Obligatory Holiday Post

It seems the only things that really inspire me to blog are my holidays (and rants haha). Perhaps I should start a separate blog just for that??! But anyway, here I am making my count of two posts a week come true with a blog about my weekend away. Me and boyf went to York to see the vikings and the wool and it was bloody brill!

I think I'd happened upon York as the place to go when I was looking for my annual coach trip holiday but we decided it'd be much nicer to go on our own so that we could do what we wanted when we wanted (and visit my sis on the way back).

On the Saturday which was the only free day we set off nice and early but boyf got half way to London before realising that we needed to be headed up north. That was a lie but it was the first of three times we got totes lost. We got into York at about 11 I think and obviously the first place we visited was Duttons for Buttons. Somebody had told me about it (I think Lynsey??) and I'd said that I would go but not done any research because I thought we'd be too busy but it was on the high street (Coppergate?) just near the Jorvik Centre so we found it dead easy in the end.

Oh my gosh.

And I couldn't photograph most stuff because there were other humans in the way... There was too much for me, I couldn't make up my mind so we headed to see the vikings and said we'd be back later. 

 There was a bit of a queue to get in so I got my crochet out (natch) which was promptly stolen by boyf because I'd taught him to chain t'other day and he wanted some of that:

 

I didn't mind too much though because the weather was good and there was an AMAZING busking band playing brill songs to dance to. :)

I couldn't work out whether we could take photos at all inside so I didn't bother but what I would say is, on the ride, about half way through there were two models who were supposed to be builders on a break and eating something but one of them was definitely real! I swear he smiled at me! Last night as we were going to bed boyf told me he thought the same thing - without me having to say it! WHAT A WEIRD FEELING! Why would somebody sit doing the same thing all day? How much does he get paid for that!? Are we going mad!?

 I knew after the vikings that we needed to go to the wool shop - Ramshambles. I've followed them on twitter for a while and they seem lovely and I like the name and... oh... why am I making excuses to visit an LYS - of course we were going to go! It's right at the end of the street and it is beautiful!

It really does remind me of my little shop inside. Lots of mismatched furniture and stuff everywhere. There's a lot of King Cole products, some Regia and then some bits like Rowan, Debbie Bliss (I think?) and some bits that are a bit more local and a bit more special.

I plumped for five colours of the Austermann Merino Lace (£2.99 for 350 metres!!!!) and two balls of Aire Valley Aran in a beautiful purply shade for some thick socks for boyf.

I started this in the lace in the car on the way back:

 

 It's a pretty simple half and half scarf which I've had in my head for a while and I'm joining the granny squares as I go and it's the first time I've done that and it's worked out - I think because the yarn is so delicate! I've got all sorts of combos in my head for the Truly Wool Rich 4ply so watch this space for a pattern but I must say I'm pretty taken with the laceweight enough to perhaps stock it? It was on the cards a few years ago but I couldn't justify the price then because most of our customers wouldn't have had a clue what to do with laceweight but you've grown with us and I can think of a million things to do so we'll see.

Anyway, the girls were delightful - didn't take their names because I would never remember. I loved their stock room! One day I'll have my very own:

 

And in particular I luuuuuuuuurved this display:

I hope you do too because we might have one very similar in the not too distant future... ;)

 And I most enjoyed their blackboard: 

The girls were helping other people when we left so I didn't get the chance to do a nice goodbye but I hope that they read this and know that they did a good job - lovely shop! I'll go back one day!

Then we found a bloke on the floor. 

Some sort of street performer obviously but he just wouldn't shut up so we walked off and then he did the thing that he was threatening he'd do just as we turned away. Oh well. Patience is a virtue but I'm sure it wouldn't have made a difference anyway. 

Then we found ourselves back in the button shop where I noticed that they had a sign for wool upstairs! It was in a hidden medieval room that apparently had been forgotten about for 500 years. How does that happen????

