Three Bags Full

I can't believe it's April already. Where has the year gone? Feels like I was just looking forward to the year ahead and now a quarter of it is gone already. It may be because it's been an incredibly busy year for me so far. I hit the ground running in January with 5 design deadlines for the Artesano Definition 1 Collection.  I then went on to do more work for magazines, including a few new ones which I can't talk about yet, plus several yarn companies. All in all I've completed 20 new designs so far this year. I haven't done all that knitting myself. I've got 5 brilliant sample knitters helping me but I have written all those patterns, actually I haven't yet. Because of last week's illness I'm behind and I've got 7 of those patterns still to write (need to be done this week).

I got struck down with a very severe chesty cough and cold virus last week and ended up spending 3 days in bed and a few days where I tried to do a few things but actually got very little done. I'm still battling this virus but I'm a lot better. My voice is coming back, I'm not blowing my nose and coughing non-stop and I'm feeling a lot fitter. But it did mean I had to cancel a workshop last week, which I hate doing and this is only the second time I've had to cancel a workshop because of illness and i hope it'll be the last time.

Enough about my illness. I want to tell you about an exciting event in my home town happening in April.

Apart from the weekly knitting group, Liskeard Knit & Knatter, which I attend I do very little knitting related  in my own town. But there is a very active craft community in Liskeard. We also live in an area which is surrounded by fields full of sheep. On the nearby Bodmin Moor there's more sheep and there's even a wool sorting place just outside Liskeard and I've seen the Wool Marketing Board lorries drive through the town on a number of occasions. So the Liskeard Town Team decided it was time to do something to celebrate and promote the link between the town and wool. 

So for two weeks in April they're putting on the 'Three Bags Full Event'. The centre of the event is 2 weeks of workshops on various wool related topics. I'm teaching a half day version of my Easy Lace class at a big craft shop in town, Painters. The programme for the workshops is here and there's a variety of wolly topics on offer including knitting, crocheting, felting, weaving and carpet making plus much more. Some are even free. The workshops are aimed at various levels and kids and adults. 

My Easy Lace class is on 16 April. Booking is made through Stuart House and all the details can be found here. Booking info is in the paragraph at the top of the page. You'll learn all the basics you need to knit lace including yarn overs/yarn forward, various decreases, how to read charts and how to add beads to your knitting.

There's also a Woolly Market in the Public Hall on Friday 12 April from 4pm to 8pm. I'll be having a stall there and I've heard rumours of some great companies attending but haven't seen the final list yet.

So if you're in Cornwall, or South Devon, this April, do come to Liskeard for this great event.

Fancy a full day Easy Lace workshop instead? I'm teaching Easy Lace at Social Fabric in Totnes on 21 May from 10am to 4pm. Contact Social Fabric to book.

In my next blog post, I'll be telling you more about my soon to be launched Montana shawlette. It's made from yarn from bison!