Goodbye...and hello!

If anyone is still out there (anyone...anyone?) just wanted to let you know that I'm picking up and moving over to Sheep Ahoy!

Thanks for following prd along, hope to see you at the new store and blog! Lots of exciting things to come!!

First custom order!!

Even though the store is closed for the season - I'm still taking custom orders and got my first one since opening the store!! Below is the hat and scarf set that was ordered. Hooray!! And, in other news, I'm hoping to re-launch the store in a couple of weeks (although I don't want summer to be over!) so keep your eyes peeled!!

What have I been doing with myself?!

When we last left our heroes...It was November and there had just been a very exciting trip to the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival.

Well, now it's May! So what's been happening in the interim? And where did the Portobello Road Design Etsy shop go?

Here are some answers....

1. Well Christmas and the holidays happened so there was a lot of non-sellable crafting including my very first afghan!!
This was followed by my very second afghan:
2. Because I don't have enough hobbies at the moment....I also took up knitting. I just couldn't help myself - all those beautiful knitted things!! And socks!!! I've always wanted to make socks! So shortly after the New Year, I marched myself into Borders and purchased the Chicks with Sticks Guide to Knitting. This is absolutely the book I would suggest for anyone looking to teach themselves this skill. The pictures and instructions are very clear and each skill is matched with at least one project so you learn the skill and then can immediately practice. Thank you Chicks with Sticks!! So here's my first ever knitted scarf!!!
You can't really tell in this photo (must work on getting better pictures of my crafts!!) but I used green and then a very thin multi colored yarn that sparkles a little bit. A friend said that it looked like Tinkerbell's scarf - I think that is a very accurate description!

3. Then, the saddest crafty thing happened - I hit a fair amount of crafter's block. I was working on my very second knitted scarf (after learning how to purl) and got about 3/4 of the way through and just couldn't make myself continue...I tried lots of things - bought some new books with fun, new projects...bought a lot of yarn in order to inspire myself to carry on...joined ravelry to meet up with fellow knitters/crocheters...found a handful of crafty blogs that I love to follow but alas! Here I am, still in my craft slump! I'm even in the middle of a belated Christmas present for my dad (who found himself with skeins and skeins of yarn in a box on Christmas morning...hilarious!) and I can't bring myself to finish that. So we're still at a standstill and I've decided to just wait it out. The urge to craft will return!!!

4. It's hot now - I'm wearing shorts! (and for those who do not know me...this is a pretty big deal. I do.not.wear.shorts.) So I made the executive decision to put the Portobello Road Design Etsy store on a summer hiatus. I have found that I wasn't setting enough time aside to really tend to the store and get it out there the way I wanted so betwen that and my crafting freeze, I decided it would take a vacation. This doesn't mean that it's gone for good though!!! It will be up and running again by the time the autum air becomes nice and crisp. Also, I'm in the process of a move so I should be all settled again by that time and I will have more time to tend to the store!

Well friends, I think that's all I have to report at the moment! Happy Crafting and I will write again soon!!

The festival?

I took a day off from everything and met a dear friend up in New York State for their annual Sheep and Wool Festival. I had never been before but I love sheep and obviously I love wool so I figured it would be a great day...and it was!

First, let me say that I went to college in that area and I feel like a piece of my heart will always be there. New York State is so gorgeous, especially in the fall and I found my drive up the Thruway to be the peaceful hour-and-a-half in a long time. The sun was out and I had some good tunes playing in my car so it was a lovely ride.

I met up with my friend at her house and we proceeded to the Duchess County Fair grounds. We went the last day but even so, the place was pretty packed. And there was so much to see! Tent after tent after tent of some of the most beautiful handspun and hand-dyed wool I have ever seen! And there was just so much of it. I have to say, it was a little overwhelming...I almost didn't know where to look first.

We spent some time wandering amongst the sheep and checking out all of the different booths. My friend bought a super cute bag and some yarn and I picked up a new hobby - hand spinning. Oy, because what I need is a new hobby... So, I got a drop spindle and some wonderfully dyed roving (with all natural dyes!) and now I'm slowly and painfully teaching myself to handspin. Yikes...I'm sure there will be posts in the future about my complete inability to handspin! At the moment, it has taken a backseat to the holiday rush - besides the etsy store, I have several events where I am selling my wares so it's all crocheting all the time at the moment.

All in all, the Sheep and Wool was a blast and I can't wait for next year!!

They're here!

Yes friends, the new fall and winter scarves are up on the etsy site! Whew, it take a surprising amount of steps to put them up there but I love etsy so it is totally worth it!

Check them out...and stay tuned for pictures from the 2008 New York State Sheep and Wool!

Mooooooooo

Still crocheting like a mad woman and just trying to get some things organized so I can get them up on the website.

I just ordered some great mini-cards from my new favorite site Moo. It's a really wonderful printing company that does all sorts of fun business cards, notecards and even stickers (which I almost gave in and bought but then I couldn't justify it...next time, next time...). Check it out and play around - you can use your own photographs or choose from a whole gallery of designer's artwork. Super fun!

Things have been so crazy but I'm hoping to get a whole new load of scarves up on etsy this week so keep your eyes peeled.

A lengthy yarn...

Friends!

I have been remiss in blogging...mostly because I've been crocheting my fingers off. Also, working the day job.

And speaking of my job, I recently got a new one which is very exciting but it will take me away from New York City, I'm afraid. And by afraid, I mean glad because I hate commuting with the fiery passion of a thousand burning suns (even though it basically forces me to either read books that I've been meaning to read or finish projects that I've been meaning to finish - it is still awful!!) The point of this story is that yesterday I stopped by the yarn store near my soon-to-be ex office - the fabulous Purl Soho - and picked up some yarn for the road.

When I first started working in this area, I had not yet had many opportunities to visit smaller, independent yarn stores so to work so close to one was really exciting. I found one of my favorite yarns, Manos Del Uruguay on my first trip into Purl and it was two skeins of this that came home with me yesterday (I can't remember exactly which purple multi color it was so I posted all three). It is a slightly chunky wool (a merino/corriedale blend) hand spun and dyed in Uruguay and it is absolutely beautiful. The other totally extravagant purchase made yesterday was something that I've had my eye on since first going to Purl - a skein of Tilli Tomas silk yarn with glass beads. It is so beautiful and delicate and I haven't the slightest idea what I'm going to do with it but I found a skein in a delicious maroon that was calling my name so that was that.

So here's the thing about yarn...when I first started crocheting, I bought all of my yarn at my local Michael's craft store. Yup. Synthetic yarn: cheap, offered in a dazzling array of colors, patterns and textures, and totally machine washable...and did I mention cheap? (oh Vanna's Choice...). I must admit that I have been struggling with the synthetic/natural yarn dilemma. Of course I want to create beautiful projects out of wonderful wools, silks, bamboos, cottons, et al but there's that voice in my brain always counting pennies. That being said, a lot has happened since I began to crochet in earnest and I have learned about many resources for cheaper natural yarns (i.e. not a super fantastic posh independent yarn stores in one of the wealthiest sections of New York City) and I also am looking to create quality pieces. Not to say that synthetic yarn isn't well made and certainly has its uses (and I have to say - the bright colors that you can get in synthetics can't be beat) but there is something about the way that natural yarn feels.
Long story short (too late!...Clue? Anyone?) look for more natural yarn in my projects!