New shades - Hand-dyed Bluefaced Leicester aran

Busy moving furniture out of the living room in anticipation of new carpet, so just a quick snap of the hand-dyed shades which I've picked for the Bluefaced Leicester aran...

Simply Knitting

My copy of Simply Knitting arrived yesterday and it dawned on me why I was so busy last month. I'm so excited as I have two patterns, an article and a yarn featured in the magazine! Yippee! Seeing my work in print makes all those nights knitting away into the wee small hours completely worthwhile. Pete has, of course, summarised it much more eloquently than I ever could, so if you are curious to find out more, check out his news story back at the shop http://www.dtcrafts.co.uk/news/archive/2008/2008-01-01.html

As a treat, I rewarded myself with a full day dyeing yesterday (no, not a typo, actually getting out my yarn and dyes and putting colour to skein!). It was bliss! My latest project is toe-up socks so I was cooking up some new shades to show off a couple of new designs I've got whizzing around my head. Will post a couple of mini-pics later (if I can find the camera).

Christmas and New Year

After a frantic spell in the run-up to Christmas with orders still coming in on Christmas Eve, I was all set to put my feet up until New Year. It was a lovely surprise, therefore, to be straight back in the thick of it come Boxing Day and it was back out with the packing tape, staples and catalogues ready for the post office re-opening on 28th! No rest for the wicked!

Christmas was lovely, being back in our own home and enjoying our creature comforts (even if we did have to hide huge piles of unpacked boxes under large sheets when visitors came!). Our new blinds arrived just in time so we didn't have to bring in the New Year with newspapers stuck up at the windows. Our own bedroom even has curtains now (ok, so they are recycled curtains rescued from the dust-sheet pile but the colour was such a good match it seemed a shame not to use them!). The downstairs loo even has blinds so it's all starting to look very civilised. Crossing my fingers now for the new carpet due on 7th and then we can start on the living room.....

Santa delivered some lovely new books so I must have been a good girl last year - indigo dyeing, fabric decoration and felting, so heaps of inspiration (just need to find the time now - wish you could buy that on ebay). Lots of yummy treats from the Lush shop (the best smelling shop in the world) will see me spending (even more) time in the bathroom - good job we now have two! I'll need them too if my "do more exercise" resolution pans out (sorry, probably a bit too much information there). As I re-visit this one every year, I don't hold out much hope but who knows....?

Catch up post-Harrogate

I just looked back at my last post and realised it wasn't even in December (I don't think a late-posted draft really counts!). Where does the time go?

We had a great time at the Knitting & Stitching Show in Harrogate. The exhibitions were, as ever, fabulous. It is brilliant to see so much new talent, clearly brimming with new, innovative ideas and amazing creativity. Just standing on the stall is like watching a moving exhibition as visitors go by in their gorgeous creations, funky hairdos and great tattoos.


Thankfully my beaded knitting workshop was a sell-out most days so I didn't feel like "Billy-no-mates with no-one to teach! I was very nervous but the groups were all lovely and everyone said they'd enjoyed it (altho' I don't suppose you would be mean if you hadn't!).


Here is a pic of one of the groups and a work in progress.



I was amazed how quickly everyone progressed - some had almost finished the bracelet by the time the session ended and it was only an hour!

Vicky, Jacky and Lisa visit Eyam

This post was interrupted by the loss of the card for my digital camera.

As I've now found it, I thought I should say hi and thank you to Vicky, Lisa and Jacky and sorry for taking so long with the pics! (especially as I had Vicky's the following day!).

Here's what the post said...

This month's hand dyeing workshop was a blast. Tales of extreme knitting exploits and plans for more fun and frolics with pins and string were shared as we cooked up some delicious skeins. Talk of trips to Devon and Cornwall made me long for sunshine, surf and cream teas (not necessarily in that order!) - (Note to self: must book a trip away for next year very soon). We missed out on our annual jaunt this year what with the extension etc. and I feel the need for a peaceful week in a cosy cottage, listening to the birdsong and enjoying the fresh air.

As Vicky creates a very interesting green/brown combo (above), don't be fooled by this rather serious pic of Jacky and Lisa - they may look like they are debating nuclear vs solar energy on Question Time but we were actually discussing the relative merits of David Duchovny vs Brad Pitt : )