Nearing 1st Year Anniversary

So, as the end of my first year selling items on Etsy nears, I thought it would be interesting to figure out how many different states I've sold items to. This is what I created. Not shown are my international orders to England and Canada :) I find it interesting that there are weird gaps on the East coast. Hopefully next year the map will be covered!

Black Friday.

Tomorrow is the beloved Thanksgiving. I will be spending it with my family in the gorgeous Vermont. Unfortunately, all I can think about is Black Friday. Outside of my crochet life, I support myself by being a retail wench. I work as a cashier at an American chain that always has sales going on and rhymes with "holes". I loathe my job's focus on promoting a credit card with a 21.9% interest rate and luring customers back with marketing strategies.

I am working Black Friday.

And I am scared...mostly because of this ridiculousness:

This level of consumerism is terrifying.

Finger Crochet

So, I had a brief chat with the lovely Neen of NeenCrochet on Skype recently. She mentioned she was finger crocheting a blanket. That totally blew my mind. In concept, it makes total sense. So, how did this not cross my mind before? Is it as difficult as I thought? Apparently not! I found oodles of YouTube videos which teach how to do it. What appeals to me is that since it works on a large scale, a blanket can be done in a few days. I'm thinking of loading up on some Red Heart yarn and making a pretty blanket in blues and greens....That is when things settle down in Etsy land! Orders have been fairly steady, off line and on line, which is great. Anyway, here are some videos I thought were super helpful and demystified it all for me

Keeping Inventory

Today I took a moment to organize my stash and was astonished when I found yarn I forgot I had. My friend Allison recently gave me her entire collection of yarn. There's some super soft alpaca/silk yarn I need to figure out what I'm going to do with. Moreover, I discovered projects I started and almost finished. I found a baby sea turtle without fins and a GLaDOS potato without connections. I also found my first attempt at mittens (which don't quite match in size). I think I might have to do a giveaway/contest at some point. When do you know your stash has grown too large?

WIP:
I'm working on my first baby owl hat in preparation for winter. I'm also working on finishing the projects I just found!

Recently finished:
Flying mint bunny and a custom order for The Knight from The Binding of Issac, a super creepy but cool video game.

Exciting news:
I sent off my second ever international sale to England!

Hello Internet!

Sorry for the lack of posting. I started a new job as a retail wench. School has been keeping me busy as well. I bought some more yarn today (that I probably don't need)...But hey! I can never get enough of that lovely sapphire blue (or as I call it: Tardis blue) that Lion's Brand Vanna's Choice produces. I also bought some lovely shades of green to play with. What yarn have you bought recently? How are you all?

Crochet for a Cause II- Finished Hats for Reed's Relief

Wedding Bells- Cold Shoulder Capelet

So, my best friend is getting married next month! I can't believe how quickly time is passing by. Today, a fellow bridesmaid and I went to have our dresses fitted. They look quite stunning. Although the wedding is in June, and it's likely to be hot, I'm making myself a capelet just in case. I bought some lovely mohair at a yarn shop long ago with the intention on making the one I saw in my beloved copy of Happy Hooker. I'm happy to say that the yarn was made locally, just about an hour away :D It's my first time using mohair. I have to say...it's taking some getting used to!


Here's a picture of the capelet finished by Black Dove:

Hopefully mine will look as good!

Crochet for a Cause & Mother's Day

So, my first charity project hasn't ended up being for the American Cancer Society (still a work in progress). However! It is for a cause that is of great importance to me and my family.

In one of my online communities, someone posted up the need for crochet goods from bags to blankets for Reed's Relief. Their mission statement:

Reed’s Relief provides comfort and diversion to children admitted into intensive care, and to their loving family members. While providing financial assistance through the distribution of goods and services to families of children found in the NICU, PICU, or pediatrics unit, Reed’s Relief brings awareness and education to the general public.

My mom lost a few would-be older siblings before I was born. When I was born, I was three months early. My mom recounts how she wasn't able to hold me and how she would get up painfully early to go to the hospital every morning until I was able to come home. I caused quite a panic. It's easy for me to tell how difficult it must have been for her. My mom kept the hat I came home in. It's basically a rag with a string tied round one end.

