School's Out for Summer!

As a teacher, I sometimes think we look forward to the summer more than the kids do! It has been lovely spending time with family, working on projects and being care-free! I've been meaning to make some sock monkey hats for a long time. They are so easy to make, and I finally took the time to do them. They are in the shop- one hat and diaper cover set and a seperate listing just for the hat. I would LOVE to get some professional photos done of adorable babies wearing these items as photo props. How does one go about doing this?

I also made a cutey pie sock monkey doll for my mom. She loves it! I've had so many people ask me to make them one. Well, I'm off to work on my OWL for my Harry Potter Knitting group!

My First Sweater!

I've been knitting for about 5 years now? I know I needed to make a sweater to become a real knitter (next up, socks!). I had all the pieces knitted up and blocked since January and just now got the courage to sew all the pieces together to make my very first sweater. It is a baby Yoda sweater. It goes with my baby Yoda felted hat (both patterns on Ravelry). I have to say, it doesn't look too bad for my first sweater! The peace is knowing that I will only get better =) I only wish I had a little Jedi to try this out on!

New Day, New Week!

Whenever I get anxious, my husband always tells me "Today is one day closer to being done". My observation went well, tomorrow I talk about it with my principal. The weather here has been extremely nice for February! All weekend we had about 60 degrees- that's May weather for us in the Northwest! We bought our first lawn mower and that really made us feel like real home owners now!

Here is a picture of my latest hat: The Mad Hatter. Up for sale on my Etsy site. I have to say, I love making the animal hats the most. I first learned how to crochet, and I don't know if it's because this hat took 2 skiens to make or what, but crochet really makes my hands and wrists hurt. Of course I know I can't blame it all on crochet- knitting does the same, but I think I can go longer with knitting...maybe, maybe not. Either way, I've got my hands wrapped today and I'm sad I can't work on things too much today because I need to let my hands rest. Guess I'll have to do laundry =)

lots o', Lots o' On My Mind

My mind is always going with continuous thoughts. It's something I've struggled with because it causes anxiety and it's hard for me to turn off.

Tomorrow I have my last formal observation for the year. I teach 4th grade and twice a year our principal does a formal observation. It's supposed to be for 30 minutes, but my principal always stays for an hour because she says likes my teaching so much that she wants to see it all. It's wonderful to get such great reviews but the pressure is always there for me. Yes, every observation has gone wonderful and successful. Yes, I still get nervous and want to be perfect. This is another fault I have- perfectionism. It's hard trying to always be so even when I know that NO one is and ever will be. We all have our faults, etc. and that's what makes us human.

So, on Etsy there is a "Feedback" part for each seller and buyer. I often look at mine and it is all positive. But then I see that some people haven't responded and I start to worry. I begin to think "This person should have received there order by now. Did they not like it? Was it the wrong size? Did I send it to the right address??" The more I dwell on it, the crazier my ideas become. I need to get over it. So what if they didn't like it? They were kind enough not to be rude and tell me, I guess. Horray for all the other people that loved their hats and left feedback! I looked at other sellers I like and some have sold over 500 items and have only 175 feedback. I guess people just don't leave it and it's not a big deal. So, I need to make it not a big deal, right? I wish I could not dwell on things so much, especially when they are so small compared to the big picture of lie. Do any of you do this?

So Many Ideas, So Little Time

I have so many ideas that I dream up each day to make! For example, my Luna Lovegood Lion Hat was an idea that just came to me and I decided to make for myself. As a "what the heck" moment, I put it on my Etsy site and today I sold my 5th Lion hat! It's awesome. I want to make other Hogwarts House Hats, want to make Alice in Wonderland hats due to the long awaited new movie and want to make Quatchi and Miga inspired hats from the Olympics. When, when, when??? I can see them in my mind's eye...they are waiting to be made. =)

Mr. Groundhog, Please Don't See Your Shadow and Hide

The past two days the sun has been out. Well, not shinning bright and warm. Just no rain. I went on a walk yesterday and took the trail that goes along the green space across from our house. We moved into our new house in December. With all the rain and cold weather, I have not had a chance to explore the trails around our neighborhood. I discovered there is a small creek with a cute little bridge going over it. There were birds starting to flutter about and with all the trees bare of leaves, I saw many nicely built nests. I also stumbled across a neighborhood playground! One of the trails leads out into another neighborhood and low and behold, down the street was a nice playground. Someday I will take my kids there (when I have them!).

Today I want to go the opposite way on the trail and see what I discover! What is around your neighborhood that you might not know about or have discovered?

...And It Continues!

