Sue over at Knittiotherapy is running a simple marvelous competition.

The prizes are brilliant and included some of Sue's bags which I covet. I particularly love the new glamorous and sexy PVC knitting bag!

PVC and pictures of boobs all on the same blog!

There is a very simple and question to answer. The reason for the competition is to raise money for the Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Sue is marvellous and recently did the Moonwalk. For ever £5 you donate you get a stab at the competition!

How easy could that be!

The IAs have it!

Every year we watch it. Every year we drink too much. Every year we think the UK have a chance. Every year there's an anti-climax. Every year the IAs win and we say we shouldn't enter ever again! Poor Andy, it wasn't the best song, but LAST!

Here are the top 3 results of the I Knit jury:

1. Bosnia & Herzegovina - maybe it was the knitting backing singers, but B&H got top marks from our selective panel on the night!

2. Armenia

3. Ukraine

Selling out

There's been a bit of a trend by advertisers recently to use knitting in their campaigns. We're all for it, even if they play up the 'kookiness' of craft or the traditional ideas of those who knit as opposed to the real situation. Yes, old people do knit, but it doesn't mean there aren't millions of other people of all ages taking it up and making stuff too! Some of these ads have been controversial amongst knitting circles for their subliminal images of knitters, who they are and what they represent, whilst others have taken them as a sign that the craft is growing ever more popular. Surley there aren't enough knitters for the ads to be aimed solely at that particular demographic! So, why use knitting in your ads - we have to assume it's still quirky enough that admen think it'll grab the attention. Considering some of the requests we get at IKL this is probably the case...sadly I don't think we ever quite live up to the image they expect of us. Below there's a few ads that have used knitting in the last few months alone....let us know what you think.

The latest to come our way is this brilliant poster from a French newspaper showing Jack Bauer knitting a gun - it's an ad for Tv on demand so the idea is that he won't have to wait any longer for 24...and for those who care, no, I don't think he is actually knitting, he's holding those needles all wrong!

The Shreddies ad, featuring the 'knitting nanas' caused a bit of a storm - we think it's sweet and funny, but aren't too keen on advertising Nestlé in the first place! You can watch the TV advert here.

Staples TV advert (2008)

Vodafone posters (2008)

Young at Heart film poster (2008)

Love - The Musical poster (2008)

If you see any more let us know, post them here in the comments.

knitting party at KOKO

hi all

The Bestival Team are putting on a party at KOKO in Camden tomorrow night - 24 May - and they would love to see some knitters there.

They have a tipi at the venue in the garden, I think, and they have invited us to be there for free a the, undoubtably, celeb packed party.

Is anyone interested in going?

We have a Eurovision party in the shop so will not be able to be there until about midnight but the are keen to welcome anyone who wants to get there earlier.

The party is to launch the festival season so I reckon there will be lots of lovely indie boys and every band you can name.

post here or send me a message and I will arrange the guest list. 
Gxx

the sadness of the loss

Dear Ireland

I'm really sorry about last night. But, in fairness, a turkey! What did you expect?

I'll miss you on Saturday.

Gxx

Congratulations to Cliff

As we count the days towards this year's I Knit London Eurovision party and the musical event of the year (what do you mean you disagree?!) let's reflect on the news that yet-to-be-Sir Cliff was cheated out of his 1967 win by the fascists in Spain. Don't believe it...read more.

I've always been a secret Cliff fan. His work during the 70s and early 80s is up there with the best. We must forgive him his excursion into Stock, Aitken and Waterman and all those bloody Christmas songs, and forget all about the Lord's Prayer one. Eek. But, perhaps if he'd been rightfully crowned Eurovision king in 1967 his career would've taken a different route altogether. Maybe Franco is responsible for the Millennium Prayer after all.

That's right, a year before Lulu boomed and bang-a-banged her way to Eurovision victory, and a year after Sandie Shaw barefoot Puppet on a String, Cliff made up the UK hat-trick of winners! Only Franco paid off the juries and secured a win for Massiel instead (below).

La La La indeed.

Cliff deserves to be declared our 2nd winner - how's about a performance of Congratulations on 24th May?

Craigxx

I'm not a monkey

I mean, I'm not Boris Johnson.

But if I was what I would probably do now is -

With reference to my blog post of 3 May entitled I Love London. I'm really very, very sorry for my comments and for offending anyone who was offended.

I deeply regret my actions and statements and I am now committed to rectifying my mistakes and making up for it by publicly apologising and retracting my statements.

However, I am not Boris Johnson.

I believe what I wrote and I am still devastated by the outcome. I do not take any of it back. The post has been edited as I am a little embarrassed that I could not control myself and censure myself. 

I do not usually use such language in public. I understand and accept that people are offended by that language but this my blog and I did not write it to provoke or offend. I wrote it because it is what I felt. I am glad that people read it. I feel sure that I will not use language like that again, though, for the following reason.

I am a little annoyed that I was a bit squiffy when I heard the result and this combined with my anger made me act too quickly and I produced a less than eloquent diatribe that does not adequately reflect my IQ nor my my understanding of UK political processes.

That said the post certainly did reflect what I was feeling. I am sorry if you were offended but I meant every word of it. 

Boris Johnson will make a terrible London Mayor and I am sure his actions will prove me right in the coming months and years.

Gxx

I am responding to a comment left on the post

Banksy in Leake Street

We popped around the corner this morning and queued with the hundreds of others to have a peak at Banksy's secret tunnel project, The Cans Festival. This closed down street underneath Waterloo Station has been transformed by Banksy and 29 other artists into a glorious underground exhibition space. Whilst I'm still not convinced that the two things (graffiti and organised exhibitions) go together there's no denying that there's a power to these pieces of artwork that I don't 'get' from many other works of art. For me, it's the stumbling upon them whilst walking around London that gives them an extra frisson of subordination.

What's very funny to me, and just a little ironic, is that I remember coming upon an original Banksy in the very same street a couple of years ago (a monkey with a detonator preparing to blow up a bunch of bananas)...it was unceremoniously painted over by Network Rail who said, "We don't want graffiti on our property and we will remove it," he said. "It's ugly, illegal and the public don't like it." Now, it would seem they've changed their minds!

Go see it, it's only there in full for three days (until 5th May), and best of all the tunnel comes out on Lower Marsh, and only a few yards from I Knit London!
Craig

I Love London

Oh My!

45% turned out to vote.

Shame on the 55% who didn't. Shame on you.

It seems that the country, led by London, has descended into ridiculousness.

I see no other course of action.

We must leave London.

Boris Johnson as mayor is not only a joke but an embarrassment and an insult.

The most cosmopolitan city in the world is chaired by a tory bleeder xxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxx, oh god the fucking words escape me I'm almost breathless.

The only way out of this is if a bendy bus knocks the life out of the inbred twat.

Forgive me for ranting but my whole world order has collapsed and I am struggling.

Shame on you those who didn't vote!