Thank Folksy it's Friday!

Since my last post at least three more clumps of frog spawn have appeared in my pond, so I though frogs would be a good theme for my Folksy Friday picks :)


First up is this mini handbag organiser from Sandibags...

Next is this cute leaping frog T-shirt from Noah's Ark Crafts...

Myfuroshiki's green frog and lilypad furoshiki wrap makes a pretty and environmentally friendly alternative to paper gift wrapping..

Irresistible frog baby shoes from With Hugs and Kisses..

Bright and colourful Wharfedale Woolworks Tree Frog superwash merino aran...

And finally this adorable frog hair clip (also available as a brooch or fridge magnet) fron Gingy Snapz...

Little things that make me smile...

Although I have been suffering from depression intermittently for many years now there are some things that will always bring a smile to my face.

The sound of my cats purring, the kids shouting "love you mum" as they leave the house and the lovely sheepy smell of a freshly delivered box of Bluefaced Leicester yarn usually do the trick.

My garden, which unfortunately last year was somewhat neglected due to my health, is usually a source of joy on even the most miserable day. Here are some photos taken this weekend.

Firstly the frogspawn :)




And then my beautiful hellebores...







I'm planning to do some hellebore inspired yarn in the near future - watch this space!

Thank Folksy it's Friday!

Since my last post I have been nominated for a second Sunshine Blog Award!

I will be writing about this over the weekend and listing my nominees :)

Anyway, it seemed appropriate to make my Folksy picks on a Sunshine theme this week, warm oranges and yellows always bring a smile to my face and there are some lovely items on Folksy in these colours at the moment.

My first pick this week is this lovely beaded jug cover from Silky Prudence...



Next up is a wonderful button heart print from Dig The Earth...



Beadypool's nasturtium necklace has the most wonderful intense colours and matching earrings are available...



Zebedee's sunflowers lino cut print would brighten up any room...



My own Wharfedale Woolworks Sunshine BFL Aran yarn would make a lovely cardigan, shorties or skirty for a small person...



And finally who could resist this cheerful Here Comes the Sun keyfob/charm from Heartfelt Handmade?

A wonderful weekend...

I haven't got much time today, but I just had to tell you about the lovely weekend I've had.

First of all I was nominated for a Sunshine Blog Award on Friday - more on this tomorrow.

On Mother's Day I received a lovely hand made card from my kids and £20.00 to put towards the KnitPro Symfonie interchangeable circular needle set I've been lusting after.

Then, I saw that not only did I have a featured item on Folksy - I was also a featured seller!!!

I would like to take this opportunity to say thanks to all those who have helped and supported me on the Folksy forums and to all my customers for their support over the last 7 months. It's been wonderful getting to know you all.

In case you're wondering why I'm short of time today it's because I'm dyeing lots of baby alpaca laceweight yarn for baa ram ewe in Leeds. Piccies of my previous batch for them below...





And now the house smells of lovely wet alpaca.....

Thank Folksy it's Friday!!!

So here it is, my first set of Folksy Friday picks.....

Beautiful banana and sari yarn baby slippers from Jojasca



A lovely stripy baby hat from Over the Rainbow



A gorgeous crochet baby blanket from Cherry Tree



A cosy baby cardigan from Gingergooseberry



A pretty skirty over longies from my very own Wharfedale Woolworks

And if you don't have a baby to buy for why not treat yourself to this cute mini baby longies keyring from The Motherknit :)

Busy Dyeing Days...

Don't know if it's just the good weather but I've had so much more energy than usual for the last couple of days. I've made the most of it by getting on with some dyeing - after all I've had 22kg of mixed yarns delivered over the last week and will be receiving another 8kg (hopefully) in another couple of weeks. Above is a picture of some Banana Yarn and some BFL Aran hanging to dry. This means I will be having Folksy and Coriandr shop updates tomorrow evening :)

Other news: My page at Hand Dyed Haven went live today - BFL Aran sets with co-ordinating trims are available there now!

I'm back!!!

Hi everyone, you may have noticed that I haven't blogged for quite some time. This has been largely due to the fact that my laptop went bang in a big way last summer and I've had to share the PC with the kids ever since. Now, thanks to Mr. Woolworks, I have my own (second hand but still quite shiny) laptop again!

So, now to fill you in on a few things that have happened since my last post...

I am now on a further extended career break from the civil service, so if I don't sell anything I can't pay my bills - but I'm soooo much happier knowing I don't have to go back there. My Fibromyalgia is less of a problem now that I'm not chained to a desk every day and my depression is easing too :)

I've decided to put my MA on hold for a while until I'm well enough to concentrate on it again.

My daughter has dropped out of sixth form and got a job at a local nursery. She's always been really good with kids and it seems to be suiting her.

I'm going to be an Aunty again in May which is a good excuse for lots of knitting lol :D

A little while ago I reached 100 sales in my Folksy shop - and now I'm at 145!!!
By way of a celebration I'll be having a little competition to win a custom dye - or if you don't knit yourself then you could have a gift voucher to give to someone who does :) Watch this space for further info.

I've introduced some new yarns including this lovely Pima Cotton and Alpaca blend Laceweight:



And started to sell wool longies and soakers like these knitted using the Sheepy Time Knits pattern (for which I hold a cottage industry licence):



And now to the future....

I will be adding some patterns to my shop shortly

I will have banana yarn back in stock next week

I will be starting a regular Folksy picks post this Friday.

I will leave you for now with a photo of my fantastic new hat, knitted in my Superwash British Merino Aran - Parakeet colourway. The pattern is Marina by Woolly Wormhead. And yes, it's supposed to be really bright so Mr. Woolworks can find me in the crown at the bike racing!