The Smile Spot . . .

Chompy!

2011-12-07T15:19:00.000-05:00

Since I learned that a very special woman was pregnant, I've been working on crocheting a stuffed alligator for the baby. I chose an alligator, because I learned the baby was expected around the same time an alligator attacked a police car in the south. I showed the YouTube video to this special woman, and she immediately said that the alligator wanted to be a police-gator.... and I asked "So what would his handler say? Sic 'em, Chompy?!" Perhaps you had to be there, but it was truly funny to us, and so Chompy was born.

Now I will admit that my least-favorite part of knitting and crocheting is the assembly. All of Chompy's parts have been completed for the last month or so, but I was dragging my feet on putting him together (baby's due in January, so that made procrastination easy). However, a few days ago I told myself that was it, I was tired of stepping over his project bag, and so I finished! And I love the way the little (about 19" long!) guy turned out.

Here, to share with you, are some pictures. Enjoy!

Craft show tomorrow!

2011-12-02T11:39:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is my last official craft show for this season, though I'm up for a home show if anyone would like to host one for me (great Christmas shopping perks to any host!).

Tomorrow's show is at Hodgson Vo-Tech High School. They have a bi-annual craft show (spring and holiday) that is well-known throughout the region, and not easy to get accepted into. I was honored this year to be accepted; it's my first year showing there. I'm super excited. It's an exclusively hand-crafter show, so not only am I excited to be a vendor, but I can't wait to do some of my own shopping at the numerous vendors who participate. The show spans several of the larger rooms in the school, including the gym and the cafeteria, so you know there will be lots of variety!

The show is from 9am to 4pm and entrance is free. Please come out, say hi, and support myself and other small business owners.

:)

Special Offer!

2011-11-26T11:35:00.000-05:00

Like Smile Creations Crafts on Facebook for an exclusive holiday offer, now through December 3rd.

FO (not the same as a UFO) and new items for sale in my internet storefront

2011-11-22T23:47:00.003-05:00

First things first, I'm so excited to show off my most recent Finished Object (hence, "FO"), a tiny green woolen baby sweater. Not just any sweater, it's knit from Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Super Chunky (for those of you non-knitters, just read that as "Really Nice Soft and Super Thick Wool") :) in a pretty sage green. It's a combination of moss stitch on the arms, shoulders, and upper chest, and stockinette stitch on the bottom. The pairing of highly textured stitches with smooth ones makes this sweater interesting to knit and results in an adorable piece for baby.

Now, I did promise a glimpse of some new items up on Etsy. So.... May I present Jayden Bear!

And two new warm and toasty scarves, the first in looking festive and Christmas-y!

A Quick Stocking - How To

2011-11-20T13:55:00.001-05:00

I wanted some small festive stockings to send to my adopted soldier and his unit, but I didn't want to spend a lot since they most likely don't have space to save them for next year. So I went to a local store and bought 4 velvet placemats in festive holiday colors. From them I was able to make 8 tiny stockings. Here is my tutorial; an early holiday gift from me to you. :)

1. Fold placemat (inside out) in half width-wise (short ways)

2. Trace the outline of a stocking on the placemat. The top of the stocking should be on the finished edge of the placemat and the toe should be against the folded edge, so you don't have to sew two extra seams.

3. Sew along the traced lines, then trim off the excess fabric no more than 1/8" from the seam.

4. Turn the stocking right-side out.

5. Cut a strip of ribbon or lace about 3.5" long. Fold it in half and pin to the inside of the stocking opening, making sure the loop is hanging out. Sew to the top of the stocking, stitching in the ditch of the existing edging seam.

6. Voila! You have a stocking! Decorate the outside as you wish; get creative with lace edging, fabric paint, even beads!

All linked up

2011-11-15T22:42:00.001-05:00

Just a quick note to all that I've finally woken up and gotten with the tech program. :)What I mean, is that my Facebook page (Smile Creations Crafts) is finally linked to my Etsy shopfront (). Now you can 'Like' my business, and turn around and make a purchase, too!

Occupy what?

2011-11-09T10:32:00.000-05:00

So... I'll be honest. While I've seen some posts mentioning Occupy Wall Street, and I saw a crazy picture of tents on an Oakland freeway, I really don't know what exactly that means. However, a couple days ago, I came across the above image on Facebook ... And I really like it. Even without understanding completely the Occupy Wall Street part, I support the sentiment.

There are so many awesome Mom & Pop stores out there, with fantastic customer service, and just as good a selection of products. Of course, there are the hand crafters like myself too. It's worth a little effort to support the little guy.... Remember our country was built on it.

As I learn about cool hand craft gatherings, or stand-out Mom & Pop shops, I'll blog about them.

Thanks for doing your part!

To market, to market....

2011-04-08T21:00:00.000-04:00

with an organic market bag! Knit from cotton, linen, soy, or bamboo, these convenient little bags roll up to store easily in your purse or trunk, and expand EXPONENTIALLY!! I have two in my trunk, and have been known to fit the result of an entire grocery trip in them: a couple 2 liters, oranges, a few TV dinners, box of cereal, cookies, bread, peanut butter, coffee..... you get the idea. The design allows the bag to stretch like crazy, but remain strong enough to handle the weight.

Here are a couple of the market bags I've knit so far. Tonight I'm starting another --- it'll be granny apple green with a stripe or two of green and white variegated yarn for a different twist.

Flowers make great photography props......

2011-03-02T10:28:00.000-05:00

So said dawn elizabeth of dawn elizabeth photography when she asked me to make some flower baskets for her upcoming spring photo shoots. Here are the resulting baskets.

Tiny scarf for charity

2010-12-08T20:51:00.000-05:00

My church has a giving tree --- you pick an ornament, purchase the gift written on the ornament, and return it to the church. The gift goes to one of the children of a needy family in the parish. The ornament I chose said a hat, scarf, and gloves set for a 4 year old boy.

I found a hat and gloves set in navy with a pale blue stripe that were perfect, but I couldn't find a scarf. So.... I made one. I had some nice warm wool in a pale blue, and cast on 21 stitches. I knit in a mistake rib -- it looks like ribbing but there's an extra stitch so it becomes thicker than a rib, and has a nice look to it. I knit for about 2.5 feet, the bound off in pattern. Voila! A nice simple scarf for a young boy in need. :)

Another market bag by Oat Couture

2010-11-10T23:08:00.000-05:00

I paused in working on my Mythos sweater the past few days to whip up a Stow Away Shopping Bag by Oat Couture. It is by far my favorite market bag pattern and was well worth the pattern purchase, as I've made a dozen or so as gifts over the past two years. Not only does this bag expand exponentially when stuff is put inside, but when not in use, it can fold into itself like one of those parkas that you turn into the hood and snap in place. It's so cool and compact!

This time the bag is for Christine, a student and my neighbor across the street. She loves pink and purple, so off I went to Joann Fabrics last Saturday, to purchase some cotton yarn in those colors.

(Side note: I prefer to knit this pattern in cotton or linen. It just makes sense to knit a "tool" for organic living from organic fiber. I didn't always make that mental connection, so if you use Ravelry and check out some of the other market bags I've made, I used some synthetics and blended fibers. But now that I really thought about the whole purpose of these reusable bags, cotton or linen is all I use. Besides, it's good for these bags to be washable, too.)

So back to my original story, I purchased Lion Cotton in purple, and Sugar N Cream cotton in a variegated pink. I realized when I took it from the bag Sunday afternoon to start her bag that the Sugar N Cream said "Scents" on the label, because the yarn is scented like laundry sheets. Hmmm.... Novel, but a little strange. It wasn't a bad scent, but after knitting with it for an extended period of time, I got a bit tired of having that scent IN my nose all the time. I think I would pass on the "Scents" line in the future.

I decided to use the purple for the base/pocket, and the handles (which I made about 6 stitches larger than called for so Christine can put the bag over her shoulder if she wishes), and pink for the rest. But as I began the bag body, I felt rebellious and changed back to purple for a single 4-row pattern repeat, so there is now a stripe in the bag. I rather like it that way, and can imagine doing more 2-color bags in a similar fashion.

The bag itself always knits up rather quickly, which makes it the perfect project to grab when I'm feeling impatient (hahahaha) or recently unproductive. Three days after casting on, I have a bag! All that is left to do is attach the pink button to close the pocket, and tie off the yarn ends. I know it's often considered cheating, but I simply tie the loose ends into a knot (only on these market bags!). I wove in the ends on my first one, but within a dozen or so uses of the bag the ends were already slipping out (and I hadn't washed the bag yet). I don't want that to happen to someone who doesn't know what to do with ends. So I tie them; at least the recipient knows for certain that the bag won't unravel.

Warm Wooly Winter Wear

2010-10-25T22:43:00.000-04:00

I'm working now to add some warm wool items to my Etsy website for sale. The cold is coming! Be prepared with unique knitted hats and scarves. Thanks to dawn and Dennis of dawn elizabeth photography for sharing these awesome pics showcasing my work!

Blue and beige mohair scarf

Stormy night wool hat & purple cashmerino scarf

Skittles wool hat

Purple cashmerino scarf

Rhinebeck rocked!!

2010-10-18T20:57:00.000-04:00

My loot! :) Clockwise beginning at bottom left: handcrafted dpn needle holder, yellow/green/pink superwash merino from Sliver Moon Lake, turquoise/brown merino from Ellen's 1/2 Pint Farm, pink/red/brown/grey merino/tencel blend from Ellen's 1/2 Pint Farm, 2 skeins of harvest colored superwash merino from Persimmon Tree Farm (for a Mythos KAL with reluctantMANGO), 2 skeins of brown/pink handpainted angora/llama blend from AngoraOnline, and a skein of lightweight burgundy superwash merino sock yarn from Socks that Rock.

An alpaca

A tiny baby alpaca

Angora rabbit!! So fluffy! He was at the shop where I bought my angora/llama blend yarn.

Ravelry party - table of cupcakes. Yum!

Jenferkel, reluctantMANGO, and I at the Rav party.

Casey, Jess, and crew giving out awesome prizes at the Rav party

Sock progress.....

2010-10-15T07:58:00.000-04:00

One sock.... ready to knit the toe. I estimate another hour of work on it, just because it's been quite awhile since I've done a toe.

The second sock, still back at the heel. Ugh. It's not looking promising to finish. How fast do you think I can pack for my weekend at Rhinebeck, so that I can knit before work today?

Here's a pic of the sock to the toe.... gotta run and pack!!!

Now I remember why I prefer to knit.....

2010-10-12T07:58:00.000-04:00

Lately I've been hit with a clean/organize bug. It's led me to pull out all my old started projects, no matter what the craft, and sort through. The ones I've acknowledged I'll never go back to, for whatever reason, I've let go; now they can't taunt me and make me feel guilty whenever I uncover them.

