Hello Lavenham!

Well, it's been ages since I've blogged, but life has been so hectic recently!  The day after the end of term we went off camping in Cornwall for 10 days or so, came home and then less than 2 days later moved home and business from Harrow to the gorgeous village of Lavenham in Suffolk.

The fun doesn't stop there, as the house we have bought has a shop attached, which is being turned into Cafe Knit!  There is a lot of work to do, but we have already demolished two internal walls, so we can now begin in earnest with the shop refitting.

Here is the shop as it stands today......

The shop front is lovely, and I had a meeting with my signwriter today, which is all very exciting.  It's beyond my wildest dreams to take the logo my sister in law designed for the website three years ago, to a 'real' shop front!!!.  And the shop space itself is much bigger than I remembered, especially now we have taken down two partition walls.  Hopefully plenty of space for a spacious cafe and enough room to display all our scrummy yarns.....

I do hope if you are visiting, or live in Suffolk, you will stop by when we are open.  As well as a bite to eat and drink and browsing through all the fab things we have to offer, we will be running various classes too.

Cast on....and cast away stress

My sister kindly posted me an article by Sarah Stacey taken from 'You' Magazine (which comes with the Mail on Sunday) 15th May edition, entitled 'Cast on .....and cast away stress'

It confirms what we knitters have always known: knitting is a form of meditation, therapeutic, and a way to forget all about the problems of the day.

But it also mentioned the calming effects it can have for women with anorexia, the help it gives them in clearing their minds of eating disorder preoccupations.  It shouldn't surprise me, but I guess I had just never thought about it in that context.  It's a subject close to my heart as my 21 year old niece has an eating disorder, and our family is desperately worried about her.  I am going to speak to my sister and pack up a knitting parcel straight away!

Sweater Stone

We have just discovered this fantastic new product for removing all the pilling and bobbles from your handknits!

Sweater Stone is a natural pumice which has the unique ability to remove pilling from knits with each sharp edge of a broken cell. It actually cuts the filament that holds the pill to the garment while the cell breaks off, removing pilling and restoring the nap on fabrics.


Sweater Stone is made in the USA in sheltered workshops for the disabled and costs just £7.80

Vintage Mother of Pearl Buttons

I've always been a big fan of buttons, I can remember many a happy hour spent during the summer holidays sorting through my mother's button tin.  (my 2 year old god-daughter is currently sorting through my button tin as I type!) So imagine my delight when I took delivery of the first of many batches of these gorgeous vintage mother of pearl buttons. Although they date back from the 1960's, these buttons are only just seeing the light of day. They were originally from a button factory in Yorkshire, but the button holes were never drilled - in fact they are being hand drilled for me now.

The pictures just can't convey the fabulous colours and quality of these buttons - they are around 2mm thick and the colours are so rich, they would be a lovely finishing touch to any knitted garment, and we will have many more colours and shapes coming soon.

Clover Soft Touch Crochet Hooks

Happy New Year!  Oh my it's been so long!  The Christmas period was so busy I have had no time to stop and reflect.  And 2011 is proving just as hectic!


One of my New Year resolutions is to provide more and better products for crocheters, and to that end we have introduced Clover Soft Touch crochet hooks at www.cafeknit.com. 

Clover Soft Touch steel crochet hooks allow you to enjoy easy and ergonomic crocheting.


The light, easy to hold handle feels flexible in your fingers. Made out of stylish tortoise-shell looking material with large size numbers printed on the handle (both US and UK) making it easy to select the correct size.


Many people with arthritic hands find Clover Soft Touch crochet hooks very comfortable to use.
 
And now I just have to remember all the other new products I have introduced over the festive period!!

Tape Measures

These cute tape measures printed with the Cafe Knit logo have arrived just in time for Christmas.

Measuring 5cm in diameter, with a black button to retract the tape, the tape measure is printed with centimetres on one side, and inches on the other and measures 150cm or 60 inches.  At just £1.50 each they are a perfect price and size for your notions case!

Dom's Pumpkin Hat

 I couldn't resist!  Dom has been pointing at pictures of hats and his head, and the poor thing doesn't possess a hat that fits him, and I thought since Halloween was approaching.....!!  Of course now i have finished it he is not interested in wearing it!!

This supercute cute pumpkin hat knitted up in 2 evenings using Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran (shade 33 pumpkin) and Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran (Shade 09 Green).

The pattern is available for free here:

http://randomstitches.wordpress.com/2008/01/11/hello-world/

It is called the 'Baby Berry Hat' and is designed by Michele Sabatier .  You can make it as a tomato/strawberry in red, a raspberry...the possibilities are endless.  I'll certainly be making some more!