranberry and orange scones which were absolutely delicious! I would definitely recommend a visit to Betty’s if you visit a future The Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate.

Close up of the festive afternoon tea from Betty's tearoom, Harrogate

The next day we walked back to the show and enjoyed a closer look at some of the beautiful textile exhibits before finding our way to the stalls we’d earmarked the day before. It was a little quieter on the Sunday so getting around to look at the stalls was much easier.

We got to have a lovely catch up chat with Sara (and Steve) from Black Sheep Wools. You may remember that Black Sheep provided yarn kits for the last two crochet-alongs and it was nice to chat about what’s been happening and possible future plans.

As we were walking round we also bumped into one of the winners of the giveaway for tickets for the show and had the opportunity to chat to them which was lovely. That’s one of the really nice things about visiting the shows, it’s the catching up with people, meeting new people and of course finding new things you didn’t know you needed in your life.

We did an awful lot of walking that weekend, I had turned on Strava (an fitness app) on whilst walking round the event (and Harrogate) and over the two days we walked over 12.2 miles (19.6km) so it was great exercise whilst enjoying ourselves! Then before we knew it, it was time to catch the 3 trains and a tram home again.

One of the many trains taken to get to The Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate

Between us mum and I managed to pick up things for 13 new projects – 10 of them were mums, but she’s very much of a multi-crafter so she picked up sewing, cross-stitch and yarn items to use.

I bought some yarn and several lovely pom poms, one to re-make a hat pattern I want to re-release. I also bought some beautifully soft DK brown alpaca yarn, with no plan other than I wanted it. Then we both bought some bits to make some wreaths which I’m looking forward to doing on a crafty afternoon with mum sometime soonish.

Haul of crafty goods from The Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate

And I think that this blog post is quite long enough! Hopefully you get the general idea about the show and maybe fancy attending one yourself. The Knitting and Stitching Show runs in several venues across the UK. The dates for 2024 have now been released; 10-13 October 2024 will be at the Alexandra Palace, London, 7 – 9 November 2024 there’s one at The Titanic Exhibition Centre, Belfast, and finally 21-24 November 2024 is the Harrogate show at The Convention Centre.

Like all the craft events I’ve attended the show is not only about the pretty things I have the opportunity to buy it’s about the people and the experience. If you get the chance to go to a future Knitting and Stitching Show I can thoroughly recommend it.

I’d like to say a big thank you again to the shows organisers for offering me the opportunity to visit and for offering the special deals to my lovely KCACO.UK readers!

Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

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3Oct2023

Win tickets for The Knitting & Stitching Show Harrogate

Posted in Competitions, Crochet, Outings, Sale / Special Offer, Yarn Show by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

EDITED: Giveaway now closed, congratulations to; Natalie C, Claire B, Kate R, @poppingcandycrochet and @redditch_rose

How would you like a giveaway to win some FREE tickets to the The Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate? If the answers a big woolly ‘yes please’ – then keep on reading…

The Knitting & Stitching Show is back in Harrogate this year from 16 – 19 November held at the Harrogate Convention Centre.

Close up of a wall of yarn skeins hanging up in lots of lovely bright assorted colours

The spectacular event is a dream day out for crafters and makers, with creative inspiration at every turn. Perfectly timed for Christmas craft shopping, The Knitting & Stitching Show Harrogate features hundreds of retailers selling fabric and patterns, yarn and thread, sewing machines and equipment, accessories, crafts kits and gifts, from well-known global brands to small artisan companies.

In The Yarn Village, hand-picked, small-scale specialist retailers will be offering a selection of unique, high quality yarn and accessories, not found on the high street (you had me at Yarn Village! 😍).

Image of a couple standing behind a stall; there are colourful skeins of yarn hanging on the walls behind them. — © Knitting and Stitching Show 2023

Whether you’re a knitter, quilter, embroiderer or needle felter, The Knitting & Stitching Show promises inspiration and ideas for every style and stage of stitcher. The show’s Learning Curve programme (ticketed) offers hundreds of hands-on workshops for enthusiasts looking to sharpen their stitch skills.

Close up of some rainbow coloured crochet swatches alongside a crochet hook.

Seasonal makes include needle felt reindeer and mice, winter-themed Dorset buttons, overlocker gift bags, beaded decorations, and knitted and stitched baubles. Whether you’re a complete beginner or an expert, top tutors will be sharing their knowledge, offering classes in every textile craft imaginable.

A group of people shown around a table working on some crochet projects together — © Knitting and Stitching Show 2023

The Knitting & Stitching Show is a showcase for new work by leading textile artists and groups, and this year’s Textile Galleries are sure to delight visitors, with exhibitions by Art Textiles: Made in Britain (Illuminate), Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn (Rhythms & Reflections), Ailish Henderson (Maker: Mended), Mandy Pattullo (Well Worn Work), Batool Showghi (Talking Threads), The Quilters’ Guild Collection (A Diverse Patchwork), Sabine Kaner (Hand Stitched Stories), Susie Chaikin, Susan Chapman and Sue Dove (Head, Heart, Knees and Hands), the winner and shortlisted entries for The Fine Art Textiles Award 2023, and winning entries from The Festival of Quilts 20^th Anniversary Quilt Competition.