The ones that still have a chance, I've put into two large baskets (one for fabric, one for everything else). Every time I feel like working on a project, I've decided I have to pick from the basket. That in and of itself is difficult enough. Just last night I was updating some pictures of my FOs (knitted Finished Objects) on Ravelry (read: social networking for knitters/crocheters) and the next thing I know, I have inadvertantly found no fewer than 3 more knit projects I'm just itching to cast on! I even caught myself up in my craft room, staring at my yarn stash, debating which wool would be best for the cabled pidge I loved!

However, I shook myself out of new project reverie and headed downstairs to open my project basket for something to occupy my hands while watching the Viking/Jets game. Out came a small cross-stitch piece of a tiny teddy bear holding a stork sack --- a piece for a new baby. It's over halfway done. So I set out to make some progress.... and was quickly reminded why it is that I prefer to knit: because you can see progress! Granted, there are some knit projects that just never seem to grow (like the socks I blogged about the other day), but usually you can see something happening. On the other hand, cross-stitch grows at a painfully slow rate!

Socks.... can I finish them before Rhinebeck??

2010-10-10T14:03:00.000-04:00

Usually projects for me to wear are set aside in favor of items to sell for Smile Creations Crafts, or for gifts for family and friends. This pair of socks is a prime example. I started them in October 2007 (three years ago!!!) while at a book signing by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. Since then I have picked them up every few months, worked an inch or two, but always had to leave them to work on other projects.

Well this time they are destined to be completed!! Knitters love wearing their own knit creations when in the company of other knitters. Wearing knit items provokes the question "did you make that?" and can be a simple way to begin conversation with a veritable stranger. Since several friends and I are traveling to Rhinebeck, NY this weekend for a HUGE wool/yarn festival (Dutchess County Sheep and Wool Festival, to be exact), I am determined to complete these socks to wear while there.

I'm back!

2010-10-07T20:55:00.000-04:00

Yes, after a very long break in posting (during which I did quite a bit of crafting, but got very lazy about sharing with everyone), I'm back. I'm sorry to all my fans and followers who missed me in my absence. My goal is never to leave you hanging like that again!

For today I'd like to share with you pictures of the Baby Surprise Jacket I've been working on obsessively. I added a hood to this jacket (not in the original pattern) to keep the little one extra warm in the cool autumn breezes.

It's for a friend of mine, who's wife is pregnant with their first child (and due very soon). He's stationed in Iraq; I'm not even sure he'll be able to come home for the birth. I hope seeing this tiny little sweater will bring a smile to his face.

Enjoy!

A new opportunity....

2009-05-06T09:16:00.004-04:00

In Bear, DE, in the fox Run Shopping Center, there is a little boutique called Jewelry Diva Gifts. Owned by a young woman and her mother, this shop is a treasure-trove of unique gifts and collectables. From Trollbeads and Disney figurines, to sophisticated clothing, this shop has a thoughtful array of fine gift ideas.

And now Smile Creations Crafts is joining the list of companies whose products have found a place in Jewelery Diva Gifts. I am very excited to be selling my smiling cotton coasters, fabric book covers, and more with this wonderful shop.

Cheers to a the beginning of great new relationship!

Easy-find-it Keychains

2009-05-05T08:31:00.005-04:00

Ever lose your keys in the bottom of your purse? No, seriously... you're standing there in the rain by your car, frantically trying to find your keys while juggling the bag of groceries and your steaming latte.

Well, it happens to me all the time. And of course you know that the minute you find the keys and yank them out of your bag, the latte tips, you stain your blouse, and the groceries fall over as you try to stop from being burnt by the coffee!!

The solution? One of my easy-find-it keychains! They are one-of-a-kind macramed keychains, created by Dennis. Available in a variety of colors and designs, they range from 3-6 inches in length. Some are beaded, some are solid colors, some hang from a bamboo ring... there is no end to the uniqueness that is our easy-find-it keychain!

I just added a few to my shop. Check them out!

OMG -- endless smilies!!!

2009-04-30T08:32:00.001-04:00

You would think that a blog called The Smile Spot, for a business named Smile Creations Crafts, would be unquestionably all about smileys.

And I am. Don't get me wrong, I still adore the little round cheery faces.

But if you knit with me in the Tuesday night knitting group, you will recall that I was rather sick of crocheting them. After 16 sets of yellow smiley coasters in about 6 weeks, I was crochet-smiley'd out. It was a scary realization, actually, and made me question my smily-ness.

So I have remedied my anti-smiley sentiment . . . with a rainbow of smiling coasters! Smiley cotton coasters are back in my life (and my shop!) and better than ever in a rainbow of bright happy colors! Yellow (yes, I had to make a few), red, pink, blue, lime, purple. And instead of dictating what type of smiley day YOU'RE having, I offer you the choice. Now when you purchase a set of smiley coasters, you can customize your set by selecting which colors you want included. Same price, new options. A nice way to start the summer, don't you think?

New online knitting resources

2009-04-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

I've just discovered -- with the help of a few fellow bloggers and the wonderful Stumble! button in Firefox, 3 new knitting sites that I wanted to share.

Knitch - this new (first issue was Winter 2008/2009) online knitting magazine created by Yarnmarket LLC has some promise. There are a handful of free patterns in each issue, along with book reviews, a how-to, and articles on topics ranging from charity knitting to color trends. They also feature a regular poll on their website. The current topic is whether or not knitters are knitting from stash or buying more yarn (me? I'm doing a little of both, leaning more toward stash whenever possible).

Verena Knitting - a new (since summer 2008) knitting magazine out of Europe. So far I like the patterns in this magazine. They offer free patterns on their website (you have to register to access them) and lots of extras for subscribers.

Knotions - this one is my favorite. Much like the Knitch, this site offers free patterns monthly, book and product reviews, and engaging articles. I think what grabs me better with Knotions is the layout. The site is pleasant and easy on the eyes. The site is laid-out in an easy-find fashion; the important stuff jumps out at you. Also the pictures that accompany the patterns are terrific -- bright and crisp and nearly touchable.

Pictures from sheep shearing day

2009-03-25T07:30:00.000-04:00

Before ..... And after!! ....

Waiting his turn... impatiently

The actual shearing was about 5 min per sheep. Most didn't even squirm.

Wool, lovely wool!! Or rather, fleece, lovely fleece! This was from just three sheep. There were at least 30 to be shorn!

Sheep Shearing

2009-02-24T10:08:00.004-05:00

A farm in Landenberg, PA, the Meadowset Farm and Apiary, has an annual openhouse/sheep shearing day. This year it'll be March 14th beginning around 10am. I've never been but my friend Reluctant Mango said it was a fun little event last year, with spinning demos, sheep shearing (obviously), and finished items for sale. And they shared some homemade lamb chili (yum!).

I think I'm there..... :)

Strange yarns

2009-01-19T07:35:00.006-05:00

Good morning, and happy Monday!!!

I thought this morning I'd share something strange I came across while reading the Lion Brand email newsletter: stainless steel yarn.

Yes, you read that correctly (although you may want to do as I did, and click through the link above to confirm that your eyes are properly interpreting the letters above). This yarn is 75% wool and 25% STAINLESS STEEL.

I wonder how soft that is? Is there any real drape to steel? Does it relax/soften more with washing? Or with insertion into a VERY HOT FURNACE??? LOL

Actually, it got me to wondering about other strange materials used for yarns. Here are some I've found (each with a few brand examples), some stranger than others:

possum (there were several, I just picked one)
milk (tell me, do your projects curdle if not refrigerated?)
newspaper (this one you can spin yourself, although it looks very time-consuming)
pre- & post-consumer recycled yarn (this yarn made from waste poly-fibers and post-consumer plastic bottles isn't available, as far as I can tell, for us hand-knitters, but is interesting nonetheless)

What odd yarns have you seen/heard about? Anyone know anything about "concrete" yarn? I swear I saw it in passing one day, but I can't find information on it anywhere.

May I present.....

2009-01-06T21:54:00.005-05:00

my first huge success of 2009 (and I don't mean because the sweater itself is large!).

Knit of Berocco Comfort Worsted Weight in fire engine red, it's sized to fit a dog 31" from base of neck to tail. It took nearly 4 full skeins of yarn.

It's all done in a simple rib, beginning with the collar in the round. There is a cute little hole at the base of the collar section to accommodate a leash. Then the rest is knit flat, though with lots of increases and decreases. The belly panel is knit on one side of the flat piece, and buttons around the dog.

Thanks to Terri Lee Royea, whose free pattern on Ravelry I adapted for this sweater.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T10:00:00.001-05:00

I wanted to take a moment this morning to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

Life is hard, but there is always something to be thankful for. I hope today you can find that something, and stop for a moment to thank the higher power for putting that thing(s) in your life.

Remember, you may be that thing to be thankful for in someone else's life, even if it's just for the smile you share with a stranger on the street today.

Stitches is over. . . :(

2008-11-10T07:14:00.004-05:00

Well, Stitches East has come and gone. Did you go? How was your experience?

Two friends, Yarn Mama and a new knitter, and I all went down to Baltimore on Friday. It was a good time. The weather cooperated and permitted a walk to Inner Harbor for dinner, as well as a quick look around again on Saturday afternoon.

Yarn Mama and I both took classes on Friday afternoon. She took a class on swatching (the EVIL 5-letter word!). My class, Introduction to Brioche, was very interesting. While I was thoroughly confused at first, I was able to do the stitch in the end. I was even able to utilize two colors to make the pattern look very different. The instructor, Nancy Marchant, really knows her stuff. She has a wonderful website which she shared with us to help as we continue working with the brioche stitch and it's many variations: briochestitch.com. I will definitely be starting a project with this fun stitch, and exploring her website soon!

Then we entered the MarketPlace --- the large room full of lots of yarn and yarn-y stuff!! I purchased a gorgeous skein of Tess yarn called Twinkle Toes ... a surprise to knit up for my mom, who for some reason nicknamed me "twinkle toes" a few years back (I think cuz I'm a bit clumsy). Also picked up a nice heathered grey skein of Cascade superwash for a hat I've been commissioned to knit -- an old-fashioned stocking hat.

Really, Stitches was just as good as last year in terms of variety, selection, etc. So why am I not oozing post-Stitches excitement? Well, this year I had a strict budget -- for my business and for my personal stash. The skeins I mentioned above... that's all I bought (plus a silicon de-pet-furring roller). Oh yes, I fondled and oogled, and scored a few sample knitting and crocheting mags, but I didn't get to just run amuck and buy wily-nily as I did last year. It kinda sapped a little of the fun out of the experience. *sigh* Guess I'll save up for wily-nily spending next year, hopefully my first year at Rhinebeck!

