Wooooooosh

And we've moved here......

http://www.kraftykoala.co.uk/blog

Rockstar

I cannot get enough of this song at the moment, I am making it my mission to learn all the words but it's not going all that well. I blame my rapidly dissolving braincells.



I challenge you not to dance around like a loon whilst listening to this, or at the very least rock your head about rythmically.

Bag Fetish

I've always been adament I don't get the whole handbag thing, and I suppose I don't in the traditional designer handbag sense, but I do really love funky totes and bags. I am especially partial to Paperchase ones, namely this one at the moment....

I want it I want it I want it. It would be perfect for my knitting, and there's even a little pencil case in the same design that would be great for tape measure, needles etc. It's so bright and cheery, I need it in my life! I've added it to my amazon wish list in the hope someone who loves me will spot it, well, blind optimism is something I need to practice anyway ;).

Confidence is a preference

But is it though? I would love to be more confident, it would make getting through the day that little bit easier. I really think when you've had people telling you you can't do something for long enough, you start to believe you can't do anything. Even if I know I can do something deep down, I tell myself I can't do it and that it's all a huge waste of time.

I would love to be the sort of person that can do anything they put their hand to, and have the confidence to believe so completely in themselves. But i'm not. And as such I take every little setback as evidence that I should just climb back into my hole and let everyone else do the stuff that i'd like to do but don't have the self belief to do.

Just got this horrible feeling that i'm going to completely fall on my arse and not be able to get back up again.

Fibre

We all need it in our diet, at least that's what i'm telling my husband when another package of it arrives on the doorstep. I love it love it love it. I love how it feels, how it dyes, how pretty it looks when it's braided and coiled up. I think I may be becoming obsessed....

You'll have to forgive me, I just got some I dyed yesterday off the line and it looks soooo lovely now i've braided it. Have a look....

I want to spin it now now now!!!! Unfotunately I only have 4 bobbins and 2 are being used on some other fibre thats calling to me from over the room. I should finish it off..... so why am I thinking 'buy more bobbins'???

In other news, I sold the 2 skeins of handspun to a nice lady in Texas so it's now swimming it's way across the atlantic.

I got murdered in Hat Attack yesterday, but not before I got my own weapon of hat destruction in the mail. Death came to Manchester in the form of this little beauty....

I left the head in the window after I took the picture and frightened myself to death by catching glimpse of it out the corner of my eye at least half a dozen times before I had the sense to move it!

Off to the cinema with Suzi tonight to see Juno, really looking forward to it. Then i'm going to finish up sewing up the baby bootees, make a start on the hat and hopefully have the whole ensemble finished by the weekend (she said hopefully), then it's back to some WIP's I think. Haha, as if!!!

To blog or not to blog...

That is indeed the question.

You've probably noticed that as of late i've been veering more towards the not... well, I won't bore you with all the minute details as to why, suffice to say i've been dwelling in a bit of a hole and I need to emerge from it, so now seems as good a time as any. Especially since I just recieved some quite exciting news.... i'll tell you more when i've got firm confirmation in my hand, but hopefully KraftyKoala will become a bit more visable in a few months from now ;)

So, what have I been up to? Well, the shop has taken a bit of a back seat really, i've done quite a bit of custom stuff, and last week I dyed 2 kilos of wool which are waiting to be reskeined and photographed. Since the weather is going to be nice i'll do some more tomorrow too.

I've been spinning a lot, and i'm really starting to enjoy it. There are a couple of skeins in my sale / trade page on Ravelry. I was loath to put them in there because I love them, but in all seriousness, what am I going to do with all this spun yarn??? For me the pleasure is in the actual dyeing the fibre and then seeing how it spins up. Oh ok, and stroking it a lot afterwards too.

Fibre has been my one big weakness this year, i've bought loads of the stuff. But it's soooooo soft and lovely! And my wheel makes such a lovely sound as it's spinning away.

That's been my main problem this year really, splitting my time effectively. I want to spin, knit, dye, read, game, chat, blog and there just isn't enough time in the days. Now factor in all the stuff I don't want to do, namely anything housework related, and you'll see my dilemma. I really need to get more organised!

Anyway, I have a hat of doom to finish, so i'm going to make this brief. I will leave you with some pictures of stuff, finished objects, school projects, glorius handspun and gratuitous children shots.
Have a good week everyone!

UK Swap Questionnaire

Part One: Crafting

Do you knit, crochet, or both? - Knit mainly, crochet on occasion

What do you like to make? - Hats, socks, lace, allsorts!

Do you have a favourite project? - Hmmm, i'm enjoying knitting my afghan

Do you have a favourite type of fiber or brand of yarn? - I like soft, natural fibres over manmade, no particular favourites

Do you have a least favourite type of yarn? Any kind of squeaky acryllic!

Do you do any other crafts? - I spin, still quite new to it but I can hold my own ;)

What knitting do you bring ‘on the go’? - If i'm travelling i'll generally take a sock or a hat

What do you carry your ‘on the go’ knitting in? - My little NicsKnots project bag

Do you want something new? - I'm a bag slut, I love new project bags

Are there any knitting gifts (book, toy, yarn, item, tool) that you have been lusting over? - There are a few books on my wish list i've been lusting after

Part Two: Your Favourites

What is your favourite colour? - Bluey greeny purply lol

What is your least favourite colour? - Orange

What scents/smells do you like? - Vanilla, coconut, fruity scents, also love Lush Karma

What don’t you like? - Overpowering scents

How do you like to pamper yourself? (bubble bath, hand creams, massage, manicure) - A Lush Bubble Bar in the bath then a long soak with a good book

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

Do you prefer tea or coffee while you knit? Tea, love tea.

Any particular kind? - Boring bog standard builders tea, or sometimes fruit infusions

Favourite mug/cup? - A large china mug with cats on

Do you listen to/watch anything while you knit? (TVshow-Along, movies, music, podcasts) - Period dramas, crime drama, Dr Who / Torchwood etc. Indie music

Part Three: Living & Past-times

Where do you live in the UK? (General idea not address) - Preston, Lancs

Have you always lived here, or did you grow up somewhere else? - Grew up in Hampshire

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

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.) - Book club, mums and tods etc

What’s your style? (elegant, traditional, glamourous, girly, natural, sporty, outgoing, etc.) - Natural, laid back, scruffy lol

Final Part:

Any allergies/preferences (fiber-wise or treat-wise)? - Nope, i'm easy

Anything we missed that you’d like your partner to know? - I'm a big cat person ;)