| Forever knitting? |
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| Issue #149: Slowing down? Fibrefest, Handmade & Deloraine shows; Famous Paintings new design; 10% off all accessories at Shopify/Signatur |
| Knitting or retiring? Or both? |
 Signatur Handknits began in 1987 yet I still feel every knitting day an indulgence where there's never enough knittable hours. If you follow (signaturhandknits) on Facebook/Instagram you'll know I've made a tree change & get as much joy from digging the veggie patch & galloping around a paddock as I do knitting and running Signatur. Is wanting it all the best way to transition? |
| After 37 years I'm attempting to downsize |
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 Let's not jump ahead. I still enjoy hopping in my van, driving to shows in Melbourne, Canberra & everywhere in between. I have the world's best customers & it's great to see familiar faces at these events: especially when my much-missed overseas customers surprise me during their Aussie holiday.
I live for designing & knitting, so joys of joys, I'm playing with picture knits again. The '90's often saw my knitters busy with picture knits & my Frida Khalo jacket showed me how everyone still loves challenging picture knitting.
Slowing down from this life I love won't be easy, especially when Famous Paintings is next off the needles. Like me, I hope you can't wait! See below |
| So, what's happening knittingly over the next month & peek into workshops and shows for 2025 |
| FibreFest Wyong Racecourse |
| For the love of everything spin, knit & crochet |
 FibreFest 2024 is on this Sunday October 13th. Last year was a blast with a fantastic array of stall holders you won't see at larger shows. FibreFest has also extended into the pavilion where you'll now find Signatur Handknits. If you spin, knit or crochet then support Australian-made by taking home a one-off piece. Or come and get woolly with a knitting kit: if not for you then why not a hand-made gift for your BF?
What's on this year? MY SALE RAIL of sample garments & discontinued designs plus a stunning NSW Knitters Guild FASHION PARADE
The NSW Knitters Guild excelled with last year's parade. Always a challenge herding us cats! Everything was a hit last year including the barista who sold out by 3pm! Lots more bevvy options this year for a bigger show & crowd.
Wyong Racecourse is 5 minutes walk from the railway station, and there's plenty parking on site if you're driving. |
| My quarterly seasonal shows |
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| I love being part of quarterly markets and shows with other Australian designers and makers. In Sydney I join the makers at The Coal Loaders Artisan Market, the first Sunday in March and June. In Canberra, Handmade Market at EPIC is in March and June. I'm also occassionally at Burwood's Woodstock Artisan Fair - check the Signatur calendar. |
Tasmanian Craft Fair
Deloraine: Fri 1st - Sun 3rd November |
| 2024 will be the 43rd Tasmanian Craft Fair with over 260 exhibitors |
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| My husband Brett working on set up and then play time at the show |
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 Signatur Handknits began at Sydney's Paddington Bazaar where stallholder had to be designer & maker. We're now very aware of locally-made & I buy locally & directly from the maker when possible.
The Tasmanian Craft Fair was established by Deloraine Rotary Club to support an influx of artists & makers in the 1980's, involving the community & providing a showcase for local makers. The first event had 35 exhibitors &, as the show grew, venues sprang up around the township. Hop on hop off buses ran between venues which now from sports halls to art galleries.
Within my social group of Aussie makers at Coal Loaders Sydney and Handmade Market Canberra, it’s pretty cool to be judged and offered space at the Tasmanian Craft Fair.
The organisers at Deloraine Rotary events raise funds for local & overseas communitiess. The Metalwork Kangaroo (left) was awarded a prize in 2023 when I last exhibitied. Exhibitor prizes totalled $10,000 and were awarded to first timers & as awards for excellence. |
| A natural choice: wood & wool |
| I am quite taken with woodworking as a craft with natural materials. Just like wool but at the opposite end of the moldability spectrum compared to knitting! The desk top mirror with jewellery box below is pretty cool & personal, while making musical instruments is both satsifying and practical. The Tasmanian Craft Show always encourages demonstrations and the image below centre shows preparation work required for printing. |
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| The Tasmanian Craft Show is an annual event, with exhibitors from NSW, VIC, WA and TAS, plus an international feature artist. See more at Tasmanian Craft Show |
| Ars Gratia Lanae: Famous Paintings come to life |
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I do love Picture knitting. When millenials were teething I had a huge range of picture knits and they remain a challenging, if not smaller, aspect of my designs. I always knit the first sample so I can play with the colours as I go. Once knitted I tidy up & graph the design. A piece of cake? Only when I can look back at those 100's of hours of labour & love!
This first sample shown above started at the back with Ocean Blue as the base, which makes Van Gogh's Sunflowers pop. I used a Charcoal base colour for the left front of Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earing & added red tulips as their bulbs were wildly valued at this time in history.
The right front has Klimt's Woman in Gold, the sleeves have Monets' Water Lillies plus Van Goghs' Starry Night. Of course my handmade buttons are the artistic finishing touch.
Ars Gratia Lanae - the Art of Wool!
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| For Famous Paintings 2nd sample I'm using Steel Blue as a base colour. I'm about to sew up this piece ready to take on the road with me to Wyong and Deloraine in Tassie. |
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What the future holds:
shows and knitting classes |
Knitting classes at Grampian Textures 15 - 20 March 2025
Coal Loaders Artisan Market - Sydney, quarterly (check emails)
Handmade Market Canberra: last weekend in March or first weekend in April
AQC - Australasian Quilt Convention April 11 - 14, 2025
Open Studio Signatur Handknits Killarney Heights, email Jane
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| Christmas shopping |
| nothing quite as special as a handmade gift |
| There is still plenty of time to get your needles out & create a couple of hats or a wrap as handmade gifts in time for silly season. |
| 10% off all Accessories & Verve 12ply yarn until the end of October |
| Overseas customers - the exchange rate to the Australian dollar is in your favor at present and mailing in October will arrive before Christmas. |
| My 12ply Verve & accessory kits are currently all at 10% off |
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Already have a pattern? No probs - you can purchase yarn only. Or if you want a complete kit click on Accessories on Shopify.
If you want to knit the same hat twice simply order one kit and then buy balls of yarn for the second kit.
Do this with 10% off on Shopify |
| Hats, wraps & accessories |
| Perfect small projects, whether they're single colour, flecked yarn or multi-colour combinations |
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Verve 12 ply is 70% Wool & 30% Acrylic with 90m to 50g. Available in four colours, the long drifts of colour are showcased beautifully in the Wave Wrap kit above.
Read about short rows in Jane's Dec 2022 newsletter Short rows |
 Verve is also available as kits for hats, with the patterns written for both 8ply and 12ply yarn. Hats require 100g ( 2 x 50g) of yarn.
During October get 10% off all Hats, Wraps and Accessories, kitted in either Verve or Wool Fleck. The Muffin Top & Wicked Hats are two separate patterns, though the fundamentals are similar.
Hat patterns can be knitted circular or on straight needles.
Wool Fleck Mustard Wicked Hat &
Wool Fleck Stone Muffin Top below.
Also 2 shades of Denim are available. |
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| If you'd like to discuss anything about knitting, please email Jane. Thanks for your support: Annette, Laura, Petra, Jacinta, Philippa, Helen, Cathryn, Stephanie, Dodie, Anne & I look forward to seeing you in the knitting circle! |