Stitches East Conference

2008-10-30T07:30:00.002-04:00

Lately it seems like time is constantly taking me by surprise. I looked at my calendar and realized that Stitches East is only 8 days away! Road trip to Baltimore with two friends, a night away from home to relax and knit, and tons and tons of YARN -- I can't wait!!!!!

I'll be taking only one class this year... an introduction to the Brioche stitch. I am a little nervous about it, especially since every time I've read anything about that stitch, it usually involves dire warnings about how difficult it is. But it's pretty, and I want to try. My grandfather said you need to learn one new thing every day --- I've decided that Brioche can be my thing for Nov 7th.

Of course I'll be headed to check out the Marketplace, too. There are a few vendors I'd like to return to from last year, despite the fact that I haven't yet used all my yarn purchased at last year's Stitches. Hey, that's what "stash" is about, right? Buying the perfect yarns when you see them, then waiting for the skeins and hanks to speak to you, and tell you just what project they'd complete perfectly. Besides, the call of all that pretty yarn is just irresistible!!!

Are you going to Stitches? What classes are you taking? Are you going to look for anything in particular from the Marketplace?

Gina's new Etsy shop

2008-10-28T07:29:00.001-04:00

a good friend of mine, Gina, taught me to knit awhile back. She's an amazing knitter!! Her specialty seems to be all the most difficult-to-knit items -- intricate lacy shawls and teeny-tiny baby clothing. I have occasionally carried her work ... the itty-bitty knit hats and baby booties in the shape of animals ... in my booth at various craft shows.

Now Gina has a store of her own! Stop here to look at & purchase her beautiful lace work, baby items, and more!

Only 65 days until Christmas!!

2008-10-20T07:32:00.004-04:00

Yikes! For real?!?!?! I didn't believe it, so I counted the days -- and it's true!! Only 65 days until Christmas!!

So what are you waiting for? There are loads of cute, fun, or functional items in my shop that would make great Christmas gifts or stocking stuffers. How about a stuffed, knit snowperson, a fabric bookcover for your favorite reader, or a smiling cotton coaster set? If you need to be a little more frugal this year, there's always the bargain bin, where everything is 25% off! I'll be adding some warm and cozy shawls, and pretty new jewelry items soon, too.

And if you don't see exactly what you're looking for, consider placing a special order. Any orders placed before Thanksgiving are guaranteed to be delivered before Christmas!

Too cute!

2008-10-13T07:24:00.000-04:00

I have seen around.... at shows and on the bags of various knitters ... these adorable little mini-swatch pins -- almost like you began knitting an itsy-bitsy tiny square, then left it on the needles.

Well, this morning I was checking out Ravelry (if you STILL haven't signed up, you simply must do so! For knitters and crocheters, it is the COOLEST resource/network EVER!) and saw an add for a shop called "Mi-KNIT-ures." Click on the link and what do I find? The adorable little pins, of course!! They are so cute, and come in a variety of colors! What a neat stocking-stuffer idea for the knitter in your life! Or yourself! Or both!! :)

Meme

2008-09-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

I've never been tagged for a Meme before. Heck, I don't even know what "meme" means! But... I just posted my first post in literally months last week, and today I'm going back to read what's been going on in the lives of my fav bloggers. YarnMama tagged me for this "one word" meme so I'll give it a try :

Rules:

You must answer the questions using only one word & tag four others.

1. Where is your cell phone? desk
2. Your significant other? work
3. Your hair? blonde
4. Your mother? Jersey
5. Your father? injured
6. Your favorite thing? chocolate
7. Your dream last night? weird
8. Your favorite drink? martinis
9. Your dream/goal? peace
10. The room you’re in? lobby
11. Your hobby? knitting
12. Your fear? mistakes
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years NOW? south
14. What you’re not? awake
15. Muffins? corn
16. One of your wish list items? peace
17. Where you grew up? Pittsburgh
18. The last thing you did? reservation
19. What are you wearing? bracelets
20. Favorite gadget? cell
21. Your pets? ranbunctious
22. Your computer? laptop
23. Your mood? distracted
24. Missing someone? yes
25. Your car? dirty
26. Something you’re not wearing? lipstick
27. Favorite store? yarn
28. Like someone? lots
29. Your favorite color? purple
30. When is the last time you laughed? yesterday
31. Last time you cried? saturday

The only part of the directions I can't follow is the tagging part. See, there are plenty of blogs I follow, but only a handful belong to friends whom I actually know personally, and YarnMama tagged most of us already. So you'll just have to be happy with reading my answers. Hey, if you haven't been tagged, consider it done! Now it's YOUR turn! :)

On cooler weather and current projects

2008-09-24T08:48:00.007-04:00

Jacket weather took me by surprise -- being pre-occupied makes you much less aware of your surroundings until shivering sets in! But this morning felt so crisp and fresh..... It makes me want to cuddle into a warm sweater and sit on my balcony and knit. I'm thinking a nice soft blanket. I don't have a pattern in mind yet, and most likely I won't select one but just knit as I feel, perhaps some random striping. I have nearly 2000 yards of lovely soft wool in ice blue and chocolate brown. A surprising color combination, but they are beautiful together!

Some projects other than the blanket I feel coming on are pending first:

As the holidays are fast approaching (ack! where does time go again?!?), I will be working to stuff and "dress" some knitted snow men and snow women. I'll also be making sure to have a wide selection of warm and cozy scarves and hats for the winter months. Some will be posted soon to my website (I hope!).
Another important current project is a dog blankie. I received an order last week for a custom "quilted" blanket for a dog, and just bought fabric for it last night. The request involved chocolate brown and rust fabrics -- the rust has tiny ivory dog bones printed all over!
Finally, I will be sewing together some more paperback book covers/carriers. I still have some cut and ready to go, but had been waiting until after a few craft shows to actually assemble them. Now it's time -- stock is getting low and there are more shows on the way! The covers make great stocking stuffers, but we'll discuss cute stocking stuffer ideas a little later on.

New dates

2008-06-19T15:38:00.001-04:00

Just a quick FYI ... selling at the retail space in the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Elsmere earlier this month worked out pretty well. I signed up for two more days this summer: July 17th and August 19th. I'll be set up and ready to sell by 8:30am, and am permitted to remain open until around 3pm.

In July, I'll be unveiling a new item!! It's a secret, but I'll give you a hint... it's a great gift idea for someone who's earth-conscious or anyone who tries to "live simply" to save our earth. Stay tuned... maybe I'll post a picture hint soon.

Happy Memorial Day!

2008-05-23T15:22:00.002-04:00

To all who may travel this weekend (in spite of the HUGE price of gas), may your trip be safe and fun. And to those smart enough to stay home (not me, I'm afraid), have a relaxing weekend without worry, hassle, or care!

My summer resolution is to be more present on my blog, so.... let's hope I can rest & brainstorm blog ideas enough this weekend to keep me going!

Sadly blog-absent

2008-05-08T14:35:00.001-04:00

Yes, that's been me lately. Sadly absent from my blog. It feels lonely. You feel abandoned. I'm sorry.

I don't know what's happened. I began the year with very good intentions to blog at least two times per week. Somehow I've gotten so caught up in life and work and schedules that I just never seem to find my way here to blog.

Or when I do, I just can't think of what to blog about. I need to work on this. Until I figure it out, here are a few pictures of my booth from Old Dover Days this past Saturday. All morning and for the first part of the afternoon, the weather was very not-conducive to shopping and browsing. As a matter of fact, it was gross and chilly. At least, until about 2pm when the sun finally came out and warmed things up a bit. Then it was a much happier place to be. :)

Old Dover Days

2008-04-23T09:40:00.003-04:00

Just a quick note today about my first show of the season. I was just accepted into the crafts portion of Old Dover Days, a celebration of the city of Dover on May 3rd (next Saturday). Hope you can come out for all the festivities (and to shop at my booth, of course!).

I will have my Smileville Bears, some summery wreaths & door decor, jewelry by Dawn (my sister), soft and comfy blankets, fabric book covers, and more! Also will be debuting my smiley/frowny coasters.

I've been up to...

2008-04-15T14:02:00.008-04:00

finishing several projects. Yippee. You know how much I like finishing (NOT!). But... the closer I get to my first show of the year (right now the one at the VA Hospital on June 6th), the more I have been thinking "I need to finish some of the items I have started."

So here are some pics (as most are still works in progress):

several fabric and knitted blankets

a slew of paperback book covers in various fabrics

a herd (??) of bears --- Smileville Bears, that is --- preparing to be stuffed and assembled

Smiley Coasters -- an update

2008-03-31T13:38:00.002-04:00

Well, after several attempts, I realized that the idea for a set of four "emoticon" coasters really wouldn't work.

I successfully made a frowny coaster, but the "mad" one didn't look mad, and I couldn't get my head around how to crochet a "surprised" face when the entire coaster is done in the round..... I'm not even sure I can explain why it didn't work. Suffice to say the attempts have been frogged and re-created into more smilies and frownies!

I did list several sets of the coasters today on my Etsy site. They will be available in sets of 4 coasters -- your choice either all 4 smiley, or 2 smiley & 2 frowny.

Earth Hour

2008-03-18T14:30:00.003-04:00

The environment has always been a concern of mine. I have recycled in every place I've lived (in college I used to take long walks and collect all the cans I found and bring them to the recycling center). When I visit the shore in NJ, or the beaches in DE, I get really sad because the water isn't quite the blue it should be. And one of my first decisions as I opened Smile Creations Crafts was that I would re-use packaging and boxes when shipping purchases to my customers. Recently, thanks to a program called Just Faith, I have renewed my commitment to preserving the earth and leaving as small a carbon footprint as possible. And that renewed commitment brings me to Earth Hour.

March 29th (next Saturday) from 8-9pm is Earth Hour .....

What is "Earth Hour?"
(taken from the event page) "Earth Hour, run by WWF, the conservation organisation, is a global climate change initiative which calls on individuals and businesses around the world, to turn off their lights for one hour on Saturday March 29 2008 between 8 pm and 9pm.
The aim of the campaign is to express that individual action on a mass scale can help change our planet for the better.
The event itself will clearly demonstrate in participating cities, the connection between energy usage and climate change, showing that we as broader community can address the biggest threat our planet has ever faced."

Earth Hour began in Australia last year; this year it is a truly global event with over 9,000 businesses and 130,000 individuals worldwide signed up to participate. I signed up, and I hope you'll consider doing the same. Turning off our lights for an hour is a small price to pay to try to preserve our world for our childrens' children.....

Please use this link (my personal Earth Hour page) to learn more and sign up. When you sign up, you'll get a page, too, to forward to your friends and colleagues and track the impact that you, as an individual, can have.

