Thursday 29 December 2011

Long Time

Well hello there!

Long time since I updated this blog so here goes......

Firstly we are all moved and settled into our new house, but this didn't go without a drama, my car went bang befrore making it out of the road to our old house so thats a bad start.

When we got here had a hole in the window so it was cold.

All sorted now.

I finally have a knitting room with all my patterns neat and my wool on display so I can easily decide on what to do and it looks fab.

I have finally re opened my order books and have my web page fully up and running at www.lulabellas.com

Christmas was a whirl as we had only been in the house 2 weeks before heading off to my parents for the big event itself. Home this tuesday and now have the inlaws for a week.

Have just abvoput finished my orders for next year so I am looking for things to do.

TTFN

Wednesday 23 November 2011

Off to pastures new

Well im nearly up to date on all orders only 2 left to do before christmas which is a good thing really as I am moving house on monday.

Because of the move I am unable to take on any more knitting requests untill after christmas.

Friday 11 November 2011

More Exciting times.

I have spent the last week on a princes trust course learning about running a business and how to do all the boring math stuff but I found the whole thing very exciting and interesting and I am looking forward to completing the course in a few months time.

I also have a new house and a move date so that is all very exciting.

Down side to move:
1) Have to pack wool in boxes
2) Have to pack patterns in boxes
3) Have to pack needles in boxes (I have new ones a gift from my husband for christmas)
4) Have to decided what not to pack so that I can keep my orders up to date.

Saturday 22 October 2011

Exciting News

I have my very own web site with shop.

http://www.lulabellas.com/

Please pop over and say hi and let me know what you think.

I also have a daily sale on my facebook page Lulabella's Hand Knits.

Tap Tap Click Click

Yup my needles are still at.

My order book is still closed to. I am getting there with my orders. So far this weekend I have knitted 11 pairs of shoes, 2 Pixie hats, started the sleeve for a cardigan and the rim of a giant stocking cocoon.

I must show you this picture of one of my pixie hats.

I have lots of ideas for the new year for new knitting items that I am really excited about. I will share more with you nearer the time.

Monday 17 October 2011

Click click Tap tap

Click click Tap tap thats about all I here at the moment as my knitting needles are working non stop.

I have lots of lovely items to knit on order from many expecting mums and I am really enjoying knitting them all.

My aim this week is to get at least 2 of my orders completed and to do a Pixie hat for my give away on Wednesday night over at my Facebook page.

I have that many orders that I've had to close my order book to any orders for christmas completion so it's all going well for me.

TTFN

It all gone PIXIE

Hello all

Well as promised I have some Pixie hats to show you thanks to the lovely photographers that have kindly donated the pics.

and one more for you all


Just a little note these pictures are property of the photographers who took them and are copywrite to them so please don't copy, alter or re use them. Thanks.

Tuesday 4 October 2011

OMG!

OMG What a mad weekend.

I went away for the weekend and whilst I was there my facebook page went a little bit mad.
I had sales from my albums and orders a pleanty.

I now have loads of work to do and I completed my first order this morning and posted it about half and hour ago.

I have things to knit from christmas stocking cocoons to bootees and cardigans with shawls and blankets in between.

I am now working on a pixe hat in the most lovely colours and can't wait to finish it. (Will post a pic when it's done)

TTFN

Tuesday 27 September 2011

Dissapointment

Well what a dissapointing few days.

The weekend didn't start well at all. We were supposed to have 2 viewings of our house an neither turned up so dissapointment number one.

Friday night was a blast though with a function on the base.

So Saturday and my first craft fair of the weekend. The day went really well and I made some money and sold a few things so that was great then Sunday arrived.

Sunday what a horrid day. It rained most of the day but I trundled off to my second fair of the weekend and what a dissapointment. It was a very poor turn out hardly anyone through the door and I made a loss and only sold 3 things.

So I came home cold, wet and out of money and I thought well I know I will hold a huge sale on my Facebook page for 48 hours.

I created a SALE album with 57 pictures in I put all my items on at a loss to me and very cheap.

It started off well making a sale 4 mins in then that was it nothing not another sale, comment like nothing.

I now have no idea what to do something has to give. I keep getting orders so thats a bonus and I do have them running through to May next year so I am obviously doing something right.

Anyway moan over. Back to the drawing board and see what happens in the New Year.

Monday 19 September 2011

Knitting

Evening all.

I hope you are all well!? I've had a busy last few weeks knitting up lots of things for my craft fair this weekend.

After this fair I wont be doing any more this year as I have so many orders I need to concentrate on first.

The above picture is a Stocking Cocoon I have knitted and a christmas T Bag hat. Taken by my lovely friend. Im so very proud of this as it looks fab.

So my knitting has gone made this week 7 orders to fill and a craft fair to prepare for and I went and decided to try out Pixie hats.


Do you like them?

I am currently making some papaer mache heads to display my hats on and this will help me to take better photos.

Yesterday my back hurt so I had lots of time to sit and do my knitting and I succeded in making a santa hat, this pixie hat and start a pumpkin.

I wonder what I can knit tomorrow!

Wednesday 14 September 2011

FD & me

A little about fiborus Dysplasia (I've never managed to spell it right)

This condition effects your bones and can effect any bone in your body.
Many web sites tell you that its not something that you inherit but my specialist says it is. Both parents have to carry the abnormality (not ever suffering the problem theirselves) and pass it on to the child. I  am an identicle twin and it is not known why she isn't affected.

