Knitting, knitting, and more knitting

I've been working on some new ornaments. Signed up for my first fair. And found a game that I just had to buy because the character was a knit sackboy! I know that sounds kinda strange, but it really is fun and I'm not much of a gamer.

The ornaments, so far as just little sweaters, snowflakes and wreaths. Working on some stockings and mittens as well. Got lots of new things done and working on, but wanting to do more. With the fair coming up, not sure how much to list and how much to wait till after the fair to list. It's all just new to me. I'm excited and now realizing that I have to figure out the best way to showcase my work as well as making sure I have enough to sell! Wish me luck! I leave you with a pic of some ornaments. Christmas is coming!

Buh-bye Berries

My latest berries to leave the nest are a strawberry and blueberry. They are on their way to their new home. They turned out rather well if I do say so myself. It's my fourth strawberry I've made and sold. Made an extra so that I could have one in the shop as well. Will be working up another blueberry after finishing an order for some apples.

That's the fun of taking the orders, there's always something to work on. However the new ideas can get pushed back a little. I've got a few rolling around I'd like to work on in the next few weeks.

We'll see how time pans out. Life always seems busy and full of projects, craftwise or not. It's still an enjoyable way to me to spend my time and hey, I'm just happy people like my crochet and knitting and that I can have a little fun along the way!

Mailing Day

So I've got a few packages to go out today. A blanket for a new baby.

A shawl for my mom.

And some fruits for a few little girls.

Yay! Happy Dance!

So awhile ago I got my first order for wholesale. Which means I'll know be selling at a boutique in TN. Funnily enough since I live in CA. But I know a wonderful lady who helped me with the connection. (Thanks Kristina!) It's exciting to think that my purses will be out there in an actual B&M! Berry purse world domination is possible! Baby steps :)

Here's what she's getting, 4 berries, 1 pumpkin, 1 apple, 1 pear, 1 mum. I loved the "winter berry" as my hubby and I called it and will have to make more. It was fun to fill the order since I got to work on a few new ideas. Kinda funny when you think in crochet! Anyhow, I did make some extra berries and will work up the others once I get more yarn (yay my stash is depleting enough that I have a reason to buy more).

If you'd like a purse, just let me know! There's usually stock in my etsy shop, and I do enjoy the challenge of new custom orders.

Which are your favorite fruits and veggies?

Time for hats

So I pulled out what I've made and took some new pics yesterday. Gonna start listing out the hats I have. Was fun to look back through them. Makes me want to pick up my knitting needles and figure out some more fun hats! Here's a sneak peak of what's to come.

Yes that is a hat with hearts on my sons head, but he really wanted his pic taken and I'd already done the blue toned hat!

Oh and one hat is crocheted, but whatcha gonna do when you enjoy both forms? Share them both!

Another hat!

So while I have been working on my first wholesale order (so exciting and it feels great to have it done) I crocheted a few hats along the way. The one for my neice, well 2 but then chose the one I thought would fit her. She does love her hat and loves that the star can "move where-ever I want it to Dad" that's what my bro told me.

Anyhow, I also crocheted a hat for my son. Hadn't made him a brimmed hat yet really and wanted to give him one that maybe he'd like to wear as much as his sisters pink hat with the pink flower. He does seem to enjoy it.

Here's a few pics of him in it. Had to include the second one since it shows what it likes to have an older sibling! What would we do without them? And notice his shirt? It says Monkey See Monkey Do Monkey Get In Trouble Too. Quite fitting for him, although he tends to find the trouble first!

Project Done

Spent one day last week working on a few hat choices for my neice. She turns 13 this year and loves to hang out with the boys. Wants to bull ride, but is settling for doing barrel racing this year. She's an opinionated and strong willed little spit fire. Oh and she loves the color lime green.

Here's the hat I crocheted for her. Here's hoping she likes it! Crocheted the star and then sewed it to a pin back so it can be removed. My hubby is thinking she won't like the star. I'm thinking she will. So we will see.

The other hat I did, I think I'll list at a later time in my shop. I really like the way it turned out but think it's a little feminine for my niece. Off to work on some orders! The berry world domination is slowly coming true. Have several that I need to get done.

New Look and a Project Done!

