plugging along

Published my first knitting pattern a little over a week ago! It's a free pattern for my turban headband. It's the same headband that I'll glad knit up for you for a price. It's also one of my new items for Yelp's Totally Bazaar.

September is almost over and I think I'm doing okay with my goals. Only one has been completed and only one has no work done it what-so-ever. I'm okay with that.

Knitting

Not Quite a Blizzard

I'm not really a headband type person, but came up with this little ditty. I've knit up a bunch of them for YTB. I'm waiting to get my hands on some madelinetosh ASAP to make one for part of the ESK Chunky KAL. I like wearing it to the side. I think it makes it look a little more interesting and you can add a vintage button or pin to the center to switch things up.

Blizzard Conditions

A simple garter stitch hat that I also finished up. Basically a chunky rikke with a pom. I'll be selling this on etsy and YTB as well. I'm sure this will be one of my go to winter hats. I'll have a nice huge pile of things to wear to keep my noggin warm.

I've not really done any knitting on the rikke scarf. It's the last item I need to finish for the wedding present. Instead I've cast on a third pair of rose city rollers and another hat. Priorities.

Sewing

I've been ignoring my sewing machine. The only things I've sewn were a couple of project bags that were custom ordered. Otherwise I've not wanted anything to do with the thing. No reason why, just rather do other things instead.

So that quilt I wanted to start and finish this month...probably not gonna happen.

Yelp's Bazaar

I've come up with a theme for all my new items...I don't know how it happened, but they're weather related. Not Quite a Blizzard (headbands), Blizzard Conditions (hats) and Blanket of Snow (blanket scarves). I'm not sure how I'll continue this trend. I have a couple more hat ideas and then my fingerless gloves.

making progress

I haven't made a list of goals in a long time. I used to do it monthly on my old blog and decided this month, I'd give it a go and see what I could get accomplished. I made 5 goals because I thought that was a reasonable and should be fairly easy to accomplish. My goals are as follows:

1. Finish knitting all the items for the wedding gift.
2. Complete a quilt from start to finish.
3. Sell 10 things out of my etsy shop.
4. Finish and submit my Hermione's Everyday Socks to Yarnathon.
5. Finalize all the items I plan to make/sell at Yelp's Totally Bazaar.

So far the only that I think may give me trouble will be completing the quilt. I know what fabric I want to use, but I'm unsure of the pattern or if I'll even use a pattern.

Knitting 

I've had a couple of finishes over the past couple of weeks. A shawl, a sock and several headbands. I'm doing well with getting wedding gift items completed. I've finished 3 of the 4 items. If I sit down and put some time into the last one I shouldn't have a problem getting it done by the end of the month. 

I'm kind of dreading the second sock for my pair of Hermione socks. I've got second sock syndrome. I really need to get this done by the end of the month so I can get it submitted and enter it into the quarterly contest. The first sock took 2 months...it shouldn't have, but I kept putting it down to work on other things.

the colors are so beautiful and the yarn so soft. - Molly Walker Shawl

Sewing 

I had a Flash Sale last week to drum up some business because I a) had a bill I forgot to pay and b) I really wanted to go out for Thai food. I ended up selling 6 or 7 items through my etsy shop, so I've only got a few more items left to sell. More project bags sewn up and listed. I've got a few more cut and ready to sew up, but I want a break from sewing anything with zippers.

I need to get started on that quilt and need to make myself a needle holder for my DPNs. The plastic pouches they're stored in are ripping and I don't want a bunch of needles all over the place. 

Yelp's Bazaar 

I have two items finalized for YTB. I think I want to add two more items since I'll be retiring my popcorn/bubble cowl. I want to replace that with another cowl and I think I' want to make another set of fingerless gloves.

I learned brioche knit this past week and knit up a headband to go with the Molly Walker shawl and since it was easy and quick enough I decided that would be one of my new items for this year. It's a simple pattern that's easy to adjust for width and size which gives my customers more options. I think I'm going to write up the pattern and upload it to Ravelry and post here on the blog as well. So look for that sometime in the next week or so. I need to get some good photos first.

not the best photo, but it works. - turban headband

I think making the goals is definitely helping me get working on all the stuff that needs to get done. Hopefully I can keep up this momentum and be ready for YTB by the middle of November and have some extra time to spare.

peddle to the metal

I updated the shop this weekend and will do another update during the week!  Weeeeeee!!! I'm also currently offering free shipping with the code FREESHIP for my US customers and for the non US customers I'm offering half off shipping (you'll receive a partial discount after you order). Some kind soul hacked my PayPal debit card and the funds are frozen until it's all sorted. I need to buy some new shirts, mine current upper body covers are showing wear and tear in the form of holes. So...yeah...free shipping when you use Direct Payment so I can buy new shirts while everyone has them on sale.

Knitting

I finished the Rikke hat I working on last week and turned my Dunaway scarf into a Rikke scarf. I didn't really care for the ribbing or the slipped stitches, so I eliminated them from the pattern and have renamed the pattern the Rikke scarf...because I'm making it to go with the Rikke hat. And that makes sense to me.

I also started working on my Molly Walker shawl. I don't care for the m1R increases because I have a hard time knitting the increase and splitting the yarn. The Molly Walker has these increases. Instead of modifying the pattern to a different, easier increase, I've decided to stick them out and power through. The fabric being created is beautiful. I'm so happy I chose the Gal Noir as the colorway for it. I think my friend will really like it.

Sewing

I intended to make myself a drawstring bag, but made it too short so now I have a nice bowl with a zipper pocket on the inside. Fine by me. A lot of new project bags in the shop that I finished up this weekend. I was a sewing machine Friday and Saturday. I have fabric cut for a few more and will be listing those this week. 

