May Update

Oh gosh, I nearly missed this month - so sorry for only updating at the very tail end of the month again.

As you can see, Summer is here :D

 I was working on a pair of wrist warmers out in the garden today - with Oscar dozing in the shade next to me; what a wonderful life...

 Yesterday I took my 'work' down to the beach but it was nearly too hot there - I don't know what happened to the sea breeze - but I found some shade near a great big boulder and was able to work away quite happily there. Eventually I got sleepy so put my work bag under my head and stretched out on the rocks in the shade - it was really comfortable, and the rocks were so deliciously cool. It was a shame to come home really, I love it there...it's so peaceful, and I'm always the only person on that beach.

I don't know how many photos I've taken of me crochet-ing on the beach but I always love it :D


I'm so lucky - a friend of mine is having an art show at her studio next weekend and she's very kindly offered to take some of my own crochet bits and pieces and will have them there too, on the off-chance that someone might want to treat themselves. I am so excited! Even if nothing sells it's still a really lovely thought and an opportunity, for which I'm very grateful. I need to have a look through my 'shop' and deactivate some of the listings so that they can go to Valentia next Saturday. Fingers crossed that it will be a big success. 




I was really really keen to treat myself to a proper place to store all my crochet hooks in a tidy, organised manner (up until very recently I had kept them all in a vintage beaded handbag, which was lovely but it meant taking them all out just to find the one I wanted to use).  


My lovely friend Carrie suggested this lovely shop MegandMillie

I had a really hard time choosing just one but in the end selected this lovely 'scottie dog' one (my parents have a real scottie!)  


It looked beautiful in the listing photos but is even more perfect in real life. I really, really love how Emma has so carefully constructed it so immaculately -- little small details that you don't notice immediately: how the pattern on the fabric is matched up PERFECTLY, how you don't actually see the stitching on all the little compartments for the hooks, how well thought out the design is (I love the little closeable pocket inside for my stitch holders etc)


I'd REALLY recommend this lovely Etsy shop to anyone - she had great communication with me (which is important, often you don't hear anything at all from some other shops, even when your item has been posted), even refunded a small excess in the postage cost (which I wasn't expecting but was very impressed by) -- it was just a lovely lovely transaction, and then such a wonderful item too. :D
 

I've been totally spoiled rotten lately - the other day I got a wonderful surprise in the post from my friend Jane in England! Two 100g balls of this really lovely pure wool yarn all for myself!!!

 I made myself a new pair of wrist warmers - the first pair I've made for myself in ages and ages - and used a new pattern, for a change. I really love how they turned out and they have been so lovely to wear at work etc (it has still been very cold before Summer finally appeared)

 You can buy the yarn from here


I really love how it is all natural pure wool, without any chemicals, dyes or whatever. The colours are great and it was fab to work with.

April update

Phew, I nearly went a month without updating my lovely little blog, but I'm here now so all is well :)

I met up with Liz, from college for the first time in AGES and ages - she's still living in Cork so we met up 'half-way' in Killarney for the day last weekend.

Of course you can't have a trip to Killarney without going to the wool shop...so here's what I picked up!!

 I totally fell in love with this Noro - it's their 'Silk Garden Sock Yarn' - it's very fine but was lovely to work with - I made a scarf with it. The colours reminded me so much of one of Van Gogh's paintings (the starry night ones)

It's listed in my Etsy shop here and hopefully it will sell...

I really like making those frilly scarves so I made a green one from King Cole Mirage and will make some other ones in the future...hopefully there's a market for them (??)

I like them but Peter just doesn't ''get'' them at all...

So far this month I've sold four 'lots' of the beach pebbles :) I never really thought that they would take off so well but I think they are pretty unusual and I only select the prettiest ones I can find (or the most unusual ones) - I think I  have about 14-15 of them listed in my shop and have a few more 'in reserve' that I will list when some of the other ones sell --- I can't see the point in filling my whole shop with them. I'm really hoping that they will sell very well coming up to Christmas as they would be ideal ''stocking fillers'' (at least I think so anyway!)


I'm up to 104 listings in my Etsy shop now, which I'm really happy with as I've had a few sales - the other day someone in Ohio bought a pair of my shell-edged wrist warmers AND bought the pattern too!!

 I've been saving up my money in my pay pal account and bought some new business cards (above) - aren't they lovely??! It's my first time using some of those photos, but others are ones I've used for ages now - I think there's a nice selection there really, and they really reflect on my life I guess :)

Those three photos are my newest lot of postcards - I use one as a 'thank you' note with each purchase from my shop - it's just something small and personal that I like to do. They aren't cheap but I think it's nice and I've had a lot of really positive feedback and comments about them, which is great.

