Autumn Cleaning

A p.s. at the beginning because I want you to read it... You can still vote for us on the Let's Knit Awards. Click here. Please and thank you. :)

I cannot wait for winter! Winter is proper knitting and crochet weather and I am excited! I've finally finished my last summer project (a variation of this tee with the scrumptious Shades DK in the Volcano colourway  - it was a joy to knit with but somehow it took a couple of months... you know how it is...). So, now I'm planning my winter knits and my oh my I have ideas! I'll tell you about them another time because an odd feeling has come over me.

I want to tidy and sort.

That's right - tidy and sort. Those of you who come regularly know that it's really not my strong point. Since June's been away looking after her dad for a couple of weeks, the shop hasn't been hoovered. I know, I know, it's terrible but I have had a lot to do - a serious amount and as I see it, a clean floor isn't imperative to the running of my business but good accounts are. Bookkeeping. Oh dear.

I got it into my head that I wasn't doing very well so I spoke to my mum, who loves maths, and a customer called Dee who used to be a volunteer bookkeeper (and I'm going to mention Elaine here because she has very kindly offered to help and I will take her up on that once my bookkeeping is less embarrassing). They all suggested that I look at how other people do it, maybe buy books or check our websites or speak to bookkeepers and accountants. But I'm contrary and fiercely independent and I like to work it out myself and I found this blog here - Unclutterer.com, which isn't, strictly speaking, about bookkeeping or accounts but it does make sense to my little brain. Turns out it was the website that Dee suggested...

So yesterday, I settled down to knit a shop sample out of the divine Cygnet Merino DK and read the blog and I came upon this post  which is about uncluttering your wardrobe but as I was reading through she mentioned stash a few times, so naturally I started thinking about mine. It's a common conversation theme in this shop about how to sort out stash. It's something that every knitter has whether they plan it or not. I get a bit antsy when people buy a ball here and a ball there, smiling because they're adding to their stash. My preferred method is to buy in big enough bulk so that at least you can do something. Say, eight 100g balls of DK, 900g of aran. The only single balls that come home with me are laceweights and 4plies. But naturally, you'll have half a ball or even a couple of metres at the end of a project that you can't bear to throw away. I've started to get more fierce with my stash - if it's not going to be used, it's going. I've got rid of a hell of a lot of Wilko's acrylic that way... Life's too short to knit with yarn that you don't love ey?

But what I'm trying to say is that I'm going to try and sort my own stash using the rules that she's given us for her clothing stash. And I'm going to do it around about now because this is the new year for knitters - the beginning of the season - the time when we're thinking about big projects to keep us warm and snuggly when the snow finally starts. Oh I can't wait.

I must say though, with June being away I'm not getting any days off so all of these big ideas may well be thrown out the window because if it gets too cold I won't want to be sorting, I'll most definitely want to be knitting. :)

I also want to say, you know in academic papers (at least legal academic papers and legislation) when something refers to a man it's a convention that you know that it refers to a woman as well. Maybe a little sexist - I'm sure we could change everything to say person or people - but it's the way it is and you get used to it. From now on, when I refer to 'knitting' or 'crochet', apart from when I'm referring to a project or if I specifically say so, I'm referring to both. Does that make sense? Crocheters on the internet seem to have a bit of a complex with feeling left out - I kinda get it because there's so much about knitting out there but I love crochet and I love knitting - equal but different - but really, it feels awkward to put 'knitting and crocheting' everywhere so you'll just have to coco...

With that out of the way - I want to announce that we're having out SECOND BIRTHDAY PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARTY! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had such fun fun fun last year. I can't believe how long ago it feels, I started this on the day because I was too drunk to knit this. So much has happened this year. But really, it feels like two minutes ago. The same as the opening which feels like forever ago and no time at all. I know you know how that feels. Odd odd odd.

Anyway - it's going to be a bloody great day and I'll most likely be drunk (especially if June makes it back because then she can look after the cashing up...) and I have my first day off in a month afterwards so I must spend it hungover, it's practically the law.

Click here to get to the facebook event page (which I think you can see even if you're not on facebook) for details.

Here's a bloody lovely, if slightly fuzzy, photo from last year with loads of customers and my entire family :)

In my efforts to organise and tidy, I've deleted nearly every photo from my laptop because I got it in my head that all of the photos I needed were on facebook but of course when you take them from facebook they're not great quality. Oh well. 

Right, I'm off to put some bits on the internet and carry on with my shop sample. I'll write a few blogs over the next few days telling you about the exciting stuff we'll be doing at the party. 

Dead exciting!

Love, 

Eleanor.