New Blog

I have changed the name of my business to Ruth & Hazel so I have a new blog.  I won't be updating this one anymore, but I'm going to do my best to update the new one much more frequently than I've been doing here.  I hope you'll come see me there--if any of you are still out there.

Grasshopper Handmade Google+ Page

I've started a Google+ page for Grasshopper Handmade since I thought it was probably a good idea to have a Google+ page as well as the Facebook page.  (I have a personal profile on Google+ as well, but I don't really use it since most everyone I know is on Facebook.)  I added the ability to +1 my posts here a while back with a widget that also includes sharing on Facebook, Twitter, a blog and email.  For right now I imagine I'll mostly be posting the same things there as I do to Facebook although I may change that in the future.  I do like Google+, though and it is quite easy to use when I remember that it isn't Facebook.  So feel free to add me to your circles and start +1ing away.

Secret Toy Pattern

 Spent a while the other night winding Cascade 220 for a new crochet toy pattern I'm working on.  (I'm keeping what the toy is a secret for now, I think.)  I know I often talk about things I'm going to write up as patterns and then never get around to it, but this time I actually have the pattern written already.  I'm going to use this yarn to try it one more time and then I will be getting some test crocheters to test it for me.  I also have another toy pattern in the works so hopefully soon I will finally be branching out into pattern sales.  I have so many ideas written down or partially made--I hope I can make the leap.

almost finished, but completely unblocked

Speaking of patterns, I have mentioned several times a pattern I've been working on for years now for a crocheted wrap.  The last time I mentioned it, I said I was almost done and I did almost finish a sample from the written up pattern.  However, as I finished it, I decided that I wanted to change several things about it (this was after adding to it while writing up the pattern) including the main stitch pattern and the weight of the yarn it's made in.  (I also hate the colors I chose for it.)  So I guess it's back to the drawing board with that one.  Hopefully I will manage to finish it someday.

New (ish) Colorways

Big Brother

Shiny New Australia

I'm not even sure newish is appropriate since one of these has been around for probably close to a year and the other was available at all of my winter craft shows.  (But not in my Etsy shop until now.)  But since I haven't mentioned them here, I'm calling it newish.  Shiny New Australia may be my new favorite colorway--plus I love the name.  (Bonus points if you recognize where it came from!)

Books Read in 2011

I'm still keeping a list of all the books I read every year.  I don't know if anyone who reads this blog is actually interested in it, but I'm going to keep on posting since I have no where else to share it.  :)  (Re-reads are marked with [RR].)

1.  Escape - Carolyn Jessop with Laura Palmer
2.  All the Colors of Darkness - Lloyd Biggle, Jr.
3.  The Coming - Joe Haldeman
4.  Drood - Dan Simmons
5.  Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
6.  Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
7.  The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson
8.  False Dawn - Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
9.  The Mysterious Benedict Society - Trenton Lee Stewart
10.  The Talented Mr. Ripley - Patricia Highsmith
11.  Heart-Shaped Box - Joe Hill
12.  I Who Have Never Known Men - Jacqueline Harpman
13.  Kiln People - David Brin
14.  The Dragons of Heorot - Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle and Steven Barnes
15.  Native Tongue - Suzette Haden Elgin
16.  The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents - Terry Pratchett
17.  The Gate to Women’s Country - Sheri S. Tepper  [RR]
18.  The Waters Rising - Sheri S. Tepper
19.  Dead Until Dark - Charlaine Harris
20.  Z for Zachariah - Robert C. O’Brien
21.  The Year of the Flood - Margaret Atwood
22.  Earth Abides - George R. Stewart
23.  Delusions of Gender - Cordelia Fine
24.  Woman on the Edge of Time - Marge Piercy
25.  Pippi Longstocking - Astrid Lindgren [RR]
26.  How I Live Now - Meg Rosoff
27.  Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
28.  World War Z - Max Brooks
29.  The Hidden Side of the Moon - Joanna Russ
30.  Dawn - Octavia E. Butler
31.  Siberia - Ann Halam
32.  This Perfect Day - Ira Levin
33.  The Lost Gate - Orson Scott Card
34.  Adulthood Rites - Octavia E. Butler
35.  Imago - Octavia E. Butler
36.  The 1978 Annual World’s Best SF - Donald A. Wollheim (ed.)
37.  Anya’s Ghost - Vera Brosgol
38.  The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
39.  Cards of Grief - Jane Yolen
40.  Quiverfull:  Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement - Kathryn Joyce
41.  Camp Concentration - Thomas M. Disch
42.  The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues - Ellen Raskin
43.  The Demolished Man - Alfred Bester
44.  The Kraken Wakes - John Wyndham
45.  The Last Guru - Daniel M. Pinkwater
46.  The Second Omni Book of Science Fiction - Ellen Datlow (ed.)
47.  From These Ashes - Fredric Brown
48.  The Pirates!  In an Adventure with Scientists and The Pirates!  In an Adventure with Ahab - Gideon Defoe
49.  America Pacifica - Anna North
50.  The Star Road - Gordon R. Dickson
51.  Little Altars Everywhere - Rebecca Wells [RR]
52.  Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood - Rebecca Wells [RR]
53.  The Purity Myth:  How America’s Obsession with Virginity is Hurting Young Women - Jessica Valenti
54.  The Universe Maker - A.E. Van Vogt
55.  Time Travelers Never Die - Jack McDevitt
56.  Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - Philip K. Dick  [RR]

