Beaker Button Blog

The Spitfire knitters were out in force today, to bring a little Easter cheer to Andover.  We've been working hard since our last Viking adventure , on a secret (I'm sorry, but if we told you we'd have to kill you) project for the Autumn.  But we thought we'd take a little time out to make bunnies, chicks and eggs as presents for people.  We hung them on the bridge in Andover, not far from the Vikings (I'm obviously drawn to the place).  They all have little tags urging people to take them home and it was lovely that as we were hanging them up a very nice lady came and took one.  We left our little creations to their fate and went to do all the boring stuff you have to do, like banking.  I did spot a small boy and his Mum (I'm guessing here) having a good look at them all, and hopefully choosing one each, and when I drove past about ten minutes later there were some obvious gaps, so hopefully they are going to good homes.  If you pick one up and find y...

I spent a very enjoyable day on Monday in the shop with some dear friends, being taught how to make Torchon lace by another dear friend.  I started the day in complete bewilderment, with no idea what was expected of me or what I was going to do.  I've never made anything like lace before.  Basically you use bobbins wound with thread or in our case yarn, a large straw, foam or polystyrene covered cushion and lots of pins.  You weave the bobbins in set patterns to create stitches, the pins hold the threads in place where necessary.  Sue, our teacher, gave us dotted paper which is the pattern you work to.  I took to it like a duck to water.  For some reason the whole process felt completely logical once I'd got started.  Mind you, I couldn't explain it to anyone else, but give me time.  I've added a couple of photos below to show you what I did.  Beaker Button will hopefully be adding this class to our workshop program very shortly, a...

I have just had the most amazing experience with Alex.  He has proved himself a dab hand at blending a batt.  He has the most extraordinary eye for colour, as you can see from the blended and spun wool below.  I wish I'd taken a photo of his batt before I began spinning it.  The yarn round my neck has just been spun.  I have since set it with hot water and hung it to dry.  I wanted to spin a single, partly because the finished article is to be felted and partly to see what happens to knitted singles. I started knitting the ball after dinner and had worked several rows.  As it was his batt I offered to show Alex how to knit it.  He sat down, watched me twice, let me guide him twice, then made his first stitch.  He ran from the room to tell his Dad he'd knitted his first stitch, then cam back for more.  The second stitch he pulled the right hand needle out.  After that he got it, more or less perfectly.  I'm am gob...