Thursday, May 03, 2007
RULE KNITANIA!
An English Garden...
All right then, this is the problem: I have always had a thing for England. Blame it on my genes or an education steeped in Victorian literature (loved those gothic novels) along with a fasination for British history, and too many cups of tea served via a properly warmed teapot. I see this as a land rich in history and tradition yet quirkily eccentric and inventive. Yes, I loved the Beatles and, yes, I swooned over men with British accents (had to marry one). So, when Amal, who also has a place in England, happened to mention the Nutfield Priory as being a place she dreamed of holding or attending a knitting retreat, what else could I do? I just had to go check it out before flying home.
This is what I found: a thoroughly English estate tucked away in the countryside (yet only minutes away from London by train) set amid the perfect April green of the English countryside. Sweeps of bluebells lined the drive as I approached a wonderfully gothic building that could easily have posed as a setting for any one of my favorite Victorian novels. Charlotte Bronte would have felt quite at home. Nutfield Priory has it all: stained glass and mullioned windows, big comfy leather chairs in a floor-to-ceiling library, fireplaces for chilly eves and nooks that seem crafted for knitting circles. Like Amal, I was entranced. 'I want to KNIT here!', I thought. Furthermore, Darcy could come strolling through those arched doors at any moment...
And, if that weren't enough, it has a spa and very modern plumbing quite at odds with the Victorian ambience—no creaky pipes, thank you. In fact the rooms are ultra modern and very posh with heated towel racks, a British invention that just never caught on in North America. Well, my imagination went wild. I imagined Amal and I holding a knitting retreat in such bucolic splendor, could see us taking excursions to Hever Castle and Sisinghurst Gardens with a jaunt into the Victorian & Albert musuem for a private tour of the textile rooms. I imagined relaxed, zen-calm knitters sipping proper tea by the fireside on a glorious September morning while the roses still perfumed the air and we adventure knitted our way through some fabulous creation.
Tea, anyone?
You may well wonder what I'm up to now but more than likely have a strong inkling. Well, I'm talking Knitania of course! Knitania is in the works for September 07 with a home base at the Nutfield Priory resort and spa. Details to follow, but in the meantime, the pictures may tell part of the story. This will be a small group with only ten Knittish people. And, speaking of trips, Knitaly is almost full—only a few spaces left.
The book is finished! Yes! Information and links to follow. I'm having a new page put together just for the book. My nose had been down to the digital grindstone since my return and, at last, it is complete. So glad.....
Amal's Fire Wave...
Posted by Jane on 05/03 at 08:19 PM
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Saturday, April 28, 2007
AMAL’S MISTY MOUNTAIN MOHAIR
Above, a Spanish mountain serves as a backdrop for a field of Amal's mohair honeycomb knit
Now, imagine this: two passionate knitters with artistic leanings spending ten full days together surrounded by incredible scenery and enough yarn to stock a large store. What would you think we'd talk about—life? Food? Lemons? Well, yes, actually, but yarn, color, texture and stitch witchery featured in nearly every moment spent together. We'd be driving through the mountains when suddenly Amal would implore me to dash out and take a picture of the light breaking over the hills, of a particularly vivid sweep of poppies or the sweet pink smudge of cherry blossoms blooming against a mountain.
Then, when we got those pictures home, we'd survey Amal's vast repetoire of knitted and crocheted creations to see which piece best evoked the inspiration behind her designs. So in tune with one another were we, two people who had never met before but felt as if we were sisters of the soul in some way that defies time and distance, that we conspired on three knitting retreats, designs and, yes, another book. Well, two really: she's going to contribute to my organic knitting book and we've decided to produce a pictorial calendar and art book together based on the Spanish landscape (just wait until you glimpse Amal's secret Spain). You see there's no end of trouble I can get into when set loose upon the world.
Amal wears her gorgeous feather&fan shawl
Me modeling Amal's shrug
I found Amal's use of mohair truly inspirational. She weaves it through crocheted treble stitch, she uses it with amazing apomb in feather and fan—she's a mohair maestro endlessly inspired by her home in Spain.
More (much more) to come.
PS: Thanks everyone for all your messages while I was away. I read every one and they made me smile.
Posted by Jane on 04/28 at 09:19 AM
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From the entry 'Wild, Mysterious Australia'.
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| By Christine Jones on 2008 12 28 |
