Determining Yarn Yardage

via Mitrika on flickr

Clara Parkes at Knitter’s Review revolutionized my crocheting world today! (Thank you to Tina  at Peacefully Knitting for linking this post.)

After working on a crochet or knitting project I typically end up with leftover yarn. Sometimes the ball it just too big to toss – but what do I do with it? I never know how much is left. Here is what happens:

Option 1: The ball s its in a drawer/cabinet/bag unused.

Option 2: I start using the ball for a project. The ball is big enough to complete the project and I toss the scraps.

Option 3: I start using the ball for a project, it turns out I do NOT have enough yarn. I buy more. Now I’m left with the same problem I started with. (A sizeable amount of yarn but there is no telling exactly how much).

So Clara cleverly figured out how to use a kitchen scale to determine how much yarn you have remaining (in yards). I haven’t tried this yet, but I plan on starting to as I finish the projects I’m currently working on.

PS In order to use Clara’s method for figuring out the yardage of your leftover yarn you will need the original yarn tag OR  a very good memory for identifying what kind-of-yarn-is-in-that-ball-that’s-been-sitting-for-three-years!

Productive

I love accomplishment (who doesn't right?). I'll admit I create "artificial" accomplishments if I've got a really difficult day ahead of me. My artificial accomplishments are really small or easy items that I add to my to do list. When the day is getting grueling I do the small task, cross it off the list and feel a little buoyed.

I like crossing things off my to do list. But what's even better is when I feel like I am actively being productive. I had a lot of that over the weekend.

I was hugely productive. I filled out some paperwork that had been giving me grief. I contacted several lovely ladies about upcoming meetings. I made sleeves for Charlie's sweater. I edited five chapters of my Aunt's manuscript. Getting it done felt pretty good, but it was actively working on each project that felt great.

Well except when I was yelling at my computer for acting up. Does anyone know a good mac doctor?

My weekend was work heavy, but not completely work filled. I went out on Saturday night and spent time at a friend's house. On Sunday I slept late and watched Dowton Abby while working on projects. And I still felt productive.

studio of Pixie Blossoms 

What did you do over the weekend?

P.S. Speaking of productive...did you see that new tab at the top of the screen labeled "The Crochet Challenge"?  I'll be tracking my progress on a new page. You'll find links to all of the important posts  regarding the project. Check it out!

In case you need a reminder...

via We Heart It

Do something today that makes you happy. Put on your favorite mascara (even if it's not a special occasion). Use your favorite coffee mug. Eat a piece of chocolate. Tell someone you love them.

And have a nice day.

Being Happy: Managing and Letting Go of Expectations

One thing I'm learning from my Happiness Project is that being happy is normally not about doing what I think will make me happy. Counter-intuitive, right?

Here is the thing...in the moment I never feel like doing my 30 minutes of cardio, my 15 minute evening clean up, or my 1 minute "just do it" chore. But I know doing these things will make me happy. And a lot of times when I am done my cardio - I don't immediately feel happy. I feel sweaty and gross and like I need another shower. Blah.

But since starting the project - yes, I am happier on a day to day basis. Because when I start worrying that sitting at a desk all day is going to hurt my health I remember that I'm on it and the worry disappears. When I get up in the morning it's less stressful to get out of the house because I know where my keys are. I've even started to notice that my morning feels much longer on days when I've done these things. I often wonder if I accidentally got up a half an hour early because by the time I've finished making my cup of coffee (my last task before dashing off to work) I look up at the clock and realize I still have 20 minutes to get out the door.

I read an article in the Harvard Business Review (nooooooo I don't normally read it, but the cover caught my eye at Barnes and Nobel) interviewing the scientist Daniel Gilbert on his findings in a recent happiness study. He found that very few experiences affect people for more than three months and they rarely have the affect we anticipate.

So, ok in two months when I start to worry about sitting at my desk all day, I'll probably have to tweak my eating habits in order to stop worrying. That's really not the end of the world.

