Author: beverly

Posted on

Hook and Needles: Double Knit Wash Cloth

So, what’s on the hook and needles? At the moment, I have one thing going. Double knit wash cloths. Dish cloths are still popular on Etsy. I have some in my shop. But these new ones are a little different.

  1. They are going to be select your own color. The exising cloths are sold as a set but these will be one offered at a time and buyers can choose what color is available.
  2. . These are double knit. Durable and soft for both skin and for household use.

As you can see, the yarn is Premier  Home. It’s 85% cotton and 15% polyester. I will do a yarn review and it will be generally a good one but this is quite splitty.  Be that as it may, it’s also very pretty and the double knit makes for a squishy cloth that will feel good in the hand even if it’s just used on dishes.

Just one project going…for now. I have some design time on the books for tomorrow and I’m thinking of adapting a pattern for a bag into a cowl and then maybe do the bag and have a potential matching set. Thinking about it; it would look great as a cowl.

 

Posted on

The Best Yarn to Use

What’s the best yarn to use?

The one that makes you happy. Happy when you’re using it and afterward.

While cost certainly is a factor (no one should go broke getting yarn) the costliest yarn isn’t worth a thing if you find you don’t like the drape, the color or the feel of it. On the other hand, you can find some really nice yarns on the shelves of any craft store. Craft stores have stepped up there yarn games of late. They’ve started to include some wool blends and natural fibers other than cotton on their shelves.

When I first learned, acrylic was the yarn of choice. Red Heart Super Saver was the go to yarn. It was inexpensive – OK, it was cheap – had some fun colors and you could tunr out a scarf with it in almost no time or money. Today, RHSS, is not on my list of yarns to buy. 

My yarn snobbery is almost nonexostent but RHSS is a beginner’s yarn and I don’t purchase it to make items I’m going to sell at designbcb. But my stash is about 97% acrylic yarns. I never really got into paying lots of money for a ball of yarn. For one, I didn’t have it. Second, I didn’t see the need. But I have relented from time to time and I have some wool, wool blends, cotton, bamboo and even some silk and camel hair in the stash.

Some folks swear off anything acrylic but I don’t have any more joy knitting with merino or alpaca than I do with a really nice acrylic.

Cost is the most important factor to me. I am likely to purchase a yarn and it is going to take up residence for months in the stash – Some members of my stash are over ten years old. Spending a lot of money on something that may never be used makes no sense to me. Nor do I want to feel that it’s so precious it can’t be used.  My projects will end up on sale or as a gift so I can’t grow attached to fiber that makes them.

This is my year of yarning dangerously so no new yarn is coming in unless it’s going right back out for a project. I will be shopping the stash and I suspect I will find things I forgot I had. I’ve already discovered treasures from the move. I will enjoy my yarns whether it’s made, grown or grass fed.

To read about choosing the fiber for your project: Read this article from The Spruce Crafts.

 

 

Posted on

First Knitting Project

 

The first knitting project seems to be a scarf – but it isn’t. That’s how it was when I learned to knit – before there were circular needles. Actually, that’s not true, circulars were around about 40 years before I was. But still, scarves were the things to make first. But nowadays, the first thing we teach new knitters, is to make a swatch. That swatch can easily become the first knitting project.

A swatch is a block of knitting or crochet that is used to measure gauge – or how many stitches there are per inch with a specific stitch. Usually the swatch measures 4×4 inches. I am not from the ‘start by making a swatch’ tribe. I learned about swatches after I learned to knit. They weren’t interesting to me so I don’t make them. I also don’t teach knitting so I am not going against the new norm nor am I teaching a new generation of knitters to rebel. IF you have to make a swatch, make it something that can be useful.

Using a swatch for its intended purpose provides a need; but what do you dio with it afterward?

  • You can unravel it and use the yarn in the project you’re making that uses that yarn.
  • Save them and create a long scarf or blanket with them. (That will require a great many swatching opportunities.)
  • Make them into coasters or cozies like their knit counterparts.
  • Save them and place them into a personalized stitch/yarn dictionary. You can review the collection every year and toss those yarns which have been discontinued and you no longer have in your stash.

As I said, I don’t swatch – mainly because I don’t want to – but also because I don’t make fitted garments so it’s not a necessity. But I am a little intrigued by the swatch dictionary and I could do something of a swatch compromise by making squares and checking the gauge. It’s not a swatch; it’s a square. 

If you need some ideas on what to make first, check out this article from Spruce Crafts.

 

Posted on

First Crochet Project

I don’t remember what my first crochet project was. I didn’t have yarn; I had a spool of thread I would crochet and then unwind. When I did get a bunch of yarn, it came with knitting needles so I moved towards knitting and didn’t crochet.

Crochet didn’t come back to me for decades until after I was married. My mother-in-law knit and crochet but was leaning towards crochet because it was easier on her hands and her eyes. Wanting to impress her, I purchased a ton of needles and hooks, some yarn and a book with knit and crochet afghans and I decided to do a granny square.

Except, it was more of a granny cup. I wasn’t getting the hang of what I was doing wrong. Though I started a knit group; most of the women crocheted. I asked one of them to show me where I was going wrong. I learned about increases and making corners. saved my crochet life and opened up to new possibilities. It wasn’t long after,

I sold a granny square afghan.

What is a good first crochet project? Dishcloths seem to be the popular first thing to learn. It’s shorter than a scarf, at least. Know what’s even shorter than a dishcloth? A coffee cup cozy. There’s tutorial in Knitsville U from Winding Road Crochet to talk you through them. It’s an easy to understand video and each pattern uses only single crochet. Get some pretty yarn and these simple projects carry a big impact.

I said before I am gaining a healthy respect for crochet. When I want to unwind, I will go to a project project because it’s easier and tactile. Don’t get me wrong; I love my knitting but crochet has earned a spot. I truly enjoy it.

Posted on

Knitting Vs. Crochet

 

Knitting Vs Crochet: do you have a preference?

The debate continues: which one is better? It is an ancient argument.

For the record, knitting is older – way older.

This is knitting.

This is crochet.

They are different – though people tend to use them interchangeably.

I learned them both at the same time but my sister got me some yarn and needles and knitting won out. It would be more than 20 years before I picked up a crochet hook.I was married and learned my mother-in-law had to give up knitting in favor of crochet because of her eyesight and pain in her hands.

