more fairy houses :)

I think you really need to click on the individual photos to see the detail in the lovely little houses - they are just adorable!

If You Go Down To The Woods Today....

 I could have sworn I'd posted photos from the woods on here earlier but I was just looking for them and couldn't find them, so apologies if I've made a mess-up!

it's starting to feel really springy - it was a gorgeously sunny and mild day when I visited today :)

I was back here today ('here' being the parkland at Derrynane House - it's wonderful natural woodland) and as you can see it's truly a magical place! You never know what's around the corner...

I love how children (and grown ups!) leave coins and treasures for the fairies -- we even found chocolate money left for them!

Isn't it just amazing??! I love going there, you always end up seeing one that you haven't seen before :)

.............more photos to come!

GIVEAWAY!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=552682788092878&set=a.139567902737704.20908.111624215532073&type=1&theater

put your guess as a comment on my FB page

just post a 'guess' as to how many balls I have in my total wool/yarn stash and you could win €20 worth of whatever you like from my Etsy shop -- competition closes at 12noon next Saturday (19th)

Happy New Year!

It's already half way through the month but this is my first post of the new year so ''HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!'' - hope it'll be a good one for all of us.

 I meant to write a post on here earlier this month but I had to make a trip over to England recently to look after my mother-in-law - she was laid low with a bad chest infection. She's tonnes better again now, thank goodness and we had a really nice week together with lots of chatting and crosswords while I worked on my crochet :)

While I was over there I finally mastered 'crocodile' stitch! I thought it would be impossible but after a few goes I got it! It's my new favourite thing now! I could make these wrist warmers all day long! I've got two pairs for myself, one pair to list on Etsy and I've sold a pair locally!

The second photo are the ones for myself - made with hand-dyed yarn from the lovely SpindleCatStudio on Etsy spindlecat! I bought the yarn AGES ago and knew I wanted to save it for something special -- I'm so glad that I waited.

Yesterday was my first trip to the beach since I got back home from England - you can see from the photo that the weather wasn't really ideal for sitting with my crochet so I just went for a walk instead before the rain started coming in.

Then when I got back home I saw this...the first sign of Spring!

Merry Christmas!!!

Happy Christmas to everyone reading this :)

Things have been very busy for a while, so apologies for not posting as often as I'd like; I'm still getting the hang of using my new 'tablet' but am so pleased with myself for being able to have paid for it with my Selkie money! I'd never have thought that I'd be doing that well with all this!!

Having been VERY good lately and not buying any new yarns I kind of had a moment of weakness...Black Sheep Wools were doing 'free international shipping' (as well as running a sale!) so I had a splurge! This will keep me going for months I think!!

The black Patons smoothie is for a custom order for Jana's son - black long wrist warmers and a 'net' scarf - can't wait to get started on it but I'm in the middle of a pair of 4-ply wrist warmers so I want to get them finished first.

The craft fairs I've done lately have been pretty successful - but the last one was in Dromid on Sunday (from 2-5pm) and I didn't sell a single solitary stitch! It was so disappointing but I guess it's just one of those things -- at least the other ones had gone alright and my Etsy shop is doing fine (though it's pretty quiet right now..)

Like this time last year I'm back to trying to get my 'shop' restocked after the holiday rush -- I've got 49 items listed right now; it's funny, through the rest of the year I think 'Oh I've got too much in my shop' but then all of a sudden it seems to disappear!

----stopping this post short to go and watch tv ('Eastenders'!) and to have a glass of wine -- will hopefully continue later or in the next few days....

high tech Selkie

This is the first blog post I've written on my brand new Google Nexus tablet! It won't have photos or anything swish but it's just so cool to be able to post this while I am snuggled on the sofa with Peter :-)

I've tried really hard to save up my 'selkie' money this year - by not keeping buying wool as soon as something sells in my Etsy shop or at a craft fair and so I've been able to buy most of my Christmas presents with my selkie savings and was able to treat myself to this awesome piece of technology!

It'll take me a while to get the hang of it all but isn't technology amazing??

Crazy Crazy Crazy...

Drat it, I had meant to write a third update on my blog in November, but now it's the 2nd December already...time really flies!

I had been a bit apprehensive about my shop on Etsy, and was worrying that sales would be seriously down this year; but of course I was worrying about nothing (as is often the case) -- the month of November was great in my shop! I even took $150 more in sales this year compared to last November (and I was really happy with how things went last November)

It's great - I'm really thrilled, I never thought I would ever be this much of a success with my crochet, and in such a relatively short period of time.

 I did a craft fair in the Tech down the road yesterday and it was SO successful -- best of all was seeing lots of people walking around wearing my wrist warmers and cuffs :o) I decided to keep a pair of the wrist cuffs for myself and was wearing them at the fair, and I think that really helped me get some sales. The ones I kept are these

 -- the deepest richest purple, with a blend of baby alpaca and mulberry silk -- heaven! I even had a woman offer to buy them but they are MINE now!

I also had a craft fair over the previous weekend - the Holistic and Wellness Fair in the Royal on Valentia. It was pretty quiet but I didn't do too badly and would be interested in taking part when they hold another one next year (in February, in Tralee)

I've been really good and kept a list that weekend and yesterday of everything that sold at the fairs -- it isn't like me to be so organised, but it really helps to keep track of how much €€€ I've made and makes it easier when I'm re-activating my listings to put them back up on my Etsy shop.

At the Holistic & Wellness Fair I sold

• black/white wristwarmers (Tivoli aran)
• pinky/purple wristwarmers (Freedom Spirit)
• black/white wristwarmers (Freedom Spirit)
• pink/gold wristwarmers
• orange wristwarmers (Mirage)
• blue wristwarmers (Peter Pan)
• blue wristwarmers (German acrylic)
• 10 cotton face scrubbies (I sold them individually for €1 each)
• green curly scarf (Mirage)
• blue curly scarf (glittery German yarn)
• cotton bath mitt (natural cotton)
• curly blue/black scarf (Noro yarn)
• red wool hat (Killarney Woolen Mills)
• red/black beanie
• striped hat (Tivoli Ocean)

Not too bad really.

Then yesterday I sold....

•  wrist cuffs (Noro wool)
• brick red cuffs (angora/wool)
• grey cuffs (baby cashmerino)
• duck egg blue cuffs (merino wool, I think it was Debbie Bliss, not sure!)
• bright striped cuffs (Knitcol yarn)
• purple hat (angora/wool)
• rainbow hat (wool was bought in town, can't remember what it's called)
• blue bow hat (blue yarn with glitter, bought in Kidderminster)
• blue wristwarmers (German acrylic)
• green/red wristwarmers (Sirdar Crofter)
• green wristwarmers (Mirage)
• blue multi wristwarmers (posh Fair Trade yarn from Uruguay) 
• brown wristwarmers (Mille Colori)
•  brown cowl (Mille Colori)

 Phew! It's been wonderful -- and next Sunday I'm off to Valentia again for another craft fair! Then the following week there's one in Dromid, which would be nice to go to too...that's if I have any stock left - ha ha!

I'm working hard to get some more wrist warmers made for these craft fairs (and for my Etsy shop too) -- I thought I nearly had too much stock; but it doesn't look like it right now (this is a wonderful complaint though!)

As well as trying to build up some stock I've got a list of 'commissions' for people, and also I'm making cotton/bamboo bags for two of my nieces for Christmas, which I need to get on with!