Three Day De-Stash

I recently was able to get three days off in a row from work.  I have vacation hours that have to be used up before the end of the year or I lose them.  So I'm using my "vacation" to de-stash my yarn collection and clean up my craft area.  I currently have a long folding table in my bedroom that has boxes and totes of yarn, knitting supplies, mixed in with other craft endeavors like cross-stitch stuff, beading/jewelry supplies, and scrap-booking stuff.  I would like to get rid of the table all together.  It attracts more clutter, things that aren't related to my crafting stuff.  And that has to stop. I also have a five drawer dresser full of projects that needed the ends sewn in and blocked, plus more yarn.  A while back my mom boasted that she bought a plastic storage bin to store all her yarn in, then she came over to see my stash.  She couldn't close her mouth due to shock.  My little sister is way worse off (or better, depending on how you look at it).  My sister took her stash out of storage and laid the yarn end to end and it covered her entire basement floor.  And that was just the red heart brand of yarn!  My home is smaller then both of theirs, at a little less then 1000 sq ft, so my stash has out grown the space.  If you have been following the blog, you'll know that I've starting selling some of my hand dyed yarn creations on Etsy.  Well, my stash is so big that I don't have room to order more blank yarn to dye for the shop.  So my goal is to make room.  This means getting rid of some yarn as well as other craft supplies.  Honestly, it's been kind of hard to make some decisions, but it feels good to see the space coming together. 

Day one I accomplished:

1. Filled the back of my SUV with boxes and garbage bags of stuff to take to Goodwill.

2. Sorted yarn by size and put it in plastic storage totes.

3. Made a WIP space to store (obviously) WIPs.  It's kind of like an "IN" box that one might put on their desk.  I gave my husband permission to put any knitting item he finds around the house in this space.  The idea is that this space will encourage me to finish projects before starting new ones and keep the rest of the house WIP free.

Day Two I Accomplished:

1. Emptied the dresser and sorted that yarn in to the already established bins (I'm totally running out of space in the bins. . the lids won't fit. . . ).

2. Completely cleaned the dresser and the drawers with wood cleaner.

3. swapped the table and dresser so there there is more floor space next to my bed.

4. Sorted/tossed/reorganized all the random "other" craft stuff.  I now have a box of fabric, beads, paint, colored pencils, pastel chalks, and other art supplies that I've collected over the years that I'm going to give away at my next KIP.

*totally ran out of trash bags. . .  Making a trip to Target in the morning*

Day three I Accomplished:

1. Sorted the "not sure" yarn pile and added what I didn't want to the give away box.  The very same box that I'm taking to my next KIP.  Whatever is still in the box by the end of the night. . goes to Goodwill.

2. Went to various places around town, pricing shelving/organizing furniture.  I found what I was looking for at Bed Bath & Beyond. The 9 cube storage unit by Real Simple.  I know that one wont be enough, but it's a start.  There are shelves and drawers that I can add to it.  Plus other units that I can get to match it.  I didn't buy anything yet, I'd like to get rid of the table first.

3. Starting going though other parts of the bedroom, getting rid of stuff.  Sorted and organized my clothing dresser.  Ended up with a bag of clothes to add to the Goodwill pile.  Also discovered that the bottom drawer was full of more knitting projects that need the ends sewn in and blocked. Most of those projects where from when I first started knitting so most of those projects when into the trash.  I know, I know! What a waste! But the projects were things I'd made for myself that I know I'll never use and they were so roughly put together that I know that I'd never give them away as gifts. 

So over all, I don't have enough space yet to order more yarn.  However, I have a plan in place and a goal.  I'm also really enjoying the extra floor space in the bedroom. :)

Addicted to Sock knitting

If you've been following this blog, you'll know about my attempt to knit 12 pairs of socks in 2012. . .  Well I almost made it but didn't complete all 12.  The problem came when I suddenly had no urge to knit on a sock project.  I just go tired of them.  Recently I joined a sock knitting group on Facebook.  The members keep posting all these amazing pictures of finished socks which got me inspired.  So I cast on and with in a few days I had a sock!

The pattern is Sailor's Rib from the book More Sensational Knitted Socks.  

After I cast on for the second sailor's rib sock. . I got start-itus again, and cast on this puppy. . .

This pattern is from the same book, but more on that once I have them done.

Yeah. . check out that yarn. . you've seen it before. . .  This is one of my hand dyed yarns that I talked about in a previous post ;) 

I made it using two different kinds of Kool-aid and I had lots of fun doing it.  Knitting up this sock seems more satisfying then any other sock I've knit up. . probably because it's my own yarn.  Gives me the warm fuzzes!

A Few More Dye Days via Photos

This yarn is for sale in my Etsy Shop!

This yarn is Also for sale in my Etsy Shop!!

This one too!! Check out all the yarns available in my Etsy Shop!!!

