World Wide Knit In Public Day

Photos today are of the All Shawl by Doris Chan that I made for the Knitting Noras raffle. Alice won the shawl and had a choice of the ones that I had made and chose this one. I had intended to take a photo of her wearing it but I think I got waylaid by one of Deb's chocolate muffins. I intend to do a lot of things these days that I never quite get around to doing. I am sure I have said this before but I love making this shawl it is so easy to do. I really must make one for myself. I have a bag of shades of purple and lilac oddments that I plan on using one day.

Today is World Wide Knit in Public day and I will hopefully be off to try and find the Whitworth Art Gallery to join a few friends in a Knit Out this afternoon. I am ashamed to say that even though I have lived in the Greater Manchester area all of my married and post married life I have never been into the Art Gallery. My intentions when I retired where to find the time to visit all the museums and art galleries that I never found time to visit when I was working but then my spinal problems got in the way. Sigh. I hopefully will have many more years to fulfil my ambitions in the future once this darn knee co-operates.

I went up to Bury Market yesterday and of course came back with some yarn for my stash. Nothing very exciting hence no pictures. I don't think that you want to see a photo of several balls of black do you? Yes I know I am going to Woolfest soon but I really am not a wool orientated kind of girl, due to allergies, irritations and itches, so I knew that I will not be buying much from Woolfest unless they have a stall that sells non wool. I have nothing against wool and can admire it and can actually knit and crochet with it, unless the dye irritates my fingers, but I don't see any point in buying something that I know I will not be able to wear. I do buy wool when it is for a present for my family.

I get a bit annoyed with some of the forums on Ravelry who berate anyone who doesn't use wool saying don't use nasty acrylic and say extremely derogatory things about peoples work when it is not in wool etc. Why can't they just admire the quality of the workmanship and not be so snobby as to presume garments are awful if they are not made in super duper wool. I thought that the site was to encourage camaraderie amongst knitters and crocheters. People have reasons why they don't use wool whether medical or economical so nasty comments are not very friendly. I don't tell people off for using wool. If they like it and can wear and afford it then buy it and use it. I don't mind. When I last checked it is a free country and people have freedom of choice. I read somewhere that one person said surely it is better to save up and make one decent garment a year rather than dozens of things that are tat! Obviously NOT a true crafter. I make things for the joy of doing them and would have to be a millionaire to afford to keep up with my fingers if I only used expensive yarns. As for limiting myself to making one garment a year - well that doesn't bear thinking about. Yes I know all the arguments about acrylic not being biodegradable but as I keep and wear most of my garments for years none of them have yet finished up in landfill. When I have finished with them I unravel and make into other things. Waste not want not is my motto.

The sun has gone in. It was so lovely when I first got up. I do hope that it doesn't rain as I don't fancy catching a metro and then 2 buses to the art gallery in the rain. Stay sunny please!