Designing a Baby Blanket

So two of my favorite people have decided to have a baby and I want to make a special baby blanket for them.  The girl loves owls, so I decided to make them a cute owl blanket, similar to the elephant blanket I made for another friend.

I love designing crochet patterns, especially pieces with pictures in them.  If you have never designed a pattern before, it can seem daunting.  I'll post my design process as I work through it, so you can see the steps involved.

Step 1:  Decide on an image - I do a google image search and save multiple images that I like, to give myself as many options as possible.  I normally search "drawing + whatever I'm looking for" because it's easier for me to work from a simplified image instead of an actual picture of an elephant. 

Step 2:  Sketch out a few of your chosen images.  See how simple you can get the lines.  If it is your first project, it's best to keep your image one solid color.  Then all you have to worry about are the color transitions between the background and your image.  I've done a couple, so I wanted to up the challenge with this one.  I'll be using a minimum of three colors and I'm still deciding if I want to crochet the eyes separately or work them with the rest of the piece.

Step 3:  Select which image you are going to use (I always ask a friend for a second opinion.)  Get some grid paper, at least 1/2 the size that you want your finished piece to be, and draw your image out. 

Step 4:  Make a swatch with your intended yarn, at least 4x4.  I normally do these projects in half double crochet - I'm too impatient to do single crochet stitches.  Figure out what your gauge for stitches and rows are (Count the number of stitches in a 4" section across - divide by 4 to get your stitch per inch value.  Count the number of rows in a 4" section across - divide by 4 to get your row per inch value.) 

Stay tuned for my next blog post - I'll explain how to calculate your overall size, image size, and how many stitches each block on your graph represents.  I need to buy my yarn first, though! 

Recap of Austin's Renegade Craft Faire

Noah and I went to the Renegade Craft Fair yesterday.  If you are interested in going, stop reading and go right now!  It runs through 7 pm today at the Palmer Event Center, and best of all, it's free!

I've wanted to go for a couple years now but I always end up working that weekend.  I was so excited to go this time.  I also wanted to see some of the fabulous vendors I met at the Mini Maker Faire last weekend.  The lovely Manue of PrettyKiku was there selling her beautiful jewelry.

And I ran into Casey Janowski of FartsyArts checking out the vendors and shopping.  There were about 200 vendors there selling a wide range of art and crafts.  It was a bit overwhelming at times and there were so many people there!  I wanted to buy everything I saw, but I restrained myself.  I did get a couple things, though.  I bought an awesome print from Drew Morrison.

He had a lot of amazing and quirky pieces but this one was my favorite.  Noah bought me this sweet bag from This Creative Life.  My bag is actually a canvas tote bag, but I was too lazy to take a photo of it.  Isn't it awesome?









Here's some photos of other vendors I really liked. 

3bearsstudio.etsy.com - Sassy and cute paintings

Cloth-ink.com - Modern designed lampshades and more

crapappledesigns.com - vintage notebooks

SewnStationery.com - custom cards and stationery

Amandambarr.com - printed ceramics

HelloLBF.com - Lets Be Friends Hipster Bears

Hipster Bears - Love the PBR Cans

Austin Mini Maker Faire Recap!

All in all, the Mini Maker Faire went really well!  Despite a serious lack of sleep, and a lack of sales, I still had a great time.  A met a number of great people, especially other vendors, I talked the Hobby Local program up, and I received numerous compliments on my products (If only all those compliments were followed by an, "I'd love to buy that," Saturday would have been exceptional.)

The Austin Mini Maker Faire actually started on Friday for me.  I worked an early shift at my job so I could be done by 3:30.  I ran home, took a quick nap, and then got to work getting my supplies and set up together.  I had already seen what my space looked like on Sunday and was lucky enough to get my table set in front of an open, floor to ceiling, bookshelf.  I knew I could do something really awesome with that space, but I was extremely short on time.  Noah had a brilliant idea on Thursday about the bookshelf.

   
Fill the shelves with yarn!  Noah had to work Friday night, so I packed my car and went to set up by myself Friday night.  For future reference - it's really really hard to fill open (no back) shelves with yarn by yourself.  I dropped many a ball on the floor and was sure it wasn't going to survive until morning.  The yarn goddesses were on my side though.  My yarn shelves were fully intact on Saturday!

The lovely TS512 sign pictured was one of the reasons I only slept five hours Friday night.  There were many last minute things to do, but I finished pretty much everything and still managed to sleep a bit.  Poor Noah slept even less than me, as he had just got home as I was going to bed. He was a real trooper on Saturday!

Saturday started early with set up at 8 am.  The lovely ladies of Book-Inz let me borrow a couple of their tables and table risers the night before - the one A.M.M.F provided was only 6" and I actually had too many things to fit on it!  My tables were all ready Saturday morning for me to put my products on.  Noah worked on hanging my sign and ran to Fed Ex to print a bio up for me.  Somehow A.M.M.F had gotten my bio off of my Hobby Local website, not the one I provided, so Noah saved the day by making me a new one!  :)

I was in a great spot, next to the super friendly Ky and Pat of Book-Inz and Sierra of Manic Trout with Sarah of World on a String just around the corner.  They gave me lots of great advice and helped make the day more fun.  My friend Mary came by and hung out for a good part of the day and my friend Christine stopped by, too!

I had a great time talking to people about my work, especially those who knew how to crochet.  It was great talking technique and hearing what they like to do.  A bunch of people said they want to take my crochet classes, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed they sign up.  I would have liked to sell more, but the other vendors said this wasn't a great event for selling - it was more about networking - and I think I did a good job at that!

