Right people keep em coming.

Okey dokey.

4 people so far have commented on the shop. They all win some sock yarn. But I want you to keep the comments coming. So I'll select 2 more people  to win sock yarn from comments you leave on this post, about how I could improve my shop to make it more user freindly. I hate the layout, but its an oscommerce store and allows me to keep good stock control and stuff, I'm some what restircted with programming it mainly because I can't do PHP and it costs a fortune, but the comments below are really really helpful and I should be able to work on things based on those and make a huge difference. Please keep em coming, I really appreciate your effort. Also interesting comment from one person about the colour range, anyone else got comments on the colours etc? More colours you would like to see?

Ok so occasionally I google Fyberspates to see what comes up. I love to see all the things that people make with my yarn. I'd love to do a knitters gallery with all the things people make from my yarns. So if you have a pic of something you've made, please send me a pic and I'll create a gallery. Emial me at fyberspatesATbtinternetDOTcom

I also decided we'll have a monthly competition with yarn obviously as the prize, just need to decide what on earth, to get you all thinking. ;-)

Its my turn to cook a British culinary delight tonight. So on the sugestion of mum, we are having 'Toad in the Hole' which is basically yummy sausages with yorkshire pudding batter covering them, no idea where the toad bit somes from, unless people used to eat it with toads in. Hmm. Better leave that train of thought before I gross you all out. Having it with Garlic mash and peas and gravy. yum yum yum.

J xx

yay its monday.

So thanks for the suggestions for Sp's b'day present. I started the cabled mittens that Hannah suggested in knitty, mainly because they would suit SP perfectly and I had the yarn. Always good! Not too sure Debbie bliss cashmerino aran is particularly good to use for a pair of gloves for a builder though, he'll have to wear them for best instead! We had such a lovely day, we went to a rock and Gem show near Maesteg, to say hello to  some friends we made at Ally pally (Ichydo), its was in Margham Park, such a beautiful setting (I'm going to do a photo shoot for my new yarns there). I bought some lava beads to for another present and made him a necklace which looks lush, I think Sole took a pic! Then we carried on up to Hay on Wye for lunch with his family. It was such a lovely lovely day, we all get on really well, and they are just so easy to get along with. Food was wonderful! His mum is a fabulous cook, and Sp made us tapas! He has a wonderful habit or learning new dishes and then cooking them better than me, which I'm well happy about, and so he made a tapas we have regularly in our house, you absolutely have to try it, its so simple and tasty! Toast some bread, it's nice on rye bread, or something wholemeal, drizzle some olive oil on it and then using a clove of garlic cut in half, rub it over the bread really well and then top with slices tomatoes and sprinkle with  little salt, I'm telling you its the best in the world. I think its quite a common Spanish breakfast. Its extremely good for you, but it tastes so indulgent!

After a huge dinner, I drove his new van, (gulp!) back to Cardiff and we were greeted with more wonderful food and presents!! The girls call him Duncan donuts because Duncan sounds like Dunking to Spanish people apparently, so they made a beautiful donut cake, and crocketa's which are wonderful deep fried dumplings. We just chatted late into the night and laughed our socks off telling stories. It was lovely, I'm going to miss them so much, anyway such a treat of a day, I enjoyed it as much as he did I think, and it really distracted me from not feeling so good at the moment. I'm so glad he is around, I'll tell you the story of how we met soon, its really quite amazing, I think sometimes things are just sort of meant to be. :-)

OK, onto knitting or yarn anyway, I want some feedback on my web shop. Seeing as the business is growing, I really need to get the shop to a point where it is much more functional. Its not my main source of business, mostly that is wholesale, but I need to start brushing it all up. SO people, I want some feedback on how I could improve the shop, and I want to know what the disadvantages are of it. It's OK to be brutal, I don't mind if it makes my shop better in the long run, I am aware that the pics are crap! but I'm working on that. I'll randomly pick 3 peoples comments and send them a skein of sock yarn, I don't mind where in the world.

Adios Amigo's.

J xx

Knitting

Well, thats what this blog is supposed to be about, isn't it?

Ok, it's the Sweetiepies (SP) Birthday on sunday (i'll try and take a photo), I know I always say that, but I will, its a nightmare with the short days, I get home when its dark and the pics come out crap.

So I need at least one knitted present to give him.  But I have about five hours of knitting time tonight. So people I need some suggestions. What great presents for a man can I make in no more than five hours. I mean great, nothing sad. Bear in mind I have every wieght of yarn possible going, might not nessasarily be in manly colours though.....:-/

So Projects people, come on I need some by tonight!!!!!!

J xx

Lovely lovely!

So its 11.40pm. Sole, Bea and I are eating baked apples very easy to make and very very yummy, all sat on my fluffy rug knitting, eating and laughing. How perfectly wonderful. It doesn't get better than this. :-)

Hey, why the hell not? and streams of random rubbish.

