Oh, and a quick message for those of you waiting for more Knitting Smock stock: I'll bring some new ones with me to Knit Nation in London at the end of the month!

Please keep your feedback coming, by email, phone or face-to-face at any of the shows coming up.
For now, in the pipeline: a range of organic (un-dyed) yarns, expected to arrive just in time for Knit Nation.
And of course, more Tales Knitting Smocks including a size 0.
Onwards and upwards!

Yesterday evening I finished and blocked it.

And here it is, as a welcome example of my beloved pattern in both a different colour way and  different yarn.
I am very impressed with the yarn after blocking. This shawl has much more drape than the one in Jeni's (Fyberspates) Sparkle Sock. While the Sparkle is lovely, with lots of airy bounce, this one has an air of sleek & slinky about it. I wore it to knitting group this morning and had to take it off straight after I made my entrance as it was so warm on my shoulders. Betty will be delighted and I've just realised I have enough of the yarn left to knit a large sample swatch including edge so I can show off the drape of my new favourite yarn at shows to come. Do let me know what you think of it!

p.s. The centre triangle was dyed using a combination of Helen Deighan's All-in-one Dyes in Paprika, Turmeric and Summer Green. The Border is Paprika with a drop of both Summer Green and Turmeric in it. By mixing like this you create a colour family; works a treat!

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.

Also in the process of sorting out my Newsletter software, so I will finally be able to send newsletters not just bursting with news, but looking good as well.

Be back soon…

Apologies to those ordering Fyberspates yarns from me and fishing behind the net; there was a setting on the site not working properly, which led to items that had sold out still showing as available. New stock is imminent though, so please check back in a couple of days.

Also coming soon: a selection of patterns, some for sale, some as free downloads and some for free with purchase of a particular yarn.

If you get fed up with my irregular blogs, please follow me on Twitter. I contribute regularly, as the on-the-hop quick messages seem to suit my flighty schedule.

The focus of the book is on different dyeing techniques to be used on animal fibres (plant fibres need a different dyeing process). Like Helen’s previous books, this book offers methods and techniques that are all executed at home, in your own kitchen. No need for any special equipment or dedicated space. The only things you have to buy are a hank of yarn and some dye. Everything else you’ll use will already be in your kitchen.
The book does not presume the reader to have any prior experience of dyeing yet it goes well beyond simple, basic dyeing techniques. As a result, more experienced dyers may also find that the ideas and techniques shown give them new insights.
The 8 dyeing chapters are then complemented by a chapter of 11 knitting patterns. The patterns range from very simple to quite advanced and all were chosen to showcase a particular dyeing technique.

Following below is the contents page of the book to give you an idea of the different techniques that are covered.

The books are arriving in the week of 7 September, so I’ll have them with me at iKnit.
The laser print mock up did its work at Fibrefest last week though; I took lots of pre-orders, so I’ve already got a pre-written stack of envelopes waiting to be stuffed as soon as I’ve got the books hot off the press.

I will add the option to pre-order the book to the shop. It’s a great offer, at £13 incl. postage. As soon as I’ve got the offer posted, I will also email the long list of people waiting to be notified that the book has arrived. You’ll all have ample time to pre-order the book at this special price.

In the meantime, the Summer has flown by. The kids are back to school later this week. I feel as ambivalent as ever about this. On the one hand, I love having them around me, on the other hand it’s so much more of a struggle to find the time to keep all the plates spinning, especially on the work-front. The site desperately needs updating, I’ve been promising people the option to buy patterns online for ages and the free pattern section is still not there.

Still, onwards and upwards; I am counting the days to have the books and be able to sell them at iKnit and see them reveiwed in some of my favourite knitting magazines.

I’m also trying to add my regular Twitter messages on this Blog. I seem to Twitter much more often than blog. I’m sure that says something about me, just not sure if I want to know what…

I am spending a last session tomorow with the book designer making the last last changes before everything will finally go off to the printer. I should at least have one complete copy at Fibrefest and printed books in time for iKnit. Fingers crossed. For those of you who read this in advance of their own holidays, have a great time. Bring plenty of works-in-progress (socks are good, as they’re not too big and cumbersome) – which reminds me, I’d better whip up a couple of small dye batches tomorrow, to dye some last minute hanks to bring along…