So I changed around the layout of my blog a little bit. Got some help from a fellow blogger. Although my list isn't quite as cool as hers... yet. I'll get it figured out. But I did finish a crocheted blanket this last week for my Gram. She was diagnosed with colon cancer last year, did chemo and was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

One of the pitfalls of being a military family, is not being near family. When I heard she was diagnosed, decided to make her a blanket. That way she can get a hug from us whenever she wants while healing after surgery. Thinking I'll have each of the kids hug the blanket before sending it to make sure it has extra love in there. Kinda cheesey, but every little bit helps! Here's the finished product. My hubby helped me with the layout of the squares. It's just a simple throw blanket, 4x6 squares. Got the idea for the swirls by searching around the web. Landed on Kim Werker's stuff, and a blog post on Interweave. It's for a 3 color spiral, but worked well for this purpose with a little tweaking. I do like the way it turned out.

Rockets Red Glare!

My Homefront Team Challenge piece! There are so many amazing ones to choose from. You can see them here until the Homefront site has the official start of the challenge, July 1st.

Feeling Disconnected

So it's been a few days since I've really been online. Busy week so far and I just figured out that it was Wednesday! Got a few projects to finish up, few blankets, purses and finished an entry into the Homefront Team Challenge that starts July 1st. No pics to show of anything, since the lighting is bad right now. Will have to share tomorrow.

On the life front, my hubby got orders out of his squadron for now. It seems they aren't quite comfortable with him working there while doing his chemo. Technically, he's not supposed to, but he's been doing well. He wants to go in and talk to them tomorrow about it all and see what can be done. He'd prefer to stay where he is at.

And with the 2 car household, still a 1 car household. At least the timing was good on fixing my hubby's car! Going to make calls and see what it'll cost to make some repairs on the family car so that hopefully I can drive again soon.

That's about all in a nutshell!

Custom Order

So finished up my custom order notebook cover and berry purse. It's a gift for the crazy gals friend (I can call her crazy, but she's really just always busy and on the go with two shops to work on!) and her friend loves the colors brown and pink. Rather than making a berry with those two colors mixed together only, there'd look like bad spots on it(unless it had another color thrown in so it was a novelty neopolitan berry) did it chocolate covered instead. Whatcha think?

And I love the way the notebook cover turned out. Did one that I wasn't as impressed with. It's a great little bit of yarn, but not quite right. Gonna make a purse out of it instead. Just another thing on the to-do list!

If you're interested in your own choco berry purse or notebook cover, let me know!

Stopping by

To say it's been a busy week! Have a few order to fullfill from Monday night's sale as well as some quick blankets I'd like to make up for KidsKonnected. They called me yesterday to see if our kids would be interested in a camp in our area. I think they're a little young for that. But I did ask them about donations. Be really easy to do some donations and it'll give me a chance to give back to those that gave to us, maybe help out some other kids figure out what is going on with their family. And I'll get to play around and be as creative as I'd like. Nice to know my blanket will be keeping someone comfy and happy.

We went to pick up some supplies so we could make some shirts, for daddy, pop pop and grandpa. My daughter asked that we included daddy's dad (poppop) as well as my dad (grandpa). Short notice really, but still will be a fun project.

On the creative front, after I finish my orders I've got to work on a challenge project as well for the Homefront team. I've got my idea in my head, (the challenge is all about the 4th of July, my favorite holiday) have started a little of it and have seen some really great entries so far. I'll post when mine is done as well as a link with the info on voting (voters receive 10% any participating stores).

The EtsyHookers are also starting a challenge that is due in July. It's a rainbow sort of thing :) Color, how it influences us and you must use 5 to 7 colors. Will have to start thinking on that as well.

I should get back to my hook and yarn! Happy day to all!

How do you stash?

A friend of mine posted about her starting to crochet and subsequent purchase of yarn. Had to harrass her about the addiction that comes with yarn! I've read a few other blurbs on the web (sorry I don't remember the urls) and I figured I could share my stashes.

Here's the little bits. Below are projects working on currently, to the side are projects to be worked on. The navy bag has a full sized blanket in it that I need to buy more yarn to finish. The mesh bag squares to embroider for a quilt for my son. The sweater, needs to have a hole fixed in it (but since it's too warm to wear, it'll wait a bit more). The basket, bits of yarn that I'd like to work with soon.

Recently we reorganized our house. My computer is now in the living room and each child has their own room. That also means all my crafts are in the living room. My hubby is thinking of reorganizing again and moving his computer to the living room. He'd prefer my yarn and fabrics, etc. in the garage.

I don't see that happening! We have a dresser in the garage that we're going to paint. It's a bright fire engine red currently and we were going to use it for our daughter. Now he'd like to maker her a dresser. Which means I'll get the other for my yarn! Will still leave some stuff in tubs, but not quite so many.

My hubby has told me, I'm almost positive in jest, that if I buy more yarn and it does not fit in said tubs... he'll burn it! Of course, he also said someday when we buy a house and I have my own office, I'd be happy with wall to wall shelves of yarn (color coordinated is all that I ask) and a place for my computer a tv and my rocking chair. That part made me feel a bit old, but I'll take the rest!