There wasn't much wool - I got the impression that they were just starting out so I'm sure it will get better and the stuff they had was perfectly nice. The room was spectacular though!

 I bought what were deffo the best buttons in the whole shop and we went off to find somewhere to eat. 

We totes failed at that. Everywhere we went there were stinking (literally) football fans. Ugh. I can put up with a fair amount of olfactory battering but one pub had me heaving. So we went to a museum instead where we were able to talk about both carbolic smoke balls and liquorice twigs. Got there a bit late for the old fashioned sweet shop though...

Back in the hotel boyf requested that I teach him to crochet properly and he made this:

Which I promise is a granny square if you just ignore the bottom right hand corner. And he enjoyed it that much that whilst we were waiting for dinner he had a go at a ripple!

I think laceweight yarn and working into actual stitches rather than holes was a bit much for him though. At least he tried (and didn't bugger it up too badly so I couldn't fix it...).

On the Sunday we visited Cazza and there's not much to say about that really - lots of gossip, some fish and chips and t'babbeh being a rotter! She did finally get this through the post though: 

Which was the project that I started the day after I said I wasn't going to start any projects until the bridesmaid dress was finished. Oh well. Too beautiful not to. It's the Skull Shawl from ravelry and I used five or so balls of Patons Diploma in black. Dead good.

And that's that! A blog! It's only taken about four hours! Haha. Good little holiday.

Love Eleanor. :)

YARNDALE! YARNDALE! And thrice: YARNDALE!

AHAHAHAHAHAHA! You have no idea how excited I am about going back to Yarndale. Last year it was a stress, I admit, but this year will be different - it's nicely spaced out between our events and I'll have a printed list of your names AND I'm going to put them in alphabetical order! Oh yes! 2014 is the year of organisation here at Knit Nottingham!

Read more here at Yarndale's site. And here on our blog about the day. And then look at this by the lovely Sam from Artisan Angel Creations:

Who wouldn't want to go there!?!?!

Now, we have a few things to sort out - firstly, would you prefer to go on the Saturday the 27th or Sunday the 28th?

I have genuinely no problem with either but June does! haha!! She couldn't go last year because we went on Saturday and she was needed for the shop so I did kinda say that I'd ask which one you wanted... I asked on Facebook a couple of days ago and it looks like the Saturday is the preference and that means she can't go again and she wants you all to know that she's got your names and if you set foot in the shop on Saturday (I'm off to York so she's in) then she'll be having words... I suspect the vendors will be more knowledgeable this year so I doubt there'll be as much running out of stock as there was and I suspect that people will buy more tickets in advance too so the organisers will be more able to accommodate the masses so I think it matters less if we go on the Sunday but it's actually up to you. (So far we're seven to one (June) in favour of Saturday right now with a few people who are happy with either day).

I also want to set an actual coming home time this year too. I think 4pm should do it but it's another option. Last year I purposefully left it open ended to decide on the bus as we were travelling up but a few people booked things in the evening which meant we were in a bit of a rush to get home. This time I want to make it clear from the start so that plans can be made around it. Yeah? Options are 4, 4.30 or 5pm.

Looks like the prices for the coach haven't changed much so, depending on the ticket price (which will be part of the money you pay us) I think we'll stick at £24 - it might be £25 - don't quote me.

Let's have a show of hands who wants to go and when you want to go and if you have preferences for going home times.

In case you're wondering - I've specifically asked everybody for a *working* toilet on the coach...

And that's it - contact me with your preferences please!

Love Eleanor. 

Left.

As in, what's left after I've finished the day's business and I'm lying in bed at night and I must admit recently it's been a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. I want to talk about body positivity and how it relates to my shop and it will be a bit political and it will be a bit feminist and I don't apologise for that and I hope that even if you think they might be bad things you'll read on and know that this is just common sense and common humanity.

I have a 'thing'. I am fat. Not 'curvy', not 'fluffy' and there's not 'more to love'. Just fat and pretty fabulous yes? Haha.

