Heritage Day market, and lavender from Laura

Yesterday was FANTASTIC. It was Heritage Day in South Africa, which = public holiday, and = the Heritage Day market at Homestead Park in Oranjezicht (also the home of the Oranjezicht City Farm). I always get a bit nervous before markets – I worry about the weather, and I worry that people won’t like my stuff. But the weather was perfect, and I turned more people into customers than ever before!

 

The kits got great feedback and I sold three, and some people wanted to buy the items I’d made for display, to show what you would make with the kits. Next market is on Sunday at Kirstenbosch, so guess who’ll be whipping up headbands…

Unfortunately the success of the day (which was also long), kind of wiped me out – I got home around 5pm, unloaded the car, took a headache tablet, and lay down – only to wake up at 6.35 this morning. Wow, over 12 hours of sleep. OFFICIALLY KNACKERED.

On the spoilt side of things, I just received this charming lavender sachet from Laura in the UK at Cute as a Button.  Hand-crocheted and stuffed with lavender (from her own garden), it now hangs on the bedpost closest to my pillow so I can smell it as I read at night.

It was also serendipitous to have it there this morning – I woke to the smell of cat “toilet”, so I quickly squeezed the sachet a few times to release stronger scent before having to face whatever had been done in my bedroom. (Thank you, Laura, it helped a lot!)  It would seem that Jessie has become too fat (there’s no other word for it, rotund or stocky or cuddly just won’t cut it) to get through the window at night, and she clearly had an accident. Sigh.

Back soon x

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crochet kit give-away x 2

Finally, it’s on etsy – ta da da!!!  

         

Very big thanks go to Kathryn** for testing, feedback, lay-out skills, advice, and all-round encouragement.

One of these babies is already on its way to Tanisha in Tuscaloosa (such a cool name, I wish I lived in Tuscaloosa so I could say that word a lot), in chestnut. We’re giving away another TWO, via the Jam Tarts newsletter:  I’ll send this out on Sunday 1 September, so if you haven’t subscribed yet please send me your email address (either as a comment on this post, or on our facebook page, or on our website).

Winners will be able to choose whatever colour they desire, from the Vinni’s range of awesome DK cotton (tomato seems to be popular right now!)

Wow, I used a lot of bold in this post. Maybe because I’m feeling BOLD hahaha

** If you want to know more about Kathryn, this is where you’ll find her.

We’ll also be listing on www.woolhogs.co.za  and www.mystall.co.za by the end of this weekend. hoo ha

 

 

pentagons and awards

Some sort of horrible energy-sucking bug or virus has had me in its grip the last couple of days, today I have been almost totally inert. I feel like one of those lantern-jawed sea monsters that lives 72 million feet under the deepest ocean and conserves energy by never moving a whisker. It’s 5.55pm here, I’ve been under the covers most of the day, but I’ve just managed to make myself coffee and am also going to force this post (most of it done two days ago, when I felt more human).

When is a hexagon not a hexagon? Why, when you can’t count properly and you end up with five sides instead of six.
But it’s okay, I like it better this way. And it works out perfectly for my bag idea.

These girls are going to be bags, with a felt lining and magnetic clasp and long strap. Laura over in the mother country (= UK, haha) has volunteered to make one up following my pattern and using the Vinni’s cotton I send. When she’s given me the thumbs up, the kits will follow. A blue one, a turquoise one, a pink one, and a mixed one (because I was dying to use the new Brick Red that arrived this week).  I was also thinking greens. And maybe neutrals.

Kathryn in Colarado has been working on the mitts pattern, and has come up with some incredibly useful suggestions and a great new lay-out (far and above the ‘call of duty’).  She chose to make hers in Sunshine yellow, and here’s the first one she finished. Kathryn also writes a blog. I like reading what she writes.

Two very thoughtful ladies have included me in their nominations recently, for which I am happy and appreciative, and I promise promise to fulfill my acceptance conditions (eg. answering some questions and nominating other blogs) as soon as the blood starts flowing to my brain again.  In the meantime, thank you both very much, Alice and Jane: Knit n Run 4 sanity and Rainbow Junkie Corner.

Phew, exhausted now. Back to the bottom of the ocean. x

Thursday this and that

Today’s been one of those days where I’ve been sort of busy-ish but feel like nothing really got done – so I’m trying to put that right, even though it’s getting late now and I’d prefer to be inching towards my bed and book and hottie.

I did manage to finish off the third headband which I’m thinking of using for kits.

None of them look good on Carol, she’s got too much skin (yes, Trish, I agree), so I’ll have to try and chisel Alex out of bed 5 minutes earlier than usual tomorrow morning for some better photos.  I referred to my trusty old copy of the Knitting and Crochet Dictionary, and tried out the palm leaves stitch and the large granite stitch and think they both worked well.  I’ve often used palm leaves for blankets, and in fact I’d started another one waaaaay back at the beginning of last year before I jumped on Rachel’s CAL wagon and then got sidetracked by a thousand other things… In fact, where the hell is it, now that I think about it?

Anyway. I liked the way Mountain Mama had two rows of chain at the back of the band to hold it behind your head, so I adapted that idea for the purple one.  The lime one goes right round your head (no chain rows) so it’s quite nice and snug, and the yellow and grey one got a flower with a button.  I was reliably informed by the resident Style Police that I was wearing the headband “all wrong” in yesterday’s pic, by the way.  I fired eloquently right back:  “ag, whatever“.

   

I also managed to put together a very basic draft of a newsletter for Jam Tarts, which I’ve been meaning to do for over a year (!). It’s sitting in MailChimp ready and waiting for me to hit Send…and I have a whole three email addresses in the list of recipients – haha (one is Rob’s and one is my mother’s, so I don’t think they even count).  Anyone out there who’d like to get a Jam Tarts newsletter once or twice a month? Super short and sweet, I promise (just one pic of my hands in red mitts – please note I painted my nails specially).

Right, I think I can justify going to bed now. Night, all.

a new venture for Jam Tarts

I’m too excited not to tell you about this now, even though I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. I’ve been working on the idea of putting together crochet kits, and the first ones are nearly nearly ready to go!

I’m thrilled with the cover, thanks to Coral-Leigh, who took Megan’s original logo and colours and made them work so well.

A “first draft” of the pattern, instructions and cotton for the first kit (for fingerless mitts) is on its way to Canada to be tested, and the others are semi-ready. My plans are to make up kits for headbands, neck ties, hats and photo frames, and they’ll include a yarn needle and threadcutters. It’s quite a mission putting the whole thing together, what with printing and instructions and cotton and dealing with wholesalers and packaging, etc… but I’m loving it, and expecting that it’ll be easier to be organised the more practiced I get.

I’ll be happy to get your comments on this – Have you ever bought a kit? Do you think a kit would appeal to someone who has never crocheted before?

Back soon x