Okay, so it's still May!   We had a great time at the Hippodrome in Eyemouth during the last few days and hope to do the same again later this year - but we will be giving you a little more notice next time.
And now, here are a few dates when we are out and about over the next month.
Thursday 31st May we are at The Crossman Hall on Holy Island.  The St Abbs Market team are popping up throughout June, depending on tide times, it is a very beautiful place to visit and there's so much to do when you get there.
Fridays 1st June & 15th June the regular  St Abbs Market in the Ebba Centre, St Abbs between 10am and 4pm.  With a host of other crafters and food producers.  All the birds are now nesting on the cliffs around St Abbs Head, dolphins and whales are moving north and seen regularly from the village itself!  
Back to Holy Island for Sunday 3rd, Monday 4th & Tuesday 5th June, so plenty time to catch up with everyone.  We are dependent upon tide times for getting across the causeway so please do check the  tide times here for safe crossing times.  
Also on Holy Island the weekend of the 16th, 17th & 18th June.  Again our opening times depend on the tide, so check on the link above to make sure you don't get caught out.
My favourite jaunt of the year away from home is Woolfest, Cumbria on Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd June.  A cornucopia of wonderful  woolly stuff on show for two days at the Auction Mart in Cockermouth.  With music and cafes, workshops and demos included it is a feast for the eyes.  See you there?

Short notice I know, but Skybluepink Designs are attending this fab event, taking place over the bank holiday weekend in Eyemouth.  There are lots of other things happening too - a Mini rally at Gunsgreen House, a visit from a very beautiful cruise ship, the Silver Cloud, music and comedy at the Hippodrome too.  Then there's ice cream, coffee, a walk on the beach, around the harbour... see you there!

I might have said in a previous post that we are taking it a little bit easier this year - we won't be going to all the big shows.  We are limiting ourselves to Woolfest in Cumbria (June), the St Abbs Wool Festivals in Eyemouth (November and April), the Alnmouth Wool Festival (September) and the Kendal Wool Gathering (October).  Other than that, we are sticking to local events and a bit more time in the garden.  
In view of this, we have launched a new "web shop" where you can buy fibres, yarns, super coils and all manner of other things.  Updates to stock will be happening over the next couple of weeks, then as and when I get round to more spinning etc.  Please take a look and see what you think.  Feedback welcome!  
We welcome visitors to come and see us at home, but please get in touch before setting off to make sure we will be here.  Please note, we are closed on Thursday and Sunday.
The Facebook page is a little slow, but I will get used to more regular posting.

Fridays 4th & 18th May 10am to 4pm the St Abbs Market in the Ebba Centre, St Abbs.  With a host of other crafters and food producers.  A great place to visit.  What more can I say?
Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th May we are at The Crossman Hall on Holy Island.  The St Abbs Market team are popping up throughout the year, depending on tide times, but the full list of dates is available here - I shall be at all of them.  A very beautiful place to visit and there's so much to do when you get there.
Monday 28th & Tuesday 29th May at the Hippodrome, Eyemouth for a pop-up event - more details to follow.... 

As always, starting off with diary dates, then any other news.

Saturday 7th April 10am to 4pm is the now world famous St Abbs Wool Festival in Eyemouth.  Seriously, we have visitors coming from far and wide, including the USA and all points UK!  Visitors in the past have come from France, Spain and Belgium too, so "bien venue a tous"!

A quiet time for us then until the  Friday 20th April when we are once more back at the St Abbs Market in the lovely village of St Abbs.  I'll be there on the first and third Fridays of the month until November so drop in, have a lovely walk, get some great food and a treat or two from our crafty & creative stall holders.  So every Friday 10am to 4pm in the Ebba Centre, St Abbs.

Another new regular event will be at the Crossman Hall on Holy Island or Lindisfarne as it is also known.  The St Abbs Market team are popping up throughout the year, depending on tide times, but the full list of dates is available here and I shall be at all of them after the 20th April.  Another beautiful place to visit and so much to do when you get there.  