But here is what's better; Gilbert's findings apply to negative evens too. So not making enough Etsy sales, getting enough readers/sponsors on my blog, or any other "failure" in my life is not likely to have an affect on my happiness for more than 3 months. And-no matter what-my reactions to these events aren't likely to be as severe as expected.

Yeah I raised by eyebrows when I read this. Then I tried to think of examples from my own life. I remembered the month leading up to my college graduation which was hellish. At the time I thought I would be so much less stressed when I was done trying to edit 50 pages of original fiction, work 30 hours a week, and plan for "the next step" all at the same time. In truth, graduation was surreal. I wasn't as happy as I thought I should be, and when it was all over I found new things to stress about even if I had significantly less going on day to day.

But three months later (August 2010) graduation already felt years behind me.

Here is my take away...my expectations for my future happiness or unhappiness are just guesses. Cardio will suck, but not as much as I think it will in the 5 minutes it takes me to get on the stupid machine. And not for as long as I think it will. In the end, it actually will make me happier and probably for much longer then it initially made me unhappy.  [I am really trying to talk myself into my cardio, can you tell?]

Have your achievements ever made you less happy then you thought they would? Have you survived challenges with less discomfort then you thought possible?

And please, does anyone enjoy cardio? HOW DO YOU DO IT?

The Crochet Bible - A Challenge

It's come to my attention that you can't really hold me accountable to my promise to crochet every project in Sue Whiting's The Crochet Bible because you, dear readers, have no idea which projects are in The Crochet Bible (unless you have the book that is...). For those of you who don't have a copy of the book this is what you can look forward to...

1. Band of bunnies
2. Sunny day stripes
3. Precious pastels baby set
4. Pretty-in-pink cardigan and shawl
5. Autumnal color coat - started 2/02/2012 (in progress...)
6. Corsage
7. Glorious glamour scarves
8. Peruvian-style bag
9. Solomon's knot wrap
10. Circles and stripes set
11. Seaside and shells set
12. Tartan-style set
13. Summer sky mesh top - yarn purchased on 2/16/2012, this project is next in queue
14. Bead-edged beauty
15. Flower-trimmed cardigan
16. Multicolored motif shrug
17. Lazy strip wrap jacket
18. Casual comfort sweaters
19. Potpourri sachets
20. Rose-red heart rug
21. Three-color baby blanket
22. Rainbow ribbon throw
23. Picture-perfect cushion covers
24. Heirloom bedspread

Clearly I don't intend to finish these in the near future. This is a personal challenge to force me to push my skills as a crocheter and grow.

February 2012 – Goals Update

So the month is nearly over and it’s time for an update on my goal progress which I originally committed to in this post about the new year and my new goals.

Personal

• (-) Not following a monthly budget. I am tracking my spending and I am  saving, just not according to the categories I originally planned for myself. Which means I really  need to re-evaluate my budget and make some changes.
• (+)Purchasing only quality clothes (actually not purchasing clothes at all).
• (neutral) Not reading anything on my reading list. However – I did spend quality time with HB over the past month reading the entire Hunger Games series out loud. We both enjoyed it a lot and are looking forward to choosing a new series to read together.
• (+) Definitely participating in a Happiness Project. I created my goals list for the year. I’m tracking my ability to stick to my resolutions. And…I’m organizing a support group of women all working on happiness projects.
• (+) Found a mentor. I’m working with Maggie Whitely of Gussy Sews!
• (-) I am saving monthly toward a house, but  not as much as I had hoped. L
• (+) Booked the flight to Colorado this summer!
• (neutral) I created a pattern but I haven’t published it yet. I’m still tweaking it a bit.

Educational

• (neutral) Still not sure if I want to go back to school.
• (-) Only completed 2 MILS graduate interviews (of the three I’d planned for).
• (+) Signed up to volunteer with Urban Promise where I will be cataloging books for their library.
• (+) Made a long list of MILS programs. I’m even planning to visit a school while I’m in CO this summer!
• (-) Haven’t gotten any closer to choosing an MILS specialty program.

