Shout Out for Sakura

Well I promised some time ago that I intended to feature a fellow etsy er on my blog from time to time. I have given this a lot of thought and as there are so many fab UK sellers on Etsy my work was cut out for me.

I chose Sakura Fubuki Designs. http://www.sakurafubukidesigns.etsy.com I love her jewellery and her style is just so me!

I am coveting lots of her jewellry but this one in particular has caught my eye. I love the beads and the turquoise and pearls. I want it! She recently made it for a craft fair and I hoped that she didnt sell it. Unfortunately for her she didn't but for me it means that I can now live in hope that it will very soon be adorning my neck! I just need a couple of etsy sales to fill up my paypal and job done!

The way she describes her pieces is great, you really feel that you need to own what she is describing almost as though she wrote it for me -( she did I know it.)

On top of being really talented she is also very lovely, very kind and thoughtful to us other UK sellers. So thank you Sakura - and please dont sell my necklace!

Stow-on-the-Wold Craft Fair

I was recently lucky enough to be offered a stall at a craft fair in Stow on the Wold. I thought that this would be a great springboard for my 1st craft fair of 2007 as it was a busy place with lots of tourists arriving by the bus load. Well, yes! they did arrive by the busload, however they all forgot to come to the fair. At one time I think the most customers in the hall was 8. None of us even covered to the cost of the fair with our sales. A really disappointing day was had by one and all!

On the plus side I sat all day and ate and chatted and knitted. I made a complete shrug in the time I sat there. Just need to sell it now!

My First Knit for me Hands off!!

This is the first thing I have ever knitted for myself and one which I plan to keep too! Usually I knit something and some one says they like it and then it ends up being sold or given away. NOT this time.

This yarn is lovely and heavy with an almost Boa like texture to the wool. Yummy cant wait to wear it.

Its May

Well its May already and I have a list of things to do this month.

I have two orders that have been generated via my Etsy shop and a craft fair in Stow on the Wold that I cannot seem to get any shrugs knitted for. The craft fair is the first one of the year for me and my stock levels are at an all time low, so needless to say I am beginning to panick now with only 2 weeks to go.

The orders I have are both to American ladies and although won't take me that long to knit will hold up my knitting for the craft fair. The one shrug is a lovely tangerine colour and contains angorra and a lycra based yarn that makes it both soft and fitted. I was planning to have one for myself but have just used the last of the yarn for the order. The second order is a 100% cotton yarn and is for Erin - the below post. The yarn is lovely and rich to work with and falls beautifully. Again I planned to use this yarn for a shrug for myself but again have selflessly given it over for Erin.

The latter part of the month will be taken up with the Hay Festival and school holidays amd hopefully more orders!

My other plans for the month include trying to update my blog more often. I have had an idea to feature a fellow seller from the Uk Etsy group as yet this is still a plan that needs sorting. Watch this space though I will get it done by the end of May!!

I also want to expand on my other passion which is photography. At the moment I take photos for pleasure but want to get into selling them. My bug bear is that I can't stand the thought of using photoshop or such things. What happened to the days when taking a photo relied on skill rather than computer knowledge! Call me old fashioned but I like to see the raw photograph, not only do you get the photographers perspective but you can really see the naked thing!

I am planning to get my prints onto postcard and greeting cards at some point but this is costly and time consuming and the shrugs are pulling me in that direction at the moment.

Yarn for Erin

This is a post for Erin.

She is wondering about ordering a custom designed shrug but at the moment is undecided about the yarn as she has a sensitivity to wool.

The yarn pictured is a 100% cotton yarn from Rowan and is a delicious shade of raspberry.

If you would like further details of my shrugs or the yarns that I use feel free to get in touch!

For Nia!!

This post is for Nia my best customer!!!

I have recently bought a new camera for myself and find that my computer is toooo slow in downloading the photos because the files are so big. Anyway I have been unable to send these pics of my latest work to the lovely Nia ( you will know her if you see her, she is always wearing a shrug!).

If Nia doesn't want these shrugs then they will be for sale on my etsy shop later this week.

Details: The beige shrug is knitted using a yarn made by Jaegar and is cashmere based. It is wonderfully soft and fluid yarn and I love it!!

The aqua shrug is knitted using a yarn by Rowan and is cotton based. It looks as though it has a gold leaf print and it is glitzy and fun great for the summer.

Take a look at the shop at www.handknitsbyamanda.etsy.com

Nia I am sorry for the fact that my camera is the most up to date and my computer is like something that Noah threw out of the Ark for being soooo slow!

Can I also take this opportunity to apologise for the state of Betty's chest. She had a terrible accident recently, the wind took us both by surprise and as she is seriously lacking in arms her poor chest took the full force of the fall and therefore she is now known as Berty!!

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10 things about me!

Along with fellow UK etsyers I have been tagged by the lovely Sakura to reveal 10 things about me. Thought I should add a photo too (yew, I hate photos of me)

Not sure I am that interesting but here goes:-

1. I came 2nd in the Welsh Eisteddfodd playing a piano recital when I was 10.

2. I have a profound fear of height. 4 years ago on a holiday to Turkey I parascended from 2000 feet! The instructor was so amazed that I did it (was suffering with wobbly legs and the inability to talk at the time) that I went again for FREE!!! Never been up in a lift since!!!!!??

3. I almost gave birth to my second child in a store room on the antenatal ward (don't ask what I was doing there)

4. I once drank a whole bottle of southern comfort and vomitted all over the house - not so bad but my parents were hosting a dinner party at the time.

5. I passed my driving test 1st time having only had lessons from my Dad yay for my Dad!

6. I will be 40 in 9 months and am soooo not looking forward to it!

7. I have delivered 89 babies.

8. Alan Titchmarsh brushed against my plants at Gardeners World Live 2 years ago. They are all doing well!

9. I met the queen when I was 8.

10. Up until 2 years ago I did not know how to knit.

See I told you I have nothing interesting to say. Right who is next to be tagged.