The year has spun by and Christmas is not too far away. This next week will be spent by all of us at Woolybutt going to various Trade presentations and looking at the yarns that will be available for next winter. It is fun but a surprisingly hectic time of year and it is exciting to see what is on offer for the New Year. Orders are then placed and the wait begins as the first orders don’t arrive in the shop until March. In the meantime there are still lots of delicious yarns to chose from at the Shop. I’m sorry if you have tried to place orders through the on-line shop lately as we are still experiencing website problems. If you would like to order something from the website please write down the number and description and phone the Shop directly on 03 9458 3101 during business hours (10 until 5 Monday to Friday and 10 until 1 on Saturdays). Alternatively email me at lorraine@woolybutt.com.au. I’m not sure when these problems will be fixed but I will let you know as soon as we’re operational again and many thanks for your patience. Now is the time to seriously start thinking about Christmas gifts and Woolybutt has lots of bits and pieces that would make unique gifts. There are lovely sock knitting kits complete with needles, instructions and high quality German sock wool. Sock blockers, yarn winders, silly sheep mugs, handkerchiefs, cute tape measures as well as lots and lots of gorgeous yarn and scrumptious books for great inspiration! Current Projects: I’m afraid I’m one of those knitters who gets distracted easily and that has happened lately. Little projects get in the way of major ones and I can only admire those people who say “No, I’m going to be strong and finish what I’m doing first”. I find that impossible, there are so many great things out there and so little time. I knitted a scarf for my granddaughter in Crofter (she requested it, describing exactly what she wanted right down to how long it had to be), and she was very pleased with it. She is about to leave on a big holiday with her parents to Europe and it is getting rather cold there now so it suddenly occurred to me that I should knit her a matching hat. Two days later I gave her a matching earflap hat. She liked it but didn’t try it on (she’s not really a “hat person”) so I only hope it fits. It was a good pattern but it had ‘twisted’ ties at the bottom of the flaps. I don’t like twisted ties, making them is an aggravation and if not tied really tightly they often untwist, so instead I made plaited ties which hang nicer and are less likely to unravel. All this activity means that I have only just gotten back to my Sirdar Stripes jumper which hopefully will be finished soon and will be in the Shop before Christmas. Well, happy knitting until next month! Lorraine