Knitting and crochet workshop in France with tutor Carol Meldrum

Saturday 9th to Saturday 16th September 2017 

We still have a few spaces available for this fantastic week with tutor Carol Meldrum. Sign up now for this fully inclusive holiday at The Barn, La Nougeree.

Texture with a Twist
This workshop project will give guests a choice of working in knit or crochet or combining the two crafts. It is suitable for all skill levels and Carol will provide full instructions and materials. She will take you through all the techniques used in the project and during the course of the week you will complete a beautiful and unique design to take home with you.

The venue
The Barn at La Nougeree is a spacious barn conversion in a quiet rural area of South West France. The building is decorated in vintage French style and has large comfortable areas for relaxing and dining. There is an outdoor heated swimming pool and a garden with lawn and shady seating areas.

The holiday will consist of 2 full day workshops and 4 half day workshops. There will also be trips out for shopping and sightseeing. We will meet you at Bordeaux airport and take you to The Barn, the workshops, materials, accommodation, meals and drinks are included in the price, all you need to do is get yourself to France with your knitting needles and crochet hooks!

For further details and a booking form please complete the contact form here

The final day of knitting and crochet with Carol Meldrum

On Friday morning everyone was slaving away to get their projects finished for show and tell in the evening. After lunch we went into Cognac for a last afternoon of sightseeing and shopping.

Then home for gin and tonic and a chance to admire the finished projects, all of which are amazing! Bearing in mind the mix of skill levels and the fact that they were all working from the same pattern the results are fantastic. Everyone has chosen completely different colours and incorporated different ideas and embellishments to make each one completely unique,

It has been a great week with a lovely bunch of ladies and lots of laughter, they all got on so well that plans are underway for the same group to meet up here again next year.

The last supper of Gazpacho, paella and croissant and brioche custard.

Fabric and yarn shopping

I have just had a great day out with friends Moira and Lesley to the fabric shop Tissus Renard in Niort. The shop is on the industrial estate just outside of Niort and is packed with buttons, trimmings, fabric and budget yarns. The weather was disgusting with torrential rain and a howling gale so we made the most of staying in one building and managed to spend nearly two hours browsing and buying...... It is one of those places that you really need a list for, otherwise you just buy for the sake of it, which I did!
on
a lovely piece of thick spotty oilcloth that was a remnant and will definitely be useful for something

12 balls of pure cotton knitting yarn, which I can add to the other 100 I have stashed away

three rolls of ribbon that I couldn't live without

 

 

and a huge piece of tweedy fabric that was just too good a bargain to miss..............

www.knittingholidaysinfrance.com

Mission Falls yarns discontinued

Sad news, I have just heard from our supplier that these wonderful yarns and pattern books have been discontinued and will no longer be available once current stocks run out. We still have stock of the 1824 pure wool aran and cotton at a reduced price and these can be ordered here. Our remaining stock of pattern books are also reduced and can be ordered here.

Special Offers

We have lots of special offers for October. Go to the home page at Kangaroo for the latest reductions on Debbie Bliss Amalfi and Eco Cotton Aran. There is a new Addi delivery due this week and we should have the full range in stock again by the end of November.

Mission Falls Knitting patterns

We have two great new pattern books from Mission Falls in stock now. Silhouette has 14 designs for garments and accessories using DK and 1824 pure wool aran and pure cotton aran and Weekend has 8 designs using Mission Falls 1824 cotton.

Sale of knitting yarns

The summer sale finishes next week, we still have offers on plenty of yarns so snap up the bargains now at http://www.kangaroo.uk.com/

Summer Sale knitting yarns and kits

The summer sale of yarn and kits has started at Kangaroo, we have offers (for a limited period only) on the following - Hanne Falkenberg knitting kits, Debbie Bliss Cotton DK, Debbie Bliss Eco Aran, Rowan All Seasons Cotton, Rowan Cotton Glace, Rowan Handknit Cotton, Rowan Lenpur Linen, Rowan Milk Cotton DK, Rowan Fine Milk Cotton, Rowan Organic Cotton 4 ply, Rowan Organic Cotton DK, Rowan Revive, Rowan Siena, Rowan Summer Tweed and Kaalund Silk Stralis. The sale price only applies to current stock, so snap up the bargains now!

Soda sleeveless top from Studio 19

What happened to Spring! It has been cold, wet and windy for two days now. All that gardening I had promised myself this week has gone out of the window. My Banana plants have been battered to bits and it is too wet to plant up my new pots that Amy gave me for Christmas.

However, plenty of time to finish the yarn review and start on Soda from Rowan Studio 19, this lovely sleeveless design takes 4-6 balls of Rowan Kidsilk Haze and just 2 balls of Rowan Siena.

Kangaloonies knitting group member Caroline

When did you start knitting? I've been knitting since I was 8 years old. My Grandma taught me. I did stop for a while, but when my son was ill four years ago I took it up again.

Favourite yarn? Anything expensive of course! I really love the Noro yarns for the colours and Rowan for the quality. My favourite has to be Rowan's Cotton Glace, it is so lovely to knit with.

Favourite project? I love doing bags, but I also make jumpers and other garments, mostly as presents for people.