Smiling coasters and a new retail opportunity

2008-03-17T22:01:00.002-04:00

I have created something totally new... A smiling coaster! Recently I wanted to make something for a friend of mine... something that would make her smile even when her day was rotten. And so I picked up a crochet hook and a skein each of yellow and black cotton, and created a smiley!

Thing was, her smiley turned out a little big (kinda a smiley on steroids). Now that I had calculated out the pattern stitches, I wanted something a little easier to fit on a desk... so I shrunk the smiley just a tad, and now I have a smiley, perfectly sized for a coffee mug or glass of iced tea... (this pic, by the way, is a VERY good example of why you should never take important pics with a cell phone!)

Bad pic aside, I will be adding some of these happy little circles of absorbency to my Etsy site soon (just need a day or two to make some more and take better pics), so stay tuned. Also, my mom suggested that I expand my smiley idea to make an "emotional" set of coasters... four coasters, each with a different expression. The variations may take a bit longer to figure out, but I'm working on it. I think we'll have angry, surprised, and sad to the happy smiley, but who knows? Once I'm happy with the emotional lot, I'll post their pics here, too.

And before I say goodnight, an FYI (that explains the other half of my subject line for today) --- The coasters will make their first "show" debut in June at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Elsmere, DE. The VA Hospital has set aside a space on the second floor (outside the canteen) where selected vendors can sell their goods. I have been working with the manager for a while now, and just today got confirmation of 5 selling dates (I'm going to try to add more later). As of now, I will set up "shop" at the VA Hospital on the following dates: June 6, October 23 and 24, November 5, and December 18.

It's official....

2008-03-12T11:37:00.003-04:00

Stitches with Style, our LYS here in Newark, DE, will be hosting festivities for WWKIP Day! Hope to see lots of you there again this year, and to meet new faces, too!! The fun starts at 10:30am and lasts til 4pm.

Yay!! Thanks Linda!

All you knitters and crocheters, mark your calendars!

2008-03-10T09:50:00.003-04:00

Remember World Wide Knit in Public Day from last year? Remember, fellow Newark Delawareans, how much fun it was to gather at Stitches with Style and share projects with friends (and make new friends!), and then to converge on McGlynn's for lunch?

Well, mark your calendars because WWKIP Day is back! And.... the updated website states clearly that WWKIP Day is always the second Saturday in June. So June 14th it is (who's bringing the cake, my birthday is the very next day!?).

My calendar is marked; luckily I am not applying to any craft shows for that weekend so I'll be where ever the party is! Stay tuned; as details (such as whether Stitches will host again this year) become available, I will share them here.

Another show confirmed!

2008-03-05T16:29:00.006-05:00

The schedule is growing.... I just received notification today that I've been accepted into Art on the Green, an annual show organized by the New Castle Hundred Lions Club. I will be selling knit toys and wearables, as well as pinecone wreaths (both general and season-specific).

Details:
Location: Battery Park, New Castle, DE
Date/Time: September 27th (it's a Saturday) from 10-5pm. (The rain date is October 4th since it's an all-outdoor show.)
Booth Assignment: I'll be booth # B19.

In other news, I have been hit by the sewing bug. That's right, except for some special-order items (which I will keep knitting until they're completed and delivered), I'm setting aside the knitting needles for awhile to give my sewing machine some love! I think this mood shift was brought on by a spending day with my sister last week, with fabric and notions spread through the house, altering clothing that we no longer wear into fun and funky pieces we WILL wear!

At any rate, keep an eye out, because I've got a couple of cute "quilted" blankets nearly done (that should be appearing on my web site soon), as well as more paperback book covers in new fabrics, and perhaps some new placemat sets for spring......

First craft show scheduled

2008-02-29T10:44:00.004-05:00

Happy news for Friday.... I got a phone call from the DuPont Country Club, confirming my space in their annual fall craft fair!

The fair is on Oct 5th, in the DuPont Country Club on Rockland Road. Five-six rooms of the club are used for the fair (it's a big show with lots of vendor variety); I was lucky enough to secure a spot in the Crystal Ballroom and Terrace (the largest room). Look for me in one of the wall spaces.

I will be selling knit toys (pumpkins, bears, and snowpeople), knit clothing (scarves, hats, gloves, shawls), and some seasonal pinecone door wreaths.

Thanks for making my day!

2008-02-28T09:18:00.006-05:00

Wow, what an honor! I woke up this morning and was reading my fav blogs, and found that ReluctantMango has nominated me for the "You Make My Day" award!!! Talk about making my day....!!! It puts a smile on my face to know that my musings, ramblings, and ideas are things that someone else looks forward to reading. Thanks, Mango!

For anyone who hasn't yet seen a blog tagged with this award, it's given to blogs that bring you happiness, inspiration, and generally keep you coming back to read more, and more, and more. The recipient's only task is to pass along the good vibes by selecting blogs that make his or her day.

Before I list my "You Make My Day" award winners, I want to say that the blogs I have listed in my "I read, I recommend" section are the ones I always look forward to reading. Some have already been awarded the "You Make My Day" award by other bloggers, and all of them have earned my blog love! Here are five more blogs I check frequently.... thanks to all of them for making my day!!

SouleMama - She just has a way about her that soothes me whenever I'm upset, grounds me in reality, but a reality full of love and sunshine. I especially love the way she shares her children, and finds fun ways to involve and stimulate them creatively.
The Daily Coyote - Amazing pictures and stories about a coyote living with a woman in Wyoming.
The Wooster Collective - Funky street art from around the globe.
The Heathen Housewife - She's been knitting a huge incredible blankie for a year and a half (she just finished it), and documenting it's progress every "Blankie Friday." I'm inspired to begin a project this large (and actually see it through to completion!)
CraftLeftovers - A variety of neat crafty patterns and ideas -- good to get the creative juices flowing.

Show Schedule 2008

2008-02-25T11:54:00.002-05:00

Well, it's that time of year, and I'm starting to apply to art and craft shows in the tri-state area. Based on last year's show successes, I'm focusing on the summer/fall months. Which means once taxes are done (ick!) and my show applications are in, my focus will be on building up inventory to get me through the season.

Of course, as soon as I know which shows I've been accepted into, I'll post them in my show schedule on the right. Hope you'll plan to come out to one, or several, and say hello!

What's the number one reason I love knitting so much??

2008-02-19T10:55:00.005-05:00

There is never a bad time to knit (well, except church services and parent/teacher conferences... there have been many discussions among knitters on this topic)!

But there really is no other hobby that seems quite so productive (yes handheld video games are portable, but you can't wear them when you complete a level), that can go quite so many places. I learned to knit because I had a long train commute to work -- it was perfect! Once I learned to knit, I simply chose projects that required only one ball of yarn at a time and used short needles to avoid poking the commuter next to me. Many knitters keep a sock project on hand especially for waiting in line at the post office (not much is smaller than a sock project). I keep one in my car so that when construction brings traffic to a halt, everyone around me is cursing in their cars while I calmly knit away on my current project.

Not only is it portable, but knitting is also a form of meditation. Choosing a simple, repetitive pattern can be like repeating a soothing mantra, while choosing something more complicated can refocus all your attention on the task at hand and force your mind to release whatever has been causing it to jump around through hoops.

Knitting offers a wide range of flexibility as well. If you like a challenge, there are many many stitches, techniques, and pattern types that you can try out. If you like to be productive and don't feel like struggling, there are plenty of beautiful items that can be knit using only the most basic knit/purl stitches.

Best of all, I find that knitters (and crocheters; I do both and am not prejudiced against either one!) are some of the nicest people in the world! I had a stranger on the train offer to help me when I was struggling to make an i-cord for the first time, and never until I knit was I able to walk into a group of people and instantly join the conversation. Knitters love to share... share yarn, stories, projects, successes.... you know you've found a knitter when someone comes up to you and touches your hand-knit scarf and comments on the fiber, or colors, or incredible workmanship.

Now that I knit, I find it difficult to comprehend someone not wanting to knit! :) Once you learn (lucky you--- I have a beginner's class starting on March 12th that you could take!), you have an ultimately-portable, productive, and varied hobby. There is always something new to learn, and there are dozens upon dozens of books, magazines, web sites, and yarn stores with patterns and resources and smiling faces ready to help you with your next project.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T10:02:00.006-05:00

I hope that you take time to celebrate with someone special today... hug a friend, call your mom, take some serious play time with your kids, snuggle with your partner. Make sure the people closest to your heart know how important they are in your life.

I wish you and all the important people in your life a great Valentine's Day!

PS... if you're one of those who feels that Valentine's Day is just a "Hallmark holiday," I found you a link to the legend of St. Valentine.

Well-traveled bears living in Smileville....

2008-02-10T14:31:00.000-05:00

Well, the rumors are true. There are bears from far and wide traveling to live in Smileville!

Mac and Lani hail from distant places in the western US. These two adorable bears have become fast friends as they share their exotic experiences, and their nostalgia for friends back home.

Mac, a deep blue bear, sports a winter white scarf all year round. It reminds him of the cold Alaskan days, living in a land covered in snow year-round. Until he moved to Smileville, he never jumped in the ocean without feeling very very cold! Now he swims as much as his Momma and Poppa bear will let him, in the lake at Smileville.

Lani, whose "fur" is a turquoise blue with hints of yellow, misses the warm sunny days in Hawaii. Her lei of white flowers was given to her by friends before she left the oceanic island paradise. She misses Hawaii, but is a very adventurous bear and is enjoying all her new experiences in Smileville. She was very excited when a few weeks ago she got to see (and taste) her first snow!

Both these bears would love to go home with a new forever-friend. If you'd like Mac, Lani, or one of their new-found friends at Bear Bash to come home with you or someone special, visit the Smileville Bear section of my website, or send me a bear request via email.

Beginner's Knitting Class

2008-02-08T19:46:00.001-05:00

Here's a flyer for the beginner's knitting class I'll be offering. beginning March 12th. Please read the flyer for all pertinent information.

Class size is limited so that I can concentrate on every single person, so sign up now!!

If you have your own group of 5 or more people, contact me about the possibility of scheduling a special class for your group.

PS -- To see the flyer in detail, simply click on it; it will open a larger version in a new window.

Thank you

2008-02-06T12:55:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to say thank you to the people who went back and took my knitting class survey. I got great feedback and some additional ideas that I'm working to incorporate into my plan.

Congrats also to Jen who was randomly chosen from among the respondents to receive the 15% off coupon to Smile Creations Crafts!

I've decided to schedule the first knitting class for sometime early in March. I'll be designing a flyer (with my Mom's help -- she's great at that stuff!) and will post it here next week at the latest.

Anyone ever used a light box?

