Friday 31 October 2008

Baby matinee pattern in Simply knitting

Hi Folks,
if you are after the special offer yarn for this pattern featured in simply knitting, PLease click here, the price includes the discount for the yarn, click image or link for detials.

How gorgeous is it?

Babysilksmall 

Right off to make costume!! Promise lots of photos on monday.

xx



Thursday 30 October 2008

Spiders!!!

OK, well maybe you can guess from the title what I am going as for my halloween costume. So the winner is Kate who posted the first comment, its such a super duper idea, and I phoned and told mum, and well she has decided that she DESPERATELY WANTS to make my cosume with me tomorrow afternoon, so I am going home early tomorrow so we can spend the day having fun, lol. I had about 20 phonecalls yesterday from her about ideas, and how we can add furry bits onto the arms, and so on and so on.

I decided I wanted to model it based on the spider from james and the giant peach, and so I accidently had to go and buy a pair of red high heels, and a black bobbed wig and some stick on fangs this morning, shoes are gorgeous and were in the sale, yipppppeeeee.

I promise I will take photo's of all of the Hewletts, its going to be so funny!!!

So thanks for all the suggestions, they were all fabulous!!!

So, am in bloody good spirits today, really excited about the party, have new red shoes, mince pies are warming up in the Oven,  and lots lovely computer work to do :-) Still not going to brave the cold to do dyeing outside, I don't want to tempt fate, but clubs will be on their way very very soon, seeing as I might be doing a  bit of kitchen dyeing tomorrow morning, lol

ooooh forgot, updated shop last night, but most of the sparkly sock went really quick, guess you guys were stalking!! lol so I will do some more really soon.
xx





Wednesday 29 October 2008

Halloween and eating rats

haha, that got your attention didn't it.

I think I figured out why I am miserable. Maybe because I have to climb over boxes of wool to get to the sink, maybe because I have to trip up boxes of wool on the stairs to get to the bathroom, and maybe just maybe because if I ever did fall down my loft ladder it would be ok because I would be cushioned by cashmere, alpaca and merino.

So maybe its a bit like when you have too many small rats in a small cage and they eat eachother because its stressful.

Its ok Elly, I am verging on vegaterianism at the moment, and its the wool, not you luv.

I think the fact that I can't just put my hand on things, and I have to clear boxes out of the way first is just doing me head in. So once I realised that fact, I feel better, because its only temporary, only 32 days to go until I embark on my journey to a house with huge rooms. Seriously, its actually a converted chapel, so that might give you some idea about how big the rooms might be, and alot cheaper than my house, lol, oh the irony of buying a house when house prices are high, anyway, its all sorted and I can't wait to show you pictures, I have studio space of at least the entire floor of my house, imagine wall to wall shelving and organisation, and no loosing wool, Yipppppppppeeeeeeeee.

Ok, I need to shut up and ask you for some advice. I have a dilemma, or rather a problem, a serious one, and I need some serious help......

 There is a huge family birthday party on friday night, and the theme is Halloween fancy dress, now my mother has been nagging my brother and I about our outfits for about 2 months, but have I taken any notice, um, nope :-(

She has her outfit down to a T, I get a text every morning to say things like, just bought nails with spides on, or your fathers cape and fangs are finished, and we are on our 5th makeup rehearsal. To which I always laugh and think, oh its ok, I'll wing it. But I did get some rather disturbing words last week, 'you are not going to let the Hewlett side down are you' Gulp, even little bro has a headless horse costume. So, lets just say I am on a budget, but I need something extrodinary, and I need some seriously good advise on a costume, I was thinking about a ghost, or a white witch seeing as I have white hair, and I can make it white white if I bleach it more, but PLEASE I NEED SOME HELP FROM YOU GUYS.

Who ever comes up with the best and most helpful suggestion will win a £20 voucher to the new shop. Leave your answers in the comments.....

xxxxxxxxxxxxx








Tuesday 28 October 2008

Smiling, through gritted teeth

OK, so I will gloss over the fact that everything falls apart when I have no computer and the fact that I can't update the shop until Elly comes home tonight because this old thing won't do anything with pictures, especally seeing as we have gorgoues sock yarns, silk fibres and sparkly sock yarns.

    So, I am being slightly ungrateful things are actually great here, apart from the immediate problems and I need to focus on the nice things instead, lol
.

Thanks to someone lovely for buying me a spinning wheel to cheer me up, damn, I can't wait to see it, lol!!! And also my move is sorted, I am about to go and live in the most gorgous house ever ever ever, an it has SO MUCH ROOM that I will never be stressed again with lack of space, lol!!! Thats due to happen at the beginning of dec, so I will have a week off then, but until then I need to get ready for christmas lol, so with the new website and stuff, hopefully this is all just resistance/growing pains because the future is going to be fabulous ;-)

So think I will indulge in some heinz tomato soup and lemon tea and do all my paper work and answering of emials and sort all the loyalty card sticker things out, seeing as I have a few to send to people.

