Right.

Can you remember the glorious month when we blogged every single day? March 2012 apparently. Well, I'm not bloody doing that but I am going to use some of the tricks from that month to get some blogs done. I want to write an average of eight blogs a month every month this year so that's six that I need to write for January and seven that I need to write for this month (this one counts! Yay for making up my own rules!). So blogging will happen and seeing as I've spent all of today so far making the thing I'm going to talk about in a mo (and dealing with customers obvs) then I'm going to write at least three of those 14 blogs today. And three a day until I've reached the target? Maybe that's pushing it...

Sooooooo. Here's the thing!!!

Can we all just take a moment to think and reflect upon the pure beauty that is that thing? And it's not even blocked yet! HOW HAS THAT COME OUT OF MY LITTLE FINGERS!?!?!?

 So, it all started yesterday when I went wedding dress shopping with Vezza (she's getting married. Not. Me. Still going well with boyf btw just not that well...). She handed me over a little Dior bag (which I'm going to keep forever. As if I'll get another Dior bag in my life). Inside were loads of little goodies - handcream, body lotion, lip gloss and this....

I must admit, I'd kinda forgotten about it. I think she sent me a photo about a week ago asking how to get the kinks out of it and I literally fell in love. It was one of only two skeins she'd dyed and the other she'd given away on her page - Truly Hooked. So I knew when I asked for it that I was asking quite a bit but I guess it is what she does now and not everybody feels as viscerally as I do about wool either...

The yarn is dyed on a blank which essentially means a knitted 'thing' is dyed, ripped, rewound and Bob's your uncle. I know that Verity is stepping up her dying business since t'babbeh was born but this came out of nowhere. AND I LOVE IT!

So, I had the ball in my greasy little mitts all day and didn't touch it and then when me and t'boyf were settling down to watch The Musketeers (are you watching it?!? Amazing!!) somehow it was this that fell into my lap and now the jumper I should be knitting for Amy Singer or indeed the bridesmaid dress that I need to make for the wedding. Funny how that happens isn't it?

I chose the Fantasm pattern pattern from Ravelry after having picked it out as a possibility for some other of Verity's yarn that she dyed for me. It seemed simple enough without being mental-making and the chain-y nature of it means that it uses less yarn so the yarn therefore goes a lot further... However, my little phone would only download the written instructions which I generally have no problem with but these kind of felt unfinished - they stop abruptly after row 13 for example and it's not a 'pretty' layout (not that that should matter I guess but apparently I've become accustomed). I'm pretty sure that some of the counts are out on some rows (row 9 for example) but I could be well out and it didn't make any difference in the end, I just kind of did my thing. I think it may put off a newbie though - so perhaps try the charts (for which I can pass no judgement. Yet. I will be able to because I will be doing this pattern again. I ADORE IT!

Look at that!

Can you remember when we had a little spurt of Elise's in the shop? I love that pattern - look here! Genuinely love it but there's only so many I can cope with - I've made two myself seen about six of Verity's, Lynsey's done one, Lindsey's done one and Lisa's done one aswell as god knows how many other customers. The Fantasm is my new thang. So if you come into the shop looking for something to crochet then expect to have this foisted upon you. And you'll love it!

I took so many photos of the yarn as I went along that I thought I ought to share them:

I think they're in the right order and just a quick little one of my favourite colour changey bit:

Now, I'm in the process of trying to get Verity to wholesale this to me so would you mind adding your voices to the fray? She might do it then (or do it quicker...).

Love,



Eleanor.