Early Days

Let's Knit magazine published an article of how it all began in 2009,  Within a year, our numbers had out-grown the upstairs room above Tim's Art Supplies in Upper Tilehouse Street (now in the Market Arcade.) . We moved to our present home at the Sun Hotel, Sun Street.

By then, the numbers attending the evening group had dwindled, and it was no longer viable.

We recently celebrated our 7th birthday. After six successful years at the Sun, we have re-launched the  evening group to cater for those who cannot attend the daytime meeting.

Birthday Workshop

Hitchin Stitchin'

What a great turnout for Hitchin Stitchin's 7th birthday.

birthday cake

At the time of the cake cutting, I counted 33 members.

We were also celebratng Alicia's (yesterday)  and Angela's (today) birthdays.

We sang the traditional birthday song to us - Hitchin Stitichin'.










The workshops were a great success thanks to

professional finishing

Jane, for demonstrating drop spindle spinning and wheel spinning. I didn't get any shots of Jane in action. She is in the background, at her wheel in this photo.


Alicia, for demonstrating professional finishing techniques,

advanced crochet

Andy for teaching a new crocheted construction,

Beginning crochet

Helen, for teaching beginner's crochet,

Philippa for demonstrating arm knitting and finger knitting. (Again there is no shot of Phillipa in action.) She's in the background in this photo, with her back to the camera,

Continental knitting

and Tanja for teaching the continental style of knitting.

jewelery making

I thought that the beading workshop was going to be knitting with beads, but it was a full-blown jewelry-making workshop, with all the materials and tools provided by a relatively new member.

hard at work

There is a great diversity of talent and skill in this group, and a generous sharing of those skills and knowledge. Thank you to everyone who attended and participated. I hope you all enjoyed it.

Workshop Day March 4th

Happy Birthday, Hitchin Stitchin' and Alicia. 

Venue: The Sun Hotel, Sun  Street, Hitchin
Time  : 10am - 4pm
Cost    : £8.99 (Buffet Lunch) - due by 26th Feb. payable to Alicia


We are celebrating Alicia's birthday, together with seven happy years of Hitchin Stitchin'.

Members attending (so far)

1. Alicia     (Workshop - Professional Finishing)
2. Grania
3. Andy      (Workshop - a new crochet (or knitting) stitch)
4. Jane H    (Workshop - Drop spindle spinning)
5. April
6. Lesley
7. Sandra
8. Maxine
9. Linda
10. Claire
11. Colin
12. Helen (Workshop - beginners' crochet)
13. Pat
14. Tania (Workshop - continental knitting)
15. Mary
16. Fran
17. Maria
18. Philippa (Workshop - Arm knitting)
19. Pam
20. Ann R

Buffet Menu

Christmas Coffee Morning

with Secret Santa

was a quiet but special affair.

We welcomed Alicia back after a long absence, and Angela was up and, though not yet dancing, was steady on her new hip.

Seasonal nibbles and drinks were plentiful,

and everyone was pleased with Santa's gift - especially Andy,

Christmas Coffee Morning.

It was a select group of twelve which gathered in the Ballroom Bar of The Sun Hotel. Many people had other commitments but were keen to partake of the Secret Santa. The group decided to hold Secret Santa gifts until our New Year Lunch in January.

For those of us who were there, nibbles of various sorts were on offer. Coffee, tea, and hot chocolate was purchased in the bar downstairs.

Phillipa showed us a Rowan Pattern book she was using. There was 85 year old Supermodel, Daphne Selfe, looking lovely as ever  in a fine, drapey jumper.










Seasons Greetings to all Hitchin Stitchin' members and their families.

Our first meeting of the New Year will be on 9th January. We will discuss the date for our New Year Lunch with Secret Santa.

After Festiwool

the celebrations.

Hitchin Stitchin' members celebrated the success of Festiwool at the annual away-weekend.

We returned to Belstead Brook Hotel for a weekend of good company, good food, and a spot of knitting and nattering.

Alicia had negotiated another very good Dinner/Bed and Breakfast deal with the hotel.

Her organisation is much appreciated. As a small token of our thanks, we presented Alicia with a bouquet this morning at Hitchin Stitchin'.

Grania and Andy were interested to hear about our weekend. Perhaps they'll join us next year. 

In the meantime, Grania brought the lovely shawl she'd made from a skein of Posh Yarn Dorothy. 






The next social event for Hitchin Stichin' will be our Christmas Coffee Morning on December 19th.

New Year's Lunch

Today was the day chosen for Hitchin Stitchin's New Year's Lunch at the Sun Hotel.

My DH had driven me in early as he had an appointment elsewhere. I ordered a coffee and sat in the hotel lounge reading a book that had recently been delivered.

