NaBloPoMo Day 3

Writing 1667 words a day is pretty tough. I only managed to surpass that number yesterday, and just by about 70 words, and the day before I was over 400 words shy of the daily goal. Like I said before, I don't want these posts to be all fluff and filler, I want them to actually be worth reading. I want at least part of each post to be about knitting. That desire is making it harder to write enough words to hit the quota. I check my word count obsessively. After every few sentences, I copy and paste the entire post into an online word count tool, and cross my fingers that I have made a significant dent. I try to keep myself from doing it so often, but I am just impatient, I guess. I think I might also feel like the words will somehow reproduce between the two pages, and add to my total. I don't know, I could just be crazy.

I woke up fairly early, for me anyway, this morning. Most days I'm in bed until 10:30, and today I was up just after 9:00. It's strange, how I sleep. It seems the later I stay up (I was up till about 2:00 when I'm usually in bed by 12:30) the earlier I can wake up. I don't understand at all. I'm going to try going to bed late again tonight to see if I can wake up at a reasonable hour. If that works, I'll be staying up late every night! I started my day off right with some scrambled eggs with mushrooms and shredded cheese on small tortillas. A nice filling breakfast that got me going. I don't often make a real breakfast, especially the past few weeks. I usually just settle for cereal and almond/soy/rice/hemp milk, if anything at all. I used to be so good at eating breakfast every day. I would make oatmeal or quinoa or toast with peanut butter, and honey or bananas.

I've been plugging away at the YarnYarnYarnYarn blog for a while today. It's easy work, just repetitive. Because I use Tumblr as a blogging platform, I can add tons of items to a queue, and have them post as frequently as I choose. I have it set so there are 11 new posts a day, which I think is a good amount. Lots of new stuff, but not so many that followers miss out on some of them. I have about two weeks worth of posts ready to go, and another month and a half worth that are saved as drafts to be posted at much later dates. It's going really well overall, I just want to find more yarn related Etsy shops to share, as well as cool patterns on Ravelry. Those seem to be the most popular posts so far. That's most of what I have been posting, but I have shared photos from Instagram, blogs, and Facebook pages. I went through some tumblrs that follow Y4, and reblogged a few photos from some of them. I also have some ad space through PassionFruit Ads available. It would be awesome if I could fill some of those, but I'm not holding my breath for it. I need to build up the audience before the sponsors come, that I already know. Once I've been posting for a month or more, I will be able to improve the ad description with the number of visitors and followers and what not.

I spent most of the time working on the Y4 blog knitting as well. I continued the teal shawl I posted yesterday, and got almost to the end of the first skein. I kind of got tired of the plain worsted weight, so I switched it up. I put in quite a few rows on a purple and white vertically striped shawl. Both yarns are from the huge stash I purchased from the older lady last winter. They're a sport weight 70/15/15 blend of acrylic, wool and mohair. Super soft, and slightly fuzzy. I really like the way this one is turning out. It's a looser knit than the other shawls I've done like this, but I'm sure it will still be cozy and warm due to the wool/mohair content.

If you've been eyeing something in my Etsy shop, now is the time to buy! You can get 25% off your entire purchase with the code Blog25. I want to get some older stock cleared out this season, so that in the spring and summer, I can really go at it, and knit lots of new things. Some of my stock has been floating around for a couple years, and that's what I really want to sell. Of course, selling anything would be great, but the older stuff is definitely higher on the priority list.
I'm going to be honest, and say that I haven't had any sales in a while. I don't want to complain on here, but it's getting discouraging that I can't seem to sell anything. I promote quite a bit, I have a mailing list, I do giveaways, I have a Facebook page, I comment on other blogs with a link to my shop, I have lots of "hearts" on Etsy, I just can't seem to get people to put stuff in their shopping cart! Do you have any suggestions for what else to do? I'll do just about anything!

Yesterday, I mentioned the Made In Windsor Show. It's coming up in just two short weeks, and I wish it could come sooner! There are going to be over 30 amazing vendors, some of whom have dome a MiW event before, and some that have not. It is a show that is 100% handmade, there is not ONE vendor who is a "consultant" or whatever for a big national company. I love this about these shows. It's a true craft show, and not a vendor market, which is often, in my experience anyway, synonymous with yard sale. If Facebook is any indication on how good this show will be, it's going to be great. There are already about 250 confirmed as going, and another 100 saying maybe. I know this won't necessarily be accurate, but it will hopefully be close. There will certainly be other people who haven't confirmed on Facebook who are out and about for the Walkerville Holiday Walk. This is an annual event where most of the businesses in the Walkerville BIA team together and have fun things going on for all the customers/visitors to the area. The craft show itself is going to be in Walkerville Brewery, and I can't wait to check out that place. It's going to be awesome! I've had a sample of one of their beers recently, and I liked it. I have a feeling I'll be spending some of my profit there! You can see a quick recap of last years show Here. I'll try to get more, and better, pictures this year.

