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Happy Easter

Posted on April 05 2018

Well, I hope that wherever you are, you are enjoying better weather than we are currently experiencing in North Yorkshire. As I look out on another wet and dreary day I am beginning to wonder if Spring is ever going to appear although the crocuses are desperately trying to flower on the Stray in Harrogate.

Since my last newsletter I have been resting from knitting which has been very difficult and extremely frustrating. Fortunately, I have also been able to rest from golf as the course has been closed due to the awful weather we have recently experienced and I have to admit to being very relieved as the last few weeks have been bitterly cold and extremely wet!. The rest has helped my RSI and I have also bought a  book 'Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and other Repetitive Strain Injuries' by Sharon Butler which has some very good stretches for the various tendons and this has also been beneficial together with some sports massage. On the positive front, I am now far more aware of my posture when knitting for any length of time so that has to be a good thing.
 
Edinburgh Yarn Festival photo by The Knitter's Yarn

John Arbon Textiles at the Edinburgh Yarn Festival

Since I last wrote I have visited Wales twice and Scotland once. I first visited the Edinburgh Yarn Festival about 4 years ago and I returned again in March for another look and I thought the event had really improved: queuing outside in the freezing cold was kept to a minimum as we all trooped in quickly and although tickets had sold out for the day, there was plenty of room to move around and view in comfort. There were also plenty of places to stop for a coffee break. 

Ysolda Teague had taken a large space and she had a fantastic selection of both yarn and knitting books available and a lovely space to sit and study them before purchase. I bought a book by Sally Paden entitled 'Knitwear Design Workshop' to join my already rather large library of knitwear related books. There were lots of other lovely stands selling beautiful yarns which I am looking to stock in the future so watch this space....

 

Di Gilpin at the Edinburgh Yarn Festival photo by The Knitter's Yarn

Di Gilpin at the Edinburgh Yarn Festival

My visit to Wales was all to do with the latest addition to The Knitter's Yarn team. I have always been surrounded by dogs (usually cocker spaniels) but when my last one died I decided that my lifestyle was not suitable for another pet....playing golf can often take up a whole day! However, my daughter has been after her own dog for many, many years and was extremely specific not only on the breed, but on the colour. Needless to say, 'shaded cream long haired miniature dachshund bitch puppies' are extremely hard to find!! Having agreed that since our business was based at home, Alice could have her own dog, we have been on a long search to find her and having checked out the litter the other week, we drove back down to Aberystywth on Thursday to collect her. What a beautiful pup she has turned out to be.....she did not cry once on the 6 hour journey home through the torrential rain. Alice slept on the sofa near her on the first couple of nights but, much to our surprise, she didn't cry so the puppy is now happily settled downstairs in her own place for the night. It has been so cold that I knitted a little sweater for her in Rowan's Brushed Fleece  which then had to be partially redone as it was enormous.

The latest addition to The Knitter's Yarn - Puddle the long-haired, shaded cream miniature dachshund

In fact, whilst we are aware how small she is and she has a bell so we hear her coming, we had a bit of an awakening yesterday of how she is perceived by other animals. Alice took her outside for toilet training and this big black and white cat appeared. When we brought 'Puddle' (not my choice of name but that too was determined many years ago!) back into the house the cat suddenly appeared at the French windows and gave the puppy a definite death stare! Of course, having seen cats run off with squirrels and rabbits I have a feeling that Puddle could well have been next on the list so she is now safely in the harness whenever she goes out to avoid being the next prey!

 I have lots of knitting at the final stages at the moment including an Erika Knight 'Porcelain' sweater in Studio Linen which will be a great everyday wear should the sun ever decide to come out. I have also knitted three very simple striped and moss stitch cushion covers in different colours which just need to be sewn up and then they will be ready to sell as kits. These cushions make excellent use of Erika Knight's 25g balls of British Blue wool and her Vintage wool.. These knits should all be ready to show in my next newsletter along with a lined carry blanket for my niece's baby expected in May. Taking a break for a couple of weeks has put me slightly behind schedule but the weather has not enticed me out of my winter woollies yet.


I hope that you all are having a lovely Easter with friends and family. The upside of this awful weather is that it is a great day for sitting watching a film, knitting and enjoying your Easter chocolate.

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