It was frustrating because I wanted to make granny squares and ended up with granny cups. Then a friend introduced me to the crochet corner. I made the squares and then the blankets and the sold the blankets in my shop.

Crochet is fun and has an elegance but knitting is my go to. I find there are more things to create with knitting than with crochet. I find the stitching more beautiful.

So I don’t make this post extremely long, here is an article by none other than Martha Stewart to talk you through the differences between the two.

I am gaining respect for crochet. It is faster. Mistakes are easier to fix and the right stitch combinations are lovely. The half double crochet is my favorite and paired with either a single crochet or double crochet, makes a lovely stitch.

But knitting is flat out beautiful. The smoothness of the stockinette stitch and the texture of the bamboo stitch and the fact you can blend the two if them together and make a beautiful fabric is still fascinating to me.

There are two projects going: a knit set of golf club covers and a crochet afghan. The covers have faux cables in them. Cables don’t look good in crochet. They instantly looked dated to me. But the flow of the afghan pattern is lovely and you just want to touch it. Crochet is more sensual because you’re always touching the fabric. In knitting, you are always touching the needles.

I am finding I don’t want to choose between them anymore and I am happy I know how to do both and to design in both.

 

Posted on

Keep Track of Your Yarn Stash

Learning to keep track of your yarn stash is something of an artform. It’s easy if you’re one of those organized folks.

I’m not.

 Mr. Honey walked in, looked inside, saw the bags tossed in and decided it would not do. He did his thing and in less than a day, I had a system to put my bins and bags away in an orderly fashion.  The top shelf has the smaller bins across. I think there are eight of them up there. The three big bins in the middle and then there are 16 of the huge storage bags. .

I almost wish I could say that was all of it but there are 4 of the gray bins and 10 of the smaller bins that are in the studio and various bags of free range yarn.

Luckily for me, I had packed the bags by brand. The bins are just packed and it’s always a nice surprise when I have to go in there. Believe it or not, when I need a particular yarn, I have a pretty good idea if it’s in a bag or a bin and which bin it can be found. But I don’t always know how much of it I have. There have been times when I needed a full skein only to discover I have half a skein or less.

Formally organizing my stash makes sense for my Etsy shop and my business expenses.

I have more than one way to keep track of my stash. My most used way is in an Excel worksheet when I create an item. I keep track of the Company and Name, color, how much I use, how much it costs, where I got it. I also track it it’s still available and an applicable sub. This comes in very handy when needing to purchase for a specific project.

Generally, to keep track of what I have, I use the Stash Inventory Tracker. I’m not one of those who can just dump the stash in the middle of the room then sort it. It’s too overwhelming. But I can set aside an hour or maybe two during the week and take a bin or a bag and sort it.

I use the form online (the printable is free, for the fillable online version, purchase it here for $1.50)

The tracker holds all the info and includes a spot to place a yarn sample. On the fillable version, I add a link to the website where it’s purchased.

I prefer to keep my own inventory as opposed to putting it on an app or a site. It’s fewer clicks and not as distracting. And I don’t have to worry about the site crashing or the app growing obselete.

If you have tips on keeping track of the stash, by all means, share them. Feel free to download the form or purchase the printable/fillable and happy sorting!

Stash Inventory Tracker

Yarn organization is just a few clicks away

    We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.

