Yesterday my father-in-law had surgery. It meant my husband and I sat with his Mom for 14+ hours in the waiting room. Both through the surgery and then waiting for visiting times. He came through great, and is well on his way to recovering. His sister was sitting with us and she has started crocheting. I had brought some with me to pass the time. I haven't been crocheting much recently because it has really started to feel like work instead of something I enjoy. But yesterday I had an idea for a scarf pattern and went to work figuring it out. It was fun, and I remembered why I enjoy crocheting so much. My Aunt told everyone who came how great I am at crocheting, and bragged about my etsy shop. I was very flattered, and appreciated the praise.
I have a lot going on in my life at the moment, but I will continue to crochet!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Sale!
I decided to do a 20% off sale. Every single item in my shop is 20% off! I am also continueing to offer free shipping to all destinations!
The coupon code for this sale is : heartgreene
Hope you check out my shop and enjoy the sale!
The coupon code for this sale is : heartgreene
Hope you check out my shop and enjoy the sale!
Slip slip slippers!
My lastest creation, two styles of slippers! My inspiration came from a conversation I had on the phone with my sister the other day. She is diabetic, and has a lot of problems with her feet and circulation. She told me that her feet are so cold at night that they make her legs hurt and it makes it hard to sleep. Geez! No kidding! I mean my feet get pretty arctic, just ask my hubby! LOL But no where near cold enough to cause pain. I suggested socks, and she told me that she can't wear socks because they are simply too tight. They cause swelling and further reduce circulation. I know they make special socks for diabetics, but nothing that would combat Southern Alberta cold.
So I told her what she needed was for me to make her some sleeping booties! I told her they would be thick and warm, but loose on her feet and ankles. I set about finding a pattern I liked, I tried 3 different ones. And each time got part way, decided I didn't like it and took it out. LOL, I know I'm picky, but these were bad! I ended up concocting my own design, it was fun, I learned a few things, and I think they turned out pretty well.
That was all last night, this morning I was trying to decide what to do with the left overs, and since I don't often ship things back home to my family I wanted to make the most of it. I called home and got my Mom. I shared my dilemma, that I didn't have a whole lot left, but I had some scraps from other colors, I wondered what else my sister would like. My Mom said,"Would you have enough for another pair of slippers?" Geesh, why didn't I think of that? She has fibromyalgia and her feet are very sensitive, what better than super cushy and soft slippers? I mulled it over and decided I might be able to piece all the colors together into my pattern and make it work. I began construction, it took some time, and a little estimating of how much I had of each color. But I made it! They are so cute, and I'm happy with the color coordination. I'm thinking of making some for myself too! I have hypothyroidism, which affects my temperature, my feet are icy!
Scrap N' Patch Slippers - http://www.etsy.com/listing/66014028/scrap-n-patch-slippers
Ultimate Comfort Slippers- http://www.etsy.com/listing/66013136/ultimate-comfort-slippers
So I told her what she needed was for me to make her some sleeping booties! I told her they would be thick and warm, but loose on her feet and ankles. I set about finding a pattern I liked, I tried 3 different ones. And each time got part way, decided I didn't like it and took it out. LOL, I know I'm picky, but these were bad! I ended up concocting my own design, it was fun, I learned a few things, and I think they turned out pretty well.
That was all last night, this morning I was trying to decide what to do with the left overs, and since I don't often ship things back home to my family I wanted to make the most of it. I called home and got my Mom. I shared my dilemma, that I didn't have a whole lot left, but I had some scraps from other colors, I wondered what else my sister would like. My Mom said,"Would you have enough for another pair of slippers?" Geesh, why didn't I think of that? She has fibromyalgia and her feet are very sensitive, what better than super cushy and soft slippers? I mulled it over and decided I might be able to piece all the colors together into my pattern and make it work. I began construction, it took some time, and a little estimating of how much I had of each color. But I made it! They are so cute, and I'm happy with the color coordination. I'm thinking of making some for myself too! I have hypothyroidism, which affects my temperature, my feet are icy!
Scrap N' Patch Slippers - http://www.etsy.com/listing/66014028/scrap-n-patch-slippers
Monday, January 3, 2011
Ugly glove
For christmas my Father-in-law bought me a crochet pattern magazine. In it was this really cute pattern for fingerless gloves and a hat. Yesterday I tested the glove pattern. I Hate it! The sizing turned out way smaller than the pattern said it would. And the faux seaming, ugly! I do however, really love the overall stitching pattern. Unfortunately the pattern was complicated enough it took 6 hours to make, only to discover that I don't like it, and would never want to post in GreeneTrends.