2008-01-31T23:00:00.000-05:00

Recently another small craft business owner shared that she had purchased a light box, and that it has made taking photographs of her work infinitely easier. I've read a few articles on the topic in some art/craft magazines, but I'm still a little skeptical.

I'll admit it, the photographing of my work is the part that I HATE the MOST! My problem is that despite spending time to set up the shots, getting them as well and evenly lit as possible, and taking multiple shots, I end up needing several hours with PhotoShop to get them really clear and sharp. And what's worse is that good photographs are a must to selling online and successfully applying to craft fairs.

I've read that light boxes are good for eliminating shadows and that they help keep the light even on all parts of the object. So does that mean that if I invest in and use one, I won't have to spend hours at my PC fiddling with the photographs? I'd love to know if others have had the same troubles that I have, and if a light box helped.

Join me in welcoming my sister to the 21st century

2008-01-28T23:08:00.000-05:00

That's right, my baby sister just joined the blogosphere! She has started a blog for her photography business, Innovative Photography.

dawn elizabeth (my sis) is based in southern NJ, but has traveled as far as Curacao (an island in the Carribbean) and NY for photo shoots. She and her associate, Dennis, shoot weddings, portraits, senior portraits, and more. Her on-location portraits (photos taken in a setting of your choice, rather than in a studio) are fantastic!

Every so often she lets me model for her (always fun!) as she tests out new lighting or posing ideas. Here are some samples of her work, starring me!

Knitting class survey update

2008-01-27T18:07:00.000-05:00

I must admit to being a bit surprised and bummed out -- I only received one response to my knitting survey (thank you, whoever you are since you chose to remain anonymous!). I have presented my ideas to several friends for their feedback, but I had hoped for some input from my readers as well.

I will probably leave the survey open for a few more days, in case you've been wanting to answer but just haven't had the time. I know well how hectic life can get at times!

Easter is coming ... sooner than you think!

2008-01-26T12:37:00.000-05:00

Easter this year is just about as early as it can be... March 23rd. It's practically right around the corner! With Ash Wednesday the first week of February, now seems to be the perfect time to start planning your Easter decor and gifts. And a great place to start is with Smile Creations Crafts.

How about an adorable macrame duckling for your front door? The ducks are carefully knotted of strong yellow cord by Dennis and then adorned with feathers and flowers for a festive, unique look.

Not into ducks? What about bears? Our Smileville Bears are soft and cuddly, sure to bring a smile to anyone's face! And the best news about the bears? There is one just perfect for that special person in your life... musician (Rupert Bear plays the drums), aspiring lawyer (Bradford Bear wants to be one, too!), carefree baby (Sally Bear is still in diapers, and the twins Tootsie and Toby wear bibs so they don't spill all over themselves), just to name a few!

Thinking you'd like a more practical gift for a new baby this Easter season? What about the baby wash mitt and burp towel set cross-stitched with butterflies and bunnies by Maryann? Made of soft terry cloth and edged in yellow gingham, this will bring a smile to mother and baby at bath time!

And there's more! A sunflower pillow, cheerful sunflower napkin rings, crochet halter tops, bright & fresh flower pins.... visit my web site today and see all that Smile Creations Crafts can add to your Easter celebration!

3 more days...

2008-01-24T22:33:00.000-05:00

Only three more days to take my short survey about a potential knitting class and be entered in a drawing for a 15% off coupon to Smile Creations Crafts.

Click here to take the survey today!

NEW!! Hand-crafted wooden yarn swifts

2008-01-21T12:34:00.000-05:00

A while back, I asked my dad to create for me my own yarn swift. I have lots of lovely skeins of yarn and my hand was getting tired winding them into balls. So.... my dad (who is an engineering genius and loves tinkering with projects like that) managed to come up with a great yarn swift!

It's made of wood and sits on a small turntable which spins on steel ball bearings. The eight arms each have several dowel holes drilled into them to make the swift very customizable --- it'll accommodate skeins of yarn from 40" up to 104".

Here is the flyer that I've put together to show the swift and how it adjusts & disassembles. If you're interested in ordering a swift for yourself, you can email me at smilecreationscrafts@verizon.net or visit Stitches with Style in Newark.

* Please be aware that it can take 6-8 weeks for delivery of your swift as each one is created by hand upon receipt of the order.

To Teach or Not to Teach

2008-01-13T13:00:00.000-05:00

That may seem a strange question given my post from Sunday about how important it is to learn something new every day. However, I'm asking anyway. During the past 6 months, I've had a handful of people approach me to ask about knitting lessons. I had never before considered it, although I have taught before and am confident I could successfully help others discover how wonderful knitting is.

It's something I'm seriously considering now for the new year, but I'd like your input. If I offered the following package for a set fee, would you take the knitting lessons? If not, what would you change?
*four one-hour-long sessions (one each week for a month)
*a book (that includes some how-to as well as a few starter patterns)
*needles and yarn for two small projects
*two help-me sessions during the month (a few hours where I'd be available for extra help if anyone needed it)

Please take a second & click here to complete my short survey about offering a knitting class. Even if you already know how to knit, I'm interested in your thoughts on this idea! As an extra incentive, I'll select one lucky respondent to receive a coupon for 15% off any item in my online shop! The coupon winner will be chosen on January 27th, when I close the survey.

Heeeeeere's Rupert!

2008-01-10T12:13:00.000-05:00

Say hello to Rupert Bear, the musically inclined toddler in Smileville. When he was just a tiny cub, he loved to find sticks and rocks and use them to "play music" on his momma bear's pots and pans. She tried to find another toy that he liked that was quieter, but nothing seemed to keep him as happy as making noise.

Just last Christmas, she gave in and got Rupert his very own drum! He is so happy! It's the perfect size to carry with him to Bear Bash (the daycamp for baby bears in Smileville), so he doesn't have to hunt for sticks and rocks anymore. The best days are when the teacher bear at Bear Bash lets him play music for all his friends after lunch!

If you'd like Rupert (or one of his other friends at Bear Bash) to come home with you or someone special, visit the Smileville Bear section of my website, or send me a bear request via email.

I'm in Stitches

2008-01-09T10:29:00.000-05:00

Stitches with Style, that is! Beginning this week, some of my handcrafted items will be on display (and available for purchase, of course!) at Stitches with Style, my LYS (Local Yarn Shop) in Newark, DE.

Right now there are knit stuffed snowpeople and a few of the Smileville Bears ready for adoption. Soon I will be adding some fabric book covers (They are sooo convenient: just slip your paperback into the cover, use the integrated bookmark to keep your place, grab the handles and go!). And custom-made wooden yarn swifts will be available for special order (more on these a little later).

Stop by Stitches, say hello to Linda and crew, fondle the pretty yarns, and check out my stuff!!

Learn something every day

2008-01-06T10:50:00.000-05:00

My grandfather shared that wisdom with my sister and I when we were very little -- that you should learn something every day to stay young and fresh and continue growing all your life. As I get older, I tend to notice more that I am still learning every day and I marvel at it, especially the lessons that find you when you least expect them. Sometimes silly trivia, sometimes earth-shattering truths, it doesn't matter as long as you learn.

Today what I learned falls more into "hey, that's convenient to know" and so I thought I'd share. I was paging through a jewelry design book of my sister's (as you may or may not know, she designs and creates all the jewelry that I sell at Smile Creations Crafts) and found a little chart tucked at the bottom of a page --- a chart all about the lengths of necklaces.

Personally, I know what a choker is, and that's about it. Sure I measure and dutifully note the length of every piece she gives me to sell (and post it with the online entry for the piece), but I can never visualize where it will fall on a person until I actually put it on. But even still I have difficulty with how to describe to someone else where it falls on me?

This chart helps soo much with that!! And so, with thanks to Crocheted Wire and Bead Jewelry, here is a condensed, Patience version of what I learned today from that chart:
There are 7 basic acknowledged lengths of necklaces.
* Collar -- 12-13" -- multiple strands worn snugly around the neck
* Choker -- 14-16" -- slightly looser than collar; sits just above the collarbone
* Princess -- 17-19" -- sits slightly below collarbone; looks great with high necklines
* Matinee -- 20-23" -- fits into the "V" of most V-neck shirts; hits high on the breastbone
* Opera -- 28-34" -- hangs into the cleavage; can be doubled for choker
* Rope -- 40-45" -- versatile (I like to double it, with one loop like a choker and the other hanging more like a matinee length necklace)
* Lariat -- 48" or more -- ends are left unattached for knotting or to be wrapped around the neck

Happy 2008

2008-01-02T21:32:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a happy celebration to ring in the New Year! May this year bring good things, fond memories, and friendship.

My new year's resolution: to re-find time and post more often. What's your new year's resolution??

A day late and a dollar short...

2007-12-26T09:44:00.000-05:00

Well, at least a day late... and I'm sorry for that. But I hope that you all had a very happy healthy and fun Christmas!! May the blessings of the season touch you and your loved ones for the year to come.

Yes, you can knit with bamboo

2007-12-11T22:29:00.000-05:00

Yarn made from 100% bamboo is really rather nice to work with. I discovered this after a custom order was placed for a bamboo hat and scarf set. The recipient is allergic to wool, and the buyer wasn't thrilled with the thought of acrylic. So I recommended bamboo (I knew it was soft, but had never actually knit anything with it) because it won't get heavy when wet like cotton.

I really enjoyed making this set. The yarn (Bernat Bamboo -- part of their new Natural Blends yarn collection) doesn't split, and doesn't seem to shed. It does shred a little at the very ends when being threaded into a tapestry needle (for weaving in all the ends). But otherwise it was a dream. My mom, who helped out by making the hat, loved it as well. It is definitely easy on the hands. And sooo soft, with a nice sheen to it.

My only complaint about this yarn right now is the limited color selection. So far I've only found 6 colors: baby blue, cream, beige (those three were used in this set), pink, lemon, and pale sage.

Here is the finished scarf and hat:

It's snowing...

2007-12-05T14:26:00.000-05:00

How cool! I was working in my little room upstairs, and had to take out the camera because..... there are fat puffy white flakes falling from the sky!

Perfectly fitting, since this morning I was working on some snowpeople. Thanks to my mom (who knits snowperson bodies and then gets really creative doing the hats and scarves), I have a whole slew of snowpeople to assemble and stuff! This particular group is headed to the Vulcan's Rest in Chesapeake City, MD, where some of my handcrafted items are being displayed for sale. The one wearing a green & brown hat is a bit different. Knit in yarn slightly shaded with pinks & lavenders, this snowperson looks like the sun is glistening off of her snowy body.

If you'd like one of my snowpeople to brighten your home and heart (they are guaranteed not to melt!!), click here to order on my website. You can also purchase in person at either the Vulcan's Rest Fibers, Chesapeake City, MD, or the Mansion House Christmas Shoppe, Bear, DE.

