Halloweens of Old

Growing up in the city, Halloween meant trick or treating through the subdivision near my house until late at night. When I was really young, it was my Dad bringing my brother and I from house to house, first on the outside of the O-shaped subdivision, then the inside. We always had our pillow cases ready, because these folks were more than generous with their handfuls of candy. It was always a treat looking through our loot at the end of the night. Very few gave out the crappy off-brand candy. It was the real deal, Reeses, Kit Kats, Doritos, the list goes on.
Now that I'm older, trick or treating is a thing of the past. Last year, I worked on halloween, and got in the spirit with my last minute bunny ears and tail. Mini costumes like this are the most work friendly, so I have a set of angel wings and a halo, from when I was about 7, and devil horns and a tail to mix it up. Most people around here go out to the bars in full costume and get pretty tipsy. While I like to drink, I don't enjoy going downtown in my city to the bar strip.
I miss the simplicity of holidays when I was young. I took it for granted then.

A New Blog, and A Finished Item!

It's the start of another work week! My weekend was pretty good, I had yesterday off, so I spent the entire afternoon knitting, reading blogs, and working on my newest blog project.
I love Tumblr. It's an incredibly simple blogging platform, and is easily customizable. I have Several Blogs on there, and I created a new one a couple days ago.

YarnYarnYarnYarn is the newest tumblog added to my arsenal. It's (obviously) about yarn, and yarn related crafts. Knitting, crochet, felting, dying and spinning are some of the themes I share. I worked at it for a few hours on Friday and Saturday, and launched it yesterday. So far, I've gotten a really good response. Many of the artists I've featured have shared it with their followers, which is exactly what I was hoping for. Please follow it and share for some great yarn-y inspiration.

In other exciting news, I finished yet another triangle shawl. I've lost track of how many of these I've made lately, I know it's a lot. This one is made from the red and grey mill ends I bought recently. Grey goes good with anything, but it really makes this Christmas red pop. It's another elongated triangle shape, but different than the ones I've made before. It's knit side to side, rather than top to bottom. I love the way the vertical stripes look. I'm toying with the idea of putting a mixed red and grey tassel on each point. What do you think?

Awesome Thursday: October 25, 2012

The work week is almost done for many of you, and mine is pretty much just starting. I work all weekend, and had a few days off this week. Every Thursday, I post about the awesome things that have happened in my life the week prior. It helps show me that my life isn't always crap, which it seems to be quite often.

• I had my craft show. Which was crap. But! I did hand out a lot of business cards, which will hopefully get me some business later on.
• I met a few awesome people at the craft show, which was super nice.
• Some long time friends came to the the craft show, so I got to briefly catch up with them.
• I used my Square reader for real for the first time at the show, which was super super awesome. (I used it myself before to make sure I knew how to use it, but this time, I actually made money from it) It's really easy to use, I highly recommend you get it if you do craft shows.
• Rick spent the day with me at the show on Sunday. It's been a while since he stayed the whole time at a show, and it was nice spending a day with him.
• I managed to pay off a small chunk of my credit card. This is my current financial goal. It's been pretty close tot he limit for far too long, and I need to get it down.
• Rick and I went to The Main Grill again. Pulled pork poutine, chicken crepe and tomato soup for me, pretty good overall.
• We talked about our future business endeavours. Rick has lots of great ideas, and a couple of them he is going to act on. It's nice talking about our future together, and not just the day to day bull shit that goes on.
• I basically decided that I am going to make a Beekeeper's Quilt. I've been thinking about it for a while, but just sort of said "Yes, now is the time" a couple days ago. I need to order the needles and a couple skeins of yarn to get me started. I will make it out of sock/fingering yarn. I have quite a bit of the right weight already, but that doesn't mean I won't buy more!
• I finished knitting Rick's mom's birthday shawl. Her birthday was yesterday, and the cream alpaca shawl I've been working on for the last little while was for her. The photo at the top of this post was a photo from a little while back before I blocked it.
• I watched a couple episodes of my new favourite show, Duck Dynasty. Seriously, this show is hilarious. So many quotable lines, it's great.
• I started knitting a pretty nice red and grey shawl. I love this colour combination, and the shawl is coming along nicely.

