Yorkshire Rose Yarns

It's been a while......

2011-06-15T11:11:00.007+01:00

Thought I'd better leave blogging for a while until I had something more positive to say!

I'm feeling much better now - my doctor has given me a sick note so I haven't been into the office for a month. Amazing what a difference it makes. My eczema has cleared up, my indigestion attacks have more or less gone and my urticaria (nettle rash) has too. I'm sleeping much better and I don't feel like screaming all day.

We went on a lovely short week holiday in Jard-sur-Mer (Vendee, France) at the end of May/beginning of June and it was really nice just to do absolutely nothing for a few days. I took my sock knitting and bought a French wordsearch book and the most energetic thing I did was walking into town for Moules-frites!

One afternoon Ciaran and I went tracking down lizards in the rocks in the harbour. We found that they left really pretty tracks in the sand so I took a couple of photos.

Although Ciaran is now 13 he hasn't quite grown up yet, and still likes walking on walls, climbing onto bollards etc.

Mr Woolworks is much more laid back :)

All in all it was a fantastic break and I'm now back at home refreshed and ready to start dyeing again :)

Grrrrrrrrrrrr!

2011-05-11T20:51:00.000+01:00

It's been one of those weeks :(

On the positive side I got through my 3 month review period at work without any more sick absence. But then on the negative side I was told that if I have any more absence between now and my leaving date in July I will be given a final warning and may lose the exit package I have been offered. So actally I am in no better position for having dragged myself in when ill and taking annual leave when my doctor had given me a sick note.

My doctor wants to give me a sick note to cover me until the end of July. He has no doubts that going into the office from hell is damaging my health. He also knows that if I lose the money they are offering me to go I cannot cover my bills and most probably will not be able to carry on dyeing. So we are stuck. He dare not give me the note I need because they are threatening me with dismissal. And of course if they dismiss me they won't have to pay me redundancy.

It really is fascist bully boy tactics they're using. They don't actually need me there. I'm being paid a management grade wage to sit and count e-mails. I even offered to take unpaid leave till my exit date but they won't allow that either - even though it would save them some money. What did I do to deserve this?

Thank Folksy it's Friday!

2011-05-06T08:26:00.002+01:00

Not done one of these for a while, mainly due to being in the office from hell on Fridays.

Here is a selection of gorgeous spring/summer knitwear :)

At last!

2011-05-05T08:37:00.002+01:00

I have finally been offered an exit package by my employers. A year of waiting and uncertainty is now over :)

This means that I will be able to go back to dyeing, spinning and knitting full time. It also means that I have to make it pay - if I don't manage to make it profitable within 6 months I will have to look for another part time job as I have household bills to pay. There is also the risk that I may have to give up dyeing other than as a hobby, because I have found out the hard way that neither my physical nor mental health are up to coping with a part time job and dyeing. Mr Woolworks cannot cover all of the bills and I have no help from family to fall back on.

As some of you will have noticed I have added spinning/felting fibres to my shops this year and I will soon be adding handspun yarns as I spin far more than I would ever have time to knit up myself. Preview piccies below:

L-R Merino & Soya, Merino & Bamboo Navajo Plied, Textured singles (containing BFL, Dorset Horn, Gotland, Wensleydale & Angelina)

These will be added to my Etsy shop later this month.

Apologies.

2011-02-14T09:24:00.004Z

Some of you may have noticed that I haven't been all that chatty recently - on here, on Twitter, Facebook or Folksy. Unfortunately my depression has reared its ugly head again and so I have been quite withdrawn. It's a battle I've been fighting since my teens but it became worse when I had my breakdown a couple of years ago. I think my office job, although it's only 2 days a week, makes it worse as I really don't like being there. Unfortunately my dyeing does not make enough money to cover my part of the bills yet so I have to struggle on unless I'm made redundant. My doctor has upped my anti-depressants and I'm feeling a little better now so hopefully I'll be more sociable over the coming weeks. I must be feeling better as I've finally got round to having my hair done!

One of the positives that has come out of the last few weeks is that I've been experimenting with some new dyeing techniques and base yarns. The first of these is my Merino Tweed Sock. It is made up of two strands of ordinary merino yarn plied with one superwash strand. The superwash strand takes dyes more intensely resulting in a yarn that knits up with a tweedy effect. This does actually feel a little bit like cheating - like the magic painting books we had as kids where the colours magically appeared as the wet brush passed over them. I've decided to do some of this yarn as self-striping - this takes a lot more time and work than normal dyeing as the skeins have to be wound off and then re-wound for dyeing in different colours. It's easy to get things in a tangle, so it can't be rushed. For this reason the self-striping will be more expensive than the variegated version. Here is a photo of the first few rows of a sock in Watermelon self-stripe...

