Keeping Brentwood Warm

Well it's been a mad few weeks.  It's been a bit quiet on the blog front and I apologise, but getting the keys to a new shiny shop 2 weeks before it was due to open, hosting a launch party and then getting our first week of trading done and dusted has meant or a busy time for the Mack family.

I'm hoping all is on a roll now so it's time to start sharing some of the last few weeks with you.  I've been taking lots of pictures so I'll try to do a few posts over the next week or so and bring you up to speed.

 

First has to be my little attempt at Yarn Bombing. I first discovered Yarn Bombing in Australia and blogged all about it HERE. I'd been itching to give it a go ever since, so I decided it would be fun to 'bomb' the pedestrian crossing outside the shop the day before our Launch and hopefully our knitted efforts would remain until we opened on the following Saturday.

I put a post on Ravelry and my Facebook page a few weeks ago asking for volunteer wooly peeps to come forward and offer me knitted and crocheted squares in Brown, Pink, Lime Green & Purple (Company colours for Beautiful Things and Chicken & Frog) and the response was phenomenal.

I would like to personally thank the following people:

Miriam Faulkner and her art club members

Christine Phillips

Emma Oliver

Gracella Sewing and her Mum

Over three weeks I was posted lots of packages of glorious wooly goodness which I carefully stitched together into 2 enormous pieces of fabric, enough to stretch round the post (which I had carefully measured).  On Tuesday night in torrential rain I went out in the pitch black with my trusty friend Nici at my side.  I wasn't going to stand on a chair in the rain stitching knitting onto a lamppost on my own now was I?  We had such a laugh, despite getting drenched, peoples faces were an absolute picture as we stitched away and secured our creation to the post.  The police even drove past, but I am pleased to report they didn't stop!  On completion we gave the CCTV camera across the road a little wave and were on our way.

I was so pleased to turn up to work the following morning to find it was still attached to the post.  Mr Mack and I actually sat in the car for a bit and watched peoples reactions as they waited for the lights to change.  Lots of people fondled the wooly pillar and had a little chuckle to themselves.

The post has had lost of attention over the past week.  I had planned on taking it down after our opening on the 20th, but as it is still in good condition and has not been vandalised we are planning on leaving it be until it either gets manky or we are told to take it down.  I know for a fact that local councillors are turning a 'blind eye' to it's presence which is rather nice.  Thank you local councillors - you know who you are ;-)

Photo courtesy of Marie Donn Photography

To top it all off, I had a great Tweet from the lovely Linda a.k.a The Cookery Angel yesterday telling me my post was featured in the mail online.  It would appear the lovely Miss Amy Childs was papped walking past our shop.  Check out the background!

I urge anyone to try a spot of yarn bombing, it's great fun and I'd be only to happy to help you in your efforts by donating a square or two.  If your local and want to get a group together in Brentwood, I'm sure we can arrange a session or group based at Chicken & Frog as we love to get involved with community/crafty activities.