A secret garden with a woolly heart

 

Secret garden needlefelt sculpturesLooking for something inspiring to do this weekend? With the British weather as unpredictable as always, indoor gardens can often be the best option, and if that garden is knitted, felted and stitched, so much the better!

Voluntary Arts Week - Craftbomb!

On the 11th May Voluntary Arts Week are planning an ambitious mission and need your help - to Craftbomb the UK and Republic of Ireland!

So if you are a crafty individual or belong to a knitting, crochet, weaving, arts or sewing group, then this could be right up your street, literally!  Fancy yarnbombing the school fence, covering your gate in crochet flowers or hanging bunting in your local bus stop?  The idea is to colour your community with your craft and have some fun with it!

Issue 106 is on sale now

Master stunning styles and stitches - guest blog from Craftsy

 

Delight in daring designs and luscious textures with Craftsy’s high-definition online knitting classes in brioche, double knitting, entrelac, and many more, up to 33% off today! Learn from the world’s best instructors in the comfort of your home, on your schedule. 

Begin by creating unique, unforgettable scarves alongside the Queen of Brioche, Nancy Marchant, in Explorations in Brioche Knitting. Or join Alasdair Post-Quinn in Adventures in Double Knitting and make reversible accessories with colorwork, mock ribbing, and traveling cables. Then, learn the best kept secret in knitting: entrelac, and master reversible entrelac, entrelac lace, and more, alongside Gwen Bortner in Entrelac Knitting. With your new skills you’ll make alluring hand-knit apparel you can’t wait to wear!

It's the weekend – so here are some alpacas!

As it’s Sunday, we thought we’d treat you to some photos of alpacas (as if we need an excuse)! These fuzzy cuties are a reminder that the British Aplaca Society (BAS) are holding their annual family fun days on 11 and 12 May, and you’re invited. 

Alpacas from Blue Bear

Have you signed up to the Simply Knitting newsletter?

We've been working hard on the new look for our Simply Knitting newsletter, and it'll be winging its way to you next week. In every newsletter you'll get a fabulous free pattern (and we'll reveal the next one on Monday!), and you'll also get a glimpse at the contents of the latest issue of the magazine, details of our new competitions, expert knitting advice, and great reader offers... 

As well as the new fresh look, we've also added new features to make the stories in the newsletter easier to share with your friends, through Facebook, Twitter, Ravelry and Pinterest. And other enhancements will make it better if you're visually impaired and use a screen reader. 

If you haven't already signed up, don't miss out - enter your email address at the top of this page and you'll be added to our list. And we promise we won't send your details to anyone else, or clog up your inbox with junk.

Win a pair of tickets to Wonderwool Wales!

We've teamed up with Wonderwool Wales 2013 to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a pair of tickets to this annual festival of wool and natural fibres, which bursts at the seams with creativity, inspiration and fibre-filled fun.

Reader discounts and offers in Simply Knitting issue 106

We have a great selection of special offers for you in issue 106, which should be dropping through subscribers' doors any day now. If you buy your copy, it'll be in the shops this Wednesday, 17th April.

 

For the 'Vanilla delight' cardigan pattern on page 12, you can get save 10% on the Twilleys of Stamford Freedom Sincere DK yarn when you order it from Deramores or call 0845 519 4573 - quote 'SKTFS'. This offer is valid until 9th May 2013.

Competitions in Simply Knitting issue 106

Issue 106 of Simply Knitting will be in the shops on Wednesday 17th April, and if you subscribe you may have received your copy already. The great prizes up for grabs this month are fun needle gauges, a needle roll, show tickets, and a fantastic book, so don't miss your chance to win - turn to the relevant page in the issue to find the keyword and details of how to enter, and then click the links below to fill in the entry forms.

Win a fun needle gauge

We have 12 fun and funky needle gauges to give away, as showcased in issue 105, thanks to Deramores, KnitPro, Tangled Yarn, Viridian, KaratStix, and 7 Yaks Design. They include a dinosaur, owl, sheep, robot, pom-pom hat, and more...

For your chance to win, turn to page 7 to find this issue's keyword, and then click here to fill in the entry form.