Ribbons, Yarn, Knitting……….and a carpenter?

I had an entire day today, with nothing on the calendar until this evening.  I had such high hopes!!!  Made a big pot of meat sauce, so dinner is almost a done deal……and planned on spending time in the sewing room/studio.

Well, the old adage  about the best laid plans came up and poked me with a knitting needle!  The planned for bathroom remodel that was supposed to happen last Friday & Sat………..got started yesterday and has spilled over to today and there are rumblings it will now last until Thursday.

I did get some extra exercise in today, as the bathroom in question is upstairs from my sewing room area.  So, up and down I went.  Did I know the outlets in the bathroom were not functioning?  Where is the electrical panel?  And, the water shut off valve??    Getting the picture?   Just when I’d get started on something, someone would need something.

But, it apparently spurred me on, as I’ve got 2 completed items today, with one listed already.  One ready to list tonight and one completed and ready for a photo shoot tomorrow.  Now, that I type all that………it seems pretty fantastic!  AND, the bathroom is looking great too!  🙂

This Spa Set is now posted.   I have the same set ready to go in our new shower!  (Planning ahead here)

 

This scarf is the one that was waiting in the wings for so long.  The ribbon order arrived yesterday and I do love the combo.  If something has a ruffle or a ribbon or a bow, I’m hooked!    Will be adding this to the Etsy shop this evening.  Stop by to see how I’m doing on my challenge to get 50 items posted by March 1st!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/stitchknit

 

Tonight is the Etsy Rain teams meet up in Seattle.  I’ve got my fingers crossed that the schedule holds here, and I get to attend.  I went last month, for the first time & loved it.  Besides holding the event in a coffee shop that has the BEST hot chocolate anywhere, I came home from the evening to find I had sold my first 2 items in my shop!  Wouldn’t it be fun to have the same thing happen tonight?

 

 

My Planner is an Etch-a-Sketch

Good thing I didn’t make any real firm plans as to how to reach my goal of 10 new listings by March 1st……..and yes……..this March 1st.    Since I use the Etch-a-Sketch system of making notes here……I can change with each bump in the schedule!

Todays plan of getting the spa cloth set is a bit further down the list.  It is not the listing of the day.  With luck, prayer & some planning……..it might make it’s debut tomorrow.

Tonights listing is a little tiny item……….a copy of my utilitarian coffee mug cozy.  Here’s my offering…..

Keeps my cup warmer, longer………..which helps my entire morning.  Funny, how the little things can make such a difference.

I had another block of knitting time, and used it to get a couple more rows in on the black infinity scarf.  Here’s an OK picture of what it currently looks like……….which isn’t much of a true representation.  It is so crammed on the needles, since it is 350 stitches around.  Takes a bit of time to get back to the beginning marker!  And, now that I see it here, it is pretty darned hard to see!  Will need to play with the pics when I get it ready to make a true “appearance”.

I finished the knitting part of a wrist cuff, made with silk yarn, today…..there is an outside chance this will be completed tomorrow too.  I need to block it, bead it maybe?? and then stitch it together.  Then, the picture taking and editing…………and finally, the posting.  All this stuff is still pretty new to me.  I thought I was just going to knit, crochet & sew.  HA.

I spend a good part of my time reading the Etsy Sellers Handbook, as well as trying to check in on the discussion pages of a couple teams I’m on………    If there is any extra time, I dig around looking for props, or fabric for backdrops for the pictures.  If I could just figure out a way to do all these things WHILE knitting!  Now, there would be a good idea!

So, the Etch a Sketch says tomorrows schedule includes finishing the spa cloth/soap sack set…….and an outside chance of completing the wrist cuff too.  Both, subject to bumps ………….and you know what happens if you bump an Etch a Sketch?

 

Finished items…….zero

Again, I finished nothing.  This is getting to be routine.  And, not a good one.

I did meet with the client re: the mini sports jerseys, which was a step in the right direction.  He is getting fabric that won’t ravel faster than I can sew it for the next version of the shirts.  This should be fairly easy, I’ve got the pattern done, and with the new fabric, the problems I was having should vanish!  (fingers crossed)

Turned down a job to alter a bridesmaid dress, as the cost of the alterations would be more than the dress in the first place.  It was going to be an icky job too…….Lined, boned, pleating at the waist…….this had it all.