So, I adapted. I took the parts that I like, and made another glove. Increased the size a little, and "poof" cute glove! I still have the hat pattern to test, and a scarf to design around it. I think it will turn out well. I'm finding that I much prefer taking an idea from a pattern and designing my own from there. Maybe it is because I like to do things MY WAY! LOL! Maybe it is because it's fun to create something thats all mine...
I'll let everyone know when I finish and list this set!
So, I adapted. I took the parts that I like, and made another glove. Increased the size a little, and "poof" cute glove! I still have the hat pattern to test, and a scarf to design around it. I think it will turn out well. I'm finding that I much prefer taking an idea from a pattern and designing my own from there. Maybe it is because I like to do things MY WAY! LOL! Maybe it is because it's fun to create something thats all mine...
I'll let everyone know when I finish and list this set!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Huge Sale!
I just finished revamping my whole shop, listings and all. I took a lesson from my Sister-in-Law. She only buys the higher end, meaning pricey, makeup and jewelry and other items when they come with "free gift with purchase". I thought to myself, why not throw in a little something extra to sweeten the deal?
So I did!
It took me nearly two and a half hours to change all my listings but it's done!
Afghans come with extra throw pillows, baby blankets get a free monogram, sweaters come with free fingerless gloves, there's an item with a free flower hairband, and sets with bonus items! And of course I decided to continue my Free Shipping sale! I'm super excited about it and I hope it brings results. It's also got my creative juices flowing and I have some really great ideas for new designs. Can't wait!
Creative wishes,
Lynae
So I did!
It took me nearly two and a half hours to change all my listings but it's done!
Afghans come with extra throw pillows, baby blankets get a free monogram, sweaters come with free fingerless gloves, there's an item with a free flower hairband, and sets with bonus items! And of course I decided to continue my Free Shipping sale! I'm super excited about it and I hope it brings results. It's also got my creative juices flowing and I have some really great ideas for new designs. Can't wait!
Creative wishes,
Lynae
Thursday, December 23, 2010
The Christmas Season
Business has been good. I've made my 6th sale! Which I am super excited about. The first three sales were commissioned through Etsy Alchemy, which was a lot of fun. It is difficult because it usually results in drastic undercharging. But it is good experience, and every sale counts! My other three sales have all been the same set, a set that I designed myself, and really do love a lot. My Ribbed and Picot winter fashion set, which includes a scarf, fingerless gloves and a cloche style hat.
Sale one of the set was easy, I just mailed it off!
Sale two however is a story. A woman purchased the renewed item, which is now labeled with "NOT IN STOCK", I emailed her immediately to confirm her color choices. She did not email me back. The next week I decided I should contact her again, so I sent an email stating that the next day I would start using the original colors from the add unless I heard from her first. The next morning I had an email telling me she wanted it finished by the next Wednesday, 2 days before Christmas eve. I thought to myself, that is awefully close to Christmas, I wonder if she ordered it as a gift for someone. So I emailed and asked, and stated that I could get it done by that Wednesday but it would be a challenge. She replied that she did want it for a Christmas gift! I nearly had a fit! I started calculating immediately, and realized that it was Wednesday and in order to have it shipped to her by Christmas I would need to mail it by Saturday at the lastest. I told her I would do my best. Well...turns out my best is better than I thought! I finished by Friday afternoon and made it to the postoffice that day! Whew! But I have had to take a break from crochet because my hands were quite sore.
Sale three I recieved shortly after sale two, and I contacted her and did hear back. That set I am currently working, my poor hands are still a little sore. Hope to be finished that and have it mailed off before the New Year!
I also have a Free Shipping sale going on right now, which will end in the New Year. But for now it seems to have done pretty well for me. Considering the time that crochet takes to complete 3 sales is something I am happy with.
I am very much looking forward to Christmas! I can't wait to see how my husband reacts to his gifts, and seeing my family on the computer! We are setting up a special webcam date with my family back home so that I can see all their faces and talk to them. Super excited! Plus, who can forget all that amazing food!
Merry Christmas all! Enjoy your holidays and the promise of a new year right around the corner! If you do not celebrate Christmas I wish you happy holidays, and a wonderful time with your loved ones!
Lynae
Sale one of the set was easy, I just mailed it off!
Sale two however is a story. A woman purchased the renewed item, which is now labeled with "NOT IN STOCK", I emailed her immediately to confirm her color choices. She did not email me back. The next week I decided I should contact her again, so I sent an email stating that the next day I would start using the original colors from the add unless I heard from her first. The next morning I had an email telling me she wanted it finished by the next Wednesday, 2 days before Christmas eve. I thought to myself, that is awefully close to Christmas, I wonder if she ordered it as a gift for someone. So I emailed and asked, and stated that I could get it done by that Wednesday but it would be a challenge. She replied that she did want it for a Christmas gift! I nearly had a fit! I started calculating immediately, and realized that it was Wednesday and in order to have it shipped to her by Christmas I would need to mail it by Saturday at the lastest. I told her I would do my best. Well...turns out my best is better than I thought! I finished by Friday afternoon and made it to the postoffice that day! Whew! But I have had to take a break from crochet because my hands were quite sore.