Basically what happens is your bone when it is forming goes through 3 stages to get to bone and mine stayed at the first stage. Fiborus tissue: I have it in my 8th vertebrae in my spine.

I was only officila diagnosed this year after under going a biopsy and having bone cement placed in my back as my bone had crushed so much I was getting too close to becoming paralysed than I was comfortable with.

Although only diagnosed this year I started to suffer in my teens and at the age of 17 my life came to a stop when the doctors told me it was no longer safe for me to attend college and complete my course and nor was I allowed to work as they were not sure on the stability of my spine.

This didn't bother me to start in fact I thought it was great not having to do anything other than what I wanted and within limits. However 10 years on I am fed up.

I have a very small social life and a few friends as I joined the Womens Institute just to get me out the house but this has provided me with lots of fun things to do. I go to craft clubs out to lunches and coffee mornings at least once a month.

I didn't waste my time just sitting at home I did study with the open university doing many different course and having some success. I also met my husband during one of my courses.

Although I have had the operation to strengthen my spine I am still unable to work as I am still having treatment, however the doctors are hopeful that I will be able to get a job in the near future. I am though no longer at the moment under threat of paralysation which is a big relief.

FD doesn't just effect one particular bone you can get it in many bones in your body at the same time. So although I have had treatment it can still get worse or I could get more. Because of this risk I will now have to go to the hospital twice a year for the next twenty years or so to have an x ray and see the specialist to check that I haven't got any more nor the one I have has turned cancerous as this is a high risk.

So where am I now? I have lots of things I am not allowed to do for the rest of my life some which will not be a problem and some that I may struggle with throughout my life.

I am not allowed to ever do a sky dive or bungee jump (not a problem, I hate heights), I cant ever lift a bag of compost (fine by me), I am not allowed to carry anything heavier than 4pints of milk (difficult I am a woman who likes to shop) I can only sit in one positon for twenty mins then I have to walk around, I am not allowed to hoover or do the ironing (this is hard). If I make my bed I am not allowed to hang my washing out the same day, (don't know why).

To get a job I can only work 2 hours a day for the first 6 months and then I can go to half a day for 6 months before going to one full day and the rest half days a week for 6 months then I can go full time. This is a long process to return to work and I am not sure how achievable it will be. Another reason I have the knitting.

When I do get a job I have been told I can not work in a supermarket or DIY store but try and go for something that is flexible and I can sit down to if possible so a receptioist job would be ideal.

Any way I think that covers most of it and I have gone on for a while and I need to go for a little walk as I am suffering with my back at the moment I am having a flare up and I have pulled a muscle lower down which isn't helping.

Hugs
x

OMG

Help!

Have just been informed I have 10 days till my first craft fair and I don't have anywhere enough stock yet. Thank god I have been told to rest for 2 weeks I now have loads of time (or you would think I do) to do lots of knitting.

So today's plan is to make all my bean bug stress balls up and post pictures on my various sites.

Wish me luck.

TTFN

Tuesday 13 September 2011

Orders

Im very happy now just had a phone call from my mum and I have another order quite a big one which is great I now having knitting orders to take me through to April next year.

Successful but not such a good day.

Well firstly the successful part, I managed to find my way back here to write my second blog without having to ask hubby for help.

Secondly: Not such a good day.
I have been to see the physio therepist today, I am going to be seeing a lot of them over the next year or mor as I recover from my spinal op. Any way he has basically said that I have to spend the next 2 weeks doing nothing but resting as my muscles aren't liking me very much for making them do what they are supposed to and haven't done for the last 10 years. This is going to be hard as we are in the process of packing up our house ready to move.

On the plus side though it now means I can sit and do lots of lovely knitting without feeling guilty because the house work isn't being done.

My first knitting task is to make 13 stress ball beanbugs for my craft fair as I have the bags already to go. Then I will finish off making all the lovely pairs of little shoes I have started but need buttons. This little lot should all be done by friday. Then next week I can make a start on some cocoons and blankets and a couple of little boy cardigans.

I will post pictures of the shoes and beanbugs once I have done some.

TTFN

Monday 12 September 2011

My new experience

Hello and welcome to my new blog.

This is all new to me so please bear with me.

My aim for this blog is to try and make a note of all my up's and downs or (knit one drop one) if you like with my knitting.

I have been knitting since I was a small child and have now progressed to selling some items at craft fairs and on my web page and via facebook.
10% from every sale goes to the RAF Benevolent Fund a charity very close to my heart.

I currently have 2 craft fairs lined up and both are the same weekend. The 24/25 September so I am frantically knitting away for those. However today I have lost interest; I am sick of the sight of baby shoes and I don't have enough energy in me to pick up my shawl and knit it.

I am suffering with a trapped nerve in my back and I am in pain. :(

I started my little knitting journey of Lulabella's Hand Knits at the start of the year after having an operation to fix my spine and to stop me going round the twist just sitting at home. ( I think I have managed to go slightly round the twist but thats ok it brings a little bit of fun into the day).

I have an obsession for wool I can't see a ball of the it without having to buy some and as a concequence of this I am now knee deep in it and I am considering buying a shed.

I have several orders at the moment all requiring finishing by christmas, which if you didn't know is only 15 weeks away. However these are all on hold till I have enough stock for my craft fairs.

So I think for my first post I have written enough. I will try to come back at least once a week but I have to remember how to get here first. I know my way around a knitting pattern better than a computer.

Happy knitting.