Make Me

Sick as a Dog?

I hope you all have had a lovely Christmas. I believe I might have, if it weren't for the hacking, sneezing, congestion and phlegm.  I've been sick since Christmas day.  Sick as a dog, as the saying goes.  Although, I'm not sure where that saying comes from as the dog always seems quite hale and hearty even when he's down.  I've not been able to muster the ability to turn off the TV and so can now tell you more than you need to know about several infomercials.  Can I interest you in a Kodak camera?

Speaking of which, that's what I got my mom for Christmas.  I thought it was a good deal. A point, shoot, plug in, download kind of thing. Totally forgot she had an HP camera thingy she bought off of HSN.  Yes, I know this is the second story like this.  I don't know - maybe my brain is just choosing to let go of certain details in the interest of making my life "easier" and less cumbersome.  Besides, this camera is probably the slightly easier model to work.

Anyway, back to me.  I went to Urgent Care yesterday because I started having nightmares about getting strep throat.  Turns out I have a "viral cold." What the heck is a viral cold?  Yeah, normal people woulda asked that question at the doctor's office, but what heard there was, "blah, blah, blah, not strep throat, blah, blah, blah" and then I was happy because I didn't tell them I was allergic to penicillin, because, well, they don't need to know all my business...(I was probably feverish). Then we had to get sudafed that wasn't red cuz I'm allergic to red dye (and, ironically enough, sudafed is just how I found that little piece of trivia out). So this is why I don't know what a viral cold is.

This here is more thinking than I've done in the past week combined.  Brain hurts. Must needs go rest now. 

PS - Celeste? I'm on my way to check out your posting problem!

Merry Christmas

Another Chapeau, Another Blow

I made another hat.  Really.  This time I think I went too far.

My friend Johanna is from Central California somewhere. It's cold. She's going home for the holidays.  She likes red.  I thought I'd make her a hat. A nice red hat.

I suffered for this hat.  I have cuts on my thumb and the wool keeps working it way in and cutting deeper. No price, friendship, I say.  Knit on! The pattern in improvsed and came pretty close the vision in my head, even though it involves things I dislike: seed stitch and purl.  I like the ridge of knit stitches and how they line up toward the center.  I like that I planned it that way.

I took it to Jo's house last night and as she put it on I remembered the exact same scene about two years ago.  I believe I have already made her a bright red hat. And neither of them fit properly!! Argh! I made this one long in the crown so it would come down over the ears and it doesn't. it pops back up.  Why does it do that? it's also a little narrow. 

I made a hat for another friend and it sat on the back of her head oddly like a snood, rather than on her forehead.  I thought I was combatting that issue by making this hat more of a tube-shape. 

And now I have to wait for the new year to confirm that this is indeed the second ill-fitting hat I've given her.  I'm such a putz. Merry Christmas, indeed.

More Tutes for Pins

The hair pin challenge is drawing to a close. No takers yet. I've gotten the package from Dave at Rings & Things. The prizes are .5 gross (72 pieces of the silver bobby pins, 1 copper metal bracelet link, and one silver tone pendant. All of these items can have pieces glued to them.

Thanks, Dave! You can also follow him on Twitter and maybe get a heads up on a good deal. Or a quick giggle here and there.

I've also been bouncing around some cool blogs lately. Hopefully I'll be sharing some with you in the weeks to come. A couple of things I've thought that could transfer well to the hair pins are the fabric flowers from mollychicken. And the Offray ribbon site has directions on ribbon flowers.

Join the Flickr group, post some hair pin toppers and win some hair pins blanks! 

I'm also busy thinking of the next Make Me Challenge. Shall it be paper or yarn?  I can't quite decide yet.

A Buncha Random Stuff

1.  The Craft Fair Season is Ovah! Hallelujah! I am so pleased!  I did well.  I wish I'd done better, but I really can't complain. Wednesday's show was okay despite the driving rain. I'd post my one manky photo, but I'm too lazy to do the work.  Each show it's weird what sells and what doesn't. My cards really didn't move this second show and I usually manage to sell about half. I think I'm going to look around for 3-5 good shows to do during the year and get involved that way too.  If my stuff sells better in person, then it's kind of stupid of me not be out there.

2.  Two work parties involving alcohol in one day is not a good idea. 'Nuff said.

3.  Got a really cool present for my mom last night.  Hope she likes it. Can't tell you what it is cuz every once in a while she pops in here.  Let's just say, she thinks she knows, but she doesn't know.

4.  I've lost 10 lbs!

5.  I've come to terms with the fact that I'm not going to crown Miss Lean & Green Self-Sustainable Machine 2008. After a week of sleeping in layers (and I mean Layers) of hat, sweats, socks, two comforters in my below 60 degree apartment, I've grown tired of waking up in a cramped fetal position (hee hee, I typed "fecal") and turned on the heat two nights ago. I have never slept so soundly. Add to this my rejection of "green" lights that left me squinting and my avid dislike of my complexes laundry facilities featuring the front-loading HE washers that don't agitate enough to properly clean my clothes and have me removing flecks of food off my "clean" dish towels with my fingers - this means I'm transporting my duvet and not clean enough for me sheet across state lines this Christmas to wash in my mother's top-loading washer with it's soaking capacity and long wash cycle.  Just say "no" to dingy whites.  Hmm. Apparently I'm not Miss Proper English Sentence 2008 either. Oh well.

