JoJo's Doyliewood Blog

I've been busy Busy BUSY !!!!

2011-10-14T04:33:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd write quick blog .... it's been a while!!

All is good and getting busy at 'Doyliewood' and I'd like to take this opportunity to 'Thank' everyone for their support and encouragement and I hope that you all 'Love' my 'JoJo' creations as much as I do .... http://doyliewood.co.uk/

I've been busy designing and making over the last couple of months , I've been busy putting together my 'Feather Collection' http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.144102182354128.28256.100002630411738&type=3
and working on new ideas's for the 'Aggie' Look Collection too !! http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.142057812558565.27618.100002630411738&type=1

I'm also thinking about 'C' ... yes 'Christmas', Christmas deadlines and cut off's , the joys for working in a retail environment.....and it's going to be upon us before we know it !! I'm looking forward to the challenge of the pre Christmas rush , I thrive off the pressure and I'm looking forward to making garments which will be given as gifts, it makes Christmas giving something special!

Well it's back to the knitting needles know for me .....

'Staycating....'

2011-08-31T04:57:00.000-07:00

Having decided last week to have an 'Impromtu' 'Staycation' I'm finding it hard to switch off and do nothing and to leave 'Doyliewood' to rest and holiday , hence the 'blog' today .....

Working from home the lure of checking my emails and then just (dealing) with any is great .... and whilst I'm at my PC I think well I might as well check my on line shop (well I'm almost there anyway..) , then a quick visit to Twitter, although I'm not a natural tweeter I don't think... I 'get' blogging and I 'get' Facebook ... however when it comes to tweeting I'm still not sure .... and then I call in at FB and usually stay for a while, well it is so easy to do , well it's only like having a coffee and a chat with friends ......

I also can't put my knitting needles down, knitting doesn't ever stop for me, it's what identifies me... It's my passion, my hobby as well as my work and I never see it as work anyway .I also never stop looking at yarn and I'm always thinking in colour and textures and I've always got idea's jumping into my head about what my next project will be ....

So I am questioning whether 'Staycating' is really for me , maybe I need to holiday in a Wi-Fi free zone so I can't just 'log on' for a minute to check... But I will still have my knitting needle issue ... Incurable dispostion I think... JoJo was born to knit !!!!

'Just Believe....'

2011-08-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

Did she do it ??? Oh yes she did ...... http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=220253184693318&set=a.220253164693320.67735.175027745882529&type=1&theater

Nothing is impossible if we decide to put our minds to it ...... And we can achieve anything if we want too !!

A week or so ago I thought that I would not be able to knit socks, it was something new a challenge, however a week on not only have I made this lovely pair but have already taken orders for more pairs of socks already ...

Believe in yourself if you want others to believe in you ......

'Socks.....'

2011-08-07T04:18:00.000-07:00

This blog is more of an addition to Fridays Blog rather than a stand alone Blog....
Can I do it ?? Socks ... more specifically knit on 4 needles ??? Yes She Can ??? Watch this space .....

'Can I Do It .... Yes I can'.... !!!!!

2011-08-05T04:42:00.000-07:00

I believe strongly that we are all life long learners and that nothing is impossible if we decide to put our minds to it and that it is okay to ask for help if we don't know how to do something. This week I have proved this to myself in my world of craft and discovery ...
I have always been unable to do 'Blanket Stitch' either neatly or successfully, albeit having spent many hours at my Mothers and Grandmothers knee much to not only my own frustration but theirs, all attempts having been abandoned in defeat and ended in the bottom of the craft crate or at worst the bin . I have of late however desperately wanted to use this stitch as a decoration to some of the bags I am currently designing. On Tuesday I decided that I would conquer this stitch, which appears so simple and fundamental but for 30 odd years has baffled me, I got myself on Google and found diagrams and got out my fabric and threads, sat for over an hour to results which yet again ended up discarded, I felt the 'stitch' had won.
However on Wednesday whilst enjoying a cuppa and looking at my Face book feed I saw that my friend had posted a picture of a beautiful felted smart phone cover she had made (here it is ) http://www.folksy.com/items/2104689-Feelgood-smartphone-case, stitched in uniform and neat blanket stitch, so I asked her to show me how to do this stitch as neatly and as uniformly,beautifully,and successfully as she is able to do. As we live in a virtual world, she posted me a 'You Tube' link ... Why had I not thought of You Tube ....I got out my fabric and thread and after watching the link a few times and a few attempts , all of a sudden I could do it and I was away . I made Dolly my JoJo at Doyliewood Mascot in honour of conquering this life long mental block!!! click here to see her ..... https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=241926912506235&set=o.175027745882529&type=1&theater
So why had I been unable to grasp this fundamental of stitches previously , I think it was as simply that both both my Mum and Nan were left handers and they were showing me from a left hand perspective...
So a ' BIG THANK YOU' to friendship, social networking , YouTube and the Internet.... Progress is good whether it is personally or nationally , we should never stand still, we can and should continue to learn and stretch ourselves constantly .....

nk'

The 'Doyliewood' Blog....

2011-07-30T09:10:00.000-07:00

JoJo's 'Doyliewood' Blog will enable you to join me in my Knitting,Crafty and Design Endeavours ......

I will let you know about my current projects and future plans, about the yarns and fabrics I'm using and I will share with you my successes and frustrations ......

I will post at least one 'Blog' each week...

At the moment it is all systems'GO' at Doyliewood. The new website is coming along nicely at http://doyliewood.co.uk/ , so are my Folksy shop http://www.folksy.com/shops/Doyliewood and eBay http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/jojo-doyliewood . You can also 'Like' my Doyliewood Page on FB https://www.facebook.com/pages/Doyliewood/175027745882529 and become my friend on FB too https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002630411738 and I'm on Twitter too http://twitter.com/#!/JoJosTweeting ... When I've got time in between that I'm currently knitting a lovely little 'Shrug' in a Recycled Cotton Mix Yarn which is a joy to work with, I also working on my 'Aggie Bag Collection' Designs and 'iPad Covers' designs .... I'm also knitting 'Mobile Phone Covers' which will be in Wool Mix Yarns , Fully Lined and available on Folksy to buy next weekend....

So till the next blog ....