The Moody Octopus Q&A

Over the past week I have an enormously positive response to The Moody Octopus Project!

I would like a minimum of 100 pieces, this would make each leg around 1.5 metres long! If you are joining us & taking part let me know so I can say Hi, thanks & have a rough estimate of how many people are involved so far.

I have also had a lot of questions which is my bad for lacking clear explanation, so I thought I'd post them here:

* If you are knitting your pieces it does not matter if you use garter stitch or stockinette stitch as long as it is on 4mm needles. Personally I have used stockinette stitch.

* It does have to be double crochet (dc in UK terminology) or single crochet (sc in USA terminology) in crochet pieces for equal sizing purposes.

* Please weave in your ends - we wont have the time with sewing all the pieces together to sew in all the ends. Sorry I know its a pain!

* You can interpret the colour chart for your own moods no problem! Sad to say but only you will know what piece is yours once the Octopus is completed.

* I cannot return pieces once they have been submitted. Its just not fess-able due to the anonymity of the project.

* I cannot provide yarn.

* If you want to do the project for more than one week that is fine & you do not need to cast off after 7 days.

* Postal deadline is Friday 24th June

* Hand delivered deadline is the 25th June but you will need to deliver them to Girl On Purl Action table at The MakeFest at Liverpool Central Library

* I cannot collect pieces personally or cover postage costs. 

* Project Updates*

The Moody Octopus is now being supported by:

Click here...

Click here for more info...

Drop off points for those local to Liverpool:

9 Bridgewater StreetLiverpoolL1 0AR

The Crosby Tea Rooms185A College RoadCrosby L23 3AT

Don't forget if you want to you can share your Moody Octopus pieces on-line using:

#TheMoodyOctopus

If you want to get involved with this project then welcome on-board! 
You can read the original blog post here!

This project is open to everyone, everywhere!  

Rescue Me Animal Charity needs more than knitting!

I love my animals, although at times I do think that having children would be easier than the kitten who is currently sat on my knee, purring....We'd like another kitten but don't think she would cope since she is so needy & demanding! 

I saw something odd on Facebook a week ago which got me thinking; all animals in shelters have a sad back story but its amazing how as soon as one gets press how quickly people can open their homes when previously they never thought of taking on a rescue animal. It has to be that one because of that story.

Imagine then you work a day job but you also run a charity & welcome every abandoned animal but if you cant take it then you find an alternative foster home. That's what Rescue Me Animal charity does. 

They believe that by looking after a rescue pet in a home environment we are able to fully assess the animal, understand its needs and the type of home he/she will require and ultimately match them to a suitable home.

Orphans from birth!

They have a strict non-destruct policy and will keep every animal in their care until a forever home can be found.

Happy in a New Home!

Happy rehomed kittens at Christmas!

Can you believe they had trouble finding him a home?!

That's everything...feeding, playing, cleaning, walking etc. All the costs, all the time & all the difficulties of dealing with an upset animal in a strange environment. Personally I could not do it & we would love another animal!





They also support members of the public who need pet related advice. This is achieved by promoting neutering schemes and providing transport to the vets when necessary. They also offer free behavioural advice if an owner is struggling with their pet. Often this support can keep an animal in it's home, reducing the amount of animals needing rescue spaces.

However the charity is struggling to help everyone that needs their help with the current set up. Having their own purpose built kennels and cattery facility would enable us to help a lot more needy animals. Its basic things like having a day job means that waiting in for delivery's of donations of food, which then need to be distributed to all the other foster homes, is really difficult & time consuming. 

So how are we helping?

There's the call for knitted or crochet squares to be made into blankets to help reduce costs & provide comfort! Size, style & colour isn't important (just not offensive...) These blankets become the animals own & help provide comfort & something familiar during fostering, vet trips & help settle them quicker into their forever homes.

We are also asking for donations of food! Kitten, puppy, dog & cat. 

Also cat litter, toys, anything you can to help these foster volunteers & keep the animals happy! 

The Crosby Tea Rooms have volunteered themselves as a drop off point for all donations!

Their opening hours are:

Monday: Closed

Tuesday - Friday: 10am-4pm

Saturday: 9am - 4pm

Sunday: 10am - 3pm

Drop stuff in any-time & once we have a largish amount we will arrange for it to be collected at a time that suits them!

More info about their great work can be found through the links below:

Rescue Me Website

Facebook

Twitter

This is a long term project as there is no time limit when animals will stop needing our help....

*all photographs have been taken from the Rescue Me Facebook page*

Winning & a hot drink!

Cup cosy's make for happy mugs and hands!

For those of you that follow me on Facebook & Twitter will have seen that I have a new job!



