Tall Yarns 'n Tales » Events

The fast lane

Tall Yarns — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 14:02:35 +0000

Finally kicked myself out for a run this morning. Did better than I expected, despite the last couple of minutes having to run through our buzzy, busy, Saturday morning village centre, sporting a deep purple head of course, severely clashing with my alarmingly bright orange hair. Feeling rather smug despite this (not sure if I had any pride to uphold in the first place, so am hardly in a position to mourn the loss of it).

Also feeling fired up to launch my new-look web site in time for British Wool Week, which runs from 11 Oct. Must come up with a big incentive for people to see my new site; competition, or discount, or prizes or what…. Please drop me a line if you've got any requests!

In the meantime, the kids go back to school this coming week. Miss and bliss rolled into one emotion. Summers go too fast; I love having the kids at home, but also love the prospect of having 6 hrs per day again of being able to dive into my venture, which, judging from the steady growth of web-orders and increased turn-over at shows, can no longer be classed as a little start-up. Making me proud, excited and positively bubbling with ideas that desperately need executing. Once the camping gear has been put away properly that is…pppfffft!

Knit Nation Tribute

Tall Yarns — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:02:24 +0000

From the logo to the communication, from the name tags to the volunteer helpers, from the choice of exhibitors to the super-enthusiastic customers, Knit Nation 2010 was a SUPER show. Thank you again so much, Alice and Cookie, for this fantastic initiative. I went on holiday straight after the show, which ran from 29 – 31 July at the Imperial College in London so did not have time to rave about it. Fingers crossed that there is enough momentum to organise a Knit Nation 2011; I'll be the first one to sign up. I noticed that the Knit Nation site is down, but they have left an opportunity for you to register your interest in any future initiatives. Please go sign up! www.knitnation.co.uk

Stitch & Craft @ Olympia

Tall Yarns — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 23:39:02 +0000

Back from a great show. What a joy to meet both new and repeat customers. I got positive feedback on my bamboo needles (I knew they were great, but nothing beats hearing that confirmed by new users!), enthusiastic stories from dyers who have taken the plunge and had a go and the Tales Knitting Smocks were well-received in London too. I'm working on more, summery colours and a "Spinning Pinafore".

After working through the orders I brought home from Olympia and sending those out, I worked on the design of my soon to arrive swing-tags. Made from environmentally friendly pulp-board, every hank will have its own swing-tag, complete with dye colour palette on the back and space to write the yarn content on the front. That's 2 frequent customer requests answered. Thing is: when I'm designing swing-tags, I'm not writing patterns. Or sorting out my newsletter. Or ordering more needles to restore my depleted stocks. The woes of being a fledgling little business; not enough hours in the day, but boy, am I still having fun!

Oh, and thanks Ralph for casting your professional eye on my swing-tag design and coaching me ever so patiently towards what I believe is a great result.

Sneak preview? Here they are, both front and back:

Like? The black dot in the corner is to position the hole that will have a piece of jute string through it. I hope you like it, I'm mighty proud of it.

Oh and before I forget: I managed to pick up my shawl-pin today. Bit of a story with this one: I first saw this shawl-pin on a shawl worn by Laura, who ambled onto my stand at the Knitting & Stitching Show in Harrogate last November. I LOVED it, she had made it herself and I pleaded with her to make one for me. She did, it's here now and it's to die for on my Leafy-Lace Shoulder Shawl, my latest newest pattern. Which reminds me I STILL have to add a pattern page to my shop! Told you, not enough hours in the day! But, I digress…Laura, thank you so much, your pin and my Leafy Lace were meant for each other. I will be sure to feature it in my shop and anyone who sees it and covets it as much as I did when I first saw it just needs to let me know. Just remembered: I'm out of stock on most of Fyberspates Lace Silks. Better adjust that in the shop and order some more.

Right, enough already. This update is turning into an action list. Be back soon, I promise.

Shows galore, knitting groups and new colours

Tall Yarns — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:06:45 +0000

Well, the Spring show season is upon us. I’m replenishing my stocks and gearing up for the second show (after a fantastic first show at Unravel in Farnham at the end of Feb.). That’ll be Stitch and Craft this coming week at Olympia, London, from 19 to 22 March. I’ve put a little section on the home page with upcoming shows that I’ll keep updated. 2 more shows to be added there soon (fingers crossed).

