Earlsdon Festival 2012
The Earlsdon Festival 2012 officially started today. From now until 6th May, there are daily events such as hearing a talk from David Moorcroft, plenty of music, and a pamper evening. The event culminates on 7th May . Earlsdon Street will be closed off and there will be around 50 stalls in the street and all of the shops will be open. There will be events at Earlsdon School, the Methodist Church, Open Gardens and St Barbara’s Church Hall.
The Yarn Cafe will be having a stall on Earlsdon Street (outside Cards n Things)
I hope the weather is good! More details of all of the events are detailed on Facebook and on the website.
Hope to see you there!
Royal Mail Price Increases
Unfortunately, Royal Mail have put up their prices for postage as from 30 April, 2012. This means that the cost of a first class stamp for a letter sent within the UK rises from 46p to 60p. The price for a Second Class stamp for a standard letter will increase from 36p to 50p. The cost of a Large Letter stamp up to 100 grams will rise from 75p to 90p for First Class and from 58p to 69p for Second Class. (Other products, including packet also have increases in prices.) The postage costs for items ordered from The Yarn Cafe are calculated automatically and based on the size and weight of a package and apply prices from Royal Mail. Customers (in the UK) may want to consider having items delivered second class.
In view of the increases, we are offering a 10% discount on yarns ordered throughout May, Please use the code of “May2012″ on check out.
Up and Coming Events
We are going to be very busy over the next few months and will be attending a number of craft fayres and yarn events. Details of these are on the Events page of TheYarnCafeBlog and sumarised here:
15 April 2012 - Fillongley Craft Fayre
28 April 2012 – WI Goes Pop
7 May 2012 – Earlsdon Festival
27 May 2012 – Shipston On Stour Wool Fayre
14-15 July 2012 – Fibre East
March Newsletter
The March edition of The Yarn Cafe newsletter is now available and can be viewed here. It provides details of latest additions to the site including Ysolda Teague’s Saturday Treat book and accompanying colours of Fyberpates yarns, Great British Bear, Atomic Knitting Counting markers, Pegasus Lace yarn from Eden Cottage Yarns.
W.I. Goes Pop!
In conjunction with Theatre Absolute, Earlsdon W.I. will be opening a pop up shop in Theatre Absolute (old Fishy Moores) in Coventry City Centre on Saturday 28 April, 2012, from 10am to 4pm! The shop will be opening in the run up to Earlsdon Festival 2012. Further details are given in the poster and also on our Facebook Event page.
You will be able to learn a little about the W.I., enjoy a cake or two and get involved in various crafts. So far, the following organisations will be at the event:
Earlsdon WI – http://www.earlsdonwi.com
Bubblegum and Buttons – Facebook page
Made In Coventry: http://www.madeincoventryshop.co.uk/
Marjoriedoo: http://www.facebook.com/marjoriedoovintage
Miss Ellie’s Cakes, Jams and Preserves – Facebook page
Jennie Sandford: http://www.jenniesandford.com/
Theatre Absolute: http://www.theatreabsolute.co.uk/
The Yarn Cafe: http://www.theyarncafe.com
If you would like to help on the day or would like to sell craft related items, please contact Earlsdon W.I. at earlsdon.wi@gmail.com.
Review of Sirio Yarn from Filitaly-Lab
The April 2012 edition of “Knitting” magazine (page 18) contains a review of Sirio yarn from Filitaly-Lab, with a lovely knitted up sample. Details of the review are given below.
Pegasus Lace yarn features in Let’s Knit magazine
Eden Cottage Yarns (formerly Wild Fire Fibre) have produced some gorgeous Pegasus Lace yarn (consisting of 70% alpaca and 30% silk) in a range of 8 colours for us at The Yarn Cafe. These are featured in the April 2012 edition of “Let’s Knit” magazine (page 31).
Earlsdon Festival Fundraising Disco
We attended a disco with a difference on Saturday 10 March, 2012. The disco was to raise funds for the Earlsdon Festival which this year takes place in Earlsdon High Street and surrounding venues on Bank Holiday Monday – 7 May 2012. Funds are needed to put on the festival itself and ensure that the high street is closed. The festival is bigger and better than ever as a number of events take place in the week starting 30 April, with plenty of music including The Ripps and The Tones and Lieutenant Pigeon! There will also be talks (including one from David Moorcroft), quiz nights and film shows. Further details are available on the Facebook page and website.
The Yarn Cafe were asked to bring along some rather large needles (27mm in width and 700mm in length) and get the audience to do some Extreme Knitting. We had done a little sampler (which may end up as a cat rug!) and decided that more strands and more wool was needed.
The Yarn Cafe Stall with sample of Extreme Knitting
We were joined by Ellie’s Cakes, Jams and Preserves, who had created beautiful cup cakes and two fruit cakes with the Earlsdon Festival logo; and Tinderbox Toys and Trinkets, who ran a tucksop. The disco went well and raised more than £300 in all.
Extreme Knitting in action
Coventry Knitathon 2
Last year I was involved in the Coventry Knitathon to set a record to have the most people knitting for 20 minutes and raise money for Comic Relief. BBC Coventry and Warwickshire (in particular the Vic Minett show) are organising a Knitathon to raise money for the Myton Nurse appeal and set a new record. Further details are given on Facebook, but it takes place on Thursday 12th April at 5.45pm in Coventry Cathedral.
Please help to support this worthy cause.
Counting Stitches
It is a little ironic that as a Statistician, I can get different numbers of stitches whenever I count them . Many lace knitting projects require the need for hundreds of stitches and a pattern can be dependent upon having the correct number.
I wondered if there was some sort of stitch counter that existed, where numbers could be clipped on to a needle, so I approached Atomic Knitting. Emma has created this great kit of notions in a tin, which allow you to count a large number of stitches.
The notions consist of the following:
- counting marker of “10″ – 5 of these
- counting marker of “20″ – 5 of these
- counting marker of “50″ – 3 of these
- Atomic Knitting marker
- 6 halo rings in assorted colours
Each marker is made using a silver plated clasp and charm and fit up to size 6mm needles. We now have them in stock at The Yarn Cafe. May you never lose count again!