Yes, I read Twilight.  And hated it.  After several people I know insisted that it really was good and after ripping on it for ages, I thought it was time I read it so that I knew for sure.  Now I know.  I think my favorite fiction book I read this year (with Twilight being my least favorite--although it definitely had a run for its money) was Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy.  It's utopian, feminist sci fi--if you like that sort of thing.  And I do.

Mid-Winter Sale

I'm having a mid-winter sale in my Etsy shop.  25% off all cowls and any other winter accessories I may run across in the next week or so.  I made a lot of cowls for my holiday shows and while I did sell many of them, I have more than I want to store all summer so I thought that I'd hopefully clear some of them out with a sale.  I'll be adding more as I get pictures taken so keep checking back.

Hedgehogs!

 

I made six of these hedgehogs as Christmas presents this year using this pattern.  The Fun Fur was such a pain to work with--especially at first--but they turned out so cute I think it was worth it.  (Though right now I'll be happy if I never see another hedgehog, let alone make one.)  The ones already given were, I hope, well received.  These last three are a gift for my "nieces" who sadly may be too old for this kind of gift really soon.

Youtique: A Handmade Holiday Craft Show

My next craft show is Youtique: A Handmade Holiday--tomorrow at Wayne State University from 2 - 9 PM. (Not 3 - 9 PM as stated in the ad above.) Hope to see you there!

Free Shipping in My Etsy Shop

I decided to give out a code for free shipping at my next two craft shows in case for some reason, someone wants to order later. That way they can still get the price they would have gotten at the show. (I wish I'd thought of doing this at my last show.) And while I'm at it, I decided to extend the coupon to my blog readers and Facebook fans.

Here are the details:
Use coupon code FSGRWIN2011 for free domestic shipping in my Etsy shop until 1/1/12. (Contact me for international shipping and I'll give you a discount.) Feel free to share the code with whoever you like.

(Maybe use the code on one of my new cowls?)

Say Yes to Michigan!

Just made this Michigan-themed Treasury on Etsy.

Craft Show Season

I am currently in the process of getting ready for three craft shows which take place three weekends in a row starting November 26th. And I'm a little panicked, to tell you the truth. I have never done three craft shows in quick succession like this (and one of them is a two-day show.) I do think I'm doing pretty well getting ready, but I imagine I'll be a bit stressed until December 12th, when all of them are over.

The first show is the Flint Handmade Holiday Craft Market which will be on November 26th at the Flint Masonic Temple. The list of vendors has been posted on the Flint Handmade blog just in case you want to start making your shopping list. There is also a Facebook event page with all of the info in case you prefer that.

The second show is Youtique: A Handmade Holiday on December 3rd at the Old Main building on Wayne State's campus. It takes place during Noel night, which is a fabulous event you also might like to attend. Youtique also has a Facebook event page.

And my third and final show for the year is DIYpsi's winter show which will be December 10th and 11th at the Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti.

Nerd Wars

So I've been participating in Nerd Wars on Ravelry. I'm a member of Team Enterprise since I'm a big Next Generation nerd. (How many people have I just alienated, I wonder?) I thought I'd share my projects from the last round--which ended at the end of June.

This is my felted Ferengi Rules of Acquisition wallet. The style is very similar to something I have been working on for my Etsy shop.

The Boldly Go baby hat. I used a pattern (somewhat modified) that I've used several time before for the hat itself and a different pattern for the stars. It was made from seconds of my Intrinsic yarn.

These are my Silly Starfleet Kah-nigits--combining my love of Star Trek with my love of Monty Python. I can't help but giggle a bit whenever I look at them. They were made using the pattern I used for my regular knights a while back.

