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So I am having a slightly easier week this week, update is on for tomorrow instead of friday, as Friday I am spending it with my bestest friend in the world Carmen and her husband Fran. We went for lunch today, and we had massive lunch and beer and now I am sat at my desk ready to sleep!!! hehehehehe!
Anyway, I am really looking forward to Easter weekend as I am going to be spending the whole of it makng things, I have a few projects in mind.....yipppe!
xxx
Ok lets start with a pic seeing as I keep tempting you! Right, I am going to do some pics of holding the yarn for fairisle, really its soooo easy.
This is my first piece, its a Tam, but obviously its not shaped yet, I got a bit stuck last night on decreasing and making the pattern fit in, so I will have another go over the weekend.
I know the colours are really strong, BUT I needed a huge contrast so I could see the tension of my stitching properly. I want it finished so I can get onto some designing with this now, the pattern is from my Alice Starmoore book, but I changed the fairisle pattern because I am only using two colours instead of more. I know it doesnt look much, but I am really proud of it :)
Ok, so secondly, I am doing a show in Liverpool this weekend which is called Make do and KNIT
I am really looking forward to it, I have lots of yummy yarn and fibres to take......anyone coming?
xxxx
I was thinking, cause I am on a totally gorgeous journey of discovery at the moment with fair isle to write a bit about it, and maybe even do some photos?? Any one be interested in it? I used to look at gorgeous fair isle things and think, nahh, I am never gonna be able to do that, and then I researched it a bit and did it and now I am addicted! I especially want to become expert at it using hand dyed yarns, cause obviously that's my thing...so I am working on some little kits. And....talking of which do any of you think you would be interested in a club with some fair isle kits for small items?
Let me know...
anyway, I forgot my camera today, but the fair isle hat is nearly finished, it looks amazing, the colour choices were made to be highly contrasting, and so its not to everyone's taste BUT, its gorgeous! I promise I'll pop it on tomorrow
xxxxx
What a week I have had, a really good week though, well there was food shopping accounts and drama, lol!
Monday and Tuesday were shopping and accounts, I love and hate accounts, we go through the entire last month of business and work out profits and things (love my sage package for this) and its always so interesting, and informative, if not sometimes annoying, lol, and we have some plans for scrumptious and the USA, I am relly very excited about it.
Shopping was amazing, I got quite a few lovely dresses from French Connection, that's my shop at the moment, I just adore it, everything fits, and its so classy and....just seems to fit my frame of mind, not that I am particularly classy haha.
We then went for the most amazing meal ever ever ever, to the Grovesnor in Chester, it was so good it brought tears to my eyes, as did the bill, but I wasn't paying so I just enjoyed every second, haha!! I also had a gorgeous lunch with Jo, and it was soooo lovely to spend time with her.
Drama was yesterday however, someone decided to try and kill them selves by throwing themselves infront of my van, no I am not being sarcastic, she really did try, three times, I swerved, went up the road parked and ran back, by which time she had tried it twice more, but you know what, the road was busy and me and another guy were the only people who stopped to help, god knows why, clearly the woman had serious stuff going in, but we stayed with her and made sure she was ok until the police came, it was really quite a freaky incident (she was totally fine by the way, very good at rolling it seems, but clearly needed alot of hugs and a section).
Anyway, I am updating the shop today, I am just having a slow relaxed start and catching up with everyone, so I will start in a mo, and I PROMISE today there will be a shop monster ok!
I will try and photograph my tam I am designing in a mo and pop it on here, I AM ADDICTED TO FAIRISLE!
Ok, well its my birthday tomorrow, and so I decided to have a couple of days off and get some designing done with a little bit of shopping and eating cake thrown in, so I came away up to Chester....so far I have been organising consignment pickups etc from afar which wasn't quite what I had planned, so to the girls on sat who said I would be on the beach with my laptop, I am kind of shopping for clothes with my lap top, hahahahaha!
The workshop on sat was absolutely brill, we had sooooo much fun, and loads of cakes and amazing home made cookies were eaten. Yarn was dyed and fun was had, It realy was super duper!!
