Textured Sampler Blanket KAL

Hi Fellow Knitters,

Last month the lock-down was easing, but now here we are in a deteriorating situation with Covid 19. I am glad to have a new project in mind for the foreseeable future.

Ferg and I have been producing a KAL (Knit-A-Long) version of The Epping Textured Sampler Knee-rug. We are calling it The Textured Sampler Blanket. The point of difference with this blanket pattern, and others, is the way I make stitches with different gauges/tension fit together to make flat square blocks. The Textured Sampler Blanket has a separate pattern and and a video tutorial for each block. The tutorials are all about how to unite the stitches to make each block. This involves me videoing each stage of each block as I knit it, explaining some of the reasoning for the maths behind the blocks and giving tips and pointers as I knit. Ferg then processes the dozens of my short takes into a logical, educational tutorial for each block.  The tutorials are free but there is a small charge for the downloadable pattern for each block. Each stitch has its own separate free tutorial and free downloadable pattern. We plan to release a new block each week. By having all this online we are hoping to reach knitting communities outside Australia.

Now to the new project I mentioned. I had not re-knitted The Epping Textured Sampler Knee-rug  since I designed it in 2014. Now I have become so enthused with knitting textured stitches again, that I am going to create more blocks to add to the original blanket. The new blocks will be released as add-ons to the KAL Textured Sampler Blanket. I did say in the original pattern book that the project re-invigorated my knitting gene. Well my knitting gene is now on-fire again.

New additions to our website are two more Showcase Blogs. Showcase 2 is all about Stripes and Showcase 3 features various versions of the Epping Rug showing how each knitter put her own spin on my design.

Ferg has now added another eleven Knitting Stitch Patterns to our website making a total of 22 along with the Knitting Stitch Tutorials for each stitch - all free.

We have missed meeting and chatting with knitters at real craft shows this year. We had booked in for The Australian Sheep and Wool Show at Bendigo, the Kim Jones Craft Show in Adelaide, Handmade in Canberra, The Bus Depot Markets Canberra Wool Expo, as well as the CraftAlive Shows in Newcastle, Ballarat and Mt Gambier. These were all cancelled. FibreFest at Singleton, which is put on by the Knittier's Guild NSW has also been cancelled. Fingers crossed for 2021.

We have participated in some virtual Craft shows this year. The next one is The Great Australian Craft Show from Thursday  6th to Sunday 9th August, 2020. For the duration of this show we have 10% discount for all orders over $20.

The ZOOM meetings I began in June faded, so I stopped the Monday evening one altogether but planned to keep the Wednesday morning one on a monthly basis. It will be at 10.30 am on the second Wednesday of each month beginning 12th August, 2020. Join in and enjoy some knitting therapy.

 Here are photos of a Twiddle Muff I knitted for a friend.

I do enjoy creative knitting.