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.