April is a lovely month.  Halfway to summer with so much colour all around us.  We love to see the blossom on the trees and the bluebells in the woods.

This month we are looking at the charity projects that you so generously support with your knitting and crochet. We also have  a sneak peek at some of the new products that are coming your way this summer.

Don't forget to keep an eye on our Facebook,  Twitter  and Ravelry group to stay in touch with our latest news and giveaways.

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Charity Knits

 

Knitters and crocheters are such generous folk and we know that many of you support good causes with your craft.  Here are a few of our favourite charity projects you might like to try

 

These lovely booties are by Erika Knight and were originally designed to commemorate the birth of Prince George.  She has donated the pattern to Knit For Peace who distribute knitted items to those in need.  They are also featuring a lovely crochet cowl from Marie Wallin.

 

P/hop (pennies per hours of pleasure) raises money for M�decin sans Fronti�res, an independent international medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid.  We love this gorgeous tea cosy.

 

Battersea Dogs and Cats home always needs blankets and catnip toys.  You can find these patterns on their website.  This lovely staffie pattern was created to help raise much-needed funds.     

 

We'd love to hear more about which charities you support on our Ravelry group.  We have set up a special page here


Booties by Erika Knight for Knit For Peace
Cricket jumper Tea cosy for p/hop by Ros Clarke.

Staffie knitting pattern for Battersea Dogs and Cats Home

Brand New Collection

  

We have just returned from the famous Handarbeit show in Cologne, where craft buyers from around the world come to see the latest collections.

 

We had a great show and it went by in a whirl - so many meetings.  Here is a picture of some of the new products on the stand and our whole team.

  




Our new products will start to appear in your local yarn shop from mid June onwards but we thought we would give you a sneak perview of what yumminess you can expect from us including Trendz needles and hooks, gorgeous bags and more blocking tools.





 

 

 


   
It's not long to go until the first Yarn Shop Day, a fantastic campaign that has been put together by Sarah Neal and the team at Let's Knit Magazine.Where would we be without our local yarn shops? So many of us rely on them for their personal advice, expert recommendations, and even as opportunities to meet new people. 
 

On 3rd May  ambassadors including designers Jenny Watson, Sarah Hazell, Anniken Allis and Zoe Halstead will be visiting local stores who will be hosting all kinds of free events and offering great discounts.

 

World renowned designer  Erika Knight is a proud supporter: 'I am delighted to be an ambassador for the Let's Knit Yarn Shop Day campaign - it is inherent to my ethos to support our bricks and mortar stores - where the expertise, passion, hands-on experience, sharing of ideas, advice and the odd cup of tea is vital to sustaining a thriving crafting community.' 

 
The Love Your Yarn Shop campaign will run throughout 2014, You can find a list of participating stores here and if your favourite shop isn't on the list, try and persuade them to take part because they deserve it. 

 

 

 

Monthly Giveaway
 
Sarah Bindon has won the March prizes of a set of Waves hooks and the Herdy felting kit. Congratulations!
 
This month our prize is four sets of Cubics circular needles in size 4.5mm which means there will be four winners! So if you have always wanted to try these fantastic needles all you need to do is cross your fingers.  By signing up to our newsletter you are automatically entered in to each month's giveaway.