Anything made with the Hello Kitty fabric I purchased was snatched up immediately. Yay!!! Everybody loves Hello Kitty. I've got a ton of scraps left from fussy cutting the fabric and I can't bring myself to throw them out so I'm going to make myself a Franken Kitty something or other with them. Probably a pouch for my knitting things.

Yelp's Totally Bazaar

I'm still trying to finalize the headband pattern. I just can't decide. I keep starting one and then don't like how it's turning out so I frog and start over. I may need to give up on it.

I did figure out a pattern for my apron though, happy to mark that off my list. I just need to purchase the fabric and get it sewn up.

Next up to work on are hats. A simple knit beanie with a pom pom on the top. And to choose colors and start saving up for yarn. It's stock pile time.

you get a rikke and you get a rikke and you get a rikke too

Two week streak and then I forget to post. Oops! Meh, it happens. I remembered Monday that I hadn't posted anything and I was going to post on Monday and then I forgot again. But I'm back today, that's something...right?

Knitting


In the past two weeks I finished knitting one project. I've done a lot more sewing than knitting lately. I finished a Rikke hat for my friend's fiance. I wanted them to have matching hats (in style of hat, but not color. I'm not a fan of being super matchy matchy. Blech!). This is the third Rikke I've knit. It's a great pattern. Super easy and the hat turns out squishy, stretchy and comfortable.

wooden tag from All This Wood on etsy

I've also started several new projects, another Rikke hat (I love this pattern, what can I say), a modified Dunaway scarf, and a Molly Walker shawl. These three items are part of a wedding present that is over a year late. I'm still looking for a headband to knit to go with the shawl.

Because I want to get these late gifts finished I haven't working on my Hermione's Every Day socks or the Rose City Rollers socks I started a while back. I do want to get my HED socks done soon though so I can submit them for Yarnathon credit. I still have a couple of other KAL I want to start on. I'm not sure how I'm going to juggle knitting for Yelp's Bazaar and the Yarnathon. I'll make it work.

Sewing

I've been finding all kinds of fabric that I must have in my stash for no other reason than to just have it. Not really good for my want to have less stuff in my life.

I've ended up sewing up a lot of project/cosmetic bags for Yarnathon participants with what I've picked up. My favorite so far has been this Hello Kitty x mathematics fabric. My LQS only had this fabric in the pink colorway, but I found it in blue on etsy. I'll be making myself one more project bag and then I think I'm set...until I find more fabric that I have to have and share.

I have a bunch of small coin pouches that I either need to list on etsy or send out for consignment. I have no idea what's holding me back. It's an easy task to mark off my list, but I can't get myself to do it. 

Yelp's Totally Bazaar 

I'm hoping to finalize at least one of the new items on my list this week. December will be here soon so I really need to get things done. I'm still looking for an apron pattern, a banner, tags and a bunch of other small things. Then it's on too sewing, knitting, crocheting until I've got a good stock pile for the bazaar and the winter.

I also want to rework a pattern for items to sell at work. I think it'd be a cute knit for the winter. Maybe this year will be the year I work on priorities. Maybe.

Hello Kitty is My Homegirl and I finished another quilt

I love it. I love it. I love it. This bag is the bees knees.

This is the first bag I've ever made and I think I did a pretty good job. It's noodlehead's cargo duffle bag with a couple of modifications.

I made it my own by  removing the cargo pockets and adding a side pocket on both ends and then I also chose to line the inside instead of binding it and I even added a welt pocket. I've never  made a welt pocket before. It was easier than I thought it would be.

I have plans to make a few more of these, but I'm going to make some more modifications. I've seen a couple of solid bags and really like them solid. So far I like this one the most thought because well...Hello Kitty.

I am now the owner of a Hello Kitty suitcase, Hello Kitty backpack, Hello Kitty tote and now a Hello Kitty duffle bag. (I might also own some Hello Kitty Vans.) Addicted much?


Last week I finished the second quilt for 100 Quilts, 100 Kids. I didn't think I'd have time to do any regular quilting because I'm supposed to be packing to move and actually finding a place to live, but I just needed to quilt.

I will do a proper post after I can get this girl washed. She also needs a name.

Lots of procrastinating. Less than 100 days until Yelp's Bazaar and I don't have much made yet. I really need to get on that.

super excited and super busy

Yowzers! I just realized how much I've got going on right now and it makes me happy and super busy. It also gets me closer to where I want to be. I love how the Universe works. So here's what's going on over here:

• I found a new apartment and I'm working on coming up with the deposit so I can get moved out of my current apartment ASAP. This means I'm working on packing and selling off some of the crafty supplies I don't use.
• I've been listing a lot of zipper wallets/coin pouches on etsy (to help come up with the deposit for the new apartment. And I've decided that if I can hit 100 sales on etsy by 9/1 I'm going to host a giveaway. 79 sales down, 21 to go. Stop by and pick something up!
• I just sent off some issa.ino goodies to Gather Shoppe in Bloomington, IN. That's a new location you can find my goods.
• In a few weeks you'll also be able to find issa.ino goodies at Mass on Main in Carmel, IN. That's two new locations.
• Coming in December I'll be participating in Yelp's Bazaar here in Indianapolis at the Central Library.
• And I'm working on putting more into keeping in touch via social media and hopefully getting back into blogging more. (maybe once a week?)
• Lastly, I'm working on a secret quilt.

Yep, so it's pretty busy around here between getting product made for the consignment shops, Yelp's Bazaar and my own etsy shop on top of packing and then soon moving and other regular activities (oh and also still working on 100 Quilts, 100 Kids when I can get some time in there).

See, busy. What am I most excited about? Moving.