This BIGGEST wreath ever!

2007-12-01T10:19:00.000-05:00

At least as far as wreaths that I've made goes. I just completed a custom order wreath for a person who has a large living room and high ceilings. The request was for a Christmas wreath ..... 30" in diameter!

I'm really pleased with the way it turned out, and wanted to share.

Before....

(I was tempted to count how many pinecones it takes to make a wreath this large, and then decided I just didn't want to know!)

and

After...
What I'm not happy with are the pics. Unfortunately, the wreath is too big for me to get good pics because it won't fit on my door nor available wall space. The light coming in from the window is glaring a bit and washing out the gold/white bow, but I guess you can kinda see what the wreath looks like. Wish I were a better photographer...

San Diego squares -- update

2007-11-27T09:57:00.000-05:00

It seems this week will be a time of updates... This one about a charity knitting/crocheting opportunity.

Awhile back, I found out about a project to knit or crochet squares together to make blankets for the victims of the San Diego fires. There are over 2000 families who have lost everything; what a nice thing it would be for each to receive a hand-crafted blanket, to know that others care.

Well, I began my squares right away, but then got delayed because of three shows, special orders, and Thanksgiving. Now that the dust has settled (basically) on those events, I pulled out the squares to continue working, but worried that maybe I was too late.

So I jumped online and .... the project is still going strong. There are still many blankets to be made. When I visited the Ravelry group to check on the status of the project, I learned they now have a blog about the project. If you have a minute, knit or crochet an 8" square; if you have a few minutes, hop on over to the "San Diego Wild Fire Blanket Project" Blog. There are heartwarming pics of crocheters in San Diego assembling all the donated squares, photographs of the horrible devastation the fires caused, and info on the project itself (numbers, specifications, and address to send squares).

FO update

2007-11-26T23:15:00.000-05:00

Today I have just a quick FO (finished object) update. I spent Thanksgiving weekend eating yummy food, hanging out with my husband's family, and knitting up a storm. The result: three finished wraps (and not a moment too soon!):
One, knit with gorgeous brown and orange variegated yarn, has been mentioned in this blog before.

This one, made with Skacel Sofa (I love how soft and yummy it is!) was to be a shrug, but suddenly yelled "caplet" as I began to knit.

And this tiny, soft, furry concoction, is a mobius wrap fit for a night on the town (what with it's splashes of glittery silver and all).

The world's biggest yarn stash

2007-11-20T09:52:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, it's not mine, although I'm working on it. I can only imagine walking through this room, sniffing a Tess here, fondling a cashmere or angora there..... This must be like where all good knitters go after death!

Seriously, I'm sooo jealous!!! This MUST be the largest stash known to knitter!! My head is reeling as it is; I cannot imagine any more privately owned yarn in one room.

If you click on the picture, you can read what the woman's mother-in-law posted about the stash a few months ago.

Updated info for Mansion House Farms Christmas Shoppe

2007-11-16T09:17:00.000-05:00

A few days ago I blogged about a really cute Christmas Shoppe that will be opening in Bear, DE on Nov 23rd.

I just received a flyer from the owner, which includes the shop phone # [(302) 836-8170] and hours of operation (Mon-Fri 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm; Sat 8:00 am to 8:00 pm; Sun 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm). There are also some special events planned with Santa on Dec 1st and Dec 15th.

Here is the flyer.

New store!

2007-11-12T16:42:00.000-05:00

On Nov 23rd (Black Friday, folks!), a new Christmas shop will open in Bear, DE. And my items will be sold there!!

The Mansion House Farms Christmas Shop is at 2656 Porter Rd in Bear (just off Rte 896). It's at the corner of the Mansion House Farms property in a cute little green and red painted building. The decor inside is very cute and Christmas-y -- with tree lights strung from the ceiling, wreaths on the windows, and iridescent snowflakes hanging in the background.

They will be selling handcrafted items from local artists. Some of my pinecone wreaths, as well as stuffed snowmen and Smileville Bears, will be in the shop. Also a possibility are my scarf/hat sets and some macrame ornaments. I only know one of the other artists so far, but I love the items she makes - fabric covered corn bags (among other things). They are wonderful little "bean bag" like things that you can put in the microwave (they're full of corn that doesn't pop!) and use them to warm your toes in bed, or keep in your coat while you walk the dog.... they are so warm and smell so good!!! Also for sale in the shop will also be homemade fudge and hot chocolate, Otis Spunkmeyer cookies, and other holiday gift items made by local residents.

I hope you'll stop by the Mansion House Farms Christmas Shop, and finish a little of your holiday shopping from the selection they have inside. If you need to call for the hours (I don't know them yet) or directions, call George at (302) 540-1438 or Mike at (302) 528-0051.

Off to show we go!

2007-11-09T13:38:00.000-05:00

Just a quick reminder that tonight I'll have a booth at the Olive B Loss Elementary School Craft Fair from 6-10pm. Then tomorrow I'll be at the Holy Angels Craft Fair from 10-4pm. See the links on the left (under show schedule) for more info about each location.

If you're in the area (or bored and looking for something to do), please stop by! I'd love to see you!

Squares for San Diego

2007-11-01T08:38:00.000-04:00

Several days ago, a woman posted a question to my Yahoo knitting group about what charities might accept some squares she has been knitting. And in doing a quick Google search to help her, I discovered that a resident of the San Diego area has begun collecting squares of washable yarn to make blankets for all the residents displaced by the recent fires.

And so began my recent obsession with crocheting squares. I dug around in my stash and near the bottom found some partial balls of Red Heart, left over from when I was doing plastic canvas crafts (a long time ago). I've been making squares during every possible free moment (there aren't as many as I'd like, given show preparations, but it's amazing how much of a square you can do while standing in the kitchen waiting for dinner to cook). It's amazing how many you can get from a partial skein of Red Heart yarn!

I will post a pic of the squares once I deplete my Red Heart, or learn of a deadline and stop to mail them in. I don't think there is any sort of deadline yet.

Oh, where can you learn more, you ask? Well, if you're on Ravelry, just look up the "San Diego fire 8" squares donations" group. If you're not a Raveler quite yet, then visit this link.

Hi, I'm Sally Bear

2007-10-29T13:29:00.000-04:00

Actually, the title was translated from "ah-goooo, goo-goo-grrrrr." You see, Sally is a baby bear, and really hasn't learned how to talk yet.

She's adorable, though, waddling around in her little white diaper. She's in the process of "potty" training (so that she learns to go do her business under a designated tree), but she hasn't quite got the hang of it yet.

Sally spends every day at the Smileville Bear Bash, a daycamp for the cubs of the working bears in Smileville. Her favorite friends, Tootise and Toby, are twin baby bears, born just a few months earlier than Sally.

Sally makes a great playmate, loves sweets (like honey!), and is a warm cuddly companion. If you'd like Sally to come home to you (or someone special in your life), click here to purchase her on my website.

Snowpeople

2007-10-23T23:00:00.000-04:00

I know it's hard to consider snowpeople seriously when the weather outside is still warm enough for shorts and t-shirts, but the holidays are fast approaching and I need to be prepared.

Today I spent some time making a collection of stuffed knit snowpeople. They are turning out just as I'd pictured... all fluffy and white with little scarves and matching hats. I started out making their noses with orange buttons, but when I ran out of those, I began using orange yarn instead. A little bit of strategic glue and voila! the yarn sticks out from their faces like little carrots. I really like the way that turned out.

The snowpeople will make their debut at the Olive B Loss Elementary School craft fair on November 9th. Hope to see you there!

I saw the Yarn Harlot!

2007-10-22T18:19:00.000-04:00

The Yarn Harlot, also known as Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (or maybe that should be reversed...), spoke and signed books at the Borders in Marlton, NJ on Friday night. YarnMama and I stopped to listen on our way to Cape May for a knitting retreat weekend with friends. No, it wasn't really "o the way" but who cares, it was the YARN HARLOT for goodness sakes!!

She was wonderful, despite having a cold and a horrible cab ride over to the Borders. Of course she brought THE SOCK. Somehow, in spite of having sat in the front row for this very reason, she missed getting me in the photograph with her sock. She got YarnMama, and another woman who had been sitting on my other side, but not me (only my red and white striped sleeves, which you can see in pics 2 and 3 if you stare really closely).

However, I forgive her. She let me hold her sock, and she held mine (and YarnMama's, too).

Thank you, Stephanie, for coming to NJ!!!

A closer peek at the newest part of my stash

2007-10-18T08:52:00.000-04:00

Continuing with the tour of my yarn purchases at Stitches East, we have some yarn purchased in bulk:

Debbie Bliss, to me, is always a good choice. Each and every one of her fibers feels soooo soft, and the colors are strong and the yarn doesn't pill or split. So, when I found a booth selling bags of her yarn at wholesale prices, I dove right in (literally, as they were all in a little "corral" type thing on the ground!). Came up with two: Cashmerino superchunky in forest green, and Soho in a unique green/pink/black variegated. The cashmerino is for my Mom to use --- she found a neat shrug pattern and is itching to try it.

In the same booth I also came across Laines Du Nord Cocotte (80% wool) in a really pretty green/turquoise. It was the color of this yarn that stopped and called to me. I've never knit with it before, and I'm not even sure yet what it is destined to become, but I brought it home with me nonetheless. :)

And finally, another daring new yarn purchase: SWTC's Gianna (50% soysilk; 50% wool) in a vibrant RED. By snagging the 4-skein bag, I also landed a free pattern for hat and mittens to make with the Gianna. Course I may not get the chance, as my Mom really took a liking to this yarn as well....

100% Texas Wool

2007-10-17T00:29:00.000-04:00

So it says on the label for Solana, this gorgeous 100% wool worsted weight yarn I bought from Brooks Farm. I love this colorway (thanks, YarnMama, for finding it!). This yarn is so soft, but as we stood in the booth fondling the yarns, I just couldn't seem to find the one that spoke to me. All the colors were pretty, but the one perfect one in which I could find inspiration..... It was elusive, but YarnMama (who has a great eye for color!) pointed out this one, which was half-hidden toward the bottom of the rack. Perfect!

Shepherd's Wool (by Stonehedge Fiber Mill) was another YarnMama find. The people in the booth weren't very welcoming (didn't even say hello), but their yarns were very well priced! YarnMama braved the chilly ambiance purchased anyway. When we were looking at our new stash on Saturday night, I realized that I was a silly, silly girl not to snap some of this soft wool up! So I went back on Sunday, and this time the people in the booth were pleasant. Perhaps they were very tired on Saturday by the time YarnMama and I reached them! Anywho, my color choices were Misty Blue and Milk Chocolate. They are destined to become a striped shawl, based on what I learned in my "Shaping Shawls: Triangles and Trapezoids" class.

