Purlesque, the Liverpool knitting group that released a naughty calendar last year, has a new project for you to help with. As part of the NICE Festival, Liverpool's celebration of Scandinavia and all things northern European), Purlesque are creating a knitted winter garden at the Bluecoat Centre. If you can knit a white square, knit or crochet a snowflake or make a white pom-pon, they'd love you to send it to them, or you can go to the Bluecoat Centre on the 28th or 29th November and take your yarncraft in person. They'll be asking people to try fingerknitting on the days, and of course you can make more snowflakes and squares while you're there.
It's hoped that the garden will stay up for a couple of weeks after it's been built, so if you're in Liverpool in the first fortnight in December, do drop by the Bluecoat Centre and take a look!
Friday November 20, 2009 Let it snow!
Seams to me
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| Miriam McDonald Simply Knitting's Production Editor |
Anyway, yes, they may be dull to most people, but they definitely have their place. My thinking was prompted by a knitted whimsy I was making from scratch for a swap, and I planned for it to have an egg-shaped body. Knitted in sock yarn, it appeared obvious that the sensible thing to do was to knit it in the round... only then it made stuffing a lot harder, as the item would have to be stuffed partway through the knitting. I gave in, ripped back my knitting, and started working back and forth on two needles.
Looking at some of the lovely winter-weight items we have coming in for Simply Knitting and The Knitter, seams are really useful on chunky garments. When a garment is especially heavy, the seams add firmness, helping it maintain its shape. (I'm thinking of my didn't-check-the-tension giant cotton cardi here!) If you've spent a lot of time and money knitting a coat, the last thing you want is for it to drag out of shape within a few wearings. It's true than on lightweight or delicate garments it can be quicker, easier and more logical to knit in the round, and socks with seams are far less popular than seamless ones, but I do think seams are required for some projects.
Seams can be boring to sew, I won't deny that, although I'm finding that with mattress stitch and grafting, I am learning to enjoy creating invisible seams that don't detract at all from the outside of the garment, enjoying the rhythm of the sewing and the coming together of the pieces.
How about you? Love seams or hate them?
Stitch and Bitch London – knitting blog review
Recording the adventures of a large and funky knitting group, the Stitch and Bitch London blog is great fun to visit – and might inspire you to take your own group further!
The group meets at different locations around London every week, giving them the chance to visit lots of pubs – or abandon the pub entirely when an exciting and unusual venue crops up.
Those of faint heart should look away now – readers with strong nerves (who don't mind broken needles!) click through to read about their Halloween meeting at the Hunterian Museum – the museum at the Royal College of Surgeons...
Read a great blog? Write a great blog? Tell us what it is and why you like it, and you might see it here next Friday.
