More Stash Down Progress!

It's only been a couple days since my last update, but I've made even more Stash Down progress! I've been knitting like a madwoman, and eliminating yarn left and right. Still working on the dishcloths, and I am enjoying them. I might miss them once all my cotton is gone.
The top two cloths are some of my favourites. I love adding textures and small sections of stripes to the cloths. They make them way more fun. The blue finished off one ball, and the yellow was finished with the green in the second picture. More on the pink later!
The green and yellow cloth is pretty neat, too. It finished off the yellow and green in one swoop. It's actually like 4 garter ridges too short for a full size cloth, so I threw it in the drawer in the kitchen here. I wouldn't feel right selling a too small cloth to someone, even if I discounted it.
The last two pink ones, in addition to the pink one in the first picture, finished off one of the bigger balls of cotton I had. I still have quite a bit of the light pink left, which I'm working with right now.
This is FOUR balls of yarn finished since Monday! Not half bad, if I say so myself! This brings my count to +64. I always check the average I need to eliminate after I count a chunk. I went from 5.5 skeins per week for the rest of the year, to 5.18. If I can get that number down to 4 or less, I am sure I will get to my goal without having to give yarn away!
I'm taking a short break from the cloths, and working on a striped scarf on 8mm needles that I am loving. I hope to get it done in the next couple days, and share it with all of you.

The Finished Blueberry Jam Shawl

Pardon the dirty mirror picture. What is this, MySpace?

A couple days ago, I cast off my Blueberry Jam shawl. I did a picot bind off, which took approximately two and a half forevers, but looks spectacular. I think I should block it, but I haven't got a clue how I will do that, as I don't have pins or wires or a place to do it. I might just try to dampen it and spread it out on the bed, but we'll see.

I'm not quite sure what to do with this shawl. Part of me wants to keep it, because it feels great, but I'm not in love with it. The other part says list it on Etsy, and see if it sells. I'm planning on moving to more higher end yarns, and I think this would be a good start to my luxe line. I can offer it in different colours and materials as custom orders.

I have another skein of Ultra Alpaca Fine in the Blueberry colour, and I think I might knit a rectangular stole with it.

I'm also browsing Ravelry for some things to make with all the yarn I got yesterday. One of them will probably turn into a birthday gift for my mother in law. Her birthday isn't until October, so I have lots of time to figure that one out. Her winter coat is a bright cherry red, so any of the neutrals would go very well with it.

Recent Treasuries

I've been exploring Etsy, and making treasuries lately.

Here is what I came up with. You can click the images to be taken to the treasury.

Hats, Hats, and More Hats!

Rick and I are out at his parents for a few days. I brought lots of yarn and my loom and I've been working on hats. I've finished four so far, and I'm working on a fifth. I'm hoping to have 6 done before we head home this afternoon.


I've decided that I will be bringing hats to Doin' The Louvre at Artcite. I'm trying to get several hats made of a few colours due to the submission rules. I'm allowed to have 10 different items, but I can have several of each. I also have more hats to bring to Trinkets, Treasures & Truly Unique.
All in all, I'm keeping myself busy and productive. I'm so excited about working for myself. I'm still figuring out exactly what I have to sell each month to cover my expenses.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Craft Show Progress

Knitting like a crazy person is paying off. I've finished three scarves in the past couple days. They are all made out of Homespun. Olive green, a nice coral-y orange and a really cool variegated blue. That finished up two skeins.
I've also started on a purple/plum Homespun scarf. This one will likely finish up this skein, as well.

I am starting my inventory list right now. I hope this isn't as overwhelming as it was last time I did it!

Slow and Steady Wins The Race (or something like that)

There is some progress being made on the stash! I have been working on dishcloths for a while, and I think it's time to show them.
I made the blue ones for Rick's friend, Sarah. She asked for blue, and gave no other specifications, and this is what I came up with. Not sure if she wanted solids, but I can always make more, if she does! She asked for 3, but I made 4 because I still had some of the lighter blue left. This finished off one small skein of cotton.
I still have to weave in the ends, but other than that, they are done, and I am very happy with them.
The pair of neutral coloured cloths is for my Mom. Just one more cloth to go, and all of hers will be finished. This finished off another skein! I've made a whole bunch of cloths for her, and I will be giving them to her this weekend. I hope she likes them.
I have also finished quite a few hats for LeeLee Hats in the past couple days. They use up yarn that I otherwise wouldn't be using. Three made so far, with another on the needles. I still have to sew them up, as I am knitting them flat, but they are looking super cute!
With these knits, I am adding 9 finished objects, and 2 finished skeins. With the next post, I should be adding at least 2 more finished skeins!