    Built with ConvertKit
    .formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] *{box-sizing:border-box;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"]{-webkit-font-smoothing:antialiased;-moz-osx-font-smoothing:grayscale;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] legend{border:none;font-size:inherit;margin-bottom:10px;padding:0;position:relative;display:table;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] fieldset{border:0;padding:0.01em 0 0 0;margin:0;min-width:0;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] body:not(:-moz-handler-blocked) fieldset{display:table-cell;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] h1,.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] h2,.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] h3,.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] h4,.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] h5,.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] h6{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-weight:inherit;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] p{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-weight:inherit;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] ol:not([template-default]),.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] ul:not([template-default]),.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] blockquote:not([template-default]){text-align:left;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] p:not([template-default]),.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] hr:not([template-default]),.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] blockquote:not([template-default]),.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] ol:not([template-default]),.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] ul:not([template-default]){color:inherit;font-style:initial;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .ordered-list,.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .unordered-list{list-style-position:outside !important;padding-left:1em;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .list-item{padding-left:0;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"][data-format="modal"]{display:none;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"][data-format="slide in"]{display:none;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"][data-format="sticky bar"]{display:none;}.formkit-sticky-bar .formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"][data-format="sticky bar"]{display:block;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-input,.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-select,.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-checkboxes{width:100%;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-button,.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-submit{border:0;border-radius:5px;color:#ffffff;cursor:pointer;display:inline-block;text-align:center;font-size:15px;font-weight:500;cursor:pointer;margin-bottom:15px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:relative;vertical-align:middle;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-button:hover,.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-submit:hover,.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-button:focus,.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-submit:focus{outline:none;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-button:hover > span,.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-submit:hover > span,.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-button:focus > span,.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-submit:focus > span{background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.1);}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-button > span,.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-submit > span{display:block;-webkit-transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;padding:12px 24px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-input{background:#ffffff;font-size:15px;padding:12px;border:1px solid #e3e3e3;-webkit-flex:1 0 auto;-ms-flex:1 0 auto;flex:1 0 auto;line-height:1.4;margin:0;-webkit-transition:border-color ease-out 300ms;transition:border-color ease-out 300ms;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-input:focus{outline:none;border-color:#1677be;-webkit-transition:border-color ease 300ms;transition:border-color ease 300ms;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-input::-webkit-input-placeholder{color:inherit;opacity:0.8;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-input::-moz-placeholder{color:inherit;opacity:0.8;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-input:-ms-input-placeholder{color:inherit;opacity:0.8;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-input::placeholder{color:inherit;opacity:0.8;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] [data-group="dropdown"]{position:relative;display:inline-block;width:100%;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] [data-group="dropdown"]::before{content:"";top:calc(50% - 2.5px);right:10px;position:absolute;pointer-events:none;border-color:#4f4f4f transparent transparent transparent;border-style:solid;border-width:6px 6px 0 6px;height:0;width:0;z-index:999;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] [data-group="dropdown"] select{height:auto;width:100%;cursor:pointer;color:#333333;line-height:1.4;margin-bottom:0;padding:0 6px;-webkit-appearance:none;-moz-appearance:none;appearance:none;font-size:15px;padding:12px;padding-right:25px;border:1px solid #e3e3e3;background:#ffffff;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] [data-group="dropdown"] select:focus{outline:none;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] [data-group="checkboxes"]{text-align:left;margin:0;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] [data-group="checkboxes"] [data-group="checkbox"]{margin-bottom:10px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] [data-group="checkboxes"] [data-group="checkbox"] *{cursor:pointer;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] [data-group="checkboxes"] [data-group="checkbox"]:last-of-type{margin-bottom:0;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] [data-group="checkboxes"] [data-group="checkbox"] input[type="checkbox"]{display:none;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] [data-group="checkboxes"] [data-group="checkbox"] input[type="checkbox"] + label::after{content:none;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] [data-group="checkboxes"] [data-group="checkbox"] input[type="checkbox"]:checked + label::after{border-color:#ffffff;content:"";}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] [data-group="checkboxes"] [data-group="checkbox"] input[type="checkbox"]:checked + label::before{background:#10bf7a;border-color:#10bf7a;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] [data-group="checkboxes"] [data-group="checkbox"] label{position:relative;display:inline-block;padding-left:28px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] [data-group="checkboxes"] [data-group="checkbox"] label::before,.