1st Annual Local Yarn Store Appreciation Day

I do enjoy a good excuse to get to my lys, and today was a fine example.  I packed up my tote full of the Flame Stitch Bag  crochet project, and set out in the beautiful Saturday spring afternoon to the Ben Franklin Crafts Store in Grass Valley, 16 miles away.  When I got there, a very large group of knitters were sitting at a U-shaped table set up and I was fortunate enough to find a seat at the end.  Best spot – sweet!  Since I don’t frequent the weekly meetings, I felt a little isolated, but soon started chatting with those around me, and now I’m committed to going back next Friday evening!  Another nice surprise was when several members of my weekly Stitch ‘n Bitch in Colfax showed up.  Hi Diane and Tammi!  I had made this the weekly meeting.  Thought I’d mix it up a little.

Anyway, what did me in today was the 20% off LYS bag.  Buy it for $4.99, and get 20% off your yarn purchase for the day.  I was fine with this.  I could resist, I could.  Really.  That is, until, the young woman next to me was wearing a sweater that was just gorgeous.  And she told me it was a pattern in Ravelry, and I had to have it.  *sigh*  My bank account is now $85 lighter (to include a new circular knitting needle) and I now have another project awaiting my attention.

I had to get more of that beautiful Malabrigo color appropriately named “Ravelry Red”.

Yup. I did some old school cross processing – so last decade!

Cute cookies – of which I did not partake! Still trying to think differently about my food.

Our own language on cookies – how cool!

So what did you do to show your LYS a little love today?

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Oh, My Word!

Have you been as busy as I have?  I’m sure you have, if not more so!  My last post was in November, and here it is, one week before Christmas.  At least the last post was a freebie crochet pattern, so that’s good.  I had a visit with my mother after Thanksgiving and we had a grand time; I finished the Coffee Shop Wrap, which took way too long to make!  Nothing wrong with the pattern, I just couldn’t get into it.  I do love it, though.  Wearing it as I’m writing this post.  Thinking of making some more – have lots of fans!  In the interim, I’m making a slouchy using the leftover yarn.  It’s cotton, and I’m thinking it won’t hold its shape, hence, the slouchy!  I’ll post when done, and if you want, I’ll get the basic numbers and graph to you.  Yea, there’s coffee cups on it.

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Since I most likely will not be posting before Christmas, I would like to wish everyone a good time this holiday season, no matter what your preference is.  I do not know all of the holidays being celebrated around the world at this time, but I believe they’re mostly in the northern hemisphere.  Everyone needs a break from winter!!

See you all in the funny pages.

Donner Pass Beanie Pattern

One of the hats I made to sell this crafts fair season. Easy to knit up and comes in toddler, child and adult sizes.  The colors I used reminded me of the leaden skies and snow that we get in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.

Enjoy!

https://nittinninja.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/donner-pass-beanie1.pdf

 

 

To Etsy or not to Etsy?

I’m going full tilt trying to get a Christmas inventory set up for either;

a. Etsy
b. Local Crafts Fairs
c. Consignment shop

To break it down, they all have their pros and cons. Let’s start with Etsy.

~ Worldwide competition where items are offered for less than I can purchase the yarn, 1.8 million sellers as of 9/5/17, and monthly fees.  This would seem to be a dismal market for a small crafts maker such as myself and I’ve read in more than one article that finding a niche market is what  a successful entrepreneur does.  I don’t do that.  I make what moves me at that time.  The are two things that offsets all this negativity is that it’s relatively cheap to sell and one does have a larger market.

Now onto Local Crafts Fairs

~ Nasty weather, low turn-outs, long hours of exposure to said nasty weather, seller’s permits and insurance are all part of selling directly to your customer.  Having said that, the big draw is that you are offering a product and the buyer is looking, handling and appraising the product right there.  No waiting for shipping, no information given at the electronic checkout, it’s just look, like, buy.  There’s a lot to be said about this approach in our instant gratification society.

