LOUISE'S NATIVITY...

TAKE BABY JESUS HOME FOR JUST £5.

We don't usually open on Mondays but we will be in the shop tomorrow eating Stilton, pickles with Port. You are most welcome. 

Knitted Baby Jesus's come in matchboxes with straw bedding.

MARS.

Thank you poet Margaret Whyte for the a postcard of  

Mars by Diego Valázquez c. 1639-1641

Margaret suggested I could knit for him, and that I do. Everyday.

BABY JESUS.

We love knitting Baby Jesus,

he's made in Jamiesons Shetland, from a pattern by Allen Dart and his halo is made from a little bit of picture wire.

NEIL'S LOVELY JUMPER.

I've bought records from Neil at Rough Trade since I was about 16.  Neil has always had good taste in jumpers. My favourite jumper of Neil's in this red and black mohair asymmetrical number which looks so no wave. 

One Monday, which is my day off, I was at the listening post and as Neil turned around to look me out some records, I noticed that he had three massive holes in the back of the lovely said jumper.

Neil kindly let me take it home for darning, which was good because he doesn't know me that well. 

I'm glad I did it, because I found 7 moth cocoons hiding in the mohair. That wouldn't have been Neil's fault, it's a very common with mohair, which needs a comb and a shake every now and then. 

GOODBYE COLONY.

We were sad to stub out our last knitted fag at the Colony Room Club this week.

Good bye Colony, we are sorry that after 60 years, you are closing along with all the other great places of character. 

PYF CHRISTMAS DINNER.

Thank you very much to all you gorgeous boys who joined us for our PYF Christmas dinner last night at Lorelli, Soho's best Italian restaurant. You really were marvelous company, keeping us entertained all night and wearing our paper hats so well. It was lovely to make your acquaintance and we do hope to meet you all again some day.

 

JENNY'S CONSCIENCE.

Jenny has made a blanket of many colours for her boss who is just about to have a baby. Jenny has been signed off sick for such a long time, that she suspects her boss might be a tiny bit cross, but Jenny's boss is such a lovely lady, that Jenny thought the best thing to do was crochet for the baby. The blanket is made from a beautiful selection of dayglo acrylic washable yarns from Fabrications on Broadway Market.

ROSEMARY'S DONE IT AGAIN!

Rosemary, the knitting machine and all Rosemary's talents have been squashed in the cupboard. On a bright sunny morning she emerged with this incredible piece. It is a garment that does everything. Knitted in navy blue, cream and ochre Lionbrand cotton, it flickers and falls and wraps and flaps, and works as a complete and cosy outfit.  The said garment has now flown to New York where I'm sure it will be much coveted.

TICA'S FINISHED SOCK.

Well done Tica, you did a brilliant job with your first sock....

Tica does not need to make up the pair because she knows her sock is too good to wear as a sock, and instead wears it pinned to her PYF knitting bag. It is such a marvelous talking point, and so jolly. 

DRUNKEN DUCKS.

Drunken Duck Inn in Cumbria is a lovely place to go. The name dates back to Victorian times when the landlady found her ducks lying in the road, thought they were dead, and plucked them.  In fact, the birds had been drinking beer and were merely indisposed. Full of remorse, she knitted jerseys to keep them warm until their feathers grew back. 

This Lake District pub has 16 rooms with a beautiful Brathay Black slate bar. Doubles from £95 knitters welcome.

OLIVER POSTGATE R.I.P

Thank you Oliver Postgate for all the love you gave in making our favourite television programs. You taught us that we could make brilliant things out of what we had in sheds and cupboards. You encouraged us to knit and sew and talk to our toys in funny voices and we continue to take lessons from you. 

OUR TRIP TO NARNIA.

Fleur Oakes of the Glass Pingle loves and understands all seasons, but especially mid-winter. We were delighted to be invited to her Museum of Objects of Virtue, last Sunday afternoon for a trip into Narnia. I've always wanted to go to Narnia, and couldn't believe Fleur actually found the entrance.  

As we arrived we were offered a cup of tea in fine bone china and a piece of golden syrup cake. That calmed our nerves before we walked through the wardrobe of fur coats, one at a time. 

As we entered Narnia, the temperature dropped and there was a fluttering of snow around a lamp post, with a candle burning next to a box of turkish delight. We know someone had been there before because there was an old umbrella leaning on the lamp post and a boiled egg and Eccles cake on the table, which also held our presents. (We were advised not to take photos because Mr. Tumnus thought it might spoil the occasion, sorry!)

Rosemary opened a leopard skin girls grooming kit, Louise had a bag of plastic laundry rings and I was delighted with my moroccan lipstick and Glow in the dark false finger nails.

Thank you for looking for Narnia Fleur... It takes real intuition to know where to look, and thank you for taking us with you. It really was the most magical afternoon. 

JESSICA'S POM POMS.

Jessica Haigh is a clever girl, she's cleared out her stash drawer, and made all these lovelypom pom necklaces for Christmas presents. The colours are put together beautifully.  They are very reasonable at £10 each. E-mail her now for a brilliant stocking filler. jessica.haigh@network.rca.ac.uk

THE KNITTER. NEW MAGAZINE.

Hello! I am the model they usually have in knitting magazines. I am wearing quite a good jumper this time. I wouldn't have chosen the yarn, but you could always buy something lovely from Prick Your Finger instead.  The stylist got me into this position with no safety pins or sticky tape. You can see me again at www.theknitter.co.uk a new magazine for creative knitting.

SNOCKSNARLS.

My friend Cecilia is always teaching me new things about the world of textiles and how it relates to life and the universe.

We all have tangles in cupboards and draws, and the propper old English word for them is "Snocksnarls - all of a heap; generally used of entangled thread".

This is Cecilia's mohair snocksnarl.

 I recommend Cecilia's blog at www.johnbyhall.co.uk/jb/

COME TO A BIZARRE BAZAAR!

The problem with working and playing so hard at PYF, is that we miss our mates, who work and play hard with their businesses. Well here we all shall be under one roof, with Father Christmas at the Tatty Devine Bizarre Bazaar on 21st December, for last minute christmas shopping and mid winter cheer. Do come! 

ANDY PAIKO GLASS SPINNING WHEEL.

2008 BUST CRAFTACULAR.

This Saturday 6th December, as well as having our usual busy Saturday in the shop, we shall be raving from mid day until midnight at the Bust Magazine Christmas Craftacular Sale.

St. Aloysius Socal Club, 20 Phoenix Rd, London. (near Euston Station)

There's lots of other lovely crafty stalls.....for more information go to;

www.bust.com/craftacular

DARN GOOD JOB!

Congratulations to Miss Celia Pym who has finished darning the holiest jumper anyone has ever seen. There are no holes now.  Do come and visit the jumper because it's hard to catch all the stories that fly out of it with a camera. I can not describe it's presence, and more to the point, Celia, hurry up and find another project, we miss you being here....

SWALEDALE MAN.

Yesterday my Mother telephoned from the lake District to say they had awoken to a light flurry of snow, about an inch deep. Much to her suprise, when she went into the village to collect the bread, everyone was talking about it as if it were a problem. The school children had been sent home and the post wasn't delivered. My Mother went about her business as usual and here at Prick Your Finger, we didn't get any snow but we did build a snowman from our own Swaledale Ropey and Dk which is 90p for 10g.