Knitted Birds book launch

I'm going to be at The Wool Bar, Worthing on Saturday 3rd October from 2-5pm, signing copies of Knitted Birds and dishing out tea and biscuits to celebrate the launch of my book.

Come along and meet me and the knitted birds, it would be lovely to see you!

Cockatoos

Knitted cockatoos! Cheerful chaps with felt crests - they enjoyed their visit to the Wool Bar, Worthing, and behaved themselves with the fat quarters.

Curlew

Normally sighted on bleak winter estuaries, the curlew is the largest wader you'll spot in the UK. The smaller knitted curlew can be spotted here in the more refined environment of Worthing's Wool Bar, checking out the yarn before flying over to the window to sit with the other knitted birds. They'll be in the Wool Bar all August if you fancy visiting them. Binoculars are entirely optional.

Pochard

Little knitted Pochard joins the flock of knitted birds at The Wool Bar...

Flock to Worthing

Creative Waves Flock to Worthing bird art trail starts today, July 22nd and runs until 1st September! Pick up an art trail map from one of the many venues listed on their website and then wander through Worthing town and seafront, spotting rare birds created by local artists and art groups. (Personally, I would use this as an opportunity to go to Parklife to pick up a map, coffee, and a cupcake, but then to be honest, I need very little excuse to go to Parklife).

All of my knitted birds are installed in the window of The Wool Bar, Warwick Street, so go along and say hello! I'll be adding more birds over the next few weeks as I make them.

Worthing seagull

 

 

Here's my large knitted herring gull! I took him down to Worthing beach this morning for a blustery photoshoot before delivering him to his new home at The Wool Bar in Warwick Street. Pop in and say hello to him (and Caroline, who'll be naming him!). As you can see, he enjoyed exploring the shop and I left him sitting on The Wool Bar's wooden table, being eyed up by Warwick Street's real-life gulls outside.

There will be a knitting pattern for him, and his smaller version, very soon.

Cute seagull

 

My lovely local yarn shop, The Wool Bar, have asked me to knit them a life-sized Herring Gull. The street that they are on, Warwick Street, in Worthing, has a particularly large and determined gang of gulls who make rich pickings from Warwick Street's many cafes.

I'm a bit concerned that the life-sized knitted version will attract a bit too much attention from the feathered gull mafia outside, but we shall have to wait and see.

This little fellow isn't life-sized. He's a small prototype gull who I am going to scale up to large scale over the next few weeks. He's a lot cuter than the Warwick Street gulls but hopefully when he's bigger, he'll look a bit meaner. I'd particularly like to capture that look in their eye just before they steal your chips.

If you'd like to see little gull, he's currently residing with Caroline at The Wool Bar. I hope to get him, and his larger model, made up into knitting patterns soon.

Worthing Knit and Natters

Worthing may be a small and sleepy Sussex town, but blimey, there's a lot of crafty things going on. Here's a list of groups meeting up for coffee, knitting, sewing and general socialising in Worthing at the moment. Listings are organised according to the day of the week. Contact the organisers to check events are running before packing up your needles and heading out. Have I missed out anyone? Hope not. Let me know if I have!

Hook Knit and Sip, 2nd Monday of the month, 10.30am - 12.30pm at St Paul's

"Coffee or Tea, Crochet or Knit, the choice is yours!" This small group has only recently started - mostly crochet beginners but knitters welcome too! Pop over to Facebook and say hello to Magscraft for more info.  St Paul's Centre, 55b Chapel Road, Worthing BN11 1EE.

Knit and Natter, every Tuesday evening 7pm - 9pm at The Wool Bar

A very, very popular meet-up at Worthing's spiritual home of knitting, The Wool Bar. "Bring your current project, meet others, relax and enjoy the company, as we put the world to rights!" It can get rather busy, warns Caroline. The Wool Bar, 15 Warwick Street, Worthing  BN11 3DF

Knit and Natter at Worthing Library, 1st Wednesday of the month 10 - 11.30am
"Come to the Library to meet new people and share your craft creations."
Worthing Library, Richmond Road, Worthing BN11 1HD

Seabelles Knit and Natter "This year we are meeting the 2nd Wednesday of the month at the Thomas A Becket pub in Worthing 7 – 9pm. It's lots of fun and you are more than welcome to bring crochet, sewing or even just turn up for a natter, glass of wine and some inspiration." You can check the dates here on the Seabelles blog.

Meet and Make, every Thursday morning, 10am - 12pm at Coast

A lovely, chilled mix of crafters of all ages. Of course I'm going to say that because I help organise this one. Come along and say hello to a friendly and supportive group of knitters, crocheters, cross stitchers and crafters. Whatever craft you can bring to Coast is most welcome! We're usually stitching away at the big table downstairs. Every Thursday apart from school holidays (we used to meet on Tuesday but have changed dates). Photo of Chi Chi Revolver by uber-blogger Ivy Arch. Coast Cafe, Beach Parade, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 2ES

Make and Munch, last Thursday of the month at Green Cuisine.

"Once a month a group called Make n' Munch gets together to be creative, learn new skills (eg knitting, crochet, pumpkin carving, drawing, card making, sewing etc), and complete various community projects. Open to "ladies of any age who like craft, art and being creative." Make and Munch is organised by Storm Ministries, the people behind that beautiful garden full of yarnbombing in Union Place. Green Cuisine, 37 Rowlands Road, Worthing, BN11 3JJ

Worthing Renaissance WI meet at the Scout Hut in Anglesea Road. "Our first aim is to create a new and exciting group for women who wish to talk, learn, share, create, help local projects, have fun... and enjoy the occasional tipple, a nice hot cuppa and of course cake!" They meet on the last Thursday of every month at 8pm.

Meet and Make at Broadwater Library, every Friday, 10.45am -12pm
"People can bring in their own craft projects, which could include knitting, quilting, painting or model making, or come and find inspiration for a new one. The sessions are a great opportunity for people to share their skills and socialise. There is also a selection of craft books available for people to browse and borrow."
Broadwater Library, Dominion Road, Broadwater, Worthing BN14 8JL

Durrington Knit and Natter at Durrington Library, 1st Friday of the month, 11am - 1pm

"Do you enjoy knitting, crochet, cross stitch, embroidery or any other kind of stitching? Would you be interested in meeting like minded people sharing knowledge, or nattering about your stitching?"

Durrington Library, Salvington Road, Worthing  BN13 2JD

Worthing Women's Institute also run monthly lunch clubs and craft groups - contact them for more details.

There's also often local groups looking for knitters to get involved with various charity projects. Caroline at The Wool Bar often organises charity knits, so get in touch with her to see what's going on. Transition Town Worthing's Reskilling group have knitted blankets for Worthing Churches Homeless Project in the past and sometimes run knit and natters and workshops.

Hope that's enough Worthing knitting to keep you busy for a while!

More disembodied heads

Yes, gentle reader, it's time for more disembodied heads. These two are probably the offspring of the two ladies who made their own Airlyne stair carpet. The girls have learnt to hover, ghost-like, above their knitted or crocheted ponchos worked up in ethereal cream. You'd certainly be in for a fright if one of these apparitions drifted through your wall, with no sound save for the gentle rustle of acrylic fibre.

Interested to see that this Twilley's pattern came from the Wool - Baa in Chadwell Heath, Essex. Was this a 1970s relative of Worthing's premier knitting shop, The Wool Bar? Or is it merely proof that there are only a certain number of wool-related puns in the world which we are destined to experience over and over again until we are released from this mortal coil and drift off to who-knows-where with a rustle of ponchos...