Shop here!

I didn't post a "Laundry Day" this week (you'll notice, perhaps, that they come every other week... or so) because a) I forgot and b) I thought it would be fun instead to create a holiday shopping guide. So if you live in southeastern Pennsylvania and want to find the best presents for the folks on your list, read on for my personal picks.

Hello Bluebird
HB is an indie and handmade boutique located at 609 Penn Avenue in West Reading. Alex is super friendly and has a little something for everyone. She also specializes in products made right here in Pennsylvania (including my hats). For more info, visit hellobluebird.net.

Edna's World
Love the look of 60s and 70s mod? Edna's, tucked away at 413 E. Philadelphia Avenue in Boyertown, has the real deal - and fab prices! Proprietress Donnis has everything vintage, from clothing and accessories to housewares and even furniture. Call 610-473-3362 for more info and hours. She is usually open Friday evenings and Saturdays.

Studio B
You had to know this one was coming. But before you blow it off as too expensive, let me fill you in on a little secret: art lessons are immensely wonderful gifts for any age, and Studio B offers classes for all ages and skill levels. Also, the current show of small-priced works offers art for under $200 - an affordable investment you can give to someone special! Visit studiobbb.org for more information and a class list.

In other news, my friend (and gallery director) Sue wins the Awesome Person of the Week Award for gifting me her old old Dyson vacuum. Yes, it is held together with duct tape, but it is still hands-down the best vacuum I have ever owned! Now if only I can figure out how to release the locking mechanism...

Final artwork

I was finally able to take some pictures of my completed, framed artwork. I apologize that they are not the greatest quality pictures; I'll try to take better ones when I have a little more time!

Light

Dark

Life

Death


If I haven't mentioned it, these are all on display right now as part of the "Members & Friends Showing of Small-priced Works" at Studio B in Boyertown, PA. They will hang until the beginning of January along with approximately 200 other amazing (and amazingly priced) artworks. If you're in the area, stop by and check out the show!

Opposite day

I promised you'd get a glimpse of my current art projects, so here you go. These four paintings are parts to a fiber/watercolor collage I'm working on. If you can't tell from the names, it's a series of opposites :-) Now to finish the fiber elements!

life

death

light

dark

Ready, set, break!

Even though I'm taking a little break from hat-making right now doesn't mean I've stopped thinking about Like Clochework. Au contraire, my friends. I am dreaming up all manner of fun hats and headpieces and packaging ideas that will make your pretty little heads spin! Sadly, I probably won't get around to any of them until after the first of the year, so you'll just have to wait until then.

Speaking of next year, if you haven't visited my shop lately and seen the announcement, my prices will be going up a bit in 2010. I am selling retail now and really need to change my prices to reflect that. So if you have your eye on something on my Etsy shop, you may want to consider purchasing it soon if you want to save a little cash. The price change will be good for my customers in a lot of ways, though, because it will allow me to provide better services, prettier packaging, and maybe even some free shipping. So if you want all of those things, by all means wait until next year!

Today I am planning to do some painting for the first time in a long time. Now that I think about it, it's been a year and a half since I last pulled out my watercolors and brushes. Wow. And I want to get four paintings done today. I hope I am not overly ambitious...

A day in the life

I have been far too busy to post these past couple of weeks! Holiday shows at the gallery have really been heating up and I've been writing press releases, creating PR e-mails, and helping set up and run shows (we have one going on right now but I was given a chance to run home, eat, and take a nap). I'm taking a little break from hatmaking right now to give my hands a rest and to work on some other art projects that have been bursting to get out of my head. BUT I just took a moment to check handmadeinpa.net and found that my Day In the Life feature is up! So check out a typical busy day in my crafting life and come back here soon to see some hints of my art projects.

Meantime, there's a show to put on...