A group of people do a selfie in front of the textile gallery at the Knitting and Stitching Show — © Knitting and Stitching Show 2023

At the show’s Creative Living Theatre, well-known knit and stitch personalities will be hosting free daily demonstrations, with Christmas needle felting, hand-stitched English paper piecing, Bargello basics, and upcycling waste clothing just some of the sessions on offer. Names include Angela Daymond, Wendy Dolan, Mark Francis, Debbie Harris, Jen Hogg, Moni Omotoso, Nerrisa Pratt and Steffi Stern, and there will even be a catwalk or two.

I’ve previously enjoyed my visit to the Knit and Stitching Shows (though not yet to Harrogate). You can read about those experiences you can read about them here and here.

Image of a couple of people standing in front of a stall; a lady behind the shawl is showing them a colourful quilt that is hanging up behind her. — © Knitting and Stitching Show 2023

Hot and cold refreshments are available throughout the venue; you can grab a bite to eat at one of the venue’s food or coffee outlets, have a picnic in one of the seating areas, enjoy a glass of fizz at the Prosecco Bar, or enjoy one of Harrogate’s many excellent cafés, bars or restaurants, including the famous Betty’s Café Tea Rooms.

So on with the bit you’ve been waiting for! The giveaway details! I’ve got FIVE pairs of tickets to giveaway hurray!!! I’m giving away THREE pairs away here on the blog and TWO pairs away on Instagram.

GIVEAWAY

All you need to do to enter the giveaway is either leave a comment on the bottom of this blog post about why you’d like to go to the show or do the same over on my Instagram post.

The competition closes on Wednesday 11th October at 5pm (GMT). Winners will be contacted via the email supplied from their comment or by DM on social media.

Tickets are valid after 10am on Thursday 16th, Friday 17^th, Saturday 18^th or Sunday 19^th November 2023. This year the organisers are not issuing paper tickets, winners will be emailed a link to register online with a unique code for one pair of tickets. Winners will then need to register online, enter their codes and they will receive e-tickets by email. When entering this competition you must be happy to provide me with a your email address for this purpose, your email address will not be used in any other way.

SPECIAL DISCOUNT

Standard adult advance tickets for The Knitting & Stitching Show, Harrogate are £17.50 (concessions £16.00, children under 18 £8.50). Full ticket information is available at The Knitting & Stitching Show website. Visitors are encouraged to book in advance to avoid disappointment.

But if you want your ticket RIGHT NOW I’ve also got a special discount for you! Just quote: CROCHETON23 to get £3 off advance adult tickets (and there’s £3.50 off advance concessions!). Please note that the discount ends at 23.59pm (GMT) on Wednesday 15th November 2023. Booking free applies.

I’d like to say a big thank you again to the shows organisers for offering this special deal to my lovely KCACO.UK readers!

Good Luck everyone!

Until next time; keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

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25Jan2023

Giveaway | Win tickets for The Stitch Festival

Posted in Competitions, Crochet, Outings, Sale / Special Offer, Yarn Show by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

EDITED: Giveaway now closed, congratulations to; Ann C, Tracey L, Charlie P, @Catherinecrochets and @shearsfiona

How would you like to win some FREE tickets to The Stitch Festival which returns to the Business Design Centre, Islington, London from 23-26 March 2023?

London’s hottest event for contemporary stitchers is back! The annual four-day creative extravaganza is a ‘must go’ for craft fans, with more than 230 hands-on workshops hosted by top tutors, designers and makers.

Dressmaking, upcycling and slow fashion are a major focus for The Stitch Festival, with a dedicated Dressmaking Studio (sponsored by Brother), an overlocker workshop programme, and a Dressmaking Competition that shines a spotlight on the skills and talents of home dressmakers. Open to sewists of all levels, there are categories for Eveningwear, Loungewear, Childrenswear, Knitwear and Crochetwear, Upcycled or Repurposed garments, and new for 2023, Menswear.

Two ladies looking at different fabrics at The Stitch Festival — © The Stitch Festival 2023

Eagle-eyed judges from the worlds of fashion and textiles (past judges have included Esme Young, Lisa Comfort and Nerrisa Pratt) will be looking for excellence in technical skills, stitching and creative flair. With prizes for category winners, a Janome Sewing Machine worth £650 for ‘Best in Competition’, and a Finalists’ Fashion Show on Sunday 26 March, Stitch Festival visitors can expect some exciting highlights. Competition entry submissions must be made by Friday 24 February 2023. For full entry information, visit www.thestitchfestival.co.uk/dressmaking-competition/

Portrait of Katie Jones, Crochet Designer surrounded by colourful crochet samples and yarn — © The Stitch Festival 2023 – Katie Jones (Photo by Rachel Manns)

There are yarny things to look forward to too at the Festival. This year crochet designer Katie Jones has designed The Stitch Festival’s Crochet Lounge where she will be hosting crochet lessons and book signings. There are also so many workshops, just search ‘Crochet’ for a list of all the hooky ones – or try your hand at a new craft. In terms of crochet they include sessions on Mosaic crochet, Tunisian Crochet, Broomstick crochet lace and Freeform crochet to name a few.

