Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk
Just a brief note to let you know that we returned safe and well from the very far north-west and as I predicted - it was cold, wet and windy. Apparently - as we were told on occasions too numerous to remember - when the sun is out it's a completely different place. This weekend it was cold and wet and windy and then, just as we thought the sun was coming out, it turned really nasty. I was very glad for my winter woollies and even wore socks in bed.
Tomorrow there will be detail and photos and gossip but tonight I have to strip my shop window bare as tomorrow (8.15am) the builders arrive to demolish my shop front. I am a little excited and very nervous and the shop will have to be shut all day tomorrow - online orders will continue as ever but I have heard they are being hampered by the postal strikes. Longest delay so far is 13 days to Peterborough. The builders are building a false wooden shop front and then business as usual from Thursday in the shop which will then, presumably, closely resemble a cave.
Note to self: remember milk (for tea and coffee) and sticky buns in the morning - I've heard that builders work better when these are in constant supply.
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
Thursday, 24 September 2009
Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk
7.25am. I don't normally blog at this ungodly hour of the morning but today we're flying to the Outer Hebrides for a long weekend! It's a long way from here so we're off shortly - flying from Exeter to Glasgow and then on to Benbecula - what a great name that is.
We've been invited to a bit of an Open Day to open their new boatshed and talk about Cornish Organic Wool and how we set up the business and market west country wool. The islanders are thinking of doing something similar so they're having a woolly weekend and we've been invited - which is a real thrill.
I have the programme in front of me and it includes the Opening of the Boatshed, display of the Community Quilt (which you just know is going to be stunning), a Lime Mortar Demonstration, Talks (including FB and me), food (yippee) and film. There is also a sock knitting demonstration so I wondered if I should get a sock on the needles but I'm taking the Beaded Gorgeousness instead and and a competition for the Best Dish with Potato (which might well be FB's high point).
We've never been this far north before so I've packed my woolies and I'm really excited. They say the weather is going to be good but, come on, we live in the very far south-west (relatively warm) and we're going to the very far north-west so it's going to be colder isn't it?
By a stupid quirk of fate (why these things surprise me any more, I don't know), Marie - who never, ever, ever takes holidays - wanted this weekend off as well so Tracey is womanfully manning the fort and will tender to your needs and cares.
Next week (I think) my builders start on my new shop front - wondrous timing - so that's bound to be fraught and exhausting - can't wait! More details on Tuesday.
In the meantime - Scotland - here we come!
Oh yes, forgot to say, FB has an attack of gout - timing, timing.
7.25am. I don't normally blog at this ungodly hour of the morning but today we're flying to the Outer Hebrides for a long weekend! It's a long way from here so we're off shortly - flying from Exeter to Glasgow and then on to Benbecula - what a great name that is.
We've been invited to a bit of an Open Day to open their new boatshed and talk about Cornish Organic Wool and how we set up the business and market west country wool. The islanders are thinking of doing something similar so they're having a woolly weekend and we've been invited - which is a real thrill.
I have the programme in front of me and it includes the Opening of the Boatshed, display of the Community Quilt (which you just know is going to be stunning), a Lime Mortar Demonstration, Talks (including FB and me), food (yippee) and film. There is also a sock knitting demonstration so I wondered if I should get a sock on the needles but I'm taking the Beaded Gorgeousness instead and and a competition for the Best Dish with Potato (which might well be FB's high point).
We've never been this far north before so I've packed my woolies and I'm really excited. They say the weather is going to be good but, come on, we live in the very far south-west (relatively warm) and we're going to the very far north-west so it's going to be colder isn't it?
By a stupid quirk of fate (why these things surprise me any more, I don't know), Marie - who never, ever, ever takes holidays - wanted this weekend off as well so Tracey is womanfully manning the fort and will tender to your needs and cares.
Next week (I think) my builders start on my new shop front - wondrous timing - so that's bound to be fraught and exhausting - can't wait! More details on Tuesday.
In the meantime - Scotland - here we come!
Oh yes, forgot to say, FB has an attack of gout - timing, timing.
Monday, 21 September 2009
Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk
Crazy, crazy day today! I had an order for - wait for it - 340 balls of Stylecraft Life. Yes, you read that correctly - 34 kilos of one colour. What's more, the customer wanted it delivered by Wednesday. Did I organise it? Wash your mouths out - of course I organised it! It took a few phone calls back and forth but 'til done and the customer is happy. You can tell I was a PA in a former life, can't you?