Laundry Day: Nov. 16

1. Birds to Stars tee by Basho, $30
2. Music Paperbird earrings by Munieca, $6
3. Swallow messenger bag by Deadworry, $40
4. Hoots and Oaks charm necklace by Lara Lewis, $21

Show's over

Had a great time at the Bethel UMC bazaar today! Sold two hats and a cowl, which is about my average for a show, so not bad. Plus, they had really great baked goods, so I was set. Thanks to Sue, Beth, and my mom for stopping in to say "hi," and thanks to everyone who tried on hats or took business cards.

Now it's on to the box of inventory I'm putting together for Hello Bluebird. Then, maybe, I'll take a little break...

Craftapalooza!

Tomorrow is my show at Bethel United Methodist Church in Spring City, and after much unnecessary stressing I am finally set up and ready. Directions are below if you live in the area and would like to attend (it's from 9-2:30). I got a sneak peek of the show tonight during setup and saw some neat handmade stuff (and some slightly tacky stuff as well, but then this IS a craft bazaar). It looks like half the other churches in the area might be hosting bazaars as well, so you could totally tag team it up.

Directions
- Get on Route 100 South
- Turn left onto PA-23 E/Ridge Street
- Travel approx. 2.4 miles and turn left on Bethel Church Road (you will see a sign for a local bookstore on the right)
- The church is half a mile down the hill, on the left

if you need to look up your own directions, the address is 952 Bethel Church Road, Spring City, PA 19475.

More black and white

Even though the Black & White Party was canceled, the show is still on in Alabaster's gallery until January. So yesterday I took over the four hats I was able to complete. You saw one of them the other day; here are the rest. I'm particularly fond of the white bucket.

Black & White all night

Working hard and - as usual - up to the last minute on my hats for tomorrow's Black & White Party at Alabaster's. As far as I know tickets are still available, but I have no further information. If you are interested in coming (and I really encourage you to come as it's always a good time at Alabaster's) please check out their web site and give them a call.


My first completed hat for the show, the "Winter Rose" Cloche. The husbands says it's the best one I've ever made. He is sweet.

UPDATE: The party has been cancelled; Alabaster's did not sell enough tickets. However, my work will still be on display in their gallery, so please do stop in, enjoy some lunch and a cup of tea, and check out the Black & White Show.

Introducing the "Maude" slouch beanie!

Find out more here.

Laundry Day: November 2, 2009

1. Plum Pinstripe Scarf by EmmaDear, $28
2. Screenprinted Jersey Scarf by Megan Lee Designs, $27
3. Japanese Star Moss Scarf by Xenotees, $22
4. Pink and Gray Cowlneck Top by SewNasty, $25
5. Whips N Chains Scarf Set by Glory by Jeannie Lee, $34

Laundry Day is a new feature I will try to post every Monday. It will contain some of my favorite handmade and vintage finds.

Up & Coming

In brief, here is my "LikeClochework Appearance Schedule" for the season so far:

* Nov. 7 - Black & White Party at Alabaster's Arts & Tea in Pottstown, PA (http://alabastersartsandtea.com)

* Nov. 14 - Craft Bazaar at Bethel United Methodist Church in Spring City, PA (http://bethelumchurch.com)

More to come, I hope...

Today the rain stayed away long enough for me finally to set up at the Boyertown Farmer's Market. Sadly, Becky from EmmaDear was unable to join me, but it was a good - albeit windy - day anyway. I actually didn't expect to sell anything, but my white cloche with the black needlefelted vines sold, as did a black and grey pom-pom hat that I just finished this week. Huzzah! I am always pleased when my hats find good homes.

By the way, shout out to Mike, who apparently now reads my blog ;-)

This Saturday... finally!

Well, it looks as if the weather is going to stay nice this weekend, which means I will finally be able to take my hats to the Boyertown Farmer's Market on Saturday! Good thing, too, because this is the last regular market of the season. EmmaDear may or may not be joining me, but either way you are all invited to come out from 10-1:00, try on some hats, maybe buy some presents (for yourselves or others), and enjoy the market. As an extra plug, the folks from M&B Farview sell some yummy soups and fresh-off-the-grill items, so come for lunch!

New items!

I just added a couple of new items to my Etsy shop!