What most of you wont see through the delightful happy posts & tweets is the reality of what running a business & working 20-30 hours a week in another job is. Its getting up to do business work on 4-5 hours sleep when I have 'work' in the evening so working a 16-20 hour day is not uncommon. It's never having a full day off because for a business to succeed it requires immense amounts of hard work, especially since everything is hand made by me. I'm often found crocheting or knitting on the couch till I fall asleep in my work.

Your average night

The old job, which I'm in till Friday, can be physically as well as mentally demanding & draining. The hours are not set so I often find myself trying to change shifts as I have arranged meetings/have workshops etc & have been unable to get the time off I need. Its trying to pick up more hours when mine are short, so I can live, do not want to touch the business money at all if I can help it.

Getting weekends off, being a waitress, is a nightmare as well but all my workshops & stalls are at weekends!

However this is all about to change!

Me now...

My new job is set hours. Its also day shifts so my sleeping pattern might now start to match the average person (mines currently sleeping hours between 4.30am - 12pm if on a night shift with no daytime business work that needs to be done in the morning) & its weekday work too....jackpot!

The volume of stress & pressure that has been taken off me is incredible as now I feel I can start to get more organised rather than playing it by ear & it being a week to week or day to day plan.

So new workshops! Yay!

Look how happy he is with a snuggle coffee!

After a mega successful weekend of workshops; pom-pom's Friday, arm & finger knitting Saturday & crochet, perfect fit, mittens on Sunday I'm looking ahead to December!

Thank you Sian for letting me photograph your fingers!

The Crosby Tea Room dates are already available for mega pom-pom decorations on the 13th & crochet Christmas decorations on the 14th December (more on them later in the week!)  but now let me introduce you to knitted or crochet cup cosies on the 7th December at Quill's Coffee Shop in Rex!

YOU NEED TO BOOK ON THIS ONE as its a set start time of 12 - 3pm! I will bring all the materials need!

Only £5 each (retail up to £10 on Etsy!) you will go home with a hand made cup cosie which is great for yourself or as a gift for that tea or coffee lover in your life!

You can either book online by clicking here or you can book through Quill's Coffee Shop themselves & do not forget to have a shop around & stop by my little shop!

My shop :)

New design baby comforters!

New stock!

Baby hats & phone covers

Purses

Cable laptop covers

Knitting without needles & other wonderful skills!

My most favourite thing in the world at the minute (besides pompom's!) is knitting without my knitting needles. My beautiful Chiaogoo needles remain in their lovely case and I am using what my mother gave me, my arms and fingers…

My gorgeous knitting needle set :)

I would just like to point out here that I am aware that you need your fingers, hands and arms when knitting with needles anyway but there is another way.

I've been making arm knitted scarf's and finger knitted headbands!

Pale, pasty & chubby magic workers :P

Bring on the chunky and super chunky wool as this winter we are all going to be very warm!

Loving chunky scarf's!

The speed at which you can make stuff is amazing, although you are limited on a pattern selection.
The other downside is you need to have zero distractions, don’t drink that cup of coffee/be waiting on a phone call/have food in the oven/need to let the cat in before sitting down to arm knit because you cannot put your work down. However it brings immense amounts of satisfaction and is very addictive.

Gorgeous texture whilst keeping you very warm! 

I've decided to share my love of arm and finger knitting with you all (or those who can make it to Liverpool!) on the 22nd November at The Crosby Tea Rooms!

For £20 you get me for a whole day (10am-3pm) and we will go through everything; casting on, casting off, how to knit – all these methods are very different for finger knitting compared to arm knitting. As well as tea and coffee and great lunch deals from The Crosby Tea Rooms themselves.
The best thing about it though is that you need zero knitting experience to be able to do it!

Keeping those ears fashionably warm! 

Great fun for those who already can knit and want to try something different and great for those who want to work with needles as it helps you understand how it is all possible (avoiding using horrible terms like “transferable skills”…blegh).

You will go away with a scarf or snood and a matching headband in a colour of your choice! Great for a treat for yourself or as a present for someone else!

You don’t need to bring anything but yourself and we will sort the rest!

BUT!!! This is not the only workshop I'm bringing to The Crosby Tea Rooms these cold months...checkout the list below to see the wide range of stuff's we have going on!

On Sunday we will be making crochet mittens, to finish off the winter set & the best thing about this workshop is it is suitable for all crochet skill sets! 

If you would like to book you can click this link here which will take you to the main site & there is a Pay-pal option on the right hand side of every page or you can pop into The Crosby Tea Rooms directly & have a nice cuppa & a bit of cake whilst you are there!