I used to censor my blog like mad, and make it very boring. 90% of the time my tongue is always strongly in my cheek, I just got bored of leaving my life out, I live quite a colouful one and thats just me. So seeing as I've completely changed everything in my life in the past 6 months thats starting to be reflected in my blog, however my dreadful spelling and grammar will remain, I'm learning slowly........

I like a challenge. No really, I don't see the point in living if its not exciting. Hmm, that does kind of get me into trouble sometimes, but you know what? I'm up for anything that will stretch me. So whats the next big challenge apart from building my business, learning french for Paris, doing a million designs and trying to keep my job going, and pay my huge mortgage which I don't earn enough for?

***** wants me to make her wedding dress. I'm an adequate knitter. Not a sewer. Have you ever seen any sewing on my blog? No, thats because I'm crap at sewing, I just don't get it.

So why the hell did I say yes? Its not a dress for a party, its the most important dress of her life. Not only that, she doesn't want something conventional, she wants something amazing. Did I mention I can't sew? What the hell is wrong with me?

I have been closely watching the catwalk collections recently and its making me itch to design some clothes, but for me, then it doesn't matter if it goes completely wrong.

AHHHHHHHHH! I do my head in, especially seeing as I feel tired today, thats unsusual for me, I'm normally v hyper, so I am so looking forward to Sunday, and finally having a day off, the first one for ages. I've been promised a lush lie in, roast dinner, baked apples, a hearty walk, massive amounts of fruit cake and tea and dvds. OH please, I can't wait, but I so know I will have some needles in my hand at some point, I just can't help it!

My sweetiepie has also built me a stand for my sock wool, to display it properly, I'll take some photo's of it tomorrow.

I just realised I never take photo's of the things I'm knitting, I think cause I think of it a bit like work, so I never think to post them. I'll add some photo's of things I made for kits for the stand later.

Oh and I'm really giving up alcohol totally. TOTALLY. I don't think that will go down very well at home but I swear I'm starting to look like a grape. Anyway it impinges on my knitting time, I know people don't like me knitting at the dinner table, which is probably why my glass is always being topped up, but love talking and knitting, its hard to pick up your food with knitting needles though. :-) Stopping now. I'm just being silly....

Ohh! finally if you haven't got a copy of Yarn forward yet, buy one, not only is it packed with really good stuff, I'm very very impressed, I have an interview in it at the back, with a photo of me looking mischevious, you'll probably never see a normal photo of me again, I can't resist it. Sweetiepie challenged me to do the next one with me looking over my purple glasses. Your on baby!!!

Hola. Shamai. Bonjour. Alright!

Hmm, some people have kindly pointed out that my blog is meant to be Bilingual. So seeing as I need to learn some French because I am planning to do a wool show in Paris in March, and should be able to speak Welsh because I did an intensive Welsh course for six months, and live with two Spanish women, I think I should make it multi lingual instead.

So in order to improve my languages I shall add a sentance in each language, obvioulsy meaning the same thing at the end of every post. Good practice really. Feel free to correct me if you would like to, its much appreciated!!

I have a new type of sock yarn which is made from bluefaced leicester, its 100% wool, and very velvety to knit, although the colours are not so intense as my other sock yarns so if you like something a little gentler....they'll be on the site on monday, with all the other millions of Kilo's hanging around my house.

Sat I have a stand at Unravel, it sounds really interesting, lots of lectures and things. Anyone planning a trip there?

Adiós, au revoir, hwyl!

Yay, I'm back.

Blimey, what a fab few days, and you know what? I didn't buy any wool at all, absolutely none!!! I did however happen to purchase rather alot of needles!

Here is a pic of the stand (i'm very proud of it):

I learnt so much from the experience, it was priceless. I will update the shop next week, because I have another show on sat.  I knitted a million things whilst I was there, socks, scarf and a fab tank top, I'll take a pic tonight and post it tomorrow, I'm not sure whether to save it for my pattern book, or to submit it to a magazine.....any ideas?

I met so many fab people who were knitting my yarns, read the blog and listened to the podcast!! How cool is that hey? Oh yes and Flossie came to say hello, on her crutches!!

It was lovely to meet one of my favourite customers Hannah and her daughter, who brought me a little bottle of white wine, which I think was a reference to 'princi meona'!!! hehe.

Sat night was fun, I went to dinner with the rabble from Getknitted and Lucy Neatby, who is English by the way!!! We had lots of wine, great food and laughter, Lucy is a great character, and such a good teacher, I had a quick tuition on knitting backwards, which I'm practicing. I'll be stocking some of her patterns as kits V soon. Really, really want the DVD.

Oh I'm sure I'll think of lots more things to write and add them on as the day passes.

Check this out. Its awesome!

To stresssed to think of a title.

