Colour me Happy!

Some of you will know that I'm a graphic designer as well as an indie dyer... So it won't surprise you when I tell you that sketching has always been very important to me.... It's my 'me time' My dad is a lithographic printer so some would say that being 'arty farty' is in the genes ;)

I was very much in need of a destress, what with our sons chronic illnesses, looking after the other two smalls, running the business, trying not to forget my better half in the process.... Stress was overflowing! So I started to doodle.... And would you believe my doodles involved yarn!!! Must be a subconscious thing lol ;) I had grabbed a sketch book (one of many) and a derwent graphic pen and I doodled... I thought of nothing in particular, I just let the images come out!

This was image one! Look balls of yarn!


I continued to doodle, sharing my images on our Facebook page FTLOY and the response was amazing! I hadn't given much thought to how these images would be viewed because they were for me, they served no other purpose than to help me to relax. However being a massive adult colouring book fan it didn't take long for my mind to wonder to how I could create a yarn related book... Who would even want such a thing? I thought, I was of course naive to thing nobody would because let's face it anything about YARN and we are all hooked right? Lol!

So the excitement grew and I was loving being able to have a "real" guilt free reason to sketch... That's another thing about FTLOY, it's little old me who does 90% of the work. Yes I have an amazing hubby who I couldn't cope without who does his best to help, and I have an assistant who is worth her weight in gold but when it comes to business decisions, dyeing yarn, making hooks, making notions, packing orders, updating the shop, answering emails, networking..... The list could go on and on.... That's all me! On my tod! So I find it a real struggle to switch off, I rarely take an actual day off, and if I'm doing something that isn't business related I feel ridiculously guilty! Like I should be working... To give you an idea I am writing this blog post from my iPad while sitting in my baby daughters room singing twinkle twinkle while she refuses to sleep! (Yes the concept of not working is somewhat lost on me) So the sketching and the colouring book designs are my guilty pleasure, I'm working but it's my me time... Win win ;) .... And yes I know this an unhealthy work life balance and I promise I'm trying to improve ;)

During this lovely creative process about mid way through the book I'd say, our son took a turn for the worse and we ended up being admitted for a week (he has PSC, UC and AIH... Which will mean nothing to most but it makes him a very poorly Wee man at times, but that is a post for another day) ... The reason I tell you this is because these sketches saved my sanity! At 3am when your watching endless beeping monitors and constantly checking your sons temp the distraction was very much needed.

Our wee trooper being brave!


So the sketches are growing in numbers and I'm having a ball drawing yarn/fibre/crochet/knit related images... I could actually do it all day! Here are some more:




The book is very close to being finished so I'm going to be opening up a discounted pre-order list for those lovely followers who have been such an amazing source of endless support ;) so if you want to be in with a chance of bagging a discounted copy then make sure to follow the action over on the Facebook page FTLOY

I'll leave that here for now, I could genuinely go on about this for days! I'm so so excited about this, not only is it my guilty pleasure but it also holds such an emotional attachment for me so I can't wait to share it with you all, and who knows I might soon offer up prints and other arty farty concoctions soon too so watch this space.
Bye for now and Happy hooking xx