Your Best Christmas Pullover

I have now fully come to terms with the 'Christmas starts in October ' ethos of being a retailer and in fact if you want your very own perfect Christmas jumper then Christmas may start much earlier.

Maxine has already finished hers and has smugly installed it in the shop, as featured in the last post.

 I think she is taunting me as she is fully aware that I cast on the Rowan Christmas Slipover this January, yes JANUARY!!!

So now I am on a massive mission to finish mine. It doesn't even have sleeves but I am sweating over this project. It is knitted in Rowan Felted Tweed and I have chosen more subtle colours (celadon and cinnamon)  which I am not so sure was a great idea. I love the colours but the reindeer are less distinct.

Meanwhile we have several other desirable Christmas knits in the window:

These are all King Cole patterns.
Aren't the jumpers for bottles a great idea? All patterns are available in the shop and there is still time to knit them before Christmas.

CHILLY DAYS

All of sudden it has turned colder and I have started to wear this Rowan Pure Wool Aran Cardigan

It is 'Dwell' by Martin Storey which is in the new book called Pioneer. It is a lovely warm cardigan, I think the model in the book shows it off better than I do:

It is hard o buckle down to filing and paperwork when there is new stock and this week has been a very distracting week. We now have Smoulder, a new Kim Hargreaves book which is full of classic designs and another angora cardigan.

My mild obsession with this Angora Haze has led me to want to drape it around my face and I suddenly thought that I knew the perfect design,








This is 'Miss Laverty's Motoring Hood' from Vintage Gifts to Knit by Susan Crawford. How can anyone resist a knit with such a fantastic name. I love this book and have many projects queued up in my wish list of future knits.










Maxine has already made The Perfect Christmas Jumper:














 which is part of our Christmas jumper display but more of that next time....

Open All Hours?

I wanted to show you some of the lovely things we have in the shop just now, it is an exciting time when Autumn is round the corner and a new season of irressitible projects arrives.

We have a beautiful wrap shawl in baby alpaca:

This is the gorgeous Sublime Colour Block Tote, made in the Sublime Luxurious Aran Tweed:

and Rita, a divine 4ply cardigan in Rowan Angora Haze:

We have lovely new colours in the Shilasdair 4ply:

and more Jilly Bean:

We have so much exciting new stock that we have decided to extend our opening hours and from this week will be open on Mondays too. So no more disappointment for eager customers who climb the hill on a Monday, we will be here drooling over our winter projects.

Fresh Look and BIG SALE

While you have all been enjoying the summer, we have been busy giving the shop a bit of a facelift.

The maroon paintwork we inherited has gone and is now a lovely shade of green. 

The sign is now an appropriate shade of orange

We have also had a lick of paint inside

 and check out the amazing crocheted lampshade, one of maxines creations of course.

To celebrate our 'new look' we are having a MASSIVE end of season clearance sale on Sunday 1st September. This is to coincide with the Frome Supermarket. If you have never been to this it is well worth a visit with lots of independent traders and interesting stalls.

We will have lots of yarns reduced up to half price, lots of bargains!!!

COOPKNITS SOCKS live at Marmalade Yarns.

Rachel Coopey will be at Marmalade Yarns

Thursday 18th July

6.30pm - 8.30pm

As you know sock knitting is a bit obsessional.

There is nothing better than casting on an exciting new sock pattern, other than grafting the second toe and slipping on the finished pair....

Rachel has just published her first book which is a must have for any sock knitter:

'Coop Knits Socks is the first printed collection of Rachel's original sock designs. These well-written patterns are accompanied by exquisite photography by Jesse Wilde, as well as step-by-step tutorials for techniques such as Kitchener Stitch and Afterthought Heels.

Many of the clearly written patterns use a variety of skills, including cabling, grafting, lace and twisted stitches and provide a great opportunity to try out new stitch patterns.

Each design is beautifully balanced and well thought-out, giving both experienced and novice knitters the chance to create socks that are beautiful and wearable, while being enormously enjoyable to knit.'

The recent variety of exciting sock yarns available is a constant temptation (as my personal stash is proof) and only adds to the whole joy of being a sock addict.

So if you too are afflicted by the sock knitting bug then you will be very excited by the news  that Rachel Coopey will be at Marmalade Yarns on Thursday 18th July.

There will be drinks and nibbles and sock adoration.

Rachel will be able to answer an sock questions and sign some books.

Please come along and bring any socks you are knitting or are particularly proud of.

See you there.

The Colourful Flock

If you needed another reason to visit Catherine Hill then let me show you a fabulous new shop. 

Mary Kilvert has brought the most delightful flock of sheep to the top of the hill.

To celebrate her launch day Rollo, a handsome, people loving sheep came to visit.

 When you venture inside the colourful flock is there to greet you.

 I couldn't resist and now eat my morning toast from a sheep plate.

 Mary is the perfect addition to the hill.

The Hap

Well, it didn't take very long and I thoroughly enjoyed knitting it:

 Kate Davies' Northmavine Hap

I have changed the colour way a bit as I wanted cream but still wanted an overall blue effect. 

I have reluctantly left it in the shop on display but really want to take it home and wear it all the time.

For all the information it is on my ravelry page here

Rosie is also making this in another colour way so I look forward to sharing that with you too.