Tomorrow I'm away in meetings all day so Tracey and Marie will tend to your every whim. I still have loads of patterns to input so I can feel some late nights coming on.
Tonight I'm going home to omlette as the chickens are back laying again (after their baby production stage) so we have a glut of eggs - lovely juicy fresh eggs with deep, deep orange yolks - yum! Then I have accounts to tackle as my parents were down this weekend so it seemed a bit rude to disappear into the office. Visitors are lovely but, sadly, whilst I'm out having fun there aren't any fairies doing all the work for me. I could do with some accountancy mice like the sewing ones in Beatrix Potter's "The Tailor of Gloucester" - wouldn't that be bliss? - so long as Deidre didn't eat them, of course.
Crazy, crazy day today! I had an order for - wait for it - 340 balls of Stylecraft Life. Yes, you read that correctly - 34 kilos of one colour. What's more, the customer wanted it delivered by Wednesday. Did I organise it? Wash your mouths out - of course I organised it! It took a few phone calls back and forth but 'til done and the customer is happy. You can tell I was a PA in a former life, can't you?
Tomorrow I'm away in meetings all day so Tracey and Marie will tend to your every whim. I still have loads of patterns to input so I can feel some late nights coming on.
Tonight I'm going home to omlette as the chickens are back laying again (after their baby production stage) so we have a glut of eggs - lovely juicy fresh eggs with deep, deep orange yolks - yum! Then I have accounts to tackle as my parents were down this weekend so it seemed a bit rude to disappear into the office. Visitors are lovely but, sadly, whilst I'm out having fun there aren't any fairies doing all the work for me. I could do with some accountancy mice like the sewing ones in Beatrix Potter's "The Tailor of Gloucester" - wouldn't that be bliss? - so long as Deidre didn't eat them, of course.
Fishing Update
Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk
Quick update - T wanted me to let you know that they caught 110 fish this weekend - 77 on Saturday and 33 yesterday. 105 mackerel and 5 pollock. Our house smells like a fish factory and the cats are going beserk. FB has gone shopping this morning for ingreds for soused mackerel (roll mops) as we now need to try different recipes. The weather was glorious, the sea was flat calm. They are very happy chappies.
Quick update - T wanted me to let you know that they caught 110 fish this weekend - 77 on Saturday and 33 yesterday. 105 mackerel and 5 pollock. Our house smells like a fish factory and the cats are going beserk. FB has gone shopping this morning for ingreds for soused mackerel (roll mops) as we now need to try different recipes. The weather was glorious, the sea was flat calm. They are very happy chappies.
Saturday, 19 September 2009
Saturday Knitting
Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk
Saturday mornings are very relaxed in the Hopson household. We've never been the sort of family that dashes out of bed to take children to swimming or riding or anything frightfully enthusiastic. Saturdays are for lie-ins, gentle breakfasts and knitting.
Now the boys are teenagers, of course, it's bliss. No-one moves until at least 9am. Perhaps I should point out at this moment that Marie does the Saturday morning shift in the shop - otherwise, obviously, the shop would be shut.
In the pre-migraine days when I drank coffee, FB would quite often bring coffee into bed and we would sit and listen to Radio 4 and I would knit. When FB meets knitters he quite often extols the virtue of bamboo needles with the words, "they don't annoy me as much when she's knitting in bed". Some people may find this confusing but, really, it makes perfect sense - clicking needles clearly detracts from Radio 4.
Now I don't drink coffee (or tea), I'll often sit and knit when FB's in the shower and pottering around downstairs making breakfast, feeding cats, shouting at the boys etc, etc.
Last night when getting into bed I remember saying to FB, "damn, I've left my knitting downstairs" but was too tired to go and get it. I'd packed it all up but then had a bit of a fracas with Deidre when trying to put him out. The cats get locked into our back passage at night otherwise every Tom cat between our house and Penzance comes into the house and, charmingly, leaves his mark. Cat fights in the kitchen under your bed at 3am are not something you want to wake up to, trust me. Last night Deidre was out but he made a dash for freedom when we put Tabatha out so I then had to chase him upstairs (keep up please, Deidre is, obviously, a boy) and haul him back down, getting scratched for my pains. It was at this point that I left my knitting downstairs.
So, this morning - interesting bits and pieces on the radio, FB en route to the shower and I said, "I left my knitting downstairs last night". He put on his dressing gown and went and got if for me.
