On the Needles - WIP's & Creative Inspiration

Hello my lovely friends! We have had some lovely bright days this past week plus we enjoyed a lovely long early May bank holiday weekend.

One lovely afternoon I made a cup of tea  then took a slow stroll around the garden. I spent a few minutes watching the fish swim under the Marsh Marigold which is looking beautiful right now and enjoyed just being still and quiet, listening to the sound of the water splashing back into the pond and enjoying the birdsong.

The late afternoon light was just beautiful so I thought I would pull out some of my yarns and start taking some new photographs to freshen up my Etsy shop listings. Most of the current listings were done over the winter and the lighting is never very good. The colours can either seem a bit lackluster or take on a really strange luminous look - that's usually the reds, so difficult to photograph them. 

Wilfred's' Birthday Picnic is Available in my shop.

I then unpacked some lovely yarn that arrived earlier in the week. I found a lovely poncho pattern on Ravelry and immediately fell in love with it. It's a simple knit that suits my boggled brain at the moment and I think it will be the perfect between season garment.

I've purchased the patterns recommended yarn, CaMaRose Snefnug (found at Loop London). It's beautifully soft and squishy, I've already cast on and am so enjoying knitting with it. I think I may purchase some more in a lovely mustard colourway and find a lovely autumnal pattern on Ravelry.

I also have a pair of gloves on the needles. This pattern is one I have been meaning to do for years. It's from the 2015 Shetland Wool Week Annual. I really enjoy stranded knitting but I'm still not entirely happy with my tension - it takes a while to get it right with stranded knitting.

I have some really exciting news! I have secured a stand at the Harrogate Knitting and Stitching show in November! I'm so excited and petrified at the same time. I've booked my accommodation and am busy planning some lovely new yarns and Christmas gifts that people can buy. So much to do!

I will also be launching my new website - planned for the end of May - where I will have my own independent web-shop. I will still be selling on Etsy but I am trying to transition away from it as the fees are so high. It's slow-going on the website because I'm doing it myself. I'm hoping that I don't run into any tricky issues - I just don't have the skills to deal with anything that is overly complicated. I will be able to integrate a blog on the new website so if one day you find yourself visiting and it looks a bit different its because I will have redirected to the new site.

Digging a trench to lay electricity cables - The cat having a ball!

So much has been happening of late! Last week the electrician came round to connect our summer house studio to the electrics. This means that I am now able to have heat, light and run my sewing machine out in the little studio so it's all coming along rather nicely. The next thing I want to do is convert the garage to a dye studio. A starting point is a few visits to the recycling center! Honestly, how does one gather so much junk!

We have another full-on week this week. Miss J-L starts her cabin crew training tomorrow. There has been so much to do to get to this point. We were in Manchester one afternoon last week as she had a medical - which she passed. She is officially "fit to fly". Training is in Manchester so it will be a really early start for us all for the next month. Her train leaves just before 7 am each morning so no lie-ins for us for the next month at least! It's all terribly exciting for her - I can't believe that she is starting a new chapter in her life so soon after university! It's good to see them making their way.

That's about it for today, have a lovey day and I will see you back here very soon.