Christmas Bear Skin Rugs

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everybody!
Hope you guys had great holidays. We went out to sunny southern California for Christmas. The only thing I like about the flights there and back are the 5+ hours of uninterrupted crochet time while listening to a good audio book. On this trip, I listened to the Hunger Games (book 2) and worked on more teddy bears for the Spring craft fair. After making the first one, I decided to use up all my scrap cotton yarn and make more "patch-work" bears. I think they will be very cute. I was able to create 4 "bear skins" before I got home. Creepy or cool?

Did you think I was gone?

Yea, I would too if I were you but really it's just crazy around here. We've really decided to downsize our house now that the kid is out and going to college. So almost right after the craft fair we started a structured schedule of de-cluttering. See:

And getting the rooms "neutralized" with new paint. So it's a bit of a mess around here but between all that and 2 trips out of town (crocheting on a plane) I managed to make 2 Minnie mouse hats and a purple bear for friends. Whatcha think?

Before

After

Follow - Up

So, I just read through the blog and noticed that I told you all what I was starting but never really gave you any "after" photos.  So I'll just shut my trap and show you pictures.  Most of us are visual people anyway right?

Done and Done!

Well here I sit on Sunday night exhausted, happy, and just a bit proud of myself.  The craft fair was Saturday and with my fantastic husband's help we did alright.  The dream of selling out did not become reality but wow what a great experience.  I chatted with women who stopped by the table and fingered the items and told me how they/ their mom/ their grandma/ their aunt... crochet too.  What yarns they like and what they make.  And just as I was about to get disappointed (inside) they would tell me how much they liked my work, how even my stitches were and what a great variety of work I did.  No, really, they did.  :)  So even though I didn't come home rich with cash, I came home much richer in spirit.

"Would I do it again?", you ask.  Hmmm.  I'll wait to answer that when my feet stop throbbing.   :)  We would have to make a lot of changes.  Our booth set up wasn't the most pretty and my banner wasn't the right size and I think instead of making things that other people told me sold at craft fairs (hats & wristlets - of which I only sold 1 hat) I would make lots of teddy bears, curly scarfs in lot of shades, and large afghans. And that would mean I have to start now for next year. ha ha

Have you sold at craft fairs?  What did you like best?  What would you do differently?  Did you leave rich in cash or spirit?

Craft Fair

My first craft fair is next weekend and I'm nervous.  And in conjunction with the craft fair, I wanted to have an Etsy shop ready as well as a new Facebook page and Twitter account.  I've also been crocheting my fingers to the bone and working with a graphic artist to come up with my logo.  Well after all these weeks, everything is ready and this weekend is going to spent tying up all the ends.  I'm nervous about it all but very excited for the actual fair.  Have you had a booth at a fair?  Would you do it again?   

Tools of the Trade

The more I get ready for my first craft fair, the more I'm figuring out how many tools there are for our trade.  This week I've bought $100 of yarn from one of my LYS and some more from the local Michael's Craft store, a book to learn a lot more about the different yarn fibers, and a blocking wire kit.  I told my husband that what I need next is a light box or something similar, a dress form, better storage and basically a whole real work area.  :)

Here is s snapshot of some of my tools.  What do you use?

In Transition

On one hand I hope there really isn't anyone trying to follow my posts for now.  Life and crochet in particular has been kicked into high gear around here lately.  At the end of August, my daughter moved to the other side of the country and I decided to try my hand at selling my crochet.
We packed up our only child into her car and she and my husband drove 8 days across the country to move her to Oregon.   She started her 1st day of work, as an Americorp volunteer, on August 31.  We really couldn't be more proud of her.  She will be doing this sort of work for 11 months.  It really is very strange. 
At the same time that they were driving across this great big land of ours; I decided it was time to really make a new start.  I love to crochet and would love to make it a real part of my life so I called my daughters "old" high school and asked about the Fall craft fair.  It's November 19th so I need to get going! 
I took off a week to go help my daughter settle in to her new apartment.  While I was there I crocheted for at least 4 hours a day and was able to create 5 scarfs and some coasters!  Yay!!!  Now that is a vacation!!!  I loved it!

Done, Doing & Dreaming

So night before last I finished my broomstick scarf, started the next Special Olympic scarf and couldn't get another project out of my head.  Really?  Am I so unfocused that I can't even start a new project without dreaming of the next?  Well I guess I am because... 

I couldn't sleep until I wrote down what I wanted to do.
Doesn't everyone write down what they are obsessing about on a post it note in your bathroom and then attach it to your mirror?  I couldn't go to sleep at night if I didn't have this option.

Then because time is urgent (right?  there was an earthquake here in Baltimore yesterday.. I must crochet faster... the end of times is here) I stopped on my way home and bought this:

Ravens colors for sure.  Next project will be a Stadium blanket in the Ravens colors of purple and black.  And I'm going to try and get a little white in there too but I have to swatch it (which I NEVER usually do) and see if my idea will translate. 

Well I hope you are crocheting away and looking forward to the cooler weather like I am.

- B

Special Olympics 2012 scarf

Just gonna dive in!

Today is the first post to my new crochet blog.  I want it to be great.  I want it to be exciting.  I want it to launch me a new career.  Magically.
But like all good things, one must wait.  And plan. and work hard.

Well, that sounds good but one thing I know for sure.  I am going to be myself.  Silly, loud, sarcastic and funny.  I love crochet and my friends and family don't get it and don't care to hear about it anymore.  Don't get me wrong, they love me and they love what I make but I guess they are tired of hearing me go on about yarn types, stores and how I need to learn more.  So I'm going to talk to the internet.  Hello internet, my name is Becky.  Want to be friends?

Here are the things I want to accomplish this year:

1. Learn a new stitch
2. Open an Etsy store
3. Take better photos of my crochet
4. Possibly be a part of my local high school's Fall craft sale

But you all are probably wondering what I'm working on.  A friend asked me to make some scarf's for the 2012 Special Olympics and I am only too happy to cross off #1 on the above list by creating a scarf with broomstick lace.  The colors and the yarn type probably aren't the best for broomstick but hey... I learned a new stitch.