In less than two months' time we will be running around doing last minute Christmas Shopping. Seriously. At least we know where the time went this year – we spent it in lockdown. If you are like me, browsing stores just does not feel right, so maybe we should be looking at making Christmas handmade this year.  The greatest hand knit - because it's quick and everyone needs a pair - is socks. So, welcome to Socktober! If you start now, you should get a few pairs finished before Christmas Eve! See more under Socktober.
 

I have been playing nicely with a tutorial for the SA Craft Magazine Christmas edition, which will be out beginning of December with lots of crafts you can make to decorate your Christmas table, and to gift. I so wish I could host my annual Christmas décor workshops, but I am not ready to do big workshops and socials just yet. On Wednesday I welcomed my regular Wednesday group back to the deck. Just for two hours, all sanitized and protocols followed. It was so nice to have a little bit of normal, even though we did not do much crochet or knitting, I do believe it was inspiring to chat colours and projects again.

I am still not importing at the rate I usually do. I have been focusing on suppliers that can confirm goods are produced in European countries, in order to offset the lower customs rates on those goods with the extra high air freight costs and exchange rates. I have also shifted a lot of my focus to local yarns, because I believe we have such great yarns, and we should be building and supporting South African businesses – keeping people employed in South Africa should be our priority.

Four local initiatives are the Local is Lekker boxes, the Granny Stripe kits, the new Messy Bun Snood kits and the local Royal Garden Crochet- along. More about those below.

The past month has felt like the longest and the hardest of the 6 months of lockdown. I think it is because a lot of people have 'used up their nice'. I am finding it increasingly difficult to keep a smile on my face during the day.  I keep reminding myself the wonderful peeps far outweigh the not so wonderful, but it still makes me miserable, and I battle much more to shift that misery these days. That's when I tend to cast on many items, so you can measure my sanity level by how many items I cast on trying to find my happy!

If I “forget” you it's very likely I haven’t forgotten, but that I have just been so busy I haven’t gotten around to your request yet. It could also mean you sent me a message on social media, or via WhatsApp and not on email and then I lose the message and you fall by the wayside! Please email me, if I don’t reply within a week  (not an hour!!) then send me a reminder. You are important to me! Please know that I am but one person on this team. The other members are not great at email. (Cats, you know...) Emails I can print and stick in a to do pile., which often gets seen to on a Tuesday afternoon or Friday morning. So, if you feel like you have used up the last of your nice, try to take a minute to find some more. We need to all be more understanding, and not less. It seems that so many of us are going through a tough time right now, and you are not alone.

By supporting the Local is Lekker initiative, you not only support Be Inspired, you also support the yarn producer, the print shop that does my printing, the designer who puts together my artwork, and the local company who makes the boxes. The Adele's Mohair box has several delicious luxurious skeins, as well as a 'LEKKER' fridge magnet from local creatives SKWE with a discount voucher (the discount code has been extended to the end of October) - another fabulous South African small business. I have started a granny square with my cowgirlblues and Adele's Mohair Local is Lekker boxes, and with a skein of cowgirlblues Sweet Dreams sock weight which I will repeat throughout. The linen mix of Adele's is my current favourite and I am planning a future knit in that yarn. The boxes are a great way to sample different local yarns, without having to buy full skeins. Click the pic below to grab your box.

In another wonderful collaboration, the next Local is Lekker box will be a natural dye kit. Dye your own speckle yarn kit with instruction by Rita Trafford. Rita resides in Stellenbosch where she spends her days foraging for plant matter, and dyeing yarns and silk textiles to create beautiful things. This box will be special, and will slowly introduce you to the world of natural plant dyes. We should be launching it at the end of October, beginning of November so keep your eyes peeled. Rita also has a feature in Issue 3 of SA Craft Magazine.

We have started our crochet along and have our first zoom get together scheduled for this Saturday. If you still want to join in you are welcome - the kits are available in local cotton - Vinnis Nikkim or the African Expressions Freedom yarn which is a wool blend. The kits come with a colour chart, a colouring page to get to grips with your colour placement, a blooming beautiful postcard and a substitution journal page to attach your yarn samples to. The zoom sessions will inspire, motivate and help us through any obstacles.
I have made a total of one tile (I think there are 16 to do in October - I might have to pay someone in yarn to finish mine for me!)