It's a funny thing to come to terms with in this world, being fat. It's difficult. The most positivity I've had in regards to the way that I look is when I was suffering from an eating disorder at around 14-16 years old. People would stop me to comment that I looked 'so much better', 'wow look at you!', 'can't believe how much healthier you look!'. Gee, thanks. That made me feel so much better when I was sobbing into the one apple a day that I allowed myself to eat. Brill! Looking back I'm utterly stunned that people didn't think that the muscly, bright, cheery, fit but chubby little girl who swam, danced and rode horses competitively was 'healthy'. But comment they did and I can see a direct correlation between things that were said, faces that were made, assumptions that were held about me and my later eating disorder.

At 15 I injured my hip pretty badly so I couldn't manically exercise in the same way and it's much easier to eat when you're not walking miles every day so I did and, as a metabolism is wont to do after it's been abused for two years, I gained weight at a terrific speed. Throughout uni and afterwards I tried various diets, fads and exercise regimes which all left me sad and disappointed when I failed and I turned, dare I say it, into a meek little thing. Honestly - I couldn't look people in the eye, could answer questions about myself, wore drab baggy clothes. Ugh.

Then the shop happened. Which was, and still is, a massive shock. Slowly I gained my confidence. If you ask me, I'm still doing things by the skin of my teeth, scraping by, never with enough money but people are impressed and proud and they let me know! More than any other thing the way that people have acted towards me has been a huge boost to my self esteem. Hopefully, I don't need to tell you how important self esteem is - without self esteem what's the point of getting up in the morning? If you're not worthy what's the point of eating healthily or exercising? How are you going to behave kindly towards others if you're not kind yourself? How can you see beauty in anything if you can't find it in yourself?

I guess I'm trying to explain how important actions (and I include in that words because speaking out loud is an action but also body posture, facial expression, where and how you spend money, kind deeds etc.) are. Towards other people and towards yourself. But I've been noticing more and more microaggressions lately, in my shop and elsewhere. As I understand microaggressions, they are tiny little negative (or aggressive) sayings or thoughts or sentences made - knowingly or not - about me, my shop, my customers or people that they know. (Read more here). It seems that the concept of micro-aggressions don't sit with people that haven't been on the receiving end of them (as in, they don't believe microaggressions happen) so let me take you through just a few to illustrate what I'm trying to say:

• To me who was eating celery for lunch (something that I do regularly - celery and carrots... mmmm) - "Oh, it's good to see that you're finally looking after your health". 
• Man to his wife in my shop - "Fat women should only wear dark colours".
• Customer to me - "I don't think designers should include fat sizes in patterns, it's their own fault" (WTF?! How does that affect your small sizes?!).
• Customer about herself - "I want to hide my fat arms". 
• Customer about somebody she knows - "I'm dead lucky because I got all the hips and boobs, my sister's skinny like a rake... hahaha". 
• On showing a picture of a (fit!!!) mixed race knitwear model to a customer - "Oooooh, I don't like them interracials (sic)". 

Can you see? These are just off the top of my head (and fat is my 'thing' as I said above so apologies for not being more inclusive) and four of them have happened within the last two weeks so goodness knows what's been said and I've forgotten about and don't get me started about stuff that doesn't happen in the shop (suffice to say I'm happy to be a little more aggressive when I'm not asking for money...). It's not right and it's not on. It doesn't fit with how the world should be - i.e. the connection between how people act, speak and behave towards one another and self-esteem.

I want people to leave my shop feeling happy, inspired, healthy (if I can - I'm sure there's some sort of colour therapy in here haha) and that cannot happen when people are still making the kind of assumptions that lead to statements like this. It doesn't work.