Coming soon I will have Merino/Tencel Sock and Lace, Bluefaced Leicester/Silk Sock and Sparkle Sock in both gold and silver versions. All of these would make lovely shawls or wraps for cool summer evenings.

Before I go just a quick reminder - I currently have a sale on in my Zibbet shop - 15% off everything!!!

Happy New Year!!!

2011-01-10T08:51:00.004Z

I know it's a bit late, but it had to be said :)

Can't believe my last blog post was back in October!

Things at the end of last year all seemed to disappear into a blur - first there was the flu, which it took me until the middle of November to get over fully and then there was the chaos that is the build up to Christmas.

Somewhere in the midst of all that I managed to open my Etsy shop. Coriandr and Misi simply weren't working for me so I have closed those shops now. I also now have a second Folksy shop, Woolworks Too, for knits. This has been a little neglected recently though I plan to add more to it in the near future.

I have also started to add spinning fibres to my shops, with an emphasis on British Breed fibres. See the examples below:

Top: (L) Masham, (R) Dorset Horn
Bottom: (L) Merino & Soybean, (R) Black Welsh & Tussah Silk

I will also be carding vegan batts including fibres such as banana, bamboo, tencel, cotton, soybean and seacell.

As if that wasn't enough I have somewhat stupidly agreed to take part in a year long KAL on Ravelry. The UK Sock Knitters group is doing an A-Z 26 pairs in a year challenge. Here is the cast on of my first sock:

Unbelievably it's the first time I have ever done toe-up socks - I'm really enjoying it :)

Still Ill!

2010-10-27T18:28:00.006+01:00

As a Smiths fan I could not resist the title Still Ill for this blog post.

Yes you guessed it, I still haven't managed to get over this horrendous flu type thing that I've now been fighting off since the end of September. I had to call the doctor to the house at one point as I didn't feel well enough to get dressed and get in a taxi to go to the surgery. He confirmed my worst fears - it was flu. That was 2 weeks ago and I'm still croaky voiced and now have sinusitis and a chesty cough.

I've been planning to do a giveaway for weeks and haven't had the energy to arrange it yet - hopefully it will be announced over the weekend. I haven't even been able to do much knitting or spinning as my eyes hurt and I get stabbing pains in my face when I look down. It has also aggravated my fibromyalgia pain over my hips, shoulders and back so getting comfortable is very difficult.

There have been a couple of good moments through all of this though - as many of you will know I often spend quite a lot of time on Twitter and as a result of my tweeting about not feeling well the lovely people at @InterfloraUK sent me these lovely flowers to cheer me up :)

Then a few days later a lovely customer and friend Amanda, otherwise known as @knittingmummy, sent me a lovely project bag as a surprise gift as she knew I'd been feeling really fed up. It really made my day :)

Thank Folksy It's Friday!

2010-10-15T10:56:00.002+01:00

Its National Wool Week! In celebration I have done a woolly Folksy Friday selection today, hope you like it :)

Thank Folksy It's Friday!

2010-10-01T12:55:00.002+01:00

Having missed doing a Folksy Friday for the last couple of weeks I was determined to get one done today. I actually prepared most of this on Wednesday so I wouldn't have a mad rush on Thursday evening or Friday morning.

Then I ended up being off work ill today anyway - I had a heavy cold last weekend and couldn't go to Silverstone for my birthday and yesterday I left work early as I couldn't stay warm even wrapped up in a heavy duty fleece jacket in an office which has an average temperature of 78 degrees! Thought it was just a Fibromyalgia flare up at first as I was achy all over but now I suspect it's a mild flu I'm fighting off. Going to miss out on going to the Alpaca Farm tomorrow now too :(

My Folksy Friday for this week is a celebration of the lovely bath goodies available on Folksy. For some reason I didn't get any smellies for my birthday this year - that must be a first! Hopefully some of my family will see this and be inspired to treat me at Christmas ;)

Zibbet re-launch.

2010-09-20T09:07:00.006+01:00

Firstly I would like to apologise for the lack of Folksy Friday posts recently. It has been difficult to fit them in now that I am working in the office Thursdays and Fridays :(

I was however asked to curate the Folksy Blog Folksy Friday selection last Friday and I chose 'Baa Baa Black Sheep' as my theme. You can see it here.