Knit Bracelets are in the Shop!

I just listed three cotton bracelets in the shop! They have their own little section, even.
I am using a different, less fancy camera for my items now, and I wanted to test it out to see how well it would perform. I grabbed three bracelets and did whatever I could do. I was really surprised when I uploaded them for the edits. I didn't have to do too much to make them look good. I brightened up the pictures, and fixed up the background a bit, and called it a day.
I figured since I took the photos, I might as well add them to the shop.
We'll see how these do, and hopefully once the weather clears up, I'll take some more photos and add more!
Keep an eye out for a giveaway and some coupons!

Knitted Bracelets!

These are my new favourite thing to make, hands down.
I've been trying to figure out something small and quick to make that could be sold year-round. A bracelet was just the thing. I am using cotton so they are lightweight, and won't overheat your wrist if you wear a stack of them. And they have just enough stretch in them to fit over your hand, without being too loose when being worn.
I think I am going to have them all one price, and if you buy more than one, have them be cheaper. They look way better in groups.
These are the colours I have so far. I want to make at least two of each colour, and then have quite a few white ones.
I'm also trying to decide which colours to make for myself. Right now, the top three (dark and light pink, and white) are the winners.

Now for a little market research:
What colours would you like to see? How many would you like in a group? How much would you pay for 1? What about for 3?
If you could give me your thoughts, it would be much appreciated!!

The blue and white Shawl

Just popping up to say hello again!
I've been looking through some of the photos Rick took, and I'm realizing that they need to be shared. Some are on Facebook already, and others have yet to see the light of day.
I love this blue and white shawl. These shawls are a lot of fun to make. For some reason, I enjoy knitting longer and longer rows. I know there are some triangle shawl patterns that start at the widest edge and go to the point, but I don't like that idea. What if I run out of yarn? What if the point gets all stretched out because of the weight of the rest of the shawl pulling on it? Silly things, really, but things I still think about.

Now, I have a question for all of you. I want to start listing on Etsy (just going to sell there, for now, perhaps I'll sell on Big Cartel or Goodsie later on) The problem is, most of my stuff is winter stuff. Should I wait until the end of Summer to start listing them? Or should I get a jump start and promote in the southern hemisphere?

Finished baby booties!

I literally just cast off the second bootie and sewed it up in the last hour. I am super happy with how this project worked out.

I am trying to use Ravelry a bit more, so I will start linking to the patterns and such on there.
I used the Eco Baby Booties pattern, as I mentioned before, and some blue Bernat Handicrafter cotton. It was one of the tiny skeins (the one dishcloth size) and I still have about 4 or 5 yards left. I'll probably use that as trim on another pair.
I knit the pattern as indicated, but went to 4.25mm needles, because I didn't have the correct size.
I will definitely be making more of these, and probably tweaking the pattern to make larger sizes (this one says 0-6 months, but I'd love to do some up to 12 months)
Overall, I'd say these are a great project for someone like me who wants to get out of the habit of knitting rectangles, or a beginner who is looking for a small challenge.

I never thought I'd see the day when I knit something that is a pair

I really didn't. I've been knitting for something like 10 years (although, a couple years in the beginning, I wasn't knitting at all) and I've never made something that is one of two. Dishcloths, scarves, hats, neck warmers and blankets. That's about it.
Today, I cast on Eco Baby Booties (non-Rav link) in blue cotton.

I've been having a bit of trouble with them, which is 100% my fault, not the pattern at all. Because I am knitting with cotton on the same needles as I do the dishcloths, I keep trying to knit in the cloth pattern. I have had to un-knit and re-knit at least 5 different rows. Some of them I had to do twice. In the end though, I got it done.
I am very close to casting off, and I will start on the other one right away. They should both be done some time tomorrow, and I will post about them again.
This could be a whole new knitting obsession. I could develop my own baby bootie pattern (many seem to be based off the same basic idea, I could probably combine them) and then make a whole bunch of them.

Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, Nicole.
They are REALLY cute!

iPhone cases, and other such things

These are my latest two iPhone cases. They're made from some REALLY brightly coloured yarn that I got from Wal-Mart close to 5 years ago. The one on the left is way pink-er than it looks. It has a couple rows of stockinette thrown in there to add some interest. The blue one is pretty close to the actual colour.
I am managing to get through these pretty quickly, The pink one was started late last night, and finished today. I had to take apart a scarf that I'd made a couple years ago (and luckily never sold) so that I'd have enough of the yarn to finish it. I now have enough of that same colour to make quite a few bows and such, too.
I have been in a pretty fantastic mood the past few days. So many good things have been happening lately.
On that note, I may be absent for a few days. I just ordered a MacBook, and I should be getting it tomorrow. It's going to take me some time to get used to it, so I'm not sure when I'll be posting again.

Not a whole lot to show

It's been two weeks since my last post. You'd think I would have a lot to show for it, but in reality, I didn't get much knitting done.
I did go to Niagara Falls and London with my boyfriend. We had a good time. I had the role of (bad) navigator. I got us all turned around on some back roads. We did eventually make it to the Falls. We left for London the following day.
I worked at Made In Windsor a whole lot. Sold a few of my things. I brought in some iPhone cases (finally) and sold one. It's quite simple, and I enjoy making them. Christine, the owner, told me the girl that bought it had been looking for one like it for some time. I am going to make another one in the same colour to replace it soon. This isn't the one that sold. It is the first one I made that I was completely happy with. I love that bright blue colour.
I made some of the hair bows that I was planning on making for a while. They're not all assembled, but there is a start to them. I need to find a hair clip to put them on that I really like.
I did a bit of experimenting with some knitted jewelry. I am unhappy with both versions that I have so far. I want to find a way to make them look nice, yet still remain simple enough where I will not get frustrated.
I went to Art In the Park and purchased a gift for my parents. I am going to give that to them sometime this week. It was unfortunately rained out on Sunday, so I'm not sure how well the vendors did.
Despite not having much to show for all of this, I did get some stuff done that I wanted to do. I am going to keep plugging away at all of them, and hopefully, by November, my art show at Phog will be a success!

Blue and Yellow dishcloths

The stripey cloth I started ages ago is finally finished. It is a nice size at around 8 inches square. It isn't anything fancy like I said before, but I think the colours are quite nice.
As you can see, I have also started another cloth on the diagonal in the same colours. I am not sure where I am going with the groups of cloths in the same colour, but perhaps sets are the place to go. I think three cloths in similar colours bundled together would be nice. Once blue and yellow striped, one plain blue and one plain yellow, for example. Or maybe two diagonal and one horizontal? Suggestions?
I have no idea what colours to use, though. I don't have a whole lot of solid coloured cotton left, but if these go over well, I may purchase some more. What colours are your kitchens and bathrooms (in case you wanted to use them as face/wash cloths)? Or what colours would you love to see paired together?
I am always up for suggestions for this sort of thing!
I think I may give dishcloths for birthday gifts this year. My mom can always use more, many of my friends live on their own, and my relatives always seem to love anything I make.

More hats made

Hats are starting to become my main project. I have had a few of them ordered, and the first one has been given to the recipient.
The upper left in the image is a beautiful dark amethyst Homespun hat, for Kara from work. I haven't seen her to give it to her yet.
The brown in the upper right is from some mill-end yarn I bought last week. I am pretty sure it is Bernat Harmony, but I can't be certain. I just finished a second on in the same colour a few minutes ago. So very soft.
The black hat hiding in the lower left is a plain black worsted acrylic paired with a strand of Bernat Boucle if I remember correctly.
The blue in the lower right is supposed to be for Billy, but I haven't seen him in ages. Also, not sure if it's a little too feminine for him.
The grey hat in the centre is pretty awesome. It is the one that James bought, and probably my favourite of the bunch here. Three strands of slightly-thinner-than-worsted yarn in a wonderful charcoal grey. The fabric is a little stiff, but I am sure it will soften up with time. I am going to make more in that colour when I get home and have access to my stash.
I really hope I continue to sell hats for a bit longer. I am going to make some out of thinner yarn so they're not as warm, and can be warn during the slightly warmer weather.