I've been a bit cut up about it recently - I don't know whether it's the change in the sort of websites I'm visiting and books that I'm reading, or the people I'm around (hello Dee and Vezza) or the way that I feel about myself, but it's becoming more and more apparent to me. It is, of course, entirely possible that it's happening more. I'm going to be the change that I want to see and I hope that you  all want to be the change that we all want to see (and if you don't want to see it then... well...). Not only am I going to be positive to all of my customers (their body types, their colour, their style of dress, their ethnicity, their shape, their everything!) which I hope I already am, but I'm going to call out every micro-aggression that happens in this shop including micro-aggression towards oneself (I did it today to a woman on a downer about herself!). 

And now for a list of sites I think you all should visit:

Dances with Fat (Thanks Dee for sending me here!).
XOjane.co.uk (not entirely body focussed but lots of lighthearted articles interspersed with some hard hitting stuff). Particularly - Do This Don't: Be Fat and Go Sleeveless.
Volup2 facebook page (a high quality online magazine focusing on non-traditional beauty i.e. fat people, disabled people, people of colour, older people etc.).
Tess Munster's Facebook Group (an amazing plus size model who's political to boot). 
EverydaySexism project on Twitter (you've probably heard of it, it's an incredible mine of micro-aggression stories).

Have you got anything else I can add to this list???

I do hope this blog is taken in the spirit that it's intended i.e. empowerment and if it's not then I suspect we'll be having words about micro-aggressions sooner rather than later... ;)

Any thoughts?

Eleanor. xxxx

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.

Sale Sale Sale!

I've finally got round to getting the sale on! Oh me oh my it's taken a day and a half of full on work (but it does mean I've finally got the new shades of Opium on the shelf instead of strewn around the floor...). 

A quick run through then, from the top:

Supa Dupa Chunky - £5.00 down from £8.00:

We're going to get this in again later this year but we sold a grand total of four balls over last summer so as far as I'm concerned it's shelf space I don't need to take up. Yeah? Lovely though!

Patons 100% Cotton DK - £3.50 down from £4.50:

I'm pretty sad about this but I only got it because I fell in love with the colours after the I got the Patons Cotton 4ply in but it's not sold as well as it might have and I've found an alternative that I am head over heels for so as soon as this is gone we'll give the next one a try!

King Cole Smooth DK - £2.00/£2.50 down from £3.30/£3.60:

Another one I am saaaaaaaaad to see go because we've had it in since more or less the beginning. Thing is, it's a bloody nightmare on the shelf - it's so soft and drapy that it just falls apart on a ball and it looks a mess which means it doesn't sell that well. People that try it love it and come back for more but it's hard to sell a ball that looks like a big lumpy mess. It was a good alternative for the Bamboo Cotton though. It's probably sold a little less as a baby yarn since we got the Comfort in though. Oh it's hard being a businesswoman when you love all of your yarn. :(

Cygnet Merino DK - £1.50 down from £2.50:

This is the killer for me (I've bought myself another 11 balls to do something with). This yarn is the entire reason that we stock Cygnet in the first place after I fell in love with it after knitting an indestructible hat. But, alas and alack it's time has come and I'm replacing it asap with something that I think is just as good but I need to get this sold so get to it!

And finally:

We have the plain colours in the Fab DK. Some of them I never got round to putting on the internet so I've taken them off there and they're just in the shop but they're down from £2.00 to £1.00 so it's a bargain. I got the yarn because I thought it was different to the Pricewise DK - it handles much thicker and sturdier so it's good for toys but I don't think that translated well in the shop and I don't have the space to get the full range if I'm planning to keep the Pricewise (and I am < 3). We're keeping the funny colours though because they sell well all year round - hubba hubba.

So that's that - come and spend please because I want space and money to buy all the good new stuff.

Love Eleanor. :)

The last month in one little post.

Really. Where do I start? Apart from it's not quite been a month! Hmmm. Not good enough. To be fair, the days before Christmas were mental. The days over Christmas I was on holiday. And the days since Christmas I've been... busy? I guess? I've made some vague resolutions to keep the shop in better shape and to that end I've done the hoovering twice (TWICE!) since I came back on the 2nd and I've pretty much written an entire fairisle lesson:

Phwoaaaaar! Look at that!