I have also been distracted by lusting after and buying another second hand spinning wheel. My first wheel (maker unknown) who I have named Delilah, is very good for finer yarns such as lace and sock. My new wheel, unsurprisingly named Samson, is a Dutch Edammertje and will be better for heavier weight yarns. Can't wait for him to arrive!

Finally I have been very busy dyeing sock yarn for my Zibbet shop. Zibbet have recently re-launched with a better search facility so I felt it was also time for me to re-launch my Zibbet shop. Some of the yarns below have been added and there's more to come next week.

Thank Folksy it's Friday!

2010-09-03T18:33:00.002+01:00

It's good to be back!!!

I had a fantastic week in Cornwall, staying in a house in Hayle and enjoying travelling round the area, which is so beautiful. I managed to get to the Eden Project and Lizard Point, both of which will no doubt inspire yarns soon. But more of my hols (including snaps) over the next couple of days.

When I returned from my hols to the north I was struck by the industrial beauty that is all around me. People often stop to appreciate the fields, rivers and trees in the area where I live without giving the mill buildings and factories a second glance. This week's Folksy Friday pays homage to industrial beauty in its many and varied forms...

Changes!!!

2010-08-13T14:09:00.007+01:00

I have decided to make some changes to my shops, so my Coriandr and Misi shops are closed until further notice. My Folksy shop is temporarily closed until I return from my holidays, at which point I will be adding some new yarns, including this lovely Superwash Merino Laceweight :)

That is, if the housesitter doesn't snaffle it all first ;)

At the moment I am considering putting all my knitted items and custom knit slots in my Coriandr shop, as I cannot separate everything effectively on Folksy until their long awaited shop sections are available. Knitted items will include longies and soakers as before (I am a Sheepy Time cottage licence holder), plus hats for adults and children knitted from patterns by the hugely talented Woolly Wormhead
(I have her permission to do this) as well as some scarves, mittens and bootees of my own design.

Here is a recently completed set - Tubey hat by Woolly Wormhead and mittens and bootees which reflect the hat design :)

My Misi shop may well end up stocking stitch markers and earrings, like these I made recently...

Thank Folksy it's Friday!

2010-08-13T11:02:00.002+01:00

For once I'm not stuck in the office on a Friday and boy does it feel good!!!

This means I get the chance to do my Folksy Friday during the day at my leisure rather than squeezing it into the evening. My theme for this week is Beach Huts, due to the fact that I set off on my hols at midnight for a much needed break in Cornwall :)

As usual, if you click on the piccies you should be magically transported to the shop in question.....

Thank Folksy it's Friday!

2010-08-06T20:12:00.002+01:00

Here at last is the fourth of my elements themed Folksy Fridays - air. All of these lovely items from talented Folksy sellers have a link to the air or it's movement....

Thank Folksy it's Friday!

2010-07-23T18:52:00.002+01:00

As I have already done the elements water and fire and have recently acquired an allotment, earth seemed like a good theme for this week's picks...

Thank Folksy it's Friday!

2010-07-16T19:41:00.002+01:00

Carrying on from last week's watery offering fire seemed like a good theme for this week...

Thank Folksy it's Friday!

2010-07-09T19:53:00.002+01:00

Hi - this week has been so hectic I haven't had chance to blog or even to tweet for the last few days. Things should quieten down a little now though as the Aussies have now left Yorkshire and are wending their way back to Sydney via London, Thailand and Singapore.

I've been busy trying to book a holiday too - last minute as we've been short of cash this year and can't do France as usual. I've very luckily managed to find a cottage in Hayle, Cornwall and I can't wait!!! Thinking about the Cornish coastline inspired my Folksy Friday picks for this week. They're all water related :)

Thank Folksy it's Friday!

2010-07-02T18:42:00.002+01:00

This week a special payday edition!

I am having a 10% discount sale in my Folksy shop until midnight tonight (refund by Paypal after purchase) to celebrate the fact that I have received my first pay for 18 months and today's Folksy Friday is a special showcase of the items I bought yesterday. These items are no longer available, but the shops they came from are full of other lovely items.

P.S. Folksy sellers - don't be disppointed if I haven't bought from you yet, I may well be doing a little more shopping over the weekend if I can manage to get away with it without Mr Woolworks finding out ;)

Click on the photo and you will be magically transported to the shop in question.....

Thank Folksy it's Friday!

2010-06-25T20:01:00.002+01:00

Brief but beautiful today - sooooo busy as I've been at work and now I have to prepare for my stall at the Pannier Market, Granary Wharf, Leeds tomorrow :)

A selection of lovely Lampwork...

