Ealry Autumn Project Update

The morning temperature has dropped to single digits, chestnuts trees are popping with bright green husks and the smell of woodsmoke is drifting in the air - yay for Autumn!  
Although I've been busily knitting and crocheting all summer (who hasn't been?!), now is really the time to get stuck in and finish some projects in time for the cooler days.
I promised my son that I'd make him a blanket this year and I am really enjoying the beginnings of this somewhat monumental project!  The pattern is called Littlefolds Boys Blanket and can be found on Ravelry here.  I've used lots of crepe yarns from the stash including some Heirloom Easy Care, Bendigo Classic and vintage crepe purchased on eBay.  The idea I had in mind was a vintage-looking, masculine blanket that my boy will enjoy now and into adulthood and he is happy with it so far (phew!).  It's a very relaxing make as it's just double crochets row after row so it's a great project for keeping the hands busy and the mind free for other things... like thinking about the next project!

A few months ago I discovered a new yen for hand dyed yarns - small batch, local, hand dyed by people with a passion for colour and yarn.  It's a lovely new obsession affection which allows me to not only support local home-based dyers but also to create real one-of-a-kind projects for my family.  As hand dyers work with such small quantities, it's not currently possible to on sell their products via our retail store but it is definitely something we are going to keep an eye on for the future!

This is my first project using hand dyed yarn - the pattern is Mud Puddles by Kelly Brooker and is available on Ravelry here.  The yarn which is taking centre stage is called Up, Up and Away and is a DK weight on sparkle base by Candy Apple Lane.  It is so beautiful to work with and that sparkle just makes me happy!  The sparkle doesn't show up well in this photo but it really is there :)

That's it for this early Autumn project update but we'll be back with more projects, products and yarny goodness soon.
Kate x

Christmas Trading

Hello fellow yarners,

Due to the operating dates of our suppliers, we will be closing for our Christmas holidays on 19/12/2014.  Last post will go out at 5.00pm on this day.  Please have any orders in by 15/12/2014 to avoid disappointment!

First post for 2015 will be on 20/01/2015.

We will continue to take orders during this time.

We hope all our crafty crafters have a crafty Christmas.  Thank you to all our visitors, customers and network for an amazing first 6 months.

Yours in yarny goodness

Shona

We're popping up in Ballarat!

Last chance to secure your beautiful yarn for Christmas crafting.  Come visit us from 9.30am - 12.30pm on Election Day (29/11/2014) at the Eastwood Leisure Centre, 20 Eastwood St, Ballarat.  We'll be there with our tactile display and craft circle crafters.  Our Christmas Project Packs will be there along with some new yarny treats.

Christmas Tactile Day

It's our inaugural Christmas Tactile Day.  We'll be in the Upwey Community Hall from 9.00am - 12.00pm.

There will be 4 new packs - 2 x Christmas Decoration Crochet Packs & 2 Christmas Decoration Knitting Packs for $10.00.  Buy to make yourself or give the pack as a gift!

Patterns are being finalised now.

Also we now have the Mollie Makes Christmas Edition 2014 2 months before most Australian Newsagents!!

Look forward to seeing you on the 18th.

Finding a crochet hook in Turkey...

My husband tells me there is no emergency in yarn.  I profoundly disagreed when I opened my crochet bag in Tullamarine Airport, Melbourne, to begin my special "I'm on a plane for 20 hours" project.  I opened the bag to find the gorgeous yarn and guide for stitch ideas but no crochet hook!

I arrive in Istanbul, 23 hours later, thinking I would find a hook easily, but all the shops were closed because of the end of Ramadan.  The shops were not going to be open until the following Wednedsay (We arrived the previous Saturday).   We were due to leave Istanbul on a 12.30pm flight that day, so I had time to go to a shop and hope they were open by 9.00am.  I did this and the place didn't open.  Sigh - now 5 days with a project begging to be begun...

We spent the next 2 days clambering up to, over and around ruins in Ephesus and Selcuk.  On the last night, I asked the hotel owner if he knew where I could find a hook.  He sent his son to take me to a shop where I could find one.  I felt the glorious anticipation of working with my yarn and entered the shop.  There was not a hook in sight and no one spoke English.  Sigh again - 7 days with no crochet...

We flew on to Cappadocia where we stayed in house with friends.  in a nearby village, my husband and I ended up in rug store buying a rug from Murat - (more about him another time).  Murat said that he knew where I could find a hook and he sent his assistant to take me there.  I followed Ali through the back streets of Urgup to find myself in a ladies underwear store.  I felt like I had been down this road before, but Ali asked the woman behind the counter something in Turkish and she passed over a basket of hooks - YAY YAY YAY!

I chose 3 hooks in various sizes and did not care how much they were - asking price? 1.75TL = 87.5 cents AUD.

NICE

Had trouble sourcing crafty stuff on your travels?  Tell us your story...

Paradise found - an oasis after a 9 day drought.  I wanted to kiss those hooks!

Yours in yarny goodness,

Shona