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.

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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.