The knitting groups I run here in Grayshott are humming as well. Must find out how to publish those on Ravelry, to help people find their way to us…

In the meantime, the microwave is doing overtime (and so am I!) to dye a complete set of samples for next week in the 6 new colours I am adding to the range this Spring. So the Helen Deighan All in one Acid Dyes will now consist of a range of 12 colours rather than 6. I will add the new shades to the shop this coming week (as soon as I have some pictures of my swatches).

If you can, do come and see me at Stitch and Craft in London next week. I’m downstairs right next to the escalators!

The good and the bad

Tall Yarns — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:31:11 +0000

Okay, first the bad: this site is looking sad, what with all the blurb running along the top (trying to sort that out today!) and no news, updates or dates posted….
I have kept my head down to finish writing the book that I am co-authoring.
Sincere public apologies to Eve (trusty knitting group member), who did not get my email about stopping the knitting group during the darkest months and turned up to an empty pub…
It turned out I had an incorrect email address on file (which doesn’t come back as undeliverable, so someone, somewhere will be wondering why on earth I keep contacting her about this knitting group….) but contact was restored at Unravel so I hope I haven’t done permanent damage.

And then there’s lots of good:

THE BOOK
We’re nearly finished! The book will be ready at about April/May time. I promise to shout it from the rooftops once i have a date and list it in the shop for sale.

KNITTING GROUPS
We will be resuming the evening knitting group on Monday nights at the Fox and Pelican pub, in the centre of Grayshott. First meeting: 2 March, from 7.30 pm.
I will also start a daytime group, at the new coffee shop behind the Post Office in Grayshott. Dates and times to be confirmed shortly.

FIRST SHOW OF THE YEAR
The first one was this past weekend, Unravel in Farnham. A new, one day event, which went down a complete storm, both with visitors and stand holders. Smiles all around. Due to the stomach bug that completely floored me on Friday (that was a first!), I wasn’t able to build the stand on Friday afternoon, so I made due with a very rudimentary set up that I quickly threw together on Saturday morning with help from my best pal in the world. By 11:30 (!!!), i.e. 90 minutes after the show opened, I knew I was going to sell out…I brought back some DK yarn, a couplle of sets of knitting needles and a handful of pots of dye. THANK YOU to the extremely patient customers waiting to be served AND the ones happily agreeing to only have their goodies sent out to them this week. I promise it’ll be worth your wait.

OTHER SHOWS COMING UP
March: Thurs 19 – Sun 22 Stitch and Craft Show, Olympia 2, London
April: Sat 25 – Sun 26 Wonderwool, Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells, Wales
June: Fri 26 – Sat 27 June. Mitchells Lakeland Livestock Centre, Cockermouth, Cumbria, CA13 0QQ
Aug: Sat 22 – Sun 23, Fibrefest, Coldharhour Mill, Uffculme, Devon (TBC!)
Sept: Sat 12 – Sun 13: iKnit London (TBC!)
Oct: Thurs 8 – Sun 11, Knitting and Stitching Show, Alexandra Palace, London
Nov: Thurs 19 – Sun 22, Knitting and Stitching Show Harrogate
I will change my home page to add a panel with upcoming events to keep these in the limelight and make it easy to find updates.

THE SHOP
More yarns, patterns and kits are on their way and will be added in the next couple of weeks. Yarn tasters: more Sock yarns, Boucle, Alpaca, Aran and Chunky weights AND 6 new dye colours!

PRESS AND PR
I have started talking to the magazines, who have all reacted with enormous enthusiasm to the concept of the book – the idea of combining dyeing the yarn and knitting the garment in one project – so in the course of this Spring, you will start seeing Tall Yarns ‘n Tales in the media. Do look out for it!

REGULAR UPDATES
As I no longer have to focus as much on the book, I will post regular updates both in the shop as well as on the blog, so do keep an eye out and I’ll re-introduce the Live Feed button, so you can subscribe to automatice updates. Tata for now.

Edging towards a shop….

