NKFN.

6 months maybe more

Well in 6 months an awful lot has happend, for one I havn't down tools at all in that time I have been knitting first thing in the morning and last thing at night and any time imbetween as well, knitting 1 full item per day mostly with larger items taking 2-3 days. I have broken 2 sets of cirular needles and one pair of scissors. Used up a huge bin bag full of recycled packaging and spent around £50 in postage charges

In estimation I have knitted around 8-9 kilos of yarn! Thankfully mostly aran weight, and reduced my stash greatly which is an acceivement in its self. My only slip ups where around 5 kilos of artesano yarns, and 600-700g of krafty koala yarn.

So the highlights of the last six months, Wonderwool wales where I got to meet Gemma of Krafty Koala, Nic of nicknots and Mitch of Woolywumkins and her gorgeous baby girl, didn't get to see as much of them or the event as I hoped much to much to see and 2 rather bored children and a bored husband in tow.

We spent a long weekend 50 miles away from the royal welsh showground and seen some beautifull scenery and visited some lovely atractions around the Borth area, including a lovely little Zoo that rehomes unwanted zoo animals and exotic pets, definatly well worth a visit if your ever in that area.

Unfortunatly due to high levels of work I ended up taking it with me, which wasn't ideal but it had to be done, specially when I realised I was actually getting more done. Another place that was worth visiting was king arthers laberynth in maclunleath sorry crap spelling, we had a lovely afternoon there, as well as the attraction there was lots of craft huts and some truely stunning goodies available, no wool shop though which was a shame, but its not like I am short on it!

In may we celebrated out 8th wedding anniversary, as well as the CNA Buy british month which was lots of fun and I probably spent a little more that I should have done. Nothing to report in june, in july my little or not so little man turned 7, and I can't think of anything of any great importance that went on the last 6 months. Just that it has flown by and we are now closer to the end of the year and the start and I think I have missed most of it!

And me, I'm still plodding on, finally managed I think to get my outside working balanced with my home working, I had to really, it has been very tiring but also very rewarding I have got to work with some great people. But I think I am over due a rest, but one thing I know is I will never down tools, I feel lost without my needles and the evenings just wouldn't be the same without something to do, so when my orders are done I'm onto a multitude of promised projects for family and friends, hopefully!

Up for grabs this time is a pair of 'scrap' longies or shorties. Having been though all my stash I have a number of small balls of yarn that need to be used. You have the choice of uk sourced aran at 40% off my list price or BFL aran with a bit of merino thrown in for 30% off.

I have enough to make any size in either type of yarn, there may be some duplication of colours and I can't guarentee to have the legs matching but will certainly try if requested. I don't think though I will have enough to make a girls or boys pair specifically, but I can leave out the pink if they are to be made for a little boy.

Same rules apply as to my other blog offers, first person to comment on this message gets the custom order slot. This will be left for around a week possibly more before I start making something, which will then be offered at 20% (30% for the uk aran).

As a work at home mum half term week may well be written off, not only are the kids of school, they are utter monsters to boot. My Son has wanted to do nothing but play on the playstation, and we have had to be very strict with how long he can play and how often. Usually resulting in tears and tantrums.

Then there is monster number two my daughter, she may look like an little angel but she is anything but. She has been a totaly nightmare all week, done nothing she has been told and been so cheeky its untrue. She is currently screaming her head of as she has been told off properly and got scared.

Most parents will know the told of properly thing, you tell them goodness knows how many times to stop it, and you go unheard, blue in the face, horse in the throat, and then suddenly you find that voice and the disapline comes across as you want it to. Know why this voice evades for so long is a mystery but it would be good if you could find it first time and save some time. Usually this telling off has the desired effect in seconds and is soon forgotten.

I don't know what is different about it, the tone maybe or maybe they pick up the under tones of how peed off you are, or maybe there is a hiden message somewhere that stops them in their tracks I don't know. My dad on other hand unlike me has this voice of to a tee, first time he has to tell them off is the last time.