Textile artist Jen Cable’s project, Knitted Lives, will be a celebration of contemporary knitting, exploring the lives and stories of everyday knitters, while best-selling author and craft entrepreneur, Isabella Strambio, will be inviting Festival goers to awaken their creativity as she shares her passion for macrame.

Image of Knitted Jen Cable by Sophie Hoare — © The Stitch Festival 2023

Looking for inspiration for new projects? The Festival’s Stitch Stage features free demonstrations, presentations and Q&As with some favourite faces from the knit and stitch world. On Saturday 25 March, the Instagram Makers’ Catwalk features garments made and modelled by talented Insta makers, supported by independent pattern makers and fabric companies.

Last but not least, there’s shopping, with more than 150 specialist retailers under one roof and special Stitch Festival deals to be had, plus all that vibrant Islington has to offer with its stores, restaurants, bars and cafes. Hot and cold refreshments are available throughout the venue, with seating areas for picnics.

Although I can’t make it to this particular show, I’ve enjoyed the visits to these Stitching Shows in the past. If you fancy a read about those experiences you can read about them here and here.

GIVEAWAY

All you need to do to enter the giveaway is either leave a comment on the bottom of this blog post about why you’d like to go to the show or do the same over on my Instagram post.

The competition closes on Wednesday 1st February at 7pm (GMT). Winners will be contacted via the email supplied from their comment or by DM on social media.

Tickets are valid after 10am on Thursday 23rd, Friday 24^th, Saturday 25^th or Sunday 26^th March. The organisers will not issue paper tickets. Winners will be emailed a link to register online with a unique code per pair of tickets and will receive e-tickets by email. When entering this competition you must be therefore happy to provide me with a your email address for this purpose, your email address will not be used in any other way.

However if you want some tickets now scroll down for an exclusive special offer!

SPECIAL DISCOUNT

Advance adult tickets for The Stitch Festival are £16.50 from Thursday to Saturday (concessions £15, children aged 5-18 years £7.50) – transaction fees apply. Full ticket information is available at The Stitch Festival website www.thestitchfestival.co.uk. Visitors are encouraged to book in advance to avoid disappointment. Opening hours are 10am-5.30pm on Thursday-Saturday and 10am-3pm on Sunday. Visitors are encouraged to book in advance to avoid disappointment.

But if you want your ticket RIGHT NOW I’ve also got a special discount for you! Just quote: CROCHETON23 to get £2 off advance adult tickets /and concessions.

Please note that the discount ends at 23.59pm on Wednesday 22 March 2023.

I’d like to say a big thank you again to the shows organisers for offering this special deal to my lovely KCACO.UK readers!

Good Luck everyone!

Stay connected

I’d love to stay connected with you so please do sign up to blog (below) and / or my mailing list to get a reminder when new blog posts, giveaways, special offers or new pattern releases are available.

Until next time; keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

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2Nov2022

Win tickets for The Knitting & Stitching Show Harrogate

Posted in Competitions, Crochet, Outings, Sale / Special Offer, Yarn Show by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

EDITED: Giveaway now closed. Winners have now been chosen, congratulations to Suzanne, Jill C and Julie here on the blog and @sarahreedscrochetadventure and @made_by_skoo on Instagram!

How would you like a giveaway to win some FREE tickets to the The Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate? If the answers a big woolly and heartfelt yes please – then keep on reading…

The Knitting & Stitching Show is back in Harrogate this year from 17 – 20 November held at the Harrogate Convention Centre.

Meet up with like-minded crafters, discuss ideas, learn new skills and shop for your annual craft supplies all under one roof – it’s the ultimate day out for craft lovers. If craft supplies are on your Christmas shopping wish list, there are hundreds of specialist companies under one roof, selling haberdashery, fabric and patterns, sewing machines and equipment, thread and yarn, craft kits, accessories and more, with on-stand demonstrations and show offers to enjoy.

Whether you’re a knitter, quilter, embroiderer or needle felter, The Knitting & Stitching Show promises inspiration and ideas for every style and stage of stitcher, from complete beginners to experts. Top tutors will be hosting more than 220 hands-on workshops and demonstrations, with a dedicated dressmaking programme and festive, seasonal makes like knitted Christmas gnomes, felted wreaths, fabric baubles and embroidery Robins.

