Bad back, Social media and Latest jumper

Goodness, what a week... I closely resemble a mobile coffee table at the moment. No idea, how or why, but my back decided to give up on Monday. I am trying to be patient, because it will get better, I will get back up the steep stairs to my shed loft workshop, and sewing will reconvene before I know it :)

In the meantime... I am shuffling around the house / or doing small stretches of crochet on the latest jumper which is based on the popular traditional hexagon jumper where everything is worked from the underarm. I haven't made one in this design for years. Im using all the loveliest tweedy woodland colours I could find. Its going to be a beauty! This is alongside the blueberries Tilda. I like having a few on the go at a time. 

On the footwear front - Soling a big batch of boots is in progress so its going to be about 2 maybe 3 weeks till I can pop those in the shop. Incredibly excited to see those lasted, polished and be-ribboned.

If anyone is waiting / or wanting to know when shop updates happen as well as diary entries, please do pop back and look for updates on the homepage (this is the most sure-fire way to see latest stock as Im notoriously useless at sticking to newsletters, mainly because Im reluctant to bombard your inboxes).

Why the newsletter and not instagram? Simply because I am struggling to find even an ounce of joy in using social media anymore. In fact I find it increasingly alarming at how it is shaping and influencing society. I know we get fed all this endless twaddle about how vital social media engagement is for visibility and small businesses in general, but goodness me, at what price?! And more pertinently, does it really matter or even help? I question if it gives as much as it takes.

I have a busy life, I make things and do literally everything for Fairysteps, I help run another business which, again keeps me busy, I have a husband with an endless appetite (being a farmers boy basically means he is a stomach on legs 😂), I cook everything from scratch which I love doing, I have 3 children, grown up now but still very much part of my days, and I was recently lucky enough to become a grandmother, hopefully the first of many many more. Like many of us, life is busy.

Plus, on Top of All This there's all the jabberings about 'algorithms'... do my social media posts even reach anyone? I probably have as much luck of a new purse being seen by a customer / follower, as going down the woods and burying it on the off chance that someone may dig it up.

Wasn't that a deliciously rebellious little speech. I bet I'm not alone though! I reckon if many of you asked the same question of yourselves you would reach the same conclusion - social media takes away time and energy you probably never really had. Despite nearly Every Single account on instagram telling you that you do in fact have time, you're just not organised, or your house is cluttered, or painted the wrong colour, and your tops not tucked into your skirt correctly... and on and on. But we all look regardless. Such is life.

I don't blame the internet, its a wonderful tool and I am so grateful for it, life changing for small rural businesses like mine. I wonder, what do you feel about social media? Do leave a comment if you fancy having a rant. I shall no doubt return to it after a few days, as I always do, but will try to keep the diary posts going.

In other news - drought here, usual nonsense, spring drying up, trees dying, grass like walking on cornflakes and soil has turned to cocoa powder. No rain forecast alas, fingers crossed we will get a good drop soon. Sadly my plum crop has given up and decided to either drop the fruit or ripen as teeny plums which are all stone. Thank goodness I removed so many branches from all the trees a few months back. I reckon I took over 500 plums off of one Victoria in particular, if I hadnt I think I would have lost her for certain.

Well, thats all my dears, on we go, Ren x