History
The group was founded in January 2005 in a south London pub. Founders Lauren O’Farrell, Laura Parkinson and Georgia Reid decided to enter the world of public knitting. The group was inspired by the Stitch 'n Bitch book by Debbie Stoller.
In February 2007, Stitch and Bitch London presented the London Lion Scarf, a 550 ft scarf knitted by over 150 knitters from 15 different countries, around the necks of the Trafalgar Square Lions in central London. They raised over £2,500 for cancer research. In March 2007, the team expanded to five: Lauren 'Deadly Knitshade' O’Farrell, Laura 'Purl Princess' Parkinson, Joelle 'Knitting Ninja' Finck, Laura 'Lady Knitsalot' deLaat and Candice 'Go Go Garter Girl' Lamb.
In April 2007, the group won the UK's Largest Knitting Group prize, presented by the British Handknitting Association.
Stitchettes since 2007 have been Laura Davis, Joelle Finck, Laura deLaat, Candice Lamb, Annisa Chand and Jenny Steere. Several ex-Stitchettes have gone on to pursue other creative interests, notably Laura Parkinson as 'Purl About Town' for GMC Publications' Knitting magazine.
In November 2009, Lauren O'Farrell took on Stitch London as a full-time business.
The role of Stitch Sages was introduced in late 2009 which offered members the chance to become knitting teachers and pass on their skills on a voluntary basis. http://www.stitchldn.com/stitchsage.html
The group has raised thousands of pounds for charities including Cancer Research UK, Age Concern, Macmillan Cancer Support, Medicins sans Frontiers and Breast Cancer Care.
Keeping up with social media an online forum on social networking site Ravelry, a page on Facebook and account on Twitter are all active.
Stitch and Bitch London became Stitch London in April 2010.
Read more about this topic: Stitch London
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It resembled a mare shuffling on,
dragging its history like saddlebags,
nearing its tomb and the pitch of hell.”
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“The greatest horrors in the history of mankind are not due to the ambition of the Napoleons or the vengeance of the Agamemnons, but to the doctrinaire philosophers. The theories of the sentimentalist Rousseau inspired the integrity of the passionless Robespierre. The cold-blooded calculations of Karl Marx led to the judicial and business-like operations of the Cheka.”
—Aleister Crowley (1875–1947)