Spectacular galleries by internationally acclaimed textile artists and groups are a highlight of The Knitting & Stitching Show each year. This year’s show is no exception with exhibitions by Aran Illingworth (Hanging on the thread: Portrayal of Poverty), Archana Pathak (Mapping Transience), Maggie Scott (Five Times More), Marcia Bennett-Male (Moments to Myself), The 62 Group at 60 (Essence), Vivienne Beaumont (Seeds, Flowers and Flowing Hair), James Fox, The Quilters’ Guild Collection and Jess Blaustein, the 2022 winner of The Fine Art Textiles Award, supported by The Open College of the Arts. A gallery of winning quilts from The Festival of Quilts 2022 competition includes the stunning Handi Quilter Best in Competition Award winning quilt, Impresión. Tramonto en Venecia, by Inmaculada Gabaldon.

Sure to put a smile on visitors’ faces is the Hawes Yarnbombers’ Knitted Shrek. The group’s members meet every week at their local pub to knit “without being disturbed by husbands, family, work, household chores or the rest of the world” (their words!). After a great deal of hard work, and with a different theme every year, they have created a collection of delightful characters from the popular movie to raise money for Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Swaledale Mountain Rescue. Hawes Yarnbombers will be encouraging other knitters to give yarnbombing a go to raise money for charity while having fun, and will be on hand with some top tips for first-time yarnbombers.

Although I can’t make it to this particular show, I’ve enjoyed the visits to the Knit and Stitching Shows in the past. If you fancy a read about those experiences you can read about them here and here.

Hot and cold refreshments are available throughout the venue, with seating areas for picnics. Harrogate town centre also offers a wide range of cafés and bars to enjoy, including the famous Betty’s Café Tea Rooms (yum!).

GIVEAWAY

All you need to do to enter the giveaway is either leave a comment on the bottom of this blog post about why you’d like to go to the show or do the same over on my Instagram post.

The competition closes on Monday 7th November at 5pm (GMT). Winners will be contacted via the email supplied from their comment or by DM on social media.

Tickets are valid after 10am on Thursday 17th, Friday 18^th, Saturday 19^th or Sunday 20^th November 2022. This year the organisers are not issuing paper tickets, winners will be emailed a link to register online with a unique code for one pair of tickets. Winners will then need to register online, enter their codes and they will receive e-tickets by email. When entering this competition you must be happy to provide me with a your email address for this purpose, your email address will not be used in any other way.

SPECIAL DISCOUNT

Standard adult advance tickets for The Knitting & Stitching Show, Harrogate are £17.00 (concessions £15.50, children under 18 £8.50) with VIP ticket packages starting at £36.00. Full ticket information is available at The Knitting & Stitching Show website www.theknittingandstitchingshow.com/harrogate/. Visitors are encouraged to book in advance to avoid disappointment.

But if you want your ticket RIGHT NOW I’ve also got a special discount for you! Just quote: KEEPCALM22 to get £3 off advance adult tickets (and there’s £3.50 off advance concessions!). Please note that the discount ends at 23.59pm on Wednesday 16th November 2022.

I’d like to say a big thank you again to the shows organisers for offering this special deal to my lovely KCACO.UK readers!

Good Luck everyone!

Until next time; keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

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8Feb2022

Win tickets for The Stitch Festival

Posted in Competitions, Crochet, Outings, Sale / Special Offer, Yarn Show by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

It’s been AGGEESSS since my last giveaway hasn’t it – so I’m quickly going to rectify that now! How would you like to win FREE tickets to the The Stitch Festival at the Business Design Centre, London?

You’d love the chance – well awesome! Just keep on reading…

The Stitch Festival, formerly known as The Spring Knitting & Stitching Show, is the ultimate day out for craft lovers. The Stitch Festival champions creativity with hundreds of workshops, demonstrations, fashion exhibitions, textile installations, as well as exhibitors selling specialist craft supplies.

Highlights of this years show include the fabulous TOFT’s exhibition Making Women Who Made History, which marks International Women’s Day. The exhibition is a celebration of inspirational, brave and talented women, all made in amigurumi. TOFT launched its first design, Emmeline Pankhurst, on IWD in March 2020. I love TOFT yarn and characters so I bet that’s going to be awesome! And there are going to be over 100 other specialist retailers who will be selling yarn, crochet equipment and craft supplies…swoon right!

Although the The Stitch Festival showcases all stitch crafts like sewing, knitting, if you are just there for the crochet there are a range of crochet workshops which include:

Tapestry Crochet: Flower Power Coaster / Diana Bensted
Mosaic Crochet / Diana Bensted
Crochet an Amigurumi Easter Egg / Diana Bensted
Beginners’ Crochet / Debbie Harris
Crochet your own Perfect Sock / Diana Bensted
Freeform Crochet Scumble / Diana Bensted
Crochet a Granny Square Cushion Cover / Debbie Harris
Make a Mini Crochet Shawl / Diana Bensted
Crochet a Spring Inspired Pen/Pencil Holder / Eleonora Cugin

Excitingly this year they also have The Stitch Festival Dressmaking competition is open to all contemporary dressmakers who want the opportunity to share their creations. And it’s not just sewing there is a crochet / knitwear outfit category sponsored by Stylecraft. Basically it could be a chunky knit jumper or a fine knit cardigan, a dress, a scarf or other accessories. Anything goes, but you haven’t long, the entry form with photos must be submitted online by Midday on Friday 11^th February.