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] [data-group="checkboxes"] [data-group="checkbox"] label::after{position:absolute;content:"";display:inline-block;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] [data-group="checkboxes"] [data-group="checkbox"] label::before{height:16px;width:16px;border:1px solid #e3e3e3;background:#ffffff;left:0px;top:3px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] [data-group="checkboxes"] [data-group="checkbox"] label::after{height:4px;width:8px;border-left:2px solid #4d4d4d;border-bottom:2px solid #4d4d4d;-webkit-transform:rotate(-45deg);-ms-transform:rotate(-45deg);transform:rotate(-45deg);left:4px;top:8px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-alert{background:#f9fafb;border:1px solid #e3e3e3;border-radius:5px;-webkit-flex:1 0 auto;-ms-flex:1 0 auto;flex:1 0 auto;list-style:none;margin:25px auto;padding:12px;text-align:center;width:100%;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-alert:empty{display:none;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-alert-success{background:#d3fbeb;border-color:#10bf7a;color:#0c905c;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-alert-error{background:#fde8e2;border-color:#f2643b;color:#ea4110;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-spinner{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:0px;width:0px;margin:0 auto;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;right:0;width:0px;overflow:hidden;text-align:center;-webkit-transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-spinner > div{margin:auto;width:12px;height:12px;background-color:#fff;opacity:0.3;border-radius:100%;display:inline-block;-webkit-animation:formkit-bouncedelay-formkit-form-data-uid-9eac87f8f4- 1.4s infinite ease-in-out both;animation:formkit-bouncedelay-formkit-form-data-uid-9eac87f8f4- 1.4s infinite ease-in-out both;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-spinner > div:nth-child(1){-webkit-animation-delay:-0.32s;animation-delay:-0.32s;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-spinner > div:nth-child(2){-webkit-animation-delay:-0.16s;animation-delay:-0.16s;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-submit[data-active] .formkit-spinner{opacity:1;height:100%;width:50px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-submit[data-active] .formkit-spinner ~ span{opacity:0;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-powered-by[data-active="false"]{opacity:0.35;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-powered-by-convertkit-container{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;width:100%;z-index:5;margin:10px 0;position:relative;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-powered-by-convertkit-container[data-active="false"]{opacity:0.35;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-powered-by-convertkit{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;background-color:#ffffff;border:1px solid #dce1e5;border-radius:4px;color:#373f45;cursor:pointer;display:block;height:36px;margin:0 auto;opacity:0.95;padding:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;text-indent:100%;-webkit-transition:ease-in-out all 200ms;transition:ease-in-out all 200ms;white-space:nowrap;overflow:hidden;-webkit-user-select:none;-moz-user-select:none;-ms-user-select:none;user-select:none;width:190px;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:center;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg width='162' height='20' viewBox='0 0 162 20' fill='none' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%3E%3Cpath d='M83.0561 15.2457C86.675 15.2457 89.4722 12.5154 89.4722 9.14749C89.4722 5.99211 86.8443 4.06563 85.1038 4.06563C82.6801 4.06563 80.7373 5.76407 80.4605 8.28551C80.4092 8.75244 80.0387 9.14403 79.5686 9.14069C78.7871 9.13509 77.6507 9.12841 76.9314 9.13092C76.6217 9.13199 76.3658 8.88106 76.381 8.57196C76.4895 6.38513 77.2218 4.3404 78.618 2.76974C80.1695 1.02445 82.4289 0 85.1038 0C89.5979 0 93.8406 4.07791 93.8406 9.14749C93.8406 14.7608 89.1832 19.3113 83.1517 19.3113C78.8502 19.3113 74.5179 16.5041 73.0053 12.5795C72.9999 12.565 72.9986 12.5492 73.0015 12.534C73.0218 12.4179 73.0617 12.3118 73.1011 12.2074C73.1583 12.0555 73.2143 11.907 73.2062 11.7359L73.18 11.1892C73.174 11.0569 73.2075 10.9258 73.2764 10.8127C73.3452 10.6995 73.4463 10.6094 73.5666 10.554L73.7852 10.4523C73.9077 10.3957 74.0148 10.3105 74.0976 10.204C74.1803 10.0974 74.2363 9.97252 74.2608 9.83983C74.3341 9.43894 74.6865 9.14749 75.0979 9.14749C75.7404 9.14749 76.299 9.57412 76.5088 10.1806C77.5188 13.1 79.1245 15.2457 83.0561 15.2457Z' fill='%23373F45'/%3E%3Cpath d='M155.758 6.91365C155.028 6.91365 154.804 6.47916 154.804 5.98857C154.804 5.46997 154.986 5.06348 155.758 5.06348C156.53 5.06348 156.712 5.46997 156.712 5.98857C156.712 6.47905 156.516 6.91365 155.758 6.91365ZM142.441 12.9304V9.32833L141.415 9.32323V8.90392C141.415 8.44719 141.786 8.07758 142.244 8.07986L142.441 8.08095V6.55306L144.082 6.09057V8.08073H145.569V8.50416C145.569 8.61242 145.548 8.71961 145.506 8.81961C145.465 8.91961 145.404 9.01047 145.328 9.08699C145.251 9.16351 145.16 9.2242 145.06 9.26559C144.96 9.30698 144.853 9.32826 144.745 9.32822H144.082V12.7201C144.082 13.2423 144.378 13.4256 144.76 13.4887C145.209 13.5629 145.583 13.888 145.583 14.343V14.9626C144.029 14.9626 142.441 14.8942 142.441 12.9304Z' fill='%23373F45'/%3E%3Cpath d='M110.058 7.92554C108.417 7.88344 106.396 8.92062 106.396 11.5137C106.396 14.0646 108.417 15.0738 110.058 15.0318C111.742 15.0738 113.748 14.0646 113.748 11.5137C113.748 8.92062 111.742 7.88344 110.058 