So! I'm crocheting a few lovely baby hats and a blanket (my first!) for Reed's Relief. I'll show you my work when it's done. I'm pretty excited to see how the blanket comes out.

In the mean time, crafters, you should check out Reed's Relief!

I finished up a pair of plushes for Mother's Day. Check them out:

Do you have any plans for a Mother's Day project?

5 Crochet Items that made me go WTF?

Forward: I have no intention to be mean or have fun at a creator's expense. If someone can explain to me a valid point to these items, I will gladly listen. I tend towards the functional, so frivolous things tend to confuse me.

1: The Apple Cozy.

Around Christmas time, I almost bought a Tupperware Banana Guard as a joke Yankee swap gift. I can totally see the function, albeit easy to make dirty jokes about "guarding your banana"  and it's obvious phallic shape. (I have some goofy friends, what can I do?) Smashed bruised bananas are no good. However, the apple is quite a sturdy fruit. It needs no protection. I can't see myself packing a lunch and tossing in an apple and thinking "Oh wait! It needs a sweater!". Some apple cozies are pretty cute- and maybe I can see the function of having one with some sort of character for a child. Otherwise, I don't get this one at all.

2. Gloveless Fingers or "Glingers"

Alright, I first saw these on Regretsy. I had a good giggle from it. It surprised me to see a few seriously being marketed on Etsy for warmth while typing, texting, knitting ect. Pretty silly.

3. The Crochet Dog "Necklace"

This puppy doesn't look happy. Poor thing. I know some people LOVE LOVE their pets to the point of buying items like this, but personally, I can't help but feel sorry for the animal. This includes doggy costumes at Halloween. Sure it's cute for a photo op, but I can't imagine what it feels like from the animal's perspective.

4. The Crochet Bikini

Now, I should clarify, when done properly (no peep holes and tight stitching), some crochet bikinis can be cute. I'm very modest when hitting the beach. The idea of a bikini is completely lost to me personally but it works for other people. For the most part, crochet doesn't lend to proper coverage. Also, ladies, I know I like a little breast support when swimming. I can't imagine something like this being practical for any average built woman.

5. Toilet Paper Cozy

.....WHY?! Yes, it's cute. And hey! There's obviously a roll out and available if you run out of paper at a friend's house. I just don't understand going out of your way to decorate toilet paper.

Cold Pack Cover: Discovery of the Mesh Stitch

I don't think I've pulled and redesigned a project so many times as this one! In the end, my good old copy of The Happy Hooker (from Stitch and Bitch fame) pulled through for me. I used the mesh stitch as shown in the example and finally, the cover transferred the proper amount of cold. I had previously made one of single stitch (pulled it) and then hedge stitch (and pulled it all again). Sure, it looked pretty, but it didn't function. I had no idea that using mesh stitch would make the project go so much quicker. It was fun! And, if nobody buys it, I know I need it! I have knees like a granny!

Dafodill

April Showers bring May Flowers.

But I think I appreciate the April flowers most. Tulips are coming up in the front yard. Crocuses paint up browned yards. Daffodils are poking through dead leaves. Daffodils remind me of my grandmother, which at this point yields both a smile and some tears. Some years ago, she passed away from cancer. My grandmother was an avid gardener. While my grandfather hasn't kept up her garden like she used to, the daffodils still emerge as if nothing has changed. This year my dad did some fund raising on behalf of the American Cancer Society. I'm so proud of him for that.

I think I'd like to do some sort of fund raiser as well. I'm thinking about making a clutch purse with a daffodil on it. What do you all think? Has anyone had experience selling an item for charity or a fund raiser before?

Video Blog: My Crochet Story

So, I made my first video blog ever. I am super camera shy usually, so this is certainly something. Much thanks to Neen for posting her video. I've followed her for awhile on YouTube and was inspired to finally make a video because of her crochet story.

Well..here we go!

Cutie Sweets

I just finished up a trade with the lovely Gina Smith of Cutie Sweets. I met her on DeviantArt when I posted up my No Face plush. Some back story first!

