EVEN the PR trying to lure people to a reception this week to announce details of The Knitting and Stitching Show admitted that the glamour of the yarn fest is diluted by its rather mimsy name. The PR promoting the event, which takes place in the RDS in November, rejoices in the splendidly appropriate name of Mary Quilty.
According to a new book published this week, environmentally correct knitters can bypass wool suppliers altogether and head for their local poodle parlour for material. Knitting with Dog Hair by Kendall Crolius and Anne Montgomery (Hutchinson £6.99) is the sort of book you hope is a joke but turns out to be frighteningly earnest. Working on the better a sweater from a dog you know and love than a sheep you'll never, meet" theory, the book gives full instructions on how spin your dog hair into yarn and then provides some appropriate patterns accompanied by pictures with creepy captions such as this 100 per cent Golden Retrieve scarf is the perfect colour to wear with a camel hair coat".
The book is, as you might expect, American but the writers are not some flakey types who really should get out more. Kendall, who has been spinning yarn from her pet hair and knitting clothes for most of her life, has a perfectly serious day job as Senior Vice-President at ad giant J. Walter Thompson. How much yarn you can expect Fido to produce does apparently depend on the breed - boxers are a dead loss but Red Setter owners should, the book advises, get vacuuming and start knitting because the red coat is too gorgeous not to spin.