I'm a Yarn Tart

Hello.

    

Goodness hasn't time flown, I read this morning that Christmas is 6 weeks away ARGHHHH, immediately I'm thrown into a panic with all the usual concerns, what are we doing? who'll be here? will we have time for a flying visit up north? and the elephant in the room is always the cost. Long gone are the days when a big box of mega blocks will fill the space under the tree. Thankfully all my kids ask for first are some handknit socks. Whilst the cost of these will fit within the budget I once again have left it far too late to knit 7 pairs of socks and a long scarf for D2 and a matching hat. Sooo it looks like my box of socks is going to be emptied as I know I've 7  pairs in there. These are most of my WIPs and now I'm onto sock 2 of each pair so fingers and toes crossed.

Knit For Peace knit Fest.

Wow, what a great day. I was approached by Knit For Peace asking if I wanted to vend at their very first Knit fest. I don't vend very often, well actually our one and only experience was Yarndale. (If I was to suggest it to Mr Suffolk Socks I would have to sedate him first) Id heard great things about this charity so I quickly agreed to do it. I was so pleased that I did, we had a great day. The Knit for Peace team were fabulous,Team suffolk Socks were great, lots of great vendors and the people attending were so friendly. It was a fantastic day and Knit For Peace are such a brilliant charity please go and check them out. Can you spot us?

 

Christmas Stockings.

We love a Christmas stocking here at Suffolk Socks. Over the last few years, I've gently dropped it in conversation that we shouldn't bother the following year. This year I declared Stockings are no more, they're all adults, they have their own homes. Instead, the money I spend on daft things has been spent on making up gift bags to be gifted on Christmas Day to a local homeless shelter that hosts a Christmas lunch. My Sons work colleague does this every year and he mentioned it to me and I thought why not.  I have to say it made me take a good hard look at myself and for a few fleeting moments I felt great about this then it was replaced with such sadness when I thought about the recipient of a gift that in my eyes was a basic hygiene package. Will their pride be hurt? Will they have a family somewhere that they could reach out too? By the time got home  I was so upset I had to go back into town and buy sweets and socks to go in the gift bag.  I can wander through town and see homes in doorwells but look below the layers and it's thought-provoking for me as to how they got to be in such a situation. So when the expression on my kids' faces was as if Id shot Santa because stockings were no more I did indeed feel smug and 'when they said what a great idea Mum' I decided yes they were worthy of a secret stocking from Santa and definitely, some hand knit socks.

New from The Yarn Tart

There's been a steady stream of new shades appearing all named around my time at school, Geeks Rule, Head Girl and Prefect are just a few. I released my new socks design 'Behind the bike shed' last week and I've been popping a copy into each purchase of any skein of yarn from The Yarn Tart. It's also available over on Ravelry

 

Our Christmas kit was so well received. A massive thank you to all who bought Waltzing Matilda and Sleep Tight Starry Night. I was thrilled with the comments I was sent.

The Yarn Tart bags have been hugely popular having had to have a reprint of some I got a new design 'Knitting is for life not just for Christmas. Each one is my favourite, I love them all and each member of our sock club is gifted one.

 

Socks Clubs

Next month is the final skein of "The Yarn Tart Club" its been great fun dyeing up new colours for our members. Our other club is Santa Rocks Socks. This I've loved doing, it's a calico bag filled with commercial sock yarn its been a popular choice here at Suffolk Socks, it's also responsible for increasing my personal sock stash. I've loved rediscovering some of the sock yarn I have in stock that I need to knit. Our mystery sock club is in its final month, the mystery is that each month a commercial sock yarn is sent out to you so you without the brand name.

WIPS

 

I decided at the weekend to get out all my sock WIPs. I have to say I was chuffed to bits when I realised that I didn't  have that many. I do have a cupboard of shame but I'll address the WIPS in there another time.  Most of the socks in the project bags already have sock 1 finished and sock 2 cast on so hopefully if I can muster up some willpower and not cast on anything until at least  3 pairs are finished I'll be happy-ish. But really who cares? I never sit down and worry that my knitting friends Toni and Jacqui have a fair few socks cast on and I'm confident they don't give a 2nd thought to my growing pile of projects. we're the worst influence on each other so to me variety is the spice of life, the more the merrier. Bring them on

 

Goals

I write this with a tongue in cheek attitude. I always hope that I'll wake up one day and discover that the pile of WIPS is no more. One of my favourite Ladybird stories is "The Elves and the Shoemaker". The elves come out at night and make the shoes the shoemaker has left out to make the next day. I only want the sock elves to do this so I can cast on lots of other socks and use the needles and bags. On a non-knitty goal, I'd like to see the bottom of my ironing basket but that's not going to happen either. So I think the only serious goal I ever have is to knit what I want and when I want. This is my one goal I don't have any problem achieving which is just brilliant.

Thank you for taking time to read my knitty news.

Have a great day

Julie x