What sorts of awesome things are going on in your lives?

Kingsville Migration Festival Craft Show Recap

Saturday and Sunday, I did a craft show at Kingsville High School. I did the same show last year, and said I wouldn't do it again. I really should have stuck to that, as this year was pretty terrible. There weren't nearly as many people coming through, and the ones that were seemed to just be there to look, and not buy. I had a lot of people stopping by my booth, take a quick glance, and walk away. I barely had time to say hello before they took off. Many of the ones that did stick around weren't the most polite people, either. I had a couple ladies pick up some of my more complex knitting, and inspect it, as if to figure out how I made it. I even had one gutsy lady ask me what pattern I used for one of my shawls. I said I don't use patterns, and she asked for instructions how to make it, so she could make her own. Nice try lady. My items are my own pattern, and I don't want to share, especially not when you ask me rudely.

I did sell a few pairs of earrings on the Saturday, and a scarf and hat on Sunday. I barely covered the cost of my booth. In the end, I lost money. Not to mention, I could have spent less time at work, those two days, and made way more money.

I'm definitely not doing this show again next year. Please hold me to it.

Really hoping my next two shows go better.

What do you do to recover from a failed craft show? I'm pretty bummed out.

Halloween Link Up Party!

Join us on October 29th through November 4th to link up all of your Halloween related posts! Share your recipes, costumes, home decor and whatever else it is you're doing to celebrate this Halloween! Then stop by some of the other blogs that linked up for the holiday fun and get some ideas on how to celebrate Halloween next year (or even this year if you're behind on planning!)

Want to help us promote the link-up? We'd love to have you! Grab the coding below for the button and post it in your sidebar through November 4th to encourage even more bloggers to link-up and spread the holiday fun!

<a href="http://www.afterninetofive.net/holiday-link-up/"><img src="http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l484/AfterNineToFive/HalloweenLinkUp.png" alt="" /></a> Be sure to check out the hosts for the link-up : After Nine To Five //And Here's To You, Mrs. Robinson Polkadot Pretties // Krystal's Kitsch // Pretty Living PDX  Whispering Sweet Nothings // The March Owl // Whit Speaks Squishy Cheeks & Cupcakes // Sabje's Blog // Knit, Nicole, Knit

The Newest Shawl Off The Needles

Last night, in my Awesome Thursday post I mentioned a shawl that recently came off the needles. It's a basic garter stitch shawl, but I really like it. It's a nice light grey, super soft synthetic yarn (I think all acrylic, but I'm not sure) that is just the right size to wrap around your neck and have the tails hang in front. I've been doing a lot of shawls with this wider triangle shape, because it is easier to wear than the right angle triangle that I used to make all the time. I have a couple very similar shawls made, and I will probably make some more the same way.
What do you think? Do you like the triangle shawl shape? What colour would you like to see?

Awesome Thursday: October 18, 2012

I don't think this will get posted by midnight, but let's call it Thursday anyway, okay? These are the awesome things that have gone on in my life over the past week:

• I listed a few new items in the Etsy Shop. Took a break from doing this, because I have the craft show this upcoming weekend.
• We had Vietnamese for lunch one day. One of our favourite meals together. The picture is one Rick took of his shrimp rolls. They're so light and fresh tasting, we both love them. In fact, we've made them ourselves at home several times. Not quite as good as the restaurant, but totally hits the spot, not to mention, way cheaper
• Rick and I got panzerotti from a local pizza joint. Super super yummy.
• We went to see Looper. Super awesome. I really enjoyed it.
• We went to Starbucks and Indigo after the movie. Rick got a couple magazines, and I got a pumpkin spice frappucino. So tasty!!
• I watched the first episode of the new season of The Walking Dead. I actually really liked it. I'm going to either borrow DVDs of the other 2 seasons, or download them. Either way, I want to watch it all!
• I got a really nice shawl finished. It's super basic, but I absolutely love it. I'll make a quick post about this tomorrow.
• I used my Square reader for the first time! It was a $1 transaction from my own credit card, but hey, I had to learn how to use it somehow! I was really excited about how easy it was. Seriously, if you do craft shows, you NEED one of these.
• Rick's mom, Cindy, mage sausage soup for dinner tonight. Rick has mentioned this before, but I never thought anything of it. I had it for the first time tonight, and sweet mother of all that is holy, it is phenomenal. I went up and had a second bowl not too long ago.
• I had a pretty solid work week. Nothing too crazy happened, which is nice.

