#FiberFavorites Contest Top 10 Nomination

Just before I left Toronto to head back home, I got a Facebook notification that I Love Yarn Day commented on my photo.

Eek! I've been nominated!

I've never even entered a contest before this one, and the lovely individuals over at I Love Yarn Day nominated my boot cuffs as one of the top ten projects submitted in this contest. It's up to everyone else to like the photos to vote for the winner.

It would mean the world to me if you vote for my cute little boot cuffs!

The top ten nominations already win a membership to Creativebug, a site in the same vein as Craftsy, and a copy of Crochet with One Sheepish Girl. Okay, I am head over heels because I LOVE One Sheepish Girl. She's probably the biggest reason I decided I wanted to make a crochet blog, because I loved the way her photos brought everything to life.

I digress.

The photo with the most likes also wins the grand prize: A Lion Brand bag filled with twenty (20!) balls of yarn. My fellow yarn lovers, you understand why I need your help winning this contest. Please, vote for my boot cuffs - think of the glorious yarn!

I can only imagine how much fun I would have crafting new items for my shop and to share yarn reviews on my blog. Thank you guys so much for your support. I'll leave a button at the top of my sidebar so you can continue to find the link to my contest photo until the contest ends, which is on Friday, October 24th.

Xoxo,
Kate

A Second Year of Projects: Update 2

Ravelry Group

Apologies in advance for the lighting in some of these pictures. I wanted to finish my Year of Projects update in the evening, so bright and early Monday morning I can focus on getting final photos and posting new items into my Etsy shop.

Ribbed Kitchen Cloth

This is the first item I started this week and the first thing I finished. It's a modified version of a pattern from the Craftsy class Amazing Crochet Textures. It measures approximately 11.75 by 9.25". 

The goal is to make a small afghan out of squares by the end of this free mini-course, but I decided I wanted to break up the "squares" and turn them into something I could put in my Etsy shop.  I'll do a more in-depth review of this in a post about the entire Craftsy course.

Bailey Boot Cuffs

This is another free pattern which I got from Crochet Dreamz, but lacking in cute statement buttons I decided to forgo the button and decorative strap altogether.

They are super cute and I am looking forward to making these in multiple colors! I loved them so much I decided I'll be posting this item as "made to order" instead of made to ship, because I'm keeping the original pair.

The only down side is that I have a tendency to walk with my calves rubbing together, which stresses the wool yarn. I may have to switch to acrylic yarn, but then they will be machine washable and more user-friendly anyhow.

Coffee Cozies

These two coffee cozies are just a simple pattern I whipped up in the moment.

I made a chain based on the height I wanted the cozy to be, did a row of single crochets, and then repeatedly did rows of single crochets in back loops only until it was tall enough to wrap around a commercial coffee cup. I slip stitched the short sides together and did a round of single crochet on the top and bottom to prevent it from stretching too much.

YoP List Updates

Most recent changes are highlighted

Accessories 1/6
Fingerless Gloves 0/1
Miomi Slouch Hat 0/1
Silk & Lace Purse 0/1
Mittens (Pattern One, Pattern Two) 0.5/2
Bailey Boot Cuffs 1/1

Home Decor 3/6
Mustache Mug Cozy 0/1
Reusable Coffee Cozy 2/2
Set of Placemats 0/1
Wine Bottle Wrap 0/1
Kitchen Cloth 1/1

Stats
Objects Started: 4
Objects Finished: 3
Objects on Original List: 14
Objects on Current List: 17

Ballet Crochet Round Up

Last week I attended my first official ballet lesson and tonight will be my second. As a little girl, my best friend used to teach me little details from her ballet lessons, and I've always loved the elegance of this particular style of dance. So in honor of all of the inspirational ballerinas and the eight year old best friends, the crochet round up for this week is ballet themed.

Ballet Slippers

Yagmurshop on Etsy

You may find these slippers to be a little slippery for dancing, but they look beautiful regardless of your experience in ballet.

Baby Ballet Slippers

LilKahunaCrochet on Etsy

These mini-ballet slippers are too adorable! The soft pink is perfect to use as a prop for a gender reveal, whether in person or by photo announcement.

Bun Cover

Beanbugcreations on Etsy

Okay, I admit it, I have an insatiable love of ribbons. Paired with a pristine white yarn, this bun cover speaks for itself. Do adult ballerinas wear bun covers? If so, I'm recommending these for my ballet class's recital costume.

Pattern: Practice Socks

CozyThingsPatterns on Etsy

These socks are perfect for dance practice to keep your feet warm while still allowing feet to grip the floor. This pattern is simple enough for anyone with basic crochet knowledge, and you get an excuse to show off both your new dance and crocheting skills.

Pattern: Luxury Leg Warmers

Monpetitviolon on Etsy

These fashion friendly leg warmers are calling out for all off-duty and would-be ballerinas to keep warm during the winter months. Boots may keep legs warm outside but once they come off at a friend's house, these leg warmers are the only thing fighting against that economical heating bill.

Custom Order: Ballerina Doll

JensNeedleKnows on Etsy

Last but far from least is this cute ballerina doll with customizable colors. I adore her outfit but I'd love to change her hair colour to match the friend or little girl receiving this sweetheart as a gift.

WIP Up The Week: June 10

Hey guys! As another weekend comes to a close, I'd like to introduce my weekly Monday series, WIP Up The Week. I'll share my WIPs, short for Works In Progress, both in the effort to keep this entity transparent and to keep myself inspired to always improve what is (or will be) in my Etsy shop. Here's what I started this week.

Roll-Up Star Hook Case

In all fairness, the crocheting is done for this piece. I'm going to pick up pins and possibly a spray bottle tomorrow to block it before I attach the chain tie. The first couple rows are a little uneven before I noticed the pattern was wrong. It's for personal use only.

Ruffle Scarf

I did this up quick in February but I think I need go back and add more ruffles, and I'm going to untie the ends and sew them properly shut so the scarf looks nice from all angles!

First Socks

I started these socks in early February-ish, but classes got hectic so I dropped crocheting for a while. Now it's time to finish them! These will be for personal use only, since they'll likely be less-than-perfect.

50s Inspired Evening Cape

This has been in the works since January when I first knew I wanted to open an Etsy shop. I finally drew up the designs and started making it along with a pattern that will be released some time after the product is for sale. I'll also be looking for pattern testers in the near future to help catch any mistakes or unclear writing. Since this is a yarn-intensive pattern, I will gladly give you the finalized copy of the pattern as well as a discount off anything in my shop.

Plarn Patio Rug

Spoiler! I'm going to make a rug for the back patio of our new town house out of plarn. I give you one guess what my next post is about.


To-Do Before Etsy Grand Opening

• Complete my Ravelry yarn stash
• Find Pattern Testers for 50s Cape
• Make Discount Code for Testers
• Basic Stitches Youtube tutorials (Ch, Sc, Dc, Tr)
• Make Fingerless Gloves
• Probably a bunch of other stuff I'm forgetting because it's almost three in the morning
• Pick an offiial Grand Opening Date
• Choose items to reveal as the countdown to the Grand Opening
• Announce Etsy Grand Opening Countdown Event on personal social media accounts
• GRAND OPENING SALE - ALL ITEMS x% OFF FIRST WEEK (C'mon, that'd be a spoiler.)

I can't believe how much there is to do before I can so much as make a formal announcement! My other half is the only soul who knows what I'm planning, and even he doesn't know how all-out I'm going by setting up the social media, complete with a couple posts each, etc. It is going to be so worth it! I just hope I don't lose too much time with the impending move to another city.