World Wide Knit in Public day - starts 8th June

The annual World Wide Knit in Public days are approaching, kicking off on Saturday 8th June. So we'd love to help you promote any events you're holding, and share the details with other knitters. 

World Wide Knit in Public Day started in 2005, thanks to Danielle Landes; she wanted to stop knitting being an often solitary activity, and bring it to the public's attention. Your neighbour or colleague could be a fellow knitter without you knowing! 

Our top ten free patterns for summer

With patterns for ladies, teens, accessories and your home, we've gathered our favourite ten patterns for quick summer knits - and best of all, they're all free!

 

 1)

This pretty Simple lacy shrug by Sarah Hatton is perfect for spring and summer days when you want to wear strappy tops and dresses but still need an extra layer to cover up. It's knitted in one piece, with a simple geometric lace stitch, in the economical Patons Smoothie yarn. Sarah designed it to fit six sizes, from S (to fit bust 31-34 inches) up to XXXL (to fit bust 52-54 inches).

It's time for a strawberry tea - raise funds for Breast Cancer Care

Get together with friends and family this summer, and host a Strawberry Tea party for Breast Cancer Care. The charity’s Strawberry Tea campaign starts on 1st June - at any time until 31st August you can hold your party, and help raise money to support the 55,000 people diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK. 

Masterclass - photographing your knits, part 3

In part one of this masterclass we covered setting up and lighting your photos, and part two explained how to adjust your camera's settings and take your photos. Now we'll look at how to edit your images for the best results.

Editing photos

If ever the weather refuses to clear long enough to allow a few good shots of an exciting new knitted project, or if the camera being used just isn’t allowing the clarity of shots that you need, there is another way to get the same result, as long as you have access to some photo manipulating software such as Adobe Photoshop. It is always a good idea to get a good, clear photograph without having to use photo editing to improve things, but when you are in a hurry, or there are dark, dull skies overhead, a little photographic wizardry can save having to put the photo shoot off until another day.

There are almost certainly many ways of achieving this same effect in photo editing software, but this way is one of the easiest.

 

Win a copy of our sister magazine, Handmade Summer!

With chapters on dining al fresco, summer celebrations, fete makes, and home decor, inside Handmade Summer you'll find 197 sunny ideas to make and buy, including a beach bag crocheted from jute twine, picnic recipes, a knitted beach cover-up, and crepe paper party decorations. For more details, or to order a copy with worldwide postage included, click here.

Sir Colin Davis - Juliet's blog

 

Juliet pays tribute to a world-class classical music conductor and avid knitter, Sir Colin Davis...

"The world of classical music recently lost one of its most creative and creatively generous conductors, Colin Davis. What you may not know is we also lost a champion knitter.

 

"He was the London Symphony Orchestra’s longest-serving conductor, and more recently, their president.  Internationally he was celebrated for his interpretations of Sibelius, Mozart and Berlioz and was held in great affection by the orchestra, where his gentle style brought the best out of musicians young and old. There are so many tributes out there about his music, I thought we should also celebrate his craft.

 

Errata in The Knitter issue 58

We're sorry for any inconvenience, as we have discovered errata in two of the patterns in issue 58. 

 

For the Sasha Kagan Hanami cardigan pattern, the row tension given is incorrect. The correct row tension is 38 rows.

 

There is also an errata in the Magnolia Tee, as the numbers given for the Actual Bust are incorrect. The correct numbers are:

79, 86.5, 94, 96.5, 101.5, 109, 116.5, 124 cm

31, 34, 37, 38, 40, 43, 46, 49 in.

 

 

Wednesday wonders - Father's Day gifts

Father's Day is just a month away - Sunday 16th June. So here are five of our best patterns you can knit up for him, ready for the big day...

 

Jane Burns' set of six Father's Day gifts consists of a flower pot cover, golf club cover, picture frame, notebook cover, mug hug, and this fun knitted bow tie. They're quick to knit, and sure to bring a smile to your Dad's face. You can download all six patterns for £2.99 by clicking here.

Woolfest 2013 - 28th and 29th June

Join the woolly fun at Woolfest, in Cumbria! Woolfest 2013 will be held on Friday 28th June from 10am-6pm, and Saturday 29th June from 10am-5pm.

Don't miss the one-off Sparkleduck show at The Sheep Shop

Heather Darvell, an indie dyer, is holding a one-of-a-kind trunk show at The Sheep Shop in Cambridge later this month. Her yarns, known as Sparkleduck, will be on show on Tuesday May 28th from 3.30pm – 7pm.

The yarns are hand-dyed in Heather's home, and they have vivid colours and fun names such as "Sunshine juice”.