I charted this lightning bolt myself--after getting my husband to make me a chart that I accidentally faced in the wrong direction. Whoops.

And this is my Borg Kitty. The kitty was made using this pattern and the Borg additions were made up as I crocheted them. I wish the picture had come out better, but black yarn is so difficult to photograph well and I'm not a very good photographer.

More Canning--Strawberries

Last week, I went strawberry picking with my sister-in-law and my nephew. I hadn't been to pick strawberries since I was a kid, but I still managed to pick almost 17 pounds of berries pretty darn quickly. (pretty darn quickly = slightly longer than the amount of time a 5-year-old will happily pick strawberries) So all week I made things with strawberries.

In the above picture:

Spreadable Fieldberries from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving: This did not quite set up properly, but is definitely thicker than syrup.

Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate (also from Ball): I used my juicer to juice the lemons and I think it made the concentrate a bit clumpy (for lack of a better word) but it's still good. (Delicious with sparkling water.)

Strawberry Vanilla Jam from Food in Jars: This is pretty much syrup. I haven't actually opened a jar, but I don't have high hopes for it being very jammy. I also found it to be a little too sweet for my tastes.

This was my first canning of strawberries in any form and my first jam. While I didn't get a good set on either kind of jam, I'm still happy with my first attempt and will definitely try again. Maybe raspberries.

Rhubarb!

We have a new rhubarb plant in our garden this year (a transplant from my parents), but, since we just planted it, my dad didn't think we should pick any this year. This advice was quite upsetting to me since I have about 10 different things I want to can with it. Luckily, our neighbors brought us a giant bundle of rhubarb last week.

While it wasn't enough for all of the things I was hoping to make, it was plenty for this Victorian Barbecue Sauce.

The recipe is in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving if anyone is interested in making it. I highly recommend it. Yum.

Another Treasury by Yours Truly

Apparently I am starting to love making Treasuries. I was looking at my favorites today and noticed how many of them featured words, so I decided to make a Treasury of things with words on (which was my original title until I thought of a better one.) Then I poked around Etsy for far too long finding items to finish it up. I don't think it looks quite as good as my last Treasury, but it was more fun for me to make. (Click the link underneath if you want to look at anything more closely.)

"Words are all we have." - Samuel Beckett

Yarn Name Change

The name of my Superwash Merino Sock yarn is now Intrinsic. I never liked the name of the yarn and only used it because I couldn't think of a better one--one that wasn't just a basic description of the yarn. Now I have. And I have names for several other lines which I will hopefully be getting to very soon. (Another fingering weight one is just about ready. I just want to dye a few more skeins before I announce it.)




In other yarn news, I have several new colorways in the works. Be on the lookout for those very soon. If it cools off a bit (and I finish getting my garden planted), I should have a dye day or two this week, so get ready.

"Country" Living

We have been having trouble getting our entire backyard mowed since it's been super rainy and when it wasn't, we were out of town. (Also we live on two acres and most of that seems to be grass.) So we have this patch that is pretty tall. Yesterday, when Chris was mowing, he noticed something hidden in the grass.



A tiny fawn.

We looked it up and apparently a fawn has almost no scent, so the mother will leave it in a safe place all day in order to not attract predators to it with her scent. And I guess our backyard looked like a safe place. At least until the mowing. Now it seems that the lawn near the driveway appears safer since that's where the fawn is today.

Good Day Sunshine Treasury

Last night, out of nowhere, I decided to make my second ever Treasury on Etsy. (The first was about 4 years ago.) It started with two sunny items in my Etsy favorites and ended with this.

Things I'm Loving Right Now

So I thought I'd start occasionally posting links to things I love. I commonly spend too much time browsing Etsy and other sites and often find things that I'd like to share. Here goes...


I bought this Ministry of Silly Walks mobile from Salty and Sweet for my husband for his birthday earlier this month. He loves it and I am thrilled that I get to keep it in my house.


This stoneware planter by Virginia Wyoming would look gorgeous in my dining room. (I'm kind of a sucker for this color so expect to see more of it in future posts.)


This vintage lamp from Modern Relics is gorgeous. I also want probably about half of the other things in the shop.


I could use this amazing quilted pouch by Hip to Piece Squares for so many things. If I only had enough pouches and other useful items for putting things in, I'm sure I could get organized. Really.


I love this linocut print from The Big Harumph. I know exactly where I would hang it if I bought it too--right between two closets in my guest/craft room.

Dandelion Love

My yard last week--before the evil lawnmower went to work.