Pretty Things from the Knit Show

I went to the knit show on Thursday and my Mum and I had so much fun.

The first year we went to the knitting and stitch show at the NEC it was full of older ladies in very unattractive knitted suits with pleated skirts. This year it wasn't like that at all it was fantastic.

As well as the independent shops selling very cheep bead findings and wools there were independent crafters showing what they do it was very inspirational.

My Mum and I did a tutorial on coil pots which I'll defiantly be having a go at when I've got some spare time.

We also did the Rowan and Paton's fashion show where the knitting was lovely. When we went in we got free bags full of fun things like a pack to make Innocent smoothie hats for charity.

We also got a book showing all the Paton's knit patterns that they currently do. The fashion show did inspire me to buy two new Rowan knit books of which I really love the Kid silk dreams book I'll be knitting this on my holidays in November and I can't wait.

I didn't buy the yarn to go with the patterns but I've a very fine cream mohair which I will use instead.

I was very restrained on Thursday and didn't buy any yarn at all. There were plenty of fancy yarns that tempted me but that would of meant lots more odd balls in my stash. I did however buy new beads which I'll be using later today to make some pretty necklaces and bracelets.

Then I bought some new jewellery findings and corsage backs which will also be used this afternoon. Both my mum and I had lovely day and I carn't wait for next year.

just a quick note

I'm still very excited about winning Julies cupcake draw I've told everyone I've ever met.

Tomorrow morning first thing I'm off to the NEC to visit the Knitting and stitch show and I can't wait. I hope its not going to be a disappointment.

I've got a list of things I desperately need and I'm not going to deviate from it....... unless I see something I love, which is quite possible.

So I've got my sensible shoes ready to go and I've bought croissants and damson jam tonight, as my mum's arriving at 7.30 for breakfast.

It should be a fun day and I'll share all my goodies with you when I get back.

I've had such an exciting week, I've had lots of sales this weekend unfortunately not on Etsy but to friends. So this morning I've been gift wrapping. It gives me such a buzz when I've made something that other people want to own. I've managed to sell six necklaces,two cafetiere covers and two corsages.

I've also managed to get new things crafted;

I'm not sure if I'm going to be putting these in my Etsy shop or if I'm going to have an open house in November at my house.

My Moo cards arrived on Saturday morning very pleased with them but the picture I'm showing you isn't that great.

This morning I got the best surprise I won a cupcake made by Julie at; http://littlecottonrabbits.typepad.co.uk/my_weblog/

She makes the most adorable cakes and soft toys I've ever seen in my life please go and check out her blog.

So I've had a fabulous week and it can only get better isn't life good.

By the way this is the blue scarf I was making a week or so ago all felted and finished.

crafting

Today has been a busy day I've been making card's to display my corsages. I've been finishing corsages I started making months ago, listing new items on etsy, arranging a custom order for my friend from work and puppy sitting.

So please forgive my photography this evening.

My brothers puppy is so bouncy she's a cocker spaniel and only about 14 weeks old. She's very naughty but can also be very very good. Currently her favorite place to rest is my mum's flower beds which doesn't impress my mum much.

I've been finishing the centers to my corsages so once I've taken some good photographs I'll be adding them to my shop.

I've also added some jewellery to my Etsy shop which can be seen below;

I've really got to get organised with my shop and maybe start selling on eBay again as I've so much stuff that needs photographing. I'm off all weekend, so fingers crossed I'll get some work photographed and listed.

shopping

I don't know where the week has gone. I do know I did lots of extra shifts at work last week which now means I've got almost every Saturday off in September. This is a huge bonus, two day weekends are fab.

Today I'm not really going to post anything crafty but I'm going to share what I did last Thursday.

I went charity shop shopping with my mum and even through I wasn't going to purchase anything I found this fantastic tea set for £2.75, with tiny pink roses and a gold trim. There's 13 pieces in all and I love it. D isn't quite so impressed but I won't be having afternoon tea with him as he's far too manly for cucumber sandwiches.