What sorts of awesome things are going on in your lives?

Looking For New Blogs To Read

When I knit, I am usually reading blogs or listening to podcasts at the same time. Well, the time has come again where I've run out of reading material. (I have plenty of podcasts, but I can only listen to one or two before I get tired of them.) What I'm looking for is suggestions of text heavy blogs that are craft related. Knitting, crochet and spinning are the top subjects I enjoy. I also like recipe blogs, ones written by Etsy shop owners, and ones about day to day life. Basically anything that doesn't involve cars, hunting and fishing, or is solely about motherhood is just fine.
Please leave a link to your favourite blogs!

Currently Listening To:  The Walking Dead season 3 premiere

Some Never Ending Knitting AKA A Knitting Black Hole

Sometimes, I don't like knitting. I know, it sounds crazy, but it's true. I've knit a few projects in lace weight yarn, and I really don't think I will be buying any more, any time soon. It definitely gives you the most bang for your buck, though. This skein cost under $7, and has provided a month of knitting entertainment. In any case, I swear I've been knitting this thing for hours today, and it hasn't grown a centimetre. I'm in another one of those knitting black holes. No matter how fast I knit, I can't escape its pull. Now, this wouldn't matter in normal circumstances, heck, it might even be a good thing. But this project has a deadline. It's coming up soon, and I'm running out of time.
What do you folks recommend to get out of a black hole?

Currently Listening To:  F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X. ~ The Fall Of Troy

Awesome Thursday: October 11, 2012

You've almost reached the weekend! You can do it! Haha, my weekend is non existent this time around; I have Friday off, and then I work straight through till next weekend. Here are the awesome things going on in my life as of late.

• I laid in bed for a while and knit, with Winston sleeping at my feet. Got a few rows done on my current project.
• I took a call in for work. That means more money in my pocket, and it was actually a really fun night.
• I've started learning how to do all the closing stuff. I've only been there a few months, but my manager wants everyone to know how to do it, so we can avoid a situation where someone who isn't working has to come in and help us out.
• I was nominated for an Etsy Bestie. I was doing really well at the beginning, but fell back to the middle of the pack. I'm happy with how I did.
• The weather has cooled off significantly. This makes me happy; I love cold weather.
• Thanksgiving happened. I learned how to make dumplings (something Rick's family has for every holiday) The food was pretty awesome overall.
• I looked at yarns on KnitPicks. My friend is having a baby in February, and I am going to knit her some stuff. I think I've decided on colours, but I'm not sure.

Life is pretty good, all things considered. I'm going to put some new items up in the shop today!

I've Been Nominated for An Etsy Bestie!

Over at Sipping Lemonade, there is a contest to find the best of Etsy. I would be incredibly appreciative if you could head over there and give me a vote! You don't have to sign up for anything, just a couple clicks and you're done. Also, if you scroll down to the bottom, you can find a coupon code to receive 10% off!

New Yarn Day!

A little while back, I told myself that I wasn't going to buy any yarn until the new year, unless it was for a pre-paid custom order. I have so much yarn, it's ridiculous. I have a bunch of cardboard boxes full of yarn, and Rick asked me to try to get rid of those. He doesn't mind the yarn in the clear bins, but the cardboard has to go. I've been making progress, eliminating a couple skeins a week. That was halted when I bought a package of mill ends from Zellers last week. I bought a bag of a really nice steely grey a few months back, and I'd wished I would have bought more. Well, when I went there to kill some time after work, there was one lonely bag sitting on top of some uglier stuff. I knew I had to get it. It's either 6 or 8 skeins, and cost $7.99. I couldn't say no! I've been using that yarn to make some colour block neck warmers. There is only one using it in the shop right now (the aqua and grey) but there will be more in the future!

