Stitch and knit in Paris

I have just spent an amazing 4 days in Paris with my crafty friends.
Only a week after the horrendous attacks on the 13th November it was a different city to the one I have visited in the past. When we arrived on Thursday afternoon the station was very quiet, we dumped our cases at the hotel and took the metro to Notre Dame for a quick wander before it got dark

then on to a little restaurant in the Italian quarter where we feasted on seafood pastas and risotto.

On Friday it was pouring with rain, but not a problem as we were off to 'Creations savoir-faire' an exhibition run by 'Marie Claire idees', with over 200 stands selling everything you could possibly want. Clearly nothing stops a crafter as by the afternoon the place was heaving with people, probably the largest crowd we saw over the whole 4 days.

Favourite stands were Elle Tricot and La Fee Fil. After an exhausting day of shopping and gathering inspiration we staggered back (in the rain again) to the hotel clutching our purchases for a show and tell and a very welcome glass of wine.

On Saturday morning the sun was shining so we caught the bus to Gare du Nord and walked to Montmartre stopping at the Marche St Pierre (5 floors of fabric heaven with prices starting at 1.99 a metre) and Tissus Reine for more fabric and trimmings.

Then up the steps to Sacre Coeur (OK - 2 of us went on the lift and 2 climbed the steps),  

sandwiches and cake for lunch and a long walk (in the rain  again) down to Galeries Lafayette to admire the Christmas decs and gifts and beautiful domed ceiling

then on to a very damp Christmas market on the Champs Elysees

and metro back to the hotel to dry off and scoff a superbly garlicky meal in a Lebanese restaurant just around the corner.
On Sunday we spent the morning at the Louvre and had a leisurely lunch in one of the cafes there and then caught the train back home.

It was a lovely break, but our thoughts were very much with the residents of Paris who made us feel so welcome at such a difficult time.

October 2015 knitting and crochet workshop with tutor Carol Meldrum

The project Carol set for the week was a gorgeous bag that could be worked in knitting or crochet, each square using a different technique. For this workshop we have 4 residential guests and 2 day girls and everyone has chosen to work their squares in crochet choosing different colour combinations from the stash of yarn.

In between the workshops we went shopping for yarn and fabric in Saintes

market shopping in St Jean d'Angely.

And more yarn shopping and sightseeing in Cognac

Carol was out for a run at sunrise in the mornings and I was out with the dogs, looking for inspiration in the lovely autumn shades.

We spent the evenings enjoying leisurely suppers of figs with parma ham and feta cheese, goats cheese souffles, warming soups and stews, followed by croissant bread and butter pudding, cheesecake and chocolate torte then a glass of wine or two in front of the log burner,

It has been a really lovely week to end the season, La Verderie feels very quiet now that everyone has gone but we are looking forward to 2016 with spaces for the knitting retreats filling up fast.

September 2015 knitting and crochet retreat in France

On wednesday I took Sandra and Mary into St Jean d'Angely for a visit to the market and a visit to the lovely kitchen shop which quelle horreur was closed for stock taking - Mary very upset!
The market though, was bursting with colour

back home, to find the others enjoying the sunshine, Tania is blocking her gorgeous Norwegian Wood cushion designed by Jane Crowfoot (available to buy as a kit here)

and Mary has finished another lovely shawl designed by Anniken Allis and knitted in Skein Queen Luminosity

Amanda brought along her lovely top down knitted sweater that she was working on here in June

And Sandra has finished her second project of the week a lace and textured cowl in the most beautiful blue