WWW: Events to mark the start of Sweater Weather; knitted BMW engine; contest winners

The six lucky winners of our Block ‘n’ Roll prizes are Kara, Cheryl, Diana, Patricia, Patty and Emily. They’re all excited and ready to block their next project.

This week is Wool Week in the UK, organized by the official Campaign for Wool. The Campaign’s goal is to promote the use of wool as a sustainable, environmentally friendly material for clothing, furniture, carpets and other uses. The week includes a number of activities around the UK.

The highlight of Wool Week this year is an exhibition titled WOOL MODERN launching at La Galleria in London – a celebration of wool in the 21st century. The event combines a peek into the historic archives of iconic designers with innovative pieces from furniture to art and photography, with contributions from such luminaries as Alexander McQueen, Lanvin, Vivienne Westwood, Galliano and YSL.

Visit the Love-Wool subsite and sign up to receive free patterns from Rowan and Jamieson & Smith, and a Shaun the Sheep cover for a Nintendo DS.

This coming weekend marks the 21st annual Natural Fiber Fair. Held September 10th and 11th, 2011, for the first time at a new venue, the Arcata Community Center, Arcata, CA.

A fleece market and vendor hall will be fulfilling all your shopping desires, with fleece, fibers, yarns, tools and clothing available for sale. Free demonstrations and classes run all day, on topics as varied as spinning, knitting, weaving, dyeing, felting, basket weaving. Enjoy the free ongoing demonstrations and classes each hour, or take a half or full day workshop.

As with every year, the Fiber Circle is a gathering for fiber crafting and conversation. Historical exhibits and artist displays, as well as a gourmet cafe and a petting zoo round out the fun.

If you’re in the Chicago area, visit the Renegade Craft Fair in the Ukrainian Village neighbourhood in Chicago.

The event features more than 300 crafters showing and selling of handmade goods including clothing, housewares, ceramics and jewelry. There also will be free workshops in letterpress printing, post card collage, knitting and weaving, along with live entertainment.

Wortley Village in London, Ontario, is hosting a car-free day September 11th, installing a grand piano on the main street, setting up a tea room, and encouraging public knitting (really, as if we need encouraging)…

Fiber artist Amy Twigger Holroyd’s latest work is a knitted and crocheted BMW engine, displayed at the Hams Hill BMW factory in the UK. She chronicles the project on her blog. Local schoolchildren and staff from BMW Hams Hall  joined the artist in creating this collaborative piece exploring the hidden similarities between engineering and knitting.

A great profile of Jazz Domino Holly, daughter of Joe Strummer, who has just published her first book, Queen of Crafts. She draws a straight line between her father’s punk esthetic and her own creativity and fascination with the hand-made.