In other yarn news, I received a beautiful handspun merino/silk blend from Melina, at Midwest Yarn. She had some other mail to send me, and included a little something special. The colours are wonderful. I'm trying to figure out if I want to knit a little neck something, or a slouchy beret. I have no idea how much yarn there actually is there, so the latter might not work out. I'm going to try to figure out a way to calculate the yardage. It might involve some intense math (haha) but it will definitely be worth it in the end! You can see some of her yarns here.

Awesome Thursday: October 4, 2012

It's Thursday again! Time for me to be grateful for the awesome things in my life. Every Thursday I post about the awesome things going on in my life from the week prior. Studies have shown that showing gratitude can lead to one having a happier life.

• I added some new listings to my Etsy shop.
• My friend Crissi Cochrane released her new music video. Unfortunately, I missed out on the release party, but I watched the video at home about 6 times. 
• Rick and I watched V/H/S. It was interesting, but it was like watching a bunch of short films that mashed into each other. There was nothing to tie them together.
• I ordered my Square reader, and received it a couple days later. I can't wait to use it!
• I watched nearly every episode of Duck Dynasty and knit while doing so. I absolutely love that show. Any other Robertson fans out there?
• I signed up for another two day craft show. This one is in December.
• I ordered new business cards from VistaPrint. These ones are going to be used as coupons/goody bag cards. They have "redeem this card for a free pair of earrings with purchase of $X or more" on them, which will hopefully drum up some business.
• I worked quite a few hours this week. Work has been extra fun lately. I don't know what it is, but we all seem to be joking around more, which makes the day go by quicker.

This week has been pretty great. How has your week been?

I Have a Square Card Reader!

A few days back, my friend Chris and I were talking about credit card readers that were available in Canada. He is a graphic designer, and a musician, and wanted another way for people to be able to pay him, other than cash. Makes sense, right? Getting paid is always a good thing. Anyway, Square was the first one that came to mind. As far as we knew, it was still only available in the US, with the hopes of it coming to Canada at some point in the future. Well, the future is now apparently, because we both ordered our readers and received them this week!

With the readerS (yes, there were two) there was also an awesome American Apparel shirt emblazoned with the Square name and logo.

I can't wait to use this at a craft show. I am so excited to be able to accept credit card payments!

Want To Know What's Not Very Fun?

There are a lot of things in life that are not a lot of fun. Getting teeth pulled, waxing, getting in a car accident and losing your favourite knitting needles. Well, another not fun thing is bringing a rambunctious German Shepherd puppy on a walk, when she hasn't been on one in a couple weeks. This little girl is Whitney, my in-laws dog. She's going to be a year old at the end of winter. She is incredibly excitable, and loves to pull when she's on a walk. Rick's mom, Cindy, was about to have her arms ripped out of her sockets on our walk tonight, so we swapped leashes: I took Whitney, and she took Winston. Now, Winston is far from a perfect dog: he pulls and darts back and forth as much as any dog, but he listens a little better than Whitney. In the end, it was a good decision. We managed to get our walk in for the night, all our arms stayed attached, and the dogs were worn out. Really, I love taking the dogs for walks. Where we live is wonderful. There are a lot of really neat animals that run through the area where we go on our walks. I've seen deer, all kinds of birds, bunnies, and I think I saw a fox once. None of these are really rare, or particularly interesting, but for a girl like me who grew up in an area with hardly as much as feral cats, it's really awesome.

We're both trying to get back into some sort of shape that isn't quite so round. Walking/running is where we start. I'm trying to motivate myself to stop eating so much crap, and get moving. If I could just convince myself that the knitting will be there when I get back from my run, I'd be set.
Does anyone want to motivate me? I will return the favour!
(Also, look how cute Winston is, waiting for the walk. What you don't know is that it took 6 tries to get a decent photo)