Spring

I've worked on the VAT return for job1 today and it took ages. I filed it online at17:03 and left straight away to take Spot for an evening walk........

Totally worth it!

Perfect Sunday ....(and what I has been up to!)

So here am I, sitting in the garden, with my laptop on my lap! I can't see a thing on the screen, but I'm hoping to get the gist of a blog down, and correct it later (or maybe just leave it for the heck of it!)  The weather is fabulous, a spring chill in the air, but warm enough to be sitting out in just a cardi and track suit bottoms (Sundays are for slobbing a little aren't the?) Spot is at my side

(and just as I typed that she got up and moved! LOL - she sooooo has to have the last word) and I'm noticing that it won't be long before i have to start mowing the lawn.  I can see a robin sitting on the edge of my incinerator (mostly used for red-mite infested bedding! - sigh) and the church bell is tolling 2 o'clock. I also started (well started isn't quite right as it was 11 o'clock) but I "started" my Sunday with the most perfect brunch courtesy of Attic24, and her recently posted instructions on how to poach an egg.  As a chicken keeper i do love a poached egg on toast, and mine often come out ok, but sometimes really don't, Turns out I had all the right ingredients (water, eggs, vinegar) but in slightly the wrong ratios. - Poached eggs on toasted homemade seed bread is a good way to start a Sunday:- All pretty awesome eh?

So, the week has been pretty busy. Started on Monday with a trip up to the NEC to the CHSI trade show. (as per my last blog post!) Not much for a small trader to be able to get as all the minimum order values were really quite high, but it was good to look around and see what is available, and how the coming seasons are being interpreted.  And the feedback from the magazines was really encouraging about the Crafters' Barn, so that made me feel good about that too. (it's always so scary thinking about starting a business and then realising how much it's going to cost - It makes it a bit easier when other people think it's a good idea too!

On Tuesday, i went to visit Bruce at SKD to get some yarn for my latest commission. This is something that has been on my order books for a while but I haven't been able to source good yarn for it, as it needed to be super-bulky, specific colours, and non-itchy! Not much of a task then?! Luckily Bruce and Birgitte have just started with a new range of yarns from Sandnes-Garn and their Easy Merino fit the bill perfectly.  I decided to drive over and see SKD though as it saved on postage and meant I could have a bit of a squish of some of the rest of their range. (Who can honestly resist the opportunity to squish??!) - I also came home with 2 balls of Alfa, and 2 balls of Kashmir/Alpaca - just for research *ahem* (The kashmir/alpaca is soooooo soft and lovely, I couldn't stop picking it up and stroking it)

Finally, yesterday I went to Unravel. - Fab day, met friends, had lots of hugs, lots of squishing, and not much purchasing (which was good as I really am running out of yarn storing room!)  Saw a fabulous new range called Ruth and Belinda, really lovely yarns and accompanying patterns, well worth a look. And relented on a 24mm pair of knitting needles so I can use one for some broomstick knitting and crocheting trials.

The granny squares throw has been finished. - Would you like to see photos?????...... No???........ well look away then cos I want to show this off! :-)

(Actually not the best photos as the sun has gone in every single time I've got this baby out to photgraph it, but you get the gist!) - It's big enough for a double bed, and is crocheted in Rowan Renew.  As per usual Rowan got the pattern wrong and i sent back (luckily I finished it quickly enough that the same dye lots were still in circulation) 2 balls of Digger, and 2 balls of Trailer. I needed 3 extra balls of Tractor *rolls eyes*.  I've told Rowan, as the quantities in the book in hindsight can't possibly be correct due to the colour sequencing, and if you wanted to take your time over this project (which would be understandable as it's huge!) you'd be a bit stuffed at the end to find all the qty's are wrong. Rowan have apologised and acknowledged the mistake, so it should be in the errata soon.

Right, this post is becoming a little too epic, so it's time to draw to a close for another week or so, before I bore you all to tears. Have a good week everyone, and I hope that a little spring comes to you all this week one way or another.  'Til soon ♥

ooh P.S. Just 2 days left to vote in the poll below, please do if you haven't already. And if you have..... thank you everso x

Please Vote in my Poll!

I was at the CHSI trade show yesterday, getting advertising rates for The Crafters' Barn  for when we're all ready to roll. There were loads of magazines there, and the advertising rates are pretty high - with good discounts available for multiple consecutive adverts, but the cost of 6 consecutive ads is HUGE!. So, it's all going to add up to a hefty amount of cash! So, in the interests of ......... err interest!........ and to help me narrow down the list at least a little. Which magazines do you read? If I've missed any obvious ones off the list please let me know, either in the comments or by email to claire(AT)cmyoung(DOT)eclipse.co.uk 

Now the idea of the adverts in these crafting magazines will be to entice new sellers to the barn. I feel that by offering a £2 flat listing fee per month, many crafters might be interested in selling a few of their excess handcrafted products. It also means they could sell to family and friends and be protected by the websites terms and conditions (yep, even selling to friends can go wrong!)  So initially these adverts will be to gain sellers.  Once we have a good community going, I hope to be able to fund adverts in more "home style" magazines like Country Living and Easy Living. etc.

So, I'd be hugely grateful if you would vote in the poll below, and also spread the word to other crafting communities/forums/friends etc to come vote too so I get a good range of entries.  I (obviously) know a lot of knitters, but I'd really be interested to hear what other Crafters read for their inspiration. The poll will close one week today - 28th Feb.

 

Which magazines do you read?

 

I've missed Making magazine - but i can't change the poll now.  

After the snow walk.......

So one day we walk in the woods in the snow, and clearly the obvious thing to do the next day is:







-Go to the beach!!!!

(Blanket finished, just sewing in the ends!)

Winter Finally....

So a few weeks ago I put some frosty pictures on my blog background in anticipation of a bit of the white stuff - and IT WORKED! (*go me, I'm magic*)

I unashamedly love snow and winter, as previously declared) So yesterday Spot and I set out on a snowy adventure over at Newlands Corner.

Spot is perfectly camouflaged in this weather:

We love getting out and off the beaten track, Spot is hard to stop when she's out there - Generally I'm happy if she's in the same county, but here she stood for a photo call knowing she looked pretty:

We got away from the main paths (which were treacherously icy) and out to the bracken bit where the deer hide (I did see them, but couldn't get the camera out quick enough with all my winter clothing on!) Despite Newlands having been packed with visitors at the weekend when the snow first arrived, we still found that no one had been to our little special area:

The only other footprints were from the deer:

It was perfect, and cold and wonderful. My cheeks ached with smiling by the time we had finished, and when I saw that little path above that was all ours, I might have even *squeeeed* out loud! ;)

The blanket is nearly finished, and in true Rowan style the pattern quantities of yarn are way out.  I have 2 full balls over of 2 of the colours, and am 4 short of the border. It's on order though and should be here tomorrow or Saturday, so this marathon could be over by the weekend. (another smaller *sqeeeeee*!!)

T'il soon, xx

20% off in my shop

There is a 20% discount on all stock items in my shop http://www.thecraftersbarn.co.uk/s/cat_448283-Noos-Knits-other-bits-.html until 10 am Tuesday 7th Feb in case you need something warm to wear. Prices shown are already discounted (previous price is in the description)

Just sayin'!


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She grows......

All squares completed. The joining has begun!



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