GIFTS!

Look at what turned up for us today! GIFTS! I kind of knew what it was but I wasn't sure and we'd missed the first posting of it so I had to rearrange for it to come and then the bus was seriously late on the one day I could have done it and then and then. But it's here now. :)

Such beautiful handwriting. 

I tried to open it carefully but it just wasn't happening. Can you tell what it is yet? 

YEAHYEAHYEAH! It's the beautiful hooks by Nicola at Fleabubs!!! I've no idea how Verity found her but find her she did and she was so impressed with her hooks she bought me one! 

Beauts ain't it? I took it on holiday and it's the hook I started the Patons Cotton DK shawl on (still not finished...). I loved it and then I started thinking about moving to a new place and how it would be nice to have something special to sell just for that and I ended up ordering 19 of the bloody things... 

They all say either 'KN' or 'Knit Nottingham' on them in beautiful handwriting so it's something really special and unique (I'm hoping my sister uses this as an example in her marketing classes - always my aim in business decisions). Another shot you say? Gladly: 

I can't get over how beauts they are! They're ALL in stock as we speak but when I put the photo up on the facebook group the other day things went a bit mental (facebook keeps sending me messages saying that that message was 90% more successful than our other messages so do I want to give them some money? Ummm. Nah). 

I'm really struggling to find my fave. I LOVE the tiger stripes one, four in from the right, but it's a 3.5mm which isn't a size I much use (although that's maybe because it's not one that tends to be in the bottom of my bag, but it's not there because I don't use it much and I don't use it much because it's not there and it's not there because... self fulfilling prophecy. I may have just talked myself into buying that one...). 

I think my actual favourite is this one: 

Look at those colours! It's a whopping 10mm which is not a size I've ever been able to get in stock before (though watch this space, I have more news to tell you tomorrow). 

All of the hooks have the sizes etched into the bottom: 

So they'll never get worn off like what happened with the Knit Pros. 

So, this is all well and good but want to know the best bit?

SHE SENT ME CHOCOLATES!

Good woman that Nicola. I was pleased with that and the excitement of the hooks themselves but when I got to the bottom of the box - there were MORE BLOODY CHOCOLATES!

Seriously. It's like she knows me. 

So, pricing. It's a difficult one because of course you can go to Nicola's page and order your own and we do have to put a bit on top but I think I'm going to settle for a nice round £5. That' only 25p more than she charges for her hooks and I think it's reasonable for the time and effort put into them - and how comfortable they are to work with! If you buy them from us of course, you're not only supporting Nicola (because we've paid her a fair price) but you're supporting your favourite yarn shop (that's us. Obvs.) too and our quest for a bigger shop because all of the money raised will go in my little bean pot which is no longer earmarked for Christmas booze but in fact for the new shop. I haven't discussed this with Nicola but I'm pretty sure you'll not be able to get one with 'Knit Nottingham' written in either and you won't have to wait for them to be made! They're here!!!!!

When we've sold through some of them they'll go on the wall with the rest of the crochet hooks (the Essentials hooks will surely feel underdressed and drab but it's their own fault for being grey and metal...). 

So that's that. The way you lot were going mental on the fb page makes me think that they won't be around for long so get down sharpish if you've got specific sizes/colours in mind. Otherwise come and choose your hook like we're Ollivander's.

I'm going off to write another blog post for tomorrow because we've got some serious catching up to do!

Love Eleanor. :)