3 of the best Notebooks

The Knitter loves...
2
Needles
for needles
Pick up your knitting needles
and help provide medical help
for people in need. Medecins
Sans Frontieres (MSF), the
charity which provides medical
services to people affected by
disasters and conflict, has
launched an exciting knitting
project called ‘p/hop’.
Designers will be donating
patterns to the project, available
to download for free from a
dedicated website. MSF are
asking people to donate, based
on the hours of enjoyment
they had knitting the pattern
– pennies per hour of pleasure,
or p/hop. The amount you
donate is entirely up to you –
it can be 10p or £10.
Current patterns on the
website include lacy mitts and
a delicate lace scarf. The project
has a group set up on Ravelry
(www.ravelry.com/groups/
p-hop) where members can
discuss the patterns and swap
items in exchange for a
donation to the project.
See the project at www.p-hop.
co.uk. For more on the work
of Medecins Sans Frontieres,
visit www.msf.org.uk.
Here comes the sun
1
3 of the best Notebooks
BEST FOR
Designing
BEST FOR
Pattern notes
BEST FOR
Your handbag
1 High-street stationery
2 When working on
3 This pretty notebook
store Paperchase has a
great range of products
made from recycled
materials. We love this
notebook, with its plain
pages that are perfect for
drawing your own designs
and sketches for potential
knitting projects.
It contains 100 pages
made from recycled paper,
while its recycled leather
covers are embossed with
a leaf design and give the
notebook a robust feel.
The wirebound spine
ensures the book stays
open on the page you want.
The notebook costs £6.25.
Go to www.paperchase.
co.uk to find your nearest
branch.
In these credit crunch times, we’re tempted to save money
by staying at home and spending time knitting – which,
after all, is no great hardship. However, a great way to
save money in the longer term is to invest in solar panels
to provide your home with free hot water. Solar technology
is much more efficient these days, and companies such as
Simple Solar can fit panels to your roof that will help you
save fuel and reduce your carbon footprint by using the
sun’s energy to heat your water supply.
For more on Simple Solar, visit the website at
www.nohotwaterbills.co.uk or call 01706 651877.
3
a knitting project, we
often find we need to keep
notes on our progress,
yarn requirements,
explanations of
abbreviations and details
of what’s not working.
This A5-sized notebook
from Basildon Bond is ideal
for keeping in your knitting
bag. It has a sturdy cover
made from recycled board,
and contains 120 ruled
pages made from chlorinefree recycled paper. The
strong wire bindings help
it to stay open on the
page you need.
Available from most good
stationers for around £3.
Visit www.one-chance.
co.uk for more information
on Basildon Bond’s range
of recycled stationery.
In a spin
from the Victoria & Albert
Museum is the perfect
size for slipping in your
handbag and using to jot
down notes about patterns
and style inspiration. Just
14.8cm by 10.5cm, it has
a soft leather-effect cover
that’s decorated with a
19th-century flower
design from the museum’s
archives. Inside are 100
cream ruled pages, made
using paper approved by
the Forest Stewardship
Council. Proceeds from
the sale of the notebook
help to support the work
of the V&A museum.
Available from good
stationers for around £6.
For more products from
the V&A, visit www.
vandashop.com.
A growing number of hand-knitters are
tempted to try spinning for themselves.
If you’re serious about buying your own
wheel, take a look at Ashford’s beautiful
products. The New Zealand firm has
made more than 500,000 wheels since
the 1930s. Each wheel is a work of art, and is
made using wood from sustainable sources (FSC approved).
Ashford’s wheels are available in the UK from Frank
Herring (www.frankherringandsons.co.uk; 01305
264449). For more on Ashford, see www.ashford.co.nz.
The Knitter 10 Issue Five