No, honestly....I really am back this time!!!

Hi there folks,

I'm back blogging and hopefully I will be able to post with more frequency now......I have a new laptop and blogging is easy peasy on it! Before I would lose the will to live while my computer would consider my requests and sit on them for a while before having an attack of the vapours and shutting down completely.

Although I haven't been posting I have been knitting and crocheting - mainly for my muse, Beanie....hell, I've even been working on a few designs of my own, fancy that!

Pictured are a few recent FOs and a WIP....hope you like them!

I'm blogging again!

Okay, so it has been 5 months since my last post..............

...................why so long?

Well, I had a few issues with the blog, some technical and some external and decided it would be a good idea to put it to rest for a while.

But I feel now is a good time to return to Purl City, with a fresh head!

What have I been doing in the meantime?

Don't be silly, I've been knitting and crocheting, of course......mainly for Beanie, who is growing up fast!!!

Bang, bang! You're dead!

But only if your Ravelry name is Pippa and only in a Hat Attack yarntastic sense!

I knitted through the weekend (when husband and child permitted) to finish this bad boy and it is currently winging its way up to Scotland to knock Pippa out of Hat Attack.

Alas, I have already been slain by KraftyKoala whose hat is on its way to me.

I tried everything to stay in the game, I even emailed her assassin Perversia and asked her to hurry it up big time!!!

I am off to join the Zombie KAL now!

Interesting......

Q: What is your process when planning a project? Do you shop for yarn and then find a suitable pattern? Do you find your pattern and then go out to buy the yarn? Or are you stash-busting? If your stash is out of control, how did it get that way?

For me there is no set process! I shop for yarn all the time and quite often just buy it cos it looks and feels nice eventhough I have no idea what it will be eventually made up into.

Sometimes I do see a pattern I love and I have to buy the required yarn straightaway but usually I see a pattern and try to see what I already have in my massive stash that will work.

I am trying to stash bust at the moment as my stash is way out of control but it is hard because there is so much gorgeous yarn out there and I can't help buying it - that's why I have such a big stash!!

Last day to sign up to HAT ATTACK!

Thanks to the GeekCraft peeps on Ravelry there's a bloody battle about to commence.

It is called HAT ATTACK!

Think Sock Wars but with a cable detailed hat instead.....................can you finish your hat and get it to your target before your assassin gets their hat to you?!

Here is the Ravelry group page with all the details - but be quick!! Sign ups end TODAY!!!!

Frogs and Kisses!

I have just added a new yarn on to my Purl City Etsy store.

After a few days of struggling to find a name, Frogs and Kisses just came to me!

The only question is..............does it say Frogs and Kisses to you?

Speaking of names.................I am going to be holding a yarn naming contest on this blog shortly.

There will be prizes involved so stay tuned!!

The sock addicts are signing up!

Hiya,

We now have 12 people in the international sock yarn swap but there's plenty of room for some more!

C'mon and get your name down on the list!

Calling International Sock Knitters!

I've started a swap on swap bot which is snappily titled 'Sock Knitters of the World Unite and Swap'............just rolls of the tongue doesn't it?!

Anyhoo - I want you all to come and join me here is where the swap , here is the blog and here are some more details, have a read and join up!:

As a keen sock knitter, I love to discover new yarns, both hand dyed and from all over the world.
If you feel the same, this is the swap for you!

Each participant will have one partner to whom they must send the following:

Two 100g skeins of sock yarn - it can be your own hand-dyed yarn or a sock yarn produced in your country. Natural fibres and blends only please - no 100% accrylic.

Two knitting notion items - stitch markers, needles, tape measures, project bags.....anything that you would consider essential kit for a sock knitter.

One hot drink item - by this I mean a packet of loose tea leaves, a tin of hot chocolate, a packet of coffee beans or a box of tea bags - depending on what your partner likes to drink (make sure this is listed in your profile)

An edible treat - this could be biscuits, chocolate, candy - again check your partners profile before choosing the item.

Finally, a surprise - check out your partners profile and surprise them with a little something based on their preferences. This does not have to be knitting related.

All those who sign up for the swap will be invited to join me here
where we can all get together and compare our goodies and get to know each other better!

This swap is open to all members with a rating of 4.5+. No no-sends.

Newbies are welcome with a full profile, but I reserve the right to ban anyone who I feel may not contribute well to this swap.

I'm giving you two weeks to put together your parcels and get them sent,so that should be plenty of time to pick out some really nice things for your partner.

Been to the Stitch and Creative Crafts Show

..........And it was a bit of a nightmare! Loads of really nice stalls to look at but you have to find your way through a sea of ladies with very sharp elbows to get to them!

I managed two hours of shopping before I gave up and left. I might venture back there with Beanie in her buggy tomorrow and use her as a battering ram!

While I was there today I spoke to one of the organisers of Wonderwool, a festival of welsh wool and natural fibres taking place 26th and 27th of April..............I just have to go to this!!

Anyhow, back home now and ready to have a heavy knitting weekend.......the weather here is atrocious and I am not venturing out unless it is essential!

UK Swap Questionaire

Part One:

Crafting

Do you knit, crochet, or both?Both

What do you like to make? Do you have a favourite project?

Socks, hats

Do you have a favourite type of fiber or brand of yarn?

Anything as long as it is not novelty or highly accrylic

Do you have a least favourite type of yarn?

