the set is done.

The custom set I was asked to do is done.
I hope that the little girl I made them for likes them.

I enjoyed working on them.
I also had a nice sale today as well.
Both orders should ship tomorrow am :)
Im a very happy camper right now.. as this gives me an excuse for more yarn.

Gloves are a challenge

they are tricky.
I started them like I would mittens and created finger holes..
then I adjust the sizing as I go.
I work them inside out so they dont seem as messy with seaming as they would other wise.

when I'm done with this I have two hats and a arm brace cover to do plus other pieces for this winter to make..
some day I wish I had more hands.

too many options such little time

I have so many options of things to make as a hooker.

I could make more scarves,

or make some shawls

 OR I could make mittens and fingerless gloves.

Hats as an old stand by

But instead I'm trying to figure out how to tweek a pattern for a very very special order.
a customer has requested I make some gloves with matching scarf and hat for her niece. They are not just any gloves they are for hypoplastic thumbs.    I'm waiting on the measurements and pictures and color so I can proceed.  This little girl will have her very own pair of custom gloves. I know they are tricky BUT I know they are well worth the time and energy.

So IF I don't seem to be posting as much this is why- it can be very tricky to change a hooker pattern but even trickier to adjust for this.

a new piece

I have been working on this a while on and off. Mostly because of time constraints and the yarn was on huge cones.. Litterally huge cones. Each weigh at least 4 lbs each.
The yarn is light weight so I needed to combine it together some how and the two colors worked well. one has blues and purples in it the other is a light lavender tone.
I love how it turned out.
Its light and has a little weight to it.

Now to figure out what to do with the rest of the yarn.

I was a little busy today.. I finished a hat, Put the finishing touch on another and double checked to make sure another was felted lightly enough for what I wanted.
the results are
a purple beret a wool hat both for a friend.. and a special order for another friend..

The purple beret and the felted hat... yes already spoken for.

The wool pumpkin hat for my friends pumpkin.
I hat to figure out how to make a thick stem, I ended up stuffing it.
I think they turned out cute.:)

blueberries on my mind. or your head

I finished the blue berry hat. It turned out so cute!
Im working on a peach one. But I know I need to work on the shawl I started.
I love the idea of the fruit hats. I know I need to get a few pumpkin hats done for October.
Im trying to figure out a way to get a lemon hat done..getting the shaping right will be hard but I think it can be  done.
It will just take some patience.
I used my kiddos head for a fitting. and I think it turned out awesome.
She wants a few hats for herself so for the Holidays maybe..
so here is my modle

Miss lady showing her annoyance that the door is open and there is a screen in her way. 

 Oreo waiting for my yarn to jump from my bag or basket.. patiently.

Now using driect check out

So I'm really happy.
you no longer just have to use pay pal, or send a money order thought he mail with etsy..
they now have direct check out.
this is good for most people.
I'm hoping it increases my traffic a bit this winter.
I know some folks dont like using paypal.

I like it because I don't have to wait too long to get money into my bank account.. but the down side? fees are higher overall from etsy.
not only is there a transaction fee bu a fee on the Direct check out. both are higher then those of using pay pal and etsy transaction fee combined. 
but its the cost of doing business there.

I think that adding another form of payment is good it gives another option.

so yes now I'm using direct check out. :)

Its in testing again...

The cupcake hat I had made earlier this year.
Its now again in pattern testing. I had to fix a few things. now one of my friends who also crochets is going to test it and tell me if I made anymore mistakes.
Yes I do make mistakes. More then once I had to frog ( or pull apart) a half a jacket because I didn't get the gauge right. That was a pain BUT the jacket is done and hangs in my closet.
I have also had to redo pieces because I used the wrong sized hook half way through.
Serves as a reminder to me not to crochet really tired.

there are times I wonder why I dont write out my patterns then I start and remember that its a total pain in the tush.. I have to test and retest  and make sure its just so if it is not a super simple pattern.
this one is not.