You really need to click on the photos to see them all properly - I'm so happy with how they turned out -- I love Moo so much!!! I really think they make the very best business cards etc, and I love how much you can personalise the cards.

Finally, it wouldn't be a proper blog update from me without a cat photo, so here's Oscar fast asleep and hinting for me to get off the computer!!! Click on the link to take you to where we got the cute spider web mouse mat from - it's brilliant! http://www.etsy.com/transaction/72060120 
They have lots of different designs and they are really great - very good quality -- I wasn't sure about ordering one over the internet rather than just picking one up in a shop but we are totally satisfied :) It's nice to have something so quirky and of course Peter loves spiders!!

100!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As of yesterday I finally managed to reach the 'magic' 100 listings in my shop!

The 100th listing is this hat, which I made out in the garden yesterday - we've had the most glorious weather so I have just been sitting out in the garden in one of the deckchairs and making the most of it while it lasts :D



http://www.etsy.com/listing/96245321/blue-flower-hat-beanie-made-in-ireland

It's taken me so long to reach that landmark figure, because (luckily) things keep selling! So I'm not complaining or grumbling that it's taken me this long to reach this goal - it's been a good thing!!!

March!

Oh gosh, it's the end of March and I haven't posted in here in AGES - and there's quite a bit of 'news'.

I'll start with the biggest news - we had to have our beloved Boris put to sleep on the 2nd March; he really went down hill overnight and we knew that his time had come and that it was the right thing to do so we brought him in to the vets in town. It was all really really lovely (as much as something like that can be) - very peaceful and slow and he was looking up in to my face and purring up until he started to fall asleep. Because of the damage to his organs he needed a double dose of the drugs but it was just the most peaceful thing. We've buried him in the back garden, near where we sit out in the summer :) It still kind of feels like he's with us - I still expect to hear him miaowing in the house, or to find him curled up fast asleep on the rocking chair.

this is how I will always remember him -- yawning in the sunshine on a summer's day after I'd brushed him -- what a life!

Ok so other news....we had a trip over to the UK for a few days -- fitting in a lot, it's always such a rush over there to get everything 'done' but it was all great. The real highlight was persuading Peter's 90 year old Mum to come out for lunch with us -- she has terrible eyesight and is worried about having a fall if she goes outside of the house, so it was a real achievement to get her to come out with us. She really enjoyed herself, which is even better!

I know I said I wouldn't be getting any more wool but I did treat myself to some bits and pieces from the wool shop in town again at the start of the month

...and then when we were in England there was some wool waiting for me, which I'd ''won'' on Ebay...but that's it for now, I promise!! I have four big boxes packed full of yarn so I am trying to keep reminding me of this whenever I find myself thinking ''oooooh I need wool''

Over on Etsy I'm up to 233 sales now!! At the moment I've got 90 items in my shop :) Trying hard to make it to the 'magic' 100 listings..I will get there eventually!!

Online Auction for Charity

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Online-Auction-for-the-Paul-Curran-Trust/347658848608244

Sorry, but I still have to figure out how you get a link to print on here so that you can actually just click on it and not have to copy it out...

I'm a bit preoccupied at the moment as I am trying to organise this auction on facebook...it's all for such a good cause.
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''Paul Curran is 40 years of age. He is married to Karen and they have three daughters, Sara (17), Clodagh (13) and Caoimhe (11). They live in his native Valentia Island.

Paul has had an outstanding career in Gaelic football. He played all underage levels for Valentia. He started playing for the Valentia Senior Football Team at 17. He represented Kerry at Minor, Under 21, Junior and senior level. He has two Kerry Co. U-21 titles (1991 and 1992) which he won while playing for the divisional side, South Kerry. He received the man of the match award for his display in the ‘91 final against West Kerry. Paul was on the Kerry U-21 panel in 1991for the All Ireland semi final and played for Kerry in the 1992 All Ireland U-21 Final, on both occasions Kerry were beaten by Tyrone
He moved to Dublin in 1993 and while he lived there he was a very prominent team member who helped Ballyboden/St. Enda’s to win their first ever Dublin County Title in 1995. He also played with St. Olaf’s in Dundrum for three years. Paul and family returned to live in Kerry in 2000 and he continued to play with Valentia until 2009. He has six South Kerry senior championship medals.
Paul is also a member of the Valentia Pipe Band

In 2010 Paul was diagnosed with bowel and liver cancer. He underwent surgery at Kerry General Hospital in March 2010 but he needs further life saving surgery as soon as possible. He can only get this specific surgery in the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. It is currently scheduled for April 2012.
The cost of this surgery and associated costs may be as high as €80, 000.

