Super good idea

I have just joined the Twitter revolution a couple of days ago and I have to say, it was a great idea. I feel more in contact with my fellow Etstians and the rest of the crafting community. It is a great resource for updates, sales, blogs and shouts. I love getting the heads up.
Since I joined, I have seen Twitter only sales, blog post updates and contests. It would have taken me a while to figure that one out. A little birdie told me about a contest that is being held on somewhatvoluble's blog. She is celebrating her Blogoversary, which I think is fricken Awesome! I am new to the blog thing and had only thought about my etsy shop anniversary next February. That is some considerable planning time. The contest can be found HERE.

She is offering up a beautiful handmade journal.

I told myself at the beginnig of the year that I would try harder. I would put myself out there more. I opened the etsy shop that I had been thinking about for the past year and started a blog. I also told myself that I would enter more contests. Used to be, I would walk past the entry cards or contest table, trying to save my 15 minutes of fame. Well, I give up on fame. LOL. Its time to have more fun. I have let that all slip away over the years and I want it back! So, I am gunna take it!

Good luck on the contest if you win! And thanks to Megan for posting that awesome contest

Free Pattern: Bumble Bee Finger Puppet

I have finished writting out the pattern and it is ready to post....but....I forgot to bring in the pictures of it. I will get to that at some point next week.

I can't put this on the back burner any more So here we go.

Bumblebee Finger Puppet Crochet Pattern

Designed and Created by HoboBethy Designs

Created for Free Distribution for personal use only.

Pattern is worked in rounds. Use stitch marker at beginning of each round.

Materials:

Worsted
Weight Yarn: (scraps of most)

Black (a)

Yellow (b)

White (c)

Red (d)

Crochet hook size H

Yarn Needle

Poly Fill

Head:

Using color Choice (a)

Magic Ring

Row 1: 4 sc (4)

Row 2: 2 sc in
each sc (8)

Row 3: *2 sc in next st, sc in next. Repeat from * (12)

Row 4-5: sc in each. (12)

Stuff as you go using Polyfill

Row 6: *sc2tg, sc.
Repeat from * (8)

Row 7:
*sc2tg. Repeat Total: (4)

(Last chance to stuff to desired firmness)

Leave long tail.

Body:

Use Color Choice (b)

You will be crocheting directly
into the head. (HINT: To start, I hold the head with my left hand, row 7 facing down toward my palm and insert my hook in the stitches between rows 6 and 5 from the bottom, and with a slip knot in the yellow (color choice b), I pull the slip knot through and sc from there entering the stitches around as evenly as I can.)

Row 1: (b) slpst about 6 stitches between rows 6 and 5 all the way around.

Row 2-3: (a) 2 sc in each slpst around. (12)

Row 4: (b) sc in each st (12)

Row 5-6: (a) sc in each st (12)

Row 7: (b) sc in each st (12)

Row 8: (a) sc in each st (12)

Row9: slst in each. Slst in first st, chain 5 (12)

Row (will create a tighter fitting and will prevent the puppet from falling off of a small finger as well as still fitting an adult. The chain will create the stinger. You can add a knot to the end if desired.

Wings:

Color choice (c) Make 2

Magic ring (you will not be pulling the magic ring tight, instead, this will create a ½ round.

6 dc, 1 sc. (7)

Leave long tails, they will be used to attach.

Assembly:

Attach wings using tails. Place in line with stinger pointing up.

Stitch on the eyes and a great big smile.

You can add antenna but I didn’t.

This pattern was adapted from another pattern that I created
and has not been tested. The
pattern only deviates from the original by the addition of rows 3 and 6. I was told that the body was too short
for an adult finger. So you can pick.

Hope your little ones enjoy it as much as my mine. Please comment with a picture of your creation.

Awesome Sale

I had someone stop by my shop last night and picked up the remaining patches I had in stock. Which is awesome. It is a great motivator to go ahead and pursue the new process I have been looking into. I will be investing in the materials over the next couple of weeks and hope to have the shop stocked up with loads of patches.

Its late and I will post the pattern tomorrow.

Toodles!

Printing Patches

So, I had been planning on printing some new patches. I spent the little bit of free time that I had over the past week to cut some new stencils. Super excited to get some more bands that I love. A kind of, one for me, one for you sort of situation. There I am last night, pulled everything back out last night, after all of the supplies being packed away from the move last year.

It ended up being a bust. I layed out 4 stencils and they were all bad. I was able to scavange 2 of the patches, which I will use for my self but dont quite meet the quality to sell in my etsy shop. This whole situation inspired me to maybe update my patch printing process. It is called Thermo Fax Processing. We shall see. It seems simple enough, if you have a Thermo Fax. I so not have one, buuut I have a friend that I see frequently that owns and runs a successful Tattoo Shop. The Lucky Lotus Tattoo Co. ( little shout out there...love you guys) and they have one. sooo. I need to get the rest of the supplies and see how it works.

I am eager to try it and I am currently looking for supplies. I hope to compile some photographs of the process once I gain the materials and I will be sure to blog about it.

Oh, and I know I promised a Free Crochet Pattern, but I had a very late night with the boys yesterday and I was a little (lot) out of this morning and forgot to grab my crochet Diary on the way out the door. I will do my best to bring it with me Monday.