A New Face Cloth, and Giving Up On Some Goals

I am on a bit of a cotton kick lately. I think this could be an understatement. I hadn't really knit much other than dishcloths for a while, due to some requests for them, and enjoying the switch from knitting scarves and such. I started a new one yesterday, and I am going to work on it later today. It's different, once again, from what I have made in the past because it is striped. Sure, it's nothing fancy, but I love stripes. Light blue and yellow, 35 stitches, on size 6 needles. It's doubled in size now, and looking pretty nice. I am taking a short break from working on it to work on the purple hat I have commissioned.
In other, unrelated news, I have temporarily given up on my mission 101. My goals were mostly long term ones, or had too many parts or something else that was just keeping me unmotivated. I will restart with a brand new list ASAP. Many of the goals will carry over, but
I am going to make sure I have goals that are more easily completed. I am going to continue with some of my knitting related goals (knit myself a blanket, use all of my cotton yarn, organize my whole stash) but give up some others (not buy yarn for 6 months, put my entire stash on Ravelry, knit 101 scarves/neck warmers).
Hopefully everything goes well with starting the new goal.
Perhaps I will start on the first day of Spring?

A New Cowl, and New Yarn

I meant to post this yesterday, I really did. But my body had other suggestions. I was incredibly sick, and had no motivation to do anything but snuggle under blankets and sleep. And also whine to whoever was listening about how terrible I felt. I am feeling marginally better today. Enough to write a blog post and possibly even get changed out of my pyjamas before noon.

I bought a cone of yarn the other day at Value Village. It's a wonderful bright blue, textured, and quite thin. I plan on using it held double or triple. Which is what I am doing in my newest project.
Two strands of white worsted weight, and the fun blue yarn, on 8mm needles for a cowl. Fifty six stitches, k2p2 rib. The little red piece of yarn is my marker for the beginning of the round. I started this two days ago, and it's going quite well.
I have decided to continue knitting winter items throughout the warmer months, or for as long as I can stand them, to have stock ready for next year. I will, of course, knit other things, but I think one scarf every other week will be a good start for the winter craft shows, and Made In Windsor stock, next year. Sure, I'll probably look crazy knitting a scarf in July, but it will reduce my work load next year. And hopefully cause less stress, as well.
I now plan on laying down for a while. No need to over exert myself!

Christmas Gifts

I do believe I posted too soon.
I was asked on Sunday, by a particular person to knit his family members each a scarf for Christmas. Now, let's see, Sunday was the 13th, Christmas is the 25th. My very basic math tells me that makes TWELVE days to knit SEVEN scarves.
I may be crazy, but I started yesterday, and I'm almost done the first. It is knit out of Phentex "Fashion Twenty-three" in the seasonally-appropriate "Icicle White" colourway. I got this at Zellers
The next one will be In Lion Homespun, I can't remember the name of the colour, but it's a wonderful blue. Pictures of that one will come when I start it.
I have two scarves that I made recently out of Wool Ease T&Q that will be used. They were supposed to go to Made In Windsor, but are appropriate for the recipients.
Pictures of all of these will happen as soon as they arrive in my inbox. I took a couple pictures with my cell phone, and it's terribly slow sending photos.

I FINALLY got some of my dishcloths to Made In Windsor today. I sent in fourteen to be sold, and an other eight or so to be given away as gifts, or in gift baskets or whatever. They were significantly smaller than the other cloths, and I would have felt bad charging for them.

More Yarn

Yesterday, Rick and I went on a quest to find a white belt at Value Village. Not to be confused with Value City in the U.S., Value Village is a thrift store. We looked and looked, but couldn't find a suitable belt for the wedding we are attending on Friday. I will be checking at a couple vintage stores tomorrow.
The trip to VV was not entirely a bust. They often have yarn in bags for a couple dollars each. I always look through, hoping to find something useful. Until now, I have never found anything worth picking up.
I got three skeins of Astrakhan, by Berella, in the Ocean colourway. They are 90% superwash wool and 10% fine nylon. Three skeins, three bucks. Not a bad find, if I do say so myself. There is only a very very slight odor... It's not musty or anything, so I think a quick wash will solve it.
The one problem with the yarn is... stuff stuck in it. It looks like Easter basket stuffing, and wood shavings. I think that when I unwind the yarn to wash it, it should all fall out. If that fails, I will just have to pick through it and get it all out.
I'm planning on making a kids hat and an adult hat out of this. It's rare for me to have an exact plan for yarn when I buy it, but this yarn told me that's what it wanted to be.

Start Something Sunday!

Today is Sunday! I was planning on adventuring through the city again, but the weather isn't as nice as I thought it would be, and I got called into work.
I did take the time to start a baby blanket though. I am using the same sort of baby yarn that I usually do, in a very, very pale blue. I'm only a couple rows in, but I am enjoying it! I think this is just what I need to get out of my scarf and cowl funk!
More about the blanket soon!