What a week! Ever since I posted my Granny Panel Tissue Box Cover my daily stats have shot up, and ten people have added my pattern to their queues on Ravelry! I’ve been plodding along, doing my own thing on this blog for nearly a year now, mostly just because I enjoy it, and not really expecting many people to read it, so my sudden little success is very exciting! Mr BAM can tell just from my expression when I’m checking my stats because the massive grin is a dead give away. I really hope someone does have a go at my pattern and posts pictures of it!

I’m trying to decide which pattern to write up next. It will probably be either my birdie brooch:

or one of my tea cosy designs:

Mr BAM drives all over the South East for his freelance work, and if I fancy a trip out to wherever he’s going, I sometimes tag along. On Wednesday he was at Holme Grange Craft Village in Wokingham, so of course I jumped at the chance to have a nosy round! I decided to have a cup of tea and a bacon muffin at the lovely tea shop before looking round in the shop that was tempting me most (The Little Craft Barn), and I was just getting comfy in the courtyard with my crochet, waiting for my food, when a lady asked me if I was there for the group. I barely had time to explain that I didn’t know about any groups when a whole knit and natter group just sprung up around me! Tables and chairs were pulled up, about a dozen ladies arrived, and I was suddenly suddenly surrounded by a very enthusiastic bunch of knitters and crocheters who were a bit disappointed to discover that I wouldn’t be coming again next week!

I did eventually take a look in The Little Craft Barn, which turned out to have a wonderful selection of wool and other craft supplies. I had already decided I would buy something as the knit and natter group was organised by the shop, and they had made me feel so welcome, but I think I would have spent just as much money anyway as it was a real treasure trove!

In the afternoon Mr Bam was working in St. Albans, which is where I went to school, and it’s only a half hour drive from where my little sister lives. I haven’t been back to St.Albans in well over ten years, but who should I bump into but my GCSE history teacher! I said hello and as soon as I heard her voice I was straight back to being a teenager again! Annoyingly she seemed to remember my sister more than me, but she was pleased to hear that I went to university and got a degree in a “proper subject”! (I did English Literature).

I had a lovely lunch with my sister Katie. We laughed so hard and so loud that I think we drove the other customers away! It was her birthday at the beginning of the month but this was the first time I’ve seen her to give her her presents, so now I can finally post pictures of the present I made for her!

(Drum roll please….)

She was thrilled with them! By the way, I didn’t actually have to ask her to try them on for the photos, there was absolutely no stopping her! I love making things for Katie. She is just as obsessed with crafts as I am, and is just as interested in how something is put together as with the finished article. Really she ought to have her own blog for all the amazing things she makes but she’s far too busy knitting! You can find her on Ravelry, where she goes by the fantastic name of WorriedRebel, and she has photos up of most of her 200+ knitting projects.

Once we had finished shrieking over dessert and posing for silly pictures…

we hit the market where I spent far too much money on fabric!

I spotted this stall with some of the best upcycling I’ve ever seen!

I was very tempted to buy one of those tree pendants, but it would have meant less money for fabric!

Do you like my new header image? It’s a picture of some of the fabric I bought that day! I have been busy with my sewing but I think that will have to wait for another post. I was lucky enough to be given a whole stack of patterns from one of the ladies at my Knit for Victory group. We had a stall at the Redoubt Fortress on Saturday at the Armed Forces Day celebrations.

Of the six Union Jack pin cushions I made last year, only two are left!

It was my own design, and I’m always surprised how well it turned out!

More of our handiwork was on display inside the museum itself in the interactive Anderson air raid shelter exhibit. I popped in to say hello to Denise (who organises Knit For Victory), and she definitely looked the part doing her knitting and wearing a 40’s style apron!

And then to round off an already busy week, I had a craft fair on Sunday at the Albany (Lions) Hotel! Sadly it was pretty much the same story as last time: lots of people looking but very few buying. My stall was looking good though!

And it’s always fun to hang out with fellow crafters and swap tips on marketing and selling our work. I was only slightly naughty. I bought some yarn made from banana leaf fibre from Sue (see her website here) who has this awesome knitting tattoo!

And yes, I am considering having a crochet tattoo now!

Like I said at the start: what a week!

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