I Like It!

just realised I'm nearing my first 100 'likes' on Facebook so must be time for a giveaway - a sheep me thinks for the 100th person to like My Baboo - spread the word!

Odds and Ends

I have taken the opportunity during my maternity down time to sort out my work space.



For the past year I have been using the odd ends of yarn to crochet a 'blanket' of sorts - it has been sitting in a basket in the living room under some magazines for the past 6 months or so.
I decided yesterday in my tidying up frenzy to felt it to see how it would change the open stitches of the crochet and the result was the above slightly squint creation.

I really like the way it has felted, the treble stitches look almost woven together. The colour combination is totally random but I love how the above colours work together.

So I have made a greens and blues square to felt to make a cushion cover for my work room to go with these fab curtains (below) from Habitat I have had for years, and now cover up a more unsavoury corner of my room! You can see how open the unfelted square is.

Watch this space for the finished cushion.

Tweet my Facebook

I'm trying to get back into cyberspace. Feels like I haven't been blogging properly for ages. Recently I have also got into Twitter and am starting to use my Facebook page to promote my business more.

Click either of the above icons to follow me.

I like the chatty feel to Twitter - you almost don't have to think about what you want to Tweet, makes it a bit more personal and a bit less business like.

I also managed to put a Twitter feed onto my blog (on the left) so you can read what I'm up to.

Now son No 1 is back at school I have a bit more 'free' time to explore Twitter and Facebook - might be a bit addictive!

Will report on Knit Camp soon

Lynne

Heaven or Hell?

I'm off for a couple of days to Stirling University where this years Knit Camp is taking place. I have a stall in the market place - my first venture into 'work' since Lexie was born. Two whole days without children - how will my husband cope?

Heaven? - All those knitters in one place, tons of yarn and knitting goodies - bliss!
Hell? - Stress levels of being on a stall and not having the chance to have a really good look round everything that is going on!

I didn't really know these types of events existed - just goes to show how knitting really has taken off again in the past few years. It will be interesting to see what the demographics of the visitors will be.

Looking forward to meeting a lot of like minded people (and the competition!)

Time flies when you are having fun.

The summer holidays are nearly over - only one week left much to my sons disappointment. 7 weeks of school holiday seemed such a long time in June, but it has flown by.

We had a tree removed in the back garden earlier in the year and when I was in hospital the landscapers came to flatten the space it had occupied. We now have a lovely piece of flat lawn (our house is on a slope) and I had visions of paddling pools and my boy running through the sprinkler on long hot summer days. It has rained so much that we haven't even managed to sit and have a cup of tea on it!

I've had to do with looking at it through the bedroom window. We managed to spend some time in the garden today, not because we have been busy, but simply because the weather was good enough. It made me realise how much I have neglected it over the past year or so. Last year because I focused on my business, this year because I am focusing on my baby.

The bambino is now 9 weeks old and is finally getting into a bit of a routine, I'm managing to get a few hours to myself in the evening and tonight has been the first time in months that I have even looked at other blogs. It's made me realise that my business, like my garden, needs a bit of attention and TLC and definitely needs to be put into a routine (that's the hard mother in me). My baby continues to delight me, and I suppose my business has now reached the terrible twos. It's going to be a challenge combining my young family and growing my young business over the next year, but one I am looking forward to, especially now I am getting more sleep!

I never thought two years ago when I finally gave up being an architect that I would have another baby and would be planning the next year of My Baboo. I had originally given myself 6 months to see if I could make my hobby into a business (probably nowhere near long enough), where does the time go?

It does fly when you are having fun.

Word of Mouth

Advertising is an expensive mine field to me, I've been lucky so far in that most of my advertising has been generated through magazine articles where I have been approached by a publication who have found my story interesting.

Some articles generate interest, others not so much - it all depends on who reads them I suppose.

One of my new stockist this year is Many Thanks in Mauchline. Carol called me last week to tell me she had used a picture of my sheep in an advert she placed with the Daily Record (one of Scotlands biggest newspapers). She thought she was taking a bit of a risk placing the advert. Naturally she had to pay for it, and would that outlay generate enough interest in her shop that would lead to some sales?

She also mentioned that she will have a stall at the Ayr Flower Show this weekend. My friend Is has a stand there also and she has always done well at it. I haven't been myself, but by all accounts its a great (and busy) show.

In fact I have only attended one 'craft fair' this year, my priorities are elsewhere at the moment with the baby. Selling through stockists like Many Thanks has also meant that I have been busy with wholesale.

And yes I know I need to update my stockist list on my web site - the more shops I supply the more people will see and hopefully buy my work, so I guess it is sort of word of mouth...

Here's hoping Carol does well at Ayr this weekend and she gets some good feedback from her advert - she has plenty of my sheep and sheep knitting kits to sell!