As you can see, I have a few other places to put yarn :) It is a sad, sad addiction that I would not trade. Maybe add to if I start to get more comfortable sewing. But for now that stays with stuff for the family. There are so many other shops that sell great items that I don't have to make them all myself!

Care for some grapes?

So when I made my first berry purse, the blackberry one, it was supposed to be grapes :) Now it turned out great for a basic berry shape but I didn't know the right stitch to make my grapes. Thanks to MooseThreads and her adorable sweaters, (you'll have to click the link to see them. She has a great blog too) I saw what I needed. I still don't remember the name of the stitch, but a variation of it worked well to make those little round mounds of grapes clustered together.

My daughter has since asked for red grapes, so I may make her some. First, we're going to make a new library bag to take with us tomorrow. Got all the iron stuff and some puff paint to make a bag fit for a little girl to carry around her books.

How 'bout dis apple?

It's finished! Soon to be posted to the store. I really like the way the strap came out. Makes me want to make a non-fruity purse that is a bit more grownup. Although I do like the contrast to such a strap and a fun apple at the bottom. All in all, a fun order to fulfill.

Lemon Drop

So it was requested awhile back that I try to make a lemon purse. Kristina from 1MaddieandMe asked that I make her one to remind her that whey life gives you lemons, make lemonade! Finished it this weekend and she's since picked up her purchase. Thought I'd show a pic of it.

Next request is an apple. Should be fairly straight forward. But a fun fruit to try to recreate as well! If you have any other fruits or shapes you'd like, let me know!

Berry's around the world...

Hoping for total domination. Well maybe not domination, but an invasion :) I've sold all the berrys available at my shop! Of course, I'm working on some more since I do so love the little berrys. And it seems so do you! Anyone who'd like one can contact me or check out what's coming in the shop. Here's the ones that have found new homes for now.

Funny to look at the pics... can you tell which were with a lightgbox?

It's Done!

Yippee! Treatment no. 1 is officially done. 11 more to go. The homecare nurse was super nice on Friday and was very friendly with the kids. Also got some information from a charity yesterday. It is called Kids Konnected. Found it while looking on google to find information for the kids. Since they are young it's hard to know exactly how much information is good or exactly how to tell them things.

The package came complete with a hand made quilt (I'll have to contact them again and ask about donations of blankets and bears), teddy bear and a booklet for the kids to look through. We gave my daughter the quilt and son the bear. Which means we need to pick up another teddy bear for her, since the booklet is about sharing your feelings with the bear. He took to his bear right away and loves to carry it around.

Special order pink baby girl blanket is done as well! However it took a bit of sewing. Each square is about 2" and there are only... 169 of them. Not an overly large blanket but the perfect size for a stroller, car seat, cuddling blanket. Hubby helped me put it together last night, early this morning. He recommended the white bead of yarn. I really like the way it turned out.

Now it's back to work on some flowers, purses, notebooks... whatever else comes to mind! I have an idea to make a blanket for my husband, but may ask family who work with yarn to help. Maybe we can all do some squares and then put it together and see how it comes out.

New Items!

Store has been updated a bit. A new berry purse...

Custom order initial notebook...

As well as some washcloths. Changed up my banner too. Always a good time for a change right? You'll have to stop by the shop to see what you think. Feel free to let me know!

Crocheting with a 3 year old

My daughter has been asking to learn to knit and crochet. "Mommy can you show me how to make something?" So I figured I'd give it a whirl today. Showed her how to do a slip stitch. Her little hands in mine holding the yarn and hook. Guiding her through, we made a chain of them together. She wanted to work on it on her own. Didn't get all too far however since she was having trouble with it. That and the house started to get a bit crazy. My son, god bless him, is becoming a terrible two year old a bit early.

For an example, he's currently finishing the food he's had in his mouth for the past 5 minutes. Always too full of a mouth and he can't chew it down. There's not much I can think to do to get him to not put so much in there. Even if there are smaller pieces, he'll just add more handfuls till he can't chew and can't finish it. Then comes the throwing the food on the ground since he's bored of eating (because he can't eat) and he's just done with it. He's always into something and loving every minute of trying to explore. Makes for an interesting time trying to do anything with my daughter while he's around! We'll try again at another time.

I think I've managed to write out my first pattern however. Since I can read patterns and do sometimes use them, the basics are easy enough to figure out. However writing it out, gotta make sure it's completely correct before I share it. It'll at least make my life easier being able to make purses off of the pattern.