March update

How time has flown by since I last posted!

February in St Alban's was very, very wet and so fairly quiet. I moved stalls, as my usual place had a cover that was full of holes and drips were coming through onto the "counter". I'm so glad I did, as it gave way at the end of the market and a huge deluge of water flooded over the stall - it could have been all over my stock! Harpenden was better, although so cold!

March is nearly over now, but it still doesn't feel like spring - we had snow at St Alban's a couple of weeks ago, but a busy market in spite of that. I'm at Harpenden again this Sunday and am just hoping that we won't get rain! That will be my last one there until September - I just go to St Alban's all year round.

I'm getting a bit stressed as I'm getting ready for Wonderwool. I has a delivery of yarn from India held up in customs for a week or so - entirely my own fault - while I applied for an import number from HMRC. It all got sorted out reasonably quickly and I've now got the yarn and am dyeing it, but I'm about two weeks behind my rather ambitious schedule!

I'm sure it'll all come right in the end and as long as my stand looks well stocked, no-one is going to know what else I had hoped to bring...... I keep telling myself that and just keep dyeing!  

New colour of lace yarn (Lilac blossom) just added to the shop - the heavier weight yarn is being stockpiled for  Wonderwool.

Starting 2013

A rather belated Happy New Year to all  - I can't believe we're already nearly half way through January - it feels as if the Christmas celebrations are only just finished!

I'm back doing some dyeing again and have added some laceweight silk yarn to my range. It takes the dye slightly differently from the heavier weights and tends to come out a couple of shades lighter, but I'm pleased with the results so far. I've donated one skein to Bianca Boonstra in the Netherlands, who is writing a book of shawl patterns and wanted yarn for the samples. I'm looking forward to seeing it made up - the book should be published later on this year, but I think there will be some sneak peaks on Ravelry. I've got just got one skein for sale at the moment - 123g of winter berries, pictured on the right in my etsy mini.

I've got my first Farmers' market of the year at St. Alban's on Sunday - unfortunately snow is forecast, so i don't know if it will be busy, but I'll get the thermals and heavy boots on and give it a go!

February Markets

Just a quick update on work in progress and my markets.

St. Alban's Farmers' market last Sunday went very well, in spite of the weather being a bit overcast and drizzly and Very Cold! I had wondered if I would still need to wear my thermals and I'm so glad I did. However, I had lots of sales - more than February last year and enough to compensate for not going to Hatfield or Royston this month.

I'm off to Wheathampstead this Sunday, which is always a nice place to go to, but can be a bit quiet. I'm trying to be a bit more disciplined in replacing the items I sell each market, plus of course catching up with what I sold before Christmas and making my new spring and summer stock!

I dyed my alpaca and silk laceweight yarn last week and am very pleased with how it has come out. I've done five pastel colours - lavender, rose, turquoise, pistachio and blue, which should please most customers. I thought they were going to be too bright, but the yarn has dried to a nice heathery effect and they should look beautiful once I get them made up. Pictures to follow once they're on the needles!

On the Needles

I can't just stick to one project at a time - It's always exiting to see how a new yarn or pattern will work out and always a bit of an effort to finish off. Here's what I'm working on at the moment:

Firstly, I'm often asked to make some scarves that would appeal to men - always difficult as I don't think men should just be confined to choosing between green, brown, black and navy blue - and this is one of my first efforts. I admit that it is green and black, but I think the space-dyed yarn and the checkerboard pattern make it a lot more appealing.

Secondly, I'm making a lace scarf in a fine shetland yarn from Jamieson & Smith - I sold a lot of these in my Etsy shop before Christmas and am taking the opportunity to re-stock while I have some quiet time. I've got mainly pink and blue yarn in stock, plus a little lemon, but have ordered some other colors which should be arriving next week.

Finally, a new color of fluffy yarn for my Farmers' Markets stall.