My New Button Tin

While going through my Feedly, I came across a post from DIy's Hooks and Yarns - a button giveaway - and it reminded me that I have not shared any images of my new button tin.

First, for the giveaway, you must leave a comment by Tuesday. I'm not one to generate my own competition (because quite frankly, I would LOVE to get those buttons), but I also want to share the blog with you and generate some traffic to Debi.

My Current Sock in Progress

I have decided to expand the blog a little bit without changing the name. I do a lot with yarn that isn't just crochet. Now, while the blog will continue being primarily crochet - here goes a nice knit post.

I have come up with a pretty solid "vanilla sock" - a repeatable process, if you will. So, after making a few pairs using my recipe, I decided to make a fancier sock.

This sock is being knit with base inspiration from this pattern I found on Ravelry: Waffle House Sock by Brooklyn Handspun.

Oh... Feedly...

Just a quite note so everyone knows that I have flipped over to Feedly. I'm very disappointed that Google is removing Google Reader, but we all must move along and try something new. Me.... I'm headed to Feedly!

Sometimes Maybe...

I can't say that I'm "back" in the sense that I'd be posting every day, but I do know that this morning I had a couple ideas for new patterns and got that urge to write. I actually went over to Wordpress and registered a free blog over there. I haven't written anything for it but it does have a more "generalized" title. There is just something about Blogger, about being on a Google site, that just makes me feel "blah" - perhaps its time I just bought my own URL and did my own thing.

I dunno.

I'm pondering the switch - I just know it will be a lot of work because I have SO many patterns being linked to this site. This means I need to copy all the patterns over to the new site AND notify all the web directories that link to my patterns that the URL has changed.

Is it worth it?

I do know that I have a couple ideas for patterns that won't be a free pattern. One is a booklet of sorts that I want to have more than 5 patterns. It is important for me to feel like someone gets their money's worth when it comes to buying patterns. I can't tell you how many times I see a pattern and the price is 5or 6 dollars - While I wouldn't mind having the pattern, I just don't see it as worth paying that much for. Maybe its because I'm super cheap, but yea - I want to make sure people feel as if they are getting their money's worth when they buy a pattern from me.

Hmmm maybe that's why I have only put one up for sale :P

Well, just know that I'm alive and well - I'm still playing with yarn.

OH, I did finish the wingspan (finally) and I'm about 3/4 of the way done with the Navajo blanket..... and I have knit several pair of socks!

Honestly, I think that my sock making deserves a category of its own. I have come up with my own "vanilla sock" pattern - I want to write it up and get it posted, but because of my above statements, I do think it would be a "for sale" pattern BUT I want to make sure that I explain how you can easily modify the sock and create your own patterns. I think only then would it be worth buying.... otherwise it just needs to be posted for free.

Ok ok.. enough of my whining/update. *smiles*

I think the fact its raining kinda puts a damper on my mood. Time to smile and work on my mom's sock.

Taking a Break

It has been quite a bit since my last blog. Honestly - I was a bit scared to even look so I figured .. don't. All I know is that its been entirely too long and I owed an explanation, even if relatively enigmatic.

I will not be blogging as regularly as I had at the beginning of the year. It is hard for me to admit that I basically have just broken off more than I can chew. Between work, marriage, family, actually crocheting/knitting, trying to get my weight in check, health, (and the list goes on and on) - I really just don't have time.

Part of my identified issue is that I really made this blog too specific - its crochet only, or at least I try to keep it that way most of the time. Right now, the things in my life are not crochet related so I don't really feel I can just slap it down into cyberspace - specifically THIS cyberspace.

On top of that I'm a bit miffed with Google as a whole. First - the reader is being taken away although I did get some feedback that Feedly seems to be good. I will most likely be switching to that. BUT in addition to that, Google Adsense has accused me of "cheating their system" and removed me from the Adsense program. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal but it bummed me out because 1) I'm not and 2) its punishment for getting more views and promoting my site locally. It is not the primary reason I blogged but I admit, it is the primary reason I put the majority of my patterns up for free because I knew that I would get some revenue from them to pay for my time and it wouldn't have to come from the reader base.

But - shame on me, eh?

I am not saying I will never return to blogging. I enjoy putting pen to paper (virtually) and know that I'll return soon enough - but perhaps I'll give my site a whole big make-over and make it more generalized so I don't feel so bound to any single topic (or two).

Diamond Luggage Tag [Pattern]

THIS PATTERN HAS MOVED

Please click the link below to be taken directly to the pattern on the new site.

My apologies for the inconvenience.

http://iyarny.wordpress.com/2013/03/22/diamond-luggage-tag-pattern/

Google Reader

So.. with Google Reader going away here shortly - I have a question to those who use a reader to subscribe to all their favorite feeds: What reader do you use or what reader will you be switching to?

Making Stitch Markers

I rarely use stitch markers for crochet - I keep some simple plastic ones on hand but have also been known to use a paper clip, a safety pin, and little scraps of yarn. But now that I've been knitting more, I am finding need for something a little more sturdy - something not too thick like the plastic but something that isn't going to slip off.

After looking online, I decided to take a stab at making my own. This is what I came up with.

Squirt also took a stab.

The marker made with hearts was made by Squirt. She did a really good job - I was hoping she would make me more but she seemed to lose her momentum. The "eyeballs" across the top are mine. I kinda grouped them in the progressing stages of figuring out what worked and what didn't.

Squirt had trouble getting the loop around the ring snag free - and getting the ring closed all the way. Even I had difficulty in squeezing the ring all the way closed - but it works and its really cute. I'm glad to have a token like this from her.

The blue eyes, that are by themselves, I tried them in the same manor that Squirt tried - and it didn't work out too well for me. I had trouble getting the wire looped around and snag free. The middle "group" - the single pair of green eyes, was done a bit differently - I used a doubled up piece of wire around a smaller jump ring.... but in the end, I still shouldn't have used the thicker wire.

So that brings me to my last group, the group of three, that look a lot better - I think this will be my method.

Perhaps in the near future, I'll do a give away of some of my eyeball markers! (but let me make sure they work out ok first)

Have you ever tried to make your own stitch markers (beyond bending a paper clip just the right way) ? I'd love to see what you've created!