Knitting Tour

Hi everyone

I have just returned from an AMAZING knitting tour with 10 other fantastic ladies to the Eastern Cape.  We travelled from Centurion on the 18th February to a guest farm called Groenvlei which is near Graaf Reinet.

A really difficult view to live with!!!

After enjoying Lynne's superb meal we all retired to the lounge to KNIT.  Eventually the long day's travelling caught up with us and we went to bed.  The next morning we were lucky to be able to watch the sheep shearing.  I had never experienced this before.

 
Waiting their turn ..........


The shearers who move from farm to farm to ply their trade shapening their shears.

 Shearers hard at work.

 This worker is sorting the wool.

 

And what they look like after their hair cuts!!!

After breakfast we visited Nieu Bethesda and had lunch at the craft brewery.

The next day we moved on to Oakhurst Guest Farm which is in Hoekwil, near George for 3 nights.  We had a wonderful (again) workshop with Linda from Linda's Treeknits at her home in the Winderness.  She taught us to do the windmill block and sold us lots of her hand-coloured yarns.

I am planning to made a blanket with a charcoal background and blades in different bright colours.  I think it should look good.  After that it was more relaxed knitting at home  until we moved on to Jeffreys Bay and then on to East London.  Here we spent 4 heavenly days and nights just knitting and visitng places where we could buy more yarn.  Specifically, we visited Judy at Karoo Moon who also makes the most delectable bread and butter pickles.  YUM.  Adele at South Seas Mohair also produces fantastic hand-coloured yarns.  Some of us also went to town at the Shweshwe factory shop in East London!!

 Sunrise from the balcony of Maynette's holiday home in East London.  Spectacular!!!

Sundowners on the boardwalk at East London.  Isn't this a view to die for?

On the way home, we stopped for a short visit in Clarens and eventually returned to Centurion late afternoon on Sunday.

Back to Crafty Ladies stuff  ..................

Our next meeting will be on Saturday, 14th March.  I have not booked any workshop so just bring whatever you feel like working on and come and enjoy the day with us.  As usual, please let me know if you will be coming for catering numbers.

On the 16th May, Corrie will be coming to give us a workshop on Parchment Craft.  This is what she has to say about it :-

"Parchment craft is also called paper lace.  Parchment paper is unique in that the paper can stretch (much like pewter) which results in an embossed effect (raised relief) on the front of the project.  This is done using ball embossing tools (like cake decorating tools).  Perforations are done with very thin needle tools which are then cut out with a special scissors.  These cut outs result in the lace look.  Different colour mediums with different techniques can also be used on the parchment (watercolour pencils, paints, kokis, pastels etc).  It is a very beautiful and delicate art which requires a lot of patience, but also a very addictive craft, although expensive, tools looked after will last for years to come.

You can go onto the internet and just type in parchment craft and you will get links to all sorts of sites which will give a good idea of what it looks like:"

 

This picture shows advanced tequniques and should whet a lot of appetites!!
 
The cost for the class is R550 and is payable in advance.  R300 for the starter kit and R250 for the class fee.  My name is already down and I can't wait to see who is going to join me.

Corrie also gives pewter classes.  Let me know if you would like to have her do a workshop for us. 

I am also working on other workshops for this year.  I think Linda's Wild Knitting is a must again as well as Marietha's Sri Lanka Applique.  What about a talk on healthy diet followed by a Pilates workshop??  Let me know what you all think.  The Club is not all about what I like.  Your opinions are very important.
  
That's it for now.  See you all on Saturday.