Although I can’t make it to this particular show, I’ve enjoyed the visits to them in the past. If you fancy a read about those experiences you can read about them here and here.

It’s so wonderful that craft shows are coming back, I’ve really missed them, but if you are at all concerned or have questions about how the show will work in COVID times The Stitch Festival hold visitor safety as paramount and you can view Immediate Live’s Covid commitment if you have queries about attendance.

GIVEAWAY

All you need to do to enter the giveaway is either leave a comment on the bottom of this blog post about why you’d like to go to the show or do the same over on my Instagram giveaway reel post.

The competition closes on Monday 14th February September at 7pm (GMT). Winners will be contacted via the email supplied from their comment or by DM on social media.

Entry is for any one day on any of the dates of the show (3 – 6 March 2022). This year the organisers are not issuing paper tickets, winners will be emailed a link to register online with a unique code for one pair of tickets. Winners will then need to register online, enter their codes and they will receive e-tickets by email. When entering this competition you must be happy to provide me with a your email address for this purpose, your email address will not be used in any other way.

SPECIAL DISCOUNT

Advance adult tickets for The Stitch Festival are £15.50 (concessions £14.50, children aged 5-18 years £7.50) from Thursday to Saturday. VIP tickets start at £40. Full ticket information is available at The Stitch Festival website www.thestitchfestival.co.uk. Visitors are encouraged to book in advance to avoid disappointment. In the event of pandemic-related cancellation, ticket holders will be offered the choice to transfer their booking to 2023 or receive a refund. Transaction fees will be retained.

But if you want your ticket’s RIGHT NOW I’ve also got a special discount for you! Just quote: KCACO22 to get an adult ticket for £12.50! That’s £3 off advance adults (and there’s £2 off advance concessions!). Please note that the discount ends at 23.59pm on 2^nd March 2022.

I’d like to say a big thank you again to the shows organisers for offering this special deal to my lovely KCACO.UK readers!

Good Luck everyone!

Until next time; keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

11Sep2019

Win tickets for Stitching Show at Ally Pally!

Posted in Competitions, Crochet, Outings, Sale / Special Offer, Yarn Show by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

It’s been AGGEESSS since my last giveaway hasn’t it – so I’m quickly going to rectify that now! How would you like to win FREE tickets to the Knitting and Stitching Show at the Alexandra Palace?

You’d love the chance – well awesome! Just keep on reading…

If you’ve not heard about the The Knitting & Stitching Shows before, and are wondering if you want to enter or not, they are the UK’s biggest textile art, craft and design events. Events are run in various locations usually four times per year and there are LOADS of exciting features for crochet fans!

But if you dabble in other crafts, alongside crochet, there are things for needle felting to embroidery to dressmaking – in fact pretty much covering every textile craft imaginable. And the show is great for complete beginners, experts or folks somewhere in between, as there are demo’s and workshops to try, or you can just fill your boots looking at all the crafty and yarny goodness!

In fact for this show, in The Creative Living Theatre, there are going to be free, 30-minute demonstrations to inspire future crochet projects including Tapestry Crochet: Fair Isle Techniques with Diana Bensted.

And for those visitors wanting to learn new skills, The Knitting & Stitching Show’s Learning Curve workshop programme is extensive! Offering over 250 workshops with top tutors where crocheters could have the opportunity to learn how to make seasonal snowflakes, Christmas baubles and mini amigurumi monsters or baskets, owls, scarves and fingerless mitts.

And there are over 350 specialist retailers who will be selling yarn, crochet equipment and craft supplies…swoon right!

I’ve attended different shows, and really enjoyed each visit, so I feel that I can tell you about them with experience, but if you want to read my FULL experience of the shows (you may want to get a cuppa before hand) then you can check out when I visited London Olympia earlier this year here or the time I went to the show at the Ally Pally here.

I was excited to see that Italian textile artist and contemporary crochet designer Luisa De Santi, will be showcasing her amazing work again at the Ally Pally.

I was amazed by her extraordinary exhibition when I saw it earlier this year. Magical Crochet Spells features colourful three-dimensional artworks, soft sculptures and jewellery that is just amazing and inspiring! Her work really is something to see – I also got the pleasure of meeting her in person too and she was lovely!

Unfortunately I’m not going to be able to make the show on this occasion, as I already had family plans on this date, but just because I can’t go doesn’t mean that you have to miss out because I’ve got FIVE pairs of tickets to giveaway hurray!!!

