POETRY CLUES!

Watch the worlds biggest and most beautiful poem emerge at the Poetry Society this weekend. There are a lot of letters to stitch together. The poem is still secret but clues are sure to come to those who lend fingers and company!

Here is picture of the lovely cafe, which will be on hand all day.

Here is Philosophy by Gwyneth Lewis

"Knitting is like everything," it's tempting to say.

No. Knitting's like knitting. sure, there's cosmology

in Norwegian sweaters with vertical stars,

but as science that doesn't get us far.

If space is made of superstrings

then God's a knitter and everything

is craft. perhaps we can darn

tears in space- time continuum

and travel down wormholes to begin

to purl in another dimension's skein.

But no. There are things you can't knit:

a spaceship. A husband, though the wish

might be strong and the softest thread

would be perfect for the hair on his head,

another, tougher, that washes well

for his pecs and abdominals. You can stitch a soul

daily and unpick mistakes,

perform some moral nip and tucks-

forgiveness. Look out. your Frankenstein

might turn and start knitting you again.

AKETSUN LOVEABLE COMING SOON.

Aketsun is our new friend from Japan, who has just announced she will jolly up Christmas at Prick Your Finger. An amazing show of stitched windows onto far off knitted lands where brightly dressed dolls love you, will surely be a wonderful experience. Aketsun we look forward to greeting you!

SPECIAL GUEST -LISA ANNE AUERBACH.

One of the perks of being a knitter with an internet connection is that you can get to know knitting cousins in far away places. I think I first became aware of Lisa Anne when we appeared in KnitKnit by Sabrina Gschwandtner and then I've followed her blog and worn her 'Saddlesore' badge ever since. Lisa Anne rocked up to the shop on Saturday. She had a sore butt because some idiot knocked her off her bike on the way to the airport.

We went for a Pint of London Pride. Lisa Anne is here for a solo show at Nottingham Art Gallery which has shut for re building, but they are showing artists in the window. Lisa Anne has made a series of green Nottingham Forest Sweaters for her show entitled "Take this Knitting machine and Shove it". She has knitted the city's rebel heritage into jumpers and mini skirts for merry feminists, and will be talking about her work tomorrow. I recommend it because there isn't anyone quite like her!

Find out more click here.

In the pub, Lisa was knitting a red square for a project on Saturday, where everyone is invited to submit a square with some text.
Lisa Anne's square is knitted with our favourite red Wensleydale Longwool. (She bought some more of it to knit a cardigan.) The idea of attaching text to squares came after experiencing knitting circles in LA where everyone discusses shows on television. Not having a television, she fancied discussing something a bit more in depth.
Then we found ourselves at the Derek Jarman Award ceremony, where there were lots of canopes. We weren't allowed to take our drinks into the cinema, we had to leave them on this table. Lisa Anne had the genius idea of identifying her beer with a bit of red wool. TOP TIP!
Lisa was wearing one of her jumpers. On the front it said

"Strangle the last king with the entrails of the last priest." and on the back it said,

"Mend the roads with the ruins of churches."

Both sayings that the English used to shout in pubs and at protests.

To see and hear more, get yourself to Nottingham tomorrow! Trains leave from St. Pancras and it takes a couple of hours, otherwise, check out Lisa's blog "Steal this Sweater" the link to which is just to the right on this blog!

Thanks for a lovely time Lisa Anne.

WELCOME ANNA VON WILKINSON.

We are delighted to welcome Anna Von Wilkinson into the fold of PYF. Anna is a talented lady who managed to ply a kilo of 'Lavender Puff' on her first day. I would like to apologise to Anna for making her pose for a photo when she was more than ready to go home.

LESLIE HALL - CRAFT TALK.

DON'T FORGET HARRIS TWEED.

For those of us in need of a good weep, may I suggest, in case you'd missed it, the informative documentary about the troubles with Harris Tweed. You can catch up on the i player and there is another episode next week. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00ml5nv/Tweed_Trouble_Looms/

There are some brilliant people out there, bringing the production back to life but it isn't easy. Buy Harris Tweed if ever you can, and if you can't find it or afford it, just talk appreciatively of it, often...

ALTERATIONS PHASE NOS.4&5.

PYF's en vacance, turned out to be a very practical time. We have alterations; please walk this way.

Yes, a new counter. It is constructed with housing joints from one display case top from Cumbria, two kitchen doors found by the river in Oxford, 4 floorboards from Norfolk, an old Ikea bed base from Bethnal Green and a set of fairy lights from Dalston Market. All the shelves light up, it's stained Mohogany on the outside and white gloss on the inside. I made it with lots of help from Louise and Jay.

Then, I thought it looked so good in the shop that it put the wall and door behind it to shame, so on Sunday night, me and Radio 3 knocked it down.
Louise took down the old storage systems and we now have a stage / studio, where we shall make a long thin collapsible table with two benches either side, which we can use for classes, lunches, making, discussions and teas.

Oh, and if you have read this far, you might be nosy, which is fine, and here is the back of the counter, which has a built in bin, bag depositary, and two stationary shelves.