Wednesday, April 25, 2007

I hate titles

I can only rarely think of an appropriate title for posts. And my brain isn't really working properly today.

I haven't posted in a while. I've been busy with work and a little bit of social life. I'm still a bit sick. My sinuses are protesting the weather change. It's now moved down in my lungs.

On top of it all, I've been scrambling to get enough continuing education hours to keep my critical care certification. I just realized today that I probably have more than enough, I just wasn't figuring some hours that I thought didn't count.

I went up to Chicago on Saturday. The overall details are posted on my other blog. I was exhausted, happy, and sore. I also got to touch some very soft wool yarn, some alpaca yarn, and some fluffy, unspun angora. The owner of the farm/retreat/yarn-heaven was spinning on a small wheel. I would have liked to get a real demonstration, but it was crowded and she was busy with other people. I did get a very nice card to send to my secret pal. I'm going to send it out tomorrow along with the stitch markers I have made.

I'm still working on the tote-from-hell. I've also made a couple more dishcloths. And I'm planning on some patterns for totes. And I have a very special idea for a crocheted bag. I'll reveal more when I have a chance to figure out how to work it.

OK, I need to pay bills. And I have a meeting for the Witches' Ball tonight.

I leave you all with this:

You scored as Traveling Matt Fraggle. You left everything you knew in Fraggle Rock to begin the exploration of the last great frontier of Fraggledom รข€“ Outer Space. You send postcards back to your nephew in the Rock from time to time to impart your wisdom to him in hopes that the brave service to all Fragglekind will be beneficial to those who need it. You're not sure that you want to come back home because the world of the Silly Creatures is very interesting, but your homesickness shows through in almost every postcard you write.

Boober Fraggle

100%

Traveling Matt Fraggle

100%

Red Fraggle

83%

Gobo Fraggle

83%

Wembley Fraggle

83%

Sprocket

67%

Doozer

50%

Madame Trash Heap

50%

Mokey Fraggle

17%

Junior Gorg

17%

Which Fraggle Rock character are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

Friday, April 13, 2007

A little help, please

Maybe some of you who read my blog can give me a hand. I'm working on those totally awesome washcloths that I want to sell on Etsy. I have 5. I'm waiting until I have 10 cloths and maybe 3 or 4 bags before setting up shop.

Here's where I need the help. I have no idea how much to charge for any of this. I have looked for similar items on Etsy, and the prices are kind of all over the place. Anywhere from $3-$7 for the cloths. I can't remember what I saw for the bags. A couple of the bags were made from recycled grocery bags, but nothing was made of organic or recycled yarns.

The recycled yarn (recycled from the textile industry) that I bought costs me $8 for a 100 gram skein. I made three dishcloths out of it, and had a little yarn left (not enough for I full dishcloth, though). Playing with my patterns, I probably could get 4 cloths out of it, though. The organic yarn cost $8 for 50 grams. I have found a different (and cheaper) supplier for it, though. I still have not worked on reclaiming my own yarn from thrift shop sweaters, so I don't know the cost ratio for that, yet.

I don't want to overprice anything so that people won't want to buy them, but I also don't want to under-price and lose money. I am also very aware that people are sometimes less likely to buy a cheaper item, believing (at least subconsciously) that it has less overall value.

So, that is my conundrum. Thoughts?

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Stuff!

Got an really big envelope in the mail yesterday! Filled with cool stuff from my Secret Pal Luckdragon Smee. Luckdragon is a kitty who is taking care of the Secret Pal 10 stuff because her (I think it's a her) meowmie is an awfully busy woman!

So, what did I get? Bumper stickers!!! And we all know how much I love bumper stickers. I don't believe that you should see any metal on the back of a vehicle.

Here are the stickers I now have:





And I got a very cute card:


Made me giggle. Thank you, Luckdragon Smee. And thank your meowmie for going and buying the stuff.

I've made a couple more dishcloths. These were made from recycled cotton from Earth Friendly Yarns:





The Granny Square one is a little smaller than the ones I normally make. I am very happy with the waffle-stitch one, though. It worked up pretty quickly once I got the hang of it. And it's very soft and squishy. I have enough yarn to make one more dishcloth out of this skein, and I can probably make another 2 out of the organic cotton that I bought.