I was exhausted Saturday and haven't done any crocheting since Friday night, but I'm already thinking about the next craft fair!  I have a bunch of ideas for booth set up - expanding my booth to a few tables and maybe some free standing displays.  I also have been thinking about ideas for products to add or adjust.  I don't think I'll do another event until the fall, closer to the holidays, but I'm getting excited already thinking about it.  :)

A few things to keep in mind for next time:

•  There are more things to do than there is time for.

• Getting only five hours of sleep before the big event is not a great idea. Not sleeping much all week before the event is also not helpful although it was great to know I still can do the old college late night routine.

• Order fabric labels, or any supplies, very early - it's never good for them to arrive a few days after the event ;)

I plan on continuing to blog about my crocheting, whether it's about planning and teaching my classes, making this killer baby blanket for my friends A&A (I'll post my design process next time) or actually making something for myself for once!  Keep reading to hear about the exciting crochet news.  :)

Buy your tickets for the Austin Mini Maker Faire

If you haven't gotten your tickets yet for the Austin Mini Maker Faire, buy them here!  Only 12 days left to get them - prices go up at the door.  :)

Busy Bee

I've been busy this past week, trying to check things off my to-do list.  I feel pretty positive overall with what I've been able to accomplish.  I have a number of cozies blocked or in the process of being blocked on my ironing board (blocking is the process where you wet your finished piece and pin it into the shape you want it to dry in - it gives the crocheted/knitted piece a more finished look.)  My desk area distinctly smells of wet wool, but the end result is worth the trouble.

I finished a number of projects this week and have a total of 40 finished pieces!  I have a couple more that shouldn't take much work to finish and I just uncovered another pile of 1/2 finished hair pieces that just need buttons sewn on.  I still have two weeks left, so I'm feeling great about meeting my goal of 50 pieces.  Getting my fabric labels sewn on each piece is another story but I'll worry about that later.

Since I worked hard finishing up old pieces, I let myself have some fun tonight and play with new yarn.  I've been wanting to make something with this yarn for months and I'm really hooked on the coin purses w/ clasp handles I finished this week.  I tried it combined with a black yarn and a grey yarn and I think I'm going to work it with a turquoise yarn next!  (I realize I may be the only person excited about using the different colored yarns, but that's ok.  I agonized for 10 minutes in Jo-ann's the other day about what embroidery floss to get for one of my coin purses - they just didn't have the perfect shade of reddish-orange with a touch of brown!)  I'm out of purse handles, so they'll have to wait a few days before I can finish them.

On top of all that crazy crocheting, I started working on my table setup.  I've bought fabric for my table and some display cases to show my work off.  I also did a mock setup - 8 feet by 30" is a big area to cover with little crocheted pieces.  The biggest thing I did this week, though, had nothing to do with yarn or fabric....

I bought a cell phone, and not just any cell phone, an iPhone!  This statement may seem less than exciting if you don't know me, but I haven't had a cell phone for about four years, so it's pretty huge.  I've been thinking about getting one for a while and I really really wanted to take credit card payments at the mini maker faire, so voila, I bought a phone.  I also signed up for Square and they're sending me my credit card swipe thing in the mail.  It's funny that something as seemingly old fashioned as crochet has brought me so fully into the 21st century.  Most of my online presence is due to crochet - website/blog/twitter/etsy, the crochet classes I teach are scheduled through a website, and now I have a smartphone.  A big thanks to women of yore who wanted to make lace cheaply and so crochet was born - you're the reason I have an iphone now. 

Falsely Positive

I know it's only been half an hour since I wrote my post about how I have things under control, I have a doable to-do list, I will not panic - I am panicking.  The Mini Maker Faire website has "18 days and counting" listed on their website and although I had done the math in my head, seeing it on the site gave my stomach a huge jolt.  *deep breaths deep breaths*  I won't panic, at least not yet, at least I'll try not to.  I will try to think positively, stay calm, work hard, and believe that somehow it will work out.

If only I could do all-nighters like I used to in college...damn full time job and bills to pay.

A Doable To-Do List

So I have less than three weeks left before the Mini Maker Faire takes place and I've been getting nervous.  I decided to do what I always do when stressed and overwhelmed by too many things to do, I made a to-do list (sorry for the bad photo, I'm at a coffee shop, not at my desk.)

I'm relieved and a little worried that it's only one page long.  There must be more to do to get ready for the fair than that.  I have thought of a few things already that I've forgotten to write (make sure I have a table and chairs, register myself and my helper for the event - one lucky person gets in for free just by helping me with my table for a few hours!) but nothing really major or time consuming.  

Some of my tasks are understated on my list - like my goal of having 50 items for sale.  I have 30 completed items, so I'm doing well, but it will be difficult, maybe impossible, to make 20 more items from scratch in under 3 weeks.  Luckily, I have a number of works in progress (wips in the fiber world)  that if I can only finish, should add another 10 or 15 pieces to my pile.  As I have discovered though, and really always suspected, I like starting things more than I like finishing things.  I have this big stack of half finished things, often they just need a zipper or button sewn on, but do I finish them?  Oh no, I'd rather pick up that pretty new ball of yarn and design a new project.  I must curb my desire to design if I'm to hit my goal of 50 items!

To show that I am, indeed, trying to be good and finish pieces, here are a few pictures of projects I've finished (or almost finished - just a button or two to sew on) this week.  Hopefully my next post will be about the arrival of my custom fabric labels, courtesy of Tags & Labels!

Heather Black Smartphone Cozy

Green Smartphone Cozy

Tweed Kindle Cozy - I'm obsessed with cables right now!