Giveaway Results! +++ My New Plan.

OK - I've done my random number generator, and it has chosen…. Dragon Knits as recipient of my bag. Dragon Knits (says she solemnly), You Are The Chosen One, and I will be emailing you to ask for your address. I hope you like it! Thanks ever so much everyone for entering and for all your lovely comments, it's nice to see local shops and markets are alive and strong all over the world. I've chosen Patricia as the lucky ( ;-) ) recipient of my extra surprise, because she came in under the wire there and amused me with her Dr Dolittle comment while I was waiting for the man to come and fit the new washer-dryer (don't ask. On the one hand at least I have a reliable washer again, and on the other it's too big and I can't open the cutlery drawer. Partner is walking about with an invisible sign over his head that says 'You Did Not Measure And Now I Do Not Trust You To Organise The New Fireplace.'). Patricia, I shall be sending you my new solid fragrance which is a rather sexy blend of frangipani and lime and other things, but I will check about allergies when I message you to ask for your address, because I don't want Anaphylaxis to result from a Giveaway. That would go entirely against the spirit of the thing. Well thank you again, everyone, I enjoyed that and I will certainly do it again! I do hope my winners enjoy their stuff.

And now to my other plan. As you know, I think the path to happiness lies in making as much as you can yourself, and what you can't make, buying from somewhere independent. I say this because (without sounding too naff), as soon as I began to create things myself, even mad woolly garter stitch squares, it changed me; I felt more involved with the production process, and then I began to question all sorts of things I wasn't questioning before. So for me, the creative process was more than an interesting journey; it was transformative. And, no doubt it is for others! So, tomorrow (and no pressure, first interviewee ;-) ), I'm starting a series of interviews on Fridays. I'm going to talk to a range of people – people who are creating things, people who are fighting back against mass production with their independent shops, people whose work I admire and people I want you to know about. I think I might learn things. (Indeed I've learned something already because I had to google to understand my first interviewee's answers. I've also learned that I 'seem to think I'm John Humphries.' I can assure you I do not.)

OK. Back down to earth and off to see if I can do anything to the cutlery drawer with a hacksaw. (Here's some unsolicited life advice: never live in a house that needs fixing up if you are no good at organising house improvements and you live with a Medieval Latinist. One of you needs to be practical).