Giveaway

The tickets are for redeemable any day except Saturday 12th October for the Knitting and Stitching show at the Alexandra Palace which runs from 10th – 13th October 2019.

All you need to do to enter the giveaway is to leave a comment on the bottom of this blog post about why you’d like to go to the show.

The competition closes on Wednesday 18 September at 7pm (GMT). Winners will be contacted via the email supplied from their comment.

Special Discount

But if you want your ticket’s RIGHT NOW I’ve also got a special discount for you! Just quote KEEPCALM19 and you can save £2.50 on advance adult ticket price (£13.50 instead of £16.00 adult advance/£13.00 instead of £14.50 concessions), plus £1.95 fulfilment fee per transaction (£2.50 for posted tickets).

This discount is for advanced bookings only and can be redeemed before 23:59pm (GMT) on Wednesday 9 October. Tickets can be booked online here or by calling 0844 873 7343 and quoting the discount code. Full Terms and Conditions are available on the show website. Information is correct at the time of writing.

I’d like to say a big thank you again to the shows organisers for offering this special deal to my lovely KCACO.UK readers!

Good Luck everyone! Until next time; keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

6Mar2019

My visit to Spring The Knitting & Stitching Show 2019

Posted in Blogging, Days Out, Getting Crafty, Inspiration, Life, Outings, Yarn Show by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

Howdy folks, how was your weekend? Mine was a greatly creative one! Mum and I went down to The Knitting and Stitching Show in Olympia London for a weekend away and we had such fun!

I’m feel that I should start with a photo of one of the showstopping photos I took of The Enchanted Wood by the Norfolk Knitters just to entice you in…

Though you might just want to grab a cuppa before you start to read the rest of today’s post, as it’s a bit of a long one with lots of photos… right…you all sorted..then I shall begin.

Have you ever visited a craft show? For a craft lover it’s like a little slice of heaven! The Olympia London may not be as grand a venue as The Alexandra Palace we visited a couple of years ago (you read about that here) but it was still a jam packed with lots of stitching themed loveliness!

After a uneventful journey from Staffordshire (which is always the best kind of journey) we got to the show about midday on the Saturday which was the third day of the show. All the knitting and knitting show events run for a whopping four or five days so there’s usually plenty of time to attend one (or more) of the show dates.

As we were going to be there for two days we decided to be fairly systematic in our approach – the venue was kind of split into two sections, so we thought we’d spend the first day in one half and the second in the next. This worked out pretty well and we got time to see everything we wanted to and have a bit of time to chat to folks – which is the bit I love!

Guess what! We got to chat with the very lovely Katie Jones of Katie Jones Knit!

If you follow Katie, as I do, on Instagram (KatieJonesKnit) you will know that she’s a lover of vibrant bright designs and bold colour combinations. So as you can imagine her stand was just a fantastic pop of colour…and isn’t her t-shirt just the most awesome thing!

We got to see a close up of her amazing Blooming Bomber (which is a FREE download from Katie’s website)…

and the stunning Casa Kahlo Blanket which I just adore (this is ALSO a FREE download from Katie’s website).

She was such a delight to talk to, she’s done so much and worked with so many different people, and was telling us a bit about her history in the fashion industry and how she’s now concentrating on her Make-It-Yourself collections.

We then thought it best to stop monopolising Katie’s time and go and see some of the other things on offer.

Around the corner from Katie’s stand was the Zandra Rhodes exhibit, which was a showcase of garments celebrating iconic British designer Zandra Rhodes’ 50th anniversary.

Zandra Rhodes is well known for her bold iconic prints and this collection was no exception, really interesting to see these statement pieces up close. So much inspiration!

The next stand I was excited to go and see was the fabulous exhibition from the Italian textile artist and designer Luisa De Santi with her Magical Crochet Spells.

Up close it is just the most stunning work! She was explaining to us that everything she crocheted for Crochet Magic Spells was with sort of embroidery cotton and a 2.5mm (US size C/2) hook! Some of her pieces are really quite big so I can’t even imagine the length of time it took to create them.

Crochet Magic Spells (of which you can buy the book of here from Luisa’s website) is just such a wonderful fusion of crochet and embroidery! She was so kind in taking some time to tell us more about her pieces – she’s such a lovely lady.

Much of her work, she says, is just created in an organic way, she may sketch a rough idea but she just lets her pieces develop and grow into the fantabulous pieces of art that they are. Her work is just so intricate and seeing it all up close it just amazing as you can really see and appreciate all the detail, it really was a magical collection.

Around the corner from Luisa was some of Catherine Kaufman’s sculptures. Catherine is a sculptor but not in a traditional sense as her medium is wool. She spins it and needle felts it into large scale sculptures that are just unbelievable!

We did some more browsing of stalls and then found ourselves at Sue Strafford’s stand. I’ve seen Sue’s name a lot in Let’s Get Crafting Knitting and Crochet magazine so it was really lovely to put a name to a face. And actually my yarn purchase from the show came from her stand!

