SILK IS STRONGER THAN STEEL.

Museums Sheffield are currently hosting the Vivienne Westwood exhibition, which was originally shown at the V&A. We like Museums Sheffield, because they had the bright idea of making an exhibition about knitting to run along side the Westwood show. I'm really chuffed because Vivienne Westwood 'told' me to knit when I was a child, so I shall be goggling at those jumpers.

'Get Knitted' opens on July 10th and it will feature the Cast Off Knitting Club back catalogue of films and patterns, and some brilliant public work by brother Shane Waltner, amongst others. 

Sheffield has a heavy history of Steel, so I knitted them some knives, forks and spoons in silk for the exhibition catalogue, because silk, is of course, stronger than steel.

The pattern for this friendly cutlery will be printed in the catalogue.

WE ARE ONE.

Tomorrow, we would like to invite you to Susi Joel's private view at Prick Your Finger, but we are also one year old, so please come over for one of our unique cocktails served in yellow teapots.

SHEEP OF THE WEEK

Sheep of the week is the Ryeland, as mentioned in the Monmouth Cap post, below.  They originated in Herefordshire  and became known as Ryelands because they grew up in the rye growing areas, where they would graze over the emerging plants, thickening them up. By the early 20th C. they had almost died out, and the Ryeland Society was set up in 1903, to protect them.  They are popular for small holdings because their wool has exceptional felting qualities, and is good for hand spinning. Thank you to this Scottish farmer for his delightful video.

MONMOUTH CAP IS BACK!

Fluellen, Henry V, Act IV, scene 7 reads...

"Your magesty says very true: if your majestie is remembered of it, the Welshmen did good service in a garden where leeks did grow, wearing leeks in their Monmouth caps; which, your majesty knows, to this hour is an honourable badge of service; and I do believe your majesty takes no scorn to wear the leek upon Saint Davey's day."

Stephen doesn't have a leek in his Monmouth cap because he is not Welsh, but Louise is Welsh, and she has just made a pattern for one in PYF Black Welsh Mountain DK.  

The Welsh town of Monmouth lies on the River Wye, not far from Archenfield, a region noted for it's Ryeland sheep. Ryeland produces wool which is great for felting.  Being near the river for easy distribution, and near the sheep for wool, Monmouth was perfectly situated to become a centre of a knitting industry. 

The industry produced several kinds of knitted goods, but became best known for it's caps, which they couldn't stop making and exported across England and Wales and the continent. The Monmouth Cap was at it's trendiest in 15th and 16th centuries, when we simply adored them. In 1488, Henry VII made the Cappers Act, which imposed a fine for the wearing of foreign- made caps. Why should we wear other caps, when we were so proud of our Monmouth knitters.

 Elizabeth I, in 1571, still loved the caps and made a statue "An Act for the Continuance of the Making of Caps," list 15 crafts related to their production, and it required that "...all males above the age of six, except some of certain state and condition, shall wear upon the Sabbath and Holydays, one cap of wool knit, thicked and dressed in England, upon the forefeiture of 3s 4d...." Wives "were constrained to wear white caps of woolen yarn, unless their husbands were of good value in the Queen's book or could prove themselves gentlemen by descent..."

the Monmouth cap was nearly always brown, with a button on top and a tag to hang it up, but there are some records of them being red.  Ryeland fleeces became much sort after and caps started to be made from other sheep breeds.  They became so fashionable that people started making them everywhere and the term 'Monmouth' refered only to the style, and not to the place of origin. This cap was made at Prick Your Finger in London, and the rest of the information on this fascinating subject, including the Monmouth caps sailing to the new World, can be found in the essay "A Short History of the Monmouth Cap" by Jennifer L.Carlson,  www.personal.utulsa.edu/~Marc-Carlson/jennifer/Monmouth.htm from where this whole post was lifted.

PYF ON THE HIT PARADE!

We were delighted to discover this lovely new song "Cryptorchild" by Maralyn Manson, that seems to be about us!

Prick Your Finger, it is done, 

The Moon has now eclipsed the sun,

The angel has spread it's wings,

The time has come for bitter things.....

Except I think he meant to say 'better' things!  Oh well, anyway, thank you Maralyn, we do appreciate it!

PSYCHOSTITCHGEOGRAPHY 2.

This weeks Psychostitchgeography, shows Louise's calculations for the knitted beards and moustaches, from ZZ Top to Freddie Mercury, and adaptable for The Rubbishmen and other bearded people. 

Coming soon in Amelia's Magazine - a brilliant publication which can be found at www.ameliasmagazine.com   

Issue 9 ready for pre -order!

SHEEP OF THE WEEK!

While Louise rounded up Wiltshire Horn sheep  in Wales last weekend, she took these pictures for us! Louise's brother Oliver keeps these rare breed sheep, mostly to feed his family, but also for the wool. Louise's task was to move the sheep from the top field, where they had been enjoying the long grass, down to the salt marsh, where they are encouraged to eat seaweed, to improve their flavor before slaughter. 

Like all Bo Peeps, Louise had to find the sheep first, so she followed the clues of poo on the path and fleece on the fence. There was a lot of fleece on the fences because Wiltshire Horns, shed their wool once a year, which means Oliver doesn't have to shear them and Louise and the blackbirds can collect it. For the rest of the morning, Louise ran backwards and forwards watching little tails run away from her until they arrived at the salt marsh. 

The sheep really liked their new pasture, as you can see from this video...