Alan Titchmarsh hearts Plarchie

Look, it’s Lauren, Perri Lewis and Plarchie on ITV!

Mr Titchmarsh, just WHAT are you planning to do with Plarchie in that phonebox? Scandal.

I can’t look!

But it’s all for a good cause… More info about the book Stitch London here. Buy one. Buy a hundred!

Stitch London knitted pigeon launch!

Congratulations to the Magnificent Lauren for launching her fabulous new Stitch London book last night on the South Bank at Foyles!

The reveling crowds scoffed beautiful cupcakes while wriggling away from Plarchie the Squid’s roving tentacles.

And hey, look! The whole Fleece Station appears in the book, elegant fashion models that we are!

So go and find out more – and buy the book! – on the Stitch London website! And here’s a little speech by Lauren’s editor at David & Charles, and the brilliant Lauren herself.

Buildings that knit us together

Hey, our fab Deadlyknitshade was on telly again! Here Lauren talks about how London’s Royal Festival Hall brings together communities including knitters and comic artists (that’s us!). You can watch The Secret Life of Buildings on Chanel 4oD here (Lauren’s about 38 minutes into the programme).

Momo reviews ‘You Can’t Scare a Princess!’

Time Out Plarchie

I got to draw our fabulous-yet-ferocious studio squid, Plarchie, into Time Out Kids! Go have a look, it’s in the summer edition, with loads of great ideas about what to do with the little squids in and around London. And of course, Plarchie has his own blog, Squid-o-rama.

Here’s the front cover, which states that this city is MINE.

ALL MINE!

*Laughs maniacally*

I had so much fun with this commission, I got to draw a whole bunch of my favourite things about London.

Of course, it had to include a reference to our fave local Deptford cafe, Panda Panda, where we at the Fleece Station buy our bubble tea.

New Cross Turn Left this Sunday!!!

Whatever you’re doing this Sunday stop it right now and get your behind down to the comics, craft, art and cake event of the summer, New Cross Turn Left! Woo hoo!

Running riot in Deptford’s Old Police Station you will witness:

• The world premiere of the Derek the Sheep play by Gary Northfield (written for kids but to be appreciated by mad sheep-lovers everywhere)
• A graffiti knitting workshop by the mysterious Deadly Knitshade
• A comics clinic
• Some worryingly arty stuff going on in the police cell exhibition spaces from Social Networking Therapy Sessions to something that may or may not involve dogs (Can anyone else hear barking?)
• A charity cake stall
• A boozey bar (hic)
• Stand-up comedy
• Live music
• Stuff to buy (including Stitch London goodies)
• A toilet that used to be a police cell so you can pretend you’re in Prisoner Cell Block H
• DJ tunez from the likes of Mr Woodrow Phoenix and some geezer known only as Reginald Frothy
• And a book launch for a minicomics collaboration between Ellen Lindner and Barnaby Richards, Art History Dropouts

Loads more info over at the New Cross Turn Left blog

Sheep Swap returns!

This comics jam went on hold for almost a WHOLE YEAR, but fear not! Derek’s on the rampage yet again. And Vern is toddling along trying to make sense of life and the universe, or at least wondering where he’s going to get his next cup of tea. It’s been so long, we thought we’d best start from the beginning. Hold onto your hats!

Stay tuned for more…

Linky links
Gary’s blog: Derek’s retirement notice
Derek the Sheep’s blog
Vern and Lettuce’s online magazine, The Pickle

Fleece Station Event: New Cross Turn Left

On Sunday, 24th July, from 1-11PM, The Old Police Station will be home to a truly excellent event: New Cross Turn Left!



Organised by Fleece Officer Ellen with locals Julia Scheele, Howard Hardiman and Nevs Coleman, New Cross Turn Left is a comics and art garden party.
Events planned so far include the world premiere of Gary’s Derek the Sheep play, a graffiti knitting workshop by Lauren, a comics clinic by Ellen and a book launch in the evening, to celebrate the minicomics publication of Ellen’s collaboration with Barnaby Richard, Art History Dropouts.

Unfortunately Sarah will be in China (jealous!) but we’ll be doing a little Fleece Station open house – so if you’re curious about the inner working of the Fleece, this is your chance to explore.

We’ve still got a few places left for people to sell comics – and we’re also looking for people to exhibit in the amazing cells – yes, literal holding cells – at the Old Police Station.

For more information, please visit our event blog, and scroll down for our welcome post with all the necessary info.

Has our studio mate lost her head?

Not quite, but she’s orbiting absolutely enormous boxes of yarn, all part of her project to create the world’s largest handmade Stitched Solar System, to go on display at London’s Science Museum. (You can read all about it over on the Stitch London website here.)

We got to see Lauren on her fancy retro knitting machine, but it was rather more complicated than she was expecting.

We’ve had a lot of stitched goodness arriving at the Fleece Station! Here are Gary and Sarah drooling over a giant McKnitties digestive biscuit and a Jammy Dodger, handcrafted by one Sarah Kerry in Beckenham. Yummy yum!

special delivery: a thousand balls of yarn

Lauren’s organising a knitting of the world’s largest handmade Stitched Solar System for London’s Science Museum! (Read about it here.) Her desk has been the first sacrifice to this cosmic craft event. The other Fleece Officers watch in opened-mouth awe.