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This Week in Knitting News: Poppies, A Knitting Statue and Stephen West

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gansey girl statueWith Veteran’s Day/Remembrance Day happening this week, poppies are popping up everywhere. Check out my roundup of poppy knitting patterns if you’d like to make some of your own, and don’t miss this story about a British woman who knit 1,000 poppies for the Royal British Legion to sell during its Poppy Appeal, which raises money to support servicemen and women, veterans and their families. In case you’re wondering, it took her nine months and 30 balls of yarn, and each poppy took about 30 minutes to knit. Amazing.

Looking for more knitting patterns for Poppies? Check these out on Etsy.

Knitting is a big part of the heritage of fishing communities in Britain and elsewhere (even though that story about every family having its own gansey pattern is a myth), and the town of Bridlington is celebrating that connection with a new stature. Gansey Girl, designed by Steve Carvill was unveiled recently. She’s sitting and knitting a gansey (though it’s difficult to see if she’s actually holding knitting needles). The statue also carries the names of some local fishing families.

On a lighter note, Stephen West recently started a mystery shawl knitalong, and to promote it he’s released a super fun video that will make you pretty happy to be a knitter. And may just make you want to knit a shawl. (If you can’t see it here, check it out on YouTube. You’ll be glad you did.)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwmfP0PNOLg]

[Photo via the Bridlington Free Press.]

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Comments

  1. Hilarious. And yes it does make me want to knit. I’m a new knitter; I started with Stephen West’s Penguono and then made another, and another. I’m knitting a ‘normal’ jumper now but it isn’t nearly as much fun.

Have you read?

Knit and Felt Some Tabi Style Slippers

The felted slipper craze that began last year doesn’t seem like it’s fading away. The Sailor Slippers, often striped knit and felted slippers made with super bulky yarn, because the project of the moment late last year (check out more knit slipper options in this post all about sailor slippers) and they’re still consistently popular with knitters.

Which makes sense because they are fun and fast to knit, and seeing them go from this giant thing to something that actually fits a foot feels a little magical. 

I have always loved felting (in fact my first book was about felting knitting) and it’s always fun for me to see people rediscover this technique. 

If you’ve knit enough plain slippers to fit all the feet you know, maybe it’s time to stitch up some tabi style slippers instead. 

Maymade Knits has designed these cute tabi ballerina slippers, made with bulky yarn and felted. They’re worked flat at first and then in rounds, and are available in 10 EU sizes (the Internet tells me add 31 to your American shoe size to get your EU size). The designer says the slippers are meant to have a close fit and you should choose a size a little smaller than your foot for the ideal fit. 

The pattern includes a video tutorial along with the written pattern. 

You can grab this pattern on Ravelry. The same designer has her own version of the striped felted slipper as well, called Sarah’s Striped Slippers. These are worked in super bulky yarn and have a contrasting foot and a striped body. These are knit flat and seamed and there are 7 size options available. Check that pattern out here if you’re looking for a more traditional slipper shape. They also look roomier so you can wear them with socks if you like. 

[Photo: Maymade Knits]