Showing posts with label Hobbycraft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hobbycraft. Show all posts

Sunday, 29 May 2016

Fantasy Fish #Increasetheshoal at Rowntree Park Reading Cafe


Just some of the fish, pompoms and finger knitting that came to #increasetheshoal at Rowntree Park Cafe
    
We had a fabulous turnout at our final workshop at Rowntree Park Reading Cafe.  I think we may have taken over all the seats indoors and a few outside too! 


As well as the fishy makes made at the workshop there were quite a lot of extra fish that swam in that day:

Gillian, Sarah & Imogen's fish
     
Gillian, her daughter Sarah, and grandaughter Imogen had all made lovely things to add to the Fantasy Fish Yarnstorm.  In fact Gillian had also used some of her Mum's yarn and her Grandma's buttons in her makes.  That means five generations of her family have had some input into the project - how impressive is that!


Mags's makes

Mags, who has come along to all our workshops and brought extra fish every time, had some new makes for us again.  Her starfish set off quite a trend as people started knitting starfish!


Sarah's octopus and fish

Sarah had been knitting an octopus at our last workshop at the Golden Ball and brought it along this time with some other lovely fish.  She also finished off the big knitting fish that Joanita from Radio York started when she came to visit me to hear all about the Fantasy Fish Yarnstorm.
 
Joanita & Sarah's big knitting fish is 67cm long

Everyone was very industrious
    
Helen and Sam brought a big bag of fish with them before embarking on a joint starfish.  And I believe they will be bringing some more fish from the Easingwold Knitting Group too - how fabulous!

Helen & Sam's fish

We had some tiny visitors who weren't too sure whether they wanted to share their mums with the project but they let them in the end - at least for a little while.

Knitting, stitching and finger knitting all getting done

Towards the end of our session Neil and Veronica brought some children along from the York Montessori Nursery and they made these lovely pompoms using a fork each!  We're wondering whether they took their new skill back to the Nursery and if it's now covered in fork pompoms!

Pompoms made by children from the York Montessori Nursery

And if that wasn't enough, Pie had brought along a bag of pompoms and Sarah had stitched some more #fantasyfish #fishfromyork at home so all in all we had lots to #increasetheshoal and with more than forty people at our workshop it really was a fab afternoon.  Thank you to everyone for all your hard work!  Thanks also to Rowntree Park Cafe for having us & for the fab drinks & cakes.

Fish knitting patterns

Our yarnstorm fish will be working hard to raise money for the York Flood Appeal.  And there's still time to join in.  You can find the fish knitting patterns here and you have until 10 June 2016 to get your finished #fantasyfish to Rowntree Park Cafe if you want them to be included in the yarnstorm.  (They don't have to be knitted - they can be stitched, felted or crocheted - to any suitable design)

If you want to find out more about the project's progress you can check out the following blogposts:
Fantasy Fish Yarnstorm - The Details


The Fantasy Fish Project is sponsored by the Friends of Rowntree Park and has been supported by Hobbycraft, York, Knit & Stitch, York and York School of Sewing.



Sunday, 22 May 2016

Fantasy Fish go to the Golden Ball, York

Natalie and her makes
     
We were made very welcome at the Golden Ball in York for our second Fantasy Fish workshop in Craft & Design month.  We took over a whole room and only just fitted in.

Everyone soon got down to fish making
 
and pompom making, stitching and knitting

and serious concentration

and colour co-ordinating

not to mention chatting
and cross stitch & crochet

It was lovely to meet lots of new people and old friends and have a great afternoon as we #lovetoCREATE.  By the end of the workshop quite a lot of #fantasyfish had swum by and some swam off to be finished at home.  A big thank you goes to all who came along to help us #increasetheshoal and to the Golden Ball for having us.

Fantasy fish & pompoms caught in the net at the Golden Ball



   
Our yarnstorm fish will be working hard to raise money for the York Flood Appeal.  You can read more about the whole project here.  Some ceramic fish also swam by to help with the fundraising and quite a few have already found new homes.

Ceramic Fantasy Fish brooches
   
If you want to find out more about how the project is going you can check out the following blogposts:

Fantasy Fish Yarnstorm - The Details

and you can find the fish knitting patterns here.

Our final workshop is at Rowntree Park Cafe on Thursday 26 May from 2-4pm.  Do come and join us!

The Fantasy Fish Project is sponsored by the Friends of Rowntree Park and has been supported by Hobbycraft, York, Knit & Stitch, York and York School of Sewing.






Wednesday, 11 May 2016

Fantasy Fish at the Winning Post, York

Recent Fantasy Fish catch




   
We have just had our first Fantasy Fish workshop at the recently refurbished Winning Post in York and what a great time we had - thank you to everyone who came along!  

