Classes for September/October 2012

Saturday 1st September Beginner’s Knitting 1.30-3.45pm
Saturday 8th September Beginner’s Crochet 10.30am-12.45pm
Saturday 8th September Beginner’s Knitting 1.30-3.45pm
Saturday 15th September Knitting Techniques/Improvers 1.30-3.45pm
Saturday 29th September Crochet Stage 2/Crochet Flowers 10.30am-12.45 pm

Saturday 6th October Beginner’s Crochet 10.30am-12.45pm
Saturday 6th October Beginner’s Knitting 1.30-3.45pm
Saturday 13th October Crochet Stage 2/Crochet a Corsage 10.30am-12.45 pm
Saturday 20th October Beginner’s Knitting 1.30-3.45 pm
Saturday 27th October Knitting Techniques/Improvers 1.30-3.45pm

Please ring the shop for details 01273 776 176

KnitFest 2012

Cocoon is proud to announce the dates of its KnitFest for 2012. It will be held over 2 days on Thursday 27th and Friday 28th September. The 27th will be all about crochet and will include the author Jan Eaton. The 28th will be the big knit day with a guest appearance from Erica Knight, who apart from being one of knitting's most well known designers and authors, has also just launched her own sumptuous collection of pure wool English yarns.
Watch this space for more information.

Phoebe's square

Phoebe standing in front of the Woolly Bus outside Hove Town Hall.

Phoebe's square.

More photos

Woolly Bus photos

The Woolly Bus about to set off on its journeys round Brighton & Hove. That's Jackie from Cocoon talking to Erika Knight in front of the bus and Hayley standing in the doorway.

The Woolly Bus

We're counting down to the big day; £16,500 has been raised so far for the Martlets Hospice and things look good to make that £20,000 or more. Dressing the bus tomorrow is a bit of a step into the unknown so please keep your fingers crossed for us!

Then on Saturday starting at 10am at Hove Town Hall, the bus goes on a circuit through the centre of Brighton and all along the seafront. This journey will be repeated on the hour throughout the day. If you're anywhere near the route, keep an eye out for us - the Woolly Bus will look fabulous.

Troubled Times

The world seems such a troubled place, and I suspect every small retailer is feeling very depressed this morning. Like so many others it is becoming increasingly difficult to be positive in the present climate. Let's hope better times lie ahead, everyone could do with some good news. Chin up!

The Woolly Bus

Sewing the 4000 squares together for the Woolly Bus is going really well and everything is going according to plan. The panels look fantastic! When the bus goes out and about on Saturday 20th August, nothing will have ever been seen like this before on the streets of Brighton & Hove. The bus will start out from Hove Town Hall at 10am and follow a route through the centre of Brighton and along the seafront back to Hove Town Hall. The journey will take about an hour and it'll be repeated six times. So far, £15,000 has been raised for the Martlets Hospice and we hope to make it all the way to £20,000.

All we're asking for now is that it doesn't rain on the day!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Hayley on the birth of her beautiful baby daughter, Isla; both mother and baby are fine and we all wish them the very best.

It's a pretty foul day in George Street; the weather's wet,windy and cold. The street is dead - just the sort of day retailers hate! Never mind, tomorrow is another day. Good luck to the Spurs tonight.

Just in - lots of new baby wear for the shop! I'd better get on with pricing it.

Saturday in George Street, Hove

Another Saturday; another disappointing trading day! What is it with George Street? Thankfully the Premiership is back today. Let's hope Chelsea can get back to winning ways and what about Brighton and Crawley, just amazing!

Happy Mother's Day to all you knitting mums :o)

A rainy miserable morning in George Street Hove - guess that will not help trade. Up to 400 people registered for the Woolly Bus have decided to knit the front of our bus as the next step in our promotion campaign. We still need lots more people to register as we need over 4000 squares so why not join us and get knitting, it's all for a great cause.

Hello, I'm new!

Hello all, I'm Alan, half of Cocoonknits based in the lovely seaside city of Brighton & Hove!

The Woolly Bus 2011

From January to August 2011 Cocoon Knits in Hove are running an appeal to raise money for the Martlets Hospice by yarnbombing an open top double decker bus. This involves covering the bus entirely with knitted squares, and we need about 4,000 of them.

Cocoon are calling on experienced, beginners or just curious knitters from all over the country - even the world - to pick up their needles and help. Each participant will collect sponsors and knit a minimum of three 15cm x 15cm squares. The minimum sponsorship amount is £25 per entry but we’re aiming to raise as much as possible.

To celebrate the end of the project the bus will be driven along Brighton seafront on the 20th August with contributors and guests aboard. After the event all blankets will be broken down and sent to Africa with the help of Knit a Square charity to help keep AIDS orphans warm.

We aim to raise over £40,000 for the Martlets Hospice.

For a sponsorship pack please either collect a form from any Martlets shop or Cocoon, 10 George Street, Hove or email your name, address and email to: hayley@cocoonknits.co.uk Please state whether you’d like an e version for you to print at home or a physical version sent out to you in the post.

Sunday opening hours

Cocoon is open on Sundays during the run up to Christmas - 11am to 4pm on 12 December and 19 December.

KnitFest - the final day

Jos and Jean enjoying the sunshine.

Needlefelting at KnitFest

Alix demonstrating how to needlefelt a three-dimensional sheep complete with curly fleece.

KnitFest Day 3

Esther, one of the regulars at our Knit & Natter group, with her knitted toys.

KnitFest Day 2

Spinning and knitting outside the shop.

KnitFest Day 1

Debbie Bliss (right) opening Cocoon's knitting festival.

Christmas opening hours

Open Monday to Saturday 9.30am-5.30pm until December 23; Christmas Eve December 24 from 9.30am-2pm; Sunday December 6, 13 & 20 from 11am-4pm.

Closed Christmas Day December 25 to Monday December 28.

We re-open on Tuesday 29 December but are closed on New Year's Day January 1; normal opening hours resume from Saturday January 2.