Blog/Etsy Shop

•  (+) Posting an average of at lea st 5x per week.
• (-) Still only have 7 ready to ship items in my Etsy shop (an 8^th is waiting to be photographed).
• (+)  Wrote 2 posts explaining crocheting materials.
• (+) Participating in at least 1 linky part per week.
• (+) The blog will undergo a redesign in the next 4 weeks – I am so excited for the update and the chance to work with an amazing designer!
• (-) I still need to think about new photo editing software…picnik will disappear in April. (Thanks a lot Google – ugh.)

I’m giving myself a 63% on this one. But I’m completely happy with this score. #1 the progress I am making is feels pretty awesome. #2 I know that number doesn’t reflect the amount of time I’ve dedicated to pursuing my goals, the amount of success I’ve had in the last few weeks, or how I’m choosing to do things well rather than just get things done.

PS Can anyone recommend good photo editing software (for dummies?). I don’t think I’m prepared for Photoshop – and I say this based on my budget and my inability to dedicate enough time to learning this program. However you are welcome to try to convince me this is what I absolutely must do for my business & blog.

What's in your yarn? Part II (Weight)

So last time I talked about yarn I told you all about yarn fiber. Basically, the stuff yarn is made of. If you missed that post you can check it out here.

Fiber is the stuff that yarn is made of (left most arrow above), and to put it very simply, weight is the size of your yarn (middle arrow above). Any type of yarn can be made into any thickness (weight). And your yarn weight matters - a lot.

For example, let's say I want to make a fancy scarf for my friend Kate. I want to make a long, wide scarf. I've found a pattern for a Tartan-style scarf, the finished dimensions are 36 X 54 inches.

photo from Berroco

First, I choose to use Caron Country in Spruce for the main color. It's nothing like the photo but I just know my friend Kate will love it. Everything is going along nicely until I have to change colors.

Caron Country, Spruce

My pattern calls for three colors, so when the second is introduced I tie in madelinetosh pashmina in sugarplum.

Photo from Crochetjojo on Ravelry.com

All of a sudden my scarf is getting skinnier and skinnier with each row. So what happened? Well I changed yarn weights, the Caron Country is a 10 ply medium weight yarn, the madelinetosh is an 8 ply fine weight yarn. Basically, the madelinetosh is thinner so it crochets up smaller.

 The Craft Council of America came up with the standard yarn weight system. So when you pick up a skein of yarn you know exactly how thick or thin it will crochet up (or knit up if that's your thing). This makes substituting yarn much simpler.

Now when I am looking for a pattern to crochet a sweater for my grandmother I don't have to worry if the recommended yarn is wool (which she is allergic to) I can simply check the yarn weight and find another suitable yarn in a different fiber.

So what's wrong with Charlie's sweater? I'm using a medium weight acrylic yarn, but the pattern calls for a lightweight wool. Basically...my yarn is too thick and it's making the gauge too big! It's a rookie mistake and the only reason it happened is because I was careless. You see if I had crocheted a test square and checked the gage (made sure the measurements were correct for the test square size) I would have known my yarn was to thick and either changed my needle to change the gauage (smaller needle = smaller gauge) OR I would have chosen a different yarn.  Luckily, Charlie's Momma isn't terribly concerned that he will have some room to grow into this sweater!

Oh, and a progress shot...

And So I Opened My Shop

Everyone’s got a story, right? Married couples have the story of how they met. Industry experts have the story of how they started their careers. Artists have the story of how the decided to pursue their talents.

I’ve got a story about how I decided to start my Etsy shop.

Way back in 2010 when I graduated from college I was only working part time. My job was fulfilling in a lot of ways but it was not creative (in the sense that I wasn’t making anything with my hands, which I thrive on) and it certainly wasn’t paying all of the bills. I was looking for additional part time work to supplement my income when I stumbled on a Craig’s list posting looking for crocheters.

Now this is Craig’s list, so I was suspicious at best but I took a risk and met with the Etsy shop owner who was looking to hire help. It turns out she’d recently landed a wholesale account and had a lot of product to produce. She was a stay at home Mom with two toddlers and really needed help. I knew the job wasn’t really going to pay the bills, but it was a creative outlet and it would earn some money so I decided to go for it.