See above!
Do you do any other crafts?

I sew and enjoy needlecrafts, I am learning to spin and I hand dye yarn.

What knitting do you bring ‘on the go’?

Usually a sock or two

What do you carry your ‘on the go’ knitting in? Do you want something new?

I make my own projects bags and I have a lovely Namaste bag for bigger stuff so I have all that covered!

Are there any knitting gifts (book, toy, yarn, item, tool) that you have been lusting over?
Addi Turbos and sock yarn in general

Part Two:

Your Favourites

What is your favourite colour? Pinky pink pink!

What is your least favourite colour? Black

What scents/smells do you like? What don’t you like?

I love Vanilla, Rose, Cedar, Cherry, Spices, I hate really bouquety stuff

How do you like to pamper yourself? (bubble bath, hand creams, massage, manicure)
Chinese massage

What goodies to you like to treat your tummy with? (chocolate, biscuits, truffles, etc.)

Chocolate, biscuits, sweets…..it’s all good esp dark chocolate!

Do you prefer tea or coffee while you knit? Any particular kind? Favourite mug/cup?

Tea (I don’t really drink coffee) I love black, green and red teas but I don’t drink herbal or fruit teas.

Do you listen to/watch anything while you knit? (TVshow-Along, movies, music, podcasts)

I usually knit in front of the TV or while watching a DVD.

Part Three: Living & Past-times

Where do you live in the UK? (General idea not address)Manchester

Have you always lived here, or did you grow up somewhere else?
I grew up in Thornaby which is just outside of Middlesbrough in Teesside

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Tough question! Russia and China would be top of the list but I am also trying to get back to Cuba and New York in the next year.

If you couldn’t go to a knitting group, what other kind of gathering would you go to? (book club, tea party, yoga class, jewelery class, etc.)

Wine tasting session, I have an informal one in my lounge most nights! Also a book club, language lesson or tea party.

What’s your style? (elegant, traditional, glamourous, girly, natural, sporty, outgoing, etc.)

Tomboy but with long hair and a penchant for all things pink and expensive handbags.

Final Part:Any allergies/preferences (fiber-wise or treat-wise)?None
Anything we missed that you’d like your partner to know?
Nope!

New...........everything!

Hiya!

Been busy reskeining and photographing my new colourways and today I added the new banner to Purl City

What do you think?

My favourite is Firecracker but it is impossible to get the camera to do it justice!

I'll be adding more items over the next few days so stay tuned!!

A busy day at Purl City Yarns

It is going to be a busy day at Purl City Yarns - I have several new colourways and products to upload on to my etsy store and the whole store is getting a facelift! New photos, new banner, new avatar.

It will be like.........Purl City......only better!

So watch this space (or the one on my store!) and please feel free to let me know what you think!

It's been a while!

Crikey I've been lazy!

This blog hasn't been updated for over a week!

Well, I do have my excuses ready - I was ill last week and when I wasn't ill I was working on my etsy stores - I didn't realise how much time it takes to get them up and running - I still have loads to do.

I want to redo my purlcity pictures as they are all a bit bla! And I have loads of stock to add to each store just waiting to be photographed and uploaded!

I've hardly had time to knit - shock horror!

My second Etsy store is now open!

Phew! It's been a busy week here!

On Monday, I started listing on Purl City my yarnie Etsy store (still no sales!!!).

Then today, I began listing on my second Etsy store Zucchero which will be stocking slogan babywear amongst other things.

So I've not had much time for knitting all week..............think I will have a big knit night tomorrow evening to catch up!!!

If you want to have a look at either store then either click on the names in this post or look to the right of this blog where I have located my Etsy minis. Let me know what you think!!

My Etsy store is open!

At last! I have finally started listing my yarn on Etsy!

Take a look!

I am adding items steadily over the next few days so although there is not so much to look at now, by next week I should be flying!

I can't believe it took me so long to get this up and running..........I think the main reason was I don't have much faith in my photography skills, I have spent hours trying to get my images as clear and accurate as possible and I am still learning!

Over the coming weeks I hope to add more than yarn - stitch markers, project bags etc.

I'm sure I will keep you posted!!

New year, new me?

Well this is supposed to be the post where I blather on about my new year resolutions, how good they are and how good I am going to be at keeping them. But we all know what happens to the majority of new year resolutions, don't we?!

The road to hell is paved with good intentions!

Not all resolutions end up in the bin though, I gave up smoking in 2001, took up running and Spanish in 2003 and I started knitting again in 2007. But considering I make tons of resolutions each and every year, the previous odds do not seem tipped in my favour!

I will keep knitting though and resolve to expand my knitting skills - new cast ons, colourwork, lace etc. And I will definitely be doing some knitting for charity this year.

I would also like to improve my crochet skills which are currently very basic and take up 'proper' sewing again, I was very inspired by Nubiancraftster's Beehive Bag, good work!!

Most of all I really want to kick off trading with Purl City Yarns and really put a lot into it. I have already done a lot of work, dyeing up stock and working on labels and my etsy site. I just need to put the two together now and get moving!!

There, these resolutions don't seem too unachievable do they? And most of all they seem like fun, unlike my other resolutions that keep cropping up each year - lose weight, exercise more, be more organised..........yawn.

But if by some chance I do end up with a size 10 figure, fantastic abs and an immaculately clean house you will be the first to hear about it!!!