Today my car is having its MOT and I’m at home with my phone off silent for a change, hoping there are no calls that have an expensive outcome! When I was a student the Metro I drove dramatically failed its MOT. There were lots of holes in the bodywork underneath the driver’s seat so I could have ended up doing a Fred Flintstone impression at any point whilst driving. Because I was a student I couldn’t afford to get it fixed, so I sold it for scrap and bought a pushbike. That was a viable alternative for my lifestyle back then, but I don’t think a bicycle would work for transporting myself and my ‘stuff’ around the country for shows, workshops and visiting family. So I really hope all goes well for my car today.
Last week I told you about my plan of swapping the artwork from my broken roller banner into the cartridge from the new blurry one. I found an appropriately sized crochet hook (about 3mm) to act as the locking key, but unfortunately the holes in the cartridge had been filled with something which meant I couldn’t insert it and swap things over. It’s a shame as I thought that would be a good way of minimising land-fill. I did manage to cut the old artwork out of the broken cartridge so at least that part can go to the metal section at the tip.
Progress has been made with the designs I am working on. The design that will be the show pattern for the North West Winter Wool Festival 2027 is complete and everything is set up so that once ticket sales open in a few weeks, ticket holders will be able to download their free copy of the pattern. I’ve posted off three samples to a magazine (all for one design!) and emailed the pattern. And yesterday I blocked the garment I’ve been working on for another magazine! What remains to be done with that design is one of the trickiest aspects for me – calculating the yarn amounts for every size. It’s not too hard when the garment is all in one colour, but this one uses four, so I shall be concentrating on my spreadsheet later with my calculator to hand!
However, all this progress with design commissions does mean that once again there has been no knitting done in the past week that I can share with you.
Do you remember when I told you about the archeological strata on my desk? It’s (mostly) gone! There is now just one small pile to the left which is info about current designs and paperwork for the next two shows. And there is clear space to the other side. Even the top of the printer is clear. I would say it was a miracle, but it was actually down to my lovely wife Sue. I had to call on her for help at the weekend when my printer starting playing ‘silly beggars’ even more than usual, eating paper when it did deign to print anything and causing me all kinds of aggro. Sue came to the rescue and, in the process, helped me tidy up my work area, so it is a lot nicer to use!
On Saturday I will be at Ewe & Ply in Shrewsbury for their 10th birthday party. I will have a few patterns and samples with me there. It should be lots of fun, although I will have to leave mid-afternoon to go and set up the Daniel Owen Centre for Yarn Gathering which is the following day!
We have had a last-minute change to our Yarn Gathering line-up with Lana Terrae replacing The Woolly Tangle, who is unable to join us this year. So, we still have 13 vendors with a fabulous range of yarn and fibre-based loveliness for you to browse and buy from. Do come and see us and spread the word amongst your friends!
The weekend after Yarn Gathering is Yarndale in Skipton, Yorkshire – we will be on stand M23-24 (circled in red on the plan below), very close to the entrance to the Lairage where the food vendors are based.
That’s all from me today – I really hope I am able to show you some knitting next week! In the meantime, please share my pleasure at a desk with space on it – I wonder how long it will last? K x