New Year - New Beginnings

2010 was such an amazing year - I finally took my courage in hand and applied for early retirement.  I left behind an Admin job that was layering my life with so much stress that my poor husband was considering emigrating to somewhere warm and calm......


So I took the jump and have spent the end of 2010 exploring crafting avenues and trying out markets, spinning wool, teaching knitting and so on and so on.  It was a great year.


My early plans for 2011 were somewhat scuppered when I was hit with a virus on my computer ( part of which had all sorts of strange emails going to all the contacts in my email account)..... nasty.  Still,  it was obviously meant to be part of my learning curve as it showed me that I could live for 10 days without the need to check my emails every hour or spend long evenings drooling over yarns and fleeces that could be turned into wonderful creations in my imagination.

So I promise to add items and updates as often as I can over the year as I continue my journey along the crafting highway.

My first artistic step this year starts on Monday next.  I will be going to Trinity College for a series of lectures on Art in Ireland - Making and Meaning.  I am really looking forward to this and who knows where it will lead.

cheers

Come on Down.........to Marlay.........

Huggleknits hits the Craft Market Trail

26th -28th November (next weekend)
Marlay House, Marlay Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin
50 Crafters, both inside and outside this amazing listed building
marlaycraftfair LINK
Huggleknits will be upstairs in the Front Drawing Room with

• Knit and Crochet Accessories
• Novelty items including handbags and jewellry etc.
• the Cozifone - felted sleeve for your i-phone etc.
• greeting cards
• knitting and craft accessories including knitting needles, notions, beads, patterns and yarn

Do come along - drop by and say hello
Cheers
Mo

CRAFTY NEWS DESK - Archive

June 30, 2010


Thanks to all of you who have got in touch with info on markets and events. I have set up a craftyirelandteam yahoo calendar and it will have entries for all events that are coming up with links to the relevant website giving full details on how to get involved. You will need a google account and I will need to link your account to the calendar so you can access it


In the meantime here are some of the entries that may be of interest:

• 3-4 July Carrigtowhill Medieval Festival in Barryscourt Castle near Cork City. http://www.carrigfest.com/index.html
• 4 July Crafty Market, Sheeben Chic, Sth Great Georges St, Dublin 2. http://www.thecraftymarket.com/
• 4 July Trim Swift Festival - street market market.street.trim@gmail.com
• 4 July Kells Market Day at the Kells Heritage Festival  http://marketday.kellschamer.ie
• 10 July Toejam Carboot Sale, The Bernard Shaw, South Richmond St., Dublin 2  http://m.bodytonicmusic.com/thebernardshaw/  
• 11 July The Ferocious Mingle Market, Dublin Food Co-Op Building,  Newmarket Sq., Dublin 8. http://www.thejosiebaggleycompany.com/pages/FerociousMingleMarket-info.htm

If you are thinking of setting your wares out on a stall you should read Ruth's from Nice Day Designs blog post on Market Stalls. Loads of great advice....   //http://etsyireland.blogspot.com/2010/06/how-to-tuesday-market-stalls.html


Are there any big promotions coming up in your etsy shop that we should know about????
Any news that you would like to pass on?????

From Monday morning next I will be bringing you a weekly update of whats happening - - all bits of info that come across my news desk....... so get in touch soon (Use the pink spotted/green button on the right).

Cheers  
Mo
http://www.huggleknits.etsy.com/ 

CRAFTY NEWS DESK - Archive

Wednesday, June 23, 

2 items of interest have just come in to the Crafty News Desk....


Andrea stopped by to tell me about a new Show and Tell starting on her blog this Friday 25th. Full details here: http://lushstuffstore.blogspot.com/p/lush-friday.html



Geraldine from STITCH, that great little craft spot in Santry, has news of a tempting workshop on Saturday next 26th on making cute crochet tea cosies . . . Full details here: http://www.stitch.ie/crochet-tea-cosy/


Thanks to Natalie from http://www.etsy.com/shop/thebluesylph  I am working on a calendar of upcoming events and will be bringing you a weekly update. If there is anything of interst happening please let me know. We would also like to hear how the events went. Use the button on the side to get in touch.


Cheers


Mo http://www.huggleknits.etsy.com/

A goal without a plan is just a wish.....

Misty morning in the Botanic Gardens

One thing I have found over the last few months, since I left the office job, is that once I sit in front of the computer in the morning the day just vanishes.....  Between checking emails, checking my etsy and zibbet shops, looking after the Bakers Dozen on ravelry, checking my ebay selling and buying items, and of course cheching out Twitter - which always leads to something else to look up and read I seem to run out of time for anything else.

Now that I have so much time I find that I dont have any time...... does that make sence?  The more time I find I have, the more things I want to put into it and then I get muddled and end up not doing half as much as I expected.....in other words "A goal without a plan is just a wish".

So how do I sort this out?  I have a huge wish list of things I would like to do. 

• So, check out the diary on what is already booked in e.g. weekends away, courses, classes I am giving, markets, writing articles, knitting parties, etc..... 
• Next do up a calendar for the remainder of the year. 
• Fill in whats booked. 
• Make to do list of things for each booking.
• Slot in time for the preparations
• Dont forget some down time/ me time and family time - put it in the calendar.
• Put in some "create new items" time
• Housework time
• Relaxation time.

Will review and come back once I have the calendar done.

New Start....

Well its Monday again. Mid August and weather still relatively good. If you come across this blog on your travels you will see that I'm not here very often. I have great intentions but get sidetracked with the Internet, twitter, making coffee and trying out new knitting/crochet ideas.

So today I am back to start again.

Great meet up on Saturday with some of the EtsyIreland team.

My latest weekly Crafty news entry for the team is here >http://etsyireland.blogspot.com/2010/08/crafty-news-desk_16.html

Did you ever have so much going on in your head - - ideas of things to try, stuff you wanted to learn, that you head began to spin..... well that is where I am now. I have some new yarn from eBay that arrived in the mail today, some alpaca ready to spin, some new ideas for Chemo Caps to try out, and I would love to have the time to try some yarn dying..... I think I need to organise myself a bit more.

Will be back when my head is more organised.

Cheers

Mo

Dear Craft Diary(2)

A lot has happened since I was last in touch.

I spent 3 wonderful mornings in the National Museum at a workshop entitled "Its a Relief". I thought it would be lecture and tour, instead we spend the days making a flowerpot holder from clay and decorating it. Great fun.

I have done some work on the main Huggleknits site and I am a little happier. I still have to do some work on the photos I am taking. Indoor photos are proving a greater challenge than I had expected. Photoshop can only do so much.....

Another shop has been resurrected http://www.mosbitsnpieces.etsy.com/ and there I have, as the name suggests, bits and pieces including head bands, buttons and knitting needles. I have loads of other bits to go in so if you are interested keep an eye on it.

The fliers were done and I am happy with the first lot. They have all gone out and are geared for people who need to cover up due to surgery, chemo etc. It was suggested that I do a pink one also as it is the Breast Cancer colour.... good idea. That will be my next lot.

Huggleknits: have put up some more hats on the site. Now working on a fun Wig Hat.... It will be interesting to see if there are any comments coming when I put it on the site. Hope to do that this evening. I am also working on greeting cards with a knitting theme.....

Thats it for now.

As ta la vista babie.........