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WELCOME
RETAILERS
Craft Business: " CHSI Deemed A Roaring Success" (20.02.13) Click here for article 'The Yarn Lounge' will be again be featured at ICHF's Craft Hobby & Stitch Show February 17th - 19th 2013
Visit 'The Yarn Lounge' Stand H39 Bring Your Business Cards UKHKA Initiatives
Craft Club UK Click here for full Press Release Click here to arrange a meeting with a UK Hand Knitting Association representative The UK Hand Knitting Association's Third 'Knit Show' took place 23-24 June 2012 at Ashton Gate Football Stadium, Bristol. Photos From The Knit Show: Click on image to view full size Please get in touch if you wish to use any of these images
Click here for Press Release 'The Yarn Lounge' at ICHF's Craft Hobby & Stitch Show February 19th - 21st 2012 The UKHKA Fashion Show, Seminars and The Yarn Lounge at CHSI E-Newsletter For Retailers There is now a newsletter available to Retailers, in it you will receive information about current UKHKA initiatives, news, views and advice.
How To Have Your Shop Featured We invite you to have your shop featured on our new Retailer's Shop page. Here you can display up to 4 images of the inside and outside of your shop, give background details, directions to and contact details as well as a link to your website. To request information about appearing on our Retailer's Page, just click on the 'contact us' link in the menu above. Click here to visit Retailer's Shop page About the UK Hand Knitting AssociationThe UK Hand Knitting Association (UKHKA) was formed in 1991(previously known as The British Hand Knitting Confederation). The UKHKA has charitable status and supports a variety of initiatives that reflect our current aims which are to encourage, motivate and showcase all aspects of yarn crafts. Our website has grown to be the hub of every aspect of knitting and crochet in the UK and is constantly updated with news of What’s On as well providing a network of useful and relevant links and venue details for all our current activities. Our Aims The UKHKA is focused on raising the profile of the craft, securing a new era of knitting and crochet enthusiasts with skills to pass on to future generations. Aspiring to portray knitting and crochet as fun, sociable, therapeutic, didactic and totally relevant and all-inclusive, the UKHKA is ensuring that this important part of our heritage continues. By working tirelessly behind the scenes we have achieved one of our ultimate goals – knitting is ‘on trend’ and enjoying a renaissance. Its appeal is widespread and there is an ever-increasing band of newcomers to the craft, many joining the growing number of knitting clubs across the UK. Current Initiatives The UKHKA website is a great resource providing a network of links and information and more details on everything mentioned in this letter. The website is the core of information on knitting in the UK today and we hold the largest number of knitting groups and knitting artists listings. The numerous topics we cover and our ever-increasing directory of knitting events on the ‘What's On’ page is giving us the reputation of being the yellow pages for yarn crafts in the UK. If there is anything that relates to knitting and yarn crafts we want to cover it. Please keep us posted if there is an angle that we have missed out - we want to know about it! Learn To Knit The UKHKA hold 'Knit 1, Hook 1, Pass It On' stands (previously 'Learn to Knit') at the major UK stitching and craft shows where you can have your first introduction to knitting/crochet or get technical advice on a one-to-one basis from our volunteers. A full list of venues and other details can be found on the website. We like to encourage local retailers and knitting groups to join us on the stand at these shows so that they can ensure that local visitors are fully aware of what is on offer for knitters in the area. Get in touch if you would like to know more. Knitting in Schools The UKHKA have supported a considerable number of new after-school knitting clubs over the last few years and the number is continuously growing across the UK. We have gathered a lot of useful feedback as a result which has enabled us to move on a pace with the project, culminating in a teacher’s seminar held in London at The Knitting + Stitching Show in Autumn 08. This provided the opportunity to provide teachers and assistants with helpful guidance and innovative ideas to encourage and inspire children learning to knit. The leading professionals who presented the seminar received an enthusiastic response from specialist teachers who then went out well equipped to introduce yarn crafts into the classroom. The UKHKA also exhibited at the Design and Technology Show at the NEC in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and again received a very positive response from both teachers and student teachers who were keen to learn the basic skills to pass on to children. With the support of the Crafts Council and the British Wool Marketing Board, attendees at both events were given a set of teaching aids to get them started. We are now working towards getting knitting into an ever increasing number of schools and together with the Crafts Council have put together a full resource kit. The latest initiative, named 'The Viral Project', is spreading fast! Craft Club - New For 2010 The Crafts Council and the UK Hand Knitting Association have joined forces with the National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI) to help teach youngsters to knit. Craft Club, , launched 8 January 2010, is a new national campaign to provide children and young people with the opportunity to learn craft skills from members of their community via free after-school clubs. The teaching of craft is widely variable in the UK with some pupils receiving minimal opportunity to work in 3D due to cost, space and staff expertise. Craft Club has been developed to ensure that craft skills still have a rightful place in the classroom. Craft Club needs the support of schools and individual teachers and also relies on the enthusiasm and skills of the broader community in order to pass on craft skills and techniques to its participants, or ‘Craft Clubbers’. Volunteers will receive specialist training at workshops across the country and will then become involved in their local Craft Club. Each Craft Club can be run in its own way – either combining efforts to achieve a shared goal or working individually in the company of friends on solo projects. "The Recycled Rainforest was the flagship project to launch the new national initiative to get craft skills back in schools as part of the curriculum or as an after school club. " Recycled Rainforest was a themed topic to introduce children to Life Cycles which was part of the curriculum. They were able to incorporate art and craft skills and particularly knitting in their creative use of recycled materials. The school also formed a weekly Craft Club so that the children could develop their yarn craft skills with the help of local volunteers ( mostly WI ladies). The school are hoping to continue this club well into the future now that the Knitted Recycled Rainforest topic and 3D installation have been completed. Click here to visit the Craft Club website Knitted Textile Awards Our Knitted Textile Awards for students and new graduates attracts record numbers of applicants each year and we continue to support our finalists throughout their careers. The Awards culminate in an exhibition showcasing the innovative, design-led talent coming out of UK universities and inspiring the next generation of knitted textile students. Click here to see more details Community Knitting Project Following the huge success of the life-size Knitted Garden and The Great British PicKnit,we have recently launched our latest community project 'Above and Below the Waves' designed by Alison Murray of 'The World's Largest Knitted Christmas Tree' and 'Knitted Gingerbread House' fame. This enables knitters everywhere to get involved and knit something great or small towards this ambitious installation that will go on tour as it develops and when it is finally completed. The Future The UKHKA and everyone involved in the industry cannot afford to be complacent and for this reason we seek to enlist your help in our quest to maintain the meteoric interest in knitting. We offer free advice, guidance and support for all those who run wool shops in the UK. The UKHKA can also help to promote your knitting events and together we can increase awareness of all UK knitting activities through media coverage and on www.ukhandknitting.com Next Step For Retailers There is now a newsletter available to Retailers, in it you will receive information about current UKHKA initiatives, news, views and advice. We also invite you to have your shop featured on our new Retailer's Shop page. Here you can display up to 4 images of the inside and outside of your shop, give background details, directions to and contact details as well as a link to your website. To request information about appearing on our Retailer's Page, just click on the 'contact us' link in the menu above.
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