OH my awesome sister gave me Yarn for my birthday. Not just any warn , hand spun from yarn producers on Orcas Island. she also told me I'm to make something for ME not for anyone else with it. She knows me well.

 anyway that is what is happening now..

Fruit hats

So I made my niece a cute hat out of a tangerine yarn I had.. and thought I should add a stem and leaf and viola a tangerine hat.. Then I thought wouldn't it be fun to make one into a apple or a peach Oh how bout blueberries?
and my brain wouldn't stop.
So I made a granny smith hat- its now listed in my shop. 
both made from scrap yarn. which makes me happy that I use up my stash a little.. then I have a excuse later to get more yarn. 
and my daughter liked it so much I was asked to make a peach for a friends birthday gift..
 I didn't get pics but it was adorable.

 My nieces tangerine hat above..
the granny smith hat below ...

next in line a blueberry!

oh yes " a yarn" is many things.. young child many things..

I was putting my big girl to bed..
and she said mom tell me a story.
I said you mean a yarn ?
she said  "mom your mind is always on yarn. "
"A yarn is another way of saying tale. "

I find it funny not only do writers and story tellers spin tales.. but fiber artists spin yarns.. jkust like the writers of the world.
Each yarn if hand made I'm sure has a tale. I know when I do pick up my drop spindle it does.
how I picked out the fiber to spin.. where I chose and when I chose to spin..

When I crochet all my pieces have a little piece of my day in it.. Be it a way to calm down from the business of being a working mom and wife or being able to let frustration out in hooking.. or being able to just let my hands create.
IF I make a custom piece I'm in work mode and it goes fast.
IF Im in gift mode a lOT of thought goes into the piece.

IF I'm in design mode I try to write it out as I go.. I may even succeed at getting it written and edited..
 but each piece has a story behind it Each thing is a yarn in and of it's self.

Hey cat stay out of my...

yarn bag, basket and stash.. and keep your sister out too.
Yes I'm talking about my two lovely fat playful cats.
There are times when I find my cats find my Yarn much more entertaining then well anything else;
especially when it is moving from bag to piece in progress.

Oreo seems to be the one who prefers a direct approach and then there is lady.. she likes a sneak attack.
mom gave me 3 giant cones of yarn each well over 2 lbs.. they where wrapped in a large plastic bag.. Lady would try and pull down the side of the bag very gently trying to to make too much noise.. failing badly as I woke to crinkle crinkle crinkle more then once.. I finally took the yarn of of the bag and put in near my stash til I can figure out what the heck to do with it.

This is when they are not trying to annoy and ambush each other.. in a playful fat cat way.
Sorry lady you had to have a bell  added on to your collar; you had a unfair advantage cuz Oreo had one and you didn't. had to level the field a little.

Just a warning to my cats... stay out of the bags and no one gets squirted with the spray water bottle.

and I finished a few pieces in the last few days.. just need to get pics..

new pieces please help a chick out

ok so I know in spring people are not looking for new warmer things but shawls are good year round :)
see what I made ?
pretty huh?
I need sales.. so IF you wanna help a chicky out check out my shop and help me out a little.
I try not to ask I figure if Im pushy it wont help. but I need sales..
so hey isn't it purdy?
linky to my shop to the uh that directions on the side of the screen.

ok so its been a while...

Yes I know. and life is crazy.
here is the latest .. ready.. not much..
I did a piece for my little sister. a hat and cowl set in country blue.
so instead of a piece of my piece here are my two cats.... they finally can be in the same room...
but notice the cone of shame? yes one was bitten by the other on the butt.  its almost healed now.. and alpha kitty is the smaller of the two cats apparently.

apparently my pattern needs work

this I know its why I have it tested.. by people who can read patterns.
I had one tester remind me of fixing spelling and instructions on how to decrease a stitch.. it is different then skipping a stitch.. when you skip it leaves a hole.
My other kind pattern tester ( friend) said " your pattern is whack."
so I guess it needs more work... now I'm glad for the feed back. now on to fix it where it needs fixed.

pattern is in the testing stage

I now have another but more difficult patter written and now typed  out.
Its going to be tested and tweaked before I put it out for everyone to buy on ravelry OR on my etsy page.
but here is the hat it will be for.
the hats will also be for sale in my shop. :)

Time to feature sellers on etsy

- I haven't in a while but its time to do so again..
So here is todays lucky person..
http://www.etsy.com/shop/KatKeRosCorner?ref=top_trail
I found this book mark and thought it was really neat. :)
http://www.etsy.com/listing/61168136/red-wire-bookmark

so congrats for being featured on my little blog.

pattern writing is harder then people realize!