Worked my ass over the weekend to get stuff finished. There are about 40 kilo's of yarn hanging in my garden sopping wet in the rain. The rain won't do it any harm, but why the hell do I live in Wales? Universe I NEED some sunshine. Please please please........

One day I'll get organised, but then again I probably won't.

So  5 days to go b4 the most exciting event of my year -Allypally. In-between experiments, I'm currently knitting the odd row of a glove pattern with a fluffy cuff I dreamt about last night. You never know, it might be ready in time for allyaplly. Correction. It will be ready in time.

I have about another 60 kilo's of yarn to dye over the weekend, thats all, not that much really :-/ To add to that mom and pops are coming for the day tomorrow to 'help'. However there are many festivities planned for them from the Spanish contingent of my household, so I'm not sure exactly how long they will stay sober enough to actually do anything.

Hannah wins the competition in the last post, I'm glad she won because she is one of my favourite customers.

So remember I told you about leaving the pub the other night? Well, I had to hobble home ( it's at least a 30 minute walk at the best of times) in my stupid pointed shoes, which to be fair slowed me down, and I had had two pints, and didn't go to the toilet because I left in protest. So I get home, and my dungarees have approximately 6 pockets. I simply dug my hand in my pockets for the keys, and I couldn't find them. At this point I realise I should probably find them quite quick, because nature was calling very loudly. 'OH not to worry' I thought, 'everyone is home, the door won't be locked'. Um yes it was.......

I was trying to be calm whilst banging on the door, getting slightly more desperate each second. There are three people in there I thought, one of them is bound to have a key!

I bang a little louder.

Then Sole informs me no one can find a key. That kind of did it for me.

I sat on the pavement, jumped up and down, and screamed in the letter box many many swear words in a desperate attempt to curb the disaster to follow (I live in Splott in Cardiff, no one minds a few swear words there).

At least I had the foresight to take my shoes off.

Then it was to late, and I from then on I was crowned 'Princi Meona' They just all stood at the door and laughed at me.

That could cause someone a serious psychological trauma you know!!!

However I was laughing so much and I am completely shameless as I said before, so there we go. Sole's translation for 'Meona' is professional pisser'. need I say more?

Don't be reminding me of that at ally pally though.

Oh and the other colours will be on the website after allypally.

Princi Meona

OK, so in my multicultural house we have ALOT of fun with language, ranging from my freind asking Bea (my other lodger who is aslo Spanish, here learning english) if she wanted to see his new volkswagan van, and her being completely shocked and horrified because she thought he meant something else! (I love that one) ranging to giving each other funny names.

I normally get called 'princi' - princess, I have no idea why, but its now turned into 'princi meona' and that is never ever going to go away. I was crowned this after a very embarrassing and funny experience. Which because I am shameless I am happy to give an account of, however before I do, if anyone can work out the translation (its spanish) and give me what they think is roughly the story, you win some yarn. I think you might need to have a good command of spanish, or know someone that is, because I couldn't find the translation that Sole gave me, but I didn't look very hard.

hehe. Crappying myself about allypally now, I'm on stand F15, anyone coming to say hello? Leave a comment.

j xxx

Some pics of a lovely dyeing day two weekends ago

So this is Sole (one of my lodgers and best freinds), with her baby wool, she won't put it down!

And just a little taste of  wool for ally pally:

The two big skeins are beautifully soft superwash merino wool, perfect for shawls.

Just a little glimpse of things to come for ally pally. Oh my goodness I'm so excited.

And I like this one, it will remind me of the lovely saturday when the house was mad and everyone helped with the wool. Could my hair be any whiter?

I think I've just discovered the secret of how to deal with men......

So how did the allypally dyeing go at the weekend? Oh it didn't. Why? because it rained and rained and rained. However did get some life stuff sorted, oh and some knitting design, oh and some lush spinning. I do have loads of pics tonight, I promise.

So men. If you are one. Stop reading now.

Who knew handling men was so easy? Recently there are a few men kinda doing my head in, and for the first time in my life I have stopped appologising for being me, if they don't like it they can go. I have this stupid fear that if I don't do what men want, then they will just go away. How wrong I have been all my life! At the moment with Me and anth breaking up and the huge changes in my life I don't have the recources anymore to run around after men and let them behave how ever the hell they want, so basically if they are not in line with what I want. They go. I'm not being unreasonable, I just want to be treated with respect thats all.

So over the weekend a couple of people did my head in. One time I got up and walked out of a pub, because I wasn't going to take any more crap, the other, I gave a strict telling off. Then kinda left them to it, no txting, nothing.

Lets just say, it kinda drove them mental. God why didn't I learn this 10 years ago?

I love growing up. This has been the hardest and the most wonderful year of my life, I'm learning that by being me, my whole life just responds in such a wonderful way. Sorry to be soppy, but just be yourselves people.

Pics soon. I promise.