I've finished a cardigan:

Totes not a model. But to be fair, Jazz is totes not a photographer. Haha. It's pattern number 3870 in the Galaxy DK in Ocean (but it's sold out. Again. I'm going to get it by the ten pack until you ravenous lot have got your fill. :) ).

I've knitted more on Amy's Cardigan. No photos though, soz.

I've knitted more on a jumper I started on the 20th of September and then gave up on.

I've no idea why I gave up on it. I LOVE it! And it's nearly there!!!! Vaguely based on this pattern (but of course I didn't bother to read the pattern so went AWOL from about row five....) and it's in the Superwash DK and I'm dead pleased that I'm only on ball number 11 and I should get some good 3/4 length sleeves! That should be done this week.

I've knitted some on my ridiculous socks:

This is they on a visit to a brewery down south (Tring Bewery to be precise). I was there visiting boyf's 'rents who didn't think much to me ("do you like her?" "well, if she makes you happy..." haha) and it's the first time I've ever been to a brewery. I thought it might be a bit like the booze-appreciators equivalent of a yarn shop but it's not. There was no talking, no laughter, no gossip - just slow and considered sipping of different beers. Weird. Anyway, the yarn is the Fluormania Sock (as if you couldn't tell) and it's as lovely as every Regia sock yarn is. Although, I've now lost my finished one (perhaps somewhere in Market Harborough) so the second one has been put on hold.

I went to Market Harborough and found no wool but I did find this bloody brill shower gel:

I bought a jigsaw and lost boyf: 

And perhaps most importantly, I cheated on myself and went to the John Lewis sale. Dun Dun Duuuuuuuuuuuhn! I have an excuse! A good one!! 

Verity's getting marrrrrrrrrrried!!! And I'm a bridesmaid!!! And the colour scheme is grey!!! (Really Vezza?!?! Grey is so not my colour...). But it meant that I needed some really special yarn in grey to make my dress. Don't get me wrong, my first though was the Galaxy DK but it was too much for the whole thing, so I considered mixing it with the Patons Diploma for the body and the Galaxy for the sleeves but the textures just weren't right. Then I started thinking about the Truly Wool Rich 4ply which was a goer apart from that it was January and the wedding is like soooooooon. Ugh. So me and Verity went a searching for the perfect yarn at John Lewis and I saw some Sirdar stuff in the sale (20 bloody balls of it) and it was perfect. I've no idea of the name (or inclination to search for it...) but it's like a French knitted core in sparkly silver stuff with fluffy grey throughout. It's a chunky apparently but I like it best on a 4.5mm hook. And this is where I am:

That's it on top of the mohair dress (which I've now felted slightly... does that surprise you?) but I still like the shape it's just a little short. I did a top down raglan rather than my weirdy version of a top down yoke which means that the neckline is pretty different and I'm slightly worried there isn't enough room for my boobs but if they're popping out - all the better I say! It's a special occasion after all. This photo was taken last night when I'd just started my tenth ball. I think I'll need another two or three on the skirt and then I've no idea what to do with the arms. They're about 3/4 length right now and I know that I want full length but in my head they were going to be bell sleeves but then I got the idea for doing tighter sleeves with the little ring thing that goes around the middle finger - do you know what I mean? Like this:

From here. But is that too bridal? I'm deffo not the bride. Hmmm. I think I've got a bit of time left anyway, I'm going to finish the skirt, try it on, find some shoes and then finish the sleeves (and perhaps add some of the same lace onto the bottom of the skirt?). Who knows?!

Am I forgiven!? I always say to customers that we can't stock everything so you need to go elsewhere for some things. It's just the facts of life. When we get the bigger shop though there'll be no excuses. Haha.