This little cutie is named "Bethany" after my fun and funky sister.

A new, puffy twist on the classic "Millie" beret.

The Black Mage Hat

It's finished! some pictures of my awesome felted Black Mage hat, with vintage art deco buckle and purple fabric ribbon. Yes, I made the rest of the costume, too - it was the best I could do at the last minute!





I am so ready to take over the world now...

Tomorrow is cancelled!

Actually, it's most likely just postponed until next Saturday (Oct. 31). It is supposed to rain and even thunderstorm tomorrow, so unless the sun overpowers all, Emma Dear and I will not be making our scheduled appearance at the Boyertown Farmer's Market. Boo to you, bad weather!

It's a two-post day!

Just wanted to show off my latest, which I've finished uploading to my Etsy site. Enjoy!

I am a nerd

Runner up for this week's Awesome Person Award (and she would have won if she'd chosen any other week to be awesome) is my Aunt Steph for gifting me a really cool set of vintage crochet hooks. Most of them are so tiny I may never be able to use them, but goshdarnit I'm gonna try! My favorite is an ivory hook with a carved end, probably about a size C. Really, really neat.


In other news, I am a huge nerd. Some of you will say, "Well, duh!" But for the rest of you who don't know me... now you know. My geekery goes beyond sci-fi shows (which I could discuss with you at length, but won't) and into the realm of online gaming. No, I'm not talking about Bejeweled. I mean MMORPGs.* My husband has played these for years, and he has specifically played Final Fantasy XI since probably the day before it came over from Japan. And guess who decided, a little over two years ago, to buy an XBox and join him in the virtual world of mages and monsters? Oooh, that's right - pick me.

How is this relevant to my work at present? Well, in spite of prepping for a show this weekend (which will probably be canceled due to rain) and crafting new inventory for multiple retail locations, I am now embroiled in the venture of creating a Black Mage Hat (I play a max-level BLM in the game. For those of you who need help, it's a dark magic user. With FIRE.). But wait! It's not just any Black Mage hat; this is the high-level Relic hat, which is so much better than the standard high-level hat. Let's compare:

The typical BLM hat, which I will admit has some pretty sweet stats.

But look at this:
Who wouldn't want this? +5 Enfeebling? +10 Elemental??? You could take over the world with this hat!

So that is what I am making, with Halloween and the local parade and our annual harvest party in mind. And I'll probably wear it while gaming, too. And maybe to the store once in a while...


*Massive Media Online Role-Playing Games

Hooked on stash

My friend Donna wins this week's Awesome Person Award! (You didn't know I handed out awards, did you?) She was destashing and kindly GAVE me a bag full of squishy, yummy, yarny goodness: a little Noro, some Knit One, Purl Two, a skein of Araucania, and a whole mess of some sort of peach-colored yarn from Germany. It was like ultimate trick-or-treating, and I didn't even have to dress up! So thanks, Donna, you rock my sock yarns.

Today I am working on some new scarves and cowls, and may start in on a few cloches this evening. Wool is on sale right now and I have been given permission by the Budget Master to purchase some. So I'm off to shop and snuggle yarns...

And the weather defeats me

I am so, so tired. This cold, rainy weather we've been having lately really has me down; all I want to do is curl up under two or three blankets and take a nice, long winter nap. Today I did my usual volunteering stint at our local farmer's market - out in the cold and wind and rain - and I am beat! It took me several hours, lots of blankies, a nap, and some hot potato soup to warm me up. And now that I can finally move my fingers again, I think it's time to get back under the blankets and work on some cozy cowls so others can stay warm this winter.

Next Saturday, weather permitting, my friend Becky of Emma Dear and I will be selling our work at the Boyertown Farmer's Market from 10-1:00. If you're in the area, come visit with us and enjoy the other vendors and farmers at the market!

Special plug

By the way, my very cool aunt has started a blog all about her life as a vintage seller. If you've ever wondered how much that "old thing" in the attic is worth or how to sell your vintage items, this is the place for you! Check her out at everythingvintagesteff.com.