I completely fell in love with the yarn colourway (by Skein Queen) that she’d used on her Voltage Shawl – so I bought the kit for the yarn (Sue didn’t mind)! The knitting pattern actually hasn’t gone to waste as it went to knitter mum who’s going to have a go at making it (though not with the yarn because that’s all mine!). Just take a look at these beauties!

Meet urban graffiti, charcoal and neon kiwi! Every time I look at them it makes me ridiculously happy! Aren’t they just gorgeous! Sadly I don’t have the time to play with them at the moment, as I’m working on commissions, but I can’t wait till I do! I’m thinking some sort of shawl but the design hasn’t come to me yet!

After all that it was pretty much the end of day one! We’d walked our legs off and needed a bit of a rest! For the start of Day 2 we had already decided we were going to do a workshop.

I always like to take the opportunity at craft shows to try a craft that’s completely different to my own. I’ve found it’s really enjoyable to attempt something I probably wouldn’t otherwise and so that’s how we found ourselves at the RowanDean Embroidery stand.

The workshop was to play around with some techniques that the lovely Katrina from RowanDean has developed in her book Hand Stitched Landscapes and Wild Flowers (available here). And what fun it was! Mum and I spent such an enjoyable couple of hours creating our little wild flower scenes – who knew that french knots could be so addictive!

Both mum and I bought a little hanging hoop in which we can display our finished pieces and once I’ve just added a few more french knots (they really are ever so addictive) I’m going to hang mine above my desk at home.

And now if you were pulled into this post by the Enchanted Wood image at the start then you’ll be delighted to know that, that was our next stop! And can I just say WOW! It was just unbelievable! Fairies, elves, unicorns, gnomes to name a few in a stunning magical knitted and crochet setting.

Everywhere you looked there was something new to see…

A veritable feast for the eyes!

Such a wonderful collection of creativity – and I really also now want to make a crochet tree!

Next it was my complete and absolute delight to meet the one and only Erika Knight! Erika, as you probably well know, is is a highly respected knitwear and crochet designer, who has published more than 20 booked on knitting and crochet. Her designs are always classic yet modern (if that makes sense) and are what I would class as wardrobe staples that you’d get a lot of wear out of. I’ve got to admit I was a bit intimidated to meet her but she’s so lovely!

We were chatting for ages about various things including my goal (to some day) crochet myself a wearable garment, my mum’s crocheted wedding dress and Erika’s love of supporting British manufacturing and wool.

As well as designing Erika also has her own yarn label and she asked me if I’d like to try some yarn that she’s designed especially for crocheters. I squeaked my surprised thank you at her lovely generosity and she allowed me to pick a 50g hank of her Studio Linen to try. I picked the colour Velvet which is a rich, dark heather / auberginy sort of purple.

I’m thinking maybe some lacy summer mitts or maybe a skinny scarf when I get a moment to play!

There’s was so much more than this that we saw over the weekend and so many wonderful other people we met but I think that this blog post is getting quite long enough!

Hopefully you get the general idea about the show and maybe fancy attending one yourself. The Knitting and Stitching Show runs in several venues across the UK with two dates in London each year, the next one for London is in October – you can sign up for the latest news about the shows by subscribing to the newsletter (link on the bottom of the website).

I had my step counter on whilst walking round the event and over the two days we walked the equivalent of 9.6 miles (15.6km) so it was great exercise whilst enjoying ourselves! Aside from the yarn and the frame for my embroidery I bought myself a few bits and bobs including some new scissors, some copies of magazines I hadn’t got, a fun £20 note themed hook case, some material that I wanted and some more safety eyes – I didn’t go too crazy (for once).

Like all the craft events I’ve attended the show is not only about the pretty things I have the opportunity to buy it’s about the people I got to meet. If you get the chance to go to a future Knitting and Stitching Show I can thoroughly recommend it.

Before I finish off this post I’m just going to say a quick thank you to the organisers of the show for my complimentary tickets and goodie bag and for also giving me a press badge – I seriously will never lose the glee of that!

Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

24Jan2019

Win tickets to The Spring Knitting & Stitching Show 2019

Posted in Competitions, Crochet, Days Out, Getting Crafty, Giveaways, Life, Outings, Sale / Special Offer, Yarn Show by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

EDITED: GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED, congratulations to Heidi Bradshaw, Sharon Bowles, Candida Carvalho, Cristiana Alexandra Ferreiro do Vale, Jackie Walter and Michelle Smith!

Hey folks, would you like a chance to win some FREE day tickets to the Spring Knitting and Stitching Show at London Olympia?

I’ve got FIVE pairs of tickets, most generously donated by the shows organisers, for all you lovely readers – plus they’ve also set up a nice discount on ticket prices for anyone that doesn’t win (more about that in a moment).

