Christmas is coming

Jolie will be open from 10am to 10pm on Tuesday 25th November 

for late night shopping and Knit and Wine.

Remember, you'll be glad in December you shopped in November!

xxx

Friday's workshop

We had a  'knitting hospital' session at last Friday's workshop. Jane, Julie and Tracey bravely ventured in to the shop with a few crumpled bags of UFOs (Un-Finished Objects). 

Oops, spotted a JL plastic one there - we forgave Julie for that and got them going with rewinding some yarn to start afresh, and some sewing up techniques too.

We had a very relaxing afternoon. They all started a new project and all finished it too.

 

A fabulous fur collar knitted in Louisa Harding's Luzia and tied with a ribbon.

New colours and patterns for this faux furry yarn will be available next week at Jolie.

Apparently it's autumn

Bizarrely it's still as warm as a summer's day, yet it's the last day of October. Helen came in, in her beautiful lacy cardigan, knitted in Rowan's Panama. A recently finished summer project that she can wear straightaway as the weather is still perfect for it.

Hot off the press

Learn lino printing with Jane Smith, Friday 3rd October at Dot to Dot, Letchworth. 

Could be an opportunity to design and print your own Christmas card this year?

Check out Jane's work http://www.janeillustration.co.uk/

Knit and wine

Please join us for the first Knit and Wine after the summer break.

Tuesday 23rd September

7.30  - 10pm

at Jolie xx

Look North

North is Kim Hargreaves' new book for Autumn 2014. As ever it is a beautiful book with stunning photography and features 21 designs using Rowan yarns.

From the new softer than soft Brushed Fleece (above) to Kidsilk Haze and Fine Lace, using two strands knitted together - a favourite combination of Kim's (below).

And of course, Lima, which has to be our favourite aran yarn from Rowan. It is a blend of baby alpaca and merino and knits up beautifully. We absolutely love the new shade Paraguay - a rich blue black. Linda is currently knitting it up as the sweater below - can't wait to see it finished.

A la rentree

So September is here and our thoughts turn to Autumn and Winter knitting. We have two new yarns in stock at Jolie. Rowan's beautiful brushed fleece is a blend of extra fine merino and baby alpaca. It is so soft, with a marl effect and is super lightweight and quick to knit using 6mm needles. 

Debbie Bliss has launched Paloma Tweed this season. 

The pastel tweedy colours are really soft, like the yarn and we can't wait to get started.

And I'm back too! So sorry this blog has been a bit sparse of late. I have been suffering from computer problems which have been resolved for the time being. So here goes....

Blankety blank

Brrrh! It has become a chilly August. Two blankets have just been completed at Jolie. 

Julie made hers in Rowan Cocoon for a lovely snuggly wedding present.

 Dany's is in Rowan Cotton Glace. It was really intended as a picnic rug, so may have to wait for next year now. At least it will be ready when the time comes. 

Yard sale

We held a yard sale last year which was a rip roaring success.  So, back by popular demand, we are having another one on Saturday 19th July from 10am.

If you would like to book a stall please call us on 01438 861717.  Stalls are £5 each which we give to Marie Curie Cancer Care.  

All good fun, whether you're selling, buying or browsing. 

The graduate

Oops, possibly a little crochet overload? Linda made a fabulous crochet poncho using graduated colours from hot red through to pale salmon pink. Sue tried one too but something went horribly wrong with the tension and it ended up way too big. It fits as a skirt!! All is not lost though and we have helped Sue turn it into a beach dress....

Congratulations

and celebrations at Jolie for Helen, who got married to Duncan after being together for 19 years.

Any excuse..... we had wedding cake and champagne at Knit and Chat.

And confetti of course. 

Knit and wine

Tuesday 24th June

7.30 - 10pm

xxx

Knit and wine

Tuesday 3rd June

7.30 -10 pm

xxx

Knit and wine

will be held on Tuesday 29th April

7.30 - 10pm

Have a great Easter!

Happy bunnies

I wanted to try crocheting with some Debbie Bliss Eco Baby cotton - the pastel colours are so pretty. It is essentially a baby yarn, so we have displayed it in the shop in a vintage doll's pram purchased from a Belgium flea market a couple of years ago. It was crying out for a blanket......

This little blanket was a sweet, quick project and would work just as well bigger.....or smaller as a cushion. 

Tea for two

For Nick and Sara with love and a giant pompom!!