Sale three I recieved shortly after sale two, and I contacted her and did hear back. That set I am currently working, my poor hands are still a little sore. Hope to be finished that and have it mailed off before the New Year!
I also have a Free Shipping sale going on right now, which will end in the New Year. But for now it seems to have done pretty well for me. Considering the time that crochet takes to complete 3 sales is something I am happy with.
I am very much looking forward to Christmas! I can't wait to see how my husband reacts to his gifts, and seeing my family on the computer! We are setting up a special webcam date with my family back home so that I can see all their faces and talk to them. Super excited! Plus, who can forget all that amazing food!
Merry Christmas all! Enjoy your holidays and the promise of a new year right around the corner! If you do not celebrate Christmas I wish you happy holidays, and a wonderful time with your loved ones!
Lynae
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Patterns! Changes! & Designing!
I opened the pattern book I bought, and I fell in love with this ruffled scarf. It just looked so pretty. So I started it, followed it 100% to the letter. For me it was just way too long, it felt awkward when I put it on. Thats when I discovered that patterns aren't perfect, and if it's not working, well change it!
The nice thing about using a pattern is that you have direction, a concept, and a goal for what your end result will be. With inspiration from the first ruffled scarf pattern I followed I thought about what I didn't like, and made a few adjustments. Thats how the Double Ruffle Scarf came to being. The great thing about trying a bunch of different patterns is learning the different ways a stitch can be used, and the shapes it can create. Sometimes adjustments are really simple, like using a different sized hook than the pattern asks for, or making the sleeve pieces for a sweater seperately and sewing them on instead of trying to make them attached and manuevering the sweater around for who knows how long, or changing the count of rows or stitches to fit a persons measurements.
I really love all of the things I've made, I just enjoy seeing it come together. One of my favorites was a set I made for the daughter of a friend. Summer Stripes blanket and pillow. It was a challenge, being the second pattern I tried to follow. I made a simple mistake for almost the first half of the blanket, on one end I was adding 1-2 stitches every row, so the whole blanket was wrinkled and crooked on one end. I counted, and counted and counted some more, and then it dawned on me what I had done. Pulled it all out back to the first row and started again. I'm so glad I did, because it is so pretty now. And my friends daughter loves it, she uses it all the time. That was hugely satisfying for me to see how excited she was when I gave it to her.
Designing, the largest photo on my blog- hairbands someone paid me to design and make. She had one photo of a knit hair band she had found somewhere. I did searching for designs of different flowers, tested, and tried a few to see what I would be the best on the band. After some measuring, lots of counting, doing a sample band as a reference, I put together the hairbands in the photos with her requested colors. I have to say it was fun, painstaking, but fun.
The nice thing about using a pattern is that you have direction, a concept, and a goal for what your end result will be. With inspiration from the first ruffled scarf pattern I followed I thought about what I didn't like, and made a few adjustments. Thats how the Double Ruffle Scarf came to being. The great thing about trying a bunch of different patterns is learning the different ways a stitch can be used, and the shapes it can create. Sometimes adjustments are really simple, like using a different sized hook than the pattern asks for, or making the sleeve pieces for a sweater seperately and sewing them on instead of trying to make them attached and manuevering the sweater around for who knows how long, or changing the count of rows or stitches to fit a persons measurements.
I really love all of the things I've made, I just enjoy seeing it come together. One of my favorites was a set I made for the daughter of a friend. Summer Stripes blanket and pillow. It was a challenge, being the second pattern I tried to follow. I made a simple mistake for almost the first half of the blanket, on one end I was adding 1-2 stitches every row, so the whole blanket was wrinkled and crooked on one end. I counted, and counted and counted some more, and then it dawned on me what I had done. Pulled it all out back to the first row and started again. I'm so glad I did, because it is so pretty now. And my friends daughter loves it, she uses it all the time. That was hugely satisfying for me to see how excited she was when I gave it to her.
Designing, the largest photo on my blog- hairbands someone paid me to design and make. She had one photo of a knit hair band she had found somewhere. I did searching for designs of different flowers, tested, and tried a few to see what I would be the best on the band. After some measuring, lots of counting, doing a sample band as a reference, I put together the hairbands in the photos with her requested colors. I have to say it was fun, painstaking, but fun.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)