I promise to be PROPER cheerful tomorrow, lol




xx



Monday 27 October 2008

ARGHHHHHHHHHHH

I am in a horrible horrible mood. My laptop is dead AGAIN!!!!!!!!! I am never buying another hp as long as I live. Anyway at least have crappy 10 year old one, which suprisingly is working, and alive, but bit slow with the old pics, so am updating shop today, but its a bit slow so bear with me.

Also have horrible sore throat, and looked about 50 on saturday,although I never moved of the sofa yesterday, (couldn't knit because joints ache so much :-( ) so now I look 40 instead, so thats a little improvement.

I am fed up, fed up of working all the time, and being tired and not having a life, I know its not long to wait for things to change, but I just want out of here, NOW!!!!!!!!!!!

yours,


misery gutts.
x



Friday 24 October 2008

Sparkly sock,.....

ok, am dyeing sparkly sock today, so the shop will be updated over the weekend with new sock yarns including the sparkly one and this is megga classy sparkly, it' got real silver in it, so keep your eyes peeled people.

xxxx



Thursday 23 October 2008

Big changes

A few days break from blogging, lol, wasn't intentional, things have just been a little  bit mad.

ok, so my little house is well, a little bit small for my business now, anyone who comes knows that they have to climb over boxes to get in the door. So I was feeling like a little change from cardiff for a while, its been quite a tough few years, and I would like a nice fresh start somewhere with no strong memories. So I am moving....not selling house, just renting it out, but moving up north a little bit, somewhere where there is lots of storage space, I won't elaborate until its all been sorted out, but I am well excited.........also Elly has popped home for a few days so things maybe a tiny bit slower than usual, lol!
xxx



Friday 17 October 2008

I had a dream....

I had a dream last night that I was living in this massive house with a big dye studio, in the middle of the welsh country side, and I was drinking oaky red wine out of these massive gorgeous big wine glasses by the fire with my bestest freind in the world. My dreams are always rather telling, perhaps its time to think about moving.......



xxxxx



Thursday 16 October 2008

Knit picks options needle cases from Du Store Alpakka

There are days when I slog my guts out and wonder why I don't give up and travel around the world and have no repsonsibilities, and then there are other days like today, when I get so excited about the gorgouesness I sell, that it makes it all worth it. Like the knitpics options bags from Du Store Alpakka. So if you are a shop and you would like to stock these please contact me and I will send you prices, if you would like to order some as a customer, either please contact your local shop, or you will be able to purchase them through the fyberspates shop. Want to see them?



OK here goes, I think the thing that delights me the most, is the knit picks options needle bags with little pouches for your knitpicks cables....



Button_pics_137



Inside the main bag are little pockets for the needle ends to go in, and perhaps things like small scissors etc,  they are absolutely gorgeous, and are ethically sourced and produced in india They cost £36.70.
You can buy the pockets as well seperately if you want a few more, they come in 2's and are £11.89 for 2.



Secondly are the needle sets/ or bags you can buy them with or without the needles:



So cute:



Button_pics_134



The needles start at 2mm, then 2.5mm, 3mm, 3.5mm, 4mm and 4.5mm, there are also 6 of the smaller needles just incase you break one, not bad huh? With the needles and the case, its £37, with out the needles, the case is £10.20.



Next, oh yes, there is a next ;-) there are these cases with gorgeous double pointed (i.e. a hook at both ends!!!) crochet hooks with and again the cases are available with and with out the crochet hooks:



Button_pics_133



The hook sizes are 3.5mm and 4, 4.5mm and 5mm, 5.5mm and 6mm, 7mm and 8mm, and finally 9mm and 10mm.



The bags on their own are £10.20, and with hooks £34.50.



Yep, there is more to come....



Straight needle bag and bamboo needles:



Button_pics_135




Button_pics_136




These are lovely if you like straights,
The needles sizes included are 3.5mm, 4mm, 4.5mm, 5mm, 5.5mm, 6mm, 7mm, and 8mm.
The bags on their own cost £20.50 and with the needles £75.00



ok, So I will put them on the Fyberspates website, but please note, theywill be shipped out to customers in a weeks time because I need to place an huge order of them, lol!!!!!! But after that they will be permanently in stock.



Tuesday 14 October 2008

Today is update day!!!

ok, I am slowly getting all the stock back on the website from pally, that means lace, new colours of solid scrumptious, new mother of pearl buttons, du store alpakka, spindles, btu no fibres, I sold out completely!! lol oh and the new knitpicks cases from Dustore for the needles, I nearly sold out of these too!!!



so, I will pop some things on now, and keep adding photo's here so you can see the yummy scrummy things.....



Starting with the large mother of pearl buttons which are hand dyed and completley stunning, and come on so many colours, its vey very exciting.



I am so desperate for the new website to be finished, mine seems so clunky, its so time for the new one to be here, although it will be at least a week or so yet, but still, I can not wait.



ok here are some of the large buttons:



 Button_pics_016



ok put about 4 kilos of lace on, there is more to come, but fed up of it now, lol!



more buttons anyone?



Button_pics_038





Button_pics_051







Saturday 11 October 2008

We are having a blimin lovely tine....

