About us

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We are a Leeds-based guerilla knitting group, open to anyone with a love of knitting. We meet every other Tuesday, 5.30pm at Wharf Chambers in Leeds (join our Facebook group for regular event invites!). Get in touch at knitabearface@hotmail.co.uk

Wednesday 24 July 2013

Knit the NHS

For this year's Leeds Light Night, which takes place on October 4th, Knit a Bear Face are valiantly knitting bits of the NHS, in order to try to save it from destruction.

If you'd like to join in with the effort, find out about when we are knitting by joining our Facebook group.


Friday 17 May 2013

Knit a Bedroom Tax at Ante Art 2013

On 4th-5th May, Knit a Bear Face presented Knit a Bedroom Tax at the Ante Art exhibition in Shipley. Facts and statistics about the slightly controversial new tax were attached to a specially made blanket. The only disappointment of the day was that George Osborne was not able to attend to witness this most edifying of bed covers.

For a review of more of the exhibits at this year's Ante, see the glue, a glove and some plyers blog.







Sunday 28 April 2013

Knit a Bedroom Tax

On the 4th-5th May 2013, Knit a Bear Face present 'Knit a Bedroom Tax' at the Ante Art do, which takes place at the Kirkgate Centre in Shipley. Here is a special sneak preview:



Monday 29 October 2012

1000 Snowflakes - Ossett Observer


Image by Shephard Creative 

Things have been a bit quiet over here at Knit A Bear Face lately. So it's great to hear of other yarn-bombing projects going on in other parts of Yorkshire.

The Ossett Observer, a collective of thinkers, doers, and actively creative people, are working on creative projects in their town. This Winter they're working on #1000snowflakes, a festive yarn- and felt-based installation that will cheer up the town in the dreary winter months with hundreds of hand-made snowflakes as individual as the people who created them. Anyone can contribute and there are suggestions for patterns for knitted snowflakes (yaaay!) felted snowflakes (yaay!) and crocheted snowflakes (BOOOOO!) on their website.

Get knitting!

Thursday 6 September 2012

Hearty Words: Knit a Bookmark



This October, the second annual Love Arts Festival in Leeds will be raising awareness of the importance of mental health and well-being. As part of the campaign, Leeds Libraries will be running an interactive project called Hearty Words, all about raising awareness of mental health issues, and talking about what books make people feel uplifted or consoled.

As part of Hearty Words, Knit a Bear Face will be knitting bookmarks of all different colours and designs. Throughout October, these will be placed in books in Leeds Central Library. Each book will be chosen by the knitters for its relevance to Hearty Words, and each bookmark will come with a tag explaining why the book has been chosen – readers are then welcome to keep the bookmarks, or return them with the book with their own thoughts attached, or put them in a book that is important to them.

If you would like to contribute a bookmark, get in touch! Also, all are welcome to come along to our fortnightly knitting get-togethers at the Victoria Hotel pub in Leeds – upcoming dates are in the top-left corner.

Throughout October, you can also get involved in Hearty Words through Love Arts Festival, and by joining the conversation throughout October on which books are important to you on Twitter - #heartywords – and Leeds Libraries.

Friday 22 June 2012

It's not knitting but:



Normally we decry crochet, and all of its evils. One cannot wear a garment rendered by hook. Well, unless you are happy to go around looking all knobbly.

In this case - the 'case' being a cat in a crocheted cat cave - I think we are willing to make an exception to the rule. [image from eilentein.com].

The pattern for it is here (scroll down for instructions in English).

Friday 25 May 2012

Confessions of a Knitter

In March 2011 Knit a Bear Face took part in Home From Home, an exhibition on the theme of home displayed over three floors of a Victorian terraced house. We weren’t the only knitters there, and one of the exhibits we particularly enjoyed was a set of knitted wall hangings by  Katherine Johnson featuring sage words of wisdom, including most pertinently perhaps “I must not feel craft shame”. Knitting and guilt just don’t mix, so here’s a few things not to worry about.

Learning new techniques is difficult for everyone

When I first decided  to learn how to knit it took approximately 46 attempts to manage to cast on successfully. During this time I became quite angry and there was much stomping and huffing, admittedly not helped by the fact I was giving up smoking and was learning to knit so it would give me something to do with my hands. Once I’d got garter stitch down I was ready to progress to purling, and again there was a certain amount of huffing involved and some knitting may have been thrown on the floor. I was on triple figures and two visits from concerned neighbours by the time I’d mastered double pointed needles, which I’ve only just got to grips with. If you can see a pattern emerging, beyond my obvious anger management issues, then it’s that learning new techniques is always hard. Even the most experienced knitter can struggle with something  new, it’s perfectly normal to feel frustrated, though throwing needles is never advised particularly if you have pets or small children.

Nobody knits tension squares

Ok, that’s a lie. Some people do knit tension squares and indeed if you’re embarking on an ambitious, time consuming or potentially expensive project it is probably advisable follow the rules. That is  unless you want to find yourself several weeks down the line sobbing on your living room floor because you can’t get your painstakingly knitted jumper over your head. However, a tension square, that is the test square that you knit to check that your knitting is going to come out the size you anticipated, isn’t really necessary if you’re just making something small. Yes, all patterns will tell you to knit one, but it’s ok to live on the edge sometimes and besides if it comes out with slightly unusual proportions that just gives it quirky charm, right?

Everyone hates making up

I’m yet to meet the person that says making up (putting your knitted thing together) is their favourite part of knitting, I don’t think they exist. There is a strange duality to this stage in the process as in many ways it’s the point you are looking forward to, when the knitting is all done and the finished item is nearly complete. Except making up is an absolute nightmare, nothing fits together properly, the stitching goes all wonky, it takes bloody ages. Agghhh. Knitters will go to any length to avoid the making up process, it’s why knitting in the round is so popular. In fact I swear my mother was more elated by the discovery of a cardigan pattern that could be knitted in one piece than she was by the birth of her first grandchild.

No one finishes everything

Dragging through a project you’re not enjoying takes all the joy out of knitting, don’t feel guilty about putting something away and coming back to it (or not). Why do you think knitting bags are so big? It’s not so you can fill them with supplies, it’s so there’s ample room at the bottom for the half finished cardigan, 3 odd socks and  assorted limbless toys. The same goes for the great seductress, wool. We all get tempted from time to time, it’s your right as a knitter to stockpile more supplies than you can reasonably use in three lifetimes. If it becomes a problem, just get a bigger knitting bag. Or house.