Here be dinosaurs

I've designed some new dinosaurs that will be appearing soon in my Etsy shop.  Only problem is, they are so cute, that they got sold as soon as I showed them to my knitting group!

Those Gals have good taste and they are also a good indicator that these would be a good addition to my Etsy shop.  Keep an eye out for them.

January's lovely Charity - The Donkey Sanctuary

I adore this charity based in the UK but helps donkeys all around the world.
   
You can adopt a donkey or make a donation or buy some of their lovely donkey goodies from their shop
A quick advert for them first.  

Each donkey has a unique character, with their own personality.  Which one do you think is the perfect match for your Valentine?  Are they full of mischief like Cisco? Forever making you laugh like Toby? Or totally chilled-out likeEeyore?  There really is a donkey friend for everyone! For just £2 a month, your loved one will receive a beautiful gift pack with a certificate, stunning portrait photos, a set of postcards to share with family and friends plus regular news throughout the year.
You can also follow all their daily antics on our Facebook and Twitter feed, with access to our Memory Maker app.  Using our app, you can add your donkey to pictures of your friends and family, then save, email or upload your snaps to Facebook to share with other adopters. By adopting a donkey you'll guarantee their future with us where they will never want for warmth, care or food again.

I'm a donkey volunteer.  This does not mean that I visit or partly own a donkey, I make some of the donkey toys that they sell.  I've been doing this for quite a while.  All donkey toys are made to very strict guidelines.  They even sport a CE label which means that it conforms to all European Safety Standards.  I've made the knitted Woolly Donkeys for ages but these are the new crocheted Neddy donkeys and come in lots of colours.  In fact they are so new they are not quite in the donkey shop yet.

  

Happy New Year

First I must wish you all a Happy New Year.  I hope last year treated you well and that this year will be even better and that you will find the strength to cope with anything a little untoward that may come your way.

OK so here we are again at the beginning of the year.  With me promising to blog more often.  (I can hear you say "you said that last year, and the year before")  I know, I know but this time I have more happening.  In fact, I haven't been here since this time last year.  lol.

Was just looking at last year's promises; I did do some of that.  I did a show and sold quite a few of those popular little elves - they were also popular in the online shop too.  So more this year.

Here is this year's list...

• So first thing.  I'm sorting out some half-finished items. (I have many that are just sitting around in storage-land) They will be finished off.  If I can't finish them (unable to get matching yarn) I will take them apart and remake them in a different colour.
• Secondly I have so many patterns that I have paid for but never used.  I will use them this year.  I may not stick to the pattern exactly - I do like to improvise.  
• I also have many, many knitting magazines.  These are a danger; they are such a high stack.  I will work my way though them (slowly) I will either make one item from each mag.  or (if I can't find anything I like in them) I will give them away.  Expect more improvisation.  
• I will make a new items for my Etsy shop.  At least one per month.  That's not including items that I will make again since they have sold.  
• I am doing quite a bit of charity knitting this year so I will be sharing these wonderful good causes with you too.

Well, that is my list of New Year's resolutions; let's see if I can keep up with it.  .

I will start as I mean to go on and show you my newest item in my Etsy shop; Eddy's Pressies

These are the Crochet Kitties.  I tend to crochet as much as I knit lately.  These kitties can be made up in any colour you like and you don't have to stick to "cat colours" either.  If you want a blue or red one, then just ask.  You can also have them in a "teddy" pose or a sitting pose; as shown in the photo.

New year promises here - no doubt soon to be broken lol

Many promises for this year.

• First one is I will re-stock my Etsy shop.  Etsy did particularly well over the Winter months so I want to re-make and re-list all the items that sold 
• New items - never before seen in my shop are promised too (I know I promised that last year) but now I have less outlets to worry about since I will be closing down my Artfire store soon. 
• I will be doing a craft show in Fall/winter of next year so I will be making 3 of my 10" elves per week until then and maybe some hair barrettes and brooches too.
• I have some lovely yarn that I've been given via swaps or presents - many from other countries.  I've been afraid to use them 'cos firstly they are too nice, and secondly I might run out partway through a project and I can't get more -- well, this year, I'm going to man-up and use them on something nice for me - even if I have to buy something similar in UK yarn to finish them off.  

I've even started some of these promises already; 
I made 3 elves last week, 
made a blue sheep as a replacement for the white and lilac ones that sold in my etsy shop 
and made myself a market bag using some "sugar n cream stripes" that I got in a yellow themed swap last year.  Even though I had to finish it off with some British Rico aran cotton.  
So pleased with it that I might make some in entirely British cotton for the Etsy shop.

So things are looking promising for this year's promises 

Merry Christmas Everyone

Oh yes here is Christmas and no matter how much your family drives you nuts, it's the time for getting together again; forgiving and forgetting as we go.  

Nothing beats that feeling of connecting again with those you don't see all year (whether through illness or distance) Skype is nice and helpful but it's not the same as proper face-to-face seeing and talking to each other.  

So just for Christmas day, my kids will not be PISO.  Yes, that's Plugged In (to their devices) and Switched Off (to the real world)
Grumpy, they may be, but they will be totally Christmas Present and correct.  

November

Well, here we are; nearly Christmas again. 
I did manage to get a few new items into my shop this year.
I also sold quite a few items too but by far the most popular so far is the large elves.

They are 18 inches tall and I have sold male ones, female ones and even different coloured ones. 

These are made to order and are found in my Etsy shop as Jingle bell elves  

But that is not all  

I've also made a smaller version - only 10 inches tall - just the right size to sit on your shelf and keep an eye on the childrens' behaviour and then report back to Santa!

 

This is my Christmas Shelf elf  also in my Etsy shop.  Very popular.  You will have to hurry if you want then as they are selling out almost as fast as I can make them

 

Just to prove the size difference

 

 (If you visit my shop and they are sold out; just send me a convo or message telling my what size and what colours you would like and I will get to work on yours as soon as I am able)

Oh dear, oh dear.

Well here we are; halfway through the year, and how am I doing with this year's challenge of make something new every month never seen before in my shops? 
Answer; bad.

I started off well enough with Santa and Mrs Santa for December and a lovely fluffy polar bear for January.  But then.....exactly; not a sausage. 

Time for a restart. 

Same challenge - just starting again in August.  Let us see if I can make something new before the end of August.  I do hope so.