For treasure hunters

Well, no one has purchased "Lil' Punkin" yet, but it certainly is getting some attention! Two Etsians have featured it in their treasuries in the past week: rippleffect and tisserande. Follow the links to check out their treasuries and to see the other fine artists whose work they've compiled.

Today, speaking of pumpkins, I am going to learn how to make a pumpkin pie from scratch!

CBN Roundup

We had gorgeous weather and a great time on Sunday at the season's last Crafty By Nature! Becky from EmmaDear and I teamed up for the day and had what I think was one of the lovliest displays there. Below are some pictures to recap the event.





From top: A poorly pieced-together panoramic of our display; Closeup of our display; Becky models my "Winter Warmth" hat; Cash, son of brookiellen, shows off "Lil' Punkin"

Heeeeeeere's Punkin!

"Lil' Punkin" is finished! Hopefully he'll have a "Lil' Candy Corn" cousin soon.


An almost complete work-in-progress. I'm really loving how it's coming along!

Lil' punkin

Tonight, after a fancy dinner of Reuben sandwiches and friend chicken at the local diner, I embarked upon my plan to make a felted pumpkin hat. I've never made a child's hat before, so it was a new, albeit cute, challenge. "Lil' Punkin" is now drying on a small watermelon because I don't own a hat form or foam head small enough. Once hat is finished, I will take a picture of it for you, then fill the melon with vodka and place it in my freezer, to be eaten in celebration after I make my millions at Crafty By Nature on Sunday.

New hats completed!

I just finished the two cloches from the "in progress" photos in my previous post. Take a look! I'm calling them my "Windy" cloches.


(please excuse the clutter in the background - I have yarn everywhere!)

If anyone in the Boyertown, PA area is interested, I am looking for hat models for my Etsy shop photos. My previous model went off to college. I can't pay you anything, but I will treat you to coffee.

In progress

I've been working hard this week with new products and ideas for fall and especially for the Crafty By Nature show on Sunday. Below are some images of things in progress. More to come!

Sales!

Wow, do I have some sales going on right now! First off, all orders of $40 or more get FREE SHIPPING this month. And it's also free shipping to anyone who wants to come pick up their order at Crafty By Nature on October 4. Secondly, all of my cotton hats are 25% off now through October. Only a couple are in the Etsy shop right now, but I'll have a few more popping up as soon as they come back from the NJ shop next week (I'm changing up my inventory there). I'm thinking about a sale of some sort in October, too, but haven't settled on anything yet. And, of course, there's always a free mini pin with any online purchase!

Now you are in the "know."

The mad hattery begins

I have so much to do! With Crafty By Nature, retail stores, and my Etsy shop, I feel as though all I'll be doing for the next few weeks is making hats, gloves, and cowls. Right now three of my new "Paisley" cloches are in the works, in some very wonderful fallish colors. I just finished a new fingerless glove pattern and a cowl pattern, so I'll be making up some of those as well. And today I came up with a nice little cable pattern that might end up on some pieces in the near future.

Plus, I figured out what I want to do with all the vintage pillowcases I have sitting around. You'll see soon! I hope...

This weekend I did take the time to make something for myself: a lovely, lacey cowl worked up with recycled silk I purchased from craftyyarn. It's so soft and wonderful - I wish I had more of the yarn!

Custom by nature

As the animated button on the left shows, I've just signed up for October's Crafty By Nature market! On October 4 I will be at Shupp's Grove from 9-4:00 along with many other talented artists and craftspeople. Food and restrooms are available, and the antiques and collectibles market will also be open, so come and spend the day!

Now, for those of you who have been eyeing up my hats or considering a custom order, consider this: If you place your order before Sunday, September 27, you have the option of picking up your purchase at Crafty By Nature. You can pay me ahead of time through Etsy, or you can pay me when you pick up, but either way I will have your item(s) packed up and ready to go! That's like free shipping plus an extra day of fun at the Grove. Think about it!

And the winner is...

