Breien is niet to stoppen!

The year 2010 has arrived and almost a month of it has passed and despite the horrific weather the faithful followers of Idle Hands were out in January handing out hats in the center of Amsterdam to people who fancied a little yarnie love.

Courgette and chocolate cake was served which was better than the broccoli cake I had been treated to a few nights before.

There has been a lot of interesting interest in our Idle Hands group this year; first Nat and I had our portraits taken for a project about diversity in the crafting world. Then just last week another photographer came to take pictures for her portfolio.

This week not only were we photographed but we were interviewed by De Trouw newspaper which is one of the main daily reads.

It was in today's paper and was gifted a massive full-page article with big photo starring our very own Claartje, Donna, myself and Nat who also got his nifty fingers displayed on the next page with some of Elenna's knitting and even an introductory role on the front page atop the title 'Knitting isn't going anywhere' which is a very true statement. Let's hope that the year has success for us and we do get the events that we want...

The photos are in!

Last night's Idle Hands Amsterdam was a mixture of sadness and joy. With one sweet hand, our friend and photographer Tia Ryan handed over a pile of cd's containing the fruits of our labor for the website and the packaging photos but with the other hand she waved us a sad goodbye as after just over two years of being with us, Tia is returning to the US for a new life in New York.

We wish her luck but we also wish she wasn't going.

Here is a sneak peak of a few of the pictures that were taken on that day....

Kloos Vintage and the Idle Hands photo shoot!

Kloos Vintage at the beautiful Westergasfabriek in beautiful Amsterdam on the 14th and 15th November was a fantastic weekend and Idle Hands was very happy to have been invited.

Nestled in amongst the stalls of vintage clothing, designers (including Bas Costers!) and some mad bric-a-brac, our little knitting circle was colourful, fun and really rather popular. 

We taught some knitting and some crochet as well as re-kindling the yarn-love-light for a few people who had lost touch with their knitting.

With the market going on into the wee hours of the morning; wine was drunk (as usual) and knitting was done on the dance floor. 

One of our main highlights was the shooting of the photos for the Idle Hands website. The gang were more than happy to dress up and run around with some knitting in the freezing cold. 

Idle Hands loves its dedicated group of friends and the final photos taken by our delightful Tia Ryan are fantastic.

Last Wednesday we held the first Idle Hands Fourth Wednesday Workshop at The Treehouse with Sanne at the helm to show people the basics of lace knitting. It was a huge success and everyone really enjoyed it, all coming away having learned something and had some fun too.

Sanne was a great teacher and I hope that she will do some more workshops in the future. I will do the one for August, a workshop on circular knitting. I am pleased that at the group we are now all interested in developing skills together and becoming better crafters. It makes the group more interesting for new members and certainly brings something to the people who have been coming for almost a year.

This week is a busy one what with moving house and all that, the Yarnies Picnic is this weekend and I hope that we get the weather for it! Right now it's raining (but we have a week, so pray that the Dutch weather gets it's act together and starts to behave like August!) it's also the week for shooting the video tutorials for the website and this saturday is the Idle Hands Knitter's Kits photoshoot!

I still haven't finalized the packaging! eek!

I will take some deep breaths and remind myself of the fact that I can't sort this kind of thing out on a Sunday anyway. I will have a cup of tea instead.

Knitted Links

This morning I am a happy man. Don't you just love it when things are going well and the future seems bright!

Yesterday was so much fun with the regular and new members of the Idle Hands crafting community. People shared and developed their skills, sad looking everyday objects got some fiber love and we even recruited a few new members.

Now there is talk of having a crafters event this winter at the ABC Treehouse and so I am excited to be on the planning team of that. I will keep you posted on it's progress. All I know for now is that Maila from Penelope Craft is totally on board. Good news!

In other plans to work together with fellow yarn organizations, the Yarnies Picnic is still in the early planning stages but there is so much excitement and enthusiasm amongst crafters about it that it can only be a success. 

Now I am going to sit and wait for Tuesday night's Idle Hands Delft group so that I can be around some more yarnies doing what they do best. Gossiping.

Knitting at the Amsterdam Urban Cultural Event

This was fun. A day in the Spui outside the American Book Center in Amsterdam with good friends, lots of yarn and loads of people thinking that knitting and crochet is great! It was fun to plan and promote with the ABC and Donna on the Amsterdam English Breakfast Radio Show. I love going on there. I am so vain! I even watched it back online in the evening. 

I want a chat show. I WANT ONE!!!!

New faces joined with the lovely Malia and Sanne who we all really hope become regular faces at Idle Hands Amsterdam and all the other events that we are going to do!

It was great to get together and bond over small pieces of knit and crocheted fabric. Marjan finally came out of the closet and crocheted in public realizing that it's actually appreciated when people do nice things in public and that they won't spit at her for making lovely chains of flowers to cheer up a lonely tree.

The event attracted quite a number of people, some who came and sat with us and others who took photos, business cards and asked about the Idle Hands meetings that take place in Amsterdam every Wednesday. There was even interest from a rather handsome Irishman who learned to knit as a child; I hope that he comes!

There have also been lots of ideas about the Fourth Wednesday Workshops. Sanne is going to take the first one which will be in lace knitting. I think that it's going to be a popular one and will be interested to see the reaction to the Facebook event page that I will make for it.

Rick was the planner of the Urban Cultural Event and we chatted after about having a crafter's weekend event with all kinds of things going on. We could have it at The Treehouse and try to get some big names involved. I like this idea and will work on it with Malia and Pauline to make the proposal in a few weeks.

It really feels like big things are beginning and I like the way it feels!

Guerilla Knitting and Graffiti Crochet!

This is exciting! Idle Hands will be a part of their first professional engagement and it's set to be a good one!

The Amsterdam Urban Culture Event was first held last year by the American Book Center on Spui. This year the graffiti artists will return to pimp up people's sneakers, umbrella's, nans and whatever and we will be there to bring some well-needed yarn art to the otherwise sad and chilly-looking local benches, lampposts and railings. We may even give the odd parked bicycle a bit of a spruce with some cheeky knitted and crocheted bands of colour and love!

I am hoping that we will be able to have a repeat of the success that we experienced on World Wide Knit in Public Day. Although why can't everyday be a World Wide Knit in Public Day?