Hello

It's been a while...

The Woolly Brew yarn shop is now open!

It's taken 32 days, and a couple of years of planning, but today Karen and I made our first sales.  We survived, the customer survived and the till eventually stopped beeping at me.

I also got an iPad! Thanks to a very generous brother and a Black Friday sale it arrived this week.

Still finding my way but it's very intuitive.  I'm typing this on it!

Still need to work out a few things... But love it.

knitting - red lace socks

Drops Lace Sock

I still can't photograph red well...

I'm only doing one (its a sample for the shop)... I used Drops Fabel.  I like it and I'm not really a red lacy sock kind of person...  would maybe wear it if it was grey or black... and if I knitted another one.

Pittenweem Arts Festival

The Woolly Brew is at the Pittenweem Arts Festival this week...

knitting - red racy socks

Drops Lace Socks in Fabel using a lace chart!

I've recently had an urge to knit a plain coloured sock.  I hadn't planned on doing anything lacy (I was thinking cables) but I saw this pattern and thought I'd give it a go.

We're researching yarns for The Woolly Brew yarn shop and we bought a range of Drops yarns to try out... I'm not entirely sure we I choose a red yarn for a sock but now I'm thinking it'll stand out as a sample in the shop...

I've used Fabel before to knit some toddler socks and really liked it - a good economical choice! 

some DROPS

LYS

Last year I blogged about Karen and I opening a Local Yarn Shop.

We have been looking for suitable premises for over a year.  In the meantime we started The Woolly Brew and designed and made yarn and felt kits.  We sold these at local craft fairs and gift shops.

We set up our website,  Facebook page and newsletter. We talked with lots of people - knitters, financial and business advisers and family and friends.   And still we looked for suitable premises...

We checked out several but as we are very keen to stay in East Neuk - the area needs a good shop and we want to stay close to home - there wasn't much to choose from!

Finally after a tip off from one of our knitting group ladies we have found a shop!

The Woolly Brew - the yarn shop.  Coming to Pittenweem High Street December 2011.

EXCITING!!!!

confused

new slideshow of a Woolly Brew Bangle Bag Kit posted on The Woolly Brew site using resized photos and our new Flickr account... phew...

I've also been making some little extras for us to sell at Sea Queen Day tomorrow - didn't quite manage my original quota but there are 25 various stick pins, kirby grips and hair clasps..

this photo is not resized and took longer to upload...

I'm trying to work out the best way to manage my photos especially re blogging.  Not so happy with Picasa - mainly because I have lots of photos and they are saved on a network.  I'm trying to use Dropbox so I can access them on the iPad.  Can't be bothered transferring everything over (HUGE files) so thought I could resize the photos and reduce time and file size but it takes a while to resize in Picnik... just resize the new photos and upload them to Dropbox?  I of course don't blog about all my photos so don't need to have immediate access to them all but then I'm not just sorting by subject matter but also how I'm going to use them.. again abit of a phaff... AND without even realising it I've reached the limit on my Picasa web album just by having this blog!  I need to buy more storage (which is cheap).  BUT also realised that editing - rotating, cropping etc does not change the original file just the image in the Picasa album... I'm confused... and I don't even have an iPad!  maybe would be easier if I did...

I think I need to draw a picture or something to get my head round this...

Spring in The Loft @ Ardross Farm Shop

It was great!  Really good event and venue.  And to celebrate here is a photo of me!

(I've been writing this blog for nearly 5 years and this is the first photo of me - and as a bonus Karen is included too!)

Karen and Me and all our wares!

Other makers in The Loft included
Capercaillie Kilts, Tartan Teuchters, Glass by Kathryn, Lindsay Kilpatrick Jewellery, The Ochil Soap Company, Pewtermill, Roche Designs, Corsbie Furniture, Jennifer Pink Designs, Lorna's Chocolates

busy busy

so The Woolly Brew is doing a 2 day craft event at Ardross Farm this weekend.

its been a bit hectic but the deadline has forced me and newly wed Karen to get organised and get our new products done!  The ones we've been planning and working on for... months.

all the details at The Woolly Brew site.

start to crochet kit

 

 

bangle bag kit

5 products now!