When do you knit? I knit all the time... at work, on journeys, at concerts. I also crochet and when I was a witness in a trial at Court, I took in my crochet and an ipod, caught up on the Archers and finished a blanket! I've even taken my knitting to last night of the Proms! Nobody seemed to mind, in fact they are usually very interested to know what I'm making.

Current project? I'm just finishing the Medina Sweater by Martin Storey for my son's girlfriend in Rowan Purelife Organic Cotton DK, she's a size 8 so it should look really nice. I've just got to do a couple of finishing bits and put some tassels on it and it will be done.

Amy Butler Belle organic aran and DK wool cotton

We have just received a huge delivery of the two latest new yarns 'Rowan by Amy Butler Belle Organic DK and Aran'. They are both a blend of 50% wool/50% cotton and are just gorgeous to knit with. The rich colour range has been selected by Amy Butler and the supporting patterns in 'Midwest Modern Knits' include a unique mix of fashion, accessories and homeware.

Kangaloonies knitting group member Wendy

When did you start knitting? I learnt as a child, but I didn't do very much until my daughter reached her 20's and asked me to teach her, so I did and that started me off again. In fact, I actually like the process of knitting more than I like actually wearing anything I've made.

Why did you come to Kangaroo? I wanted to knit socks, so I came to Kangaroo to learn. Not everyone understands knitting socks (comment from Jo: I can't see the point. Why go to all that bother and then hide them in your shoes?!), but I like the challenge.

Favourite project? Debbie Abrahams Mystery Cushion (pattern available to Knitter subscribers only). I'm a real fan of Debbie, I love everything she does.

Favourite yarn? Rowan Cotton Glace and Noro yarns.

Current project? Which one? I've got several on the go, but at the moment I'm trying out the Double Knitting technique with the Cuthbert Hat by Judy Furlong (the one that Wendy is knitting in the image, whilst modelling her trailing leaf sweater knitted in Rowan Pima Cotton DK). It's for a friend's husband, so I hope he likes it.

Ambition for 2010? To finish what I've started. I've got 'hideous' to finish (a camouflage jumper for my husband which involves lots of bobbins, see a hint of it in the top right hand corner of image). I'm also doing Debbie Abrahams mystery blanket and another mystery cushion from my Knitter subscription, plus a Noro jumper and a Noro waistcoat to finish. I really enjoy following other people's patterns, but ultimately I'd like to design my own patterns!

Sale of Debbie Bliss Eco Aran and Eco Baby

We have some special yarn offers for the Easter holiday. There is 10% discount on current stock of Debbie Bliss Eco Aran and Eco Baby and Rowan Milk Cotton DK and Fine Milk Cotton. To obtain the discount enter the codes quoted at the the checkout. All offers end Monday 5th April.

Amy Butler knitting patterns - Midwest Modern Knits

Very excited about the new range 'Rowan by Amy Butler'. I have just got the shade card and the colours are fab. There are two yarns in the range, Belle Organic Aran and Belle Organic DK and both are a 50/50 wool cotton blend. The DK comes in a range of 16 shades and the aran in 12, the lovely vivid shades compliment the colours used in the Amy Butler fabrics. There is pattern support in Amy Butler's Midwest Modern Knits and the designs include lovely flowing garments, accessories and homeware. All due in stock early April.

Debbie Bliss Amalfi and ecobaby organic cotton

It is a wet miserable Saturday evening and I am off to snuggle up in front of the TV with my knitting. We had a big delivery yesterday of Debbie Bliss Amalfi and Ecobaby, so I am now dithering between knitting something for myself in Amalfi or something in Ecobaby for one of the grandchildren........

Rowan Minature Classics

Minature Classics is the latest pattern book for babies and toddlers aged 0-3 years. The gorgeous designs use Rowan Cashsoft DK, Calmer, Fine Milk Cotton, Handknit Cotton and Denim.

Rowan Kids

Rowan Kids is now in stock! This great pattern book for childrens' knits features designs for ages 6-12 years and include sloppy denim jumpers and cricket sweaters for boys and pretty boleros and cardigans for girls. The yarns used are Rowan Denim, Cotton Glace, Siena, Handknit Cotton, Calmer, All Seasons Cotton and Fine Milk Cotton.

Rowan magazine 47 competition

The prize draw for this months competition has been won by Catherine Moores and a £50 voucher is on the way! Thank you so much to everyone for all your lovely emails. The two favourite designs from Rowan 47 (both receiving exactly the same amount of votes) were Blithe (knitted in Summer Tweed) and Serene (knitted in Milk Cotton DK), closely followed by Halcyon (knitted in Fine Milk Cotton) and then Margate (knitted in Handknit Cotton).

Knitting in the mountains

Culli had to go down to do a site visit yesterday at a renovation project in the foothills of the Pyrenees. We have made these site visits about six times over the last 2 years and it is a long day out, I just go along to help out with the driving, 5 hours each way with a quick lunch in a little restaurant in Tournay and then an hour on site. The old house and outbuildings are a photographers paradise so I snap away happily, and it is always good to see the mountains and breathe the air. I also managed to knit the back of a little dress for Poppy's birthday next week in the 5 hours that I wasn't driving, so a good day all round! It is from a pattern in the Debbie Bliss Special Knits book and should be in Baby Cashmerino, but I didn't have enough yarn so have adapted it to cotton DK, I think it will be ok.