I know my kids come across as being really naughty in this post, but generally they are not, they do have really silly days, DD's being today she has been so cheeky, demanding food and not eating it, throwing things about, winding everyone up and did I mention being cheeky, have never known her like this at all. Oh almost forgot the screaming, regualrly for as long as she could then starting again, what fun.

Last week I was really looking forward to half term, havn't seen the kids much recently, but now I can't wait for school to start on monday, it can't come soon enough!

I started out on a hunt for something, I'm not sure how long it has been lost for, or even when I found out I missed it. I just thought it was about time I looked for it. So I set of on my quest, one of those where you decided you might as well clear the cuboard out as shuffle around inside it.

So I am now the proud owner of a once again tidy cuboard that actually has space to put things in! rather than just the accumatled junk that gathers on surfaces that you just shoove anywhere when some one visits

Back to my quest, I can't remember what it was I started looking for, but what ever it was I can only assume that I didnt find it! But whist doing this as well as acheieving a tidy cuboard I also found a mulitude of long forgotten and lost treasure.

First up was the little stupid plastic tray that sits in my kodak easyshare when you rpint photos, it doesn't work without this tray, so the dock as served just as a charging unit. This stupid little plastic thing has been missing in action for at least a year, but since then I have found the delights of 10p prints online so it is a little surplus to requirements now. Though it is handy if you want to print out smaller images than 6/4 great for handing out to the family, and wallet snaps etc, I have returned it to a saver place where it hopefully won't be lost next time I need it.

Other things found where the tales of beedle and bard, I thought I had left this on a train before christmas as I couldn't find it anywhere! As well as my personal CD player, an elephant earing, though on this I have no idea if this was the one I had previously or a different one. Chances are I found the same one again, when looking for pairs of things I find it useful to wear the one you have found so when you come across another it's definatly not the one you've found before.

I also found my Christening bracelet, except I havn't been christned, I ment to get this cleaned up a few years ago when I can across it for my daughter, the silver is a really dark grey tarnish now so needs a good clean. I also found her bracelet in a simular style which my sister gave her for her first christmas. I also found some long lost charms from my broken charm bracelet again set aside so I could get them put onto a new bracelet. I also found our abbey bank books which I lost 6 months ago, as well as my passport which I thought would be out of date, but doesnt run out till july, anyone fancy a quick holiday abroad?

As I was sorting I also had a list of things I also needed to find as well as the item that spured the quest to start with, my DS charger has gone for a walk, am also missing numerous sets of circular needles, my NHS card and my paying in book. I will leave searches for these for another day, as sods laws states I won't find them until I begin to look for something else, all the items I found where things I had looked many times before for and given up for lost!

Despite my searching I have also been knitting, no surprise there really though have finished a few more items for my while sale order will put pics up soon, as well as this sweet little dress.

The wool was a joy to work with, so soft and squishy, there are close up pictures if you are interested, just click on my NKFN logo and you will be able to see my image gallery.

Thats it for now, must get back to my needles, after having 12 kilos of yarn delivered this week I need to get working!

The beautiful organic merino was snapped up quickly and made into these gorgeous newborn shorts.

They didn't take to long to make at all and its so nice to have almost instant results.

I have a second offer to add, I am currently waiting on yarn for the next phase of my wholesale order so have a little more space to squeeze in a small custom order. This time it is with this yarn

It is a beautiful lornas laces yarn in the girly swirls colourway. It is double knit weight and is a blend of 85% merino and 15% silk, sumptiously soft and squishy. I have 100g of this yarn which is suitable for up to a medium sized soaker with ruffles, a newborn or small skirty (my own version not the LTK one) It will also make the first size smocked frock.

Again this is listed at 30% off the usual retail prices listed on my website, plus £1.50 postage, please add a comment to this post if you would like something made from this yarn.

Hello again,

I thought I should maybe allaborate on my blog offers, I have been thinking about this for a while, about listing a work in progress (WIP) and allowing people to buy at various stages, but couldn't figure a way for it to work properly that wasn't totally confusing.

So the idea is this I offer a yarn off which anything can be made for 30% off my list price ( you will have to view my website for more details of that) The first person to add a comment to the post gets the custom slot. As long as there is enough yarn anything can be made there is no restriction on that score.