It's over...... :(

2007-10-14T20:51:00.002-04:00

I waited so long for it, and it's over. Stitches East, that is.

It's been a whirlwind 4 days. I'm exhausted. But I learned soo much, and I bought so much yummy yarn! I am desperately itching to cast on some new projects with my new yarn, and practice all the stuff I learned! It's my main to-do for the week, yes it is. Fellow Newark Knitters, expect to see some new yarn on Tuesday night!

Here's a quick "taste" of my weekend, in bad cell phone pictures: :)

the entrance to "mecca"--- a beautiful 5 huge aisles full of fiber and fiber-related goodies!!
YarnMama's & my yarn purchases, spread out in our room

all of YarnMama's lovely yarn (and sock blockers!)

my lovely yarn purchases (minus what I bought on Sunday!)

the Baltimore Basilica

I'm a bit too tired to blog in detail now, but I promise more info on the classes, etc later... maybe in small daily doses. :)

It's STITCHES Time!!!

2007-10-10T21:37:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it! After waiting for what felt like an EON, it is finally time to pack for Stitches. In my workroom, I have a wonderful mess of needles and yarn on the floor, picking out all that I need for my classes. And then I get to pack clothes and go to bed... and wake up in the morning to set out on my adventure!

I am thrilled that my mom is able to come with me for one day. I pick her up bright and early tomorrow so we can see Baltimore AND see the beautiful yarns. Then on Friday she'll go home, classes will begin, and the Yarn Mama will be joining me for classes and revelry (and Ravelry, too!) and fun. I cannot wait to experience the Yarn Market with several years of knitting under my belt (the first year that I went I was a novice knitter, and hardly even knew what I was looking at enough to really appreciate it).

I'm traveling light so as to have plenty of room to bring back lovely new fibers, so the laptop is staying home (thus, no updates until I return). But fear not, I shall share.....

This is the way we bake our wreaths, bake our wreaths, bake our wreaths...

2007-10-09T17:26:00.000-04:00

...so early in the morning.

I have no idea what nursery rhyme or children's song goes like that, but I remember is singing it in the mornings with my mom: "This is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teeth..." What that has to do with making wreaths, I will never know. I cannot explain the strange connections my brain makes, especially when I still feel sleep deprived. (I've figured out why, by the way, but that's a story for another day, maybe.)

I realized that I don't have many wreaths ready for the winter holidays, and so undertook the first step: inserting pinecones into the wreath frames. This is sticky business indeed; all the sap from the pinecones gets EVERYWHERE! And it only comes off with nail polish remover, at least as far as I have learned.

Once the pinecones are nestled into the frames, we bake them for several top-secret reasons! :) Although I love the way they look when done, this step is the stinkiest!! I try to do it only when Dan isn't home, so he won't wrinkle his nose and remind me how much it smells (as if I could forget!). I open all the windows on the first floor (the cats love it and go nuts, trying to sit in each and every window!), and turn on the fans. It'll still take until dark to get rid of the heavy pine-y odor. I wish I could take a picture of the thick smoke that's filling the downstairs right now!

Returning to the Curiosity Shoppe

2007-10-04T09:01:00.001-04:00

Yes, I have had the honor of being asked into the Curiosity Shoppe's new current showing, beginning Friday (last Friday, that is) and lasting through the end of November. For now, they are displaying and selling some of my jewelery. It was hot off the jeweler's table, so I don't even have pics to upload; you'll just have to make a road trip out to South Street and see for yourself.

Curiosity Shoppe is located at 527 South 4th Street (which means they're just off South, on 4th).

And.... as far as I know now, they will be carrying some of my knit bears, the Smileville Bears, and some shrugs/wraps for the Nov/Dec 2-month rotation. It'll be a great chance to do some last minute holiday shopping!!

Key West -- the isle of cats and chickens

2007-09-27T12:57:00.000-04:00

So I have a piece of advice regarding vacations: Don't plan more than 2-3 meetings, appointments, or otherwise un-missable events for the week that you return. You won't breathe, sleep, knit, or talk to friends/spouse. You will end up grumpy and stretched too thin and feel more than moderately insane, which stinks since you were just on vacation to stop feeling insane.

Yes, I did all of the above. Hence, my advice not to do that. LOL

The trip, though, was wonderful. Dan and I were in Key West for 6 days (although about a day or so was taken up with the actual traveling). We flew into Miami Airport, and drove through the keys on Rte 1, all the way to Key West. We got lucky... the rental place upgraded us to a convertible for no extra charge! It was a great way to begin....

We stayed at a lovely bed and breakfast called the Island City House. They own six really cute cats, most of which were very friendly and loved to be petted by the guests. This lil guy was my favorite. His eyes look soo much like Puss n Boots from Shrek II; the pic doesn't show it that well, but they were HUGE green eyes!

The hotels's cats weren't the only ones; Hemmingway had a house on the island, and kept many cats. I guess his cats had many kittens, for there are lots of cats running the island. And chickens, but history says the chickens were brought from Cuba in the earlier days of the island's history. The chickens are hysterical; they just run wild, cock-a-doodle-dooing where ever they please. No one owns them, per se, and it's illegal to hurt them in any way.

Thursday night, we opted for a sunset sail aboard the Liberty Schooner. The sunset was so-so; half obscured by patchy black clouds and not all that vibrant. But the crew was wonderful, the sailboating was neat (I've never been on one before), and ..... I got to "drive"!! Yes, the captain said anyone who wished could "man the wheel" for a bit. Not only did I do it, but I got to yell commands to the crew while doing so, in order that the sails would catch more wind. My next career? No. But it was fun that once!

Friday Dan and I went snorkeling. It was pretty neat; we saw a lobster, and a moray eel (Dan said most scuba divers don't even get to see them the way we did 'cuz they often hide in caves), barracuda, and lots of pretty colorful fishies. Unfortunately, there were quite a few jelly fish, and we opted to get out of the water rather than get stung. And my pictures didn't turn out all that great. Bummer. It's harder than you'd think to take a picture of a fish when you are being moved about by waves, and the fish are moving in currents below you.

Those are the highlights. In between and afterward there was shopping, terrific seafood, some enjoyment of the late-night scene, and a few beaches. It was a great trip!

I'm ba-a-ack!

2007-09-25T09:58:00.000-04:00

I'm back in two ways, actually:

One, quite literal, as I've been in Key West for the past 5 days. It was WONDERFUL, and I'll post more about it later this week when my pics are uploaded and can accompany the short narrative.

The second way I'm back is that my work is back in the Curiosity Shoppe for display and sale. This two-month rotation (beginning Friday Sept 29) the South St. Phila store asked me to focus on jewelry items. So I did (duh). All signs point to my items being in the store for the next four months, though, as my knit bears have already been requested at the Nov/Dec cycle. Yay!

So while I go do things like sort laundry from a week of extreme heat and fun in Key West, you should grab your calendar and jot down Curiosity Shoppe's address (529 South 4th St) and plan to stop by next time you're in Philadelphia. :)

It's Monday again...

2007-09-17T10:02:00.001-04:00

and thankfully, I can already tell it'll be a better week than last week. I've been up for a few hours, got my yoga practice in before they closed the aerobics room at my gym for a class, and have a definitive list of the stuff that needs to be done in the next few days. And I have energy (which I was sorely and sadly lacking last week!).

Yesterday was the Newark Community Days Festival. I've never been before, but had a booth this year. I was very pleased with the way vendor set-up was handled. There were to be around 1800 vendors (of different sorts --- some public info, some political groups, and several entire sections of hand crafters), so it easily could have turned into a disaster. But there were volunteers posted at designated drop-off points, willing and able to help carry items to your booth. And there was plenty of space for vendor parking (for free -- thanks, Newark!) in any lot along Main St or DE Ave.

There were plenty of people, but not soo many that they couldn't cross a walk to see something that caught their eye. It was a chilly day, but it didn't keep people from shopping! Actually, I think the breeze helped people remember it's the right time of year to buy warm knitted items ... and Christmas gifts! It was a great day.

Now I'm preparing for (and looking forward to) the next show, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church. It's October 6th ... just two weeks! Off I go, to make more of all the items I sold yesterday! Also, if you're considering a facelift for your doors for this holiday season, this show will be a must-visit, as I'll have a full selection of fall and winter holiday wreaths available.

Getting to all the wrong things

2007-09-12T10:11:00.000-04:00

Ever find that some days you're really surprisingly productive, but not with regard to ANY time-sensitive tasks that you may have on your plate?!

That's how yesterday felt to me. I have a booth at a festival, Newark Community Days, on Sunday. I need to get some things organized for it. I'll be selling some of my hat/scarf/fingerless glove sets (but they all need to have my clothing label sewn inside). And since I designed a new way to tag my items for sale, I need to re-tag every item I'm planning to bring to Community Days. But instead, I did other stuff.

It's not as though what I worked on WASN'T important ('cuz some of it was). I mean, I updated my supply inventory, and worked to finish a crochet purse that I've had on the back burner for awhile now. And I made the eyelet shrug grow another 2.5". Althought updating my stash and FOs on Ravelry probably doesn't fit into "important..."

*sigh* Today is a new day; maybe it will bode better for the imperative tasks (I REALLY don't want to spend Saturday doing that stuff! Our pool is still open and I want to use it!).

Distracted by instant gratification

2007-09-06T10:46:00.000-04:00

Or something like that. The eyelet shawl, which is finally about halfway done, is feeling like it's the slowest project this side of the Mississippi.

So I'm taking a break... of sorts... with several quicker projects. I cast on for a novelty scarf the other night. I'm going to alternate bright blue/glitter and black sparkly yarns. They are both Anny Blatt, and were part of the yarn gifted to my knitting group a few months back. The most fun thing about this project (so far) is that the light bulb went out while I was knitting, and during the thirty seconds it took for my eyes to adjust, I looked down at my lap and noticed that the scarf was glowing. Turns out the blue Anny Blatt has glow-in-the-dark specks in it (the glowy parts are the ones that look cream/yellowy in the pic). Cool!

Then last night I cast on for a custom shrug in Rhapsodie. I'm really enjoying this yarn. It doesn't split, it's soft, it makes big stitches, and the color variations are quite pretty. I chose a simple basketweave pattern for the shrug ... to make it interesting without detracting from the yarn itself. Got nearly 6" of the shrug knit last night while watching old Friends episodes. Gosh how I miss that show!

Stitches East Homework ..... DONE!

2007-09-03T21:53:00.000-04:00

Yup, that's right. I'm celebrating, cuz all my swatches are DONE!! And (this is a bonus), I was able to use leftover yarn pieces for the swatches. I had some acylic on hand, and no idea what I was going to use it for; these swatches were the perfect solution. Now I can leave the swatches knit so that, paired with my notes from class, it'll be like having the class whenever I have a question.

