Respect Your Designers

I design patterns and publish them - albeit all but one are free.

Respect designers of all kinds - it may seem silly to pay for something you can pass around under the table, but its discouraging to the designers to think they are not appreciated enough for those few dollars a pattern generates.

Comments

I am not entirely sure what is going on but my comments appear to be "all jacked up on Mountain Dew."

It started with my admin screen within Blogger showing I had comments on posts - but when I went to the post... no comments. I checked my email - and there were email notification on the comments that apparently did not exist on the post. So I removed the Disqs module because its really just an overlay to the blogger comments, but ended up with lots of comments on my posts - just on the wrong posts!

So if you comment and I do not see it, I'm blaming Blogger right now. If you want to help me test, just post a comment to this post OR go back one or two posts and post a comment there - (just specify you are commenting on a certain post to help test so then I know if it shows up on the wrong post or not).

Anything to help and again, my sincerest apologies.

If I could find an easy way to change all the links to my patterns, I would totally change over to word press.

Totally.

I even have the URL reserved.... iyarny.wordpress.com

Any suggestions?

I'd say comment but I don't know if it would work or not.

gah.

Fiber Fits

Admittedly, I am amidst a fiber artist temper tantrum. Its the silent type because who wants to see a 38 year old woman pout over not being able to participate in a MKAL (mystery knit-a-long for all you non-fiber folks out there who may have stumbled upon my blog).

As of the last few months, I have been trying to knit and crochet from my stash. A few yarn purchases have

My Messy Yarn Room (main stash)

been made to top of certain projects, but that's about it. I think 2 balls of sock yarn are about my only "non necessity" purchases I've made in the last 6 months... and by "non necessity" I mean - it was needed. The yarn was awesome, I didn't have it and I wanted it. Therefore - it was a necessity purchase.

This yarn diet is self imposed. The Man really doesn't care - heck he benefits from my little fiber addiction. I don't have to not buy yarn when I see it, but I'm just trying to knock down what I have to make room for what I don't have.

About a month ago, I ran across a MKAL honoring Marie Curie ... wha wha whaaaaa? Science, Math and Yarn. That is a triad of awesomesauce right there! (ok, I threw in the Math because its part of the forum, not necessarily the MKAL - but that's just how my mind works)

Here is a link to the Ravelry Group, just in case you are interested.

Anywhoozles - so here I am thinking I'm going to get in on the action early on. I head to my stash and dig. And I dig. And I dig... and I come up with NOTHING. Nadda. Not a darn thing. I need two light weight yarns, sock weight would probably do because I knit so tight, to give me a gauge of approximately 9-10 stitches per inch. Two colors are necessary - and knowing the mittens the host creates, I know the colorwork will require two extremely contrast colors so the pattern will show up. I have all sorts of self striping and variegated colors but not real solids. I have a soft heather grey - nothing to go with.

So perhaps I shall check my favorite local yarn store... Nadda. He was in the same boat I am in - lots of colored/variegated yarns, but no bold solids.

I go online but sheesh - shipping stinks for 4 tiny skeins of yarn (at this point, let me mention that I am somewhat of a cheap skate). So... no ordering unless I have a coupon or am able to order with several other people (the yarn group I meet with weekly sometimes does that - but not at this very moment). I am such a naysayer on shipping that I actually checked Amazon.com to see if there were any nice yarns covered under my prime membership ... nadda there as well.

So now, here I sit - the MKAL has officially started and they are moving into the second clue. I'm looking at the spoiler pictures because apparently not only am I a shipping fee naysayer and  cheap skate, but I am also a bit of a fiber masochist. There are some absolutely gorgeous mittens being worked up and I want to be one of those people - but I have no yarn.

Looking for the silver lining - at least not having yarn for the MKAL has forced me to continue focus on the Christmas crafting... 

(Granted, this weekend we are going to head over to a couple other yarn stores nearby and I'm going to look there - they are larger than the one here in town so there is a good chance I'll find my yarn. Silver Lining Adverted.)

Ahhhh ... knitting weather

I live in the Midwest and as any Midwesterner knows - the weather this year has been completely squirrely. Winter was bitter and crazy. Spring was really summer. Summer was spring at least for most of it then turned to summer quickly at the end of August. Autumn is starting out summer but quickly moving into autumn... and I like the idea of that!

Quiet Morning

This is actually the first blog post made from my cellular device. I'm a little hesitant mostly because I don't see where I can put in a picture. 

It's Saturday morning... both kids are up and actually in the same room but it is quiet as can be. All I can here is the downstairs shower. The Man must be up too.