If you love a good craft show, which of course I do, and you aren’t familiar with the Knitting and Stitching Show then you are really missing something. These shows are the UK’s biggest textile art, craft and design events and the Spring show will open its doors to thousands of crafters for FIVE whole days at London Olympia on Thursday 28 February until Sunday 1 March 2019.

You may remember I went to one of the shows back in 2017 with my lovely mum and we had a blast (you can read about that visit here). So we are going back down to the show together again this year for more crafty fun!

Any hoo, if you want to go straight to the details on how to win tickets scroll to the bottom of this page, if you’ve got a few more minutes I just want to tell you about another couple of things that’s happening at this years Spring show…

I for one am extremely excited to see the amazing work by Italian textile artist and designer Luisa De Santi who is bringing her extraordinary knit, crochet and embroidery work to the Spring Knitting and Stitching Show. Her exhibition called Magical Crochet Spells sounds like something not to be missed out on! I’ve seen some of the photos of her work and it’s just so intriguing!

Lucia creates complex and colourful 3-D modular structures that are amazing and mind-boggling, weird and wonderful all at the same time and I can’t wait to see them in the flesh!

I’m also looking forward to seeing The Fashion and Textile Museum who are hosting a 50 Years of Fabulous. They are doing a showcase with a collection of garments from its forthcoming exhibition celebrating iconic British designer Zandra Rhodes’ 50th anniversary. Although I don’t sew I do admire those that can (and I LOVE The Great British Sewing Bee) so I bet that’s going to be a whole lot of fabulous fun to see!

dame zandra rhodes. photograph by simon emmett. copyright zandra rhodes ltd

I also can’t wait to see the stunning Enchanted Wood – an elaborate scene of
knitted and crocheted magical creatures created by the Louise Hamilton Knit and Yarn Group and Norfolk Knitters and Stitchers. It looks so amazing doesn’t it!

Ooo the more I’m writing about it, the more excited I’m getting! As well as all these exhibits there’s going to be over 150 exhibitors selling specialist craft supplies (including yummy yarn that needs to come home with me), and there’s going to be hundreds of workshops and demonstrations too. I’m still looking at the full workshop list deciding what to do as there are so many I just want to do!

Spend a day re-stocking your yarn stash, learning to knit, mastering the art of tailoring and just so much more. There has never been a better excuse to go to a show – it’s been designed for us to enjoy to the max!

Right enough enthusing from me, I think you get that I’m quite excited about going, let’s get on to how YOU can win tickets to the show…

Giveaway

I’ve got FIVE pairs of tickets to giveaway and the tickets are for redeemable any day except Saturday 2nd March. These tickets are only for the Spring Knitting and Stitching show at the Olympia London which runs from 28th February until 3rd March 2018.

All you need to do to enter the giveaway is to leave a comment on the bottom of this blog post about why you’d like to go to the show. The competition closes on Thursday January 31st 2019 at 7pm (GMT) with the winners being announced later that evening here on the blog. Good Luck Everyone!

Special Discount

But if you want your ticket’s RIGHT NOW I’ve also got a special discount for you! Just quote KCACO19 and get £2 off any advance adult ticket or £1 off any advance concessionary ticket. This means that tickets will be £12 instead of £14/£13 (please not there is a £1.75 fulfilment fee per transaction).

This discount is for advanced bookings only and can be redeemed before 23:59pm on Wednesday 27th February. Tickets can be booked online https://www.theknittingandstitchingshow.com/spring/ or by calling 0844 581 1319 and quoting the discount code.

I’d like to say a big thank you again to the shows organisers for offering this special deal to my lovely KCACO.UK readers and maybe we will catch up with some of you at the show?

Until next time; keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

21Oct2018

Sincerely Pam and Dear Ewe | Win Triangle Chart Mug

Posted in Competitions, Crochet, Dear Ewe, Giveaways by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

So regular readers of my blog know that, as well as doing crochet design work, this year I set up the company for creative folk called Dear Ewe. Well I felt that I just wanted to share our first product review by the lovely Canadian crochet designer and blogger Pam (aka Sincerely Pam).

We know that people like to hear about products from actual people, so we are very excited to have received such a lovely review from Pam. As a new business it obviously means the world to us that people like our products!

You can read Pam’s full product review post here – and excitingly you could enter her prize draw to win your very own Triangle Chart mug. Entries for the giveaway are direct through Pam’s blog – winner will be selected on October 24, 2018.

We were also delighted to be part of her Makers Maven series with an interview where we shared a bit more about us and how Dear Ewe got started.

You can read the full interview here and learn how gin was an integral part of the beginning of Dear Ewe and how Becky and I work together as a team as well as being friends.

To keep up with more Dear Ewe news you can follow us on the Dear Ewe BLOG, FACEBOOK, or INSTAGRAM.

PLUS make sure you check out the blog post about the ‘Sheep on a Shelf’ Crochet Competition which will run from December 1st-12th 2018 and is going to be so much fun!

Until next time; keep calm and crochet on my friends xx