I shall be posting news on my Facebook page too, just up today is a new pattern I've designed using my handspun yarns, so pop over and take a look.  You can also see it on my Ravelry page too.  The pattern is available as part of a kit which includes hand spun yarn, pattern and circular bamboo knitting needle.  Just contact me using the contact form here if you want to purchase a kit.  You will need a yarn which is between 220 and 250 metres per 100 grams to make it.

I've just gone through the process of creating a Facebook page for Skybluepink Designs - please pop over and if you'd like to like it or follow it, that would be great.  I'll be updating there and here more regularly I think...
Also, I've put more new yarns here on my Handspun Yarns page, so please drop by and take a peek at them! 
... and a couple of dates for spring - 4th March at Springwood Hall in Kelso for the BOG Potato and green fair day.  
Away up to the Highlands for the Dornoch Fibre Fest on the 10th & 11th March, with a Shetland Sheep day on the 9th.  Always a lovely show.
Then the following Thursday it's off to Edinburgh for the Edinburgh Yarn Festival for three lovely days of complete woolly madness and mayhem.  That's from the 15th to the 17th March at the Corn Exchange, Edinburgh.  So excited!!

So, another year starts and I've been very busy spinning yarns for showing at the Edinburgh Yarn Festival in March.  i've created a new page here with my latest hand spun yarns - just a few for now - the photographic process is ongoing and with over 300 skeins to capture, that takes a bit of doing!  Updates will be frequent so please keep coming back to see what's new - meanwhile, here's a taster of what's on offer.
I'll be adding some diary dates soon too...

After a really fantastic St Abbs Wool Festival on Saturday, I've drawn breath, had a couple of days off and now it's back on the road for... 

Some dates where I'll be out and about - all squeezed into November!

Tomorrow, Friday 10th November  I'll be taking a table at the St Abbs Market in the Ebba Centre, St Abbs, between 10am and 3pm - winter opening hours now!  We have a bright but breezy forecast tomorrow, so come and see who's there, grab a cuppa in the new Ebba Bistro and watch the waves whipping up over the sea wall around the harbour.  What could be better?

Sunday 12th November a pop-up market on Lindisfarne/Holy Island in the village hall between about 1pm and 4pm - check the tide table for safe crossing times!   Once again the forecast is dry and bright, so have a  bracing walk around the island, see the young gannets diving (amazing sight), follow the willow sculpture trail by local artist Anna Turnbull and have a great cup of coffee in Pilgrim's Coffee House.

Saturday and Sunday 18th & 19th November is the Melrose Crafters Art & Design Fair in Springwood Hall, Kelso with lots of really talented crafty stalls - all hand made.

Only a few days now and we will be ready to welcome everyone to the St Abbs Wool Festival in the Eyemouth Community Centre in Eyemouth.  So much to see and do when you get there!  If you've been following our Facebook page you will have seen images from all of our exhibitors and lots of sheep too!
Here's a link to the page.
We are having a fleece sale at the event and I just wanted to post here what's available, so if you don't do Facebook you won't miss out!
Firstly, we are very lucky indeed, to have, for our fleece sale this year, a number of hogg/shearling fleeces from the Etal flock of Hebridean sheep - photos below. The Etal Hebridean sheep are a long established flock, dating back to the 1970’s when the breed were considered to be rare. Their initial purpose was not only to look attractive but also to be used as ‘lawnmowers’ for small and awkward patches of grass such as those near to river banks and ditches. The ewes are remarkably trouble free when they lamb.
To the details then: these fleeces are very very black, with just a little bleaching on the tips, a staple length of up to 7 inches, no kemp hairs to speak of and about a kilo in weight, priced at £12. Suitable for hand spinning, felting, peg loom weaving, etc. If you'd like to get your hands on one of these beautiful fleeces, you can email us to reserve one - or more - and collect it at the St Abbs Wool Festival in Eyemouth on the 4th November."
Here's a link to the Estate! https://www.facebook.com/fordandetal/
And secondly, for all you spinners, felters and free form weavers (and anyone else!) who love working from fleeces we will also have the following varied few available to buy at the St Abbs Wool Festival in Eyemouth next Saturday! There will be: North Country Cheviot, Black Welsh Mountain, Bowmont, (Bowmont/Shetland roving), Shetland, Ryeland shearling, British Texel, (Shetland roving) and Llewyn x - and probably one or two more! Jean Bennett will be hosting the fleece stall and she has an amazing wealth of knowledge about what to look for in a fleece and how to prepare and select for spinning, so do go and see her! If you'd like to reserve any of the fleeces (we sold everything before lunchtime last year!), then please message us here!