Thank Folksy it's Friday!

2010-06-17T21:55:00.003+01:00

Doing my Folksy Friday picks slightly early this week as I'm at work tomorrow and then out for a curry with the parents in law who are over from Australia.

My theme this week is spicy...

The Big Knit, Leeds.

2010-06-14T20:04:00.003+01:00

On Saturday I was lucky enough to be involved in The Big Knit at Granary Wharf in Leeds. This was a celebration of Worldwide Knit in Public Day, and it was organised by Verity from Baa Ram Ewe in Headingley, Leeds, where some of my yarns have been stocked.

I was one of a small number of stallholders and demonstrators, others included the very talented Daniela Kloppmann of Felt Studio UK who was spinning gorgeous yarn throughout the day, the British Wool Marketing Board who demonstrated sheep shearing and, of course, Verity's own Baa Ram Ewe. There were also many wonderful volunteers teaching knitting, crochet and finger and hand knitting :)

I was well organised for my stall, but joked on Twitter the night before that I was bound to forget something. Unfortunately I forgot two things in the end - my sun block and my camera, so I now have a sore neck and only two photos of the whole event, taken on Mr. Woolwork's phone at the end of the afternoon :(

It was so lovely to meet so many lovely like minded people who were interested in my yarns and the way I dye them. Here is a photo of my stall after everyone had stroked and squished the yarn - it was a lot tidier in the morning!

All in all it was a truly wonderful day and I can't wait until the next one :)

Thank Folksy it's Friday!

2010-06-11T18:03:00.002+01:00

Unfortunately I didn't get chance to do a Folksy Friday last week as I was so busy combining working in the office, dyeing, knitting and running my giveaway!

This week I have managed to put together a selection of items on the rather vague theme of colourful, vibrant and bright - a pleasant change from the rain we've been having :)

Wriggly green things!

2010-06-08T08:25:00.006+01:00

As some of you will be aware from my tweets, I had a close brush with some garden wildlife last week. I was just commenting on how healthy the gooseberry bushes looked to Ciaran when a closer inspection revealed my worst gardening nightmare - Sawfly larvae! These little blighters can strip a whole gooseberry or currant bush of leaves in a couple of days if you don't spot them quickly enough. For those who have never seen them here is a picture of one, taken in my garden yesterday....

I have spent the last few days picking them off by hand and hosing the bushes down with a high pressure jet of water. This has got rid of most of them - I won't use a pesticide spray unless I absolutely have to.

Elsewhere in the garden things are looking better - here is my standard fig bush :)

And the beautiful white iris in the pond...

No wriggly green things on those!

And the winners are.....

2010-06-07T17:31:00.006+01:00

Giveaway number one - a pair of shorties...........

Giveaway number two - custom dye or voucher to the value of £20.00........

Both picked at random by Ciaran from the Official Wharfedale Woolworks Hat!

I will be contacting Clemmie and Alison shortly to discuss their prize requirements.

Many thanks to everyone who took part for their interest and their lovely comments :)

Kirsty.xxx

One Year on Folksy!!!

2010-06-02T13:24:00.003+01:00

Tomorrow marks the anniversary of me setting up my Wharfedale Woolworks Folksy shop. I managed to reach my target of 200 sales in the first year, so I am celebrating with a double giveaway :)

Giveaway number one - a pair of hand knit custom shorties in an existing colourway or custom colourway!

Giveaway number 2 - a custom dye to the value of £20 or alternatively a £20 Wharfedale Woolworks gift voucher that you can give to a friend or relative!

To take part simply follow my blog and leave a comment stating which prize you would like to win and naming your favourite colourway in my Folksy shop :)

Winners will be drawn at random by my incredibly random son Ciaran (see below) on Monday 7th June at 5pm!!!

Thank Folksy it's Friday!

2010-05-28T21:48:00.002+01:00

Very late today, but then I have had a stressful week and didn't get back from work till after 6pm. Thankfully Mr. Woolworks very kindly treated us to a curry so I didn't have to cook :)

My theme for this week is Roses, for no other reason than I've been dyeing rosy colours a lot recently.

Otley Show part 2...

2010-05-24T13:24:00.007+01:00

So, as I said yesterday, we then moved on to the poultry and pigeon judging tent. Ciaran and I desperately want some bantams, but Mr. Woolworks has said no and will not budge on the idea. Might be because he's allergic to eggs and therefore can't see any benefit to keeping them!