First, she put me to the test. I was emailed a pattern and given the supplies (yarn and notions, no needs, fabric measure etc) to create a test product. A week later we met for the second time at a Starbucks so she could inspect my work. Needless to say I got the job. I was given A BOX of product, emailed three more patterns, and asked to make 25 pieces in three weeks.

My Shop

I was crocheting every second of my spare time. Crocheting at 6:00 in the morning before heading to work at 9:00 and crocheting again at 8:00 at night before passing out at 10:00. In three weeks I just barely was able to fill her order (and I canceled a lot of dates with HB and other fun meetings with friends to do it). For those 25 pieces I made about $280. I didn’t even need to do the math. I crochet fast, but that was less than $5.00 an hour.

I thought about asking for  more money for item, but then I went and looked at her retail shop prices. I calculated the different between what she paid me per item and what she charged her retail customers. There were only 3-4 dollars left to cover materials, shipping, overhead, profit…I didn’t see how she could be making any money. And that was retail! I can only imagine the wholesale order was significantly less per item, was she in fact losing money?

I didn’t know this women particularly well and I wasn’t comfortable telling her I was worried about her pricing. It wasn’t my business (in both senses of the word)!

Instead, I politely declined future projects, she only asked me once more, and then I lost track of her business.

I still enjoyed the crocheting. Loved it in fact! Even after hours of cramming to finish a wholesale order and all of the stress that goes with it I still wanted to crochet. So I started thinking about “if I had an Etsy shop” and what I would sell in “my shop.” How I would figure out “my prices.” And then in February 2012 (after lots of hard work people I didn’t just throw up a banner and say this is my shop, come get it) I opened Buttonwood Cottage on Etsy.

The End. (or the beginning…or whatever.)

What's in your yarn?

***This is part one of a two part series on yarn content. Please stay tuned next week for the next post about yarn weight.*** 

I'm making Charlie's Color Coat with Vanna's Choice in terracotta. It's a aran weight, 100% acrylic, 10 ply yarn.

Now what the heck does that mean?

Acrylic is a yarn fiber. Fiber refers to the content of the yarn - what it's made from. Yarn fibers are broken down into three categories: natural, manmade, and synthetic.

Natural fibers are anything made from plant fibers or animal hair/fur. So... cashmere, alpaca, cotton, and bamboo are all natural fibers.

Manmade fibers start as natural products and are made into a fiber (so hair = natural fiber, wood durned into string = manmade fiber). Viscose and rayon are derived from natural material and are manmade fibers.

Synthetic fibers are made from (basically) very fine threads of plastic. Acrylic and nylon are synthetics.

Everyone has a fiber preference. Some people like to use only natural fibers although these can be hard to find. Even many natural fibers available in big box stores are treated during manufacturing to make them easier to care for. Organic, untreated natural fibers often require special care and wear down quicker then manmade or synthetic fibers.

Believe it or not people fight over good versus bad fibers. Personally, I think there is a use for every fiber. The fiber itself can't be inherently good or bad. Manufacturing process can however be harmful or benign but I won't get into that in this post.

Many companies carry blends of natural and synthetic or manmade fibers so that you can have longer lasting yarns with many of the qualities of natural materials crafters love. So if you'd like to make a beautiful knit sweater out of alpaca wool you likely want the sweater to be very warm (which is why you've chosen alpaca over sheep's wool) however you might choose a treated easy care wool which has been treated to stop it from shrinking and allows it to be machine washed.

So why am I using a 100% acrylic for Charlie's coat? For starters, he's a baby. I planned to make a coat to fit sizes 1 - 2 years. So I imagine it will need to be able to take a beating and acrylic is durable. It will also need to be washed regularly. Because it's basically a plastic the color won't fade after multiple washings AND it doesn't really pill like some natural fibers.  Acrylic is relatively inexpensive, can be made very soft (like the Vanna's Choice), and washes well. Oh and unlike many natural fibers, acrylic can go in the dryer although it's still best to let a finished sweater dry flat so that it maintains its shape.

