Bonsai knitting!

After finishing an aran jumper which took me much longer than it should've done, I decided on a complete change and treated myself to four gorgeous glove patterns by the talented Dagmar Mora, based in Edinburgh. And most gorgeous of all (IMO) are the Wraparound Gloves, which I've started to knit, using some 2.5mm Brittany needles and a couple of balls of Cygnet Truly Wool Rich 4 ply.

They're coming along swimmingly but how different does 4 ply feel when you're used to aran? And how much like cocktail sticks do tiny 2.5mm dpns feel when you're used to chunky straights?

The first pair (otherwise known as my practice pair)is for me, then I thought I'd knit the basic gloves with two or three alternative wraparounds for Christmas presents.

What's on your needles at the moment?

Smoothie time...

For the last week of the sale we're adding one or two new lines and first up is Patons Smoothie. This is, unusually for Three Bags Full, 100% acrylic but pretty classy and a lovely yarn for spring and summer. We've been selling 100g balls for £2.35 each, which is/was 10p a ball below rrp.

However, because of local circumstances, I'm going to sell the remaining stock at £1.95 a ball. This is absolutely the cheapest I've seen Smoothie, locally, on the internet and even on ebay! Grab it while you can!

Essentially Cotton

Another new, lovely yarn from Cygnet: this time, it's Essentially Cotton, which is 60% cotton and 40% acrylic. The colours are muted and beautiful (more muted and beautiful than they appear in the photograph - roll on summer when I can take photos outside without flash).

The Piece Hall's not closing!!

Just a quickie to let you know that, contrary to what many people seem to think, The Piece Hall is not closing. What has closed is the open air Piece Hall market which, for the last...well, as long as I've been here anyway...has had maybe three stalls, tops. So far it's just the Saturday market that's closed but I think the Thursday one is due to follow shortly.

But the shops are still here, ready to welcome you and sell you their gorgeous goodies. And the Visitor Centre and Art Gallery with its helpful staff are here too. Plus (this is turning into another advert...) we're just round the corner from Square Chapel Arts Centre and just yards from Eureka! Children's Museum.

And as an aside, if anyone has an idea for a fledgling business - particularly one which doesn't need a dedicated water supply - or if you just need a small space where you can install a computer so you can work in relative peace and quiet, or if you want to try out the market for a small shop, like I did - you could do worse than getting in touch with the Piece Hall management team. Because the facilities are fairly basic and most of the units quite small, rents are more affordable than in, say, the town centre. Go on,give it a try!

Sale! Again!

Okay, here are one or two pictures to whet your appetite for the sale yarns. I'll be adding more wools as January progresses, but for now here's just a taster of what's available:







That's Patons Diploma Gold at the top, Patons 100% cotton in the middle and, lastly, Mirasol K'Acha. (Sorry, that last photo's rubbish, isn't it?) Lots more in store, as they say!

Look for the orange stickers...

Well, okay, they're not actually stickers, but they do indicate the items on sale in our first Three Bags Full winter sale. Reductions of 20% to 30% on a selection of yarns including some really gorgeous Mirasol. Interested? Come along before the end of Jnauary and grab some bargains. You could buy all your yarn for your Christmas 2011 knitting...

Will try and post some pictures to whet your appetite further...

Who knew?

So, I've been advertising for weeks that over the Christmas period I'd be opening on the 31st Dec and the 1st Jan...but, guess what? - the Piece Hall closes on 1st Jan! I trundled down there as usual, flask in hand, to be met by those beautiful, ornate gates in all their glory, well and truly shutting us out.

I understand about staff wanting the odd Bank Holiday off, really I do, but y'know, a heads up would've been nice...

Anyway, if anyone comes down to the shop today, I'm really sorry. And fed up. The only upside is it allows me lots of unexpected knitting time. Every cloud, I suppose...