6.   I've been having a problem with my Typepad account - comments haven't been showing up in my email, or they've been going to my spam folder.  Hoping to rectify that by switching email accounts.  I remember Jillian had this problem and she switched to Wordpress.  That would be nice since it would be a goodly savings, but both logical blog names for me are already taken there.  Sorry I haven't responded to your comments, some are lost forever, I'm afraid!

7.  Stacey asked if I was going to have any hairpins for sale in my Etsy shop. Only the button, the button cover ones and the crochet ones, I believe. And any others I come up with on my own or that are "fair game." Not any that are part of the challenge that I didn't come up with myself. I don't want to steal anyone else's idea and make money off of it. Also, I don't want to go in to the hair pin biz.  I just got the pins as a curiosity from Rings & Things to have a bit of fun.  BTW,  R&T is sending me a prize package in the next few days so I hope I get some entries (read: an entry).  It's going to be a surprise, so I'll post here as soon as I know what the goodies are.

8. This has been the laziest day ever.  I have done nothing but feed my virtual computer pet today.  Oh, and a load of laundry.  My house looks like a sub-standard Michael's exploded.  How is it that even though you try very hard to keep all the squidgy bits of paper, fabric and beads to nearby waste containers, they still manage to end up all over the place?  I found a fabric yo-yo in the kitchen the other day.  Once I woke up nearly choked by my knitting - makes you wonder if anyone has ever been done in attempting "one more row" late at night. Addis through the aorta.  Strangled by sock yarn. Although, checking the stats on Ravelry, I don't think asphyxiation by stash is one knitting related death that can be far behind.

Oh My Jaded Heart

Oh My Jaded Heart
Originally uploaded by Hilari

I'm in a quandry about my Etsy shop. These earrings were the first to go at my craft sale and the lady that bought them just loved them - didn't balk at the price and I think they were really well made.

Now I think the photograph is good. Mayhap it could be better, but I've seen a lot of other people on Etsy with far worse photos who have scads better sales than myself. I've learned that I should use all the available photos to show portions of the piece, if I can't show the full piece to its best advantage.

I've thought it was because there are so many jewelry sellers on Etsy it is hard to get a foot in the online door, so to speak. I did notice my views going up a bit, but that has slowed down now again as well. My photos are improved, but seriously, people are outselling me a hundred-fold with blurry camera phone shots on grey dirty bedspreads with their items in close proximity to dog anuses, satanic symbols and swastikas. I should probably try to have a more unified look - I can't seem to decide if I prefer a plain white background or a more artsy-fartsy look.

I've read the Storque articles and have looked at the shops of the successful sellers. Maybe I really haven't found my true niche yet. But I think what I do offer isn't available elsewhere. I think my sense of color is unique. I think I have a true vision. Hmmm. Maybe that's it. I'm so busy with the vision, I don't really have the business sense, eh?

I suppose the name of these earrings is appropriate for the title of this post - I feel jaded. I feel like when I present myself at a craft show I am so much more successful than on Etsy. Why? Something to explore in the new year, perhaps.

Craft Show News

Yesterday was the first of my two annual craft shows.  I think I did moderately well.  I was more nervous going in about this one what with The Economy and all that.  I wanted to have a good range of price points.  Of course the little novelty $1 items I spent the wee hours of the night making were the ones I accidentally left at home...D'OH!

My prices this trip ranged from $3 to $25.  I sold mostly in the $10 range. I sold almost all of my knit hats and a lot of rings and earrings. No purses, which I usually sell really well at this venue. Sign of the times?

Some people didn't sell anything, so I consider myself blessed to be among the few who sold stuff. Although it might have to do with attitude. One lady kept giving us the stink-eye the whole day and she left by 12:30. Which is kind of sad cuz I had only sold 2 or 3 items by then and it really picked up after 1. 

I always like to take a project to work on while I'm at a craft show. This time I took unfinished knits. Nothing to do but weave in ends.  Boring, but I got the job done!  Maybe I ought to start doing that for our knit gatherings....

Knitting Pattern Good

Here's a peep show at some cool knitting patterns I found on Etsy. 

How Does My Garden Grow?

Winter gardening is strange. The soil seems perpetually damp.  There are no pests to look for.  I feel constantly neglectful.  My only task is to turn the containers so the plants don't fall out of the planter in their attempt to reach the sun.  The lettuce looks quite leafy and perky and I anticipate a nice mix of mesclun next week.

Next summer I may only have a token herb garden.  My friend Priscilla has committed to turning part of her yard into a garden.  I can't wait for fresh tomatoes and beans.  I've got to start gathering information on what to grow.  Any success stories?

Another Really Cute Hair Pin Tute

Quick Post for a Hair Pin tutorial from Joybucket. I've been enjoying the blog as well, although there hasn't been a new post since the end of November. But let's face it - who really has time during the holidays?

I made hair pins from the CraftStylish tutorial and I think they came out nice. I didn't do the recommended 14 layers, so mine aren't as floofy, but I think they are just as lovely.  One thing you want to remember before you adhere your circles to the pins, is to mind the orientation.  The designer has you cutting a little abstract shape for the top circle so it makes a difference where you glue the the circles. I had to re-glue.

A couple of other changes - I just did tack stitches rather than folding the circles in half. Pays to have a thimble.  I first threaded a bead, then a seed bead, came back through the two a couple of times and knotted off between the layers of circles.

Also joined CraftStylish - lets see what goes on there. Didn't really stay and play, maybe take some time to do that after the holidays.

Ordered some mini cards from MyMiniCards tonight. Will post a photo when they come in.