I Knit London Tweets

Monday, May 25, 2009

Sunshine, sheep-shearing and SE1...

We've been a bit quiet of late here on the blog, mainly due to all the other stuff going on! Gerard has taken to Tweeting on Twitter and has been distracted by the new high-tech till in the shop (it does barcodes and everything don't you know?) and we're still working on getting the online shop up and running...it's coming soon, we promise.

Despite all of these distractions we've had time to hold the charity tea party last weekend which raised over £450 for Diabetes UK, from the sale of raffle tickets, cups of tea and cake! Thanks to everyone who popped in on the day and to all those who baked cake and donated prizes. It was a brilliant day all round and we're looking at hosting a regular tea party now and then as anything with cake involved seems to go really well.

We're looking forward to the summer now. It's been a scorchio weekend here in London. Yesterday we tottled over to Spitalfields City Farm in the East End for their annual Sheep and Wool Fayre. We love city farms. We urbanites should do all we can to make the most of such oasises, especially those of us who live in blocks of flats with no green space. Their herb and veg garden put our window boxes to shame! There was a bit of sheep-shearing (Sophie the Southdown looked massively relieved to get that jumper off), felting, spinning, knitting and cakes, of course. It was slightly devastating to see that a huge swathe of the farm had been commandeered by TFL for the East London line extension. I'm only ashamed to say we'd never been before.
With the temperature rising we can't wait for the festival season. We'll be off to the Lake District again this year for Woolfest at the end of June (as visitors only) then in July we're hosting Camp Bestival's knitting tent again. After the success of George, The Great British Sheep last year we're preparing for a deluge of activity. This year's line-up (as well as us!) inlcudes Kid Creole and the Coconuts and Chic. Discotastic! A knitting tent in the grounds of a castle by the sea in Dorset. What's not to love?

Visitors continue to arrive from far and wide to our little IKL. Holiday season in London brings a fresh influx of foreign fibre fans by land , sea and air. We love meeting so many knitters from far flung lands. Last Thursday's knit night was overflowing and we set up a couple of outside tables to cool off as the sun set. It's a peculiarly English thing to make the most of what you've got....we haven't got a paddling-pool yet but with a bit of knitting, a bottle of cider and a bowl of pear drops...well, just close your eyes and you could be a million miles away from SE1!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Diabetes UK

Today we are celebrating Diabetes UK 75th year with a tea party (including lots of cake) and a raffle to raise some well needed funds for the charity.

Without hardly enough time to breath after the Race For Life event - for which the I Knit team have so far raised £4,000!!! - we begging for money again.

To entice the £££ from you we have managed to secure some brilliant prizes.
  • gold dial phone and jewelry from Radio Days, Lower Marsh
  • silver picture frame from Phillips Frames, Lower Marsh
  • precious stone tea light holder from Phillips Frames, Lower Marsh
  • afternoon tea from Greensmiths, Lower Marsh
  • £10 book token from Crockett and Powell
  • manicure voucher from Angela's Nails, Lower Marsh
  • book voucher and yarn voucher from I Knit London
  • luxury afternoon tea for two at The (soon to be reopened) Savoy hotel, The Strand
  • champagne at The National Portrait Gallery Panoramic restaurant
  • signed copy of The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
  • Two tickets for the ultra-hip Shoreditch House Literary Salon hosted by author Damian Barr, including cocktails
  • Four tickets to see the Tiger Lillies in their show Shockheaded Peter at the New Players Theatre, London
  • A bumper breakfast hamper from Grasshopper organic porridge
  • selection of signed books from award winning novelist Stella Duffy…and a visit to your book club from Stella herself!
  • signed copy of Allegra McEvedy’s acclaimed cookbook, LEON
  • Two top-price tickets for Sister Act: The Musical at the London Palladium
  • £45 voucher for Outsider Tart Bakery
  • £50 voucher from Search Press
We also have lots of cakes, some of them kindly donated by Konditor and Cook and The Primrose Bakery. Amy Lamé has even baked some brownies!!!

So, what are you waiting for, get down to Lower Marsh!!!

If you can't make it, raffle tickets can be purchased pver the telephone for £1. 020 7261 1338

Gxx