The book didn't make it home - it's already out on loan to Hitchin Stitchin' friend.

We had an excellent knitting session in the Angle Room from 10am to just after 12.15.

The group then left the Angel Room and  piled into our 'private' dining room for pre-lunch drinks.

There were twenty of us in the dining room. We enjoyed a very companionable meal together.

Christmas Coffee Morning

A select band of Hitchin Stitchin' members met at The Sun this morning for our annual Christmas Coffee morning. We met in The Angel Room - a room we'd long ago outgrown as our numbers increased.

There was lots of knitting

and nattering

Linda modelling her new shawl.

and exchanges of Christmas greetings, cards, and gifts.

Secret Santa version of 'pass the parcel(s)

At the end of refreshments, there was good-humoured  pause and some anticipation for the fast and furious Secret Santa game.











The morning was rounded off with an unexpected gift from a member of staff at The Sun, bearing a gift of a huge tin of chocolates for the group.

We meet again on January 3rd when we will discuss the date of our New Year's lunch and an exciting proposal for future meetings in 2014.

Away weekend 2103

got off to a good starton Friday 8th November with an effortless journey on the A14 (thanks @ Sue Hayler)

This report cross-linked to Tales from the Slow Lane.

Looking towards the sitting room from bedroom

I'd upgraded to a suite the day before and was directed to The Deben Suite on the ground floor of the main building. The suite consisted of an outer vestibule, a lobby with Utility cupboard, second lavatory, and desk, a sitting room, a large double bedroom and bathroom with shower, bath, bidet, and toilet.

Corner of sitting room

The sitting room has a large flat screen TV and the bedroom a smaller version. There are French Doors leading to the gardens which I haven't used due to inclement weather. The sitting room is cosy and very warm.








Sue and I had lunch in the bar. Some very nice thick-cut Suffolk Ham for me. Our event liason person scored lots of Brownie Points with me, when she gave me a jug of fresh milk to take to my room to replace theUHT cartons on the refreshments' tray.

Day Room - The Cornhill Room

Our 'package' of bed, breakfast and evening meal also included the use of a day-room and a private dining room for dinner.

Most group members were already in the Day Room, which was easy to find - just follow the sound of laughter along the corridor.






After a couple of hours knitting, knattering, and catching up with everyone's news, I enjoyed a massage which I'd pre-booked. No aromatherpy oils, a basic Swedish Massage from a young woman who took my request to 'go easy, I bruise' very seriously.

Dinner was a set menu with plenty of choice. For a small 'corkage' fee, Sue and I placed a bottle of alcoholic fizz on two of the three tables set out in the group's private dining room.

A selection of deserts, including this lovely cheesecake.

The food was excellent, served with efficiency by attentive, discreet staff.

I had great difficulty selecting a desert and, in the end, opted for the cheese platter. When it arrived, I was slightly overwhelmed. This would have made a substantial lunch all by itself, and I'd already eaten two courses (melton starter and Suffolk Pork main).






Towards the end of the meal (we over-ran somewhet), the owners of the local yarn shop introduced themselves and described some of the products they'd brought along. Some items were offered at a good discount and it was very difficult to abstain - some group members found it impossible.

Saturday, 9th

After a hearty breakfast (full English) in which thick, prime Suffolk pork sausages and bacon featured heavily, members of the group scattered to the four corners of the world Ipswich.

This photo of Essex is courtesy of TripAdvisor

A few headed to Pin Mill on the Orwell Estuary to look at the Thames Sailing Barges and the activity at the boatyard.

Others walked into Ipswich and met the remainder of the group at Jenny Wren's Yarn Shop to finish the yarn purchases begun on Friday evening.

A few went on to lunch, followed by the cinema to watch Philomena.





I stuck to Plan A - when you find yourself at a Spa Hotel for the weekend, don't waste time exploring the area - use the facilities. I had a twenty minute swim in the 'deep' area of the pool, followed by ten minutes in the extremely warm jacuzzi.

I had the Day Room to myself for a while, then joined those who'd returned from their outings in the bar for lunch.  Many of us were still 'full of breakfast' so had a very light snack or just a drink for lunch. I had a pot of tea and fruit Danish pastries. These turned out to be tiny, light, exceedingly good pastries (still warm) indeed. I enjoyed them so much, I had a repeat of this order for afternoon tea.

The Orwell Suite

There followed an afternoon of knitting in the Day Room before assembling in the Orwell Suite for our 'Posh' Dinner with traditional entertainment (quiz and 'name that child' photo competion.)

Earlier in the day, the local florist had delivered a bouquet of sweet-smelling flowers - a 'thank you' to Alicia, our Group Elder, who organises the away-weekend every year.









Everyone always makes an effort at Saturday evening's dinner, wearing something nice and dressing it up with a necklace and/or pretty shawl.