I'm also using the dress as a bit of a wip-sorterer-outerer. I'm only doing that at home in the evenings because I want it to be top quality and I've decided that the projects that I take out and about are only going to be wips and not anything new. I can't really estimate how long it'll take to do the bridesmaid dress because I'm not getting very long to work on it with me being socially busy at the minute but I have a lot of wips to get to grips with! I have said though that once they're all done (or frogged if I decide not to carry them on) then I can start on some new socks, but it's got to be from stash. I will get all of my projects done this year! I guess that's a new year's resolution. I'm just not calling it that.

OOOOOOH. And before I started on this 'resolution' I did cast on a new jumper in the Opium because the new colours came in and I couldn't not. I swear, it's an actual addiction isn't it!?



Phwooooooooar! Look at that! There's a load of new patterns for it too:

 

But I must admit I'm still hung up on the old ones so I chose this pattern: 

Which is 3683 and I'm doing it in the Navy colourway but I think I might do it shorter. No decision on whether I'm doing the slash or vee neck though. Ahhh decisions decisions! Anyway, find the Opium here and the new patterns here. 

 Here's me looking disappointed in myself for the amount I've done:

But can't you tell that it's going to be just bloody brilliant when it's finished!!!

And just before you go, feast your eyes on this beaut!!!!

It's also in the new patterns tab and it's been causing a bit of a stir in the shop and on the facebook group. Go ooooooooooooon - you know you want to!

Ooooh, you don't know how relieved I am to have got a blog done! It's been on my mind for a loooong while but I've just never had the appropriate time! One more thing on my to do list and then I'm going to kick back with some tea and do my Opium jumper! What a life!

I'll not leave it so long next time. LOVE!!!!

Eleanor. xxxxx :)

The Big Ish.

Sooooo. I've just realised that I never actually told you about this on here and I know there are some people that read the blog but not facebook - Imagine! Next year will be different, I promise!

We were doing a charity drive! But it's over now. The Big Issue were doing a Knitathon where knitters were asked to make 6 by 6 inch squares to be sewn together into 12 square strips and sent off to the Big Issue to break a record for the biggest knitted blanket (that's why crocheters weren't invited - sorry!!!). I read somewhere that the blankets would be broken down to give to the homeless but I can't find that now. Ahh well. Click here for more info.

To be honest, we didn't make a particularly concerted effort - we picked a day (16th November), asked people to knit squares and get sponsored and spent that day sewing the strips together. It was fun! Dee brought lurrrrrvley homemade cake and her and Maria deserve massive bonus points for sitting outside all day! They got plenty of people donating to the cause.

 

 This is they looking delighted in their work... 

When everybody else turned up they preferred to sit inside and I obviously had to host them. ;)

I've got a list of everybody that participated but it's definitely missing some because there were plenty of non-regular-customer people who dropped in squares and strips without having a chat and we're eternally grateful to you too but I don't have your names - sorry!!!! (and I'm forgetful anyway, so tell me off if I've missed you...) In no particular order:

Dee, Karen, Debs, Elizabeth, Stephanie, Elaine, Davina, Pat, Gemma, Suzanne, Maria, Hilary and meeeeeeeee. 

All STARS! Every single one of you! Thanks!!!

So, the deadline was yesterday... Last week I started getting the strips together, sewing the last few (when I say last few I mean... 192... I am a real star ;) ) but I got bored, and tired and then left it until yesterday when I realised we were missing the deadline. We were left with three random squares and I couldn't just send them in like that so last night my Mum and I knitted nine more, I sewed them together and we were off.

Everything fitted in this MASSIVE box. 

Which was an actual nightmare to parcel up: 

And I knew I had to deal with the detritus all around afterwards. Ugh. 

I sent this letter in to them - totes profesh, you know me: 

I counted the money which came to....

A total of £233.96!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOWOWOW! More than I'd ever thought! And bear in mind that one of our knitters sent her money off separately and I think that was just over £100. Can you believe it!???!?!?!