After a wonderful wool festival in Alnmouth last weekend, autumn finds us travelling again!  Staying closer to home with just a couple of forays out of Scotland before the end of the season.  So here are a few dates for your diaries if you'd like to catch me out and about.
As usual, if you click on the coloured text you will go to the websites/facebook pages with more information about each event.

Friday 15th September at St Abbs Market in the Ebba Centre between 10am and 4pm, along with lots of other local food and craft producers - you really never know who's going to be there!  Drop in for a cuppa at the cafe too.

Sunday 17th September  an impromptu gathering and de-stash sale organised by the Lowick Quilters in the Village Hall at Lowick.  A chance to pick up a great deal.  

Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th September it's Yarndale time!!!  At the Auction Mart in Skipton - a veritable cornucopia of all things yarnie.

Friday 6th October  back at the Ebba Centre for the St Abbs Market.

Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th October on Lindisfarne in the new village hall - check the tide times here for safe crossing on the causeway and see you there!  It's beautiful.

Friday 20th October  the regular weekly market at the Ebba Centre in St Abbs.

Our final trip south of the border is for the Kendal Wool Gathering on the weekend of the ​Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th October.  In a new venue and all beautifully lit and easy to park!

Then on ​Saturday 4th November it's the St Abbs Wool Festival in Eyemouth at the Community Centre.  We are really looking forward's to this one!  Lots of organising to do, but lovely to be on home turf.

Saturday November 18th & Sunday November 19th is the Melrose Crafters Xmas Fair at Springwood Hall, Kelso.  For all the best in hand made goodies, and a great cafe come along and do the gift shopping all in one place.  For arts and crafts - be it paintings, photos, wooden items, woolly items (that'll be me then!) or jewellery, locally produced quality food - chocolates, fudges & jams to name a few.  See you there!

​

At the risk of repeating myself, here is where I'll be in August and early September.  As usual, click on the coloured text to go to external websites for more information.

Coming up this weekend, starting Saturday 12th August, through until Monday 14th August I'll be at the Village Hall on Lindisfarne for a pop-up market with the St Abbs Market folk.  Times the market vary due to the tide  - as the island is cut off from the mainland at high tide - so check the tide tables here for safe crossing times!  The market will be open when the causeway is!   We had a lovely time when we were there a fortnight ago, so please come along and see what we have to offer!

Friday 18th August is the regular St Abbs Market in the Ebba Centre at St Abbs between 10am and 4pm.

Saturday 19th August sees Skybluepink Designs split between two venues!  
I am excited about being invited to the Selvedge Fair in the Dovecot Tapestry Studios in Edinburgh with all my beautiful hand spun yarns, accessories made from them, my supercoil necklaces, hand woven scarves, throws and rugs, felted vessels, and drop spindle spinning kits - a new line and a lot of fun!  Above is a lovely gallery of some new things I'll be taking along!  So that's where I'll be between 11am and 5pm, so come along and see all the beautiful things in the Studios, have a cuppa in the cafe and perhaps take something home from me or one of the other exhibitors!
Steve will be taking the spinning fibres, buttons, needles and notions to the Broughton Gathering in Broughton Village Hall between 10am and 4pm. 

On Monday the 28th August we are at the Glendale Show near Wooler for a fab agricultural day as part of the Sheeptales display in the Countryside Tent showing all the wonderful things you can do with wool!

Friday 1st September is the regular St Abbs Market in the Ebba Centre at St Abbs between 10am and 4pm.

Saturday 9th September sees us at the Alnmouth Wool Festival in the Hindmarsh Hall in Alnmouth, organised by the Sheeptales group.