Let's celebrate!

February was an incredibly busy month for Woolly Whatsits. Pitcorthie Primary celebrated its 60th anniversary and to mark the occasion the children worked with me to create the most amazing wall hanging.

Each class drew pictures relating to their topic (all were studying some aspect of the 1950s) and then the children chose one picture from each class to be made in felt. We worked together, class by class, to lay out the fibre and to felt the piece and the panels were sewn together to produce a masterpiece that measures 1.1m by 1.2m. Here it is modelled by my minions;

This hanging represents the work of over three hundred children from nursery to primary 7. We had it ready just in time for the school's open day and the children were so excited to see it on display. I hope they're all very proud of themselves, they did an amazing job.

Critters!

The children and I collected a huge bag of shells on holiday last year then promptly forgot all about them when we got home. I dug them out yesterday to see if I could use them for feltmaking and suddenly this wee Critter was sitting on my worktable.

He's so cute that I've decided we're going to make more at the after-school craft club next week. I have loads of coloured fibre scraps here - can't wait to see what the wee ones come up with.

Upcoming workshop - flower corsage

Use merino and silk fibres to hand felt a beautiful double-layered flower. Add a button and a pin (supplied) so you can wear your creation on your jacket or bag, or to display on a cushion.

Suitable for adults, this workshop requires no previous experience of feltmaking. Price covers all materials.

Upcoming workshop - Valentine cards

Suitable for children and adults, these beautiful felt miniatures made from merino and silk can be removed from the cards and kept as a lasting memento. Two workshop times are available and all materials are included to make a unique card. 

Pitcorthie Primary workshop

Today I was in with one of the primary 3 classes at Pitcorthie PS. The children worked really hard to make these beautiful carpets for the doll houses they'll be making as part of their House & Homes topic.

Beginning Crochet Workshop

Woolly Whatsits is running a beginning crochet workshop throughout February. Every Tuesday morning from Feb 4th we'll be learning a new stitch or technique. If you've always wanted to learn or if your skills are a little rusty, this is the perfect way to ease into the craft.

Sessions are £10 each and advanced booking is required as places are limited. There is also a one-off materials fee of £5 to cover 4 x 25g balls of yarn and a 4mm crochet hook. First week and materials fee payable at time of booking and bookings can be made through Miss Pauley's.

Hope to see you there.

Fancy a crafty party?

Did you know that Woolly Whatsits offers party sessions in the Dunfermline area? Whether at your home or at a venue hired by you, your guests can make up to 2 different woolly whatsits over a single session. 

Choose from Monster Mats, Pebble Pets, Terrible Tentacles, Wiggly Worms and more besides. Just give me a call on 07742952349, or email woollywhatsits@btinternet.com, and I'll work with you to create your child's ideal crafty party. And remember, feltmaking's not just for kids - adult parties are also available.

Children's party rates; £25 plus £2 per item made. Available in Dunfermline area.

Wondering where to find a venue? Miss Pauley's has the perfect party space available.

Parent & Child Feltmaking Workshop

There will be a drop-in Woolly Whatsits parent and child session on Saturday 25th January at Miss Pauley's Craft Centre, 42 Chalmers Street, Dunfermline. Session runs from 10:00 - 12:00 and cost is £4.50 per child.

We'll be using merino wool and a little bit of silk to make these beautiful Winter Skies Miniatures. Every one will be unique as you and your child explore colour and texture to create your own piece. Will you use warm colours or do cool colours suit you best? What silhouettes will appear in your picture? Trees? Hills? Or something else?

As this is a parent and child workshop it is suitable for ages 2 and up. No previous experience is necessary and all materials are included. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

New pattern release - Canmore Cloche

My cousin is an amateur photographer and has been posting beautiful shots of the local area on Facebook, via his RedBubble account. One of these, a photo of the undercroft in Dunfermline Abbey, had all sorts of crocheting possibilities running round my head. Finally, after a few false starts, the Canmore Cloche was born.

This pattern is in the January issue (issue 49) of Inside Crochet magazine and is on the newsstands now. It's available in various newsagents as well as in larger Tesco stores. It's also available digitally from the magazine's website.

The pattern uses raised stitches, cables and different stitch patterns to evoke the pillars and molding of the architecture. Instructions are given for s/m and m/l, meaning that it can be made to fit from child to adult sizes, and it's an easy pattern to adjust for depth.

All this because a photograph on Facebook caught my eye - thank you, Graeme, for letting me use your work as inspiration. Keep posting those gorgeous photos.

Photo credit Britt Spring, courtesy of Inside Crochet, Tailor Made Publishing.