Speed Knitting & Crochet at Ruthin Crafts Centre.

I only heard about this yesterday! It is in conjuction with Sophie Horton as Artist in Residence.

Thursday 21st May 2009, 7p.m.

Education Room, Ruthin Craft Centre, Ruthin, Denbighshire

During the opening evening, we are running and unusual and quirky event - speed knitting versus speed crochet!

Two teams, one in each discipline, will stitch their stuff against each other and the clock, to see who can create the longest and most colourful ribbon of textile beauty.

Sophie will be here to oversee the event and we would love as many people as possible to come and take part. It will run over a 45 minute period on the evening of Thursday 21st May 2009, starting at 7p.m. in our education room. Please bring your knitting needles & crochet hooks with you.

This is a free event. Please contact Ruthin Craft Centre direct on 01824 704774 to book your place.

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I called them to check needle sizes - "no. 8" (obviously metrication hasn't hit North Wales yet!) - and it turns out you don't need to book at place at all, just turn up. So I'm wondering just what is going to happen at the event.

Mysteriously, it isn't listed on the British Hand Knitting Confederation's events website. They can't really be unaware of the speed knitting & crochet events that have been a regular feature of the Knitting & Stitching Shows since 2001? Uh oh, maybe they can. Sometimes it seems the "art" end of the craft world operates in a parallel universe from the grassroots crafts scene...

Anyone else fancy a meet up there? I'm still the UK's fastest recorded crocheter, so maybe that will give the crochet team a headstart!

http://www.ruthincraftcentre.org.uk/ The Rozanne Hawksley exhibition is on until May 31st too. She is giving two free talks on Friday 29th May - tickets still available for the 11.30 a.m. talk. She is also giving a discursive workshop on the Saturday (£22.50) and there are still a few places on that - contact the craft centre for more info. I'm going to both the talk and workshop - the workshop can be my birthday treat for the previous week!

Age of Experience exhibition at Ruthin Craft Centre

I went to the private view for this exhibition last night. Put it on your calendar! I wanted to see it when I heard that several of my favourite craftspeople were included. Here's a list of useful links -

to the exhibition and Ruthin Crafts Centre general information

Fred Baier - check out his manifesto

Svend Bayer - if you like Japanese Bizen ceramics, you will probably like his work too

Gordon Baldwin - three of his atmospheric ceramic vessels are the first things when you enter the main gallery

Richard La Trobe-Bateman - one of his bridges is in the second gallery, a truss bridge similar to this. The first time I saw his work was in 1982, when I was the life model for the A-level art exam. Our tutor had one of these high back dining chairs. It was amazingly comfortable to sit on for 3 hours!

Caroline Broadhead

Peter Collingwood - I can't find any photos online showing similar work to the pieces on display except this. He died in October 2008. The work in the exhibition shows an intreiguing manipulation of the warp, held in position with thin metal bars. It looks superficially a bit like sprang netting but it is woven, not twisted. He called them macrogauzes.

David Drew"s willow trugs were some of the most desirable (and affordable) "take me home" pieces, so I'd be surprised if there are any left for sale soon! I've tried to find some links but nothing much is coming up in Google (why do other people like MPs and fiction authors have to share the names of someone you are Googling?!) He is part of the Coopérative Vannerie de Villaines-les-Rochers (hopefully that link will give you the English translation of their site.

Elizabeth Fritsch - her ceramics have an almost velvety texture in real life, something I hadn't realised from only seeing photos.

Walter Keeler - my favourite pots are always going to be his salt glazed jugs but the ink-glazed teapots in a group of three are very desirable (one was sold last night). There are some other ink and salt glazed pieces for sale in the gallery shop, so you get double the work on view.

Annette Meech - large glass bowls are displayed - see some similar pieces here - and Christopher Williams . Together they are Glasshouse de Sivignon.

Mary Restieaux - ikat weaving. Panels are displayed in the exhibition simply framed against handmade paper, in a narrow black frame. The idea would work well for my vintage kimono fabrics... More work here and here (scroll down second post).

Michael Rowe

Richard Slee

David Watkins


Have fun exploring the links!