chocolate wars; free yarn and patterns!

mmm, chocolate, yumm. But first more on the free yarn and patterns, as it is all in aid of one of my favourite causes: Oxfam

Oxfam shops throughout the country are currently offering free yarn and patterns to knitters who would like to make accessories for them to sell in stores. I was a bit concerned that maybe they might then sell the items for less than the rpice of wool but, no, the instructions to shop managers on pricing remind them that "each garment is handmade and unique", or, as Csilla in Cambridge's Bridge Street branch said, "we're not going to be offering gloves for £1 or anything silly like that". The patterns available include Rowan designs, and some designed specially for Oxfam. I'll be showing off a pattern for a peaked cap at the KTog this Saturday, and Csilla says that their best-selling knitted graments have been these and ear-flap hats. They're very happy to accept other designs if none of their patterns appeals.

And now onto choc wars. Read this in the business pages today, but can't remember which paper. Apparently Thorntons' master chocolatier has been fired after going into the Nottingham branch of Hotel Chocolat and squidging 60 truffles with his thumb! Hotel choclat reckon it was a case of professional jealousy, but I wonder whether he was just intrigued by the consistency.

Personally, I find the majority of offerings from both chains a little too sweet, but will never say "no" to anything involving dark choc and nuts, or dark choc and cherries. Sadly such purchases were the first casualty of my economy drive when I switched to working part-time. Give me yarn any time!

Meanwhile, Blogger has just eaten my links (presumably mistaking them for chocolate...)