The rope bowls, beautifully made by a mother and daughter team, have flown out of the shop. They are perfect for holding projects, as yarn bowls, as decor items, or maybe, as someone suggested for proofing sour dough loaves (I don't bake so I can't guarantee that one)

Another Local is Lekker initiative - supporting local artists, something that is very close to my heart, coming from a family of artists - my late mother and father both made art to sell, my brother and sister-in-law paint murals and create other artworks. These rope bowls are functional art, and a delight to run your hands and eyes over. Click on the photo below to order your bowl.

ColourSpun cottons have been added to the shop shelves and the website and as the coming months, more colours and stacks and ombre delights will be added. Dana is also working on some stripey merino sock yarn for us. The array of colours on offer is astounding, and I am in love with the colour combinations. I cannot wait to have those stacks in the shop. It makes choosing combos so much easier when the thinking has been done for you!

Have you seen my sock tutorial in Issue 3 of SA Craft magazine? Some of you are awaiting the needles from HiyaHiya (good news is they are in Durban and I have tonight paid the customs and VAT so they should be delivered by Monday). If you would like to knit along on Zoom (socks for beginners), then get yourself a copy of the magazine (click pic below) and then once the needles arrive I will offer a needle and yarn kit less 10% which will include the code to enter the Socktober Zoom. We will work through the process over a few Zoom sessions, starting cuff down to the waste yarn for the afterthought heel, putting in the toe and then the heel. 

Also know as The Most Beautiful Book in The World Ever. The end. Just look at the photos. 52 patterns. 256 pages, a hard, linen -type cover with a ribbon. Pure Magic. 6 copies left. And then no more. Yes you can buy it online from overseas, It's around 40 Euros, and then delivery will be over R300 - It's heavy, and you want it to arrive within 52 weeks. So you may think it's expensive, but I have just covered my costs. Consider it a community service. To the growing community of sock knitters. You are welcome :)

I am still dedicating Mondays and Thursdays to packing online orders. I start early so that I can get queries dealt with and then get orders packed before the courier comes.

If you pay and send me a payment proof BY EMAIL before 11am on Monday or Thursday I can generally get those dealt with and packed up. Orders after 12 noon will then go out with the next batch on the next courier day.

If you need to add something then do a new order and state PLEASE ADD TO XYZ but please note this needs to be done prior to 8am of the Monday or Thursday packing day. If not sure then email me and see if you can add. Once packed and sealed it is difficult to add because I choose a courier bag that is snug for your goods, because that’s safer, and the bags are addressed, sealed and not reuseable. 
 

Please email to book an appointment. Appointments are for those who need help choosing yarns, and are unable to do so online. Or if you need advice about what needles to use, or project to do. Tuesday and Wednesday slots are available.  To make these work best for you, in other words to get the most benefit, please let me know when you email roughly what you need. I may not have something, or I may need to order for you. It's always better if I am prepared for you. Appointments are on the deck – no access to the house (I have asthmatic peeps)  and I will bring the yarn outside for you. Also limited to two people per party so don’t bring the whole family.

Please note that from 1st October I will no longer be accepting returns on yarns and accessories (unless faulty) because you have left over from a project or have changed your mind. It plays havoc with my stock and ordering system not to mention the admin, and the quarantine I place your returns into for two weeks.

Please rather donate your left over yarn to charity or put in your stash (we all now know the importance of a good stash)

The only time returns are truly justified is if bought online and you got the colour totally wrong – they should then be returned within a week, or at least let me know so that we can plan an exchange. Returns will then be credited or exchanged.

And finally, just to let you know that the Granny Stripe yarn packs are back in stock and the Messy Bun Snood Kits will be loaded next week! And now I am going to leave you with a peek into the state of my mind. The more cast on's = the more happy I am trying to find. I have also been losing my sense of Nice these past few weeks.

I hope you find inspiration, and your own happy :) be it though knitting, crochet, writing, drawing or baking. I firmly believe in the therapy of creating. May you create something beautiful this month and I hope to see you on Socktober Zoom, or on the deck for an appointment. Or drop me an email with your project pics, or click like on facebook, or post a tag on instagram! 

Lots of Happy, and Nice,
Chantal
(Buddy, Molly, Grinch, Gandalf and Gimli)