I've also bought some sweaters made of cotton yarn at the dollar store. I'm going to try and frog them and see if I can reuse the yarn. I'll let you all know how it works out.

OK, I have housework to do and I need to go grocery shopping. Later, everyone!

Monday, April 09, 2007

More ways to support my habit

It's bad enough that the SP10 blog lists all sorts of yarn-pushers, but I have to stumble upon them on my own as well. I'm in love with an online store. OK, I'm in love with their prices. We'll see how much I love their yarn.

I am probably going to buy some lace-weight yarn for my pal, and possibly a pattern for her as well. I have to wait until payday before I make any big decisions.

Also, I now have internet access at work. So, all of you bloggers have to post more often. I have 24 hours to fill. :-) I guess I could fill that time crocheting or learning more about the knitting process. Especially since the wifi runs like dial-up on my computer.

OK, I'm still feeling like crap. I really think it's this weather. I'm going to take a nap. Later!

Friday, April 06, 2007

Feeling a little better

Not a whole lot, though. Still have an ear infection. My doctor prescribed another course of antibiotics for it. I'm not sure how I feel about that. It is my theory that if one course of strong antibiotics doesn't kill something, it's probably not bacterial. I think I'm going to go to an Ears, Nose, and Throat specialist. I have now been sick for 10 days.

I haven't taken the pictures that I have promised. Maybe I'll take them tomorrow. I have some new yarn that I got from Earth-Friendly yarns. Yummy yarn. Actually, not terribly yummy. At least, Greg says it's not. And he actually tasted it. I don't know why. He's like that sometimes.

I also made a very cute little dishcloth while at work yesterday. I'm trying some different patterns for my Etsy idea. I really like it. Here's what it looks like in my scanner:



It's kind of on the big size, but that's how I like my dishcloths. I really like the way the colors pooled in the center. I want to do some light blocking on it to even it out, but otherwise I am pretty darned pleased.

I'm supposed to be posting pics of my favorite FO for a little contest by my SP10 hostess. I can't decide what to post. I have finished a couple of pieces that were a little more complicated than I thought they would be, and I was always so happy that I was able to figure it out. I have to say, given my habit of starting a gazillion projects (and then putting them away to be lost in the Nevernever), I am extremely happy with anything that I actually finish! :-)

If I absolutely had to pick just one, though, it would have to be this:


Isn't she gorgeous? Those who know me, or who have been around my blog for a while, will recognize my niece, affectionately referred to as Lupa. I made this sweater for her at the end of last year, and she looks adorable in it (IMNSHO). I was not only proud of myself for actually finishing the it, but managing to finish it with the screwed up instructions I had for the pattern. It was one of those cheap magazine-like booklets you find by the checkout at the grocery store. The sweaters looked cute, claimed to be simple, and the patterns were chock-full of errors. By the time I got around to finish it, I was sort of making it up as I went along. Quite an achievement for me. I like directions. Nice, simple, step-by-step directions. I did not have that with this sweater. But it was worth it. She refused to take it off all day. We nearly pulled it off so she wouldn't get it dirty during dinner, but she immediately put it back on once she was done. :-)

Okey-dokey. I am a very tired hooker, and must be off to bed! ;-) Sweet dreams everyone!

Sunday, April 01, 2007

An idea...

I'm thinking of making my own Etsy shop. Not because I'm a joiner and everyone else seems to have one. Well, not only. :-)

There are all sorts of knitters and crocheters on there that make dishcloths and totes. I wouldn't want to be just another one of dozens. Mine would have a different angle. I would make them from organic and recycled fibers. Market them as eco-friendly. Try to sell them to the hippy-Pagan population.

This is actually something that I care deeply about. I make my own dishcloths and I have a few grocery bags that I have made. I think I might even try to make some with some Pagan and hippy symbols incorporated. Maybe a pentacle potholder. Grocery bag with a peace symbol. OK, now I'm getting complicated and ahead of myself.

I'm still sick. It's the hubby's birthday. I feel bad because I don't want to do anything more involved than sit on the couch. I'm actually getting tired from sitting here at the computer. I think I'm going to go take a bath, see if I feel any better. If not, I'll stay home and feel like crap. If I do, maybe I could at least get the energy to go out for lunch with Greg.

Later!