Who knew that my OWN pattern of Luna Lovegood's Lion Hat would be such a hit? This really inspires me to create my own things even more than following a pattern. This will be my fourth time making it now, and the last time I think I perfected the pattern (3rd times a charm!) and wrote it all down to follow for the future. I'm so excited! This new year is looking great so far! I will be re-working my Etsy site this week to have listings for the same hats but in infant-child as one listing and teen/adult as the other listing of the same hat. This is what seems to be working with the Luna Hat, let's see if it works for the others!

First Official Etsy Item SOLD!

Well, I've been selling my hats pretty steady October through December to people I'm friends with on Facebook and at school (I'm a teacher, teachers are always having babies and like to buy cute hats). Oh- the Facebook friends. I have 300 "Friends", but in real life, like 2. Counting my husband =) Anyway, orders have been steady. I've gotten a lot of people looking at my hats on my Etsy site, and today I got my first order through Etsy! Someone bought my Luna Lovegood's Gryffindor Quidditch Lion Hat!! It's for her teenage daughter who loves Luna. Tomorrow I go to the yarn shop to get the wool (it was closed today which was driving me up a wall! I wanted to start!). This is a great sign of starting of the new year! Thank you!

Knitters Are Nice

So, I don't think I mentioned that I am a part of the Harry Potter Knits and Crochets House Cup on Ravelry...or did I? Anyway, I am a first year Hufflepuff! I have only turned in one assignment for this month for this term. I turned in my Luna Lovegood Gryffindor Lion Hat for Charms. The assignment was to make something funny or ticklish. Well, who wouldn't laugh seeing someone wear this lion hat? And I'm pretty sure when you give someone wearing a hug while wearing this hat, the mane will tickle the other person's nose.



Anyway, to get to my post title, Knitters are nice. Not only on Ravelry, but in real life, too! Today the husband and I went to the movie theater, but had to go an hour early to get good seats even though we already had our tickets days before. So, I took my knitting. I happened to sit next to a lady who is also a knitter! She didnt have her knitting with her, but we talked knitting and soon became friends! She also works in an elementary school. I gave her my card so that we could keep in touch. I hope that we keep in contact, she was so nice!



I don't think of myself as outgoing. I tend to be shy- it took me a long time in our conversation to even tell her I sell myself online and give her my card! Knitting has helped me to be more social- what can seem like a very solitary thing, is actually very social. I go to knitting nights not only to knit, but mostly to socialize and talk about knitting AND everything else with others! I used to go to Yarn Yoga at a local craft store, but it stopped about a year ago. I haven't been to another group and I really miss it. So, one of my goals (resolutions) is to find another knitting group where I belong and feel a part of. I think I'm going to try my LYS this week. I'll let you know if I make it =)

New Finished Projects!

I made my own pattern for Luna Lovegood's Gryfinndor Spirit Quidditch Lion Hat (wow, what a mouthful of a title!). I made it way too big. How did I do that? I thought I had tried it one before I added the ears and mane...but something happened! hhhmmm...

Anyway, I just flipped up the brim. It's not like I'll be wearing it everyday, ha. Probably just for school when we have crazy hat day or favorite book spirit days. However, if I make this again for any special orders, know that it will be made to size correctly! Infant through child sizes $30 and teenage through adult $35. This hat costs a little more because it has more details and materials.

Another hat I finished was my Baby Yoda Hat. It was my first felted project. I think it came out so cute! I got the pattern from ravelry. I am currently making a baby Yoda sweater/robe. I only have the sleeves to make and then sew it all together.

I need to add stiffener to the ears to make then stick out on their own.

Ravelry Harry Potter Knits and Crochets

I am a first year, first term (winter)...Hufflepuff!!! Yay! This is the house I wanted to be sorted into. So, all the professors say not to do too much your first term. This month I think I will do potions class. The assignment for January is to make something scary. I think I will make a Dark Mark messenger bag. But I'm thinking I may do crochet and felt it. Even if I don't do crochet, I am going to felt it I think. The only thing...I don't have these colors in my stash, and I don't want to buy more yarn because it goes against my "Make Do and Mend" new year resolution...so...I don't know what to do. I will have to think about it, but I can't wait too long because I only have January to come up with something for class and to turn in and earn house points. You should check this great idea out on Ravelry!

