Beginners' crochet classes - what can you expect?

Every teacher is different. I can only speak for my own classes - and they change every so often. I watch what causes problems, and try to think of a way to overcome them.

So this post applies to the current model.

When you arrive, you'll be welcomed - probably by Julie - and sit down while you wait for the rest of the group. There are usually crochet books available to look at, to whet your appetite.

When everyone is here, after introducing ourselves, you'll learn two basic stitches, the double crochet and the treble. There'll be a little swatch for you to work on, so you don't have to struggle with starting.

When you're comfortable with them, you'll have a choice of 3 projects:

This is the basic granny square, sometimes called Old America, with a final round of double crochet for more practice.

The second one:

Sorry about the awful photo - the light is terrible today. They are strips of trebles and chains, plaited together. Good practice for trebles, and a technique that can be used for all sorts of projects, from baby blankets to waistcoats.

The third choice:

You'll notice he has no nose or mouth yet; I'm getting up my courage! This is a straight piece of double crochet made up into a cat - or bear. You need to be confident about identifying stitches before you go on to amigurumi in the round; this little mouse is available, and involves using different techniques common in the many amigurumi patterns available.

You'll work on your chosen project until time is up, or you have had enough. The concentration is intense.

When you go away, you take with you a handout for the basic stitches, and for the project you have chosen; your crochet hook, and the yarn you have been using. And, of course, whatever you have made.

I've  met such nice people in the classes. Everyone is helpful and supportive. Don't be nervous - just come and play!

One down ...

events, I mean.

I'm going to use Sally's photos for this update. Hope she won't mind. (Too late if she does!)

Saturday was Love your yarn shop day.



The sign was made by Caroline.

The shop was empty (well, except of us) when I arrived at 9.40. Promptly at 10, it filled up with people come to see what we had to offer.

We had a lot!

Leona was making felt hearts in the work room. I can't find a photo of Leona, but here is one of her guests enjoying the workshop.

Dee was demonstrating finger knitting. She made yards during the day, and we had a happy conversation with 2 youngsters about different ways to use the knitting.

Promptly at 11, the bell was rung - oh OK, it was dinged:

A guest was invited to pick out a ticket, and that became the offer for the next hour, with discounts on different brands. Have I mentioned the goody bags? One for every customer who spent over £10.

There were cakes

Made by Sally and carried down from Scotland in her suitcase! They were beautiful, and delicious too.

Not sure how Eric found his way onto the plate; perhaps to remind us that Catherine was with us in spirit.

Drinks were made (and washing-up done) by our lovely Doreen

She and the girls did all the work getting the shop ready.

Caroline, Julie and Sally.

You could also learn about Tunisian crochet and have a go. It's amazingly simple, and quite a few people went off vowing to try it.

That's me showing Laura.

Our headliner was Val Pierce, best known perhaps for her toy patterns. She was there with lots of her creations. I was fascinated by the Christmas ornaments; the photos in the book really don't do them justice. She very kindly advised me on how to improve the faces on things I make.

I chose this photo of Val with Dee because it shows some of her designs. The snake is brilliant, the way she's used slip stitches to create the scales.

It was a very happy day; even the weather co-operated.

Many yarn shops made this day an opportunity to raise funds for charity. We didn't, - all our workshops and tasters were free - because it's only a month to our major fundraiser, our Blooming Great Tea Party. Stay tuned as we prepare for that - if you're lucky you might see photos of some amazing tea cosies, and cute doll's clothes.

So one down, and one to go.

Marathon and events

Today is the London Marathon. I haven't been much interested until this year, but today Rhiannon's friend Fern is running, to raise money for MS charities. Do you know, you can even track the runners on your phone, so you know exactly where they are. Fern is going strongly; I hope she has a fabulous day.

Today is also the day I start putting together motifs for a top for Rhiannon. I have a basketful ...

The yarn is Knitpicks Chroma in the Lollipop colourway.

I also have the broad band to go round the bottom:

So now I just have to decide how to join them. This is the first experiment:

Maybe next week there'll be a photo of Rhiannon wearing it?

At the shop we're into a succession of beginners' workshops. I really enjoy them; the separate room is so much better than working in the shop. This week I had a lovely surprise when Jenny, who came to the Easter workshop, brought me some primrose plants.

Most beginners start with a granny square, and at present I'm trying out different variants to offer those who whiz through the first stage. How about this one?

It's from a pattern by Sue Solakian, published on mainlycrochet.com. Mainly Crochet is a subscription webpage which costs about £20 a year. It gives you free access to new and exclusive patterns by top designers like Kathryn White. I think it's excellent value for money.

But though there are great online resources, there's nothing like your own yarn shop, where you can pick up tips and squidge yarn, and chat to other yarn addicts. We're preparing for our Yarn Shop day in May: it's on May 3rd, and there are all sorts of preparations being made. Look on the website or Facebook for more details (www.cityknits.co.uk of special prizes etc.

But I will tell you that from 11-3 Val Pierce, who writes books on knitting toys, will be doing workshops. Leona, of Sharkey Tees, will be doing something with felt; Dee, our friend from London, will be doing arm knitting. And we regular staff will be adding our fourpennorth. All of these activities are FREE! It is promising to be a great day: do come along.