We took lots of photos in the tent, but this is my favourite as the hen has laid a tiny egg...

I fell in love with this pigeon...

But I'm not allowed pigeons either :(

We then moved on to the handicrafts and produce tent. I aim to enter several classes next year so wanted to assess the competition ;) While in there we saw this dramatic floral arragement - theme 'Casino Royale'...

Think I'll leave the flower arranging to the experts!

We than went to watch some ferret racing, Ciaran's highlight of the day. He really wanted to take this one home with us...

But Mr. Woolworks wouldn't like that :(

We then went on to my favourite event - Richard Savory's sheep show. And I'll tell you about that tomorrow....

Otley Show 2010

2010-05-23T12:26:00.009+01:00

Yesterday was the 201st Otley Agricultural Show. It is the oldest one day annual show of it's kind in the country, and an important part of Wharfedale's heritage. I have been going to the show since I was a small child. Usually it rains, often heavily, but yesterday the weather was fantastic, making it a fantastic day out.

I went with my son Ciaran, as Mr. Woolworks was at the British Superbikes qualifying at Cadwell park. On entering the show the first thing we came across was the cattle judging.

Naturally I made a bee-line for the sheep, after all where would I be without beautiful fleeces? I think the lovely black sheep with the white face in this pic is a Zwartbles...

And these are Mashams...

But of course what I really wanted was to see the Bluefaced Leicesters. Here is a prize winning example...

Just look at this lovely fleece!

We then moved on to the poultry, but I'll save that for tomorrow...

Thank Folksy it's Friday!

2010-05-21T08:40:00.003+01:00

To help with the stress over my work situation I have been doing quite a lot of gardening and as a result I have found the perfect use for all the scraps of yarn used for tyeing skeins of yarn whilst dyeing. They are being knotted together and used as very colourful garden string!

As a result of this I have chosen recycling/upcycling as my theme for this week's Folksy Friday picks....

A very mixed week...

2010-05-19T08:34:00.002+01:00

Not wanting to be overly dramatic, this week has seen the very depths of frustration and anger and the very greatest of happiness and joy.

You may remember that I had decided to return to my office job, in order to have extra cash to pay the household bills so that the business profits can be reinvested in my dyeing. This was a decision that I didn't take lightly as circumstances in the office where I work led to me suffering a breakdown in the winter of 2008/9.

I went to meet up with my new manager and union rep and was offered a different solution - as I had taken pre-surplus status at work (meaning if there were redundancies I was first in the firing line) I may now qualify for a redundancy package. It would be a reasonable sum of money, so I thought this seemed like the best option, enabling me to invest more in my business and sooner.

On Monday my manager called to say that unfortunately, as the union had challenged the offer currently on the table and won a hearing, this redundancy package was no longer on offer. I could have screamed! It sometimes just seems that everything I want do is denied. I now have to go back into the office on 27th May as planned, knowing, because my new manager was perfectly honest about it, that the senior management team would much rather not have me there.

One positive thing came out of all of this - when I was ranting and letting off steam on Twitter, many people voiced their sympathy and concerns and I realised that I am not alone, there are people out there that I have met through my dyeing who will offer support and a sympathetic ear should I need one. Many thanks to all of those people, too many to name individually but you know who you are xxx

Today I am in a much happier mood - I am an Aunty again! Willow Grace was born this morning, my brother's second daughter, a sister for Loen Catherine. A lovely excuse to do some more knitting :)

Thank Folksy it's Friday!

2010-05-14T14:53:00.002+01:00

Very last minute choice of theme this week - I've had a tiring week and flitted from one idea to another. I was tidying a bookshelf today and I came across some lovely post cards I brought back from Prague as a souvenir. They feature the beautiful Art Nouveau works of Alphonse Mucha. Here are my Art Nouveau style Folksy picks...

Thank Folksy it's Friday!

2010-05-07T18:26:00.002+01:00

So, a little late (I was distracted by the election coverage) here is the second part of my self-indulgent first wage wishlist picks. There is now a chance I won't be returning afterall, but I can't discuss that until next week at earliest. Sorry to be so secretive but it's in my best interests not to say anything more yet!

Here are some more faves...

And another four....

Spring Flowers...

2010-05-04T19:06:00.009+01:00

Couldn't resist popping out into the garden and taking some photos over the last few days. Everything in the garden is springing (no pun intended) back into life at last. My violets and primroses are flowering, the fruit trees have blossom and the herbaceous plants have started to send up shoots.

Here are a selection of my favourites:

Thank Folksy it's Friday!

