Year: 2021

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And Just Like That

And just like that, I find myself back in order mode. I got two orders in today for crochet slouchy beanies. I had the yarn for one and not for the other so Mr. Honey had to drive over to JoAnn to pick it up for me. (Because we are down to one car – I told him it wouldn’t work. I don’t think he’s going to want to pick up my supplies for me very often.)

This is one of them. I like it. As of this writing, three more folk have this in their cart. If you want to join them, find the listing here.

Of course order mode comes when I have three items on the needles. Design and stock mode means having more than one thing going on. It is about to become four because I am going to have to put in some of the summer beanies in the shop along with the headband, basic beanie and the hooded scarf.

 I did buy more than two dozen skeins of cotton yarn. I had some in the stash already and it should be used for something. What’s one more thing to add to the pile? I will be in order mode for just a couple of days – unless this summer beanie begins to take off. That would something to hope for.

Cotton yarn is going to be my friend for the next few days. I am feeling hopeful and I want to strike while the iron may be warming up. A few summer sales is the goal. Just like that I would be a four season shop!

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After Seventeen Years

We have donated the Corolla. After seventeen years of faithful service, Mr. Honey walked in the house and said it was time to donate it. The brakes gave out. Luckily, he was on a side street. It was easy to get the car to stop using the emergency brake.

We donated it to Willow Creek CARS Ministry. They take cars, repair them and give them away to folks who need transportation. If the car can be repaired and can get at least two years of use, then it will go to someone who has no means of transport.

One of my friends owns a service garage and he used to give a  car away every year. I was thinking of giving the car to him but he suggested Willow Creek. I submitted the application on line and they were in touch with me immediately. They made arrangements, arrived when they said they would and, hopefully, they will make the repairs and the car will continue to be of use.

Mr. Honey bought it for me as a birthday present but he took it for himself after he purchased a van. I didn’t think I would drive the van. I prefer it to the car. He’s talking of getting a pickup truck. I’ve always wanted one. There could be another switch.

I am reminded of how blessed we are. We are not wealthy but we are good. We have enough. There is room for generosity. I am proud and happy he thought of donating the car and I’m glad there’s a service that may be able to help someone. If the car can’t be repaired, they will junk it and the funds will go the ministry. That’s fine. But I’m hoping it can be used. It’s a selfish wish.

 

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Sigh

Sigh

I would like to do a blog post. That I can do.

I would like to do a blog post with pictures. That I cannot do.

I cannot add pictures. I cannot edit pictures. I can delete pictures and can’t add them back.

This makes a visual blog such as this very hard to work with. I’m going for help.

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Hello There

Hello there –

I know. It’s hasn’t even been a week and I’m back. That’s because being on a regular schedule means getting through the calendar to do list faster and that means blog posts will be more frequent. 

Getting back to this kind of normal has been a little disconcerting. I have knitting on the schedule and there will be days when it seems I will be knitting many hours of the day but for now, the sessions have been far and few between and I’ve been catching up on other things.

For instance, my workouts are back. I’ve worked out five times this week. I’m not sure I’ve worked out five times during January let along in a week. 

I don’t even have anything new to show you. I’ve been working on some new stuff. Oh, wait. I do have something:I finished the Basketweave Shawl. The pattern is done and up in designbcb. 

I think I should add more fringe to it and that may yet happen though it is put away and I’m not selling the finished product – so it could all be more of an idea rather than something that actually happens.

I am working on a headband and I’ve tried it on different yarns that have yielded not the best results but I am back to cotton and I think it’s going to stick. The problem is the first and last stitches are somewhat loose and it leaves a messy edge. I’m trying different techniques to get it cleaned up. Cotton is the preferred fiber because these are warm weather headbands. I’m sure if I take it to the YouTube, I will find a solution.

I also did some yarn shopping – which I have now stopped until August and I purchased some Zing crochet hooks – nice but a little disappointing and some Zing double points – looks promising but won’t know until I make a hat. There will be things to show in the future. Right now, be impressed that I did two posts in the same month!

 

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Goodness Gracious

Goodness gracious, all my orders from the 2020 season are finished and off in the mail. That means 2021 is now calling. It’s March first and that means I have about 6 months to catch up with this normal part of life. 