I found a lovely knitting book with toys and cake instructions, which I'll have a go at this autumn.

I also got a couple of old sewing boxes which were filled with vintage buttons and threads but I was so eager to sort them out I haven't got any photos.

Next time I post I'll have some knitting to show I promise.

Bank holiday weekends

We've just had our last proper bank holiday weekend in the U.K. until Christmas. I used to love bank holiday weekends when I was young free and single. My friends and I would go to Saddler Gate in Derby where they used to do games during the days, you'd meet old friends you hadn't seen in years and catch up.

Now I'm married I don't get to do fun things like drink far too much larger and stay out clubbing till 5am.

Instead I get to go to B&Q and buy building sand and gorgeous tubs of snap dragons for £1.50 off the reduced stand. Not that I mind really, I got to spend the day with my hubby and also got my new raised flower beds finished so next weekend I can fill them with soil and I'll have a proper garden at last.

It just shows how your outlook changes as you get older. All I want now is a finished house and garden where I can entertain in a tea dress, while passing round cucumber sandwiches (no crusts). Well maybe I'm not that quite grown up yet.

For some reason I've not really done that much crafting since my last post. I think I've just been waiting for some time off from work and a few late mornings in bed.

I have however been EBay shopping and bought far to many ribbons in a fit of madness. I'm not quite sure what it is I'm going to do with them but they looked so pretty I couldn't stop myself.

I have used some of the fine ones to make some button bracelets, I may use some as detailing on my knitted bags. I've got a very wide yellow spotty one which is begging to be used as a huge bow on a knitted creation.

I discovered some baby blue mohair at the back of my stash on Friday night which was begging to be turned into a felted scarf. I've included a picture pre-felting below next week I'll show you the finished project.

I'm planning on starting to list my scarfs next week on Etsy, one every other day. Autumn approaches so fast and even through we've had lovely weather all weekend, I have found myself thinking of Christmas and what I'll be buying as gifts.

I've found a really good blog via Flickr that gives really good hints and tips on how to promote and list things in your Etsy shop which now I'll be following to the letter.Here is the link all the hints are on the right hand side. http://littleput.blogspot.com/

Well back to my baby blue mohair I had just enough left to make a small bag before the cone of yarn ran out. This could be the bag for the pale yellow ribbon.

I hate finishing cones of yarn I know I'll never get this yarn back as I'm not sure where it was from in the first place.

When I was at university I was gifted many cones of yarn. Once when I went away with my parents to Robin Hoods Bay we met a lovely lady called Julia whose daughter was a knitwear designer who didn't design any more. She sold us about 300 cones of yarn for a very reasonable price of £150.00, it is this yarn I'm still using. I am quite lucky in the fact that I've so many fabulous yarns to chose from without having much out lay.

Now I've said that I'm off to the knitting and stitching show at the NEC in September and I've really promised my self I won't go mad. I do need some fasteners for my corsages and I'd also like lots of crimps for my jewellery and some nice fasteners for necklaces. Then if I've been very good I might look at the wool.

I almost forgot I'll be buying beads for wedding jewellery I've been commissioned to make for a friends wedding next spring that's if she decides on a dress design and fabric before I go. Its very exciting I've never been commissioned to make jewellery before.

new things

I've finished three new bags this week which have all been added to my Etsy shop.
I was wondering if anyone else out there who gets itchy fingers Like I do when I'm not working on something creative. There's no-one at work who feels like I do. I carn't even sit through a film with out something being done. I've always got a list in my head about what I'd like to make next.
I used to spend my free time at work Looking through blogs reading what other people were doing, even through for many of the people in blog world that was socks. Which I don't really get not being a sock wearer, even in winter. I'd rather go bare foot than wear socks. I don't get socks but reading about other people getting excited about what they were doing, gets me excited about what I'm doing.


Even knitting flowers like the ones above settles me and stops me getting itchy fingers. I drive my husband insane as he like to hold hands but I like to keep busy .One day I'll run out of stash and then he won't know whats hit him.