I was invited to have a stall yesterday at the East Dartmoor Tea Shop Knitters “Knit tog” event in Bovey Tracey village on the edge of Dartmoor. Held on the last day of National Knitting Week it was typical of the many small knitting events which are springing up all over the country in response to the phenomenal reawakening of interest in the craft.
I had a great time. Didn’t get to go to the workshops and demos because I was on my own on the stall but those who did clearly enjoyed themselves and came away proudly showing off their soggy pieces of felt and other goodies!
Once again I was struck by the difference in age profile. Of course there were many traditional “older” knitters but there were also many young women. Claire Crompton (www.clairecrompton.co.uk) on the stall next to me was a classic example. She has written many good kntting books including “The Knitters Bible” which I use regularly and I had always assumed she was 50 plus. It was a pleasant surprise to meet her and realise just how wrong I was!
There were three generations of at least one family wandering round and many mothers and grown up daughters. This is such a great sight and makes me even more depressed when surveying our spinning and weaving groups. I’m sure a lot of it is down to the portability of knitting – even spindles are not easy to manage on a crowded commuter train and a loom absolutely impossible.
Well done Tea Shop Knitters and roll on next year!
If you are wondering what Tea Shop Knitters are then instead of “Ladies who Lunch” they are ladies who sit around in tea shops knitting! An English version of what you do in Starbucks Jayne! We have the very best tea shops in England here in Devon because of course, we make the best cream teas with clotted cream etc. For a “flavour” of what a tea shop is have a look at http://www.broadwayhouse.com/ . Scroll down the page past the accomodation bit for the tea shop details. There are dozens of similar excellent establishments in Devon – it would take you a whole summer visiting a fresh one every day to try them all. By the finish you would not be able to waddle through the door!
This sounds like a fun event.
There’s a local knitting group where I live that meet in a community run cafe, unfortunately at a time when I’m out at work. But I do think it’s a great idea. I’m just a little doubtful about Devon cream teas plus knitting – I’m sure I’d end up eating bits of wool and then having to wash the knitting to remove jam and cream!!
By: Dot on October 20, 2008
at 9:27 pm
We discussed this post in my spinning guild, I mean, group, I mean gang, I mean gaggle…
There was a big Sheep and Wool Festival this weekend, and the vagaries of the skein judging had us shaking our heads. Turns out the competitions– spinning, knitting and weaving –are ruled by the local Guild.
We decided that there is at least one advantage to crafting in the big city! Tea Shop Knitters, Starbucks Spinners, Brew Bar Crafters!
No Guilds, just gaggles…
By: jayne on October 21, 2008
at 2:44 am
It was a nice gathering wasn’t it?
I was having the age profile/Guild discussion with a friend yesterday evening. We didn’t come up with any brilliant ideas to resolve the issue, though.
By: Kate in Somerset on October 21, 2008
at 9:45 am