7.92554ZM110.07 13.7586C108.878 13.7586 108.032 12.8905 108.032 11.461C108.032 10.1013 108.878 9.20569 110.071 9.20569C111.263 9.20569 112.101 10.0995 112.101 11.459C112.101 12.8887 111.263 13.7586 110.07 13.7586Z' fill='%23373F45'/%3E%3Cpath d='M118.06 7.94098C119.491 7.94098 120.978 8.33337 120.978 11.1366V14.893H120.063C119.608 14.893 119.238 14.524 119.238 14.0689V10.9965C119.238 9.66506 118.747 9.16047 117.891 9.16047C117.414 9.16047 116.797 9.52486 116.502 9.81915V14.069C116.502 14.1773 116.481 14.2845 116.44 14.3845C116.398 14.4845 116.337 14.5753 116.261 14.6519C116.184 14.7284 116.093 14.7891 115.993 14.8305C115.893 14.8719 115.786 14.8931 115.678 14.8931H114.847V8.10918H115.773C115.932 8.10914 116.087 8.16315 116.212 8.26242C116.337 8.36168 116.424 8.50033 116.46 8.65577C116.881 8.19328 117.428 7.94098 118.06 7.94098ZM122.854 8.09713C123.024 8.09708 123.19 8.1496 123.329 8.2475C123.468 8.34541 123.574 8.48391 123.631 8.64405L125.133 12.8486L126.635 8.64415C126.692 8.48402 126.798 8.34551 126.937 8.2476C127.076 8.1497 127.242 8.09718 127.412 8.09724H128.598L126.152 14.3567C126.091 14.5112 125.986 14.6439 125.849 14.7374C125.711 14.831 125.549 14.881 125.383 14.8809H124.333L121.668 8.09713H122.854Z' fill='%23373F45'/%3E%3Cpath d='M135.085 14.5514C134.566 14.7616 133.513 15.0416 132.418 15.0416C130.496 15.0416 129.024 13.9345 129.024 11.4396C129.024 9.19701 130.451 7.99792 132.191 7.99792C134.338 7.99792 135.254 9.4378 135.158 11.3979C135.139 11.8029 134.786 12.0983 134.38 12.0983H130.679C130.763 13.1916 131.562 13.7662 132.615 13.7662C133.028 13.7662 133.462 13.7452 133.983 13.6481C134.535 13.545 135.085 13.9375 135.085 14.4985V14.5514ZM133.673 10.949C133.785 9.87621 133.061 9.28752 132.191 9.28752C131.321 9.28752 130.734 9.93979 130.679 10.9489L133.673 10.949Z' fill='%23373F45'/%3E%3Cpath d='M137.345 8.11122C137.497 8.11118 137.645 8.16229 137.765 8.25635C137.884 8.35041 137.969 8.48197 138.005 8.62993C138.566 8.20932 139.268 7.94303 139.759 7.94303C139.801 7.94303 140.068 7.94303 140.489 7.99913V8.7265C140.489 9.11748 140.15 9.4147 139.759 9.4147C139.31 9.4147 138.651 9.5829 138.131 9.8773V14.8951H136.462V8.11112L137.345 8.11122ZM156.6 14.0508V8.09104H155.769C155.314 8.09104 154.944 8.45999 154.944 8.9151V14.8748H155.775C156.23 14.8748 156.6 14.5058 156.6 14.0508ZM158.857 12.9447V9.34254H157.749V8.91912C157.749 8.46401 158.118 8.09506 158.574 8.09506H158.857V6.56739L160.499 6.10479V8.09506H161.986V8.51848C161.986 8.97359 161.617 9.34254 161.161 9.34254H160.499V12.7345C160.499 13.2566 160.795 13.44 161.177 13.503C161.626 13.5774 162 13.9024 162 14.3574V14.977C160.446 14.977 158.857 14.9086 158.857 12.9447ZM98.1929 10.1124C98.2033 6.94046 100.598 5.16809 102.895 5.16809C104.171 5.16809 105.342 5.44285 106.304 6.12953L105.914 6.6631C105.654 7.02011 105.16 7.16194 104.749 6.99949C104.169 6.7702 103.622 6.7218 103.215 6.7218C101.335 6.7218 99.9169 7.92849 99.9068 10.1123C99.9169 12.2959 101.335 13.5201 103.215 13.5201C103.622 13.5201 104.169 13.4717 104.749 13.2424C105.16 13.0799 105.654 13.2046 105.914 13.5615L106.304 14.0952C105.342 14.7819 104.171 15.0566 102.895 15.0566C100.598 15.0566 98.2033 13.2842 98.1929 10.1124ZM147.619 5.21768C148.074 5.21768 148.444 5.58663 148.444 6.04174V9.81968L151.82 5.58131C151.897 5.47733 151.997 5.39282 152.112 5.3346C152.227 5.27638 152.355 5.24607 152.484 5.24611H153.984L150.166 10.0615L153.984 14.8749H152.484C152.355 14.8749 152.227 14.8446 152.112 14.7864C151.997 14.7281 151.897 14.6436 151.82 14.5397L148.444 10.3025V14.0508C148.444 14.5059 148.074 14.8749 147.619 14.8749H146.746V5.21768H147.619Z' fill='%23373F45'/%3E%3Cpath d='M0.773438 6.5752H2.68066C3.56543 6.5752 4.2041 6.7041 4.59668 6.96191C4.99219 7.21973 5.18994 7.62695 5.18994 8.18359C5.18994 8.55859 5.09326 8.87061 4.8999 9.11963C4.70654 9.36865 4.42822 9.52539 4.06494 9.58984V9.63379C4.51611 9.71875 4.84717 9.88721 5.05811 10.1392C5.27197 10.3882 5.37891 10.7266 5.37891 11.1543C5.37891 11.7314 5.17676 12.1841 4.77246 12.5122C4.37109 12.8374 3.81152 13 3.09375 13H0.773438V6.5752ZM1.82373 9.22949H2.83447C3.27393 9.22949 3.59473 9.16064 3.79688 9.02295C3.99902 8.88232 4.1001 8.64502 4.1001 8.31104C4.1001 8.00928 3.99023 7.79102 3.77051 7.65625C3.55371 7.52148 3.20801 7.4541 2.7334 7.4541H1.82373V9.22949ZM1.82373 10.082V12.1167H2.93994C3.37939 12.1167 3.71045 12.0332 3.93311 11.8662C4.15869 11.6963 4.27148 11.4297 4.27148 11.0664C4.27148 10.7324 4.15723 10.4849 3.92871 10.3237C3.7002 10.1626 3.35303 10.082 2.88721 10.082H1.82373Z' fill='%23373F45'/%3E%3Cpath d='M13.011 6.5752V10.7324C13.011 11.207 12.9084 11.623 12.7034 11.9805C12.5012 12.335 12.2068 12.6089 11.8201 12.8022C11.4363 12.9927 10.9763 13.0879 10.4402 13.0879C9.6433 13.0879 9.02368 12.877 8.5813 12.4551C8.13892 12.0332 7.91772 11.4531 7.91772 10.7148V6.5752H8.9724V10.6401C8.9724 11.1704 9.09546 11.5615 9.34155 11.8135C9.58765 12.0654 9.96557 12.1914 10.4753 12.1914C11.4656 12.1914 11.9607 11.6714 11.9607 10.6313V6.5752H13.011Z' fill='%23373F45'/%3E%3Cpath d='M15.9146 13V6.5752H16.9649V13H15.9146Z' fill='%23373F45'/%3E%3Cpath d='M19.9255 13V6.5752H20.9758V12.0991H23.696V13H19.9255Z' fill='%23373F45'/%3E%3Cpath d='M28.2828 13H27.2325V7.47607H25.3428V6.5752H30.1724V7.47607H28.2828V13Z' fill='%23373F45'/%3E%3Cpath d='M41.9472 13H40.8046L39.7148 9.16796C39.6679 9.00097 39.6093 8.76074 39.539 8.44727C39.4687 8.13086 39.4262 7.91113 39.4116 7.78809C39.3823 7.97559 39.3339 8.21875 39.2665 8.51758C39.2021 8.81641 39.1479 9.03905 39.1039 9.18554L38.0405 13H36.8979L36.0673 9.7832L35.2236 6.5752H36.2958L37.2143 10.3193C37.3578 10.9199 37.4604 11.4502 37.5219 11.9102C37.5541 11.6611 37.6025 11.3828 37.6669 11.0752C37.7314 10.7676 37.79 10.5186 37.8427 10.3281L38.8886 6.5752H39.9301L41.0024 10.3457C41.1049 10.6943 41.2133 11.2158 41.3276 11.9102C41.3715 11.4912 41.477 10.958 41.644 10.3105L42.558 6.5752H43.6215L41.9472 13Z' fill='%23373F45'/%3E%3Cpath d='M45.7957 13V6.5752H46.846V13H45.7957Z' fill='%23373F45'/%3E%3Cpath d='M52.0258 13H50.9755V7.47607H49.0859V6.5752H53.9155V7.47607H52.0258V13Z' fill='%23373F45'/%3E%3Cpath d='M61.2312 13H60.1765V10.104H57.2146V13H56.1643V6.5752H57.2146V9.20312H60.1765V6.5752H61.2312V13Z' fill='%23373F45'/%3E%3C/svg%3E");}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-powered-by-convertkit:hover,.