The Winning team

At one point in the quiz 'name the contents of this little fabric pouch', my table's team dissolved in helpless laughter at some of the suggestions of what might be contained in each pouch. My favourite was 'a tiny thimble for an Elf - probably one of the Wee Free Men's'. Despite this descent into levity, our team won the prize for identifying 22/25 mystery objects correctly. Our table also had the winner of 'name that child' photo competition on it, correctly naming 18/20 (three people forgot to bring a photo with them.)




Lots of shared laughter, diverse topics of conversation, lots of knitting, good food, good wine, and good company - all ingredients that go into making a good weeked a really good one indeed.

Sunday 10th

Breakfast in the dining room was followed by a bit more knitting and knattering in the Day Room, before we all departed and headed home. 

The hotel was great - see my review on Tripadvisor. Thanks to Alicia for organising the event every year and to Pam and Linda for running this year's competitions.

The knitting group

that became a Friendship group.

A knitting group that went from small beginnings in a room above Tim's Art Supplies in 2009,  to a large group of friends who meet every fortnight at The Sun Hotel.

It was Hitchin Stitchin's 4th anniversary meeting on Friday. A lot of the 'regulars', some new members, and a few of the 'originals' turned up for what was a lovely meeting of a lovely group of friends.

Just a  tiny piece of lemon drizzle cake left after a mouthful of tea

There was cake!

New Year's Lunch

There was a lovely turnout for today's knitting session. So many of us turned up, we had to move to the upstairs ballroom bar.

Click for larger image

 Angela wore a stunning Chinese-style jacket, knitted from the yarn and pattern she'd bought on our November away weekend.

Click for larger image

Alicia brought along a jumper she'd finished for her grandaughter.

Knitting in the Ballroom Bar

We had a lovely morning knitting, and chatting, and then it was time for lunch.

New Year's Lunch

The staff had set up a large table for us in the 'extra' dining room. Service was fast and efficient (we'd pre-ordered our selections)

Fridge Magnet from Chile

Sue H, who has recently returned from a cruise around S. America, showed us pictures of the trip, including some of a knitting shop in Chile.

She brought me a cute fridge magnet back from Chile. It is the only magnet allowed on the shiny new(ish) fridge/freezer.

Hitchin Stitchin' away weekend

What a great start to the group's away weekend in Norfolk.

Afternoon tea of homemade scones and jam or gluten free chocolate shortbread was served shortly after everyone had arrived on Friday afternoon at Dairy Barns

 After tea, we retired to the lounge for some knitting and chatting, catching up with one another's news.

We had a lovely supper with bubbly and other various alcoholic drinks, with lovely hand-crafted earings for each of us, made by the lovely Jane W. Dinner was followed by a quiz about famous  historical women and an interesting talk from Claire about her holiday volunteering on an archeological dig in Italy.

 Saturday 10th November

Breakfast at Dairy Barns

 After a hearty breakfast, most of the knitting group headed towards Norwich to visit Norfolk Yarn where there was great temptation in the way of beautiful yarn and exquisite shawl pins and other 'accessories'.

Much money changed hands, coffee, tea, and cake consumed, and expertise sought and shared.

A quick trip to the craft outlet further round the ring road was followed by a picnic lunch for Sue and I, who bought the makings of one at the Farm Shop and Chocolatier's at the edge of the complex. The rest of the group followed us 'home' after lunching on site, and joined us in the lounge for an afternoon's knitting and chatting.

There was some interest in the 'mobile' that was hanging beside the curtains in the lounge. It was made from driftwood and shells. Phillipa commented that, though it looked simple enough to make, it was incredibly difficult to make a hole in a shell without destroying it.

Some of last year's haul of hag stones

I agreed and asked if anyone had seen hangings made of pebbles, called hag stones. No one knew what hag stones were - stones with natural holes made by wind, water, and weather. Last year, I found quite a lot of hag stones on Southwold North Beach, but this year (so far) we have not found one that was completely holed.

Jane W. asked for the items that members had knitted for the neo natal unit at Lister Hospital.

Quite a lot of things were 'mustered' and displayed. Such tiny, tiny, garments for vulnerable new-borns - all beautifully knitted in the softest of yarn.





To round off the afternoon, Enid demonstrated the making of 3D cards which a couple of members made successfully while the rest of us watched while knitting.

Dinner was another boozy affair - good food, good wine, good company, topped off with another couple of quizes.

As it was the eve of Remembrance Sunday, Alicia talked about her wartime experiences  - of being evacuated with her  sister as a 7 year old and  later moving with her family and searching for digs, rationing.





Another great 'away weekend' was over after Sunday breakfast, and the hunt is on for a suitable venue to cater for even more of us in 2013.