Photo Love

This time of year is kind of hard for a yarn shop owner. Especially one that doesn't enjoy Summer anyway. The shop is always slower (ticking along nicely but slower) and I, at the risk of sounding like a vampire, feed off other people's energy. I'm a funny kind of mix of an introvert in that I hate everybody equally, an extrovert in that I find people fascinating, a people person in that I have to have people around to feel inspired and excited about things and a recluse in that mostly, once I'm inspired and excited, I have to withdraw into my own little world to actually make things work. I love my one day off a week, and I often complain that it's not enough, but the six days that I spend here are the ones that spur on me getting so much done on my day off.

Anyway, enough about me, I have a new phone! This phone is a beauty. Apparently I can take it swimming (up to a depth of 1.5metres in fresh water) and I do actually take it into the shower to have a wash-time-disco. Beautiful. What's been most intriguing is the camera, it's loads better than the last one that I had but that sort of thing takes time to get used to. I'd only just worked out how to change the point of focus on my last camera when I get this one and I have to work out how to even take a bloody photo. Haha. Taking beautiful photos is really exciting me at the moment - and taking too much of my time - but posting them on instagram is making me feel like it's actually work.... I thought I'd take a moment to share a few of my faves with you to spread the cheering up luuuuuuuurve.

I took this on the off chance just a few minutes ago and I was going to post it to Facebook and Instagram when I thought I actually had something to say about the phone on here. Cool hey?

Shameless. This is just a quick one from this morning when I was sorting out the orders. One of these is going in every single internet order from now on because I would still LOVE to win! IMAGINE THAT! (and I know you've voted right?)

Beeeeeeads. After teaching my Bobica workshop last Sunday I am back on beading in a big way. I'd like to design more stuff, basically to get more money for a plan that I have, but I was feeling a little uninspired. I am now totally inspired and basically let me at it - beads all over the place.

Last night, I went to Singing Bird's house for dinner and mahjong with Elizabeth and Chris and we had a gorgeous night eating vegetarian food and chatting. She had a load of mohair going free so I started a new project that's earmarked for potential selling - again to make money for this specific thing that I'm thinking about that I can't tell you about. I'm going neutral for the biggest appeal but I have ideas in my head about my other mohair yarns that are a lot more colourful.

Kitten was determined to help me this morning, whether that was to take the photo or to actually make the blanket I don't know but she was veeeeery interested.

It takes fabulous sky photos! Which is brilliant because that was one thing that my last camera didn't do well at all and I have a real feeling about skies and clouds and a deep seated anger that the one day my mum allowed me to skive school (when I was about eight to go to the Galleries of Justice with my grandma) was the day where we learned about clouds and although I've tried to do my own research since I can't seem to get them in my head. Bad mum.

And at the same time as all of this planning, beading, designing, meetings, thinking and deciding, I'm also trying to get to the bottom of my accounting for last year. I'm a little further on than I usually am because I kept on top of it all until the shop went mad in about November (and didn't calm down until about two weeks ago) but of course, given that that was the time the shop went mad, that's when the most difficult/time consuming accounting comes into play. I try and do a couple of hours on my day off. Every day off. But it's bloody hard work. Last Monday I printed over 300 sheets of paper. I know I'm a bit old fashioned and people tell me I don't have to print every single thing but it feels safer and sounder and I'll keep doing it even though it's mind blowingly boring and is the sort of thing that you can't really do anything else at the same time.

And that's my phone empty. That's a lie. So many photos that I can't share with you right now. And so many ideas and it's killing me! Gimme time and a bit of luck and I'll get there.

Love Eleanor. xxxxxx