I am actually sticking to something!

Not that I am not a woman of my word, but I am actually stocking my store today! Woo Hoo!

Now if anything sells, that is a totally different subject. But hey .. it's all good. I am quite proud of myself for kicking it into gear and stocking this much.

We have our bizarro stocking at the end of the week for Necessitae and I made a few things for that. I have one more to make, which will be done today I believe so I can get my previews up by tomorrow. THAT is bizarro in and of itself .. for me to be done two whole days early!

And then I will move on to the next Necessitae stocking. I am actually enjoying making things to stock. I love it. And I love making things that my kids will use and will love if they don't sell.

All right ... back to the IRL job. It awaits.

Have fun! Make it count.

New light box, new creatures

My first official "light box" made from white foam board. I know, I know Heather ... not the most professionally lighted picture, but hey ... it ain't too shabby.

The little creatures are from Planet June on Etsy ... her Mini Fuzzies Woodland Creatures. So cute and so easy to make up. I will be adding a hedgehog to the trio tomorrow sometime. These are for my stocking on Tuesday.

I have to make the second leg warmer, and make the drawstring for a pair of pants. Then I think I will call it quits for this stocking, and focus on what I am making for the Necessitae stocking at the end of the week. I have a few ideas in mind, so we shall see how those materialize.

Cupcake

Here's a cupcake I made up tonight for the winner of the chat/stocking game for our last stocking at Necessitae.

She asked for personality .... hope she likes this cake's personality.

Stocking on Tuesday

Not only have I held myself accountable to my stocking buddy, Kim but I am now holding myself accountable to ... ummm .. Heather. And anyone else who reads this sorry blog.

So Tuesday at 2, I will be stocking some things. I have to make the drawstring for a pair of pants, and then I have to enlist the hubby to help me make a light box and get some lighting for it so I can get good pics this weekend and get everything listed.

The bead I was going to sew in the middle of a flower on a purse i made will not happen because it is too large and I don't like it. I want something glittery and fun, so I think I might look for a button instead.

Tonight the tides will turn, and I will become the mother of a 4Her and not be one myself (not like I was one last year). But this year is # 1's first year in 4H and I can't wait. I can't wait to see what she wants to sign up for. And this group sounds wonderful, assigning mentors to the younger kids to give them encouragement and help when they need it.

I was going to see if she wanted to take a knitting project. Then I remembered ... she doesn't know how. This is when it all comes down to what it was like at my house during project selection time:

Me: Mom .. can I take sewing THIS year, please?

Mom (eye twitching): Hey .... you know what I completely forgot to tell you? Since you did so well in school today, I'm buying you a hamster.

Me: But Sissy already has three.

Mom: I know! Don't you want one for yourself.

Me: I guess so.

Mom: Great. Let's go get one. Oh yeah and hey ... did you know you can take hamsters as a project in 4H. Wouldn't THAT be fun?

Me: YEAH!!!!

Mom: Great ... grab your coat.

Me: Can I name him Lucifer?

Mom: Honey, as long as his name isn't Singer, I don't care.

What DID I do this weekend?

Ever have one of those weekends where you just don't remember what you did?

I had one of those.

I remember working the IRL job. I also remember spending time with my inlaws. I remember doing kid things, and going to church.

But I don't remember any knitting time.

And that bums me out. Totally.

I need to get in touch with my 80s roots. I think I might have an 80s movie stocking theme. I was thinking of starting off my stocking with The Reservoir Dogs with Mr. Orange because it seemed like all I was going was making orange things.

Then I decided against that because it is really a nasty movie when you think about it.

So sometime I will re-open my store. I need to advertise. I was going to re-open this week and I think I still will. I have a pair of shorts done and am finishing up a pair of pants. But I would like to have more for it.

So therein lies my quandry: not knitting this weekend has really thrown me for a loop.

And I have a sick kid at home today, complaining of feeling yucky, sore throat, and carrying a lowgrade. Kim ... sound familiar? SO not looking forward to this onslaught.

Phew....

Six cupcakes

two clementines

and one bunny with his carrot

later and I am all stocked at my store at Necessitae.

We shall see how it all goes tonight.

Sometimes I just can't stand the cuteness

I love amigurumi crocheting. I just love it...

The Clementines...

D'Oh!

Cheap plastic crochet hooks ... I snapped my G hook. I heard it crack. And then I just waited. And it didn't take long.

This is what I get for buying a five pack for $ 4.99 at the Lobby of Hobby. Oh well.... lesson learned.

Now I just need to learn the lesson of remembering where I put the G hook that I already owned. Anyone have any ideas?

Didn't think so.

I have made four cupcakes. They are darn cute. The best part was when # 2 was joking and said "can I have a cupcake, Mommy?" and # 3 comes tearing into the kitchen, looking all over the counter for the edible cupcakes that did not exist.

Poor thing.

So here is my accountability for stocking something this week: four cupcakes and possibly six ... I just need to make them; a tangerine or clementine ... Ooooh... yeah .. Clementine amigurumi ... he needs finishing, as well; a purse that needs a bead sewn onto the front; a pair of shorts that just need the legs and cuffs (this won't take long at all); a pair of pants that needs a leg (this might be in my store stocking next week); and a bunny who is finished but I want to give him a crochet carrot.

So .... I have been productive. I just need to decide where I am stocking what. I think the shorts and pants will go in my store, and the amis and toys will go in Necessitae.

Blah blah blah boring boring boring ... yawn. I am making myself tired.