The Paul Curran Trust Fund committee has been set up and various fundraising events will take place around Kerry in the coming months. We would be very grateful for your support.''

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it's all a bit crazy but is coming together really well - it all started off with me thinking about auctioning off a crochet rainbow-coloured cowl on my Selkie facebook page...then that seemed to be going quite well so I thought ''why not try and do this on a bigger scale?'' and now we already have about 15 lots and the running total of the current bids is about €200, which isn't bad at all.

The total amount needed for Paul's operation is approx €80,000 (I just can't get my head around that much money) so this auction will only raise a tiny drop in that ocean, but I keep telling myself that it's better than nothing.

In the meantime I'm afraid my own Etsy shop has kind of gone off the boil, but I've racked up over 90 listings there now, which isn't too bad. I'm still making items for it, though I don't have as much spare time as I used to have as I seem to be perpetually sending emails and facebook messages! Besides, my etsy shop will still be there, it isn't going anywhere and will be waiting for me when life gets more back to normal :D

A very important guest

Simon the traveling gecko's visit to us was a bit fraught at times I'm afraid...it all got off to a bad start when, quite soon after his visit, he offered to help with the vacuuming (having previously been helping at Purls of Colours house, he thought he was an expert)

Sadly this is what happens when a teeny tiny gecko 'helps' -- yes, dear readers, he was no match for the suction of the mighty DYSON 'ANIMAL': we had to dismantle the machine to rescue him!


Luckily he survived the experience and was just a bit battered and bruised and had a bad case of dented pride!

Just as he was recovering from the trauma of this with a nice cup of tea, he had an encounter with a native of Waterville -- as you can see the natives are EXTREMELY friendly and welcoming. Sometimes a bit too much, but Simon didn't like to complain.



After all this, we thought Simon deserved a day out and we thought he might like to trace his ancestors with a trip to the tetrapod track in Valentia Island.

Oh how excited Simon was at the thought of this! There were so many photo opportunities along the way -- there's quite a family resemblance, don't you think?!




Simon's little heart was beating very fast as he was lucky enough to literally walk in his ancestor's footprints! How many geckos are lucky enough to do that?!!



Of course, while we were there, Simon just had to do a bit of posing for the camera - he isn't camera-shy in the slightest and loves the lime-light!




Finally, to keep Simon entertained on a rainy day (it is SUCH hard work to entertain a bored gecko!) I showed him some of my holiday photos from Barcelona - oh how Simon enjoyed this; seems like there are geckos and their relatives all over the place!

Simon is desperately hoping to go there one day himself :)

Another Update

Heh, I'm really in the swing of this blogging thing now - two posts this month and we aren't even half way through the month!

Things are going brilliantly - both on Etsy and in real life too. Peter and I have known each other for 21 years now (imagine that!) and things are still wonderful :)

In crochet related news, I've got some lovely new yarns


The lovely Jana brought me all of these back from Germany this month - wool is so much cheaper over there compared to here (or the UK) so it was great to have a big stash like this arrive :) I love it all and have already made four pairs of wrist warmers from it, with another pair on the go. It's a range of different fibres and thicknesses, which is great - I like a bit of variety and change!

I really LOVE this one - it's acrylic but looks and feels like a cotton rather than acrylic. She brought me back this yarn in several different colour-ways but this is my favourite (of course because of the turquoise and purple!)

And then she brought me three different colours of cotton for scrubbies! This one's my favourite but there's a gorgeous purple and a teal as well.



I forgot to say in my last post that I'd been to the wool shop in town and she was open! YAY!! Usually when I'm in town she's on her lunch break or is closed so I was really delighted that she was open. I'd only gone in there on the off chance that she would have some cotton (for scrubbies) but of course came out with a load of yarns that I hadn't intended to buy...

I think this is my favourite - it's a Dutch yarn and is aran weight and a bit thick and thin...I absolutely ADORE the colours in this blue. The colours remind me quite a bit of Tivoli Ocean (which is now discontinued) and it's something I would buy again.


Since my last post here I've actually listed my first ever crochet pattern!! Yes, dear reader, you too can now make your very own pair of shell edged wrist warmers!!! I can't believe it but I've sold the pattern seven times already!!!

Oh I don't think I've mentioned this before but this is my winter project while I'm not working in my day-job (my job on the ferry runs from March/April to October) - it was a bit of an ambitious undertaking but I've started to clear some of the graves in the local Church of Ireland graveyard. So many of the graves are very neglected and uncared for so I got permission from the church to go in and make a start on tidying it up. It's very hard work but I love it. It will take YEARS to work my way around the whole graveyard but never mind.