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-powered-by-convertkit:focus{background-color:#ffffff;-webkit-transform:scale(1.025) perspective(1px);-ms-transform:scale(1.025) perspective(1px);transform:scale(1.025) perspective(1px);opacity:1;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-powered-by-convertkit[data-variant="dark"],.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-powered-by-convertkit[data-variant="light"]{background-color:transparent;border-color:transparent;width:166px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-powered-by-convertkit[data-variant="light"]{color:#ffffff;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg width='162' height='20' viewBox='0 0 162 20' fill='none' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%3E%3Cpath d='M83.0561 15.2457C86.675 15.2457 89.4722 12.5154 89.4722 9.14749C89.4722 5.99211 86.8443 4.06563 85.1038 4.06563C82.6801 4.06563 80.7373 5.76407 80.4605 8.28551C80.4092 8.75244 80.0387 9.14403 79.5686 9.14069C78.7871 9.13509 77.6507 9.12841 76.9314 9.13092C76.6217 9.13199 76.3658 8.88106 76.381 8.57196C76.4895 6.38513 77.2218 4.3404 78.618 2.76974C80.1695 1.02445 82.4289 0 85.1038 0C89.5979 0 93.8406 4.07791 93.8406 9.14749C93.8406 14.7608 89.1832 19.3113 83.1517 19.3113C78.8502 19.3113 74.5179 16.5041 73.0053 12.5795C72.9999 12.565 72.9986 12.5492 73.0015 12.534C73.0218 12.4179 73.0617 12.3118 73.1011 12.2074C73.1583 12.0555 73.2143 11.907 73.2062 11.7359L73.18 11.1892C73.174 11.0569 73.2075 10.9258 73.2764 10.8127C73.3452 10.6995 73.4463 10.6094 73.5666 10.554L73.7852 10.4523C73.9077 10.3957 74.0148 10.3105 74.0976 10.204C74.1803 10.0974 74.2363 9.97252 74.2608 9.83983C74.3341 9.43894 74.6865 9.14749 75.0979 9.14749C75.7404 9.14749 76.299 9.57412 76.5088 10.1806C77.5188 13.1 79.1245 15.2457 83.0561 15.2457Z' fill='white'/%3E%3Cpath d='M155.758 6.91365C155.028 6.91365 154.804 6.47916 154.804 5.98857C154.804 5.46997 154.986 5.06348 155.758 5.06348C156.53 5.06348 156.712 5.46997 156.712 5.98857C156.712 6.47905 156.516 6.91365 155.758 6.91365ZM142.441 12.9304V9.32833L141.415 9.32323V8.90392C141.415 8.44719 141.786 8.07758 142.244 8.07986L142.441 8.08095V6.55306L144.082 6.09057V8.08073H145.569V8.50416C145.569 8.61242 145.548 8.71961 145.506 8.81961C145.465 8.91961 145.404 9.01047 145.328 9.08699C145.251 9.16351 145.16 9.2242 145.06 9.26559C144.96 9.30698 144.853 9.32826 144.745 9.32822H144.082V12.7201C144.082 13.2423 144.378 13.4256 144.76 13.4887C145.209 13.5629 145.583 13.888 145.583 14.343V14.9626C144.029 14.9626 142.441 14.8942 142.441 12.9304Z' fill='white'/%3E%3Cpath d='M110.058 7.92554C108.417 7.88344 106.396 8.92062 106.396 11.5137C106.396 14.0646 108.417 15.0738 110.058 15.0318C111.742 15.0738 113.748 14.0646 113.748 11.5137C113.748 8.92062 111.742 7.88344 110.058 7.92554ZM110.07 13.7586C108.878 13.7586 108.032 12.8905 108.032 11.461C108.032 10.1013 108.878 9.20569 110.071 9.20569C111.263 9.20569 112.101 10.0995 112.101 11.459C112.101 12.8887 111.263 13.7586 110.07 13.7586Z' fill='white'/%3E%3Cpath d='M118.06 7.94098C119.491 7.94098 120.978 8.33337 120.978 11.1366V14.893H120.063C119.608 14.893 119.238 14.524 119.238 14.0689V10.9965C119.238 9.66506 118.747 9.16047 117.891 9.16047C117.414 9.16047 116.797 9.52486 116.502 9.81915V14.069C116.502 14.1773 116.481 14.2845 116.44 14.3845C116.398 14.4845 116.337 14.5753 116.261 14.6519C116.184 14.7284 116.093 14.7891 115.993 14.8305C115.893 14.8719 115.786 14.8931 115.678 14.8931H114.847V8.10918H115.773C115.932 8.10914 116.087 8.16315 116.212 8.26242C116.337 8.36168 116.424 8.50033 116.46 8.65577C116.881 8.19328 117.428 7.94098 118.06 7.94098ZM122.854 8.09713C123.024 8.09708 123.19 8.1496 123.329 8.2475C123.468 8.34541 123.574 8.48391 123.631 8.64405L125.133 12.8486L126.635 8.64415C126.692 8.48402 126.798 8.34551 126.937 8.2476C127.076 8.1497 127.242 8.09718 127.412 8.09724H128.598L126.152 14.3567C126.091 14.5112 125.986 14.6439 125.849 14.7374C125.711 14.831 125.549 14.881 125.383 14.8809H124.333L121.668 8.09713H122.854Z' fill='white'/%3E%3Cpath d='M135.085 14.5514C134.566 14.7616 133.513 15.0416 132.418 15.0416C130.496 15.0416 129.024 13.9345 129.024 11.4396C129.024 9.19701 130.451 7.99792 132.191 7.99792C134.338 7.99792 135.254 9.4378 135.158 11.3979C135.139 11.8029 134.786 12.0983 134.38 12.0983H130.679C130.763 13.1916 131.562 13.7662 132.615 13.7662C133.028 13.7662 133.462 13.7452 133.983 13.6481C134.535 13.545 135.085 13.9375 135.085 14.4985V14.5514ZM133.673 10.949C133.785 9.87621 133.061 9.28752 132.191 9.28752C131.321 9.28752 130.734 9.93979 130.679 10.9489L133.673 10.949Z' fill='white'/%3E%3Cpath d='M137.345 8.11122C137.497 8.11118 137.645 8.16229 137.765 8.25635C137.884 8.35041 137.969 8.48197 138.005 8.62993C138.566 8.20932 139.268 7.94303 139.759 7.94303C139.801 7.94303 140.068 7.94303 140.489 7.99913V8.7265C140.489 9.11748 140.15 9.4147 139.759 9.4147C139.31 9.4147 138.651 9.5829 138.131 9.8773V14.8951H136.462V8.11112L137.345 8.11122ZM156.6 14.0508V8.09104H155.769C155.314 8.09104 154.944 8.45999 154.944 8.9151V14.8748H155.775C156.23 14.8748 156.6 14.5058 156.6 14.0508ZM158.857 12.9447V9.34254H157.749V8.91912C157.749 8.46401 158.118 8.09506 158.574 8.09506H158.857V6.56739L160.499 6.10479V8.09506H161.986V8.51848C161.986 8.97359 161.617 9.34254 161.161 9.34254H160.499V12.7345C160.499 13.2566 160.795 13.44 161.177 13.503C161.626 13.5774 162 13.9024 162 14.3574V14.977C160.446 14.977 158.857 14.9086 158.857 12.9447ZM98.1929 10.1124C98.2033 6.94046 100.598 5.16809 102.895 5.16809C104.171 5.16809 105.342 5.44285 106.304 6.12953L105.914 6.6631C105.654 7.02011 105.16 7.16194 104.749 6.99949C104.169 6.7702 103.622 6.7218 103.215 6.7218C101.335 6.7218 99.9169 7.92849 99.9068 10.1123C99.9169 12.2959 101.335 13.5201 103.215 13.5201C103.622 13.5201 104.169 13.4717 104.749 13.2424C105.16 13.0799 105.654 13.2046 105.914 13.5615L106.304 14.0952C105.342 14.7819 104.171 15.0566 102.895 15.0566C100.598 15.0566 98.2033 13.2842 98.1929 10.1124ZM147.619 5.21768C148.074 5.21768 148.444 5.58663 148.444 6.04174V9.81968L151.82 5.58131C151.897 5.47733 151.997 5.39282 152.112 5.3346C152.227 5.27638 152.355 5.24607 152.484 5.24611H153.984L150.166 10.0615L153.984 14.8749H152.484C152.355 14.8749 152.227 14.8446 152.112 14.7864C151.997 14.7281 151.897 14.6436 151.82 14.5397L148.444 10.3025V14.0508C148.444 14.5059 148.074 14.8749 147.619 14.8749H146.746V5.21768H147.619Z' fill='white'/%3E%3Cpath d='M0.773438 6.5752H2.68066C3.56543 6.5752 4.2041 6.7041 4.59668 6.96191C4.99219 7.21973 5.18994 7.62695 5.18994 