Guess what?? I learned to knit continental yesteday, because I need to learn fairisle pretty quickly so I read Alice Starmores book from cover to cover and got started and well its so blimin easy!!!! And I knit so much quicker with continental, I used a combination of that and english to fairisle but its so much easier than I thought. I have been swatching in the round and I am going to make a tam by the end of the week, then I can start on my yolked sweater design, *gulp*
I'll pop some pics on in the week, but I am TOTALLY addicted, I think it could become an addiction.
Right I am off to try some clothes on and decide what to wear out for dinner and drink something yummy.......
xxxxx
Generally I am good at getting things done, but sometimes there are little things which seem so big and difficult that they loom large and make me feel like I am stressed, then it takes 20 minutes to do them and you feel so relieved that its like a celebration, do you ever get that?
Today I had to write a piece about me and my business for a press release for an exhibition I am doing at the museum, and its been there making me feel stressed, then I moaned to Brian about it (he is the king of THE OPPOSITE of procrastination) and he made me make a list. I did it and then it took me 20 minutes to do the damned thing!! What am I like huh????
Anyway, I am having a good day, all forms are filled in, bills paid, van unloaded, custom orders pretty much done. And I am planning for TNNA rather in advance for me, lol, but I am getting so excited, I really am. I have a very clear idea of how I want the stand, its gonna be vintage British if that makes any sense?
I took a wander round the site I am on to see if there was any useful bits of tat, and I found TWO massive picnic benches, I need to go flutter some eyelids now to see if i can 'borrow' them and get them moved by a forklift to outside the unit, they will make a great space for when visitors come to visit....oh which reminds me, I am going to be open from now on to the public in the UNIT after this week, we are organising and tidying this week so we can operate more as a shop, I still advise you to ring before you visit just incase, like next week for example I am away monday tuesday, BUT Brian will be here.
I shall have opening times for each week up on the information pages on the website, plus you can always ring me (which I recommend before setting off).
We were discussing this morning having the outside area converted into a shop space, which I am sorely tempted by, it will take some work but it would provide a nice distinct area away from the workshop for people to browse in.
OK, I am off to start photographing for the mammoth update on friday, I have so many boxes of yarn its a bit scary to be honest, its going to take days........
I had a totally great time on Saturday, I went to the kennet spinners and weavers guild to give a talk, and it was so much fun, I have to confess to being very nervous, I really need to work on my public speaking, however, I think its probably just a case of practicing. The ladies were sooooo lovely, and they liked my yarns and fibres too, hehe!
Yesterday was a total chill out day, the first day I have had off for three weeks, and it was bliss, total bliss, so today I feel very rested and in a cracking mood :) I just sent Brian to get me some prawn sandwiches from Waitrose, haha, the delights of being a boss!!!!!
So, I am looking forward to this week, its catchup and organising week, I have So much stock to go on the shop its ridiculous, so this Fridays update will be a bumper one.
Ok, I am off to make coffee to go with those sarnis and get packing my orders from the weekend.
Happy spring folks ;)
xx
Unravel was really really good fun, that show is amazing considering its in its second year!! I had a fab spot in an alcove, I have a couple of pics, BUT it was hard to take them because the stand was busy lol.
You can see my new shelves at the back and they mean I can fit loads more yarn on the table, hahaha, anyway, it gives you a little idea, hehe. (loving my new sign too) I always get told off for not having a sign.
So there we go, a blimin successful show if I do say so myself, it was also lovely to be in the same as Mr Bluefaced, Skein Queen and Mr Uppingham, who is a rather cheerful chap it has to be said.
Next show is Wonderwool, although I have a talk this Saturday to the Kennet spinners and weavers guild, so that's quite exciting!
I am updating the shop today, and also swatching and sketching because I have designs to be submitted to the knitter by friday, (gulp)
PS, yesterday was just the most glorious day, I can feel spring coming and I can't believe how good the sunshine felt yesterday.
yay!!!!!
xxxxx