By nature I am a clutter bug. I pridefully call it "organized chaos" but it is pretty much clutter. When I craft, my desk becomes an explosion of embroidery thread, needles, glue, yarn bits, felt and all sorts of tools. I recently cleaned up, and I still have half of a crochet robot, balls of scrap yarn, a pattern or two, and a couple chocolate wrappers. I'm attempting to remedy my habits. John playfully picks on me because I'm the same way in the kitchen. I should be "working clean".

This winter my crochet needle case fell apart. I had been using the plastic monstrosity they came in since I got them as a gift two years ago. My mother has the same set that she bought in the 70's. Boye's needles are still wonderful but the quality of their packaging has suffered over the years. Instead of a nice box, the flimsy plastic gave way to wear. I finally had an excuse to look into something nice for myself on Etsy. Sadly, all the creations I found didn't seem to fit me right. The fabric was either mallard ducks or bursts of pink girly flowers. Too small or much too complicated. I pretty much gave up and started using a storage Ziploc.

When Gina and I's mutual love of Miyazaki brought us together, I couldn't help but suggest an art trade. She was open to making a case, something she had never done before. I think she must have gotten in to my head somehow because she chose the most perfect fabric, buttons and ribbon. I didn't mind fussing over No Face's tiny felt features because I was so excited to see what she would come up with.

It arrived on Friday. Reaction photos as follows:

The case is beautiful and large enough to hold not only my crochet needles, but stitch markers, scissors (both sewing and embroidery), sewing and embroidery needles. With room to spare! Gina also popped in a cute little surprise of a H hook. It was like Christmas morning, my dear readers.

While clearly deft with a sewing machine, Gina makes the most adorable food accessories. Shes sells bags, home goods, key chains, and electronic covers. Here is a sample of her latest work:

Toasty Trio!

I encourage you all to check out her Etsy shop!

Over all, my first art trade was awesome. I can't thank Gina enough! I have another in the works for a project bag in exchange for two dragons. I hope it goes as wonderfully as this has :) If you would like to do an art trade with me, feel free to contact me!

Geek Crochet

Project ideas:
Pokemon Diamond Female trainer hat and scarf
Deku Scrub
Tardis case
Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland
Alice the rabbit
Holy hand grenade

Beautiful Soup

Foremost, welcome to my blog!

I used to write a regular column for the Examiner on literature/books/grammar, but left my post after much frustration with their payment policies. What rubbish sense is it to pay by number of views but not allow state based authors to write about current events or news (which obviously harbors the most interest)?

This blog-iverse  may be named after my tiny crafting business, but I plan on writing about more than yarn and crocheting. I anticipate book and movie reviews, rambling about gardening, geekery, current events, and my random escapades.

Today, I am going to talk about soup. Beautiful soup. This topic is mostly inspired by the awful case of the flu I'm dealing with, although there is another source.

That is to say, I adore Alice in Wonderland. I actually never had the chance to read about her adventures in Wonderland or Through the Looking Glass studying English as an undergrad. The first time I heard these tales, my boyfriend and I were driving to Maine. The audio book was read by a British fellow with a terribly gentle voice with a posh accent. We chose this book after seeing Tim Burton's version in theaters. Admittedly, we were both frustrated with the whole 3D concept. I think we both were feeling that remorse of not reading the original content before watching the movie as well.

While Tim Burton took a bit of a creative romp with the original story and had quite the cast, I don't think I'll ever like it nearly as much as I love the made for TV movie version I saw as a kid. I was 13 at the time. Staying up late for a three hour movie special was still kind of a big deal. I'm almost positive there was enormous bowl of popcorn involved. I probably fell asleep near the end because my parents ended up taping part of it.

I was oblivious of the star filled cast and to the accuracy to the books. I'm a huge Sir Ben Kingsley fan and now it fills me with joy to see him as the caterpillar. I didn't realize that Jim Henson Studios was involved. I could not take amusement in the subtle quirks that I can notice now. I did not realize that Gene Wilder sings my absolutely favorite scene in the film. While there are darker implications in the book as to the fate of the turtle, I still adore the griffin and the mock turtle.

This brings me to the title of my first blog entry and what I originally wanted to share with you all: