Lil Pink Sock

Any fans of Patrick McDonnell's cartoon "Mutts"?

Then you must remember the cat playing with his 'lil pink sock'?

Well I made a pair of them for a co-worker who's expecting her first baby in 3 weeks:

The stitches are tiny but the sock still knits up pretty fast! With only 30 rows for the leg and 8 rows for the foot. I made these out of an elastic cotton, I figured they would wash up really well, and stay on really well (since some babies can really fling those feet around) and she should be able to wear the for quite a while.

Unfortunately I had to make three socks because it wasn't until I was finished my second one that I found I had looped the yarn (by skipping a needle)

If it was for me, I would have left it but since the mom may want to roll down the sock it would then be visible, plus I didn't want her finger or the baby's toes getting caught on it. So I had to rip it all out and start the sock again.

Little Snowman Hat

One of my customers just sent me the finished portrait of her sweet baby with my snowman tophat - it turned out very good don't you think?

I'm thrilled to pieces to be able to see one of my items "out there" in the world - just wait, my friends, one day I'll have something in a TV show or movie!!!

My new favourite baby hat

I made this little brown hat a while back, and have spent weeks trying to figure out how to adorn it, then I came across this cute little lion applique and felt I found the perfect piece!

The applique was to be ironed on the fabric but I wasn't sure how well it would stick to the acrylic yarn, especially when acrylic doesn't like to be ironed (it actually loses all it's elasticity and becomes "dead"which isn't always desirable). But while search around a sewing box, I found a spool of invisible thread and so I've sewn on the applique as well. And the thread really is invisible!

Some finished projects

The weather's been a bit iffy these days and so in between some light gardening, I've been doing some knitting. I couldn't resist these owl wristers which are actually not as complicated as they might look.

I think I might just keep them for myself. 

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And then I made these little baby pants: 

They are cuter than I thought they would be. Little pants! I might have to make some more of them. I think some striped ones will be really cute. Maybe I'll make some to match some booties or hats that I already have. I like the idea of a set so currently I'm working on a matching hat - I think that will look adorable.

I should be in the garden weeding but it's kinda cool and gray out there, so it's easier to stay in side. I'm home alone today and that also makes it easier to sit in bed with a hot cup of coffee and my laptop and just play on the computer. Laundry and housekeeping was done yesterday so I don't feel too guilty. In a little while I'll have to play with Eco, and then I'll probably bake some cookies. That's not a bad way to spend a Sunday is it?

 I hope you're having a good Sunday too.

Lovely Baby Portrait

My little blue baby baseball hat was used in a portrait recently, isn't this lovely?

I love the complimentary yellows with the blue. 

A Little Peep?

Remember yesterday's wrist warmers that couldn't be made?

Well here's what it's become: 

A little chickie baby hat! 

There. Now I feel better. At least something was made from it! 

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And I've also finished this ruffle cuffs: 

Except for some reason I can not photograph greens with this camera - they always come out so far from reality. I don't know what to change. I shot this outside in natural light but the colour is so wrong. This is the correct colour:

Well back to the studio, for more yarn to fly off my hooks or needles! 

(these items and more are available for sale in my shop

 - see column to the right for the link) 

Hey look - I do have something to show you

I do have something to share after all - first up a pair of black lace wristers. 

You'd be surprised that even with big holes in them,
these actually do feel warm on your arms.

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And also finished, this cute little black and white
baby hat with crimson rose: 

There. Now I feel a bit better. 

Looking for a wee leprechaun

With less than a month until St Patrick's day, I thought I'd get this little hat made up

It would also look cute on a pets, I just couldn't get Eco to keep it on her head besides, as you've seen, she's a terrible photography model - she gets all squinty!

EDITED FEBRUARY 27TH - Good news! This hat has been sold and it's already begun it's journey to Florida! I hope I get to see pictures of it in use.

Tipping My Top Hat

Just finished these crocheted top hats for my shop - they can fit babies, toddlers, kids - even adults and pets!

Little Brown Bear

Gee I'm just all over the place, I've gone from the sea to the forest - here's today's completed project - a little brown boucle pom-pom hat that looks like a little bear cub

Must be all that cold sunny weather we're having, it brought the little bear out of hibernation!

Looking for a Little Mermaid

I just finished this little mermaid set which includes the tail, shell bra and starfish headband - now I just need a little mermaid to bring it to life!

The whole set

Closer view of the tail

Fin Detail

You need to see it in person because I think the yarn is absolutely perfect - it's a smooth strand, not really twisted, giving it a soft underwater effect and the blue/green transition is lovely. I just need to get some photographers to see it. And so making the items is only 1/2 of the work, the other half is the marketing and emailing it to potential buyers and getting exposure. And it really is about 1/2 the job.

Oh and if you're interested in making one for yourself, pattern credit goes to: www.BizeeB.etsy.com

Valentine Kitty Hat + Ground Hog Day!

I just finished this cute Valentine Kitty hat which fits kids with heads from 19-22 inches:

I did not write this pattern, it came from Knot Your Nanas Crochet, but I think it turned out pretty good. My favourite part of the pattern with the curly-cues on the ear flaps - although Jp wanted to know if the hat was for Hasidic children

Since I now have two styrofoam heads - one adult and one baby, I fashioned a hook out of a coat hanger so I could suspend them by the hole in the bottom and hang them as they were so light they would often topple from where I tried to keep them and I didn't want them to get damaged. You can see that the adult head has a nice bang to her nose (although I kinda chuckle because it's the same place I have a scar on my nose from a fall about 4 years ago). As I hung the head up I realized, I just made the  Owl and the Pussy Cat. Too bad I didn't colour co-ordinate them.

