Selling my patterns

I'm so excited! I opened up my own store on Ravelry!!! :D Okay, it isn't that exciting. ;) All I have there right now is my Shifty Dishcloth pattern, but I'm excited because I figured out how to do it. This is a big deal because it's a shift in the right direction (I hope).

My son will be going to school in the Fall and I've got to start making money. For the last 6 years, I've been home with the kids, but with our son going to school, hubby would like me to work and make a little extra cash, even if it is just for me. I don't really want to go to work outside the home as I don't think I'll be able to find a job that will fit around the kids' schedule. Daycare is just too expensive so when the kids are done for the day, I need to be done too.

The ideal situation would be to figure out a way to work from home. So, I'm going to try selling some of my patterns on Ravelry. Also thinking about starting a Facebook page to sell knit items as well. If I could work it out that way, I would be able to do things around the kids' schedule as well as take care of our home and the cooking as I have been doing.

These are exciting times!

Christmas presents - to make or not to make

Lots of crafters seem to debate whether to make Christmas gifts or not. I'm never sure either. lol For most of my friends, I tend to give them a tin of goodies I make each year. It's a lovely little something that doesn't cost too much but let's them know they are important to me. Last year, I added in little Angels I knitted for a few people. I found the pattern a little too late to make as many as I would have liked.

Now this year, I wasn't sure what to do again. I've decided to make a few toys for the kids in my life (my own and their cousins). But do I make anything else? I still don't know. I think it will end up on how much time I've got between now and then. I have some Christmas Hot Pads that I've designed that I want to try out and have a few friends who will test knit them for me as well.

As I'm getting into this knitting adventure, I've realized that I should be planning these things farther ahead. So far I've been just designing and knitting as things come up. But I need to get better at this so that I'm working ahead and have things ready intime for what comes up.

How about you? Are you crafting presents? Are you done yet? Do you think you've made your list too long?

Click-i-ty, click....

Sorry fellow crafters! I've got major click-i-ty, clicking going on but it hasn't been on the computer. It's been on my needles. This is good, of course, because that means my WIPs are getting to be less. But it's bad because I haven't been writing to you. :(

This is such a busy time of year around here. Holidays, birthdays, and preparations for both, along with sickness keeps my time filled. I definitely look forward to January when things slow down and it's just normal routine again. So please forgive my absence from the Web. I do think of you often and hope to figure out how to get here more often.

Here are my two cuties from Halloween night. 

The biker costume cost me $1.00 for the doorag, the rest of the items I had around the house already. The black cat was also another cheap costume. I had to buy the headband and belt to which I attacked ears and tail that I designed and knitted up. Facepaint sticks for the goatee and whiskers cost $2.00. In reality, priceless! The kids loved their costumes and so did the ones handing out the candy because my darlings came home loaded with treats.

More knitting fun to come soon. Some FOs need to be blocked and pics taken. ;)
 

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving

Wow! October already. Here we are at Thanksgiving in Canada. Thought I would share with you what I'm thankful for. :)

NeoKnitter is thankful for:

• my husband who continues to learn and grow and change for the better as we share our lives together
• my kids who continue to surprise me every day and are a real joy in my life
• friends and family who are a positive influence on me and support me in so many ways
• yarn and needles that help me relax and enjoy some quiet times
• for each of you who stops in here to read what I have to say and share in the projects I'm making as well as my life

I'm sure there is more that I'm thankful for but this is good for now. :) Hope all of you have as many and more blessings as I. Happy Thanksgiving!

Frustrated!!!

I am frustrated!!! :( I've been working away on the first sleeve of my sweater. I tried it on and I think it's too tight. Not sure what I'm going to do.... I think it's going to mean ripping it back some and adjusting where the decreases are. Oi! The work..... :P So I'm going to work on my shawl instead. Hopefully I'll feel like it this weekend. Wish me luck!

WIP it. WIP it good!

That's what I'm trying to do. I've got a load of WIPs that I would like to have off the needles before Nerd Wars starts again next month. There's also Christmas presents to start thinking of so the less WIPs the better.

I've got:

some Steeler-inspired fingerless mitts

my sweater

a shawl (sorry, no pic. seriously need to take one....)

and a pair of socks for Tookie

Here's hoping I get them done before the end of September....

Stuff for a baby

I made a couple of things for a baby that's coming in October. A few of us are mailing a surprise down to the mom-to-be. :) Hope she will like the surprise.

Here's my contribution....