Knit Design Experience Workshop from Knit-1, Brighton

This is some of my work from the course!

Some knitting course news from Knit-1! The best training that you can get for machine knitting. Due to popular demand, they have created short 1 week courses. Thinking of taking an experience holiday? This is a cool option to consider. Maybe this is something you want to ask Santa for Christmas! They've sent me this message, details about new courses as follows. Email me at makingthingsblog AT gmail DOT com to get more info.

We are contacting you to tell you about our 2 new one week courses or as we
like to call them knit design experiences. Come and learn in our wonderful premises
in Brighton , UK and make quality designs to fashion industry standards.

Make a stylish fully fashioned Garment in one week

Learn to use Industrial Knitting Machines in one week

Both are full time Monday to Friday 10am- 5pm
All yarns included in the cost.

Dates and Fees

Make Garment 23rd - 27th November 2009 £ 300 + vat
8th - 12th March 2010 £ 300 + vat

Industrial Machine Knitting 15th -19th February 2010 £ 300 + vat
19th -23rd April 2010 £ 300 + vat


Our next 6 week course starts Monday 9th November and further 6 & 12 courses start Monday 11th January 2010

I'm Bored, Let's Make Something

British Vogue, November 2009

It's officially two weeks since I came back from England to Canada. It's taken some time to adjust, such as the time difference, the words we use and even the money (today, I handed a cashier a twenty pound bill without even realizing it until she looked at it funny!). And I kinda miss the soaps I used to watch like Coronation Street and Emmerdale (we're like ten months behind on the episodes over here.

The good news is that I'm back and my room and studio are just as I left them, a bit messy and chaotic. It's time to sort through all the old bits and do a good clearing out. Just as I was leaving England, I had to toss out a lot of things that I would hoard, use up a lot of cosmetics and lotions, give away stuff to charity shops. Clearing out feels good. As they say, a tidy desk lends to a clear mind.

So I've been setting stuff aside for charities that phone up to pick up things. Still a lot of go through, but I intend to make it a regular habit to clear out useless things.

Something I saw on BBC telly before I left was featuring a trend towards "make do and mend". This was the phrase that our grandparents would recall especially in England during the World Wars when rationing was enforced. People used to make everything themselves if they could. It seems that now, we are a dependent society, we don't know how to make or repair anything! In this month's issue of British Vogue, the focus is on "dash cash", more dash than cash, "diy couture"; reporting that sales in the haberashery department at Liberty has doubled in the past year (funny, since they also devote less space to it now). So is DIY finally going mainstream?

Hopefully, maybe. I'm pretty bored of shopping anyways. Shopping for a finished product is instant gratification that can be excessive and the feeling is over in ten minutes or so. Making something allows you to stretch out the gratifying experience of creating something. It's selecting the fabric, buying the notions, cutting a pattern and putting it together, and for some of us showing it off on our blogs or Flickr account. It's a journey, it's a challenge, it's expressive and a lot of fun.


Haberdashery accessories from Liberty via

Rugs by Amy Butler

Just discovered these beautiful rugs by textile print designer, Amy Butler. Every aspect of these rugs are made by hand from 100% New Zea land wool. I love the use of color in these, bright and bold, yet refined and subdued. I wish I was in the market for a rug like these! see more here.

Country Girls- Chanel

Chanel Spring 2010 via Style.com

Remember the Sex and the City episode where Carrie goes to the countryside with Aidan? This Chanel collection reminds me of that. A city girl going country and being totally inappropriate. I find it rather amusing (see the sky scraper clogs), but I can appreciate the beautiful workmanship of the clothing as many pieces featured knitting and crochet.

Cosy Time

I found this photo in French Vogue, September 2009 issue. The sweater is Chanel. I LOVE it.

It's been raining for three days straight here in Brighton. I suppose it was about time it rained since we had such gloriously outstanding weather in September. This type of cold, wet weather warrants staying in and staying cozy in cashmere and drinking tea. I'm just about packed up to move home now.

Dr. Hauschka- London

Dr. Hauschka, 12 Needham Rd, London

I made a visit to the Elysia Shop in Noting Hill. They've recently changed the signage to say Dr. Hauschka, but they also sell other product ranges such as their Liv organic clothing line, beautiful organic cotton basics and house linens. I went there to get the Biodynamic Growing DVD. A good video reference if you are interested in the subject. I plan to try some of the techniques when I get home.

Essential Skin Care

Dr. Hauschka muslin cloths and Cleansing Cream via

When I wored as a shop manager selling natural and organic skin care products, I get to try out a lot of products as a result. While there are many great products out there, nothing compares to Dr. Hauschka's Cleansing Cream. I've been on and off their products, and all I can say is that nothing works better for blemish prone skin. I've tried other non-grainy cleansers and found that impurities would get trapped and build up in the skin, later resulting in break outs. I went back to using the Cleansing Cream and found that it resolved this problem. The other product that I would say is essential for me is the Sage Bath used in a hot and cold compress during cleansing. Sage is known to draw out impurities and help to detoxify. These two products really make an immense difference spot prone skin, in conjunction with the other recommanded products. But basically, what I mean to say is that cleansing properly is vital to healthy skin.

Virginia Johnson

Virginia Johnson print dress via. Illustration by Virginia Johnson via.

I love beautifully printed textiles. I learned about Virginia Johnson about 5 years ago when she illustrated for the series of Kate Spade books. She's a Canadian based textiles designer specialising in prints. I love how her prints look like water color paintings.


Virginia Johnson

The Icecreamists, Selfridges- London

via

I'm leaving UK in less than two weeks. My days are filled with packing and strategically deciiding what is the best way to get my stuff home. Oh, I'm still tempted to buy more things!

I've also been making trips to London, trying to visit all the places I never quite got around to. I still haven't gotten around to everything...



I did make it to The Icecreamists' ice cream bar at Selfridges. They've got lovely unusual flavors of ice cream, ice cream sandwiches, and alcoholic ice cream. The walls are painted black and furnished with black vinyl sofas, tables and ghost chairs. They've got a stage for special performances. A cool hang out to break away from all that London hustle and bustle! So what flavor did I try? Well, I just had to try their English Rose ice cream. The rose flavor is subtle, and there are actual rose petals in it! They serve the ice cream is these modern looking ice cube shaped cups and little ice cream picts. It's something you just have to go do for the novelty.