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. 

Christmas Open House

painting by Pamela Slater

Our Open Studio at the beginning of November went well with lots of new visitors. We had the usual disgusting weather on the Saturday, leaving the car park opposite a sea of mud, but plenty of people braved the elements and tea, coffee and cream teas were readily consumed.

kilims for sale

the gallery at La Verderie

On the Sunday in a moment of madness I decided to do Sunday Roast in two sittings, so we fed 8 at lunch time and 17 in the evening, in between making tea and coffee and keeping an eye on the gallery!

Sunday roast

Next Open Studio dates - Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th April, see details here
The gallery at La Verderie is now a greenhouse for the winter.
The following weekend we were at Le Logis de la Courade for a Christmas market. Culli and I had the use of a huge barn for our 'art gallery' which was fantastic.

the gallery at le logis de la Courade

There were some lovely stalls selling homemade cakes, chutneys, honey, Christmas decs, soaps, cards, brocante and clothing, plus a pamper session offering Indian head massage - a great day out. I possibly spent more than I took as I ended up buying three gorgeous Christmas baubles ranging in size from large to enormous.

Christmas baubles

Hoping to persuade Vicki to organise another event next year.

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.

knitting and crochet workshop in France

This week has absolutely flown by, we are on the last evening of the workshop and everyone seems really happy with what they have achieved.

The studio after a week of crochet

Yesterday was another hot and sunny day, we spent the whole day in the garden and studio working on how to attach crochet to a piece of knitted fabric, then everyone started on their own projects. Veronica is working on a lovely pair of lacy knit fingerless mittens with crochet welt, button fastening and crochet trim, Jacqui made a very pink crochet flower hair slide for her grand-daughter and has started on a super chunky even more pink version of a lace mat which looks amazing, Sue is knitting an envelope clutch bag with a double layer crochet trim, Purl is making a knitted scarf with a picot fan trim, Carol has (inbetween teaching everyone the finer points of crochet) made me a beautiful flower cosy for the coffee pot and I have actually managed to finish a necklace and a jug cover!

 

 

As a group they have all achieved a huge amount this week, varying skill levels proved to be no problem and Carol has provided endless amounts of enthusiasm and inspiration.
Last night it was warm enough to eat supper of chicken tagine and golden croissant pudding in the garden and sit out there until long after dark.
Today has been very hot and humid. Eeryone is now so obsessed with crochet that they were happy to spend the day in the studio working on their projects, until early evening when Culli took Sue, Jacqui, Purl and Veronica to Chantageasse (our Friday night in the pub session), whilst Carol and I stayed here and watched a thunder storm circling around us. The others returned from the bar sounding very merry and we had the final supper of pasta with creamy tomato and prawn sauce, followed by tarte tatin, then an evening of conversation and wine enjoying the cooler air.
Tomorrow a trip to La Rochelle before dropping everyone off at the airport.

Knitting and Crochet holiday in France with tutor Jane Crowfoot

Due to a cancellation we have one space available in a single room or two spaces available in a twin room. Join knitting and crochet guru Jane Crowfoot for this wonderful blend of workshops and relaxation from 9th - 15th June 2013 in the sunny Charente-Maritime department of France.
For further details of the workshop visit the knitting holidays in france website here, or email sueculligan@gmail.com

Jane and Debbie Abrahams have just produced a fantastic new book called Kaleidoscope (available to order from Monday 15th April here). The book has a selection of 24 knit and crochet projects for the home.