2010-04-30T08:46:00.003+01:00

As those of you who have read my previous mutterings will know I am returning to work part time next month. This means that at the end of June I will be paid a wage for the first time in nearly a year!

I can't go on a mad spending spree, because this would defeat the object of going back to work, but I can have a few treats and where better to look than Folksy?

So here are a few contenders for my first wage celebratory shop:

And a few more...

And there will be yet more to follow next week :)

A huge decision...

2010-04-29T10:05:00.003+01:00

This week I made a fairly monumental decision. I'm going back to the ofice part time. As some of you will know I originally left on sick leave (depression and fibromyalgia) in December 2008 and then took unpaid special leave since August 2009 in order to set up my business.

The business has gone from strength to strength and I've been able to cover my share of the household bills - a big relief as my husband's wage alone wouldn't cover everything. I've met some lovely people - both other sellers on the sites I use and customers, some of whom have become more like friends. I've loved seeing their finished projects on Ravelry and on my Facebook page. I've particularly enjoyed doing custom dyes, so my customers can have the yarn they want in the colours they want. I love the fact that customers get as much joy from using the yarns I create as I get from creating them.

So why am I going back to the office I hate? Because I love my business and I want it to grow - and for that I need more money to invest in it. I am not in a strong position to go to the bank for money so I will work just enough hours a week to cover the household bills leaving me free to put back profits from the business into the business. I need to build a dyeing space in the garden so we're not tripping up over things in the house any more, and I need to pay for advertising and stands at craft fairs and shows.

I was badly bullied at work because of my illness so the thought of returning does worry me a little, but recently I have come to realise that everywhere I go there are bullies and people who will try to bring down others for whatever reason. Even on craft forums! The benefits will surely outweigh any temporary suffering, because if the business plans work out than I will not need to work in the office this time next year - fingers and everything else crossed ;)

I will still have time to dye three days a week - the only thing that will change is that I will only be posting 2 or 3 days a week. Looking on the positive side I will have lots of potential new customers as there are hundreds of staff in the building I'll be working in :)

Thank Folksy it's Friday!

2010-04-23T19:03:00.003+01:00

Better late than never! Been so busy today I've only just found time to list this week's picks, which are all buttons - handmade buttons of course...

Thank Folksy it's Friday!

2010-04-16T10:49:00.002+01:00

I'm going to be very topical today - my Folksy picks are on a volcano and aeroplane theme!

A lovely weekend...

2010-04-11T11:22:00.004+01:00

I don't know about everyone else but I just feel so much better when the weather is good. I have so much more energy and I'm also a lot more creative. Yesterday I actually managed to get some gardening done, which used to be one of my favourite activities before fibromyalgia drained me of most of my energy.

We had a visit from one of our oldest friends yesterday evening - in terms of how long we've known him, not actual age lol :) Nigel was at school with Mr Woolworks and when he and I got together when I was 18 Nige became like an older brother to me. When we were homeless twenty years ago he let us sleep on the floor of his tiny flat and he was the best man at our wedding. He now lives in Dorset so we only see him a couple of times a year and the moments we spend with him really are precious.

This morning Mr Woolworks is out drumming with his band Corona Bipolar in preparation for a gig on Wednesday evening at the Cardigan Arms in Leeds. I'm knitting and generally chilling and I'll be watching World Superbikes and MotoGP on and off. I'll also be adding some more items to my new Zibbet shop, like this merino silk blend DK ...

All in all a lovely weekend :)

Thank Folksy it's Friday!

2010-04-09T11:14:00.002+01:00

Having spent the week being very good and not eating much chocolate at all, despite the fact that Mr Woolworks brought a huge box of Belgian choccies back from his recent trip abroad, I thought chocolate seemed like a good theme for this week's picks....

And not one of them will put any weight on you!

I will leave you with one of my own chocolate creations -

Happy munching :)

Thank Folksy it's Good Friday!!!

2010-04-02T17:46:00.001+01:00

A little later in the day than usual but I have been soooo busy this week.

I thought I'd go with an Easter theme as it's Good Friday and so many of my talented fellow sellers have been creating so many lovely Easter items. Although it may be too late to buy some of them for this Easter, why not prepare early for next year?

First up is this lovely Easter Egg Bag from Beenbags...

And continuing with eggs we have these beautiful felted Easter Eggs from Woolly Lakes...

This Spring Lamb for Easter by Nifty Knits is just the cutest ever!

Zoe Woods has some gorgeous collage pendants for children, among them this irresistible Chick Chick one...

