Warming heads in Knutsford, Cheshire
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 1:59PM Blogging on the road takes on a whole new meaning for me as I sit in the back of the bus typing this! No doubt we'll be parked up and settled in for the night before I finish typing (rear suspension + tiny netbook screen + European keyboard = interesting typos)
We've spent the last few days in Cheshire visiting the truly lovely Fibre + Clay shop in Knutsford. When I say it is truly lovely, I mean that. The shop, the owners, the hospitality - everything. We couldn't have spent the first part of the tour, my first ever tour, in a better place.
Saturday was all about Hat Design. I love teaching this workshop, as not only do I get to talk Hats all day but I also help knitters understand how to take their own measurements and make themselves a Hat that fits. We discuss different styles, shaping, incorporating stitch patterns and more. It isn't a prescriptive workshop - we cover the basics and then I go with the flow of the students and cover their needs. The need to be flexible can make it more intense to teach but that makes me love it even more - everyone comes out with a Hat that they want.
Image copyright Fibre + Clay
Tuesday morning is one of the weekly knitting meetings at Fibre + Clay and they asked if I'd visit and talk Hats with them. And talk Hats we did!
People are always telling me how Hats just don't suit them, so one of the things we focused on was how to wear a Hat. It's true, not every Hat suits every person but people who don't suit any Hat at all are very, very rare indeed. Picking the right style and shape to suit your face is key, but how to wear it on your head is the secret to being a happy Hat wearer.
Most of the Hats shown here are berets, and this was the most popular style by far in both the design workshop and the 'show and tell' yet that doesn't make them all the same. The different elements that make up a design, whether it be yarn choice, weight or drape, the different types of brim or how a stitch pattern affects the fabric all make a subtle difference in how a Hat looks. The most noticeable differences come from the brim choice (rolled brims are softer on the face) and how far down or back the brim is worn. Don't be afraid to experiment when trying on Hats!
I really did have the loveliest time - thank you Riana and everyone at Fibre and Clay for making me feel most welcome :) If you find yourself in the area, do pay them a visit. It is a beautiful yarn store but it's more than that too - it's full of beautiful ceramics and buttons, gorgeous hand made textile jewellery and other such gems.
Whilst I was at the shop on Tuesday morning, Tom took Aran to see the Jodrell Bank and I was a little sad that I missed it. Still, Tom tells me that Aran absolutely loved it, and was especially entertained by the 3D cinema. It would seem that planets flying out of the giant screen directly at you don't scare our boy.
We stayed at a couple of different campsites, as we made visits to my aunt & uncle in Sandbach (hi Janice & Graham - I know you're reading!) and to Just Call Me Ruby in Southport, making the most of our time. By far our favourite campsite was a little site called Strawberry Wood, just outside Knutsford.
Some the sites we've stayed at have been set up for statics, with space given for tourers and tents. This site was different because it was all for tourers and motorhomes and had plenty of space for each pitch.
That awning hiding behind the tree and foliage to the right of the photo? That was our neighbour. All the pitches around the outside of the site are separated by dense greenery and trees, giving you complete privacy. Even the pitches in the middle, where the trees where less dense had more privacy than just about every other site we've stayed at. There's no shop and my internet dongle struggled to get a signal (and I suspect most mobile networks would have virtually no coverage as it's slap bang in the middle of the woods) but other than that, it was perfect.
Well, that's all so far - what a great few days! And as suspected we're now parked up in a campsite in Bardsey, Leeds, ready for tomorrow's visit to Baa Ram Ewe.
Reader Comments (14)
I'm so sorry I missed this - it looks like you had a brilliant time. It seems that you came up to (very) vaguely my neck of the woods and I went down south....must time my holidays better!
I'm one of those people who feels she can't wear a hat. I have curly hair and hats squoosh my curls but...looking at the pictures, I think I can do a beret. Thanks for the inspiration and another excuse to buy yarn!
Dear Woolly - that orange hat is phenomenal! It looks equally beautiful on both women - and I wouldn't have thought that about an orange hat. Is it your Meret pattern? I think I may have found a hat that might look good on ME too!
Lauri - the orange Hat is indeed the Meret! It really does suit such a wide range of people.
This version wasn't heavily blocked, so the shape of the lace help defines the shape of the Hat. It has a partial rolled brim and a partial ribbed brim :)
It was fantastic to meet you on Tuesday and I now have a long list of hats to knit!! I think I've got a new knitting addiction.
Hi there, I have been following your blog and adventures for a few months now. Wonderful hats sooo chic but what also caught my eye was the lady in the 4th photo down wearing the wonderful grey beret she is also wearing a beautiful top with what appears to be a crocheted yoke attatched to a flowered material, You may think this cheeky but could you tell me more about this, I am a novice crocheter just about coming into intermediate and have been looking for a pattern for exactly this type of top any info would be greatfully received thanks Jan
Your class sounds awesome! Hope you have safe travels for the rest of your journey!
It was so great to meet you on Tuesday. Thanks for letting me try on your hats. I will let you know my progress as it happens. Enjoy the rest of your stay in the UK.
It was such a great day! I have never done a knitting course before, and Saturday was the best. Fibre and Clay is my new fave place :o)
It was fab to meet you after all this time, I worked out I have been with you from the beginning of the blog - just never knew!
Have fun on your travels
Noodles x
I enjoy reading about your camping excursions and noting the differences in terminology, which you might already know. In American English caravan = recreational vehicle, shortened to RV. I'm assuming a pitch is what we call a camp site. Our RV is a Class C or smaller motor home because we use it to launch our boat. I really enjoy your blog, and -- of course -- your beautiful hats!
:)
That looks like a wonderful shop. And I love seeing all the hats being tried on, I rarely have the nerve to wear one...
Thank you for a very enjoyable workshop on Saturday. I have now completed my hat and am busy on my next one. I can feel a hat obsession coming on!
It was also my first visit to Fibre and Clay and I can't wait to visit again!
we LOVE Jodrell Bank - did Tom & Aran go looking for the planets in the arboretum? The first time we went, it was too muddy to get past Mercury, but last time, we got all the way to the far end & found tiny Eris under a fabulous twisted leafed tree... It's great & a bargain, to boot!
I am so happy seeing that many persons in hats! Too many are afraid to try different ways to wear one, so you have a important mission there.
And also I got a new a idea, how about while you are out there making a list of camping sites roomy enough for motorhomes? Just one of my ideas popping up like mushrooms in the autumn...