My mum taught me to sew

Autumn is here and life is starting to feel a little less adventurous and a bit more woodland mouse hiding in a tree stump storing nuts for winter 🍂

My post in June, asking if anyone needed an assistant, led me to Alston where I learnt the basics of machine knitting and started knitting for a small knitwear brand called Chameleon.

I am now back in Kendal, in my house until it sells. We currently have an interested buyer, so I’ll probably be on the move again before Christmas, but everything is uncertain so I’m trying to just go with the flow.

So for now, I have a cozy house and a knitting machine and I am creating some lovely woollens to sell over the coming months.

I am also continuing to knit for Chameleon and visiting Julia in Alston regularly to drop stock and get knitting tips.

Another exciting addition to being back in Kendal is that I am now the newest member of the team! You will find me helping out in the shop on Saturdays, surrounded by fabric, wool and all Luna Lapin furry friends!
I absolutely love it! They are such a friendly bunch and it feels like a privilege to work in such a beautiful shop helping people find supplies for their next creative project.

It has been really busy the last two weekends, I think we are all busy storing ‘nuts’ to keep us occupied over winter.
What shape are your nuts?
Mine are definitely shaped like balls of wool this year! 🧶🧶😂

This may not look like much but it is the beginning.

A seed which I cannot wait to see grow.

The continuation of my life as a creative bean.

When I see this it’s like little fireworks explode in my brain, ideas, possibilities and the places it may take me.

The excitement is bursting to get out but it feels too new to let myself feel it.

We did some natural dying in the studio and I love the colours we were able to achieve from onion skins, coffee and red cabbage!

A lot of you knew me as Karen Britton but for those I have met in the last 7 years, a ton of you!, you know me as Karen Bond, but for 36 years before that I was Karen Britton and it’s time to go back!!!
The divorce is nearly final and I’m ready for the next chapter of life.

Exciting times 😁😁😁

😁

My first piece of knitting in Alston.

Something simple to get me started. I couldn’t resist adding a bit of hand stitched detail using the Swiss darning technique. It follows the knitted stitches adding a layer on top of the original stitches. I love the delicate mohair, it is wool left over from a cardigan my sister knitted for me, so it extra special ❤️

Next stop - Alston, very high up in the North Pennines!

I have been here a week and have already learnt so much!

I am being hosted by the lovely Julia who has a knit ware brand called Chameleon. I am helping her in her knitting studio and it is such an amazing space full of wonderful books, gorgeous wool and creativity!

I’m living in her daughter’s cottage while she is away and there is a shetty called pixie who lives in the field down the lane!

What more could I want!!

I have not had my sewing machine with me at the farm so I have been painting lots of cards.

I have learnt over the years that I need to be creative to keep me happy.

Next week is my last week in Forres, I will be heading back to Cumbria to help at a machine knitting studio in Alston 😀

I will also be picking up my sewing machine!!😀

I have begun a little journey, I’m not sure where it’s going to take me. It’s exciting and scary in equal measures.
It’s been nine months since my husband and I separated. Our house is now on the market and I have left Kendal to go exploring 😊
I’m hoping to find makers and crafts people to work with, learn with and share skills with.
Currently I’m volunteering at farm in Scotland and hoping to pick up some weaving skills while I’m here.

Are you an artist or maker who needs an assistant or would be happy to share their skills in return for some labour?? Or do you know of any?

I don’t know how to go about this 🤣 so I’m just letting you all know what I’m doing so that you can spread the word and maybe something will come up?

Thanks
Karen x

Some amazing embroidery at Lancaster museum!

The tiny lion standing in a crown with a crown on his head is my fav 😂. Second to last pic.

Tomorrow Sunday 19 May is our last Sewing Club for a while as we take a break for the summer.🌞⛱

We will return in the Autumn, with the same friendly social vibe and a renewed focus on sharing repair skills. 🤗🧵🧶

Watch this space for further details... or sign up to our mailing list at https://www.simplyrepair.org.uk/simply-repair-news/💚

I have found a few craft groups to visit while I have been in New Zealand. This Creative Fibre group in Cambridge have been so welcoming and friendly.

This week I finished a hat for a knit along some of them are doing. Hats made for cancer patients, sponsored by the local Lions group.

A few weeks ago they lent me a spinning wheel so that I could learn to spin at home. It kept me occupied when I caught covid a few days later!

I was able to take my mum along this week and she has signed herself up for the year 😁

I think one of my favourite things in life is having a lovely bunch of creatives to spend time with!

I’ve been wanting to find time to do this for ages ❤️

Easter weekend was full of sunshine, knitting and reading 🥰

I finished my name badge in time for lunchtime sewing club at the school today.

Their setup is amazing! A massive room with one wall of floor to ceiling cupboards with sliding doors that double up as a white board. At least 20 sewing machines and everything you could want for sewing, knitting, crochet. It is such a great resource for the kids. I kinda want to be a sewing teacher at their school now 🤣

I found out that the club was the brainchild of the local quilting group set up with support from the sewing teacher at the school.

There were over 20 kids there mending, sewing, knitting and leaning new skills.

Inspirational 🙂

Name badges 🐼🌱

On Thursday I’m helping at a lunchtime sewing club at the local school here in New Zealand.

I always think it’s nice to have a name badge when you are doing workshops because I know how bad I feel when I forget people’s names 😅 I don’t mean to forget, I think things just fall out of my head when I’m excited or overwhelmed 🤣

So much beautiful flower inspiration in Singapore. I spent two days roaming about there in the crazy humidity on the way to New Zealand.

🥳 Got my knitting needles through airport security. This is definitely going to make the next 13 hours more bearable 🙂

I’m off to New Zealand for 2 months to visit my family and I cannot wait to see them!!

Sewing Club is on this Sunday!
It would be lovely to see what you are all working on ❤️🧵❤️

A few Little Ladies ready for Christmas Market on Sunday 10th Dec, 10-3
Kendal Parish Hall

✨ A small embroidered drawstring bag for you to keep treasured things in.