Confessions of a Yarn Shop Owner: Bobbin Ballet, Yarn Temptation & 50,000 Followers!

A quieter week. Allegedly.

After last week’s bingo and birthday excitement, this week has been a little more slow-paced. A chance to catch my breath, have a coffee and enjoy a perfectly sensible, uneventful few days.

Well. That was the theory.

In practice, there have been dancing ladies, more yarn temptation, some absolutely glorious customer makes and a Sunday morning that ended with me declaring myself an influencer. As you do.

Confession one: I’m looking forward to the borders

I’m on week three of the Stylecraft 12 Days of Christmas CAL, designed by Helen Smith of Emkatcrochet, and I’m making mine in Stylecraft Special DK. We’re into seven swans a-swimming, eight maids a-milking and nine ladies dancing. If I couldn’t remember the rhyme before, I certainly will by the time I’ve crocheted the evidence.

This is NOT a casually-sit-in-front-of-the-telly project for me. I’m at the table with the pattern in front of me and all my bobbins spread out, giving the whole affair the concentration it apparently requires. The television can entertain itself. I have a small yarn-based production to supervise.

Nine ladies dancing? Lovely. Nine bobbins dancing around one another? Less lovely. Nobody has asked Madonna to choreograph this, but sometimes it feels as though we’re rehearsing a full tour.

Madonna has her backing dancers. I have Kim.

Thankfully, I’m not on this Christmas CAL journey alone. I have Kim, my lovely Stylecraft rep, who gets a WhatsApp message every time I finish a square. Every. Single. Square. Some people send holiday snaps. I send evidence that another small gathering of bobbins has been successfully negotiated.

Madonna has her backing dancers. I have Kim. Different production budgets, equally essential support. Kim, thank you for being on this festive adventure with me. You may not have auditioned for the role of Chief Square Correspondent, but here we are.

A little Traditional inspiration from Becca

And Becca from Crafty Bee, @craftybee_yarnshopuk on Instagram, is making the same CAL in the Traditional colourway. I’m working in Joyful, so pop over and see her version of the blanket too. It’s lovely to follow the same design taking shape in a different palette. Same festive cast, different costumes!

And here comes the confession: I’m secretly looking forward to doing the borders. Yes, the BORDERS. I never thought I’d be sitting here dreaming of the bit around the edge, but apparently that’s who I am now. A man with festive ambition and a deep longing for a slightly less complicated row.

Fancy joining the adventure? There’s a Joyful CAL pack and a Traditional CAL pack. Helen gets the design credit. I’ll take responsibility for the dramatic commentary.

Confession two: temptation was extremely squishy

I would love to tell you I have been terribly restrained around new yarn. That I looked, admired and walked away like a sensible yarn-shop owner with excellent self-control.

Unfortunately, that would be fiction.

We have some lovely new squishy yarns on the way from James C. Brett, a new yarn supplier for us here at Over The Hook. Temptation got the better of me, and frankly I don’t think anybody reading this is in a position to judge.

I’ll share the ranges and all the lovely details when they arrive. For now, consider this your advance warning: more things to squeeze are incoming. I’m calling it stock buying. Please respect my very professional terminology.

Neville: a jumper with his own stamp on it

Our lovely Neville has finished a beautiful jumper in Stylecraft DK, using the wheat stitch from Anna Nikipirowicz.

The jumper pattern itself? Neville made that up himself. Let’s not skip over that little detail. He took the stitch inspiration and created his own jumper design, which deserves a proper round of applause.

Neville, what a wonderful achievement. A stitch you love, your own ideas and a whole jumper to show for it. Meanwhile, I’m still supervising my bobbins as though they’re on a school trip.

Charlotte’s blanket: beautiful stitches, an even lovelier reason

Charlotte has finished a stunning baby blanket in Stylecraft DK, Claret and Cream, using a pattern from Seacliffe Cottage Designs that she found on Instagram.

Charlotte makes these blankets for her friend who fosters babies. Behind all those stitches is such a thoughtful reason for making, and that deserves celebrating just as much as the finished blanket.

This one has gone down a Christmas storm on our socials. It’s been shared around and even featured on the designer’s page! Quite right too.

Charlotte, you deserve a little recognition. Actually, scrap that: a LOT of recognition. Beautiful work, such kindness and a lovely reminder of what our making community is all about. Well done!

Shelagh’s baby sets: little works of art

And then there are Shelagh’s gorgeous knitted baby sets: hats, booties, cardigans and blankets. Honestly, works of art.

There’s something especially lovely about seeing all those little pieces together as a set. A whole tiny wardrobe and a blanket, made with so much care. Enough to make you stop what you’re doing and have another look.

Shelagh, they are beautiful. Thank you for sharing your makes with us and giving us another reason to celebrate the talent around this shop.

The BIG confession: 50,000 Facebook followers!

I got up on Sunday morning to a flurry of new followers, and suddenly our Facebook page had passed 50,000 followers.

FIFTY. THOUSAND.

I’m sorry, but that requires a moment. Possibly a sit-down. Definitely a coffee.

Adie is officially an influencer! Self-appointed, obviously. I haven’t received a sash, a certificate or instructions on how to point meaningfully at things yet, but I assume they’re in the post.

All joking aside, thank you. Whether you’ve followed us for ages or have only just found our little corner of the yarn world, I’m so pleased you’re here. Every share, comment and bit of encouragement helps bring more people into this lovely community.

And it feels rather fitting that, in a week when I’ve been celebrating our customers’ beautiful work, so many more people have joined us to see it. This isn’t just about me talking to a camera or getting overexcited about a ball of yarn. It’s about the people, the makes, the kindness and the stories we get to share.

Same Adie, slightly larger audience

So much for a quiet week. I’m still at the table with my bobbins, still being tempted by yarn and still enormously proud of the wonderful things you all make.

If you’ve finished something, please show us. You never know who you might inspire, and I do love an excuse to make a fuss of you.

Right. Back to the dancing ladies. Apparently, being an influencer does not mean somebody else sorts out your colour changes.

Love, Adie x