Mothers Day Brooches

Good evening to everyone, I hope you are all well. I had to share our new product as it has been so popular.

Mothers Day Brooches

As you know we sell on our website, eBay and Etsy and as i was listing the items on each platform I had a following of orders from each, which of course is fabulous. What was so great was to take a idea, run with it and hope you guys felt the love for them that we do.

So what is it about them that we love?

We love the range of colours and the choice of beads, after all it will be given as a gift to a very special lady so it HAS to be right for them and their unique style and flair.When it comes to Mothers Day I always think back to when I was a child, the gifts that were handmade were always so popular with my Mum and Nan so that is what we have tried to create, that 'handmade gift to treasure'

We have 25 variations of this brooch so check them out on our website for further information. The brooch has been featured a lot on our Facebook page so if you would like to have a look, go check us out on the tab to the right.

We hope you all have a wonderful Mothers Day and spoil that special Mum x 

Sparkle

We have been locked away doling an awful lot of wholesale making so have not been around much but we thought we would share this video of some of our work as everyone needs a little sparkle in their lives.

HOPING YOU ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND

New Bead Challenge

At Funky Needles we have a massive range of beads but we are always looking for new ideas, and who better to ask than you guys. Is there a bead that you would love to see at the end of your needles and hooks? Then tell us, we are here to listen.

Just go to either Facebook or Twitter use #mydreambead and put up a picture of the subject, for example, you love koalas, put up a photo of a koala and we will add it to those already sent and choose a favourite. Become a star in your own right and become the designer!

We are really excited to hear your ideas and cannot wait to see what you share, for quick links through to both Facebook and Twitter use our links and DON'T FORGET THE #TAG

Thinking Outside The Box

As a crafter i find it essential to keep all my accessories organised. We have taken ourselves to IKEA at Valley Park in Croydon, London to see what they have available and to look at their customer service. So let's get into STORAGE STORAGE STORAGE

To start with the staff were very friendly, knowledgeable and polite, they knew a lot about their products and were very positive about the prospect of the products being used for alternative things, such as needles, yarn and scissors.

Did you know that each product is named after certain things, for example the bookcases are all named after occupations and the desks and chairs after men's names, so next time you are looking at IKEA products and wonder about their strange names, it is all down to the founder, Ingvar Kamprad being dyslexic so names were easier to remember than product numbers.

I have chosen several products to look at, whether they are available to buy online (not all of us have an IKEA on the doorstep sadly) their price and what i think they could be used for in knitting and crochet.

1, PALLRA

£10 
22cm wide
Three levels of storage in one box makes it easy to sort and find your jewellery, make-up and other small items.

Available to buy online 
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/small-storage-organisers/storage-boxes-baskets/pallra-box-with-lid-light-pink-art-10272482/

I love this design and can imagine all my scissors, tape measures and stitch markers organised to the max, and it is pink so what's not to love?

It reminds me of a modern day sewing box so would be just as good for sewing accessories as well and at only £10 who could say no?

2, MOPPE

£10-£20

various widths dependant on size chosen

Available to buy online

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/small-storage-organisers/paper-media-organisers/moppe-mini-chest-of-drawers-birch-plywood-art-40216357/

These boxes are made from natural wood and apart from the fact that you get to super organise your all your accessories in as many different boxes as you require, you can remove the box you need and take it with you. We love the natural wood as it means that you can paint it the colour of your choice so with the artistic flair you have you can really make it your own. The large box on the right will even hold your needles so everything is where you need it.

3, IKEA PS 2014

£50

44cm

Versatile and space saving because the trays stack and form a table with storage possibilities.

Available to order online

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/tables/coffee-side-tables/ikea-ps-2014-storage-table-multicolour-art-70263998/

When i saw this in store it became the reason for writing this article in the first place. 3 levels of trays all in different colours and a tray on top, what's not to love? My friend said she didn't like the colours but i know full well you could make it work in any room. It has a stand base so its not going anywhere and also the top level is a tray itself so you can use it to either put the items you need on the top and take it with you, or use it for working on if you are on the sofa.

4, SKOGSTA

 £10
40x20x23 cm

Available to buy online 
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/small-storage-organisers/storage-boxes-baskets/skogsta-box-with-handle-acacia-art-40297966/

Perfect for storing and carrying oil, vinegar, spices, napkins or cutlery between your kitchen and dining table. Quite possibly right but I think it would make a perfect box to store my current project in, you could have it sitting by th side of your sofa or under your coffee table, and just pull it out when you want it. This box is described for the above purpose but with a little thinking out of the box it is perfect for my task, what do you think? would you use it?

5, BYHOLMA

 £6-£11

3 different sizes

The basket is hand woven and therefore has a unique look.

