We have bags of activities for you this week ranging from Girl Guides to vintage buttons. And the best bit is that they are all free free free! OK, so knitting isn't exactly a cheap hobby and you might want to buy a coffee and/or some amazing glass buttons, but all the events listed this week will cost you nothing to attend. So come join us in making the best of being knitty in the city. 

Also, we were featured in an article in the Metro newspaper last week, spreading the woolly love a little further. If you've joined us after reading the article, we're looking forward to knitting with you. 

The last few meetings have been packed with those of you craving a little stitching in the cold weather. At The Maple Leaf we took the Canadians by storm, got super-cosy at the back of the bar and certain people tried to sneak off with other peoples' sparkly shawls.  

Stitch and Leader of the Pack 

Details of the next meeting: 

We will be helping the Stockwell Girl Guides to earn their knitting badges this week at the Royal Festival Hall. Although the meeting will continue as usual we would love some helping hands to teach the basics. You do not need to be experienced at teaching, just someone who is enthusiastic and willing to give up a small amount of their knitting time for a good cause. It would be fab if you could come along and help out the Stitchettes. 

TUESDAY, 18^TH NOVEMBER 
Time: From 6pm 
Venue: The Royal Festival Hall 
Address: South Bank Centre 
Belvedere Road 
London 
SE1 8XX 

Map Website Nearest Tube: Waterloo, Embankment

Stitch and Knitting INSIDE Westminster Abbey 

Details of the meeting after next: 

Dixie Nichols welcomes us into her home at the amazing, and Hogwarts-like, Westminster Abbey to stitch, peruse and purchase her amazing vintage glass buttons made by her father from 1946 - 1966. Nibbles and tipples will be provided, so don't miss out on this rather special event. Please take the phone number and directions with you to avoid being lost and knitting yourself into a corner. 

TUESDAY, 25^TH NOVEMBER
Time: 6 - 9pm
Venue: Westminster Abbey
Address: 1 Little Cloister
London
SW1P 3LP  

Website Nearest tube: Westminster, St. James' Park  

For purchases please bring cash or cheque only, no credit cards. (WARNING: You'll kick yourself if you don't!) 

Directions: Go into Dean's Yard through archway off the drive-in in front of the Abbey. Take a left and go into cloisters behind Abbey (if stopped by a Marshall say you are going to Canon Reiss (ignore Private and Residents Only signs)).  Walk to the end of the passage then go right.  Follow the cloister all the way round until you get to a fountain court. Little Cloister no. 1 is to your left, and says Rev'd Reiss on door. 

Stitch and Festive Fair 

Details of the meeting after that: 

We had so much fun at the Create @ Late event earlier this year that we had to go back for a bit of festive fun in The Museum of London. There will be lots of free activities, including Christmas decoration making, and our knitting area. As if that wasn't enough, the museum will be completely open for you to wander round and learn London's history as you knit. 

THURSDAY 4^TH DECEMBER
Time: 5 - 9pm
Venue: Museum of London 
London Wall 
London
EC2Y 5HN 

Stitch and rippit, rippit 

Many of us have stashes of yarn, the odd ball or two picked up here or there, that suddenly starts taking over all available storage space at home (we've even heard of people that have an 'at work' stash too!). But when it comes to knitting a larger project, the costs of buying enough yarn to knit a whole jumper can be prohibitive and in the current climate, many of us are tightening our financial knitting belts.  

Fear not! A budget needn't mean you can't supplement your stash occasionally. An ideal way of getting hold of lots of yarn on the cheap is to look out for good quality jumpers in charity shops and 'frog' or unravel them. You can find a brilliant 'how to' with step by step instructions and pictures on the CraftStylish website, but here are the key points for those of you who can't wait to get started: 

1. Make sure your jumper has been knitted in pieces rather than cut out of a big piece of knitted fabric. You can check this by close examination of the seams and edges. 

2. Carefully pick apart the seams, making sure you don't cut into the knitting itself. A seam ripper tool is useful here. 

3. Unravel each piece into hanks of yarn - this can be done with a niddy noddy or over the back of a chair. Secure each hank in several places with scraps of yarn. 

4. Soak your hanks of yarn in lukewarm water (don't agitate them; you don't want them felting after all your hard work!) and hang them up to drip dry. 

Stitch and Socktopus Shop 

When Socktopus opened its online doors to you back in September '07 we wrongly reported that it was a real-life, go in and have a knit, shop. We are now proud to resurrect that news because Socktopus has gone all bricks and mortar on us and has its very own premises with doors and everything. 

They have classes, Thursday evening knit nights, Sunday afternoon knits, and cupcakes once a month with Bittersweet Bakers. And for spinners, Tuesday evenings are social spin nights with Diane Mulholland.  Drop in with a drop spindle, or your wheel, or just drop in to see what spinning is all about. 

In the spirit of the credit crunch, if you are going to buy then give your dosh and support to your local stores. 

Located at:
Socktopus
Studio 9 
132-134 Lots Road 
London
SW10 0RJ