What did I need to swatch? Not all that much, I guess. I needed four different swatches for my first class (Friday morning) called Rolled Endings. I'm looking forward to this class, and learning some cool new ways to cast off projects.
Then I needed one swatch on DPNs for my third class (Saturday morning) called Build a Better Bag. Can't wait to learn some tricks for making bag-shaped bags, and having them be sturdy without felting. Nothing against felting, mind you, just a) haven't done it yet and b) don't want to do it on every bag, obviously.

Now I'm ready to start on a custom shrug request. The recipient simply requested the color (orange) and left the pattern up to me. Oooh, fun! I found the perfect yarn at the LYS sale recently: Plassard Rhapsodie in orange/brown/pumpkin. I can't wait to start on it. Now to my pattern dictionary to find a nice pattern to show off the pretty colors!

Smile Creations Crafts's work for sale in Chesapeake City, MD

2007-08-30T11:35:00.000-04:00

Yup, it's very exciting. My work is being displayed/sold at a shop called Vulcan's Rest in Chesapeake City, MD. My husband and I were wandering around in Chesapeake City a few weeks ago, and Dan found it (hooray for wonderful husbands!).

In addition to a huge selection of fiber, the owner likes to feature completed projects by local artists, and has thus turned her shop into a fiber and gifts store. If you happen to be there, look for my work. Some items she currently has for sale are:

Knit purses in several styles (pictured is one of them)

Crochet shawls (one in black/multi; one in shades of blue)
Knit jack-o-lanterns (just in time for the spooky season!)
Crochet flower pins - perfect to dress up a shawl, or to embellish a project of your own
Smileville Bears -- Molly (pictured) and Mac

Of eyelet shawls and potluck dinners

2007-08-28T16:22:00.000-04:00

The two things that are most top-of-mind right now: eyelet shawls and potluck dinners.

My current project, a pretty eyelet shawl in pink Ocean yarn, feels like it's finally moving along. I've been working on it for a few weeks now (although I must confess some of my time has also been distracted with other, shorter-term projects), and I've today reached the halfway point. Thanks to having no shade in my backyard, I staying inside to avoid a sunburn and watched several episodes of one of my fave TV shows, 24, while knitting away. Here are some pics of my progress.

As for potluck dinners, the LYS, Stitches with Style, is sponsoring a knit and eat tonight. Who knows what I'll eat -- it's all up to what my fellow knitters bring. But it promises to be a fun night. I made a baked macaroni casserole, which I believe is one of my all-time favorite pasta dishes. So simple, so cheesy, so YUM!

Very unique purses

2007-08-23T14:21:00.000-04:00

For all you book lovers, I found a really cool website today. It's called "Rebound Designs." The product: cool stuff made from old books.

First and most prominent are their purses made from hardcover books. The selection is fabulous... purses from the newest novels (think Harry Potter) to the most obscure (calculus texts). And best of all, the bags seem large enough to hold what you need, but not so large they become heavy and cumbersome. When they make one from The Scarlet Pimpernel, I have this feeling I'll be back to buy it!

They also have a line of naughty pins made from phrases cut from old books. Anyone who think that books weren't sexy "way back when" should just read the list of pins. I got a thrill just reading them myself!

Black & White shawl

2007-08-20T11:54:00.000-04:00

For all those whose sympathies reached me last week, when I had to frog an entire crochet shawl, I thought I would share the newly completed item.

This time, it is the right length (hooray!) -- about 27" from the top to the bottom point. It hangs just below my waist (and I'm on the tall side at 5' 8"), so I think on the customer it will be perfect!

The customer shared with me that she ordered the shawl for her cruise vacation. The first dinner on board is to be a formal affair, and she wants this shawl to match her little black dress! How exciting!!

Homework for Stitches

2007-08-19T16:05:00.000-04:00

Yes, I looked at the calendar today and thought "Gaa! It's only 2 months until Stitches East in Baltimore, and I have homework to do!"

I printed up the schedule of classes I'm signed up to take --- I created the list awhile back --- with all the supplies and homework associated with each. Now I need to go find yarn left-overs to work with, and get busy! Since it seems that I just have swatch after swatch to knit, I think working on them in between other projects MAY keep me from going insane. So if I start now.....

Thankfully, only two of my four classes require pre-knitting: Rolled Endings on Friday morning and Build a Better Bag on Saturday morning. My shawl class and my beginner entrelac classes don't require any work at all.

The entrelac has been teasing me, however. Now that I'm on Ravelry (as "Patience" since I'm on only for my personal knitting --- no association to Smile Creations Crafts), I have found lots of projects I want to make in "all" my spare time. One of them is an entrelac wash cloth, believe it or not (check out my Ravelry queue to see it for yourself). Not only does it look cool, but I thought it may be easier than trying to jump into entrelac with, say, the shawl I've been wanting to make for my sister for the past two+ years. We'll see if the bug moves me enough to try it pre-Stitches. Somehow, I doubt it. Maybe the wash cloth will be my first project after Stitches, to get my feet wet before the shawl. I'll keep you posted.

Now, off to find the yarn for my swatches!

Look -- it's Tootsie and Toby, the twins!

2007-08-16T14:02:00.000-04:00

The babies of the Smileville Bear Bash play club, Tootsie and Toby can't really talk yet. But they are great fun! They coo and giggle, and drool a little on their matching yellow bibs.

Tootsie, the lavender bear, is the girl of the twins. She has learned to say "honey" and asks for the sweet treat all the time!

Toby, the mint green bear, is the boy. He recently discovered his toes, and think they taste pretty good. He also loves to give his twin sister big bear hugs.

Tootsie and Toby aren't the only baby bears who spend the day playing at Bear Bash.... Sally, their closest friend, is also a very young cub. Stay tuned... she'll be introduced this fall!

Blog Block

2007-08-15T21:42:00.000-04:00

Ever have "blog block"? You know, when you sit at your computer, and you can't think of anything to blog about. So you check email and come back to BlogSpot, and still can't think of anything to blog. So you add a link, and then go follow a few links to see what everyone else is up to, and... if you're lucky by now when you come back to your shiny new blog post window you've got something in mind.

However, if you're me, for the past week, you still don't have anything to say. Oh never fear, I'm knitting and crocheting, book-keeping and catching my inventory system up to current... I'm just not blogging.

*sigh* Guess I've got the blogging blues.

The crochet frog visited me this week

2007-08-09T10:49:00.000-04:00

And it wasn't pretty!

I received a special order for a black and white version of the shawl (pictured below), due for a black-tie affair at the end of the month. The customer asked if it could be about 4 inches shorter than the one she tried on, since she is slightly vertically challenged.

So I say "no problem!" I have the yarn already, and I had a long trip ahead of me -- a friend was married in NY City on Monday night, and I took the train to avoid traffic. And so, I crocheted the shawl and listened to the sounds of various screaming children on the train. Between train rides and a few hours in Urban Square Park, I managed to finish the shawl.

"That seemed quick," I thought to myself. But knowing that a steady rhythm can make things go quickly, I thought nothing of it. After all, it did take all my travel time, and there was a bit of it.

But alas, when I reached home (and was awake enough to compare the new with the prototype), I realized that the black and white shawl is about 16" shorter (not the requested 4")!!!! I can't figure out what on earth I did wrong. I must have just started out with too short a foundation chain, and not noticed, what with all the distracting train noises. So yes, you guessed it, the entire shawl was frogged. I'm not sure which is more annoying.... having to re-do a project that I was sure I finished, or having it take 2 hours to wind the ribbon yarn back onto the spools so it wasn't twisty. :(

Indestructibles

2007-08-05T22:02:00.000-04:00

I have a very interesting knitting commission. A friend of ours has a dog which has destroyed every dog toy, including those that are marketed as "indestructible." At dinner tonight, he asked me if I could make something that could stand up to Lola's teeth.

I have two thoughts so far: 1) knit with wool and felt it and 2) knit -- tightly -- with heavy/rough rug yarn. Rug yarn worked for a cat toy, so maybe that's the way to go. I've not tried felting yet, but I was just reading about it in the latest edition of KnitPicks' newsletter and thought perhaps that could work as well. I may try the felting first, simply 'cuz I've got some Lion Wool on hand....

Vacations and Craft Shows

2007-07-29T17:27:00.000-04:00

Hi! Sorry about the long, post-less week. I was blissfully away from all technology deep in the heartland of TN. It was a great vacation. As I said, free from technology and stress, but not free of knitting!!

I worked on two projects, mainly during the drive to TN and back again! One is a knit wrap for fall in soft white Skacel Sofa. The other is the crochet wrap-around cover-up for the teeny yellow green and pink bikini. I finished both and will post pics as soon as I find my camera --- I truly hate the unpacking part of vacations!!!

Also, news on then craft show front -- I have scheduled two more shows for this year:
* The first is the 2nd Annual Pinelands Folk Festival in Estelle Manor, NJ. It will be held on August 4th (that's this coming Saturday) from 10am-5pm at the Atlantic County Park on Rt 50. Admission is free.
* The second is the St. John/Holy Angels Church Craft Show in Newark, DE. It will be held on November 10th from 10am-4pm at Holy Angels Gym and Fremont Hall. Admission is free.

Free-style crochet

2007-07-16T09:38:00.000-04:00

I have embarked on a new and interesting journey... free-style crochet. There is no pattern, not even in my head, for this new project. Just the ultimate goal of having a shawl/wrap. Each row I figure out a different crochet stitch to use. I want it to have a nice combination of solidity with airy openness.

It began with a ball of Plymouth Yarns Eros, a pretty ladder ribbon yarn in blues/greens which was a free gift at the WWKIP Day last month. I attempted to create a poncho with this yarn using the pattern that was gifted with it. However, I had a doozy of a time trying to knit with this ribbon, I guess because the pattern called for quite a few yarn overs, and it's difficult enough to knit in the proper places with the ladder, let alone with several loops of it all smooshed together on the needles.

So I thought, "Self, why don't you see if you can crochet with it?" And since crochet uses up more yarn than knit, I thought it would be a good idea to add other yarns to the mix. And so my cool colors free-style wrap was born. I added minty green Filtes SAS Kim yarn and some royal blue shiny cord/ribbon yarn (not sure what it is; it was an unlabeled part of the stash gifted to our knitting group). The contrast of colors is really pretty neat, and I'm pleased so far, but I won't be able to tell if it's really worked out until I'm done.

So far it's 53" -- which is just about as long as I'd hoped. I began with the green, then went into Eros, and just now started a row (or two, who knows?) of the royal blue. This is how it looks so far: