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Showing posts with label Abrahams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abrahams. Show all posts

Friday, 27 October 2017

Last day of the festive bunting workshop


We are at the end of the Festive bunting workshop and the end of the year for the workshops and retreats at Knitting holidays in France.


It has been another fantastic week, with glorious sunshine most of the week, another bunch of lovely ladies, lots of knitting and plenty of retail therapy.

blocking
Yesterday was a full day workshop and with an extra two day girls Debbie had a busy day. Katherine and Elisabeth are very close to finishing their projects, but time is running out........

Today was the final workshop in the morning followed by an afternoon out in Cognac.

shopping in Promod
Most of us managed to buy a few things in Promod, Casa and Tissu Bonnet and the Christmas issue of Marie Claire Idee, followed by drinks and waffles in the square.




Seth enjoying a waffle
It has been a fantastic week to finish off an amazing year, we are looking forward to the first retreat in April 2018, (spaces still available), but before that a couple of months of R&R.

Debbie clearing up her toys


Tuesday, 24 October 2017

Debbie Abrahams Festive Bunting workshop

And we are off again on the final holiday for 2017 at Knitting holidays in France
Debbie arrived on Sunday full of her usual enthusiasm and energy. She has designed a fabulous kit for the workshop project, incorporating fairisle and beading.




Monday was a full day workshop - so Debbie started off everyone on the beading. Then on Tuesday morning they started on the first fairisle  pattern. After lunch we are all going to Saintes for shopping!


Tuesday, 1 November 2016

Knitting and crochet holidays in France - 2017 dates

We have some new dates for 2017 with spaces still available (see below).



Knitting and crochet retreat - 5 spaces available
Sunday 30th April - Friday 5th May 2017

Knitting and crochet retreat - just one space left
Saturday 27th May to Thursday 1st June 2017

Knitting and crochet workshop with tutor Carol Meldrum
Saturday 9th - Saturday 16th September 2017 - 5 spaces available

Knitting and crochet retreat - 5 spaces available
Sunday 24th - Friday 29th September 2017

Knitting and crochet workshop with tutor Debbie Abrahams 
Sunday 22nd - Saturday 28th October 2017 - 5 spaces available

Knitting and crochet retreat - 5 spaces available
Sunday 5th - Friday 10th November 2017


Thursday, 8 May 2014

Mystery Blanket workshop - days 3 & 4





Yesterday morning we went to Cognac, first stop was Tissus Bonnet the lovely fabric and yarn shop for fabric remnants printed with colourful macaroons and cupcakes, gorgeous ribbons and trimmings and yarn with pompoms.
Fabric remnants and ribbon from Tissus Bonnet


We had a coffee in the square, then wandered back through the town via some of the clothes shops to the indoor market and home for lunch.

 a hoopoe in the garden at La Nougerée
In the afternoon workshop Debbie went through horizontal and vertical mattress stitch and swiss darning, the main bug bear on the Mystery Blanket still seems to be thistles!


Supper was fresh asparagus wrapped in parma ham for starters, followed by fish pie and then peaches cooked in Pineau and brown sugar. Another evening of laughter and knitting in front of the fire.

Brizambourg brocante
Today is a public holiday in France, so although the shops were shut we still managed to spend some money at the little brocante in Brizambourg.

There were more stalls than usual, but the best one by far had heaps of old cotton and linen sheets, pillowcases, crochet and lace.



There was a shopping frenzy with Annabel, Felicity, Debbie and me grabbing pieces of fabric and lace, all amazingly cheap. Usually at the brocantes you pay a fortune for the old fabrics but it was our lucky day! We all came away with bags of goodies, they now have the problem of getting it all home!

After lunch of salads and cheese everyone moved into the garden to enjoy the sunshine.

Tuesday, 6 May 2014

2014 Mystery Blanket workshop in France - day 1

The mystery blanket workshop with tutor Debbie Abrahams started on Sunday. The sun was shining as I picked up Pat, Shelley and Debbie from Bordeaux airport, we arrived home just as the other 9 guests arrived. All are repeat visitors except for Pat and Tracy, so after noisy greetings everyone settled in the garden for apero’s before supper.
drinks in the garden at La Nougerée
It was another sunny day on Monday morning, so to break everyone in gently with a little retail therapy we went into Saintes for the monthly market. 











The colourful market stalls stretch the full length of the main street in Saintes either side of the river Charente and sell everything from kitchen stuff to to buttons, fabric and clothing. We lost Debbie in Maison du Monde while we went for a coffee, everyone seemed to go home with a few purchases.
After lunch of courgette and feta cheese tart and salads, everyone settled in the garden for the first workshop. Debbie has brought along two little projects using intarsia and beading for Shelley and Pat who are the only two that aren’t members of the Mystery Blanket Club, the rest of the group are concentrating on their blanket squares and go through any problems with Debbie.



The afternoon seems to fly by and the temperature soars to 28c, so everyone has a healthy glow by the evening. After supper of pear, Roquefort and walnut salad, Mediterranean pasta bake and caramel meringues with strawberries we collapse in the large sitting room at La Nougeree with our knitting for a couple of hours of lively chatter. 

Sunday, 15 September 2013

Final day of the Kaleidoscope workshop

It is the final day of the Kaleidoscope workshop, based on designs from the book by tutors Debbie Abrahams and Jane Crowfoot. 

The weather is definitely starting to change, but the needles and hooks are clicking fast to try and finish projects.
After lunch we have a show and tell, the work that everyone has produced is fantastic, some gorgeous colour selections and lots of guests going out of their normal comfort zones, experimenting with design ideas, colour choice and new techniques in knitting and crochet.

Felicity –  a selection of knitted squares in bright shades inspired by the patterns in Kaleidoscope to make a cushion cover

Mary – used yarn and beads from left over from the Mystery Cushion to inspire her
combination of knitting and crochet to make a cushion cover

Fran – chose to make 'Crackle' a circular cushion crochet project out of the Kaleidoscope book

Amanda – 'Dazzle' zig-zag cushion cover from the Kaleidoscope book. After a traumatic start with the beads she nearly caught up again just 24 hours later.

Katherine – chose to knit 9 squares from the project notes in sampler form using just four shades, pink purple, green and blue

Elizabeth – brought some favourite colours and beads to make Jane’s fairisle i-pad cover

Sonia – inspired by a knitting workshop she had been to with Lisa Auerbach has knitted a series of squares using a wonderful combination of colours and design. 


Laraine – worked on a knitted piece in lovely subtle shades and learnt to crochet

Astrid – has been working on a design idea for a jacket for her son with crochet front and knitted back using a selection of gorgeous soft shades in a Shetland yarn that I found for her in my stash. 

Katrin –  has put together this colourful crochet cover with square patches on the front and beaded 'BeBop' back.


Toril – has worked the crochet borders for her knitted scarf and nearly completed a beaded hat design from Debbie's Bead Club.

Mandy and Eleanor had to leave a day early and Lorraine could not make it on the final day, so we were missing three from the show and tell, but I think all three of them gained a huge amount from the workshop. 

It has been another great week with lots of laughs.


Saturday morning was an early start for some, Culli took Mary off to La Rochelle at 6 am, then came back to collect Fran and Katrin. However, on the way to Angouleme the poor old Volvo glided to a terminal halt, fortunately our knight in shining armour (Kevin Garraway step forward!) came to the rescue and managed to get Fran to the station with a few minutes to spare.
My trips to Bordeaux and Angouleme went smoothly, then a shopping trip in La Rochelle with Elizabeth and Amanda before taking them up to the airport. Sadly it was tipping down with rain, so we only touched the edge of some of the lovely shops in La Rochelle, however, Amanda did succumb to a lovely Desigual handbag……..

Looking forward to seeing everyone back here next year.