My 365 photo for the day is just a simple close up of a Ferrero Rocher chocolate. These have always been one of my favourite types of chocolate, or really any sweet in general. I got quite a few a little while back, so I've been stashing them away and having one every now and again. I had a couple this afternoon when I was writing this post.

I haven't done much of anything today, other than knit, read blogs, chat on Facebook, and work on this. I'm worried that on the days I have to work eight hours, I'll come up short for words. I'll just have to get into a rhythm for writing, and then  hopefully the words will come more easily. I was also thinking about trying some of the word/theme prompts every few days, and write some sort of anecdote relating to it. Maybe I'll take suggestions for themes or answer questions you guys have. There are lots of options for stuff to write about, just nothing that can help me in the present moment.

I didn't really think this NaBloPoMo thing through very well. Normally, I try to at least plan out a little bit in advance. I'm not the most organized person, but I don't usually jump without a safety net. I am absolutely determined to make it to at least 25k words by the 15th. I will count that as a personal victory if I do. If I can actually make the full month, and 50k words I'll probably faint. I can yammer on about just about anything, but to have it be all coherent and organized is a whole other matter. Hopefully, I can make it!

I have a few ideas for the next couple days, but I doubt any of them will translate to 1667 words or more, no matter how overly flowery I get with my adjectives and adverbs. Some of the ideas are: 100 things I like, which would be split into groupings of 10 things posted every day for 10 days, 50 things I dislike (I don't want to do 100, because I don't want to get too negative and complain-y!) 100 facts about me, which would also be split up into groupings of 10 or 20, why I started eating meat again after 8 years of being vegetarian, simple knitting pseudo patterns I have in my head, and of course, more about the knitting projects I currently have on the go.

Now, this is where you folks come in! I want questions, word prompts or topic suggestions, or anything else you would really like to see. Want me to do a tutorial? Post pictures of specific things? Talk about Winston? Knit using a particular colour? Pat my head and rub my stomach at the same time, while whistling twinkle twinkle little star? Okay, I've run out of crazy suggestions. I hope you get the idea. I want YOU to tell ME what you want to see! Just leave a comment on here, send me a message on Facebook, or send me an email with anything you would like to see. If you want to be anonymous, you can send me a message on Tumblr here.

I hope you found something of interest in this post! Please come back tomorrow to see what else I have to say in an overly verbose fashion.

This post has 1716 words.

I am at 4686 total words for this month.

Huge Shop Update!

As many of you know, Wednesday I have my Heartsy deal! To prepare for this, I started listing the rest of my inventory today. Rick took photos of my earrings, he showed me some editing short cuts, and I was on my way! Between the earrings, and the knitted items, it took me pretty much all day to get all the listings ready. I saved most of them as drafts so I could post some every couple hours over the next few days. I am getting really nervous and excited about going live on Heartsy. I'm hoping it goes well!

Eyelet Neck Warmers

Don't forget about my giveaway! Still a few days to enter.
Last Thursday, I first mentioned the new neck warmers I've been working on. I took a couple photos the other day with Instagram, and I finally have a chance to post them now.
This mustard one is the one I decided to keep for myself. I love this colour, and I haven't knit anything for myself in a while.
There are rows of eyelets, separated by panels of garter stitch. It's a super simple pattern, but I think it looks great. I may write this up as a free pattern to put on Ravelry, depending on the feedback I get.
I've made a total of seven so far. This second photos is only missing the brown one I finished a couple days ago. From top to bottom they are a gorgeous, rich purple (this one isn't quite perfect), snow white, magenta (from this post), variegated emerald-blue, my mustard one, and a really nice dark copper.
I'm currently working on a black one. After this, I am almost out of Homespun. Next time it goes on sale, I will have to stock up again.
What have you been up to lately?

Some New Items In The Shop!

If you're looking for the giveaway, it's here!
I was supposed to have a craft show this upcoming Saturday, but it was postponed until further notice. I'm hoping it's really soon! I was really looking forward to it.
So, instead of having a craft show, I decided to list a few items in my shop. So far, it's only hats, but I will probably be adding a few more things later in the week.
These are the first two hats I added. They are both knit in super bulky Wool Ease Thick and Quick. That is one of my favourite yarns to use. It knits up so quickly, and is super, super warm. I really like that the way I knit the hats makes them loosen up slightly over time. You can see that they are slightly slouchy already. After wearing them for about a week, they loosen up to a super comfortable fit.
All of my new photos were taken by my friend Nicki of Nicki Kay Photography. The male model is her boyfriend, and my good friend Richard. The day we took these photos was amazing. All the snow on the ground was the perfect backdrop for my knitted items.
I have a few other items I finished recently that I will be posting soon. One of them is absolutely perfect, I can't wait to share it with you all!

And Now For Something Completely Different!

On Etsy, and some of the blogs I follow, I've been seeing different cold weather head bands. I decided to try my hand at making some.
I grabbed some basic worsted yarn (which is actually kind of hard to come by in my stash!) and cast on a couple stitches. I made the ties at either end, and increased in the middle. They're long enough to wrap around your head and fit snugly without feeling like it's going to squeeze your brain. I'm going to tie in the ends and bring some into Trinkets, Treasures and the Truly Unique this week or next. I'll see how they are received there, and possibly make some more.
I also want to try some with different stitch patterns. I think they would look great in seed stitch. Or a nice wide cable.
So many possibilities!