When the season is over, I usually take a day off before I start to worry I will never get another sale again. That won’t happen now because I already have a sale for March. So now, I have two days off before I start to worry.

Last year was good but this year has started even better for designbcb. Really nice sales for January/February. The thing is to make warm weather items, planner pages and patterns that will boost sales during the spring and summer months and get things ready for the fall. That six months will go fairly quickly.

I asked this question on my Instagram page. I am not self-conscious at all about not having may followers anywhere except Pinterest. People have to start somewhere. But this is an important question to know the answer to if I am to ever get some readership and followers. I have to know why I decided to spend my finite time doing this as a way to sustain myself. I believe the question can be answered by stating a simple fact:

A bad day working for myself is better than a good day working for someone else.

That’s what it all boils down to and even when I have more days behind me than ahead, I would rather spend them doing this. Taking something I feel passionate about and making it a passion to perform.

Have you turned your hobby into a business? How goes it?

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Just A Few Hours

I needed a few hours to recover. Just a few hours after finishing the Lenny K Blanket scarf – crochet version.

Here it is and it is gorgeous. You can find the item itself or the pattern (which includes both knit and crochet version) in the designbcb shop.

Last time I said I didn’t know if I liked the knit or crochet version better. Well, for sheer looks, crochet version, but normally where crochet is faster than knitting, this ain’t the case for this scarf. The knit version seemed faster. But the idea that crochet takes up more yarn? Yeah, that part is true. This takes up all of two skeins of Caron One Pound and most of the third skein. I have enough left over to do a hat or maybe a normal scarf. But I was in a panic until I found the remnants of the third skein hiding in my stash. I thought I was going to be short and there was none in stock or available for shipping.

The end result is a blanket scarf Lenny Kravitz would be proud of. It weighs more than 2 pounds. I know because I had to send it off to its owner. This was one of 7 projects that had to be shipped by the 19th. I started it well beforehand but even so, I needed half the morning the day it was due to go. 

Want to have an idea of how much natural light flows into my studio? I took this photo with the lights off at about 8 in the morning. This room does interesting things with lighting at night as well. I am not even going to bother with figuring out why. I will accept, love and appreciate.

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Looking Back

I’ve been looking back at some old photos of things I made. Mostly I do it to free up some space. I eliminate them 100 at a time and it amazes me there are so many photos that I can get rid of them at such a rate.

I ran across this hat today:

These are the kind of photos that make me want to pick up my hook and create some magic.

And I am creaing magic with my needles and hooks. I’m excited about the things I am working on. I am letting listings in the shop expire and I’ve added some planner pages and stickers.

There’s some new patterns I’m working on. Looking back helps with the road ahead.

I am working on the crochet version of the Kravitz Blanket Scarf. The jury is out if I like the knit version better but the crochet version is coming out beautifully,.

I also have some stocking caps in the works and they are fun and beautiful. Some have already sold so I am working on making more. And there are 29 skeins of cotton yarn waiting for me to get to them and turn them into spring and summer accessories. I am looking forward to that.

I am hoping all these things turns my shop into a year round thing and not just for the fall and winter and I am also hoping the ready to ship and pattern sections become the bulk of what I do. That would make it easier as I get older. 

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Didn’t See That Coming

January was a great month and I didn’t see that coming. I missed my revenue objective by $6 last year and it was a not great year though it was a great month. January hit and more than an order a day came with it! I am so thankful and grateful and it gave me a taste of what I would like to happen year round.

I also ordered a huge amount of cotton yarn because I have an idea of spring and summer items I want to make. I think I have finished the yarn buying for the moment – my looking at yarn websites notwithstanding – and I want to go on a yarn reduction diet. Unless I need it for an order, I am going to work from my stash. 

The last post saw me making a Lenny Kravitz blanket scarf. This is Steve wearing it. I dropped it off to him and he was more than willing to pose. As we speak, someone else ordered one and I am doing the crocheted version of it in eggplant. I have both patterns written but not formalized. That’s something to work on.

Because January was something unexpected, I am going to be busy until mid-February. We will see if the good vibes continue into February. If it does, I’ll be able to say I didn’t see that coming, either.