Maureen meanwhile is knitting dolls' clothes to be sold for our Marie Curie fund; they sell as they come off the needles. Go Maureen! As always, our Marie Curie Day, on June 7th, will be a BLOOMING great tea party. 

We hope you'll all come along to both events and enjoy yourself.

Meanwhile Fern is more than two thirds of the way along the course. I'm awed at her courage and commitment.

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Primroses and Bluebells

Since I wrote last, Rhiannon, Fig and I have spent a week in Dorset, in a lovely quite cottage near Swanage. We were lucky enough to have sun most of the week, though the wind was cold. We pottered around the area, taking Fig to run on various beaches. The photo is typical of dozens we have - her enjoyment is infectious so we keep trying to capture it on film.

You can see (just) the ball in her mouth, but not that she is soaking wet. I haven't cropped the photo because it shows Weymouth's lovely Georgian sea front. It was warm enough that day to have coffee outside, soaking up the sun and enjoying the smell of the sea.

There are such beautiful places in Dorset, especially Lulworth Cove. The wind that day was brisk enough to take our breath away, otherwise we wouldn't have wanted to leave. It is so perfect.

Another delight was the hedgerows; I have never seen so many primroses.

They have been favourites since I picked them on a bank in Shropshire one Good Friday, and took them to decorate the church for Easter. When we got home I looked at patterns for primroses, but there were none I liked, so I made my own. They have the right number of petals(5) and the right shape. I'd like to find some silky-looking yarn so they look their best.

When we got home, my first task was to finish the stegosaurus. He is ENORMOUS.

Then it was back into routine. At the Crafty Bees, Caroline and I sat at one end of the tables and just enjoyed the buzz. All those ladies, working together to make charity things. The significant word is 'together'. People share techniques, bring patterns to share, wait on each other, admire each other's work. It's amazing how quickly the team has formed.

Saturday we had an Easter workshop. There were baskets to make:

This one is made of scarf yarn and used a 10mm hook.

And this one is DMC Petra 3. Julie made a beautiful one during the workshop; she beaded the scalloped top and added 2 flowers. It was so little, and so pretty!

There were also eggs:

They are hinged, so they can be used as containers for little gifts. Full of bravado, I set out to make one a flapper girl. The fringed skirt was all right, but when I put the headband on, she looked more like a sheik out of a silent movie! Another one had plaited hair, but I could NOT do the face. So there are no photos!

There was a mug holder. Now this I am proud of! All my attempts so far have sagged sadly so that when you life the mug, your crochet masterpiece falls off, dangling from one place. But this one stayed put.

Admittedly, it was meant to be an Easter chick. The beak looked as if someone had punched it, and the wings were way too big. The little tuft on top of the 'head' was cute, but it had to be re-born as a flower.

It was a happy workshop; Jenny brought a doll's blanket she'd made after doing granny squares with me. She'd used single-round squares to make flowers, and put them at all the joins. It looked so pretty!

So now it's a grey, drizzly and windy Sunday. But for the first time this year I saw bluebells blooming in Stock's Wood. Only a few, but soon I'll be able to smell them, and they will look like a blue haze among the green. I love Bournville.

Have hook, will travel

I'm enjoying a pause from preparing workshops because I'm off to Dorset next week. Fig will enjoy tearing about on the beach whatever the weather!

Last Saturday was the Mother's Day workshop; the photos through this blog are the projects people could choose from, with patterns and materials supplied. The new technique offered was beading your crochet. The next workshop is for Easter, and I'm thinking baskets/pots containers maybe, decorative ones and practical ones. And there will have to be chicks, eggs and bunnies.

I'm working on lots of ideas at the moment, but the one actually getting hooked is a hanging basket. Well, I've made four leaves ... But the thinking is done. I even watched a Youtube video on how to plant a hanging basket! And I'm stamping down the perfectionist desire to have it made all in the same yarn because no one yarn company has all the colours needed. It's funny how green is so often under-represented on shade cards; DMC have a good range of colours but a hanging basket all in fine crochet cotton, while beautiful, would take forever.

The Bournville Crafty Bees go from strength to strength. The atmosphere is so relaxed and friendly, it's a real pleasure to be there. The things made so far are amazing; little bunnies and chicks are selling well.

 Gillian is making up her second blanket, while Caroline has three on the go at once! Marian is producing some amazing tea cosies. And I don't think you have met Eric:

Eric is the punk-rock mascot of Christine's, (his hair is actually blue) and can be found in various unexpected places in the shop. He was made by Catherine, one of our multi-talented friends. She is being deployed to Oman very soon, and we wish her a quick tour of duty and safe return home. On her last deployment, to Afghanistan, she made a fabulous crochet blanket, which is almost a stitch sampler, it includes so many. She's not giving away what she's going to make this time.

It's been quite busy in the shop. Phil's birthday last week had people flocking in. Then Caroline decided the shop looked old-fashioned and rearranged it. After all, it is almost a year since it was last rearranged! You can find a photo on www.cityknits.co.uk. Of course, as soon as you create work by moving stuff, people come in wanting to be served.