Fantasy Fish Yarnstorming at the Winnning Post

big knitting and stitching

There was a great turnout with both yarnstorming newcomers and regulars which was fantastic.  We had knitting (and with big needles - thank you, Emma!), stitching, pompom making, finger knitting and crocheting going on.

Big blue fish
swapping tips

Naomi from the Crochet Collective came along and crocheted some very cute fish for us.  But she wasn't the only crocheter amongst us - we also had some fab crocheted plant life & fish from other workshop attendees. 

great opportunity for chatting & laughing

It was great to join in with Voluntary Arts Week and Craft and Design Month to celebrate making.  People had found out about #fantasyfish from all sorts of different places so we were pleased that we'd managed to get the word out.


finger knitting, knitting & stitching!

Not only did everyone create fish on the night, we had several fish who swam in to #increasetheshoal and some that weren't quite finished were whisked off to be completed as "homework"!  One shoal swam in and out (so no pics) as it has another engagement before joining the Fantasy Fish Yarnstorm in Rowntree Park.  How mysterious is that?

lots of concentration going on!

And just in case you needed to see those fab #fishfromYork that will #increasethe shoal again, here they are for a quick recap!

Fish, plants & pompoms from the Winning Post Fantasy Fish yarnstorming workshop



  
And very importantly don't forget after the display we will be selling the fish to raise funds for the York Flood Appeal so do come and support us in that too!  For more details about when the sales are, when the display will be up in Rowntree Park, other workshop dates, knitting patterns etc. click here.

This was our first time at the Winning Post and we were made very welcome by owners, Fiona & Malcolm, and barman, Ed - thank you!   

The Fantasy Fish Project is sponsored by the Friends of Rowntree Park and has been supported by Hobbycraft, York, Knit & Stitch, York and York School of Sewing.


 

Saturday, 6 July 2013

Fourth Yarnbombing Workshop - Rowntree Park Cafe, York

Three of the four tables busy with their yarnbombing preparations

I think this was our busiest workshop yet and there were quite a few little ones joining in making pompoms! We managed to monopolise four tables but as it was a lovely day most of the cafe's regular customers were enjoying the sunshine on the balcony so I don't think we stopped anyone sampling its culinary delights.  In fact I like to think we've introduced a few newcomers!

Pompom making in progress!
Yarnbombers at Rowntree Park Cafe

People brought lots of lovely crafty donations with them as well as making all sorts while they were with us. The workshop was a mixture of new faces and familiar ones.  We were so pleased that people had enjoyed it so much the first time that they came again!


Selecting yarns for weaving

An extra plus for me was that I got to sample some of the delights from Rowntree Park Cafe which were (of course) fabulous. Hooray!

Yarnbombing Goodies

Yarnboombing Goodies - Detail

Don't forget  - the last chance to join in the yarnbombing comes on Saturday 13 July at the Rowntree Park 92nd Birthday Party.  Anyone with anything to add to the Yarnbombing display can add it from 9am. Deborah & I will be around if you have any questions or need a bit of yarn to attach your finished work to part of the park.  Then from 2-5pm during the Party, you can join us creating under the craft canopy (find us near the Dovecot!) and add anything you make straight to the display.  There will be some items for sale on the day but most will be donated to Oxfam for sale after the event.  Come, see, create!

http://hippystitch.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/yarnbombing-in-rowntree-park-york.html 

Sunday, 30 June 2013

Third Yarnbombing Workshop - Hobbycraft, York

Settling in at Hobbycraft

Our third Yarnbombing Workshop took place in Hobbycraft, York on Saturday.  We were made very welcome by Carol and her staff who had set up a great space for us and even brought us all hot drinks!  It seems to be a bit of a thing at our workshops because we needed more chairs yet again!

Hard at work

It was mostly new faces at this workshop probably because we had moved to the other side of York for this one.  Also, as it was on a Saturday it gave people working during the week a chance to come along.  Mostly people had made a special trip for our workshop but we did rope in some visitors from Pickering who were just shopping in the store!  Our venue had an added bonus - everyone could check out the Hobbycraft store and all the different activities and workshops they have on offer!

Yarnbombing Goodies

It was a very productive session.  Take a look at all the things brought & made.  Don't they look great!  Can you spot the lovely bluebird that Suzanne made nestling amongst the yarnbombing goodies?  Two of our attendees, Sonia & Fiona, have been busy making all sorts for the day including flowers and owls.  We were lucky enough to get a sneak preview of one of the owls - and he was so cute.  Worth coming to the event just to see them, I'd say!

Trying out extreme knitting!

And of course there was the opportunity to try out some extreme knitting which everyone was great at!

Our last Yarnbombing Workshop before the actual Yarnbombing Event on Saturday 13 July 2013 is:
Friday 5 July – 10:00 to 12:00
Rowntree Park Café
Rowntree Park, Richardson Street, York, YO23 1JU

Do come and join us!