Monday - carpet; Tuesday - desks; Wednesday - internet ....

... and so on. The move has been made, and we have an office set up as well as the studio.

Wednesday night saw the hanging of art work in the entrance hallway, and much tidying up.

On Thursday we opened an exhibition we are hosting for the next week, "Art at the HeART of Wellbeing".

Many of the artists were present, and since then several other visitors have trickled in to view the work.

We followed up the exhibition private view with an opening event for the Art Room from 14.00 - 19.00. Many people we know dropped by to see the new studio.

This hasn't left much time for knitting or crochet. I finished off knitting a sample of handspun and instantly gave it away to a friend, so no pics there.

Yesterday I was out in the garden trying to tame some of the geraniums, and came across these other flowers, some of which were a complete surprise. We have plenty of grasses scattered wherever they feel like growing:We have no memory of planting gladioli, so this was unexpected. It is really a magenta/purple colour. My phone has given it a much bluer tinge, and I was too lazy to go into the house to fetch a camera..

I haven't looked this up in gardening books, so can't tell what it is. I know that I planted it about 3 years ago, it disappeared, and has now decided to make its presence known.This hollyhock comes from seed given to us by Sylvi from her garden in the Czech Republic.

Art Room move

I've been a bit quiet here for the past while, and all because we have been moving the Art Room to a new venue.

We have been in business now for a little over 3 years, and our rate of expansion has been phenomenal.

When we moved into larger premises in 2007/8, we knew that it was only until July of this year.

It gave us a chance to work on a larger scale, and that proved to work well for us.

The decision as to where we would be after our lease ran out has weighed heavily on us.

It has been a bit of a cliffhanger, as our preferred premises were not available when we had expected them to be.

We only found out late last Wednesday that we could move in this last weekend.

We had to be out of our premises by yesterday morning.

So we didn't have to do a two-way move via temporary storage.

Now we are moved, and frantically trying to set up for next Monday when we will reopen to the public.

The builders also had no access until this week, so we will be working alongside them.

The good news is that our new landlords walked through with the builders yesterday, and the builders wasted no time, and started this morning.

We have long days ahead of us to get everything in place.

We won't have a telephone line in until Thursday.

So in some ways it has been quiet, as unless people know our mobile numbers we cannot be contacted.

I have been too tired to think much about the Secret Pal 14 exchange, which just started.

I am looking forward to taking part, having missed out on the last couple of exchanges.

But please bear with me for a few days until we are sorted out at the studio.

I did manage some spinning last week when very much stressed.

Some of it was sampling a fantastic alpaca silk mix in "Think Pink" that I bought from Krafty Koala at the end of UK Ravelry Day in Coventry.

I have also started on spinning some fibres bought from Skein Queen at about the same time.

This may be a long term project, and just possibly the recipient may read this, so no more hints.

And now a reminder that I do knit sometimes. Here is a quick snap taken with my mobile phone one evening when fetching the washing in (hence the bluish colour). Ian had hung a load of my socks together, making a burst of colour.

This is one view from bed early in the morning, which may inspire some wire or porcelain - fine spider tracery highlighted by sunlight.

And the little bit of wire knitting I did on my way over to Coventry for UK Ravelry Day - purple wire with gold thread, worn pinned through a piece of porcelain I had fashioned, but that broke in firing. Now (when I get time) I need to make some porcelain with larger holes so that I can pin things on more easily.

Secret pal 14 questionnaire

1. What is/are your favourite yarn/s to knit with? What fibres do you absolutely *not* like?

I love fine yarns in wool, silk, linen and other natural fibres. I prefer lace weight or sock yarns, nothing thicker.

I love to knit with fine wire too.

I do not like angora and artificial fibres e.g. acrylic.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
They are mostly in old cardboard tubes that had held Scotch whisky bottles.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I could knit from before I went to school.

In some areas I am advanced, a beginner in others.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

Yes, but it isn't public.

5. What's your favourite scent?

Natural scents such as rosemary.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favourite candy?

I love very dark chocolate at least 70%.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I spin some of the fine yarn that I knit and crochet with.

I also work in porcelain, making some beads and buttons that get incorporated into knitting/crochet .

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I have very wide ranging tastes in music, but predominantly modern jazz and world music.

9. What's your favourite colour(s)? Any colours you just can't stand?

Purples, reds and other vibrant colours.

I also love small amounts of the acid greens and gold's that enhance my purples.

I don't have much time for pale/pastel colours or yellows/peaches.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

There are just three adults here. We have plenty of frogs in the garden (especially after rainfall) but no pets.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Scarves yes, as I cycle to work daily. Gloves or mittens too, but hats only when it is bitterly cold as they mess my curls up, and don't fir well with hearing aids.

Ponchos - never.

12. What is/are your favourite item/s to knit?
Small items such as socks, pieces of jewellery whether of wire or wool

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13. What are you knitting right now?

Some mittens, sampling for a cardigan and crocheting freeform scarves.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Yes, any time.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminium, plastic?

Circular and double ended, never conventional straights. Ebony or stainless steel from choice.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Yes, two of each and two ball winders, not to mention 4 niddy noddys of different sizes.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

I couldn't say, but I love the sampling at the beginning of a project.

18. What is your favourite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe?

Spending time with others in an interesting location no matter what time of year.

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Sequins and small beads to incorporate in my work and into sewing.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

I'd love to try the Sea wool sock yarns. I'd be interested to have some casein double pointed needles too. At the moment I subscribe to Yarn Forward, Inside Crochet and The Knitter.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

Not at the moment, I am more likely to be inventing them.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

Yes, size 39 feet.

23. When is your birthday?
June 12th

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?

Quitecontrary