Every month we spotlight one of our fabulous members! This month we have been getting to know more about Jacqui Speed from Purlwise!  See our previous blog post for a written interview with Jacqui. Jacqui runs Purlwise in Brampton, Cambridgeshire. You can find out more about Purlwise on her Knitting For All teacher page and on her own website. We are delighted to share this blog post written by Jacqui about her thoughts on the power of 'yes I can!' What could you do if you changed 'no I can't' to 'yes I can!'?

The Power of 'yes I can!' by Jacqui Speed

Isn’t it funny how we can always see things in other people more easily than we can ourselves.  At one time I had a wool shop and I noticed how many times I heard “oh, I couldn’t do that” often from people who were really experienced makers. I thought about this for a while and not only realised that I say it myself (of course!) but that I think it means one of two things:...

In 2023 we are running a very special campaign spotlighting one of our amazing teachers each month.  This means that we will be sharing information about their business, finding out what makes them unique, and interviewing them to find out more about them and what services and products they offer. We are so proud of our teachers and really want to show them off whilst giving them the opportunity to promote their businesses. In April we are spotlighting the lovely Jacqui from Purlwise who tells us all in the interview below, read on to find out more. Also stay tuned for a blog post from Jacqui coming soon!

Hi Jacqui! Can you tell us a little about yourself, your family and where you live?
I live in Brampton (the one near Cambridge not Cumbria ) with my husband and Madam Margaux, our dog.  She’s not really called Madam but definitely has ideas above her station. I have a grown son who lives just a few minutes away.

What inspired you to start a knitting...

Every month we spotlight one of our fabulous members! This month we have been getting to know more about Alison from Woolaston!  See our previous blog post for a written interview with Alison. Alison runs Woolaston from her home in Kirkintiloch near Glasgow. You can find out more about Woolaston on her Knitting For All teacher page and on her own website. We are delighted to share this blog post written by Alison about her experience and passion for working with community groups. This is an area she is very passionate about and you can read about her work with DeafBlind Scotland specifically here.

Knitting with Community Groups. By Alison McKie

In addition to knitting items for sale, running KidsKnit classes, teaching knitting, running workshops and volunteering with the DeafBlind, another aspect of the work of Woolaston I am particularly passionate is facilitating community groups. I originally became involved in this a few years ago by...

In 2023 we are running a very special campaign spotlighting one of our amazing teachers each month.  This means that we will be sharing information about their business, finding out what makes them unique, and interviewing them to find out more about them and what services and products they offer. We are so proud of our teachers and really want to show them off whilst giving them the opportunity to promote their businesses. In March we are spotlighting experienced Knitting For All teacher Alison from Woolaston who tells us all about her background and business in the interview below, read on to find out more. Also stay tuned for a blog post from Alison later in the month!

Hi Alison! Can you give us a bit of background about yourself, where you live, family etc.

I was brought up in Stirling, have lived in Dumfries and Monifieth, before coming nearly 30 years to Kirkintilloch, north of Glasgow. I have 4 children, now in their 30’s and three grandchildren. My granddaughter...

You'll find an extended interview about Emelye in the Spring 2023 Rowan Newsletter, coming soon!

Hi there! I'm Emelye. I look after this blog page and I do hope you enjoy our posts as much as I enjoy creating them. I have been working with Knitting For All for a few months now so I thought it was about time I introduced myself properly and told you a bit about my Knitting For All journey! 

It all started in 2012 when Knitting For All was in it's infancy I taught a small Saturday class in the Portobello area of Edinburgh, Scotland. Then as Knitting For All grew and adapted I was lucky enough to move on to owning a Knitting For All franchise and had several classes for all ages in the Stockbridge and Tollcross areas of Edinburgh. 

When I was pregnant with my second child we moved and I gave up knitting teaching for a while to focus on being at home with my two small children. At this point though my franchise was doing so well I was able to sell it as a going...

Every month we spotlight one of our fabulous members! This month we have been getting to know more about Matilda from Knitilda (great name!).  See our previous blog post for a recorded interview with Matilda. Matilda runs Knitilda from her home in Twickenham, London, where she lives with her husband, two youngest daughters and two cats and two dogs! You can find out more about Knitilda on her Knitting For All teacher page and on her own website. We are delighted to share this blog post written by Matilda about her experience managing large knitting clubs for children.

Managing larger knitting clubs in primary schools! By Matilda Johansson

I started the ‘Knitilda’ knitting clubs September 2022 and after a little bit of a slow start, I soon had great responses from local schools that were interested. 

One of the things I encountered straight away was the request for accommodating large groups. Most of the local primary schools wanted to make sure that they...

In 2023 we are running a very special campaign spotlighting one of our amazing teachers each month.  This means that we will be sharing information about their business, finding out what makes them unique, and interviewing them to find out more about them and what services and products they offer. We are so proud of our teachers and really want to show them off whilst giving them the opportunity to promote their businesses. In January I was delighted to catch up with Knitting For All teacher Matilda from Knitilda and chat about her knitting business and other crafty passions! 

Matilda runs Knitilda from her home in Twickenham, London, where she lives with her husband, their two youngest daughters, two cats and two dogs! You can find out more about Knitilda on her Knitting For All teacher page and on her own website.

Any one of our members is invited to take part in our spotlight the teacher campaign, it's a great opportunity for your business to reach a...

If you're an aspiring craft teacher starting your business might be the last thing on your mind as we enter into the madness of December! BUT, if you can find a spare moment, it's also a great time to start actively thinking about your business plan, especially the research and development stages and here's why!:

1. December can be the busiest time of year for small craft businesses so it's a great time to research what's already going on in your local area.  There are always plenty of markets, workshops and fairs happening, so check out; local Facebook groups, local magazines, posters in cafes etc. and keep your ear to the ground to find out what's going on.  Things to take note of are the kind of workshops being offered, how much is being charged, what age group are they aimed at and also products people are selling and for how much.  Have fun exploring!

2.  It's a great time for making resources. Another super fun part of developing a craft teaching business...