If after a few days there is no takers for the yarn I will cast something on and list up a WIP photo if at this stage anyone would like the finished item the price is 20% off my list price. You can also choose at this stage the rise of the item, the length of the legs, finishes to trims, so ineffect it is a semi custom at this point. Again first person to reply gets the item.

The final reduction is down to 10% off the list price for the finished item before it goes into my website.

So, as you've no doubt seen I am very busy with a wholesale order, but I am getting a little fed up with knitting the same thing, so can squeese in a small custom with this yarn

It is a wonderfully soft 100g skein of krafty koala organic merino aran in the waterlilly colour way. There is only one skien so a bit limited to what I can make with it so you could have -

A soaker - up to a medium sized only
Shorts - Newborn only
Bootees, slippers
Any style of hat up to 22" circumference
Or even a sweet little matching set for a new baby

The choice is yours, any takers on this little custom slot?

Is so difficult, this WAHMing lark isn't as easy as it looks and even after almost 4 years I am still no closer to achieving the balance.

Anyone who tells me working from home is easy is going to get a slap, because it isn't easy, it's like have 10 balls in the air and trying not to drop them, and if your anything like me kicking your self really hard for dropping a couple occasionally.

It isn't any wonder sometimes that things often get on top of me, and everything slides just that little bit and I get to the point where I say bugger the lot of it. End up feeling really down for a week, until I get fed up with being down in the dumps and I pull myself up by my shoe laces and start over.

Today is a start over day, I have officially got on my nerves for 5 days, so I am ready to try this getting the balance thing right for the umptenth time.

So lets start with what I have right, I go to work and come home on time with no issues cropping up, well apart from the odd soaking on the way home! I have managed to plod on with my wholesale order at a very good speed managing to finish 1 item every other day, well apart from weekends. So thats right, but as a result the house looks like a bomb went off or a rather large giant came round one day picked up my little ole house turned it upside down wreeking havoc with in by giving it a mighty shake before putting it back down with a thump.

Incase anyone wonders I havn't lost the plot I am sleep deprived! or maybe I lost the plot as well, I may well find that when I finally get round to tidying up.

So my job for today in phase one of getting the balance right is folding the moutain of washing in my living room, there is a chair under there somewhere. Well I hope there is, if not Who nicked my Chair? Figured it would take approx 30 minutes to fold it all neatly, then I can get dressed for work, taking a pile up with me as I go, but instead I am sitting here, in the knowledge I will probably end up folding all this washing taking it up stairs putting it on the bed so it has to be put away before we get in it tonight. Then promtly dumping it on the floor where it will probably stay there waiting for the fairys to pop in and sort it out.

Life is to short for tidying up, not when I have little people that I would rather spend any time I have free with, I miss my ikkle people I used to have so much more time with them than I do now, I don't get it I worked 50-60 hours and seen them loads now work 28 and bearly see them.

Phase two of getting the balance right - getting a cleaner!

Bit late as its almost the end of january!

Anyhow, January is a busy time for me this year, I have had to close for custom orders due to having just a wee bit to much on my plate. Firstly I am currently working on Babykinds new range, we are changing the way the items are stocked, previously made to order but we are going to try instock.

This is the hard part getting the items instock to start of with, the easy part is keeping them instock and making them as they sell. I plan to keep 2 items of each size in stock, so for that reason we are cutting down to just offer mediums and larges through them.

So I have estimated that I won't be able to take any custom orders for around 6 weeks, unless anyone is desperate for something then I may be able to slot you in, and a break from the same yarn colours is always welcome.

I have worked out that I will need to make 12 of each item, and so far I have made 4 I think I have a way to go yet. I am starting with the quicker to make sizes and as long as I can get my 3-4 hours in the evening there is no reason why I can't get most of it done in 6-8 weeks. Lucky I like a challenge!

So what about after this, life will return to normal is, and normal service shall resumme. I shall then make a start on my blog only offers, an oppertunity to buy at lower prices than on my website, watch this space I still need to work out the fine tuning on how I will offer the goods.