Wild Magic Yarns Blog

 I realise I've been avoiding social media again, especially YouTube, and I thought I would explain why.  My first reason is that I've just been really ill, and seeing everyone living normal lives, and being part of the yarn community that I can't be a part of, is so hard to deal with.  Secondly, I know I will waffle about my health if I film anything for YouTube, so I thought rather than bore people there, I'll do a quick update here, and maybe it will motivate me to film a vlog.  Pet Tax Basically, since I changed GP, everything has been moving at a much faster pace. I have achieved more in a month with the new GP than I have in 20 years with my old one. So far, I have had a LOT of blood taken, and I am waiting for the results. I have had my medication changed, which was terrifying, and that has been a process of two months - tapering down the dosage of my old meds, switching to the new one, then gradually increasing the dose. It has not been an easy process, I fee...

 I've just watched a video by The Corner of Craft, and oh my gosh, it really hit home. If you're interested in the costs of making hand dyed yarn, go and have a watch. Anyway, I thought I'd write out a list of everything I do when I dye yarn, as it's actually quite enlightening when you realise how much there is to it. It's just a list, nothing more, but as you can see, it's a lot of steps. This is why hand dyed yarn costs a lot to buy, and that cost isn't really enough. Plan colourways  Create social media graphics  Post on social media about colourways List colourways in online shop Receive orders Add orders to order spreadsheet  Count yarn needed for orders Order yarn from supplier  Check dye stock and order more if necessary  Order supplies needed for extras (currently stitch markers, sweets, stickers and wax melts)  Receive yarn order and store  Put table together  **Fill bucket with water and add citric acid  Individually unpack ea...

 It's been a while, hasn't it? I'll explain why. It's silly but I'll explain. Two things have been putting me off both blogging and vlogging. Two things that don't really matter, but to my brain, they have been causing avoidance and sadness. The first one is how I look at the moment. I have very low self esteem as it is, but because I've put on so much weight, have been so ill, have rosacea, and keep having allergic reactions to everything, I've been feeling really nervous of being on camera. It's rubbish because I know people don't really care what I look like, especially Yarny people, but it really gets to me. The second one. Craftsnark. I was recently told about a Reddit called Craftsnark. I don't use Reddit, but I thought I'd have a look, because the subject being discussed (an AI generated image winning a yarn show competition) was one I was interested in. I fell down a bit of a rabbit hole, clicking on various posts and reading some...

 I wasn't sure about doing my first advents this year, with everything that's happening with my health, but an Instagram poll of "100% you should do them!" convinced me.  My theme has been brewing for over a year. A Nostalgic Christmas. The ones we remember from our childhood, when everything was so magical. Special Christmas memories we may have shared.  I looked at some old photographs of me at Christmas in the 80s (yes, that is me looking like a angel. Looks can be deceiving!) and was immediately taken back to visits to Father Christmas in his grotto, that first peek of the pile of presents on Christmas morning, feeling the weight of a full stocking on the end of the bed, and checking to see if the mince pie and carrot you left out had been eaten.  I found a photo of my Mum at Christmas in the 60s, and noticed the similarities. A picture by the tree, shiny tinsel, the look of excitement and anticipation. I wanted to recreate that feeling in an advent.  Paper ...

 This is a bit of a funny one, but also goes towards explaining why I've been feeling like I have. Health issues aside, I have been feeling extremely disheartened by reading so much hate on social media.  As a disabled person, unfortunately I am used to reading hateful comments about people like me. How we are frauds, scroungers, benefit cheats, lazy, faking, blah blah. Add in the stuff about how we apparently get free houses, free cars, loads of money etc, and it all becomes a bit much. It has been worse recently due to the announcement of potential changes to PIP payments, and all the bigots have come out of the woodwork to spew their bile.  It's quite hard to read so much hate, directed at people like me. Especially when you're feeling rotten, confined to bed and wishing desperately you could be normal. All I want to do is work, make something of my business, dye yarn and cover my bills, but apparently I am lazy. I've always worked. I have achieved so much in my educ...

 It's been a while, and for that, I am sorry. I started this year launching Wild Magic Yarns full time, with so many ideas and aspirations, and have gradually got more and more ill, rendering me almost completely useless. Not the new business experience I was imagining.  I am keeping up with monthly yarn clubs, which I am very proud of, and couldn't have done it without the help of my (now 17 year old!) son, who has been an absolute star with the physical side of soaking, rinsing, drying and twisting yarn.  What I haven't been able to do is dye anything extra. I have two collections planned that I've just been unable to dye, and it is so very frustrating. I'll get there, eventually, but I want to do them now! Being so ill has also meant that I've not been vlogging or podcasting, which I also had plans for this year. I am really missing YouTube and I have been completely avoiding it for months, so I've missed my favourite people's podcasts. I thought avoi...

 It's been a little while, hasn't it? I am still really poorly, and I have had two visits to hospital over the last couple of weeks, for Nuclear Medicine Scans, which were interesting. I had to have radioactive stuff inside me, so that the scan could trace it! It was a very uncomfortable experience, but both scans are done and I am waiting for my results.  The hospital is over an hour away, so while we were there, we took advantage of the downtime and visited some of the local shops. One of them was a homeware shop, and it had these cute Highland Cows! They were so expensive though, for something so tiny. I'm thinking of trying to make some myself, but using hand-spun yarn. I might even have a go at whittling the horns and nose. What do you think? I also got myself a "hospital treat". I use heat quite a lot to help with my pain, and I've always wanted a "Warmies" plush, so here is Popcorn the Pink Dinosaur! Isn't she cute? She does help with my p...