...Donna!!! Congratulations, you win one of my newly designed Shelly Caps! We will be in touch :-) Thanks to my husband for drawing the name for me. And happy International Crochet Day to everyone, as well - I hope you all got some crocheting in today.

I spent the day in the rain at the Montgomery County Scottish-Irish Festival, to which we will return tomorrow, hopefully in the sunlight. We came home earlier than we had planned, and I was going to make myself a black and white hat and scarf set (for Cornwall, One and All), but alas! I have no suitable black yarn at the moment. So instead I got out the sewing machine and made myself a purple plaid skirt to wear tomorrow. Perhaps I'll pair it with my almost-not-tacky crochet Irish Rose vest for a truly... "unique" look.

Don't forget the GIVEAWAY!!!

Just a reminder to enter my International Crochet Day Giveaway. You have until midnight on Saturday, September 12!

Crafty ones

Just got back from Crafty by Nature and I am tired. It was a great day, gorgeous weather, fine company, made several sales and passed along my info. Definitely worth it! I am considering going next month, too, for the final CBN of the year. If you're in southeastern PA (or don't mind a road trip), you should absolutely check out this event! The larger part of Shupp's Grove also has antiques and collectibles as well as food and fairly nice restrooms, so you can make a day of it.


Amanda Rae from changeofkey trying on my newest cloche creation (you can find it at Hello Bluebird!)


Katie from SewNasty and friend Dalanna in the hats they purchased

Crafty By Nature

A last-minute turn of events has placed me at Crafty By Nature this Sunday! While I was at Hello Bluebird in West Reading last night, celebrating their grand opening and enjoying a "hot" date with my husband, stellar artist Stephanie Corfee offered me her spot. It's absolutely perfect because my participation in Boyertown's Oktoberfest later this month fell through, to my disappointment. So now we enter the whirlwind of preparations: picking up hats from Alabaster's (my contract with them is up), gathering items for my booth, making a few more hats/gloves/scarves, printing signage, etc. If you're in the area, come see me and all the other wonderful artisans at Shupp's Grove on Sunday!

Crochet Day GIVEAWAY!

Here it is, my friends, the giveaway you've all been waiting for! In honor of International Crochet Day on Saturday, Sept. 12, I will give away one of my new Shelly Caps*. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite yarn or fiber (or e-mail likeclochework@gmail.com). It's that simple! At midnight on Sept. 12 I will put all the names into a hat and my extraordinarily talented husband will draw a name from said hat. Winner will be announced on Sunday, Sept. 13. Let the games begin!


*I choose the color, you choose the size.

Oh, frabjous day

Working on some Shelly Caps for my Etsy shop - made one last night out of a very lovely lavender alpaca-merino blend, perfect for cooler weather. I think I might also make up some coffee cup sleeves for my ReEdited shop and I am considering a possible promo for International Crochet Day, which is coming up quickly on September 12.

This weekend was great for business, at least for me: I found out that one of my hats sold from the NJ shop and also signed in to my e-mail yesterday to discover that I had sold a top through ReEdited. Yay for a little extra cash in the bank!

Hoodie pics, at last

I have submitted the design for publication in Tension magazine. If they don't want it I'll try to publish it through Ravelry.

FREE SHIPPING...

...on all orders of $40 or more during the month of September. Take advantage of this special offer now!

Grand Opening!

I finished my hoodie! Pictures coming soon, I hope. Meantime, an announcement:

WiP - My first "big" design

Inspired by the designs I've seen and worked on in Sys Fredens' "Comtemporary Crochet" book, I began designing a little hoodie of my own. I think I might actually try to get it published because I really love it. Here's a glimpse of the work in progress:



After this picture was taken I added a ribbed bottom and worked the edging and buttonholes. All that's left are the pockets and the buttons themselves and it will be ready to wear!

And here is the piece that, believe it or not, inspired my hoodie in the first place: my Sys Fredens V-Neck Top in ivory recycled cotton.