Interested in purchasing any of my hand dyed yarns?  Check out what's for sale in my Etsy Shop!!!!

Dye Day

I had two days off in a row. . which doesn't happen often enough.  So I decided I needed to dye some yarn.  I started with a hank of Bare Stroll fingering weight from Knitpicks and a hand full of Kool-aid packets.

The "BEFORE" picture

Two shades of red: Tropical Punch and Black Cherry

Decided it needed some Raspberry Lemonade

All Done!

Now the question is, do I love it so much that I want to keep it and make something with it?  Or do I want to sell it?  Oh decisions decisions. . .
If I keep it, it is the same yarn that I am using to make my Beekeeper's quilt.  So if I use it, any leftovers will be come a puff in the quilt. Hummm. . .   Please share your opinions!

Manhattan Music Festival

So a few weekends ago, I got to spend time knitting at the Manhattan music Festival. . .

That's the Hemlock Ring Blanket.  Love how blue this looks in the evening light of the concert.  I wanted my first attempt at this blanket to be washable which is why I went with Lion brand pound of love.  I chose this project because I really wanted to learn how to knit something "circular" in the round.  Once I get comfy with this I will attempt the shawl I wanted to make this past January, Evenstar Shawl.

Baby blanket factory

Following the footsteps of my little sister, I decided to try to sell hand knit items on Etsy.  My first Etsy projects will be baby blankets!!  So here's what I've been working on; 

This first one is made out of Effervesce by Yarn Bee in Creme de Menthe,  and the pattern is Sweet Pea Baby Blanket.  It was super easy and quick to knit up.  I never got board, which was surprising, because this blanket turned out so long. 

The seconded one is made out of Heartland by Lion brand in Grand Canyon.  The pattern is called Pine Forest Baby Blanket.  I really liked this one, the yarn worked perfect to show the lace pattern.  The neutral color is perfect for a boy or a girl.  So neutral in fact that it can be used as a throw or lap blanket when the baby grows up.

The third blanket is the famous (at least in the knitting world), Hemlock Ring Blanket.  I'm working this one out of Lion Brand pound of love, in white.  I'll talk about this one more in another post, once I have some more pictures. 

Now I'm having a hard time figuring out what to charge for them.  I'd like to get my money back on the yarn that I used as well as the time it took to make the blanket.  But, if I pay myself minimum wage for the hourly rate to knit up the blankets, each one would be REALLY EXPENSIVE.  So I'm worried that no one would buy them.  But I don't want to undercharge myself for the work that I put into them because that makes other fiber artists look expensive when they are not undervaluing their own work.  So I'm dealing with a moral dilemma.  If you have any tips on this or an opinion please share with me. 

Open letter to The Fly Lady

Dear Fly Lady,

     I have considered myself a "fly baby" since 2004. I've never set your routines and zones into place.  To me, making a cleaning routine and sticking to it is perfection and I am a perfectionist who is easily overwhelmed.  So overwhelmed that I give up and decide that it's to hard to do it right, might as well not do it at all.  I know, I need to learn baby steps. . .  But that doesn't mean that I haven't felt the effects of your cleaning missions and email reminders.
     Today is July 21, we are in zone 4: Master bedroom.  Today's mission was simple; get everything out from under your bed and only put back what belongs.  Here's what happened:

1. Sheets needed to be washed anyway, so the bed got stripped and everything is washing now.
2. Only two storage boxes go under my bed, a winter clothes box (mostly my husbands stuff) and a box with gift tags, bows, and wrapping paper.  After moving those, I decided to move the bed away from the wall, knowing that a few things had fallen from the night stands onto the floor.
3. What else did I find: 2 pens, 9 hair clips, 4 hair bands, a pair of winter boots, a pair of slippers, two socks that were not mates, two hair balls (a lovely gift from my cat), and enough cat hair to support a litter of kittens among the dust bunnies.  The carpet is suppose to be a coffee brown, this carpet was gray.
4. Picked up everything, and everything that I was keeping was put in its proper home.  Then a major vacuuming was needed.  

     I have no idea when the last time the floor was cleaned under my bed.  But after this experience I felt a bit confused but happy. . Confused because no one but my husband or I will ever actually LOOK under our bed, so I can't feel embarrassed by that mess if people come over.  Your original task was just to get rid of stuff that doesn't belong, not a deep cleaning.  But, under the bed is where my cat likes to hide/hang out when people he doesn't know come to the house.  It's where he likes to hide when things get scary or when we go out of town over night.  It is where he would develop an upper respiratory infection if it wasn't kept clean.  You just saved me a few hundred dollars in vet bills.  So thank you!

Love,
Sarah the "fly baby"
P.S.  It only took me about 20 minuets to do all of this.

If you are reading this most and are not the Fly Lady and want to know more about who she is, please visit her website http://www.flylady.net/