Is this the definition of love?
Saturday mornings are very relaxed in the Hopson household. We've never been the sort of family that dashes out of bed to take children to swimming or riding or anything frightfully enthusiastic. Saturdays are for lie-ins, gentle breakfasts and knitting.
Now the boys are teenagers, of course, it's bliss. No-one moves until at least 9am. Perhaps I should point out at this moment that Marie does the Saturday morning shift in the shop - otherwise, obviously, the shop would be shut.
In the pre-migraine days when I drank coffee, FB would quite often bring coffee into bed and we would sit and listen to Radio 4 and I would knit. When FB meets knitters he quite often extols the virtue of bamboo needles with the words, "they don't annoy me as much when she's knitting in bed". Some people may find this confusing but, really, it makes perfect sense - clicking needles clearly detracts from Radio 4.
Now I don't drink coffee (or tea), I'll often sit and knit when FB's in the shower and pottering around downstairs making breakfast, feeding cats, shouting at the boys etc, etc.
Last night when getting into bed I remember saying to FB, "damn, I've left my knitting downstairs" but was too tired to go and get it. I'd packed it all up but then had a bit of a fracas with Deidre when trying to put him out. The cats get locked into our back passage at night otherwise every Tom cat between our house and Penzance comes into the house and, charmingly, leaves his mark. Cat fights in the kitchen under your bed at 3am are not something you want to wake up to, trust me. Last night Deidre was out but he made a dash for freedom when we put Tabatha out so I then had to chase him upstairs (keep up please, Deidre is, obviously, a boy) and haul him back down, getting scratched for my pains. It was at this point that I left my knitting downstairs.
So, this morning - interesting bits and pieces on the radio, FB en route to the shower and I said, "I left my knitting downstairs last night". He put on his dressing gown and went and got if for me.
Is this the definition of love?
Thursday, 17 September 2009
Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk
Not much inputting today - just a couple of patterns from Katia in their Astrakan. There are more to come which I'm hoping to manage tomorrow. It's been a bit busy (which is good!).
Some of my emails seem to be appearing in people's SPAM folders so, if you're expecting a reply from me and haven't had one, please check your Spam folder or Deleted Items Folder. Don't ask me why this happens - as you all know, I'm not Mrs Technical - it just does!
However, I do have some pretty pics for you. When my hunter gatherers went out on Sunday I went to see a friend in hospital and then had a phone call to say there were no fish. Drove back to collect the men and, as soon as I parked up, had a phone call to say they'd just motored through a shoal and would be another 15 minutes. An hour and a half later they got to the beach. In the meantime, I went for a bit of a wander (had forgotten my knitting which is pretty unusual and typical, all at the same time). As some of you may know, we live in a beautiful part of the world. This was the beach on Sunday afternoon:
Flat calm sea and St Michael's Mount in all its glory.
This was the catch:
You don't get fresher than that!
And this is one very happy hunter gatherer (T):
Happy days!
Not much inputting today - just a couple of patterns from Katia in their Astrakan. There are more to come which I'm hoping to manage tomorrow. It's been a bit busy (which is good!).
Some of my emails seem to be appearing in people's SPAM folders so, if you're expecting a reply from me and haven't had one, please check your Spam folder or Deleted Items Folder. Don't ask me why this happens - as you all know, I'm not Mrs Technical - it just does!
However, I do have some pretty pics for you. When my hunter gatherers went out on Sunday I went to see a friend in hospital and then had a phone call to say there were no fish. Drove back to collect the men and, as soon as I parked up, had a phone call to say they'd just motored through a shoal and would be another 15 minutes. An hour and a half later they got to the beach. In the meantime, I went for a bit of a wander (had forgotten my knitting which is pretty unusual and typical, all at the same time). As some of you may know, we live in a beautiful part of the world. This was the beach on Sunday afternoon:
Flat calm sea and St Michael's Mount in all its glory.
This was the catch:
You don't get fresher than that!
And this is one very happy hunter gatherer (T):
Happy days!
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk
Classic comment on the day:
Husband (slightly gormless): "Well, there's loads of wool in 'ere".
Wife (choosing buttons): "Yeah, well, it's a wool shop innit".
You couldn't make it up.
Classic comment on the day:
Husband (slightly gormless): "Well, there's loads of wool in 'ere".
Wife (choosing buttons): "Yeah, well, it's a wool shop innit".
You couldn't make it up.
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