‘K-TOG’ in Lustleigh Village Hall, October 21st 1-5pm

Although I've been away from this computer - apologies to all my friends out there in blogland! - I've been very busy. This has been one of my projects and it's all happening next weekend - AAAARGH! Send me lots of posivibes - or, better still, turn up and be a knitguru!

It’s UK National Knitting Week from October 13th to the 21st.
(For more information see here) So, to help celebrate, the Bovey Tracey ‘Stitch ‘N Bitch’ Group (which is small and beautiful and meets on the first Sunday of every month in the Devon Guild of Craftsmen Terrace Café, Bovey Tracey 3.30 to 5.30pm) is hosting a Knitting Exhibition called ‘K-Tog’ in Lustleigh Village Hall, Lustleigh, near Bovey Tracey, on Sunday October 21st from 1-5pm. WE don't have many items to exhibit as yet (an exhibition without any exhibits should be very surreal) - so if anyone who lives in the South West has any thing they'd like to show off for the afternoon, let me know asap and I'll come and collect.

Now all you knitters know where the name ‘Stitch ‘N Bitch’ comes from but for those non knitting readers I'll just elucidate: 'Stitch 'N Bitch' is the name of that sassy book by the American Debbie Stoller which has done a huge amount to ignite the current enthusiasm for knitting and spawned thousands of 'Stitch ‘n Bitch’ (or sometimes known as Knit ‘n Natter groups in staid ol’ England) knitting groups around the world. The title of the book could easily have been changed to ‘The Bad Girl’s Guide to Knitting’ as it has done soooo much to help knitting shed its fuddy duddy image and bring it into the 21st century.

The organisers (that's me and my five fellow stitch n bitchers folks - Hi Mary, Kathryn, Jill, Ruth and Chris!) are looking for any and all knitted items to exhibit – so if you have anything you have knitted and would be proud to show others – be it socks, scarves, cardigans, shawls or cuddly toys please let us know as soon as possible. I am also looking for antique knitted items e.g. that beautiful christening shawl that grandma made that might be lurking in your cupboard. Please let us display it for the afternoon to inspire future knitters and we promise to take great care of it before returning it to you promptly. Although the emphasis will be on knitted items, crocheted items will also be considered.

Alison Murray is very kindly letting us have some knitted items from the famous Gingerbread House which has been on display at Atlantic Village Shopping Mall, Bideford and Westpoint Centre, Exeter over the last few months This fantastic House has been raising money for Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital and North Devon Children’s Hospice and is well worth seeing. It caused quite a broohaa recently when the local Fire Officers managed (after considerable effort) to set alight some of the trim on the house and declared it a fire hazard and it had to be taken down from the Shopping Mall - but it's since been sprayed with fire retardant a second time and will probably rot over the next few years as a result. I met Ann, Alison's mum, at the last Westpoint Stitching Exhibition, and she kindly donated a gingerbread man and a gingerbread recipe book as a raffle prize for our gig. EVERYTHING in this picture is knitted - amazing isn't it?

Besides the Exhibition of knitted garments and various Knit-Knacks, there will be a ‘Stitch ‘N Bitch’ Café with tea and cakes. (Organised by the non knitting Tea Squad - Thanks Cath!). There will be yarn and needles (scrounged from local Charity Shops - thanks for the wetwipes tipYvonne - and yarn from WyeSue's stash - thanks WyeSue) available for everyone to have a go at knitting and the much easier ‘finger knitting’ in the café. Joyce, proprietor of Spin-a-Yarn, our very own Local Yarn Store in Bovey Tracey, will have a stall with all sorts of luscious yarn goodies and bargains on offer. Local artist Sara Roberts will be hosting a workshop on felting and Norwegian knitter and designer Anniken Allis will be travelling up from Cornwall especially to run a workshop on sock knitting (numbers limited for both these workshops with an extra small fee to cover cost of materials – sign up on the day). Chris will be showing us how to dye with Koolaid and Mary and friends will be doing spinning demonstrations. All ages and abilities are welcome, - do come along and have a go, or help others to cast on if you are already skilled.
£1 entrance fee, with all proceeds going to the South Devon Women’s Aid.

For more information or if you have knitted items you are willing to exhibit, or EVEN can donate something for the raffle, contact Terri on 01647 277570