I realised that a load of people who had been sponsored had given us money and, I couldn't send that through the post (t'other day I got a Christmas card posted through the letter box that had been opened just like normal. Now I ain't blaming anybody but I'm sure the people at the Royal Mail know as well as we all do that often Christmas cards have money in...) so I had to get to the bank, pay in the money and then transfer over to the Big Issue. Brill. Dead easy yeah?

Nah. Not with RBS... Lovely RBS... So I deposited the money into the shop account no problem, got a print out of that. Then I handed over the Big Ish details and she sent the money off to them. Got the print out, put a copy in with the letter I sent them and everybody's sponsorship forms and the cheques that we got and sealed it up. I needed to deposit some normal money into the shop account so we went ahead and did that and it was then that the woman behind the desk realised that she'd send the Big Ish money from my personal account! And it couldn't be got back!!! Ugh! I'm genuinely suprised that there was enough money to cover it but apparently there was... So. We transferred the money from the shop account to my account and everything's right and I'll just make a mention in my accounts next year. Bloody hell. (On a side note - if anybody that gave us cash wants a copy of the bank transfer note give us a private message on facebook or an e-mail and we'll get a scan over).

So, with that done and my letter to the Big Ish ready to send I carted everything off to the Post Office. WHERE I GOT FARTED ON! SOMEBODY FARTED ON ME! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT! Nothing more to say on that note really. Again, if you need the proof that the stuff went give us a pm or e-mail.

So that's the Big Ish story. Massive thanks to everybody that contributed and I'm totes going to do it next year because it wasn't that bad. I'm toying with the idea of doing something for Syria because the news is just making me want to weep but I do have a ridiculous list of stuff to do and I could be on the verge of a breakdown (ahhhh, Christmas) so if anybody knows of a group or charity let me know and I'll pass the details through. In the new year I'll decide if I can cope with organising anything myself. 

And now... Christmas... We've decided our opening times!!!! AND THEY'RE GOOD!

We're going to be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and any Sundays like normal. Every other day from Christmas Eve to the 31st we'll be open 10.30 to 3pm.

We're back open like normal on the 2nd. 

I'm having some time off!!! I was in the shower this morning writing a mental list of all the stuff that needs to get done. A lot of that is cuddles with t'nephew and boozes with t'sistah. Quite a lot of it is knitting socks. And the majority of it is making sense of my living quarters which have gone to pot since Yarndale pretty much from when it feels like everything has been travelling at 80mph and my days off have involved bed and knitting commissions. I might also sneak in some time with the boyf. In fact, I'm going to meet his parents (down south... uh oh) and his mum has expressed an interest in knitting again so I'm going to give her some Gypsy Chunky, needles and a pattern for Christmas. What do you think?

Separately from that. I have been beading. What is it about this time of year?? On Sunday evening (after a double lesson!) I made this:

From a kit at the Bead Shop. (I LOVE THE LADIES THAT WORK THERE - they don't seem to mind my farting about and they do a brillo loyalty card). Doing that gave me the bug so last night I started this:  

Which is going to be a glasses chain thing (you can buy the nobbly end bits from the Bead Shop) and I got the beads from... you guessed it... the Bead Shop (I've no idea what colour they are but I most enjoy that there are a few random coloured beads in there and I'm sure most people would chuck them or save them for another project but it just makes me love them more - little light blue and white sheep standing out in a crowd of royal blue < 3 ). Sorry. But going in there a few times has been like a lovely respite from my stressful life so it's worth a big promotion. 

Also, please take no notice of the beginning of the piece - I have never started peyote stitch successfully... I enjoy the fact that it settled (without me planning anything I might add) on an even number though which means that you do the same thing every single row rather than having to look to see if you have to do a row 1 or 2. It's a bit like when you're doing a 2 by 2 rib and you do it over a multiple of four so that every row starts with two knits - soothing and no looking down at your knitting. Ahhhh.

And I think that might be that. I am planning to tell you about my Christmas knitting but... uhhh... it's not finished yet and I have this pile to sort out today: 

Fare thee well.

