Uncertainty, opportunity & being a lobster...

Hello All & Happy 2016! Sorry its late...

Are we surviving thus far?

This year has gotten off to a terrible start for me & honestly, I have lost all my drive & mojo - very unlike me.

I got my first tax return all done & dusted with time to spare, I'm normally very last minute on things & I did write a big book of plans but life has had alternative plans for my attention.

My day-job is no longer secure & after the next four weeks I have no idea what is going to happen, we need to move house & worst of all; my Dad suffered a massive stroke. He's only 52.

Me & my Dad on his birthday 2 years ago in the snow!

The road to recovery is long. My sister has been coming home from London at every available opportunity & my Mum is off work for the foreseeable but my Dad is actually recovering really well. Even in these circumstances we are incredibly lucky.

Not wanting to wallow but its taken everything to drag myself into the day-job & my mood has not allowed for much creativity in the pattern designing department.

However I did manage a few Valentines Day makes & I do have a few up my sleeve for Mothers Day (available from next week - better late than never!).

Gave my Mum a Valentines Ted coz she's amazing!

I have always been a big advocate of craft being good for your mental health (you can read more from one of my previous blogs on that here) & I have found solace in making things for myself. No pressure, no time-scale.  

I'm working on a simple crochet logo block blanket of which 2 out of 6 colours are complete. This was my hospital visiting project as it was easy to transport around & the repetitiveness of the project means its easy to put down & pick up again.

An example from Pinterest

For Christmas I was gifted chunky wool for knitting a faux tiger skin rug which I am loving doing on size 15mm needles! The base of which was completed in about 2 days (only 2 colours) but the front is intarsia & with up to 6 balls of wool on the needles at any one time this is a project for days with spare time & energy.

Tulip loving it already, the head is only half finished here so you get an idea of scale!

My last project was gifted to my by my bestie after she heard about my Dad. I loved her - you need wool for you - attitude & its a perfect project as once complete will brilliant for hibernation days! A mermaid tail blanket. In burnt orange, mustard & gold - for I am a read-headed land mermaid - the pattern is very straight forward but I did make a mistake a couple of rows back but I'm not frogging it as its only for me! Being 5'5 its taking me a while but its nearly at my knees!

Mermaid tail in progress; can  you spot the mistakes?

 I am back working again now though! I had an AMAZING birthday (27 now before you all ask!) & was super treated by my family & friends.

The best presents!

Treated to a night out by the bestie!

I have a charity drive to push, new lines coming to my Liverpool based shops & lots of grand designs coming to (my much currently neglected, sorry!) Etsy store!

I thought I would end our 2016 catch up with this great video on why we are all





I'll be back with weekly blogs post on Monday mornings!

Don't forget! Be a lobster! 

Hug-me-love-me lobster coming to Etsy soon! 

Taken from The Business Bakery