Daily Archives: August 11, 2013

Just the One…

Harvest TimeCan it really be August already?  The time flies by so quickly…

As I sit typing the harvester is rumbling up and down in the field next door, no doubt covering my washing with straw dust.  The joys of country living!  Never mind, the sun is shining and it’s warm, life could be much worse.

And I think I’ve seen more butterflies than ever before this summer.  They were late starting after the long cold winter but over the past few weeks the lavender and buddleia bushes have been smothered in butterflies and humming with bees.  I’ve spent so much time dancing around with the camera not getting them in focus…!

cabbage white in the lavender

bees in the lavender

peacock butterflies on buddleia

This year for the first time I saw a Swallowtail butterfly in the garden.  I was so excited, but between that excitement, the butterfly’s erratic progress round flowers and the breezy conditions every photo was a disappointing blur!

One of the things I really appreciate about writing this blog is the way it has given me a focus.  A focus on capturing the seasons, recording visits to beautiful places, exciting discoveries and new crafts, it’s been a lifeline on occasions.  And the added and unexpected bonus has been to link up with so many like minded people all over the world.  The internet is an amazing thing, opening up opportunities for virtual socializing and making it possible for so many people, especially women with families to run their own small businesses in a way which would have been impossible only a few years ago.

When I went on my detective journey eighteen months to find the yarn I had spotted on line, tracked it down, found there were no UK stockists and took a big gamble buying a wholesale amount I really had no idea what I had started.  For all I knew I might have ended up making rainbow colour blankets and cushions for the rest of my life to use up the huge packing case of yarn which was delivered!

But everyone who has bought it has loved it, just as much as I do.  It’s been bought by people all over the globe over the past year and I haven’t had one scrap of negative feedback.  Everyone has commented on the lovely quality, the wonderful colours and value for money.  And despite being surrounded by those colours everyday, I still love using it.

But, and here’s the rub.  I have become a victim of it’s success.  I have ideas for new things, more patterns, more fun…

And there’s only me…

Just the one…

I started the Mouse Kits and the Crafty Cotton because I was aware that the Royal Mail shipping costs made it difficult for some people overseas to afford the yarn.  But they require time.  Time to wind (and weigh) the yarn, to label, to pack.

yarn winder

And gradually over the past months it’s taken up more and more time and instead of being creative and innovative, I’ve just turned into a yarn processor…

wound Planet Penny Cotton

And meanwhile everything is suffering.  The garden is suffering from the erratic watering, my dear husband is suffering ‘cos I’m forgetting how to cook, the blog is suffering… The only ones not suffering are Higgins and Henry!

So for the moment with apologies, I’m calling a halt on the kits and the Crafty Packs so I can get back to exercising my creative muscles for new things for Planet Penny.

Planet Penny Cotton Packs will still be available.  The overseas shipping costs are lower now for the US and Australia than when I first started, and a pack of yarn will be enough to make up all the Planet Penny patterns which are currently available on Etsy with plenty left over for the new patterns I hope to have time to write now I’m not Winder-in-Chief!

And finally I will share the biggest and most important reason of all.  A couple of days back I was shown a small, grainy black and white photograph of the latest precious addition to the family… a new grandchild arriving early next year!  I just can’t wait to knit some teeny tiny socks!

So I do hope you understand, and stick around to find out what happens next…

I’ll see you soon….x

 

 

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