(Almost) wordless Wednesday.

I'm sure I have heard somewhere in the blog-o-sphere that people do a 'Wordless Wednesday' post. Well that could be quite useful for me because I have quite a few bits to show but not much time so I will do my take on the idea and show you what is going on here.

Did I mention that it was baltic here? I have been cold most of the day and while taking washing off the radiators tonight, I stumbled upon a cunning idea.....


....steal your daughters longlegs that you made last week and use them as arm warmers. Result!

Next temptation. See what came in the post this afternoon......

..look at all of that lovely american material. Sock monkey. I have been resisting him for possibly years. I'm loving yoga sock monkey but must not make anything out of this until all of my stand prep is ready for MISI Makers and my bunting currently looks like this......

..pretty? All the ribbon in a heap in the middle is because I can't decide how to fix it all together.

And finally this is what is helping me get through the day....

....tea and lots of it in my pink Herdy mug :D

Almost deja vu.

In June I was at Woolfest with Kraftykoala. There was a man there making the most wonderful willow trugs and baskets but when I went to have a chat with him, he had none for sale and wasn't taking orders. I was a bit perplexed as to why someone would go to such a place and not have any stock to sell. His response? He had been so busy in the run-up to the show that he, not only hadn't got time to make stock for it, he was actually at the show, making baskets that he had taken orders for previously.

I'm remembering this man very vividly this week because on Friday I am going to Bristol to the first Misi Makers event and I don't have as much stock as I want to take ready. I have some, I might even have enough but I don't have what I want and it making me feel really rather stressed.

The reasons for this are good; I have been really busy for the last month or so and I have been making sure I have all of my orders finished before starting on stock for the show because orders are definite sales so it obviously makes sense for to me to do this. Now though, I am running around, trying to get things done in time for the weekend.

While stressing yesterday, the post came through the door and the new Knit Today magazine was in it. Inside was this;


I'm going to finish my banner bunting. I'll be back :)

Redressing the balance..

It's half term this week. I've been looking forward to it for weeks; no chasing of children to get them out of the house at 820 every morning, no tired children when they get home from school, no hours wasted walking to and from school, the list goes on however something has happened.

For months, possibly even years, there has been an order chez Nicsknots. Jack has been the sensible, sometimes over-cautious, thinking child while Lou has been the hell-raiser; act now, think later. When she started riding her bike, it didn't bother her that she couldn't steer or stop her bike, she would just bike and deal with the consequences later. Generally thanks to a bush or a wall.

Friday was a teacher training day. I should have known it was going to be 'special' when before 7am, J had gone out in the back garden in his dressing gown, taken the rabbit out of his cage and put him in the rabbit run then proceeded to start cleaning his cage out! When asked to stop, he got the rabbit which promptly jumped out of his arms and made a bid for freedom so I spent 10 mins chasing the stupid thing around the garden in my dressing gown. Great!

Later on in the day we went round to our neighbours for a cup of tea. J and L see them as their adoptive grandparents. While we were having a cup of tea, J and L went out to play in the garden then it went quiet and I realised that they were playing down the side of the house. When I got down there, J was on the flat roof of the utility room, 10ft in the air, Lou standing with hands on hips telling me how he had climbed up the gate but she was a good girl. Apparently he went up there to see what he could see. As you do.

Since then Lou has been the good child, spending most of her days telling me the mischief that J is getting into and I have forgotten most of it. Perhaps for the best ;)

I've done loads of sewing for the shop this week but tonight, when I should have been making tea, I made these funky 'legs' for Looby.

I saw them on Kitschycoo's blog at the weekend and *needed* to make them. Amanda kindly made a tutorial and taadaa funky legs. I've seen babylegs all over the place over the last few years and never 'got' the point of them but I don't really care. I know she still needs socks but they are still soo much better than tights that end up falling down because the waist is too small but then the legs are too long if you get the right waist size. Anyway for now, I think I will have fun making a few pairs.

Finally introducing 'Miya'

This was my lounge last night....



I have had a bag in my making pile since April. Every time I picked it up, I couldn't make my mind up what I wanted to do with it to finish it off. I've faffed around for ages now (6months to be precise), shown various people, asked them what they think of it, what I should do with it before I release it ('Nothing woman, just sew and I will buy!') .

Last night, however, I had a great idea so out came the lining paper. ruler, pen and chaos ensued in the lounge while I watched Holby. Then sewing while M was trying to watch Traffic Cops: South Wales. Then a bit of swearing when I couldn't make it work. Bed. This morning I had a better idea, came home, had another go and I think it might just work BUT in the meantime I am finally listing this because I have actually grown to love the simplicity of it more (maybe because I have been making it more complicated than it needs to be?) and still think it is an ideal sock knitting bag.


Just pop your yarn in, put the smaller handle over the big one then stick the long handle on your arm and knit. Perfect.

It's on Folksy now :)

Sleep is for the weak!

Thanks to my darling daughter who decided that 4:15 was a lovely time to wake me up and tell me that she had lost her teddy, I have been up since about 4:45 this morning. Strangely enough I felt more wide awake than I have in weeks as I lay in bed trying to get back to sleep so I decided to get up and make the most of it.

It's all a bit busy around here at the moment, hence the blog silence. I am trying to get a few wholesale orders finished and posted before the postal strikes start on Thursday while also trying to get stock ready for the MISI makers event in Bristol in a few weeks and keep my shops ticking over with new stuff. I have got a few new and exciting products in the pipe-line so a few extra hours in the day are just what I need really!!

I added a few new things to my shops last week. After much hassling from various people who wanted a little bag but not as small as the 'Lucy', I have made 'Ruby'.


I actually love this bag; a simple shape but ideal for girls who maybe think they are too old for the 'Lucy'. It could be used as a little shopping bag, book bag or even a knitting project bag....yep that would be my Fyberspates sparkle socks from Woolfest *still* on the go down there!

The larger size of bag has also allowed me to use a the larger print material that I keep buying then getting home and realising that it is a too big print for a small bag so expect lots of new prints. I love the one above with owls, dogs, hedgehogs and mice on it.

It hasn't all been work around here. I have managed to get a bit of knitting done in the evenings. It is a secret project at the moment, unless you are on Ravelry, in which case you can see more here but here is a sneaky peak....

Well I ought to go and get on, it's almost a civilised hour now so maybe time to make packed lunches and get some breakfast.

MISI

Yesterday I booked myself a B+B in Bristol to start getting organised for my first solo event. I am going to the first ever MISI event which is being held at The Paintworks in Bristol on 7th November and am getting really excited and nervous in almost equal measures.

There are some really great sellers going and I think it will be great fun. It is a general crafty even too so I will be taking some new things that I wouldn't normally sell at Woolfest and other knitty related fairs.

Today I started updating my MISI shop. I'll admit, things aren't selling as well on here as Folksy so I haven't be stocking it as often as Folksy but I love MISI because I can do things like this and add a widget to show you some of my newly listed things...

So go and have a look, I have found some great new prints and if you are near Bristol on 7th November, come and see us all. Please :)

Knitting needle rolls galore!!

Sometimes, when looking at my shops, you wouldn't believe that I started off Nicsknots by making knitting needle rolls. They tend to sell out quite quickly then I don't get around to re-stocking. Silly girl!

Well, last night, I re-stocked my Folksy shop with a few rolls and will be adding some more over the next few days.

I've also learnt how to make mosaics this morning ;)