8.18359C5.18994 8.55859 5.09326 8.87061 4.8999 9.11963C4.70654 9.36865 4.42822 9.52539 4.06494 9.58984V9.63379C4.51611 9.71875 4.84717 9.88721 5.05811 10.1392C5.27197 10.3882 5.37891 10.7266 5.37891 11.1543C5.37891 11.7314 5.17676 12.1841 4.77246 12.5122C4.37109 12.8374 3.81152 13 3.09375 13H0.773438V6.5752ZM1.82373 9.22949H2.83447C3.27393 9.22949 3.59473 9.16064 3.79688 9.02295C3.99902 8.88232 4.1001 8.64502 4.1001 8.31104C4.1001 8.00928 3.99023 7.79102 3.77051 7.65625C3.55371 7.52148 3.20801 7.4541 2.7334 7.4541H1.82373V9.22949ZM1.82373 10.082V12.1167H2.93994C3.37939 12.1167 3.71045 12.0332 3.93311 11.8662C4.15869 11.6963 4.27148 11.4297 4.27148 11.0664C4.27148 10.7324 4.15723 10.4849 3.92871 10.3237C3.7002 10.1626 3.35303 10.082 2.88721 10.082H1.82373Z' fill='white'/%3E%3Cpath d='M13.011 6.5752V10.7324C13.011 11.207 12.9084 11.623 12.7034 11.9805C12.5012 12.335 12.2068 12.6089 11.8201 12.8022C11.4363 12.9927 10.9763 13.0879 10.4402 13.0879C9.6433 13.0879 9.02368 12.877 8.5813 12.4551C8.13892 12.0332 7.91772 11.4531 7.91772 10.7148V6.5752H8.9724V10.6401C8.9724 11.1704 9.09546 11.5615 9.34155 11.8135C9.58765 12.0654 9.96557 12.1914 10.4753 12.1914C11.4656 12.1914 11.9607 11.6714 11.9607 10.6313V6.5752H13.011Z' fill='white'/%3E%3Cpath d='M15.9146 13V6.5752H16.9649V13H15.9146Z' fill='white'/%3E%3Cpath d='M19.9255 13V6.5752H20.9758V12.0991H23.696V13H19.9255Z' fill='white'/%3E%3Cpath d='M28.2828 13H27.2325V7.47607H25.3428V6.5752H30.1724V7.47607H28.2828V13Z' fill='white'/%3E%3Cpath d='M41.9472 13H40.8046L39.7148 9.16796C39.6679 9.00097 39.6093 8.76074 39.539 8.44727C39.4687 8.13086 39.4262 7.91113 39.4116 7.78809C39.3823 7.97559 39.3339 8.21875 39.2665 8.51758C39.2021 8.81641 39.1479 9.03905 39.1039 9.18554L38.0405 13H36.8979L36.0673 9.7832L35.2236 6.5752H36.2958L37.2143 10.3193C37.3578 10.9199 37.4604 11.4502 37.5219 11.9102C37.5541 11.6611 37.6025 11.3828 37.6669 11.0752C37.7314 10.7676 37.79 10.5186 37.8427 10.3281L38.8886 6.5752H39.9301L41.0024 10.3457C41.1049 10.6943 41.2133 11.2158 41.3276 11.9102C41.3715 11.4912 41.477 10.958 41.644 10.3105L42.558 6.5752H43.6215L41.9472 13Z' fill='white'/%3E%3Cpath d='M45.7957 13V6.5752H46.846V13H45.7957Z' fill='white'/%3E%3Cpath d='M52.0258 13H50.9755V7.47607H49.0859V6.5752H53.9155V7.47607H52.0258V13Z' fill='white'/%3E%3Cpath d='M61.2312 13H60.1765V10.104H57.2146V13H56.1643V6.5752H57.2146V9.20312H60.1765V6.5752H61.2312V13Z' fill='white'/%3E%3C/svg%3E");}@-webkit-keyframes formkit-bouncedelay-formkit-form-data-uid-9eac87f8f4-{0%,80%,100%{-webkit-transform:scale(0);-ms-transform:scale(0);transform:scale(0);}40%{-webkit-transform:scale(1);-ms-transform:scale(1);transform:scale(1);}}@keyframes formkit-bouncedelay-formkit-form-data-uid-9eac87f8f4-{0%,80%,100%{-webkit-transform:scale(0);-ms-transform:scale(0);transform:scale(0);}40%{-webkit-transform:scale(1);-ms-transform:scale(1);transform:scale(1);}}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] blockquote{padding:10px 20px;margin:0 0 20px;border-left:5px solid #e1e1e1;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .seva-custom-content{padding:15px;font-size:16px;color:#fff;mix-blend-mode:difference;} .formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"]{max-width:420px !important;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] [data-style="full"]{border-radius:var(--border-radius) !important;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;min-height:680px;overflow:hidden;position:relative;width:100%;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-background{background-position:center center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover;height:100%;position:absolute;width:100%;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-container{background:linear-gradient( 180deg, var(--bg-color-07) 0%, var(--bg-color-83) 64.06%, var(--bg-color) 88.54% );display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:end;-webkit-justify-content:flex-end;-ms-flex-pack:end;justify-content:flex-end;padding:25px;position:relative;width:100%;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-header{font-size:36px;font-size:calc(30px + (36 - 30) * ((100vw - 400px) / (800 - 400)));margin-bottom:16px;margin-top:0;max-width:400px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-header h2{margin:0;}@media all and (min-width:800px){.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-header{font-size:36px;}}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-content{font-size:18px;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:36px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-content p{margin:0;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-field{margin:0 0 10px 0;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-input{border:0;font-size:16px;padding:14px;padding-left:15px;padding-right:0;width:100%;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] [data-group="checkboxes"] legend{color:inherit !important;font-size:17px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-checkboxes{background:transparent !important;color:inherit !important;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-checkboxes label{color:inherit !important;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] [data-group="dropdown"] .formkit-select{border:0;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-fields .formkit-submit{margin-bottom:0;margin-top:15px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-disclaimer{font-size:13px;margin-top:10px;max-width:400px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-powered-by-convertkit-container{margin:20px 0 0 0;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-powered-by-convertkit{margin:0;}@media all and (min-width:900px){.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"][data-format="inline-editing"],.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"][data-format="inline"]{max-width:880px !important;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"][data-format="inline-editing"] [data-style="full"],.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"][data-format="inline"] [data-style="full"]{min-height:540px !important;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-container{padding:45px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-content{max-width:570px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="9eac87f8f4"] .formkit-fields{max-width:380px;}}
    Posted on

