Goodbye 2015

What a year of change in the crafty cat household! But it just goes to show you can turn your life around and chase your dream. I've had lots of support from family and friends during this time and I would like to thank them all for being there through all the tears, tantrums, panicked moments and 'oh no what have I done?'. It was so heart breaking to let the pet shop go but four months on it was so the right thing to do. This is the first Christmas I haven't felt pulled in a million directions and I've really enjoyed this slightly slower pace of life.

So wishing everyone a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous 2016 I can't wait to see what it will bring!

All change........

I've been very quiet as life has changed quite a bit since my last post and it's been very emotional too. For the last 6 years I have been running two businesses, one a bricks and mortar pet store and the other my stitch marker business. The pet business did very well but if I'm entirely honest my I fell out of love with it. Although I had been in the pet trade for almost 20 years I found myself not quite as interested in new products as I did thinking about my craft business.

After last Christmas it all got very stressful and I realised that for my own health and sanity I needed to only run one business and I had to choose. I chose stitch markers and had to tell an awful lot of very faithful pet store customers that from August 31st it would be no more. 

It was a very difficult 6 weeks telling people every day why you had decided to do something. I had no idea if I was making the right choice either and I had built up a store that was part of the local pet community and suddenly I was taking it away from them. Most had no idea about the stitch marker business so were utterly bemused as they thought of me as just the crazy cat and pet food lady. Some days it was more traumatic than emotional after lots of explaining! 

But my lovely customers were amazing as pet owners are and very supportive of my choice. I had flowers and cards on that last day which meant so much to me as I cried from 9am till we closed the door for the last time.

So the store went from looking like the above photos to these below. It only took 2 weeks to clear through the stock and remove everything and take it home.

My old pet/ craft workspace...see all the markers hanging from their board above my PC...what a mess it looks now!

Maumau moved too!

Empty

How fast you can change your life around when you put your mind to it. At first I missed it so much but some days it's like it never happened.

The hardest part was leaving Mr Thomas. Where the store was on a small industrial estate there was a colony of feral cats that were fed and looked after. Mr Tom  who was King cat of the colony decided to adopt us and move in when he wasn't out fighting or seeing the ladies. We had to warn customers not to touch him as he was feral and not very nice but we looked after him and there were long discussions with several friends and customers about the right thing to do with him when we left. Was it fair to neuter and leave him, he's still a feral cat and doesn't like being shut in so rehoming wasn't an option. We didn't think he would fit in with our 15 cats at home and would upset their colony. Rehoming to stable or outbuilding...would he still wander as he has a very big patch even neutered? In the end we had no option but to leave him there knowing he would be fed and an eye kept on him, but it was still hard letting him go. 

On one of the last days he jumped in the car determined to come with me and I wish he could have, grumpy old thing he is. I know he's OK as I've had reports.

So my new storage cupboard full of crafty goodness.

That cat again enjoying her new window view. Lovely Maumau is still the office cat just in a new place. The introduction to the other 14 is a very slow progress.

My new desk space with this actual post up on the screen!

So it's been a very emotional few months and I can finally feel myself letting go of all the stresses and I'm much happier now and excited to have time to devote to one business fully. I also have time for projects for me 

  Long scarf wip, pattern on Ravelry soon.

Cat face garland hanging above my desk. I saw one for sale online somewhere and spent 2 whole days looking for it. Couldn't find it again...(maybe I dreamt it) so I made one. 

Dog walks in the middle of the day 

 

and you get to work in your slippers and stare at cats staring at you!

Suddenly all seems good with the world and I wish I had made the decision earlier!

Venture into dyeing yarn

I used to tie dye t shirts in my teens and I do wonder why it has taken me so long to try my hand at dyeing yarn. It's like a crazy chemistry lesson that you eventually get to knit with...heavenly! I started out with some Falkland double knit that I broke down into mini skeins so I could try out lots of different techniques. Mojo was supervising before all cats were evicted once the dyes came out.

I finally got to use my niddy noddy that a carpenter friend had made for me. He's very talented with wood, I gave him a picture and some dimensions and the made me this beautiful and perfectly functional tool.

This is my yarn after rinsing, it looked so pretty in the sunlight I just had to take a picture.

Although I wore gloves putting the dye on, it didn't occur to me to wear them rinsing out...ooops blue fingers!

But just look at those colours! I can't wait to knit them up into something or I may just drink in their bright colours for a while longer.

Patchwork cushion...Tah dah!

From humble beginings to a glorious end! I love my new cushion. It's bright, it's a little bit wonky in places and it's mine.

Growing season

 Everything is in full growth! The baskets and tubs look lovely, the lawn is sort of recovering from the assault of dogs and chickens over the winter! My new beds despite the odd chicken attack are starting to bloom...it must be finally Summer! 

