Happy Halloween!

Since we didn't have a Halloween party this year, we went over to our friends' house to watch a movie. But I couldn't not dress up at all, so I made myself a little costume.



Horns! They are crocheted from this pattern and they are super cute.

Buy Handmade

Etsy is starting a campaign to get people to buy handmade gifts this holiday season and part of it is a pledge to buy handmade located at the Buy Handmade website. I just signed it--you should too. Of course, I will be making some of my gifts myself, but I suppose that means I am still supporting an independent crafter. Tee hee.

My Etsy Street Team, EtsyFAST, is having a trunk show at the Etsy Labs on November 16th. There will be events throughout the month to go along with it, including a sale that many of the members will be involved in (including me!). I guess the easiest way to explain would be via our press release:

Let fiber keep you warm during the Etsy Fiber Art Street Team sale, trunk show, online events … and all year round!

Who: The fabulous independent spinners, knitters, crocheters, weavers, felters, and fiber artists of Etsy.com, your place to buy handmade!

What: A giant event, online and in person, celebrating all things handmade and fiber!

When: Sale in online shops from Nov. 1 - Nov. 16. Trunk show date is Nov. 16, online and at Etsy Labs 6 - 8 p.m. EST.

Where: Etsy Labs, 325 Gold Street, 6th Floor, Brooklyn NY 11201 , and also online at Etsy and EtsyFAST.

Why: Warm up your November with our great fiber artists! Great sales on items for the holidays, supplies, and more! Interact with our members, learning more about these products and techniques! Buy handmade.

How: Check EtsyFAST for more info, and be sure to visit us during our sale and show Nov. 16!

A Finally Finished Object

Back in June, I posted that I'd finished the round ripple baby blanket I was working on except for weaving in some ends. Well, I've just finished weaving in the ends.


So, perhaps I can manage to get it to the baby I made it for soon. I'll let you know how that goes.

Christmas Gifts and Other Projects

I'm getting started on Christmas gifts. I don't know how many gifts I'm actually going to get around to making but I'm going to try to make a few. To that end, I've joined a Holiday KAL-CAL and I'm donating a skein of yarn as a prize. Fun. I haven't actually finished anything and posted it there yet, but hopefully soon.

The very first Christmas present I'm working on is a pair of felted slippers for Chris's stepmother, Gail. And they're knit. Gasp.


I'm using a Fiber Trends pattern --Felted Clogs (AC-33x)--and it's pretty easy. I've done several things I didn't know how to do before I started this, which is pretty exciting. And since they're felted, my mistakes probably won't be noticeable.

I bought a set of adjustable circular needles partly because I needed new needles for my felted slippers. I got the Boye Needlemaster set and so far, I like them quite a bit.


(Two of them are currently in my slippers, so that's why some are missing.)

I also recently crocheted these little drawstring bags for a friend's little girls. (They aren't a Christmas gift, though.)


When we were in North Carolina, we bought little wooden hearts for them and I made the bags to put them in. Normally I would never make them something all the same color, but I wanted them to match the hearts. So I put initials on them. I think they came out pretty cute.

Ravelry

I got my invite to Ravelry yesterday. So excited. For those of you who don't know what Ravelry is... It's a community for people who do things with yarn (crochet, knit, spin, dye) to talk about everything related to yarn and also keep track of projects, stash, tools, etc. I know that's not a very good description, so if you want a better one, try here. I am loving it so far, but I think it's going to take me quite a while to get integrated there. I need more time! Anyhow, I'm woolygrasshopper (I thought it was funny, anyway) on Ravelry since grasshopper was taken and grasshopperhandmade was too long. In case you want to say hi.

I Was Tagged

I was tagged over three weeks ago by Umme Yusuf who posts at the crocheting message board I belong to, Crochetville. I really meant to get to it, but I am slow and forgetful. But I am doing it now.

The Rules (which, being me, I will not completely follow):
Once tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post the rules before your list, and list 8 random things about yourself. At the end of the post, you must tag and link to 8 other people, visit their sites, and leave a comment letting them know they've been tagged.

1. I have one sibling--a younger sister.

2. I adore science fiction books/short stories from the 60s-70s. I think that comes from having so much of it around the house growing up. (My dad is a bit of a sci fi geek as well.)

3. I am self taught at all of my crafty endeavors. I never seem to know anyone who know how to do what I want to do so I just blunder through until I figure it out. I don't know what I would do without the Internet.

4. It's a family joke that I was almost named Marigold Zucchini because of my father's love for marigolds and both my parents' love of zucchini.

5. I am a bit of a perfectionist--always have been. According to my mother, when I was 3 and learning to write, I used to make my Zs backwards and I would cry every time. (I think I've finally got that down.)

6. Halloween is my favorite holiday (and fall is my favorite season). I love dressing up and all of the decorations. We usually have a Halloween party just so I can dress up and make fun food and decorate.

7. I love watching bad movies--especially bad sci fi. A recent favorite: Battlefield Earth--hysterical.

8. I was a smoker for about 11 years (off and on) and I've now quit for almost 2.

Well, I guess that's it. That was difficult. I'm not tagging anyone since I don't know enough people and it's been so long.

Etsy at the Market

Well, I--with Chris's help--survived my first craft show. (My first craft show for my own crafts, that is. I used to help my mom with hers from time to time.) And it was fun. I didn't sell much, but I did make back my table fee (Thanks Mom and Dad!) and I met a bunch of very nice people. I'm really glad I did the show and now I feel much more prepared for the next one. Plus, since I didn't sell very much, I have tons ready for Christmas and all the sales I'm going to make in my Etsy shop. At least, that's what I keep telling myself.