    Year of Yarning Dangerously

    it is early July; even so, this is the beginning of the year of yarning dangerously. 

    For the past several years, I’ve watched countless YouTube videos of yarn unboxings. Boxes of yarn being opened from all sorts of companies and I’ve even done one or two myself. This has led me to believe that there are some people out there who think the only way to be a true knitter or crocheter is to constantly buy yarn – even if you have no idea of what to do with it.

    I admit I started growing my stash before I ever saw one of those videos and they only made me realize I was not alone in my yarn obsession. Not only was I not alone, I was a freakin’ amateur compared to some of those folks. Think I’m kidding? Here are the results of my yarn unboxing Google search.

    I have nearly $5K worth of yarn in my stash. Some yarns have been there for ten years or more. During a recent move, I rediscovered yarns I forgot I had. Now mind you, I cannot yet honestly say, I have more than enough yarn. I still look at yarn websites. In fact, I look at them so much that if those email con artists said they saw me watching yarn sites instead of porn sites, they’d probably have my bitcoins by now.

    You see the yarns in the photo? I’m not sure I’ve used any of it. There might be one or two but for the most part, It’s back in the Santa bag and it’s hanging out with the free range yarn. I’ve done yarn reviews on the yarns I’ve worked with this year; haven’t even scratched the surface. I don’t have the containers or the room to put the free range yarn somewhere. That’s when it hit me I need to go on hiatus. My yarn studio in the condo is 30% bigger than my old one in the house. Granted, there is more in this studio than the other one but not more room for the yarn.

    The old studio had two small desks and two bookcases. There wasn’ even room to knit. The new studio has a full on table two bookscases (one that holds 10 bins of yarn) a dresser, a tv, a queen size sleeper sofa, a mini fridge and two side tables. There are also four huge bins of yarn and the free range yarn. The closet, which is twice as big as the old one, is filled with ten big bins and sixteen huge storage bags of yarn.

    So, there is enough yarn – not too much because an order could come in and I may not have what I need. But there is enough.

    I am betting there is enough to discover and learn about the yarn I already have. I am betting there will be some tempting times but I will resist them. Indeed, I already have. 

    Hang out with me for the next year and see what stash shopping uncovers for me. During this time, there will be some yarn organization, some planning time and knit and design time. Maybe I’ll even save a little bit of money!

    Posted on

    Who Doesn’t Love a Freebie

    Who doesn’t love a freebie? I know I love them – depending on what they are. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t like a snake no matter how free it was. But a To Do List – that might catch my attention. 

    Did I mention I was venturing into the design business? I have started placing stickers and pages in the shop.  If you want the freebie, click here to be taken to the page. Even though it’s June and almost July, this is the January 2021 freebie. I’m thinking there will be a new one with each blog post until we’re all caught up.

    I’m having big fun making stickers and even working on the ultimate crafter’s planner. That would be the ultimate to create a planner. Start with stickers, work into stickers and pages and then a planner. Nice to have a goal.

    To be honest, going into this area of work was to make the shop more 24/7 365 and it was supposed to be passive income. I was having some trouble because I want to do physical planner stickers as well as digital ones. What I didn’t want to do was buy a cutter, like a Cricut and sticker paper. I purchased some physical stickers and then a few sets of digital ones. Made me realize my first efforts were horrible. I still have great room for imrprovement. The good news is there are many Etsy sellers who sell the templates and there are plenty of customer who don’t mind printing them out and cutting either by hand or with their cutters.

    I am still designing and making knit items – the world hasn’t gotten completely turned upside down. I have some new patterns and items coming out. I’m so excited about it I’ve had to keep myself to the schedule. This has meant some disorganized days – but they have been fun!

     

     

    Posted on

    The Best Laid Plans

    There is truth to the the adage the best laid plans….wait, let’s use the original language, The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men. Gang aft a-gley. You make plans and then things go off on their own thing. If you want to read the poem, it’s worth a peek.

    You can try and wrestle them back to the roadmap of you can chart a new course with them in mind or you can just follow and let them lead. There is no wrong answer to that, either. Well, that is to say, any of those choices could be the right thing to do.

    I had decided on a plan to stock the shop and keep things up-to-date. The process would be to create a new item, photograph and  edit, the item. Create a new listing. Renew an older listing. Tweak a listing (using ERank Pro), do a yarn review, if applicable and then place the item into the Lookbook.

    Not a bad plan. Unless you become obsessed with making planner stickers. And I have, they have awakened a lost love. When I first went into business, I designed business cards, logos, stationery, etc. I loved designing and now I have discovered I can design planner stickers. All I need is the software (and I have Canva and IPiccy), a printer – turns out the one I have in on a list for one of the best to print stickers, and some sticker paper. I thought using labels was good enough but it is not, so I have to make the investment.

    Several pages are already in the books but haven’t been listed. I can list them as templates only until the printer paper gets here. Still has to be priced out but shoouldn’t take long to arrive. This is very exciting. I’ve calmed down enough to get back to a regular schedule but once the paper arrives; all bets are off.

     

    Posted on

    It Relieves Stress

    During the lockdown, knitting and crochet had a resurrgence in the middle of their resurrgence because it relieves stress. There was already an uptick in knit and crochet and that tick multiplied itself many times over with 1. The pandemic. 2. The new VP crochets. 3. The second gentleman’s daughter, Ella, exploding Instagram with her crochet and knitted goods.

    We’re in a cycle now where half the folks in the US are going to be stressed. The pandemic is still top news and it’s not really clear how the states reopen and politically, it’s now the other half’s turn to feel as if we’re in the hands of a madman.

    Knitting and crochet can only do so much.

    For those of us who knit and crochet for a living, this has been something of a good period. I normally slow down in February but the beginning of the year turned out pretty great for me. I am hoping it continues in the fall but I am a little late in getting out spring/summer gear and fall is coming round the bend like the anchor in a relay race.

    But because knit and crochet are such a part of my existence and because I aready work from home, the lockdown was pretty much what other folks had to do. My life didn’t change that much except we couldn’t go out to dinner. I was taking the lockdown in stride until the people around me went off into a different mode and until I found myself with orders in the beginning of the year. 

    I did experience a little stress. And I had to turn to other places to find some relief. I discovered audiobooks and podcasts. I could turn on one of those and combine it with knit and crochet and be educated and entertained.  Audiobooks can be hit or missed based in who is doing the reading but podcasts are a great source to take a breather with even if it’s about Etsy shop success.

    I listen regularly now to something that peaks the interest and keeps the stress level down. It relieves stress for me. I hope everyone finds something that helps them out.