Next week I'll be back talking about yarn weight (spoiler, this may have something to do with why my sweater is SO BIG...).

7 X 7 Award

There’s been some jumping up and down, fists in the air, and victory dancing going on around here. You might remember that last week Kate @Discover.Create.Live passed me the Liebster award. Well this week that awesome lady was at it again. And Tuesday she gave me the Seven X Seven award. So… if you didn’t go check out Kate’s blog go do that now. I’ll wait. (She’s really nice, her recipes kick butt, and her baby is adorable so like Nike says just do it!)

You back? Fan-tastic. Ok so here we go…

Rules:

• Link back to the blogger who nominated you [Kate @Discover.Create.Live in my case]
• Share 7 facts about yourself
• Share 7 blog posts that fit into 7 categories
• Nominate 7 award-worthy blogs/bloggers, and leave them a message letting them know!

7 Facts

1. I left for college with a broken jaw [Kate – I had jaw surgery too!].
2. I taught myself to crochet with my left hand so that I could teach a leftie friend to crochet.
3. I have a motorcycle license (no bike yet).
4. I named my cat Calvin and my dog Hobbs.
5. I’m 5’2 and I climb ALL OVER the counters in my house because it’s too much work to find the step stool and I can’t reach anything on the top shelf (my mom a quarter of an inch taller than me, my dad is 6’).
6. I started rock climbing with my Dad in high school because we’re both not fans of heights.
7. I learned to swim when I was 2 and remember scaring my Pop-Pop when I was about 4 by jumping in the deep end when no one was in the pool.

7 POSTS  
Most Animal Photos: Pet Parade
Biggest Challenge: Crochet, Crochet
Best Recipe: Butternut Squash Soup
Moment of Pride: Etsy Shop Opening
Most Humbling: Featured on Joy of All Crafts
Most Skillz [note: please read with sarcasm]: Sewing 101
Most Rags: Rag Rugs

7 BLOGS

1. Skye @neathering our fest
2. Chelsea & Morgan @Little Stitch
3. Alli @Life on Leroy
4. Samantha @ petite femme jolie
5. Heather @ Joy of All Crafts
6. Jenna @ Paddington Way
7. Jayme &Mendi @Her Late Night Craving

Crochet Basket Weave Coat Progress(ish)

I went ahead and told THE WORLD that I plan to make every project in Sue Whiting's book The Crochet Bible. Why? Why did I do that? Oh because I knew at some point this would happen:

You'll notice that this looks HUGE. According to the directions it's size 1-2 years. I've already got a little man (who is currently wearing some 12 month outfits) lined up to receive the sweater. Too bad it might not fit him until he's about 12...

I don't know where it's going wrong. I've measured and remeasured (47 inches around). The measurements are exactly what the pattern calls for, but it looks SO BIG.

I've resigned myself to plodding on. If it doesn't magically come together small enough to fit the little man I'll find every other kid related project and let his Mama take her pick. She can even choose the yarn.

Shutting my trap now so I don't dig myself into another mess.
--------------
UPDATE - I've decided to link up this project (and all it's imperfections) with Nester at the Nesting Place. Please visit her blog on Monday, February 20th and see many examples of the imperfectly perfect in our lives.

via The Nesting Place

Our Valentine's Day

Why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day? What does it mean to us?

We celebrate Valentine’s Day because it’s a reminder that this relationship thing we’ve got  going on isn’t a given. It isn’t easy. And it’s not something to take for granted. Valentine's Day is not just about spending a little extra money for the entertainment budget going out to dinner and a movie. There’s a whole process that starts in early January where I start thinking about all  the things I really appreciate about HB. I think about ways I could be better at showing my appreciation and affection. And yes – I think about how we can spend a really special day together and what kind of remembrances we will walk away from the day with.

What am I celebrating about HB?