Bournville is very beautiful. The daffodils are out, the blossom is starting, the forsythia is bursting into flower. The birds are very active, but whether that's nest-building or feeding babies, I don't know. Our cat, Teazle, is proving to be something of a mouser, but please goodness she won't bring us baby birds.

This last photo is actually a bag. I have some chain for the handle but did the usual and put it somewhere safe so I wouldn't lose it ... So the lining is still waiting to be sewn in.

Tonight we are going out to dinner - organised by Sandie - to say farewell to Catherine. Maybe I'll just make a few more leaves. How many do you suppose you need for a hanging basket?

B for daffodils

The sun is shining. Bournville is very beautiful at the moment, with carpets of snowdrops and crocus. In a minute I shall take Fig for a walk to enjoy it, but so much is happening here I thought I'd better share!

First of all, the Crafty Bees. Our second meeting took place over half term so we had more children. Most of them knitted, except Harlie who made a super chick out of pompoms!



Caroline took some photos of the babies; you can see Louis, but not Oscar. The whole meeting was punctuated with lovely cooing noises - from the babies, although the ladies did plenty, too.



Last week some people carried on with squares, which Gillian (what a heroine!) has taken to start sewing together; other people had fun making Easter chicks. This week we have patterns for daffodils for those who would like to try them: it's Marie Curie's Daffodil Day in March, and you will be able to buy the hand-made ones from the shop. We will also use them for our own Marie Curie fundraiser in June.

Last year's daffodil tree metamorphosed into a poppy tree, so another tree is taking shape.

The basic cone is made; now just the frills to do!

I was going great guns on daffodils etc until Heidi Bears produces a new pattern. This is the most amazing Stegosaurus, which can be found on www.ravelry.com. First thing this morning I was down at the shop, begging Caroline to help sort out the colours, so here are the bags of Stylecraft Special waiting for me to start.

I need to make two - one to raffle for Marie Curie, and one for Rhiannon's friend Fern, who is soon to do the London Marathon and has to raise some money. Updates will be posted.

Last week's workshop was Crochet flowers. I had a great time and Fiona, Penny and Sandie produces some lovely blooms. Here are Sandie's.

In among all this busy-ness there's scant time for housework. I keep promising myself I'll do some, but then something else REALLY IMPORTANT comes up and that gets done instead. 

Tonight is Stitch Bournville, down at the shop. It's always a really happy evening. Why don't you come along? 

Bournville bees

This is what we've been up to in the last fortnight, getting ready for the launch.

It all began with the poppies. Remember we made what seemed like millions? That was started by Anne Linley in memory of her son Brett. But, she thought, how much better would it be if more than a handful of people were involved? So she talked to her friend Anne Walker, and ...

... The Bournville Village Trust, in the person of Anne Walker, and Christine's (aka www.cityknits.co.uk ) built on her idea; so the Crafty Bees group came about, for local people to get together to share skills in knitting and crochet with each other, and pass them on through the generations, while we make 'stuff' for charities.

The BVT are funding it; we have a room booked at Dame Elizabeth Hall for a year, and they are buying supplies of wool etc. Julie and Caroline are organising the various supplies we need, and coming up with suggestions for how to go on.

So last Friday morning I turned up at the Hall. The weather was foul, and I was horribly afraid no-one would turn up. Inside I found:



The three crates of supplies we'd packed ready. Tables were being arranged. Gillian and Sandra, both on the committee, set out the things they had made for various charities.



And then people started to arrive! We had youngsters with a teacher day there knitting, young mums with babies, a real mix of ages. Over 20 people turned out on a morning when the wind was howling, and the rain lashing down, and enjoyed crafting together.



Everyone is making squares - they can be used for all sorts of things, and it was the first time so we had to set something up.



This photo is from early on, before everyone had arrived. We had to get more tables out!



And we even had time to join in. Here we have Jules, in blue, and Anne Walker from the BVT in the foreground. And the white head and grey cardigan is me!

We're agreed that next Friday we will start work on Easter things - lambs, bunnies, ducklings -  which we can sell to raise money. Here we have one of Caroline's cheeky chicks:

There's a lovely sheepy pattern in Landscape magazine which I'll try out with a view to making them, and a free pattern on the Rowan website for chickens to sit on the edge of window sills etc which is knitted and waiting to be sewn up; The pattern suggests this for weight under the stuffing!

I've been making the Blue Bird of Happiness, the penultimate of Heidi Bears patterns, and experimented in making him with granny squares - well, OK, pentagons. I'm wondering if people might like to make some; the happypotami I made last year were very popular.

We are, of course, building up towards the Marie Curie Day in June; one of the ideas is to make daffodil pins and fridge magnets. Yesterday Jennifer brought this lovely one into the shop to show us. With some tweaking it's the nicest I've seen.

So it's been a busy week, with a beginners' workshop on Saturday, and Caroline and Julie off to the trade fair at the NEC today. Our bees are busy, as well as crafty.

And one last photo, since there's no smellerama yet. This is the pot of hyacinths Maureen bought me for my birthday. They are beautiful, and are filling my room with their scent.