Friday 23 November 2012

Knitterati Night


Woolly Jumper Wonder


It was cold and dark. Wind howling, rain lashing against the window panes. The kind of night you dread going out into. I tell you, couch + woolly socks + hot water bottle have never seemed more appealing.  


Photo by Magda Rakita/Save the Children

Photo by Magda Rakita/Save the Children


I took courage from the fact that I was leaving some of life's subtler pleasures behind for a good cause – and I'm so glad I did because it turned out to be a great night!

It was a special knitting event hosted by Save the Children at the Living & Giving Shop in Primrose Hill, starring none other than the yarn legend Debbie Bliss, who despite the lofty heights of knit guru status is still proud to call herself a Walthamstow lass! You rock Debs: 


Debbie concealing a broken wrist with an appropriately kitsch Christmas jumper.
Photo by Magda Rakita/Save the Children

The event was also attended by Trisha Malcolm, Editor in Chief of Vogue Knitting, plus a select few of us hardcore knitter bloggers armed with our 3.75mm needles: our task? To knit mini woolly jumpers to help promote Christmas Jumper Day on December 14th, which is a quirky campaign to raise money for underprivileged children around the world. The idea is to wear your goofiest, daggiest, naffest, most Colin Firth-esque festive jumper and donate £1 to take part. Genius!


As we arrived we were each given a glass of booze and a gift bag with three balls of luscious and festive Debbie Bliss yarn plus a pattern to follow.

Goodie bags! Photo by Magda Rakita/Save the Children

Reading the pattern. Photo by Magda Rakita/Save the Children


I was lucky enough to be sat at the food table with four lovely ladies: Rose, the owner of yarn-haven 'Nest' in Crouch End, whose dry wit kept us amused all night; her hilarious friend Karen, who detests 
weaving ends and whose accent is the poshest of any non-native speaker I've ever heard (she is Cuban-German!); Claire, a lovely textiles teacher with a flaming shock of beautiful red hair; and gorgeously demure Shoreditch Sister Jen, the unlikely advocate for vulva patchwork quilts against FGM. A motley bunch, yes. United through knitting! What could be better?


Photo by Magda Rakita/Save the Children


I'm new to the technique of Intarsia, which is knitting with multiple colours, so I'm thankful to have had Rose on hand to help me out.


Photo by Magda Rakita/Save the Children


But with a bit of practice (unravelling the whole thing and starting again) and determination I finally nailed that bloomin' snowflake. Sort of.





At this point I surrendered the needles because it was becoming increasingly hard to juggle them with wine, quiche and finger sarnies. The three hours went by in a blur which is alway a good sign for fun times.

Photo by Magda Rakita/Save the Children









































Big thanks to Kathleen from Save the Children for organising, to the celebs for dedicating their time to a good cause, to the shop staff for being so welcoming, friendly and accommodating, to Magda the cool 
photographer and to the rest of the Knitterati crew for their incredible skills and general awesomeness. 

Here are a few more pics from the event:



The high table. Photo by Magda Rakita/Save the Children

Becky, Mellissa and Helen. Photo by Magda Rakita/Save the Children

Concentrating! Photo by Magda Rakita/Save the Children

Jen. Photo by Magda Rakita/Save the Children

Rose. Photo by Magda Rakita/Save the Children

Claire. Photo by Magda Rakita/Save the Children

Tube Buddy Rachel. Photo by Magda Rakita/Save the Children

Karen. Photo by Magda Rakita/Save the Children

Cutie Becky gets a portrait with Debbie. Photo by Magda Rakita/Save the Children

Photo by Magda Rakita/Save the Children

Photo by Magda Rakita/Save the Children















8 comments:

  1. I'm back again to read your new post! What a great evening. Looks like fun and a great cause. Actually, I am adding to you to my blog 'love' as loving your style! x

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    Replies
    1. Hi again Lucy! You're right, it was a really good evening and I'm happy to have been involved. Now you'll know what's going on when you see everyone strutting around in geeky festive knitwear on the 14th!

      Yes, please come and visit again, glad you like the blog :o)

      Have a great weekend!

      Leanne xx

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  2. Lovely to meet you, Leanne! How are you getting on with the little jumpers? I tried knitting on the train on the way home, but it was way too busy and I was in danger of causing injuries with my needles! Helen x

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  3. Lovely to meet you Helen!!!

    Hope you found your way to your Sis without too many weird DLR complications :o) My wee jumper looks much the same as it did on Thursday night! That intarsia snowflake must have caused me more trauma than I realised, am building up the courage to have another stab at it! (Not literal stabbing like you though, scary knitting train lady!!!)

    Thanks for your message! Stay in touch and enjoy the rest of the weekend, Leanne xx

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  4. Hi Leanne, It was lovely to meet you at the Knitterati evening, love your post on the event. got to do mine tomorrow. I'm new to intarsia too, so will be having a go at it too, with perhaps a few on you tube. keep in touch Mellissa xx

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    Replies
    1. Hey Mellissa, great to meet you too! Good luck with the intarsia, I'm working on something lacey right now so it's less switch-n-twist, more yo sk2po at the moment!!! Take care and thanks for your message, Leanne xx

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  5. Was so lovely to meet you! Haha never been described as 'gorgeously demure' in my life so thank you! Have finally put up my post on the Shoreditch Sisters' blog too

    Jen xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Jen! Thanks for your message ;o) Cool, will check out your post now... Have a great day, it's not raining - hurrah! Leanne xx

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