HB knows who he is. He knows what his strengths are (he loves to help people, he’s very charismatic, and he’s a great teacher) and what his weaknesses are (he doesn’t have the patience for administrative details, he struggles to stick to a schedule) and he’s happy with that. He’s not forever working to fundamentally change his character, but he does make an effort to get through the things he’s not naturally good at. HB spends most of his time on things he is good at and enjoys. I envy this oh-so-much because HB has the ability to like himself, to understand his strengths, and deal with his weaknesses without seeing them as failures.

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will live it’s whole life believing that it is stupid.”

What were the gifts?

HB and I made a weekend of Valentine's Day. On Friday night we went out to dinner together and exchanged gifts, on Saturday we went to see The Vow (yes that was my choice) enjoyed homemade chocolate covered strawberries, on Sunday we finished the final Hunger Games book (I cried) and I went home to my family for Sunday night dinner while Shane caught up on grading.

Striped Sleeper print by tastesorangy on Etsy

Blog Awards + Blog Friends + Warm Fuzzy Feelings

Surprised doesn't even begin to cover it. Yesterday, I was given the Liebster award by Kate @Discover.Create.Live and Morgan & Chelsea @Little Stitch. I don't think these ladies realized they were both giving me the award on the same day, but let me tell you it made my week! Thanks girls!

It looks like there isn't consensus on the actual Liebster rules. Kate's list said you needed to pass the award on to 5 new up and coming blogs (less than 200 followers), link back to the blog that gave you the award, post the award on your site, and share 5 random facts about yourself. Morgan & Chelsea's version  said you need to pass the award on to at least 3 up and coming blogs, post the award on your site, and link back to the blog that gave you the award.

So here's what I'm going to do in honor of the Liebster Blog award. First, I'm going to introduce you to the new winner (only one - but a lot of thought has gone into this), then I'm going to say great big thank yous, and finally I'm going to encourage you to do something for me (because I'm asking nicely and introducing you to some really lovely people).

The new winner is:

Skye @Nethering Our Fest

And here's why:

Skye is one of the most supportive women I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. She's new to indi business community (like me) and has a shop called Thumb Print Designs on Etsy. But most importantly, she gives her cheer, her time, and encouragement. 

She was the first to tweet about my Etsy shop opening and compliment me on my work (and she didn't even know me). She consistently gives to this lovely bloggie community I call home by sharing tutorials and tips she's learned herself (and usually the hard way). She gives her advice freely and shares your accomplishments, but asks nothing in return. This girl is contributing good stuff to the blogosphere.

So go visit Skye, but then come back because I've still got people to thank!

Are you back? Ok good. Now please let me thank...

Kate @Discover.Create.Live

Remember the Philly Cooking Cream Pasta recipe from last month? That was my first guest post. You know why? Because Kate was the first person I was able to blindly email and ask to do a recipe swap.  She's sweet and approachable and she's got an adorable baby she blogs about (in addition to DIYing, mommying) that will win your heart in a minute. Kate found me through our shared recipe in gluten free cooking, but I'm so glad she reached out to me through my blog because she's become my friend.

Morgan & Chelsea @Little Stitch

These ladies totally blew me away! They snuck onto my blog without so much as a comment, reading away in secrecy until finally BAM a comment letting me know they were giving me an award. WOAH right? Turns out it was my loss that I hadn't been following them all along.  Their bloggers and indie business owners - check out their hand sewn purses and eReader covers on Etsy - just like me! (Ok not just like me, we blog about different stuff, and sell different stuff...)They've got their fingers on the Etsy pulse, constantly featuring fantastic products and designs on their blog. OH AND THE COLOR! These two are color lovers to be sure, just check out this post.

And finally... go visit with my blog friends. These ladies are funny, inspiring, skilled (hello...two cute Etsy shops), and inspirational. You don't want to miss this so please go visit, tell them I said hi, and you know make some online friends. :]

Thanks everyone!

Xx Kasey

A Little Organization

I find that the key to keeping myself organized is simple, "A place for everything." And only 1 PLACE for each thing.