...and for the grown ups how about these lovely Easter Chocolate Bunnies and Scented Candles by Sparrow Primitives?

My final item is this striking Sacrifice print from Emma In Wonderland, a reminder that for many this is the true meaning of Easter...

Thank Folksy it's Friday!

2010-03-26T08:16:00.000Z

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...

2010-03-22T19:08:00.000Z

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!

2010-03-19T08:47:00.000Z

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...

2010-03-15T19:14:00.000Z

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!!!

2010-03-12T08:53:00.000Z

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...

2010-03-11T18:47:00.001Z

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!!!

2010-03-09T16:33:00.000Z

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!

Destash swap.

2009-08-19T09:10:00.000+01:00

I was recently able to take part in a destash swap organised by one of my fellow Folksy sellers, Laura of Jewellery Drops. For the uninitiated, a destash swap involves sending items you have stashed away with the intention of using them at some point in the future, only to find you don't have time, to someone else who will in return send you similar items of their own.

I was lucky to have Alex of Aleximo Croissant as my swap partner and she sent me a huge parcel containing fancy eyelash type yarn, buttons, sequins, beads, ribbons and safety pins! She also popped in a lovely note on one of her Gocco prints. See photos below...

Now I have to decide what to do with it all - the pinky coloured eyelash yarn will probably find it's way into my niece's wardrobe. Watch this space for further updates :)

Oooooops!

2009-08-17T08:45:00.000+01:00

Can't believe it's over a month since I last blogged! But I have been away on holiday and the kids are off school and I'm still sharing their PC so I suppose I have a bit of an excuse. So much to talk about but not much time so I'll just talk briefly about my holiday today.

We went to Normandy on our motorbike, which is a Benelli Tre-K. As I suffer from Fibromylgia we had to stop on route at regular intervals - always a good excuse for coffee and cake :)

The highlight of the trip for me was a visit to Monet's garden at Giverny. I've been several times before but it's so lovely I just had to go again. I took lots of photos this time as I plan to use them as inspiration for my spring/summer yarn colours next year.

Lovely yellows and reds,

purples and pinks

and blues.

Not forgetting the multitude of greens in and around the beautiful lily pond of course!

Finally as inspiration for some natural dyeing I'm about to do some lovely tree bark..

and lichen.

Lovely wooden buttons...

2009-07-10T10:34:00.001+01:00

Received these lovely wooden buttons in the post yesterday. They were my prize for winning a competition on Neil Graham's (Wood Jewellery) blog. Unfortunately my camera is not brilliant so the photo doesn't do them justice - will take some more when I get my new camera.

He also sent me a key ring!

Can't wait until he has some more buttons in his Folksy shop.

Problems partly fixed.....

2009-07-06T09:17:00.000+01:00

I can now upload photos using the kids' PC! So here is a photo of my daughter and I at the craft fair the other week, taken by my 11 year old son. My OH didn't hang around, he had far more important things to do - like wash his motorcycle.

At the moment things are a bit hectic - kids fly out to Australia to visit OH's parents on Saturday so I've loads of packing to do and I'm also in the middle of dyeing silk for baa ram ewe (uber cool new wool shop) in Headingley. I'm also in the middle of writing two essays for my Masters, though progress on them is painfully slow, especially now that my laptop is refusing to boot.

Somehow I've found time to do some knitting over the weekend - with banana fibre yarn. It's amazing stuff, soft and shiny like silk but strong and heavy at the same time. It's handspun with an uneven twist and thickness. Below are pics of my new phone case and purse, which I really enjoyed making.

Disaster strikes!!!

2009-07-01T10:47:00.001+01:00

Help!

My Laptop has ceased to be - well, at least till my other half returns from his business trip and has a look at it for me :(

Until then I'm struggling with the kids' PC, which won't work with my printer etc. Having problems uploading photos too :(

For the above reason I will be unable to post the lovely pictures of my new banana yarn that I have just taken :(

:( indeed!

Whatever happened to the weekend?

2009-06-28T20:55:00.000+01:00

Don't know where the last few days have gone - it's all been a bit of a blur really. Fisrt there was tag making for the yarn, then winding the yarn from skeins to balls and back again to get the lovely mixed stripe effect you see when you look at a multi-coloured skein.Then signs to make for the craft fair and address labels to put on all my greetings cards. Just about got all that finished by midnight Saturday then up at 7.30 for the craft fair! Got home again at 1.30 this afternoon and then had to put all the remaining stock away again. I'm exhausted!!!

On the positive side I sold silk yarn and stitch markers and lots of people took my advertising bookmarks away with them.