I was reading an article about ancient seasons (Celtic) and how they compare with what we still have now. Spring for them was Feb, March, April, Summer May, June, July, Autumn August, Sept, Oct and Winter Nov, Dec, Jan. Last year when I read about this it made more sense to me so I started to take more notice,  and in mid August the quality of light changed and the nights seemed noticeably darker and leaves started to turn brown and curl on some trees. In Feb about the 12th the light suddenly changed again and there was a slight hint of warmth and promise of Spring in the air. Maybe it's just me but this year I'm running to their seasons so June for me is midsummer although the calendar summer is only supposed to start on the Solstice.


Some lovely poppies have taken up residence on our street and I'm enjoying their short lived blooms. I do have some of these coming up in the back garden as I sprinkled a head in my borders last autumn. They're nowhere near as spectatcular as this one though.

 I think we shall be eating our own strawberries this week! They have done really well in the hanging baskets up out of the way of hens!

 On the craft front I was inspired by Lucy from Attic 24 harmony blanket and her colour block cushion .It was her image of the colours for the border of the blanket that clicked and I rummaged throught my yarns to find approximate colours. I know from experience it's actually just better to go and buy the right yarn but luckily I had bought lots of stylecraft earlier in the year for the knitted flower wreath so I could make a start.

I shall pop over to the Wool Stop in Thornbury and pick up the shades I'm missing and try and not get tempted by all the other yummy yarns that reside in Tina's shop! I still haven't learnt to crochet so I made up a simple lacework pattern for a square that knits up rather quick and happily looks more complicated than it is.

Size 4 needles CO 21

Knit 5 rows of garter

Row 1 K3 purl 15 K3
Row 2 K3,  K2tog, YO, K3, YO, K1, Sl1-K2tog-PSSO, K1, YO, K3, YO, SSK, K3
Row 3 as row 1
Row 4  K3, K2tog, YO, K4, YO, Sl1-K2tog-PSSO, YO, K4, YO, SSK, K3

Repeat until when folded to a make a square the bottom edge lines up with garter border and then knit 5 rows of garter and cast off.

Not sure whether to stick with knitting in all the same pattern or to make some up with another...I'll keep you posted on what I decide!

Saw this yesterday  and it looks a fab little fast shawl to knit as only 100 rows. I shall source yarn for it too!  Lionberry Shawl

Rainbow felt weekend

Felted pouch weekend from start to finish and assisted at several times by the cats! Love the end result! I put a piece of silk in between the  roving to make it that bit thicker. Simple embroidery as the sewing machine was being very naughty with tension and a button.

Baskets are starting to look good. this is my new basket with lots of little pockets around the outside so it should look magnificient.
 

This pot is real hotch potch of what caught my eye at the nursery so hopefully it won't clash too much.

Some of the crafty cats have an outside afternoon snack, mainly to keep them out the kitchen whilst I was felting! 

Hmm hello summer and a pretty petunia!

Food for the soul

 Sometimes you just need to get away from the hustle and bustle and craziness of life even if for only a few hours. We came up to Coaley peak on the most perfect of May evenings to just sit and still our souls and simply look. We didn't even bring the dogs as we just wanted peace, but we did both feel very guilty about leaving them behind! We were on the top of the Cotswold escarpment looking over the Severn Vale and above is the view South to Cam Long Down.

The view is just amazing. You can see right the way over to Sugar Loaf mountain near Abergavenny . If you have binoculars you can see the Severn bridges, Oldbury Power Station and Sharpness Docks all along the river Severn snaking it's way though the landscape.

The patchwork fields looked simply beautiful and the sound of the tractors silaging and the land being worked seemed right too. it wouldn't look like this if it wasn't farmed. I grew up in this kind of landscape and I used to love peeking in the hedges to see the bird nests and walking though the summer hay fields..aahh such memories!

 You can see the Malvern Hills too, they dominate the view north west, their distinctive ridge back dominates the landscape for miles. I once heard they are the tallest mountains if you head due East until you reach the Urals...? Maybe?

This little section of the cotswold way has the nympsfield long barrow and hetty peglers tump too. Perhaps ancient man thought it was a good place to bury their dead with a view. There is Uley Bury hill fort too so this place has been inhabited for a long time.

It did us both good to drink it all in and watch the sun go down, readying us for jumping back into the fast pace that life seems to try and sweep you along at these days. I'm feeling tired with life a little and this was a welcome little break.

Happiness in little things

 Learning to make wrap bracelets

Cherry Blossom and blue skies

 Dog walks in sunshine

 New rescue hen who needed an emergency home

 Grey cat love

Blooming blue in the garden

 Rolling on spring grass in the sunshine

The fluffiest, nicely groomed, silky tail ever...... that won't keep still for a photo to do it justice!

Bodger owner of tail for being such a happy little cat.

Lots of little things to be grateful for experiencing this week. Happy Friday everyone!

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