You might remember my "inspiration notebook" which I started carrying in my purse a few months ago:

Initially I thought this notebook would be PERFECT for catching all of my business and blog ideas. Particularly because it's got a pocket folder inside the front cover:

But, life happens and things don't always turn out like you plan. While it is perfect that this tiny notebook fits in my purse it's really annoying that it's too small to keep most pictures most coupons or inspirational photos inside. Plus I find it competes with another (larger) book that I find myself carrying around all the time:

via Amazon.com

I don't want to carry two notebooks around all of the time, but for now I'm going to suck it up and do just that. Next year I'll purchase one large notebook that has space printed in it for each day. This way I can keep track of things like appointments and daily to do lists, but I also have room to sketch out ideas or jot down a note.

What do you use to keep yourself organized?

I'm on Bloglovin!

Now you can follow my blog with Bloglovin

Crochet, Crochet

If we're friends on Facebook or you're following me on twitter you may have noticed the question I posted this morning...

Well I decided to do it. This is a project "just for fun" so I'm not giving myself a deadline (yet) or assigning a certain number of hours a week to work on this (again - yet). 

I've chosen to use Sue Whiting's The Crochet Bible. The book has sentimental value because I picked it up before flying off to Spain with HB in 2010. 

It's also a great reference for newbies who want some simple projects (there are 25 total and I'd say at least 5 are beginner level), an overview of yarn, and basic technique tutorials. If you're just starting to crochet I'd recommend it (plus now you know I have a copy so if you're working on a project and you get stuck you can email me your questions and I'll do my best to help!). 

The first project I'm working on is the "Autumnal Color Coat." It's a size small kids jacket so I'm not sure what I'll do with it yet, but I'll worry about that when the time comes.

Oh and that's Hobbs on the bottom right, he's keeping me company while I work on this new project.

See - I already made progress between yesterday (photos above) and today (photo below).

What are you working on lately? 

I Made This: Sarah's Infinity Scarf

Remember the 2012 Blogger Party? Well...my partner Sarah got her scarf and did a post about it here.

simplysarahchich.blogspot.com

We had a limited budget for the gift swap, so I wanted to make something cute for Sarah but that wouldn't blow the party budget. I felt like if I broke the budget people would think I was begging for attention to trying to show off. Weirdly self-conscious, right?

Anyway...if you want to make your own version of Sarah's scarf you can get the FREE pattern on Anne Dove's blog On the Wings of a dove. Here is the pattern post.

I changed her pattern (can't you tell?!).  Here's my version:

1 skein Wool Ease Thick n' Quick Yarn (Sarah's scarf is the denim color)
K crochet hook

Chain ~ 50 (I don't know exactly how many chains I used. I held the two ends of my chain together creating a giant loop, tossed it over my head until I had the size I wanted.

Lay your chain flat and be careful to twist it only 1 time (this is how you make the infinity shape). Slip stitch into your first chain.

Ch 2, DC in each ch space.
Keep going! repeat until your scarf is as thick as you want it (or you've nearly run out of yarn), slip stitch into the next stitch. Tie off and hide your yarn ends.

That's it!

Sweetly Saturday: Totally Ordinary

I had a completely mundane, totally ordinary Saturday. And it was lovely. HB cleaned his apartment while I spent way to much time fussing with my hair (it ended up in a messy bun on top of my  head anyway). When I was finally ready to leave the house we headed to Barnes & Nobel with a snack and a craving for some overpriced coffee drinks.

HB graded papers and I did some design research, blog post planning, and writing. And it was lovely.

So what did you do this weekend? And does anyone else have moments where they think, "How did I get so lucky that this is my life?" Was anyone really productive this weekend? Did you do anything really exciting?

So Apparently I'm Famous

One of the women I work with went to my favorite local yarn shop on Sunday with a few of her girlfriends. The shop was having a sale and a trunk show (um…so why wouldn’t you go, right?).

I didn’t make it to the sale, but I had just been at the shop on Friday for a Meet Up group. I go to these Meet Up groups once a month, but if you know me in person you’d know I’m a bit shy. Even though I’ve gone for about 4 months, I didn’t feel like part of the group until last week. The  Meet Up group is big, and constantly changing, so it was a struggle to fit in.

