Hallo folks,

Here we still are in this Covid 19 world, still under lockdown, and still at the mercy of a stupid, clever virus.

Luckily we can help ourselves by keeping our hands busy, which is why so many of us have been baking, painting, crafting, gardening, etc. Its amazing what simple yet involved creation can do to improve our mental health. That being said, it has been hard to concentrate on even the simplest knitting for a while; I am only now emerging from my cocoon to restart projects or contemplate new ones.

Because lockdown has continued for a few weeks now, it is becoming normal to take more care, to stay at home, and make new everyday routines, With this in mind, I would like to encourage you all to rediscover those calming comforting crafts. Don’t feel you have to try something new; not all our brains are ready for such a challenge right now. Maybe if you used to crochet as a child, try it again. Look up a video of basic stitches and give it a go - all you have to lose is a bit of time, and lets face it, time is what we have much of just now.

Perhaps you used to paint or draw - pick up a pencil, find a blank sheet and get doodling.

As a knitter and crocheter I am delighted that so many yarns are available to order online, so that we can self-isolate while keeping busy. There are some great yarns out there, and some great companies. And not forgetting a shout out to posties and delivery drivers everywhere - THANK YOU!

I would like to ask that you also remember the small shops in this crisis - we want to continue to thrive in our communities, and want to stay open for you, our lovely customers and friends. The more help you can give us by ordering online or giving us a phone or message to place an order, the more we are able to survive so that we can get back to where we want to be - as centres for yarny goodness. And that makes everyone feel better :)

Wishing you all health and peace in these troubled times, and I hope to catch up with you all soon,

Kathleen x

Hi Fanklers,

I’m writing this from the dining table which is covered in papers and knitting, with my daughter across from me, behind the laptop screen, trying to do her S1 History class from home. My hubby is in the office working remotely. Never has there been a time when we are more reliant on electricity and internet accessibility!

This is a trying time for anyone with a business, and I’m finding this a whole new experience, as I only opened my shop in Prestwick last August (2019). My goal for my first year was to break even - this has been abandoned for now; how on earth could we know that this international emergency would put the kibosh on everyone’s future plans? My main focus is to try to remain viable, and try to persist as a community asset. I have already built up a number of regular customers and we have a wee community here which has been meeting up for a Sunday afternoon, until recently.

So with that in mind, I am dipping my toe in the online wool world. It is very much a learning process, as the older I get, the harder I find it to try and cram new knowledge into my wool-filled skull (especially when the knowledge is tedious admin website stuff and not lovely new knittery stuff).

Bear with me, and I’ll try to keep my mistakes to a minimum.

Feel free to comment on, improve, constructively criticize and share my efforts to get lovely yarn out to the lovely knitters and crocheters of Scotland.

Cheers.