I took a photo of the shawl I finished yesterday and even posted a vine of it. Vine... that's a new spot for me, now linked on the right; albeit I'm not so sure I'll be posting frequently there. My non-blog update spot remains Instagram.

Heck, I even posted on YouTube this morning. It's been 2 years since I last did that. This shawl is inspiring *laughs*

So what is on the menu today? No clue... last weekend I said nothing was going to happen and I ended up at a Cubs - Cards game with the man and our friends - complimentary tickets in hand. So who knows where the day will take me. I'm only sure that no matter where, I'll have some yarn with me.

PS: I figured out where to add the photo... but blogger app developers - why only 1 and why only at the bottom? *grrrrrrr*

never run with pointy sticks...

I have no idea what the title of this post has to do with the creation of socks, but its all I could come up with. *laughs*

I do know that I really enjoy making socks - and while I normally use two circular needles and sometimes occasionally one circular, nothing seems to make me feel more "in touch" with my "knitting heritage" like using bamboo double pointed needles.

Am I the only person that feels like this?

293 Days... and no longer counting

My last blog post was October 11, 2013 - 293 days ago. I am thankful I didn't go more than a year away. I admit, I got pulled in a few different directions and lost sight (and vision) of my blog. Losing Google Adsense didn't help any - and they still refuse to re-instate my account, which is a shame. The only reason I do not move to WordPress is because I do not want to lose the patterns and work I have put into this blog.

But in the end- I should never have let it affect me. It should not affect my sharing my work, reading about yours, and publishing patterns.

I have realigned some of my responsibilities since last I posted so hopefully I can remain on track this time.

So, what have I been up to?

1. Working
2. Working
3. Knitting
4. Crocheting
5. Working
6. Family
7. Family
8. Family
9. Family
10. Working

One thing I have done to keep my work organized (and reportable... and open to analysis... I am a sick sick person *laughs*) Is to start a tracking device. I will be linking that and referencing it as I move forward. I will do a summary post for YOP 3 and my intentions for YOP 2014.

One big goal was that I finished the Navajo Diamonds Afghan a few weeks ago.

I'm pretty happy about it, as you can see. *chuckles* I have this one in the State Fair which starts in a week or so. I drop the actual afghan off this weekend - so I'm pretty excited about that. Hopefully it does well. Knowing the amount of talent out there (from the year of the Beastghan), if I get second I'll be happy. Anything better than second will be fiber art gravy.

Even though it has been a long time since I last posted, I hope to reconnect with everyone and get back to enjoying the relaxation my blog always offered. I hope you are all well, readers and I look forward to conversing with you again.

Finished FINALLY

I simply wanted to share with you, dear readers, that I FINALLY finished the socks for my mother. I had been working on them for well over a month!

It wasn't an overly difficult pattern and they weren't extremely long (sorry, Mom, you aren't really that tall hence your feet aren't that big) - I just went really slow with the pattern because well... I'm a slow knitter *laughs*

I'm very glad they are done and I'm ready to cast on my next SIP project (socks in progress). This time - they WILL be vanilla socks. *smiles*

The funny story behind these socks is that I mailed my mom her first pair of hand knit socks a few months ago. I knew that once she wore them, she would begin to expect more - and I'm perfectly ok with that. I like doing things for my mom. She is definitely 'craft worthy' as far as I am concerned.

I figured that she would just expect a pair of socks at every gift-giving holiday (Christmas, her birthday, Mother's Day, etc). The surprise is that the next time I saw her, she went to Hobby Lobby with me when I had to pick up something and purchased sock yarn for me and said "make me more socks out of this yarn" - handing me the purple and grey yarn (shown above). I smiled and said "absolutely" and was happy she really enjoyed her first pair. Moreso than I thought she would.

Is there a person that you feel is extremely craft worthy that you'd like to mention? Funny story about someone requesting a certain item? Let me know in the comments! (link to any stories you have posted as well - I will have to approve the comment BUT that's ok!)

Tangible Memories (or: fixing someone else's work)

Like warm fresh-baked cookies, newly cut grass, and some perfumes - we all hold memories in the tangible. When someone else's tangible memory is left with me for repair, I always get a knot in my throat and butterflies in my stomach.

I go into the work with the disclaimer "it isn't going to be exact" and "it won't be 100% like it was before" but.... there is always a but "but it won't unravel and I will do my best to get it to match.

This last job was no different other than it has been YEARS since someone asked me to repair their tangible.

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.

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.

Moogly Feature

Tamara from Moogly Blog dropped me a line on my 1 Skein Pet Bed Pattern to let me know it was featured as part of a roundup for 10 items for the Cat Lover.

