SECULAR SINGERS FIRST GIG!

The Hackney Secular Singers are pleased to announce that their first gig after only two rehearsals, was a great success! 

We sang at the Victory Pub on Vyner Street in aid of FSIDS, a charity researching the prevention of cot death.

Our two songs, 'Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll', and 'Ever Fallen in Love With Someone You Shouldn't Have Fallen In Love With'  filled the pub with joyous sound, and punters sang along with us!

Well done everyone!

LAAAAAAA! x

Rehearsals are in the church by Bethnal Green Tube on Monday's 7.30, £2 donation. For mailing list choir@prickyourfinger.com

Thank you to Douglas Cape at http://www.z360.com for the picture!

KNITTED WALKING STICK COMPETITION / ROUND 2

Miss Felicity Ford of Missability Radio Show, telephoned me from her hospital bed to remind us that the deadline for the Knitted WalkingStick  Competition Round 2 is on 1st May 2008.

Her website,  www.missability.com/knittingcompetition is unique in it's attitudes to disability. Felix states that if she is going to live with pain then she will do it in style. 

A grey walking stick, inspires the question " Oh dear, what went wrong?" where as a knitting walking stick inspires "Wow, where did you get that walking stick?"

I recommend this competition, because firstly, we all know of someone who uses stick, and we could make their days a lot happier, but secondly, you might get to know the work of Felicity Ford. 

There are two competition categories, 'Fancy dress' and 'The Working World.'  Entries for the competition will be judged by The Oxford Bluestockings, and for each category there is a prize of £40 in yarn vouchers.

Felicity is bravely steering her way through extreme pain, recovering from an operation on her toes, which means she will be able to keep running and dancing for many more years to come. Visiting her in hospital is inspiring. A blaze of colour and creativity in the corner of an otherwise rather bland ward, Felix is busy, making, thinking, writing and talking about love and freedom, and how well she is healing under a beautiful blanket, made for her by her knitting circle.

 Get well soon Felix! And love from all at Prick Your Finger x

HYPERBOLIC SATURDAY

Thank you to the industrious Hyperbolic Crochet Reefers who made Saturday so enjoyable. 

The Hyperbolic Reef Project will be shown at the Royal Festival Hall over the summer. The deadline for first entries is looming, but there is still time. If you wish to make hyperbolic crochet, just ring or e-mail PYF  and we can tell you more. 

Here shows the results of Saturday's work. We have been using plastic bags and scraps of yarn which would otherwise gone to land fill. 

There were so many of us that we spilled out into the street and, whoops! into the pub! (Sorry I couldn't fit you all on this collage)

We are just one of the groups working on the reef and hoping it is going to be HUGE!

Keep up the good work, and for more info about hyperbolic space, coral reefs and the universe, go to www.theiff.org

MOTH ATTACK

As you read this blog, moths are hatching. They are in your wardrobe or wool stash, and ruining everything.  I would like to share tips on how to prevent this happening.

Moths,  (I don't mean fat moths that fly around candles, but the little ones that fly slowly) live off protein fibres, such as wool or silk.  They find them tastier if they are sweaty, or have dusting of your skin.  Moth are shy to hatch, so prefer dark corners like the inside of your bottom draw.

Moth eggs look like grains of sand. They are usually laid on protein, so that the caterpillar has something to eat as it hatches. Arrow no. 2 points to some blurd moth eggs!

Once the caterpillar hatches, and makes holes in your favourite wool,  it makes a cocoon, as shown by arrow 1. It can look like a string of white/ silver fluff.

To prevent moth attack, wash woolens well before putting them back in the draw for the summer. Hoover draws and wardrobe, at least once a year, preferebly on a sunny day, and ask a friend to help you if you find it boring, swapping wardrobe's is much more interesting. 

Moths hate light so a big shake in bright sunlight, they will all drop out.

If a treasured piece does contract moth colony, shake it and put it in the freezer for a month or so, then dry clean or wash. 

Then there's old moth balls... bit smelly but can help and the same goes for cedar wood. 

Here at Prick Your Finger, we haven't had a moth attack yet. All our stock is sealed in plastic boxes and we have moth traps up. They are a bit like a fly trap, in that they attract the males, who then get stuck, HA HA! www.pest-stop.co.uk

Please look after your wool this spring....We sell cedar hearts for your draw and a moth wash made from essential oils, and if the worst comes to the worst, you can rely on our darning service and classes which start in September.