I did get a large chunk of time to knit on the black cotton infinity scarf.  I also got the remaining yarn wound into ‘cakes’, so I’m ready to knit until I run out of yarn.  Hopefully, it will come out approximately the size of the scarf I’m copying for a client.  I’m not good at estimating how much yarn I need for a project.  If I run out, then the project is finished!  🙂

I had planned to get a soap sack crocheted to go with the just finished spa cloth, but ran into a color/yarn problem.  Had cotton yarn, but the colors didn’t compliment the cloth.  So, I added ecru cotton to the shopping list for Monday.  Also need royal blue acrylic yarn, to make a tassel for a clients ski hat.

Can’t remember if I clarified my challenge from yesterday or not.  I want to get 10 items added to the Etsy store by March 1st.   50 items.  That was my number to reach, prior to doing any sort of advertising.  Feeling confident, I went ahead and reserved a featured spot for March 1st……..so I’m racing myself.

In the works:

A childs apron, just need to press & run the ties through ………and take pictures.  (this one almost doesn’t count, as the feature I reserved, is for KNITTING!)

A pair of blue knit fingerless mitts, the length of which will depend on how fast time goes between now and March 1st.  I’m doing both of them at once, and have them almost 5″ long so far.  Would like to add a crocheted motif if some sort on the back of the hand area……….   Will see how I do on this.

I have no prayer of finishing the lace weight scarf by March 1st…………..unless it is 3/1/12 !  This is slower knitting than sock knitting!    Might set this aside until March, giving me time to work on projects that are possible.

My chunky scarf is done.  Just waiting for the ribbon order to arrive……..and it has been shipped.  I do need to perfect my burned edges to cut ribbons for this project.  Practicing………..

The black cotton infinity scarf could be listed, as a reserved item.  Possible.  And, I’d learn how to do that too!   (can’t believe how much there is to learn to be involved in an Etsy store)

That’s five items.  I need 5 more!  Will dig around in the yarn stash tomorrow, and see if anything matches up with patterns I have set aside, and if that combo fits in the time frame.

Relisted a few things tonight, after doing an overhaul on the pictures.  Some of the first pictures I took looked so terrible……….and I’m not totally happy with the new versions, other than they seem a bit better to me.

Here’s the re do on the gray cowl.  I’m not getting it right yet, but this certainly looks better now with it on the mannequin.   See the other pics at:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/stitchknit

Off to knit.  Picking up the 2 mitts ……..     March 1st is coming quickly.

 

 

I did finish a treasury today too………..Seattle skies……….

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d5761e732f18eef769a70d2/the-bluest-skies-are-in-seattle-not

Stop by & visit, there are some great shops & items featured.

 

 

Create Something Every Day??

Can I do it?  I took a challenge from an Etsy blogger, to create something on a daily basis and have gone between thinking I’m nuts (I mean, there truly are only 24 hours a day……….and I do have the normal ‘life’ stuff to handle too) and thinking it just might be possible.

I did adjust the guidelines a bit, so I wouldn’t feel defeated before the first full week wrapped up.    I promised myself I would write daily (and here I am!), and aim to post one new item in my Etsy store on a weekly basis.

So far, I’ve met & exceeded my goals.  TA DA.

The challenge had a couple pieces to it that were related to creativity and I’ve taken them on too.  Dropping TV while I’m in my studio and adding classical music.  This was not a tough one for me, as I’ve gone for years with no TV in the house and my preferred music genre is classical.  But, I had become lazy and there was a TV in my studio area……..so it just seemed to be on.  What a deterrent to any sort of brain activity, let alone creativity!

So, the daily update starts here……….

-Worked on my endless or infinity scarf.  Can’t decide which to call it.  Bright red, chunky yarn and it has gone fast. Hoping to find another ball of the yarn in the supplies here, as I’d hoped to play around with adding a knitted ruffle along one side of the scarf.

-Finished one more of the soap sacks for the thank you gifts to customers who purchase from my shop.

-Started on the spa cloth, but had the wrong sized needles with me.  (spent 2 hours waiting for a kiddo at the dentist) Will re start this tonight, with the correct size needles.  Am out of the cloths, as they were the first item purchased…so need to replace them, and then re list.

-Prepped and hemmed a clients bed skirt to fit her mattress.

-And, as long as this is just my running tally about creativity…………I made orange marmalade and canned 10 pints!  YUM       Given my lack of experience with all things on line, I’ve got to list the fact I’ve now got a blog.  At least……..I hope I do!     Aiming for a picture too……with fingers crossed………..let’s publish!