Stormy weather

A ridiculously powerful storm ripped through my town last night, leaving quite a bit of damage and everyone within a 2-3 mile radius without power. Our building was undamaged, though the strength of the wind actually forced water under our front door and through the edges of the windows. Sadly, my Hard Bean Cafe sustained roof and structural damage, as did the Rhoads Opera House next door and quite a few vehicles in the vicinity. My husband and I grabbed as many essentials as we could find in the dark and then evacuated to a friend's house for the night. Now I'm sitting in her kitchen, watching workers clean up the golf course behind the house, and waiting to hear if our power has been restored yet...

New hat pattern = many joys

It's such a simple thing, but I think it's going to re-energize my fall hatmaking regimen. You see, after you make the same thing so many times, it gets a little... well, boring. And I was getting bored with my hats. Don't get me wrong, I sill love, love, love them! But I can only make the same hat so many times in a row before I voluntarily have my fingers chopped off. So I took a little break from the hats, as I've mentioned before, and did some sewing instead.

But yesterday I had a breakthrough: A new idea for a hat! And it is a very simple sort of hat, but I love it and am planning to make more for my Etsy shop as soon as I have a moment. Hooray for hats!

For now I'm calling it my Shell Cap. Here is a preview:

Hello there, bluebird

Yesterday I had the opportunity to take some of my hats over to Hello Bluebird in West Reading. Already I can tell it's going to be an absolutely fabulous shop! I had to hold back the drool as I got a sneak peek at some of the other items that will be for sale. If you live in the area or are ever through for a visit, this is a must-stop! Grand Opening is on Thursday, September 3 during Penn Avenue's First Thursday event, and many of the artists/crafters will be there (including me!).

Today I finished my Sys Fredens V-Neck Top, and I love it! I think I'm going to make another with some tweaks, including a hood. Pictures are forthcoming.

I'm not dead, I'm having an affair...

...with another project, that is! Besides hats, another of my many loves is fashion. I make a lot of my own clothing and am constantly visiting our local thrift stores to see what I can find - and sometimes to see what I can use to make something else! After a long time thinking and dreaming about it, I finally decided it was time to take the plunge and launch ReEdited, my very own collection of recycled and upcycled fashions. Check out a little of what I've been doing at ReEdited.etsy.com. More to come soon!

I have also been working on some new hats for Hello Bluebird, a new handmade/indie shop opening up in West Reading. And of course I'm still trolling along on my Sys Fredens V-Neck Top, which is very close to being almost done. Did I mention I taught myself needle felting? I think I need a nap.

What will you wear?

I've posted a new poll and I hope you all will help me out by answering honestly. What hats will you wear this fall? Feel free to comment here and tell me what fabrics and colors you like, too! As always, I appreciate any help you can give me as I plan out my seasonal hatmaking ventures.

And with fall in mind, I have also been planning out my crochet wardrobe. I love simple clothing designs, and have recently fallen in love with patterns by designer Sys Fredens. Her book came in the mail just the other week and I absolutely MUST make almost everything in it! I've set up a little schedule for myself, with deadlines in September, October, and November. Ambitious? Yes! But it's going to be so much fun!

Today I had a strong hankering for tea and scones, so I whipped up an all-natural box mix I found in the pantry. Unfortunately, there was no expiration date on the package, and I think the mix may have gone bad... I ate two scones and feel a little funny in my tummy now. Oh dear...

Sick day scarf

Guess who picked up a bout of the ickies this week? Yup, me! I felt awful for two days and stayed cooped up in the house, napping under extra blankets. But I did find the time to cheer myself up with this lovely little project:



This is Tracy St. John's "Emerald Scarf" pattern from the Spring 2009 issue of Interweave Crochet, but I like to call it my "Ginkgo Leaves Scarf" because that's what I think the little fans in the body of the scarf look like. I'm so happy with it! And I feel much better, too :-)

Dodging raindrops

Had lunch with my friend Laura today, which was wonderful fun in and of itself, and afterward we had a little photo shoot. I've been wanting to rephotograph some of my older hats for my Etsy shop (and a few new ones, too), and today was the perfect day for pictures. We finished up just as the first rain drops began to fall!