Here is the current quality of patch. This one was made with a hand cut freezer paper stencil.

I made this one with a hand cut mylar stencil. Made 2 and I have one on my purse. Both look good.

Have a great weekend!

Spring is upon us

Life is wonderful right now. My Etsy shop is taking off. I am wild about the idea of my first item shipping all the way to London. Super awesome! I have since sold a Misfits punk patch gift kit as well as a baby afghan that I crocheted.

I plan on adding the instruction for the blankets in a free pattern series that I will be publishing each month of Spring. An in honour of Spring time, I am going to post my first free pattern.

A crocheted Bumble Bee Finget Puppet. Super cute, my daughter loves it. And it is super fast and you can have some made for the kiddies Easter eggs.

I will be sure to post it first thing tomorrow morning.

Vintage Linens

I was fortunate enough to come across some great vintage linens over the weekend. I spent the evening spot treating and soaking them to bring them back to life. I had a heck of a time trying to get some ink the the resale shop was kind enough to put on some place mats I found. It must be permanent ink, because I just couldn't get them out. I will spend the evening listening to music and starching my new linens. Some of which will be posted on my etsy shop if I can manage to give some of it up.
There is the cutest hand appliqued and stitched bridge table cloth and drink napkins. I will snap some pictures once they are clean and pressed.

Toodles

The Arrrr-gyle Project

I always do something handmade for my guy when his birthday, Christmas, and Valentines day come around. I came across this very inspired Arrrgyle Afghan.
She turned a graph from a knit sock pattern into pure awesome!

I really wanted to make this but I had never tried the afghan stitch before. I was assured that I should learn the stitch, that it would be easy. So after some online instructions it seemed simple enough. Then I remembered I would have to know how to change colors too. That took a little bit of time for since I wanted to make sure I could get a smooth color transition. I hooked away and decided I need a little more help...to YouTube I went. I was saved after watching a couple of videos and I felt confident enough to take on at least one panel of the Arrrgyle. I was highly motivated since I knew my guy would love it.
I managed to take some "in progress" pictures.

I was looking around for inspiration one day on the Internet.
I did 2 rows of single crochet in black as a foundation.

I tried to keep those yarn bobbins nice and neat, that was pretty easy when there were only 7. As you can see, it got kind of crazy, at one point, I have 13 bobbins. I really didn't want cross over yarns.

Almost done and I am really happy with the results. If any up you have ever worked on an Afghan before, you will know that they have a tendency to curl. I was not cleaver enough to add stitched to keep this from happening. So, most of the pictures show the panel pinned to my carpet.

Here is the completed Panel

I have included a picture of the back. I tucked my tails early on but tired of that quickly.

I was surprised to find the finished panel ended up smaller then I thought it would. It was 17"x12" give or take an inch. I would love to make this again and I am sure I will. Everybody I know wants one and I couldn't have don't it with out those 2 Very inspired lady's.

My sewing machine is on the fritz at the moment and I need it to finish his gift but as soon as I get that back up, I will post pics of the 100% compete project.

Toodles

Taking Notes

I like to think of my self as a creative person. I admit, that some of the inspirations are random and not usually feasible due to time, money and/space issues. But, I try to take a note of my idea and stash it away, like a pot of gold, which no one else can see. Sometimes I will jot or doodle it down in a crochet diary that I have had for years, or in a "note" on my phone, or in a spiral I use at work, or a post it, napkin, random envelope in my purse. I tell myself all the time, "I resolve to keep my thoughts all in one place" and if you knew me, you would laugh. As a matter a’ fact, those that do know me do laugh. I have be caught saying that out loud before as I try to track down that stray random envelope that I know has this GREAT idea but I cant exactly remember what it was. le sigh. That’s my life and I am used to is. To have all my thoughts in one place would, in my opinion, make me not me. I like being frazzled and all over the place, it's those around me that I think get tired of it.

But, because of this habit of writing my great ideas down somewhere, I get the opportunity to "find" these great ideas. Some of which, were a random spur of inspiration while in the middle of something else, jotted down and immediately forgotten. I LOVE it when that happens, because if I write it down just right, or find a sketch of something I want to make, it completely motivates me to keep creating. Thus, this blog was born.

Here is a peak at the topic of my next blog.

Well this is awesome. I can blog from my phone. Yay for gadgets! Works great for me since I am never home. so i am sitting up at the shop with the boys. David is tattooing someone and Andy is in a shit mood. fighting with someone online. gay.

Number One Entry

Well, here I go. My first blogger. Never thought I would see the day, but life has changed and I feel that I have more to say. More to say then I would on MySpace.

Life has inspired me. I have found a good mix of people around me now. They inspire me and motivate me and get the creative juices flowing, so to speak.

I feel that there isnt anything out there that I can do, although, I am still trying to find that one thing that I am good at, other then being sarcastic. Thats a hard habit to break. It is ingrained. Pretty sure it came down though me mothers side of the family - quick witted and drunk. Yup, Irish. haha.

Well, thats me for now, I hope to share my crafting wonders with you soon enough. You can see some of my randomness over in the etsy community. Just look me up under HoboBethy.

Toodles!