Being that I'm an all around animal lover, I really found some of these patterns something I'd be very interested in making, especially the cat scarf.

I just wanted to first give Tamara a huge "THANK YOU" for featuring my pattern as one within the collection. I really do appreciate this sort of acknowledgement from other bloggers, crocheters, and artists. And on top of that, I'm glad she pointed out that it really is a great item for donation to animal shelters.

So, please - if you have not been to the Moogly Blog before, I encourage you to go check it out.

Thanks again, Tamara!

I Want This Yarn... have you used it?

I know I have briefly mentioned a recent trip to a nice yarn store with several of my yarn group friends - a mini yarn crawl, if you will.

While at this yarn store, I saw this yarn.... and I want it.

I really really REALLY want this yarn.

So I want to ask you all: have you used it? what did you think of it?

It was a rather pricey yarn, as far as my budget is concerned, so any input prior to my purchasing this yarn would be helpful. I know that one of my friends purchased this yarn in the purple gem-stone type colorway shown on the right - I want the browns/greys.

Ombre in Real Life

I am not sure how all of you are, but I can say that sometimes - the beauty of crochet and knitting and yarn seep into my every day life.

I wanted to share this photo with you (and pardon the grainy nature - it was taken on my crappeh cell phone).

Crocheting My Life Back: Update 1

The Statistics
Current Weight: 297
Weekly Loss/Total Loss: -3/-3

Squares Allowed: 3
Squares Completed: 0

Credit where credit is due

(c) Crochet with Cris - drawn by my brother

I wanted to step back a moment and really give some credit I hadn't given before... which is kinda surprising.

The credit: to my brother.

My brother is an AMAZING artist. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've posted some of his artwork on my blog before when we both entered a local art show (here, not where he lives *laughs*).

Well, on request, quite a few months ago - my brother created me some images. The image is a ball of yarn with some knitting needles in it, a ball of yarn with a crochet needle in it, and then a ball of yarn with both items. Hmmm there may be just a ball of yarn in there too... somewhere. I asked him to draw them up and he had them done pretty much the same night.

And then he provided me with the image that all I need to do is drag it to photoshop and add the right words - he made my life SO much easier.

You will see these bits of art on my blog. I'm using them with titles of my blog series  and I also featured one on a bag I made at Zazzle called "So Happy Together" - ya know, since I knit AND crochet.

I used his images for my iYarny buttons and banners used both on this site AND on Ravelry.

Its really nice to have simply because I have the original and I can tag them in whatever way I like.

So really, this is just me taking that moment to really THANK my brother for his artwork. I love all of the images.

He's a superstar in my book (always has been... even WITH the "twinkie deals" he never followed through on when I was little LOL).

Crocheting My Life Back... The Beginning

This 'series' is going to be about me and getting my life back.

How?

Let me explain.

I'm not a small woman. I am well over 100 pounds overweight, although because I'm also very large-framed, I would say that me being as big as I am isn't like a small-framed woman being 100 pounds overweight. I am still relatively active and healthy - which is a blessing in and of itself. I have a family that loves me and a job that does not seem to discriminate against me because of my weight.

"Crochet Saved My Life" - get your free kindle copy!

You have no idea how excited I got this morning when sat down for my "morning blog read" before work and saw that Kathryn of Crochet Concupiscence had posted that I had a chance to get a copy of her newest book, Crochet Saved My Life, for free on Kindle.

Welllllll, Lucky me, folks! I own a kindle!

Learning Something New

I have blogged multiple times about how important I feel it is to challenge yourself or adventure into new waters - to learn something new. I like to learn something new, even if its a piece of information, every day. With something like crochet, one should be willing to adventure off into something new at least once a year - to be able to practice it and get comfortable with a new technique or style.... or tool.

I have been eyeballing cro-tatting for a while now and that is definitely going to happen once I can find the right hook. Obviously, I could find them online easily but I figured I'd just piddle around local for a while until I couldn't take it anymore. IE, around April.

But today, as I was reading the blogs I subscribe to in Reader, I saw a post on the Crochet Spot Blog - the sharp crochet hook.

Keeping it Simple (and cheap)

some acrylics I bought a year or so ago

If there is one thing that my yarn group has done is opened my eyes to all the wonderful types and variations of yarn and yarn color. I have learned new styles and had my eyes opened to new patterns. I think it was my yarn group that was the real inspiration behind my actual "like" of knitting.

What I also learned is that with new wonderful types and variations of yarn and yarn colors comes the need for budgeting - some people are able to spend 15$ for a ball of yarn and buy 8 for a project.

I am not one of those people.