Last month I took up a new hobby: knitting.
After a sceptical start, I’ve been sucked up in the knitting craze… and it looks like it’s going to last. I mean, it’s only been a month and I’ve already knitted 4 pairs of fingerless gloves!
My first pair was bright and colourful
Then I switched to some elegant tweedy yarn for my husband’s pair, and to grey & purple shades for a couple of Christmas gifts.
The Fibreworks in Chipping Norton can be held responsible for my latest addiction.
If you care to step inside, you’ll see why.
First of all, it’s chock full of lovely yarn
even jewelled yarn!
They also sell pretty ribbons,
Colourful threads,
Wooden needles, that feel good to the touch and are great to work with,
Felt-making kits,
and beads & buttons.
There’s a cozy nook for knitting – in case you want to take a one-to-one class (like I did).
Claire and Lesley, the owners, also organise two knitting groups in their studio upstairs – you can just drop in, meet other knitters and work on your project, knowing that help is always on hand if you get stuck… or drop a stitch 
The shop is always gorgeous, but I particularly like the way Lesley and Claire styled their Christmas window. They went for a cheerful, lovely Scandinavian red & white theme:
I love the bay tree (minus leaves) painted red
and all their gift-wrapping ideas
Inside, they have a traditional Christmas tree with a twist: instead of glass baubles, the tree is decorated with yarn balls with tiny wooden needles, and knitted ornaments!
So, now that you’ve seen the shop, do you feel like taking up knitting too? And did the Christmas decorations inspire you?
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Thank you!
{ 18 comments }
Nice
. I’ve always knitted (since I was 10 and my grandmother taught me). But it is an on and off occupation. Presently off, when everybody else is on. But I enjoy knitting.
Thanks Nini! My grandmother used to crochet while my mum used to knit (she stopped because she had a painful shoulder problem) but I always thought of knitting as boring…Instead I find it very soothing, and addictive.
I love visiting yarn shops! When I was little my grandmother was always knitting and we often visited the local yarn store on a Monday before going to her house for tea. I’ve retained my love of seeing colorful selections of yarn. Sometimes I knit, but not much recently. Maybe I should start again
All those colours and texture are fascinating, every time I visit I feel like buying something – and must restrain myself
Oh they look so warm Cristina! You have the talent for knitting!
With many more cold days in front of us what a great hobby. I have done very little knitting, but would love to pick it up again. My girlfriend gave me a short thin scarf that was so colorful and useful, that I wear it in the house. Although I tried to make something similar for myself, I never got it done. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you Jenny, I’m glad you like my knitting, and most of all I’m happy to get you inspired
I love the shop Cristina. There is a knitting shop in my town and they also give classes and you can drop in during the evenings to knit or crochet. I do so miss my crocheting, especially now that the winter temperatures have set in!
Hi Angela, you’re right – working with yarn seems the perfect thing to do in Winter! My grandmother used to crochet, and she was good too…but so far I prefer knitting. And I love the social aspect too – I enjoy chatting with other knitters
Oh, I love those fingerless gloves. These pictures are so warm and cozy. Here, Cristina, there is a yarn shop, but I normally buy mine at the outdoor market on Tuesdays. It’s not pretty like this
but they have great stuff, also cashmere from Biella. Merry Christmas to you and your husband! I hope that 2012 brings you beautiful, wonderful things. xo
Ah cashmere…I love it, but I’ll have to wait until I’m better at knitting before I try working with cashmere – I don’t want to waste it, it’s so expensive! Thanks for your kind words, and for your best wishes – I wish you the same to you and your husband
xo
Love to knit . . . wish we had a shop like that here (hmmmm I wonder if I can own and operate two shops?)
Well, owning two shops seems like a lot of work to me…but if you have the passion (and are good at organising!) why not?
Cristina, I so love to drop by here because your photos are so evocative, colour rich, light filled, and capture a bright, positive energy. It’s a real home from home like stepping into somewhere familiar and welcoming and heartwarming. Thank you for sprinkling some rainbow dust in a world too used to dark and grey these days. Have a blessed Christmas and I wish for you and your family a year of pure delight and magical surprises to keep you forever smiling.
John, thank you so much for your kind, beautiful words…you truly have a gift for writing! It’s good to know that my photos bring you light & joy, and make you feel good – that’s what I hope they do to everyone who comes across my blog!
Hugs xx
I wish you a wonderful Christmas too, and a sparkling 2012
I learned to knit when I was seven! I knit most evenings …. I sew during the day. Your mitts are lovely – now you will have to do matching scarves!
Thanks Anne
I don’t know about scarves though…I’d actually like to knit a tea cosy for my teapot!
Cristina, as always your pics are fantastics !
And now, a few words in spanish:
He podido ver a través de tus imágenes la tienda! He podido imaginarme el olor, la tempertura, las texturas de los materiales.. Gracias! Ha sido una visita especial.
Me encanta tejer, para mi es una forma de meditar “de bolsillo”.
Un abrazo de Felíz Navidad!
Thank you Patricia! I love your definition of knitting – meditation in a pocket – it’s true,. knitting is like a form of meditation.
Un abrazo de Felíz Navidad to you too