PlanetJune Craft Blog

Latest news and updates from June

moving plans

You wouldn’t believe how crazy life has been around here for the past few weeks… We had planned to leave for South Africa on March 31st, the same day we close the sale on our house. But fate had other ideas: we’ve had delays with getting our permits and now we’re not going to be able to leave for a couple more weeks.


Our house… for 2 more days

It’s been insanely stressful. I still haven’t recovered from my bronchitis (it’s been well over a month and counting), and trying to find a local pet-friendly hotel where we could stay for over 2 weeks without sending us broke was proving to be an impossible task.

But, eventually, it all worked out for the best! Our lovely buyers have agreed to rent the house back to us until we leave, and the moving company were able to postpone our shipping container, so now we can stay put for 2 more weeks, together with all our furniture and belongings. How amazing is that?! I can’t even begin to describe what a huge relief it is.

From a PlanetJune perspective, I’ve been preparing for the move by buying up yarn to take with me (thanks to everyone who’s donated to my yarn fund!) – now I just have to decide how much I can fit into my suitcase and figure out which colours I’m most likely to need for the next few months until our shipping container arrives in Cape Town… It’s not easy to choose from such a beautiful rainbow of shades:

yarn rainbow by planetjune
A small fraction of the yarn I’ve stockpiled to take with me

But our delayed move has given me a big advantage here too: I now have my photo studio for an additional 2 weeks, which is great news for my patterns. My plan is to get three or four new designs to the point of being completed and photographed while I still have the means to photograph them. Once we’ve moved, I can edit the photos and write up those patterns on my laptop, so there will be some new PlanetJune designs over the next couple of months!

amigurumi wip by planetjune
A few mystery designs in progress

Once those have been published, I’ll start working on a new batch of designs which will have to wait for publication until I have my equipment back and can buy new lamps (with South African voltage) and set up the photo studio again. It’s all a bit complicated, but at least I have a plan now, and I think it’ll work out…

* * *

A quick reminder: if you haven’t yet voted for the 2011 Crochet Awards (aka the Flamies), tomorrow’s the last day to cast your vote. You can vote for me in 3 categories, if you’re so inclined: Best Instructional/Technical Crochet Book, Best Crochet Video (Amateur) and Best Crochet Blog. I’d really appreciate your votes!

11 Comments »

  1. Cora said

    You won a Flamie for Best Amatuer Video. Congrats!

    • June said

      Woohoo, thank you! I’ve been too busy to even listen to the podcast. I’ll try to blog about the Flamies next week 🙂

  2. somnambuchatter (Grace) said

    ps, this probably wouldn’t work (through security/customs) but could you “quash up” your yarn in one of those vacuum-seal bags? (envisions poor June trying to get everything back into *something* after it’s un-vacuumed by srcurity? :o)

    pps, I’m sure you’ve looked into this; but if you need to send things here to your new, SA, home; sometimes it doesn’t cost a whole lot more to use DHL than the post to ship it; but it’ll get there sooner and you won’t wonder if it’s ever coming (still waitin’ for my friend in Scotland to get that BDay present I mailed in 2007 :*-/)

    ppps,<–lol!) about settling in… we (sadly) couldn't keep our dog w/us for 2weeks while we were moving. :*( But we boarded him with at out vet's–because we knew they were nice and trusted them–and took him out for "visits" every day for 1-3hrs; and managed to make it with little suffering on anyone's part. :*-/

    3 good things:
    1. many days he got more concentrated attention from us than he did when living in the house–LOL!?
    2. since they knew it was a longer-term stay, we asked the vet about a possible discount and they gave us the days for *half* off! (boarding = expensive! But that helped a *lot*!)
    3. he *loves* the attendants there so much we take him by to visit them every-so-often; and is happy to go there for a "play-date" or "sleepover" when we need to have him boarded once in a while now. 🙂

  3. somnambuchatter (Grace) said

    You’ll have a lot of “project work” time on the plane? (D*:] [:*D)

    Best wishes for safe travel and happiness in your new home–your “home sweet home” one; the places and people around you and your “home sweet home”; and inside the “home sweet home” of your heart. :*D

    Grace

  4. Sofie said

    Hey June,
    I’ve gotten addicted to amigurumi, since I first saw your creations. I have no id

  5. Melissa said

    Good luck, June! What a relief to keep the house a bit longer. The temporary quarters were one of the hardest parts about moving overseas and back….it’s so stressful!

    • June said

      I can imagine! We’re still going to need temporary lodging at the other end, for a couple of months at least, until our furniture etc arrives. It’s not scary, it’s just a big adventure… right?

  6. I’m so glad things are coming together nicely for you. 😀 I hope the actual move goes very smoothly.

    And, I’m so glad there will be some new designs soon. 😀

    • June said

      Thanks so much 🙂 4 designs before I leave may have been too ambitious, but I’m pretty sure I can get the first 3 ready in time – they are coming along nicely…

  7. Stacey Trock said

    Best wishes June!!!
    Make sure to take care of yourself… you certainly don’t want to be sick while moving!
    Can’t wait to see your space once you’re set up in South Africa!

    • June said

      Thank you! It’s hard to balance trying not to overdo things so I can get well with all the stuff that needs to be done before we leave, but I’m trying my best – my fellow travellers would really hate me if I coughed all the way to South Africa…

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