Eleanor. xxxxxxxxxxx

Did I ever tell you about the time...

that a world famous knitting super star asked me to knit her a sweater? Amy Singer of Knitty? No? Allow me...

This is how it started. Can you see a mistake? I could and it drove me mad (sorry Amy...) so I ripped it out (in Starbucks, it felt right somehow seeing as it was Amy's second home here) and started again. And then I got waylaid with Christmas jumpers and then neon and then the Christmas window... Anyway, I'm about back to where we started and I've changed the size a little at Amy's behest and here it is. I'd forgotten how perfect a pattern the Beatnik is, every cable's so perfectly placed and there are some cute little features that mean the cables at the side really pop - not that you'd tell from my horrendous photography... 

  

Anyway, it's being done Amy, I promise! slowly but surely. Not likely for Christmas though, I have a request for a set of Gruffalo hat and mitts. Seems like the Canadian winter goes on for quite a while though? ;)

That's it. That's all I have to show off about now. I'm off. 

Love Eleanor. xx

Get Your Thinking Caps Out

Because I have an idea!

LOOK!

That's our Christmas window and isn't it beauts!? I wasn't feeling very inspired this year because I'd already knitted the advent calender in the colours specified and they're not traditionally 'Christmassy' - I love them! You can see that hanging in the window here.
 

 

 Incidentally - how does that bloody Christmas tree make you feel!?!? On top of the woooooorld!?

And then, when I was plucking up the courage to do the window (they take all day and lots of physical ups and downs), I dragged out some signage from the lovely Jem and found this box:

 

And you know how I love love love neons now (apparently....)?? Well, I was inspired by the hat that the bloke on the right of the box is wearing. Good yeah? Apparently skiers and snowboarders are totes into neons... So I just copied his hat and it took about half an hour all in all. 8mm hook. Brill!!!

And on top of all of this neon, rainbow madness. We, as a shop, got a gift from boyf t'other day! LOOK HOW BEAUTIFUL THEY ARE! He didn't buy them for me, he bought them 'for the shop' so we can all count that as a gift, yeah? Good man. But lilies and roses and pink don't really count as 'Christmas stuff' do they? But they need to be in the window otherwise they will get knocked off.

So, naturally, the Christmas window is a proper rainbow riot and I'm dead pleased. That got me thinking about a gift that we could give to you lot. And it's inspired by the box from above and the 'My Mountain' concept by SMC (essentially, lots of Germans (love Germans) are designing mental hats in one specific yarn line and it's all over Pinterest and it's got it's own Facebook group).

Now, I love our SMC yarns, I do. But I also love our other yarns. And I love accessories that aren't hats. So how about:

a competition to design an accessory in anything bought from us!?!? 

The theme is going to be colour! Extra points for neon! (Lies... It's going to be judged by you lot and you might not love neon with the deep passion that I do). Make of this what you will - stripes, fairisle, neon, intarsia - just something that brings the colour elements of the design to the forefront.

Items can be knitted or crocheted (or both) but they must be designed by you.

They must be some sort of worn accessory - hat, scarf, cowl, gloves, mitts, leg warmers but not bags, cushions, poofs etc. 

As many entries as you want - I figure there's only so much knitting/crocheting you can do.

Entries must be in by the 5th of January (send via e-mail, twitter or facebook) when we'll make a Facebook album so that you can peruse the entries and vote! (Don't worry, you can see the album even if you're not on facebook and vote over e-mail).

Winners will get a £20 voucher and the yarn that they used to make the accessory back. :)

I AM SO LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT YOU COME UP WITH! This is going to be brill isn't it!? And I thought good timing because you'll all be busy making for festive gift giving, yes? So it's just a chance to be creative while you're doing it and maybe win things!

Right. I'm off to buy a new heater seeing as this one's pretty much kaput and I'm so bloody cold in this wind!!!!!

Love Eleanor. xxxxx

P.s. Here's what I'm making - not that I'm entering...

Once again. Neons. Love.