Spring in The Loft @ Ardross Farm

The Woolly Brew will be at Spring in The Loft @ Ardross Farm in April!

We'll be debuting our two new kits (more sneaky peaks in the coming weeks)

Other makers in The Loft will include
Capercaillie Kilts, Tartan Teuchters, Glass by Kathryn, Lindsay Kilpatrick Jewellery, The Ochil Soap Company, Pewtermill, Roche Designs, Corsbie Furniture, Jennifer Pink Designs

Right Royal Pop Up

The Pigeon is having another Pop Up shop for 2 weeks starting at the end of April.

The Woolly Brew will be on sale as well as many many more handmade goodies.

Details and updates at Lovely Pigeon.

They have also organised an exhibition around the theme Beards and Tiaras.  Deadline for submission is 30th March.

I had thought about submitting something but time and other projects have got in the way.  The Woolly Brew is providing a little something though...

new bag and flowers...

I finally got a new bag... I do still hope to sew my own bag... one day...

I embellished this one with a Woolly Brew Felt Flower Kit.

felt flowers

We're making up some more Felt Flower kits for The Woolly Brew. 

This a sample flower using some new colours...

step by step instructions on The Woolly Brew website

knitting - intarsia

 

I'm writing a piece on intarsia for The Woolly Brew website.  

Nothing indepth!  I am still a beginner.  Just some explanation and tips that I picked up whilst doing my letter N. 

What at first seemed quite complex actually turned out to be quite simple.  I think some explanations and diagrams given for twisting the colours make it seem complicated. 

Although I do have an A to do....

creative entrepreneurs

I have been collecting lots of business information for The Woolly Brew. 

For example, how to consistently market your business, how to have a successful online shop, how to create 'kick-ass' products and manage your (online) time most effectively. 

These sites have made me stop and read (sign up and download!) and may be of interest to other crafty entrepreneurs:-

Blacksburg Belle
Imaginative Bloom
Smaller Box
Crafting an MBA
Handmadeology


Lots of good, helpful and actionable information... but you still have to ACT on it.... can there be such a thing as too much information... surely not...

new colours for The Woolly Brew Felt Flower kit

new camera

I've been cutting felt flowers for the The Woolly Brew Felt Flower Kits.  I took a photo to post on The Woolly Brew website and used my camera.

on the view screen all the colours looked very blue - not surprising as the sky was snowy grey and the conservatory roof (my photographic 'studio') was partly covered in snow.

the camera battery died quite quickly (too many photos of Four Year Old's snowman) and then I remembered...

I have a new camera!!!

old camera, not as blue as seen on its view screen

new camera copes better with clashing colours?

both taken in auto mode and no photoshopping (not even an auto correct).

Pigeon's Pop Up Christmas Shop

shameless self promotion for my other job....

The Woolly Brew will be on sale at The Pigeon Pop Up Christmas shop.

The shop is in Murray Library, Shore Street, Anstruther and opens on Saturday 27th November and will be open every day from 10am to 6pm  right up until the 24th December.  

It  features more than 40 artists and makers, vintage, homewares, stocking fillers, hand-made Christmas workshops for all ages (and abilities), music and The Woolly Brew!

Cambo Christmas Fair - Sunday 14th November

The Woolly Brew will be at Cambo Christmas Fair on Sunday 14th November. 

11am - 4pm

We've put together a felt flower kit to compliment our felted shoulder bag and sundae scarf kits.

Check out more photos here.

I've also knitted another felted shoulder bag which will feature in its own photo spread tomorrow!

we have lift off

We have a stall at the St Monans Art Festival on 18th September.

We are me (ta-da!) and Karen (professional artist and business partner).

We'll have a small display of yarns and needles as well as a yarn tasting.  We hope to show how varied and accesible knitting can be.

To encourage new and experienced knitters we're offering two kits. One to knit, felt and embellish a bag and another for a garter stitch scarf.  We're also having a Start Knitting class in October.

Our goal is to have our own shop but whilst we search for the 'perfect' bricks and mortar we're going to do other stuff - design and sell kits, promote our stitching group and offer classes. 

It has been a lot of work!  But once we get the first 'event' out the way it'll get easier... won't it?


(Not sure how I'll balance this blog and The Woolly Brew site - I'm keen not to duplicate entries.)