Tall Yarns — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:57:38 +0000

I am THRILLED with this new look! Visiting friends from Holland (web developers – www.lefthandmedia.com) spent hours behind the screen yesterday after I asked them to help me add the necessary software that will allow me to start selling products. Not only did they do that, they agreed that things as they were didn’t look like the business I am launching. This new look was the result. So I have started putting all the info together to be able to add working product pages (with the option to buy on line!). It’ll take some days all together, but it should all be up and running by the end of this week (famous last words…)

And then of course there is the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace NEXT WEEK. Eeeek! I’m living day by day, not thinking too much about everything that still has to happen before then. Has anyone out there ever decided to start preparing a pre-launch only 5 weeks before THE DAY?

We did it!

Tall Yarns — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:33:32 +0000

Despite the diabolical weather forecasts earlier in the week, despite the fact that I didn’t publicise the event enough, despite the fact that life completely ran away from (with?) me in the last 3 days leading up to it, we had a WONDERFUL afternoon on Saturday. The sun was JUST warm enough not to scorch anyone, Mo had mobilised some keen-to-knit friends and Eve had spotted us on the WWKip site where I had managed to log the event just in time…phew! Everyone ooh-ed and aah-ed over the gorgeous Fyberspates yarns (thank you Jen!) that I had managed to secure just in time and I convinced some knitters to give bamboo needles a go. We even had some passers-by sit down with us and knit a couple of rows, just for the sheer fun of it. Which is EXACTLY what WWKiP is all about. So it won’t surprise you to know that I’ve already told the local papers that there will be another WWKiP in Grayshott next June…hurray! In the meantime, locals to Grayshott are all invited to come and knit with us every Monday evening between 7 and 9 at the Fox & Pelican. All agea and knitting abilities welcome, no need to join or make any form of commitment, just turn up with a smile and some change for a drink. For those of you further afield, please watch this space…I will be adding my wares for sale soon! And thank you to all who made my day on Saturday….

p.s. As soon as I’ve worked out how to upload it, I will add a picture from Saturday.

Manic! Can I do this?

Tall Yarns — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:55:33 +0000

I am getting very excited for tomorrow: the FIRST Knit-in-Public day in Grayshott!
Got some gorgeous yarn to sell: check
Got some bamboo knitting needles to sell (in 2 choices of lengths even): check
Got some bamboo DPN’s (also in a choice of 2 lengths): check
Have finished the silk bags for the DPN’s: eh….not JUST yet….
Got tomorrow morning to get things ready: eh…not exactly….!

And before that: a Governors meeting at school this afternoon and a wall painting session at the in-laws tomorrow morning…. (inner voice: “and we’re smiling, we’re smiling, we’re smiling…..stop gritting those teeth!”) Right…time for a coffee then….?

Please come along: Saturday 14 June, 2 pm at the Fox & Pelican in Grayshott: come knit, come chat, come have fun! And IF the weather doesn’t want to play, we’ll just run inside, needles at the ready. See you all there…

Update on 14 June and zooming needles

Tall Yarns — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 13:30:25 +0000

Knit in Public Day
Okay, it’s official: on 14 June we WILL celebrate Knit-in-Public-Day in Grayshott, Surrey! From 2 to 5, we will gather on the forecourt of the Fox & Pelican, smack in the middle of town, to show off our skills, learn and teach new ones AND meet as many knitters as possible. I hope to have some of my first ever Tall Yarns stock there with me to offer for sale, so no knitter will have an excuse not to plop down and have a knit and natter. Of course Ben at the F&P will be right there with coffee, tea or whatever takes your fancy (!) to help keep tongues wagging and needles clicking.
Tall Yarns Needles
I am currently putting together my first stock of Tall Yarns Knitting needles. Being a bamboo convert, that will be the main body of my offering. Based on your feedback, I will chop and change my needle offering to achieve a selection that meets your knitting needs. As soon as I’m ready to go, I will add my offerings for sale. Because I am very aware that the web is flooding with knitting materials suppliers, I aim to offer products that are either outstanding value or unique.
Speak out
If you are looking in vain for something in knit land, do let me know. Since I will spend considerable time putting my proper offer together this year, the more feedback I get, the better I will be able to offer what you want. Much appreciated!