New Year Motto: Make Do and Mend

I am going to give the blog another go. I will mostly focus on my crafts and projects, but share some of my other lives (teaching, family, etc.). My new motto for this new year is Make Do and Mend. I've been listening to Brenda Dayne's podcast Cast On, for some years now. Series 8 from last summer was titled "Make Do and Mend". While I loved listening to this while knitting, the motto didn't sink in for it's real meaning. Not until just a few days ago when I was listening to CraftSanity (another crafting podcast) and I listened to an episode from August with an interview with the Beerhorst family, did Make Do and Mend finally make sense to me. I don't even remember anyone actually saying this phrase, but what they shared about their lives explained it all. I don't need to run out to Michael's or JoAnn's when I think I "need" something, such as the perfect buttons or exact color of yarn after 3 tries, etc. Believe me, I have plenty of STASHES of yarn, buttons, paper, stickers, yarn, yarn, yarn...
We recently moved and I got new furniture for my craft room. Putting away my yarn- a whole closet full of cubbies filled with yarn! By color, fiber, weight. I don't need to buy any for a long time...but yet I can't help but look forward to a trip to my local yarn shop! I always say to myself, "But I'm supporting local shops!" But I'm realizing that I have PLENTY to create with and I need to stop wasting my energy going out to get what I think I need and spend that energy looking through my button jars and using what I already have. When I feel the urge I say, "Make Do and Mend" and that makes me stop and think, "Do I really need to get this?" It's been working the past few days, and I'm hoping to keep it my motto this year and throughout. How exciting to see what creations I will come up with, with the many supplies that I have here in my home!

i went to Sock Summit 2009!!!

It was the best day ever! I will post some pics soon. I got the cutest hand scultped stitch markers of an owl and mushroom. I want to get some more from "Good to be Girl", she has some cute cupcakes and others. I got some beautiful yarn from "Becoming Art": "Twilight (which one one of the Dye for Glory categories) and "Outlaw". Both beautiful! Looking for the perfect pattern! There was SO MUCH in the market place!!! What goodness!

Green Eyes

My cat is a Russian Blue and has the most beautiful bottle green eyes. I love my Yuri!

I am rereading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I just sent it to one of my brothers to read for the first time. I hope he does! I know he'll love it just as much as the rest of us!

I can't believe I am going to the Sock Summit this weekend!!!! I really don't know what to expect, except for crazy overload of knitting goodness! My poor husband is taking me and must hang out with me! I told him he can wait in line to get my books autographed while I shopped. He said, "Will there be enough people to be a line?" Ugh, I can't believe he said that! Hello, there are going to be 150 vendors alone!!! And it's in the convention center!! My goodness! I see this as my last summer to-da because next week I start professional development classes for school, then teacher inservice, and then the start of school!

Summer Days

Colorado was a fun trip! I got some nice worsted Malibrigo in true Colorado colors (red like the hills/plateaus and some yellow like the hot sun) for a hat on Knitty called Foliage. I haven't wound it up yet, because I am waiting to buy a ball winder from Knitpicks soon.
I sold 5 of my hats! I was able to buy more yarn =)

In 2 weeks I go back to classes and then inservice...already!

. School's Out For Summer!

It was a bittersweet goodbye today- my class this past year has been the sweetest and best class any teacher could ask for! They were truely the class every teacher says "This is why I became a teacher!". They were sad to leave until they met their uber cool 5th grade teachers and all of a sudden they became the oldest and coolest kids of the school =) I also met my new class for next year and they seemed very sweet. There is always one though =) I can hear the song, "schools, out for summer!".

update on my niece's birthday present...

the date gets closer, but I still haven't started anything. i may have to just buy something this year. c'est la vie!

Almost Nearly Done!

The research papers are done, the kids actually got into it after me talking it up so much, and they are done with their part- now I need to do mine and grade them. ha! all us teachers are in the same boat. we think that by carrying them back and forth in our school bags each day to and from school and work they will get graded themselves...still hasn't happened yet. Guess what I'll be doing on my personal days off this week! ahh, at least report cards are done. I get to meet my new class next week, but I am going to miss this class so much. They are every teacher's dream!!! They were a wonderful bunch!

Summer Awakenings

There are 2 and a half weeks left of school, and believe it or not, I have to start teaching a new unit- thank you, demands from the district!! I'm not looking forward to it, and I have a feeling my students won't be either.

The weather here has been all summer for the past 2 weeks! I have started cleaning out the house and getting rid of junk. There is so much more I would like to get rid of, but need help from the husband. Over summer break we are going to paint some rooms and maybe get new carpet. The carpet might have to wait for a while.

I need to find a cute- and fast!- project to make for my niece's 5th birthday. Some kind of amigurumi would be cute- I need to look through my books.

Here's to 2 more weeks!

Lace Knitting Class

Last night I took my first lace knitting class at my LYS. It took about 2 hours to get one inch (square!), but I'm excited and hopeful! The pattern is really pretty and I am *hoping* I will have it finished by the time I go on vacation this summer for those summer nights around the campfire! I'll post pictures when I get a little further and you can actually tell what the pattern is.