Pretty uneventful knitting weekend

I had to work this weekend, so that cut out on my knitting time. But I was able to get a good deal of work done on a pair of baby shorts that I will be stocking in my store in the next week. I have a little purse that I need to add a bead to, and a few other small things that I want to get done. I am also waiting on a shipment of safety eyes for some tiny amigurumis that I want to make.

I have a stocking at Necessitae coming up at the end of this week, and I have yet to make anything for it. I think I will make some cupcakes ... those are pretty easy to whip up. It is just the assembly of it all.

I got these REALLY cool stitch markers from Girl on the Rocks on Etsy. I ALWAYS forget what I have to do when I am shaping my toes and my gussets on my socks. These will be an IMMENSE help. You have them turned around when you need to decrease, and then turn them to the back to give you a blank so you know not to decrease. Ever put down a sock and not remember where you left off? Happens to me ALL. THE. TIME. She is a cool person to work with, too. And she includes a little stitch marker with her name on it in the same pattern. I love these.

So I have made a decision to be more proactive with my two businesses. I love to knit and crochet, so I should make things to stock in my stores. It is only common sense, really. I need to be more consistent.

I haven't re-started any socks for me. I think I am going to add another repeat of the 15 row pattern for the Fawkes and see if that helps me out any.

Have a good one. Make it count!

Awwww Fawke!

I hate it when I put time and effort into something and it doesn't fit.

So I frogged it. I had the whole leg and the gusset and the heel shaping done on my first Fawkes sock. And I kept having this nagging feeling that it wasn't going to go over my honkin' big foot. And guess what?

It didn't.

And I want this yarn to be socks for me.

So I start all over again.

40 Hats in 40 Days

On the Wooly Wonder Forums (where I am a mod), I was looking around and saw a member post that she takes part in a 40 hats for 40 days of Lent and she donates them to hospitals in need.

So I thought "why not?"

There is a REALLY super fast 10 minute crochet hat ... so I started making them.

I have made 4 so far. I cannot stress enough how super easy this is.

So ... if you can do basic crochet stitches (chain, slip st, SC and DC) you are good to go.

Anyone up for the challenge?

So sad

The author of the Bellatrix pattern, along with a number of other really cool and innovative sock patterns, passed away due to complications from lupus. The Ravelry world is mourning the loss of an awesome designer.

I knew that I knit Bellatrix for a reason last month. I am now working on Fawkes, which is also in that Harry Potter series. I am using the Bambewe sock yarn from Zen String, and I love the drape of it. The colors are pretty cool, too.

In other knitting news, well there's not much of it. I had to finish up the IRL job work this weekend, so that left little to no time to knit. However, I did work on the Fawkes sock, and the Jaywalker some.

I still haven't heard back from our director of children's ministry on those knee-highs. My mother was aghast that I turned her down. I told her that I wasn't going to spend all that time on those socks and not get the correct wage for them. She thought I was admitting defeat because I couldn't "do" them ... as in couldn't understand how to do them. I told her that had nothing to do with it.

So today is the start of a new week. Hopefully with some knitting in it.

Make it count!

Freedom!!!!

Taking the advice of Heather and really examining my head regarding those knee high socks, I emailed the lady who had asked me to make her mom's socks and told her that I would be deluding myself, and lying to her, to think that I would be able to make these socks in a timely manner. I mean, I can't even finish my sister's Jaywalker socks by Christmas, and I had started them at the beginning of December.

I really DO love to knit socks. I just love to take my time. And I don't want the added pressure of having to make socks for someone's mother who wants them to be thick at the heel and ball of the foot, and also not be able to have a live person to try them on to make sure I am shaping them correctly.

So there you go. I am free of the obligation and it feels so good.

I have the heel flap finished of the Jaywalker, and will be turning the heel today and picking up the instep stitches and moving on. I should be finished within the next two weeks! And then that UFO can be off of my mind.

I have joined the KAL at Ravelry for The Amanda Hat. It is totally and completely darling, and I wanted to make myself a Calorimetry, but I think I will make this hat instead. I am going to use the yarn that I scored at Mosaic Moon's most recent yarn stocking in the Elements colorway. This should be a good, quick knit. I need one of those now, I think.

All right ... lunch has arrived and I am off to eat it.

Rock on and make it count.

Such a heel

I am to the heel flap on the Jaywalker. I am itching to get through it now because a very dear friend of mine came to visit me last night, and she brought me some yummy yummy yarn from the talented KimberlyR. I was ooohing and aaaahing over this sock yarn, swearing that it would be mine once my self-imposed yarn diet was over and I had loosened the belt by a few skeins and some finished objects.

I can't wait to knit it up ... it is this colorway in particular and I love love love. I have two skeins of it, and I can't wait! I think I might even make some fingerless gloves with it, too. And the picture doesn't do it justice: there is more brown to it than the pic shows. I love it! It is so me.

I am going to be working on a felted tote bag for a stocking for Necessitae within the next few weeks. I need to decide what I am stocking for the 15th. Of course, I am very limited... crochet or knit? Knit or crochet? Hmmmm..... the choices are endless. LOL!

So for this weekend, I will hopefully be finishing up the Jaywalker and giving it to my sister just because. I will then decide which direction I want to go from there.

Oh yeah... and I suppose I need to order that sock yarn for those knee high socks I said I would make. I am half tempted to show her these 9.99 socks I found online ... I mean really. By the time I get these done, I would need to charge her $ 75 for them, and I know she isn't going to pay that much. I am not even sure if she is going to pay me at all.