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Showing posts with label kaleidoscope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kaleidoscope. Show all posts

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.

Friday, 13 September 2013

Kaleidoscope workshop days 3 and 4

The week seems to have flown by!
On Wednesday morning we went to St Jean d'Angely for a wander around the market and a coffee in the sunshine then back to knitting and crochet in the garden and a swim for some.
After the workshop on Thursday morning it was a trip to Saintes for some more retail therapy in the fabric shop, shoe shops and Maison du Monde.
Everyone's projects are growing fast, but disaster struck for poor Amanda who realised that she had transposed a row of beads and had to undo her work nearly back to the beginning......




















Wednesday, 11 September 2013

Kaleidoscope knitting and crochet workshop 2013

The second day of the workshop went well, all the group are well into their projects and spent the morning working on them. After lunch we went to La Verderie for tea and time for everyone to have a mooch through my dwindling yarn stock and see the current exhibition in the gallery. Then we went round the corner to Egreteau our local Cognac producer for a tour of the distillery and a tasting session of Pineau and Cognac. Pappy the owner is constantly amazed at how Culli manages to appear with all these different women every few weeks!

Andy doing the prewash!

the hardier ones of the group have braved the pool

one of next door's beautiful chickens

tea at La Verderie

Egreteau distillery





Toril with her purchases, modelling the skirt she made on the workshop last year


pork tagine for supper

Monday, 9 September 2013

Kaleidoscope knitting and crochet workshop in France

The September workshop has got off to a good start with 13 residential guests and one day girl.
We had a frantic day yesterday picking everyone up from La Rochelle, Bordeaux and Angouleme, after a late supper and lots of excited chatter catching up on all the news we all staggered off to bed, but everyone was up and keen to start this morning. Toril went for a 10k run and a swim before breakfast and Katrin managed a 5k walk.
Everyone has an option to do knitting or crochet or a combination of the two, based on a cushion project but there are many variations on the theme. Jane and Debbie have brought along some beautiful samples to inspire everyone, along with some copies of Kaleidoscope, a gorgeous selection of yarn and beads and some fab buttons.
Astrid has chosen to make a crochet jacket using lovely soft colours in Felted Tweed, Toril is making a scarf using crochet and knit, (they both come from Norway and say that cushions don't keep you warm!), others are still working on swatches and choosing colours. The weather has not been brilliant but looks like it is improving through the week and had cleared enough by the evening for drinks on the terrace and a clear starry night.

www.knittingholidaysinfrance.com