Anyway…my friend from work was at the counter paying for her loot and telling her girlfriends abou t me and how I take class at the store (she was talking about the Meet Up group – I’ve yet to sign up for a class, but it’s on my to do list) and that I love the shop and the group, etc..etc.. My friend asked one of her girlfriends (who works at the same company I do) if she knows me, her friend didn’t – but the cashier did!

Apparently they talked about me for a few minutes and Anne (my co-worker) was nice enough to let me know I’m well liked at my Meet Up this morning.

What a nice way to brighten my Monday.

Ok and maybe I’m not famous. But this knitting/crocheting world – it seems to be turning into a community that I am a recognized part of. Hooray!

Why do I blog?

Kasey, what’s your goal in life?

“To be happy.”

So why do you keep a blog?

“Because it’s a source of happiness.” And frustration, and work, and disappointment. But at the end of the day it’s a bigger source of happiness than anything else and I want to share that with my readers.

I hope that when you’re reading you see a woman striving, achieving, failing, and striving some more. I hope you see someone that is living the good and the bad parts of life and who is still happy.

I hope you are inspired to work toward your own happiness.

Because it is hard to have big dreams, dreams that scare you. It is hard to work toward those dreams. It’s hard to fail. But it’s thrilling to succeed. And doing the everyday stuff should make you happy. Because this is your life. Today. This is the fun part.

So yeah, that’s why I share.

Not Giving Up Yet - 2012 Goal Progress

Hey everyone, January is over so I’m doing my type-A thing and checking my status on 2012 goals. I did this earlier in the month and gave myself a 75%, let’s see if I improved at all.

But first, you might notice that my goal list looks a bit different (I wasn’t going to just switch things up without explaining). Since starting my Happiness Project and preparing for my first meeting with my mentor today (more on that later) I developed some new goals. That’s life right? So here are my updated January goals – and my progress.

January 2012

Blog Goals:

• 5 pots a week SUCCESS You saw 26 posts in January – alright!
• Pre-plan 75% of posts (17) . SUCCESS
• Etsy shop post by 1/20 SUCCESS Check out the first post where I announced my plan to launch my Etsy shop here (and a follow up February post when I did open).
• Weekly linky-party post SUCCESS There were 4 in January (see those here, here, here, and here) although I don’t know that I stuck to a weekly timeline…
• 2 Happiness Project posts SUCCESS The post announcing my project and the post about what it was teaching me.

Etsy Shop Goals:

• Complete 10  original items for Etsy shop. Fail I had 7 ready to ship items photographed and ready for the shop by Feb 1^st. However more items are getting finished all the time and I opened up a made to order option in my shop.
• Prepare for shop launch on 2/1. SUCCESS The shop launched, the photos were taken and edited, the descriptions were written, the pricing is done, the shop banner is done, and on and on. Yay!!! (Ok so there is already a laundry list of th ings I want to “tweak” but I’m trying not to let perfectionism turn into procrastination.)

Education Goals:

• Apply for library volunteer position and follow up. DONE – I wouldn’t call this a success though.
• Start library volunteer project. FAIL – However…I do have a library volunteer related meeting tomorrow morning at a local non-profit. Fingers crossed.
• Interview 3 MILS grads. FAIL – Interviewed two grads and have emails out requesting interview from a few more folks so…we shall see.
• Create long list of MILS programs. SUCCESS – Finally (this was beginning to feel like a rotten category).

Happiness Project Goals:

• Be Accountable – finish book club book. FAIL – I got about 40% complete (according to  my Kindle) and had Keri over who told me I could give up. The book just wasn’t going to be my thing (we have similar reading tastes) and she gave me a summary. Boo Stephen King, you’re just not my style.
• Boost Energy – exercise 3xs a week. FAIL – I did this for the first week, then took a week off (to launch my Etsy shop). I started again yesterday.
• Be Secure – plan and follow a budget and savings plan. SUCCESS – I was even able to buy 4 NEW TIRES without dipping into my savings, which feels pretty awesome.

Total 64%

That's what I think of the 64%

Aww man…I totally felt like I was doing better. Whatever, moving right along.  At least I can improve in February.