Available to buy online

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/small-storage-organisers/storage-boxes-baskets/byholma-basket-grey-art-40192733/

Depending on your home and how you like to organise your equipment, these boxes are perfect to store either in a cupboard or on a sideboard. The wicker is glossy and looks expensive but as you can see they are not expensive so perfect for all those little, or in the case of the largest basket, big items, show your accessories off with pride!

6, NORDRANA

£15 Hanging storage
Available to buy online
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/storage-furniture/bathroom-storage/nordrana-hanging-storage-grey-art-60288305/

£9 Set of 3 boxes
Available to buy online
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/storage-furniture/bathroom-storage/nordrana-basket-set-of-4-grey-art-10288303/

The hanging storage unit is handmade and therefore unique. I love these and have them in the office to hold just about everything. They are designed for bathrooms but the crochet like texture to them makes them a definite must for any crafter. The hanging storage is fabulous for storing circular and crochet hooks as the bags have sections in them to held keep everything under control.

7, SANDHUNG

£55

Diameter 63cm
Height 45cm

Available to buy online
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/tables/coffee-side-tables/sandhaug-tray-table-white-art-40297259/

Now we are onto baskets, gone are the days of old fashioned yarn baskets that your grandma had, this is the style. It has a solid top so you can put something on it such as a lamp that has a plug socket inside for, and inside you can store yarn, who else has yarn everywhere?

8, GUALÖV

 

£40

60cm Diameter

47cm Height

You can store everything from throws and pillows to newspapers and yarn in the basket - or let it stay empty to give an open, spacious feeling.

This must be the first storage item I have seen in IKEA that said it would be perfect to hold yarn. I must admit that looking at it I was a bit reserved as it reminded me of a fire pit, but getting over my initial views iI then looked at it with new eyes. Even if you didn't use it as a basket to store your projects in, wouldn't it look amazing with multi coloured yarns or even yarns that matched your rooms theme. When discussed on our Facebook page it came to light how amazing this would be if the yarn came out of the basket through one of the holes and it became a massive glorified yarn bowl? You could have several different colours and this would really help with intarsia and fair isle knitting. 

9, JASSA BASKET WITH LID

 These baskets are not available to order online

When i saw these baskets and lids in store apparently I shouted 'OMG look at those!'

As a person who spends their day making beaded bamboo knitting needles the sight of bamboo baskets was obviously too much for me. These baskets are not available online but retail at £15 for the basket and £9 for the lid and they are part of the Jassa range which is a new limited range from IKEA. To see more about the range see the link below. It has to be said this was the ultimate basket for me today in our search for knitting and crochet storage

http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_AA/ikea-collections/jassa/index.html

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Overall I had a really enjoyable day at IKEA in Croydon. It was extremely busy but everyone was moving at the same pace and it didn't seem to make a difference. A full day of great food, great service and fabulous storage, who could ask for more?

We really hope you have enjoyed our choices and have been inspired to re-think the way you look at your knitting and crochet storage and to think outside the box.

Why People Choose Certain Beads

Today we made 12 pairs of needles for an order. I love the idea that someone takes the time to go through our massive range of beads to make their choices. This is really import to us as the whole ethos behind our business is that people can get the 'perfect' pair of needles or hook to suit their taste and personality.



This has made me think about why people choose the beads they do, is it down to 'I like green and i like circles' we used to think so but now the thinking is going a little deeper.

I used to think that the round beads were chosen over all other shapes as they represent a regular knitting needle and a square bead didn't make them feel like it was a knitting needle but i think now that this has more to do with personality than regularity. A lot of studies have been done on this subject and i would like to share some of their findings.

Looking at an article from www.psychologytoday.com it looks at why people choose colours and they worked with a team and looked at why people chose a certain colour crayon, these are the results on colours and what they say about your personality, is this true for you?

White. People who like white are often organised and logical and don't have a great deal of clutter in their lives. 

Red. Those who love red live life to the fullest and are tenacious and determined in their endeavours. 

Blue. If blue is your favourite colour you love harmony, are reliable, sensitive and always make an effort to think of others.  You like to keep things clean and tidy and feel that stability is the most important aspect in life.

Green. Those who love the colour green are often affectionate, loyal and frank.  Green lovers are also aware of what others think of them and consider their reputation very important. 

Yellow. You enjoy learning and sharing your knowledge with others.  Finding happiness comes easy to you and others would compare you to sunshine. 

Purple. You are artistic and unique.  You have a great respect for people but at times can be arrogant.

Brown. You are a good friend and try your hardest to be reliable and dependable.  Flashy objects are not something you desire; you just want a stable life.

In respect to shapes, this is a tricky one as there are so many but we found this article in Weekly World News that covers quite a few shapes and we think that other shapes, such as hearts are a combination or more than 1 shape, see what it might say about you and let us know your comments below. it is a really interesting subject. Possibly have a look at our bead options, choose your favourite and see what it says about you.