Consignment shops

~ High cost of sales, the disposition of the shop owner and their willingness to display/market your product.  These would all seem to be a major deterrent, but if you are in with a shop owner who has high foot traffic, this can mean $$$ for your Christmas budget, UNLESS you get paid after Christmas.  With me, that would not be a problem, as I don’t have small children in the house.

So there you have it.  And now that I’ve written it, down, it seems I will not Etsy again; at least, not at this time.  It looks like the crafts fairs and consignment this year!  Thanks for hearing me out, you guys!  What do you all do?

Fast Fridays and Crocheted Pooling

 

The long hot days of summer have a way of making one lazy.  I still haven’t finished the Shark Bite socks I was so eager to start a month ago.  I’ve completed one sock and I’m slogging my way through the other one.  I’ve had to frog this project so many times I’ve seriously thought of giving it up; however, after spending $43 for the yarn, I just can’t.  I’m sure they’ll be my favorites as soon as they’re done, but that seems like such a long way away.

In the interim, I’ve started on a scarf using the pooling technique.  I’ve put that one off for awhile.  I’d heard about how hard it was, but argyle plaid is one of my favorite designs, so…

My progress since making the video

But it’s not all work, work, work over here.  I actually went to the races, something I’ve done only once before in my life.  The actual racing itself doesn’t capture my attention, but as I went with a good friend whose son and grandchildren are involved, it took on a meaning.  I had someone to root for rather than just watching some bikes race around a lap.  The engine noise could be a bit loud, but all I had to do was pull out my hearing aids and we were rocking!  LOL

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All in all, we’re enjoying life here in Northern California.  How about where you are?

See you in the funny pages!

Review on Red Heart Scrubby yarn

Aaaand….we’re back.

I purchased this yarn several years ago with the intent of making it my “next” project, as soon as I was done with whatever I was working on at the time.  Oops.  I’d actually started this particular post around then.  Its been languishing in the Drafts section, silently accusing me every time I wrote about something else.  Why haven’t you whipped up this easy project?  I’d skim over the Drafts option and choose New.  Sometimes, that’s the way it goes.

So, what did I think after the two year wait?  The yarn is nice and scrubby, textured enough to make finding stitches a little difficult.  I can definitely see its value as a household cleaning item.  But this is a double-edged proposition.  For the yarn to be effective enough, it has to be coarse enough, and that can make it rough on your skin as you’re working it.  I had to stop twice before chafing started!  I will also add that I already have dry, rough, older skin, so this may not be an issue for all of you who try it.

As for the particular pattern I used, Fancy Flower Scrubber, that sucker is big.  I won’t be making a second blue one because I can’t see using them for their intended purposed.  It’s way larger than my hand so it wouldn’t be ergonomic for me.  I may whip up a simple square in hdc just to use it up…but later.  Need to give my skin a break.

For the first time in over 30 years…

I’m doing my laundry in a laundromat. Such captivating entertainment!

And it is expensive. Wow. Takes me back to the last time I did this. I was active duty stationed in England. And so young! 

I am also going to take advantage of this down time to update my readers (hi mom!) of what’s going on. 

St. Patrick’s day hat – incomplete

I have been in a strange mood. I should be whipping out bunnies for the upcoming Easter season, but I just don’t have the heart.  Same for St. Patrick’s day. 😕 I understand life goes on, and I also understand that sometimes, you need to sit back and watch it go by, even though it rankles the hell out of me. 

But I don’t understand what I did to highlight these paragraphs!

I must say all is not lost. I am making headway on my Hawaiian shirt that I attempted last year. 

Wave action!

 I’m not using the same cotton yarn I tried last time, but a more user friendly acrylic. I’m very excited about it and will post the pattern as soon as it’s finished – assuming it makes the cut. 

So, dear readers, I hope you’re enjoying your Tuesday, or as in my case, reliving an experience – and making the most of it!!