Free shipping just died

 I nearly fell off my chair when I read through the new Royal Mail postage costs.

Let me explain it in numbers.

I sell a vintage pattern for £2.25 that should include P&P. So for each sold pattern I receive £1.66. Yes, eBay charges me £0.59 in fees. If I list on those 80% fees reduced days of course I get more.

Postage use to be £1.15

cardboard backed envelope £0.25

A4 punched pockets £0.04

Total £1.44

I earn 22p per pattern. Yippee! (sarcasm)

If I carried on selling patterns for £2.25

It'll work out as a loss of £0.18

I will have no choice but to reduce the pattern price and charge P&P instead.

I'm sorry, but I want to make some money. I know I will not be a millionaire one day selling vintage patterns but I don't want to make a loss either.

Yarn Packs on eBay

 If you are in the UK and are looking for some Attic24 and other Stylectaft yarn packs then please head over to my eBay shop. Just use the link at the top.

The price is what you pay for at Wool Warehouse and you get free shipping as well.

I have atm 6 yarn packs listed, five are Stylecraft and one Bluprint.

Attic24 - Sweet Pea CAL (Stylecraft Yarn Pack) £31.50

Stylecraft 2016 CAL - Carousel Blanket (Yarn Pack) £36.99

Janie Crow - Eastern Jewels Blanket (Stylecraft Yarn Pack) £38.50

Attic24 - Dune Blanket (Stylecraft Yarn Pack)   £31.50

Attic24 - Woodland Blanket CAL (Stylecraft Yarn Pack)  £31.50

Bluprint Pulsing Prism Afghan Crochet Kit   £49.50

I am doing a massive stash reduction and will list more yarn, either as singles or as bulk.

So keep an eye out. It might take me a while to list everything but I have about 6 massive bags of yarn waiting to be listed and there will be even more.

Cable Raglan Sweater

 I saw this pattern during a Debbie Bliss promotion and I had the urge to knit it.

Thankfully I had suitable yarn lying around so I didn't have to splash out.

I knitted it with Paintbox Wool Blend Worsted.

Now, when I ready through the pattern and looked at the measurements and the amount of stitches I was supposed to cast on, I looked rather puzzled. Or flabbergasted. The first thing I said was bloody hell, this is a tent. 😱 I mean, I like my sweaters a little loose but not like that.

I cast on the size I first thought I was going to knit. I help up what I cast on and nope! Size down, nope, size down, still nope. Another size down and OK that looks about right. 2 weeks later I was finished and put it on the first time and it fits perfectly. Still a little loose but certainly not a tent.

Interlaken Pullover

 I had this pattern planned with a different yarn but it didn't work. The yarn was too slippery and the twisted stitches became all tiny and I had ladders on both sides. 

I still had some WYS Aire Valley Essential DK, funny enough grey as the pattern, so I tried that and it worked perfectly. I even had more left over than expected.

Big shout to Anne Hanson for creating this great sweater and the well written pattern. I really enjoyed making it. You can buy it from Ravelry.

PS: It looks a bit wonky because I haven't blocked it yet.