So we are having fun, as we always do at shows, Me, Elly, Amanda, Phil, Mr Wool, baby longlegs, and all have been having a blast, we had a minor trauma setting up because we arrived late and there was just a pile of boxes to unpack and we had from 8am until the show opened at 10am to set up, but we made it, and we are having a ball.



Per from Du store came and made a suitcase delivery of knitpicks needles in new gorgeous needle cases, specially made for them, and boy they are yuuuuuuuumy, the yarn has gone down a storm, so I am so excited about distributing Du Store, I feel very privaledged, and glad I have got such great feedback about the range. I will be selling the cases for the needles and the dpns, and crochet hooks from next week, but I will write a proper blog about them for you.



So, are off out for dinner, and I will try not to drink to much wine, lol,



xxxxxx



Monday 6 October 2008

I think we are on target

Always when I do shows there are so many things I want to make, but I never have time to finish all the little details and decorations, and fulfill all the cute ideas I have for yarn, but the weekend was perfect for doing all the things I normally don't have time to do, well actually, I did nothing on Saturday apart from sit in front of the TV in my pj's and cast on for the February lady sweater in my cherry Aran, its such a pretty pattern, I just had to, and read my Elizabeth Zimmerman books I bought in the USA, it was a super duper day, it was pouring with rain after all.



The yesterday Elly, Karen and I spent the day making things for the stand, Karen made lots of little mini socks, which are gorgeous to go on the sock peacocks and just hang around, and Elly wound lots of mixed skeins with the cashmere lurex and mohair's, for kits and little pretty skeins, they are so cute!! I will start doing them as a regular thing after Ally pally, because they are a bit special. And I made some tubes, printed patterns and signs, worked out all the prices for Du Store yarns, and I think apart from dyeing yarn today and tomorrow we are getting there. lol



OK



I might take some photos later to show you.



xxx




Friday 3 October 2008

Sunshine again and a little bit of sparkle!!

ok, I don't know why, but I am on a total lurex trip at the moment, I can't stop buying things with beads, sparkles and lurex. Hence the new sock yarn which is coming.



But today I have something a little bit fun, Occasionally I get offered something a bit different, and if I am in the mood I buy up the whole stock, this time I only bought 20 kilos to try it out, but I have some lurex/cashmere/wool lace weight. Its spun in the UK, so even though I won't sell cashmere spun anywhere other than peru or here, I am a million time more happy if its spun in the UK.



As with all odds and ends of stocks, there is a mixture, we had some of the colours tested and some of the yarn is definately pure cashmere, and a small amount some has come up as a fine micon wool, but that was only the black, all of it is lovely and soft, but seeing as I can't 100% guarentee that its all cashmere I will sell it all at the same price. (I also don't know the yardage, but I suspect it ranges from 600m per 100gms upwards again depending on the colour)



ok so want to see some?



New_camera_setup_211


Cinnomen sparkle



New_camera_setup_212


Black and silver



I intend to make some cute mixed yarn kits with this, but there is too much for just those, so we have wound lots of approximately 100gm skeins off and they are all going to be £7.50. I will keep adding them to the shop as we go today and the next couple of days. It a bargain treat for sure, perfect for a little scarf, or stole for a christmas outfit :-)



ok lastly, I have to show you this, remember my grape vine, well I have 3 of these on it, they are quite sharp, but wonderful :-)



New_camera_setup_199




ok and lastly...... new pattern for the lace yarns, its totally gorgeous..... and its called lynns diamond shawl, after the designer Lynn.



New_camera_setup_215




Wednesday 1 October 2008

Sun is shining!!!!

Didn't bother with the rain yesterday, I stayed indoors and did all the things I needed to do like get my VAT return finished, things ordered for Allypally, sorting transport and shipping for allsorts, and it was such a therapeutic thing to do, what a relief!!! All those things out of my head meant that I just slept so well last night, that I feel totally buzzing again today, probably the coffee is helping, foots stiff as hell, but will just make sure its wrapped up well for todays dyeing session, and the sun is shining in full today, so its just perfect.



So Elly and I are getting into good knitting rhythms, she suggested I stopped working in the nights and had some proper chilling time, and so I have been knitting, and I have been using my tilly thomas yarn, its totally lovely to knit with, silk is my favourite fibre ever, and I am desperate to have a pure silk top, well lots of them, but one would be a good start, so I thought I would show you my progress so far.....



New_camera_setup_189




and here is a clopeup of the fabric, with the little sequins...



New_camera_setup_190




And this is Elly's amazing arm length gloves she has been knitting, its chunky scrumptious in olive contrasted with a strand of her hand spun, its totally gorgeous, she is writing up the pattern I think and putting it on her blog soon....



New_camera_setup_192




ok, so for allypally we have some new treats, sparkly sock yarn, which I will show you some samples of later new scrumptious colours, which I cannot wait to see, (thats if they turn up in time, gulp), the gorgeous Du store yarns and wonderful buttons and accessories to go with it.



right better go and get dyeing,



xxxx