Progress on the Purple and Cream Shawl

Back at the beginning of the month, I posted about the shawl I was starting for myself. I set it down for a little while to work on other projects, but I picked it back up tonight due to boredom. I have SO MUCH YARN but nothing is calling to me.

This is where I'm at so far. It will definitely need blocking when I am finished. I am loving this yarn, though. It's super soft, slightly thick and thin, and the colours are amazing. I would love to work with more handspun in the future.
I favourited a bunch of patterns on Ravelry tonight for my next projects. I still have some nicer yarns that I will be using for projects for myself. Other than Richard, I don't really have anyone in my circle who would appreciate hand knits. Most of the people who do would just purchase them from me before I even have the chance of giving one to them. Oh well, more hand knits for me!
Tomorrow, I am working at Trinkets, Treasures and the Truly Unique all day. I have a bunch of knitting lined up, and some knitting podcasts to listen to, as well. I am super excited for this.
What are all of you fine folks up to these days?

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!

Moving Forward

Sorry I missed Monday. I didn't have my computer with me, and I am just now getting time to blog.
In this past week, I have rid myself of 17 skeins/balls of yarn!! They all went to LeeLee Hats. I did acquire one ball though.
Rick and I stayed at his parents for a night, and I underestimated my yarn needs. I only brought about a half skein of Homespun, and I blasted through that really quickly. I picked up one rather large skein from Zellers. I figured it was balanced out with the one skein I finished.

I also made EIGHT baby hats! They are all different. The Homespun was turned into two teddy bear hats. They're not perfect, but I am definitely working on the pattern. I really want to make more of them. The one pictured is the first one I made. The top is a bit pointy, but I think I have that fixed.
The second, rather awful photo, is of all of them. Three all white, two teddies, a white with purple stripes, and then a black and purple, and a white and purple. As a group, LeeLee Hats is taking part in Clicks For Babies. We are making purple hats to raise awareness of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma. I will be making more and bringing them to Tracy, hopefully before Rick and I go to Iceland.

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.

New yarn!

I know I haven't been updating much lately, but fear not, I have not forgotten you!
The other day, I returned some yarn from the scarf I just finished for Rick. I know, returning yarn is sort of crazy, but I knew I could get other yarn with that money.
And more yarn is what I got.
I bought three skeins of Bernat Harmony, in different colours. One dark pink, a lavender colour, and black.
All I can say is this yarn is amazing. Super soft, has just the right amount of texture. If I double it, it's perfect for the Knifty Knitter.
And, best of all, it's affordable! Coming in at $3.99 a skein for 169 meters/184 yards, this will keep me going for a little while.

I have been working on a lot of craft show things lately. I have two in November that I at determined to do really well at. I am taking the day off work, risking losing a decent amount of pay. I'm trying to figure out a way to make deals on my product without losing a lot of money.
Have any of you ever done a raffle at a craft show? Give a ticket away with each purchase over $X and draw at the end of the show? The only problem with this is that I don't drive, and I wouldn't want to make the winner come pick up the prize.

I'm open to suggestions!

Made In Windsor Grand Opening

Yesterday was the Made in Windsor grand opening! I was there from about 10 am until 10:30 pm, and had an awesome time.
I finished a black hat on the Knifty Knitter, then started a purple one, and finished that one by the end of the night.
Dianne Clinton of Off The Chain crocheted a pink bunny hat for my friend Amy and I offered to model it. Owen, of Windsor Visuals, made me laugh while I was trying to do some sort of bunny buck teeth something or other. Despite the fact that I look incredibly ridiculous, I do like this picture. The hat is adorable, and totally suits Amy. She came in and picked it up and was incredibly excited. Check out Dianne's website. She does awesome charity work, and crochets mittens for Mitts for Tits.

The Art Gallery of Windsor also had some activities for the kids, and bigger kids I suppose. We painted Plexiglas to turn it into a fridge magnet. I sorta just messed around with the paint and got this. It kind of matches my kitchen, but at the same time totally doesn't.
A few other vendors did their thing and demonstrated their craft. I answered a lot of questions about Knifty Knitters and knitting in general.
All in all, the day was a great success. As soon as Christine posts about the day, I will have more pictures, and an other post! Make sure you check that one out, there will be pictures of super cute kids helping me knit.

Start Something Sunday

I went shopping with my Mom yesterday and I brought a square I started to work on when we were driving. It was an awesome blue-green paired with a regular white. It looked great at first, then I realized I hated the colours held together.
It was frogged and the needles were put aside so I could start an other square with them. Which I did today. It's the same regular white, held together with an unknown novelty yarn in yellow, purple, blue and green. I just started it an hour ago and I'm already about half way done!

PS. Sorry for the goofyness of some of the posts. I don't know what happened, but I had to delete a couple entries that were all mixed up.