Below are some pictures of the yarn winding process - the yarn being wound is my 'Choco-Mint Sundae' Merino Sportweight, being sold on Folksy

Wednesday was dyeing day.....

2009-06-25T10:25:00.000+01:00

...so I didn't have a lot of time for anything else!

Below are some pictures of Merino sportweight, Alpaca chunky and sockweight and my new silk - it's a loosely spun single ply, approx 275m per 100g.

Today I will be busy making tags for the skeins - they are made so that they are re-usable as bookmarks. Hopefully a good marketing strategy! I have also made bookmarks with the addresses of my Folksy and Coriandr shops on to give away at craft fairs. I've got my first one coming up at Otley Courthouse on Sunday morning. Fingers crossed for a busy morning!

My lovely new brooch!

2009-06-23T18:18:00.000+01:00

I would just like to say a big thank-you to Debbie (DinkyDaisy) for the lovely crochet flower brooch she sent me as a thank-you for the silk yarn I custom dyed for her. (See her blog about this here).

It arrived this morning just before I went to my Knitting Circle, so I wore it with pride!!

Debbie is selling some of her lovely brooches in her Folksy Shop DinkyDaisy.

Busy, busy, busy!

2009-06-23T09:07:00.000+01:00

I knew that if I said I'd try to blog every day, events would conspire to prevent me from doing so. I've been so busy over the last couple of days!

I've mainly been preparing for my first Craft Fair at Otley Courthouse on Sunday 28th. Wool to re-skein (so it looks stripey rather than in blocks of colour), tags to print and laminate - they can then be used as bookmarks when the wool has been used, and stitchmarkers, earrings and cards to make.

I've also had to go into Leeds University to see my personal tutor and get an extension for my essays and dissertation because the 'fibro fog' (general forgetfulness and confusion) caused by my Fibromyalgia is making it impossible for me to write them at the moment.

Somehow I've managed to find time to dye some more silk - 'Rhubarb 'n' Custard' and 'Lemon 'n' Lime'

Both are now available in my Folksy shop

Better dash now, Knitting Circle at the Courthouse and we are being featured in the local paper. All good for business!!

2009-06-20T19:37:00.000+01:00

Don't know where all my time has gone today! Mainly spent on tidying up I think. My dearest darling daughter (sixteen and full of attitude) is having a BBQ for some of her friends tonight and its chaos here.

Managed to grab five minutes to put some pictures of my yarns on here and a couple of the things I've knitted using them. Unforunately my current camera is not very good so I'm saving up for a new one!

First up is my lovely 2ply pure silk yarn. This is a picture of it in a colourway called Clematis.

Next is my banana yarn, made from pulped banana fibre and a wonderful vegan alternative to silk. It is handspun and has a varying thickness and twist. This one is called Denim.

My favourite yarn is probably Alpaca as it is so soft. This is a 4ply called Aqua which I am currently knitting into a jacket for my friend's baby which is due in August. (Pics to follow in a week or so)

Now for the knitting. I love knitting socks! This is a pair (my own pattern) in 2ply Bluefaced Leicester -Raspberry Crush.

Finally for tonight I have to put on a picture of my Official Wharfedale Woolworks Hat -Lambswool Aran in a colourway called Merlin. It would fit a baby around one year old and I intend to knit a pair of curled point slippers to match.

In future I hope to have pics of knitting works in progress on a regular basis.

Better get off now before daughter and friends get too silly!

I've finally taken the plunge......

2009-06-19T11:42:00.000+01:00

Hi, I'm Kirsty.

Some of you may know me from Folksy or Coriandr. I run a yarn dyeing business called Wharfedale Woolworks from my home in Otley, West Yorkshire. I started the business following health problems (fibromyalgia and depression) which are preventing me from carrying out my admin role in the civil service.

I'm also studying for a Masters degree in Religion and Public Life, haing completed my degree in Theology and religious Studies last year. I got a 1st !!!

I have two wonderful kids, a very supportive husband and two gorgeous fat rescue cats - they have been on a diet since they arrived with us but the weight just won't seem to budge :( Perhaps they need more exercise.... if I had more energy I'd chase them round ;)

They had never been outside until they came here so they have been having lots of fun exploring! Or mainly, as pictured here, lying around in the sun :)

My other main interests are Motorcycle racing, reading and all kinds of music. Current faves include Ladytron, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, White Lies and some French stuff - Calogero and Emilie Simon.

Hoping to blog every day, time permitting, so see you all soon!