And in other news, EtsyBaby is having a Valentine's promotion - a free shipping event - and I am one of 14 vendors on the list. Fingers crossed it brings some traffic  - and SALES - to my shop.

Today it's finally sunny, so I think I'll be outside re-shooting some of my hat pictures with my new baby head. Thank you sun - it's always nice when you come to visit.

And Happy Groundhog Day -6 more weeks of crafting my friends, so if you feel like crafting - here's two groundhog projects - phone case  and this cute stuffy

Valentine's is just around the corner and I'm still pushing to get as many themed items into my little shop. I was playing around with a hook and some yarn last night and came up with this little hat - this would look so sweet on the head of a wee baby: 

And, I might just write up this pattern to share - that depends on how motivated I get. I'm kinda proud of it, because it's all mine and I think it's adorable. 

Bootie Call

I decided to switch things up a bit and have been making baby shoes/booties instead of hats. Here's a sneak peek of what I've been working on:

They range in size from newborn to 1 year old. Some need to be finished and some need embellishments and all need better photos, but you get the idea. And after making several of these I think I might soon be able to win the title of Bootie Queen, no? LOL!

And because it's Friday and I haven't posted a picture of Eco in a while, here she is playing with her Christmas snowman toy

Dogs sure know how to express their delight! 

Done!

7:30 Sunday night and I am finished all the gifts I wanted to make that needed to be mailed. Now anything I start making is either for someone locally, something for my shop or something for me.

And speaking of my shop - two good things happened to me last week. One, a friend of mine with 5500 friends promo'd me on her facebook page. That's nice exposure. I am very grateful. And second, I received an invitation to join EtsyBABY which is an exclusive group that promotes shops specializing in baby items. Being part of EtsyBaby gives me more exposure to my shop and they profile items and promote their members, as well, it's not so easy to get in so getting an invitation is a good thing. I am very grateful and very excited. As soon as I wrap and mail my out-of-town gifts tomorrow, I will start working on my MustHaveThat Etsy store (see right side bar for the link) and figure out a game plan. I have some very good advice to follow from my Number 1 fan - my brother and from Leonie Dawson who offers several how-to business course and planners etc  - so  definitely have my work cut out for me.

 I am very pleased to have completely my hand-made Christmas gifts "on schedule" and look forward to some 'free' time. I say free in quotes, because it's really stuff that I should put first but always struggle with as I always let the minutia of daily life get in the way. If ever I had a resolution that would be it. To make time for creative time NO MATTER WHAT. Which is kinda what I did to finish this last project, I neglected some housework and cut back on the baking/cooking as I had to get that last gift done.

I have also finished shopping  - unless I have forgotten someone - so I am feeling positive about the next 2 weeks.

How about you? Do you celebrate Christmas? 

Are you on schedule for gifts and preparations? 

Little Blue Brimmed Hat

Just finished this cute little cap, perfect for a baby boy in the fall - love the colours, I might just have to make one for myself:

Too bad I don't have a little baby to put this on, I know it would be soooooo cute! 

Hopefully someone will buy it and 

then send a photo of their little one

to me. 

A warm Thanksgiving

We had the most amazing Thanksgiving weekend weather - I can't remember when it was so sunny and so warm and so many of us were so happy - 25 degrees in October for us is practically unheard of. Loved it! But sadly, it's the end of "Augtober" as they called in on the TV News and back to our regularly scheduled programing - going between 5 and 12 degrees. And yesterday it was a foggy day which barely cleared in the afternoon, just enough to see the sun before it set around 6:30. Time to pull out our warm socks and winter bed covers!

And it's getting close to that really fun time if year - Halloween. I love to decorate the yard  - but not too early! Maybe next weekend, two weeks early will be fine. I don't like all the gory decorations - no monsters in cages but I do have skulls and spiders and that kind of stuff. And to also get in the mood, I made two little baby beanies for the season:

I was getting frustrated with embroidering the spider web on the hat as it just wasn't turning out the way I wanted it to, so I decided to pull out my old needlefelting box and felted it right on the hat. The wispiness of the wool roving adds dimension to the spider web. The needle felting also made it easier to get a better face on the ghostie. I might just have to conjure up a hat for myself!

Have you seen my monkey?

Just finished two hats for the shop - green and grey sock money hats - I think they turned out well, do you like them?

One for newborns

(smaller size with sewn on yarn eyes) 

and one for babies 

(sewn bigger with sewn on button  eyes) 

It's a Bust

Remember when I was rushing to put together my collection for a photographer to pick out her fall photo props? (See this  post) I brought over 17 items and even had a baby to put them on and do a little modelling and there were about 5-7 items that she oohed and aahed  over and I thought things were good. Then she asked if I could leave them with her because her photographer friend was coming over the next day. "Mmm, okay" I said reluctantly thinking I could possibly get more sales. 

Nope. Didn't happen. When I  stopped by on Sunday to pick them up, she handed the bag back to me and only bought the pumpkin hat. It seems her friend must have talked her out of the other ones she liked.

So much for "raining & pouring"

Some Finished Projects

I switched it up a bit and made some baby headbands for the shop:

This one is my absolute favorite! Skunk or Kitty Ears. Do you know any newborns who would like an easy Halloween costume?

These don't have to be just for photography props, they can be worn anytime! Why not? 

Babies have personalities too, no? 

 I wonder if I can get them to stay on Eco's head? Would it be wrong for dogs to wear headbands?