Knit and wine

Tuesday 25th March

7.30 - 10pm

Do join us :-))

Time out

Phil and I spent a lovely long weekend in the Lake District last week, catching up with good friends and family. We went by train - the journey from Lancaster to Green Road (nr Broughton in Furness) hugs the coast with beautiful views as the little one carriage train literally crosses the sea at some points. We travelled up on the west side of the country and came back down the on the east side, crossing Yorkshire from Carnforth to Leeds.

We stayed with my cousin Gaby in her lovely new house with views over the Duddon Estuary. The Duddon Valley was reputed to have been Wordsworth's favourite valley in the The Lakes. I found this picture by Amanda White who has done a whole host of lovely paper collages of writers' homes. This is Dove Cottage where Wordsworth lived.

Still in the north - we crossed Yorkshire on the way home, on a two carriage train this time. So here is Haworth House - home of the Bronte sisters. Take a look at Amanda's work which she sells on Etsy. http://www.etsy.com/people/AmandaAWhite

Amanda's work reminds me of Grandma Moses - a self taught naiive American painter, who started painting at the age of 70! I recently bought a second hand book about her and have been marvelling at her beautiful pictures. She was incredibly prolific and turned to painting after bad arthritis in her hands hampered her embroidery. She crammed a lot into the last 30 yrs of her life and lived until she was 101 (she died in 1961). 

A blissful life

Debbie Bliss has launched a beautiful new website, featuring her range of yarns, books and free patterns.

debbieblissonline.com

Let's hang out

Time for a new peg bag. My old blue plastic one blew away in a gale and got smashed. I chose the 'pegs' peg bag handmade by Ruth Kearns.

 

I always like to put the washing outside to dry if possible - there is nothing like the smell of fresh air in the laundry when you bring it in back indoors. The fabrics Ruth uses are really uplifting and make pegging out a bit more joyful (this one has mini irons on it). 

The pink fabric has little laundry symbols on it and rainclouds for the lining. 

Hand made peg bag by Ruth £14.95 @ Jolie. http://www.jolie-home.co.uk/mall/departmentpage.cfm/Jolie/_435861/1/Handmade-%26-Vintage

Knit and wine

Tuesday 25th February

7.30 - 10pm

Do join us xx

Baby love

I finished the baby dress in Rowan Merino Silk dk. I don't have a baby to knit for at the moment, but I like knitting little things - maybe one day I will.  I couldn't actually knit when my daughter Scarlett was born 23yrs ago now, but if I had been able to, I would have knitted her this.  Oh well another sample for the shop! Should I knit her something now she's grown up? Possibly, but Scarlett is such a good knitter herself she doesn't need me to. Hey, ho!

New in from Debbie Bliss, spring colours in Eco Baby. This a cotton yarn that knits to the same tension as Baby Cashmerino, so all the patterns for each yarn are interchangeable. 

Flowers in the rain

'Rain, rain go away, come again another day'. 

Brighten up your day with a basket of flowers. Poacher's basket above new in at Jolie. Perfect for storing magazines and knitting books of course. £14.95
http://www.jolie-home.co.uk/mall/productpage.cfm/Jolie/_POACHE001/479508/Poacher%27s-basket

Balcony basket (also £14.95) filled with cheery Cosmos.

Fantastic day......

Well, who knows who's going to drop by on a Wedsnesday afternoon for cream tea Knit and Chat at Jolie? For those old enough to remember - Nick Heyward from Haircut 100. He is working next door with Phil, on a new project and admitted that he is very partial to homemade scones. And he can crochet.......taught by his gran, so he is definitely allowed in!

Knit and wine

Back for more in 2014

Tuesday 28th January

7.30 - 10pm

at Jolie

Yarn alert

New in from Rowan, we have decided to stock Baby Merino Silk dk. It's a lovely soft yarn, specifically developed for babies and is machine washable. We think it is equally suitable for adult garments as the colour range is quite extensive and not just the traditional pastel baby palette. It is a beautiful yarn with a slight marl giving a lovely soft texture. 

The Rowan studio booklet, Folk, pictured above has 10 fabulous patterns to knit (and x 2 to download) using Baby Merino Silk dk, all of them from 0-3 months up to 5 yrs. There is a cosy grand dad cardigan, a lovely little cape and this cute dress in 'Strawberry' - the prettiest pinky red.

I decided to have a go at some fair isle and chose the dress to knit.