Ok so I have written patterns. I improvise most of the things I make so they can be hard to reproduce.. but they are never alike.
Tonight I'm working on writing a pattern.. so this way when I need to make something I can look it up.
well it's been a while since I have written one as I go. Of course its taking longer then I remember the hat to take. AND its always harder when you are not a lone.
but thats ok. The upside to crochet is that its easy to take out and redo. my notes are messy but thats why I have a friend or two test it.. and make sure it works after I type it out.

The other thing that I ask my self ( other then where is my damned hook?!) is what is that letter again?
I don't have the neatest handwriting..

the cupcake hat

The cupcake hat in toddler size.
The hat is inspired by a piece of amigurumi I made a few years back.
I came across it and thought it would make a great toddler hat.
So I made a toddler sized hat and embellished it a little on top.
I think the results are adorable :D
here is flat laying on a table;

and standing up like on a kids head.. 

baby leg warmers DONE

Here are the leg warmers I made for my friend
I think they turned out adorable!

on the topic of yarn snobbery...

I dont get it.. ok I do but in a over all sense why?
Many people in the yarn word have the wrong idea about crochet that we mainly use acrylic which is wrong. Many ( my self included) use natrual wool fibers in hooking. I have even used corn fiber. which was like using Jerzy T shrt material.. kinda neat though..
point is There is nothing wrong with GOOD acrylic. And I say good because not all are created equally.
Some are so scratchy they take the paint OFF my hooks so I reserve my old not addi hooks for this type of yarn. ( usually which is gifted) I can usually "kill it" so it softens or wash it and dry it in the dryer a few times to help it soften BUT not all will soften.
Good acrylic will soften OR comes soft.. baby yarn usually falls here and so does other major brands ( bernat redheart soft paytons and lionbrand ) make softer acrylics.
WHY use acrylics? well many people ( like my brother in law) are allergic to wool or certain animal fibers-
this provides him a alternitve to the animal fibers- ( no I'm not talking about the laonlin in wool the actual fiber in wool )
Yes its not as warm as wool OR alpaca but if you cant wear it it is not a option because it is its warmer then cotton.

Point is yarn snobbery can loose you out on a whole world of wonderful color and yarn.. I personally perfer to work with the natural fibers BUT I loose sales when I dont carry acrylic and some times blends can offer a good taste of both worlds.

I may be a hook snob.. as in I prefer certain hooks to work with and styles...  But I still have a place for all my hooks and I will have a place for acrylic..
and its not because Im a hooker.. its because Im a streight out yarn junkie.. Im not a yarn snob.. ;)

a mommy and me hat set...
the smaller is for a baby.
I think they turned out nice:)
will be listed soon.
I may have to get new pics but hey they are done.

The picture is one reason I love to crochet-

Yarm will keep my hands warm IF they move fast enough and IF Im making mittens.. my head warm if Im making a hat..
and
Snow is fun to play in...

the loop scarf with a twist... made with a fine weight yarn.. merino wool very very soft.. will be listed in my shop soon.
I hope..

three new pieces

three new pieces I will get new pics for - a grey beanie hat, a child's hat with matching baby doll hat.
and a teal loop scarf with a twist.

the robot

Isnt she pretty?
She was fun to work on.
I may make a few more this year.

first project of the year... a robot..

I have a commissioned piece its a robot.
its a fun project. :)
and its going faster then I thought it would.

Its hard going from writing a pattern to following one though.