Thoughts about selling.

Why would I put handmade things into an Etsy shop? Especially when this blog is filled with things I make. Well, I'll tell you... Sometimes you just want to buy a thing, not make it. Etsy is filled with things, handmade and not. I decided to list some cowls and scarves on a whim really. I want an outlet for my handwork and I'd already had the shop from before. I feel marginally uncomfortable listing items... primarily because I feel vulnerable. As if the value of what I do is determined by whether or not it has been purchased. In my rational mind, I realize that my items a drop in the bucket. There are literally hundreds of thousands of items listed on Etsy. The chance that someone will happen upon my work is small.

So again, why would I list items on Etsy? Well, I think it's great if someone does find my stuff and buys it. But, the real reason I did it is the joy and the hope and excitement and expectation AND because it makes me feel vulnerable. Really. Since reading Daring Greatly, I've been leaning into the discomfort of situations and have found something really great, really delicious every time I've done it. Whenever I feel like it's 'outside my comfort zone', I know it's the time to lean. Don't get me wrong, I'm not always 100% successful with things - in fact sometimes I fall flat. But, being flawless or perfect is not my goal. My goal is to be a better me. I've found out something about myself each time I've pushed into the void and that is great in a way I've yet to find the right words to describe it.

So, selling things on Etsy... Yes I am. I hope someone finds something they like and enjoys the heck right out of it.


This cowl is my own design. It's lovely and slouchy and warm. As we are in the midst of negative temps, warm is welcome here! Check out the shop if you would like to purchase. Check out the shop, even if you don't. I'm a little proud, can you tell?

Handknit Cowls in my Etsy Shop

Hello All!

I've added three cowls to my Etsy Shop follow this link. I really enjoy knitting and need an outlet for my creations. These cowls are my own design, needles and yarn - just letting the knitting happen. I love the texture and the yarn is delicious!

One day, real soon, I'll post a pic of the cowl being worn... My model is out of commission right this minute and nothing I've tried putting the cowl on shows well. LOL. Can you say amateur? Ah, well, I am new at this. I started the etsy shop a few years ago on a lark, but I was unfocused and the shop reflected that. This go around, I'm focused on knitted and crocheted items and feeling very hopeful.

It's easy to keep putting things off, which is totally fear masquerading as perfectionism or procrastination. Among other things I learned last year, I'm leaning into the discomfort of not being 100% ready and listing items in my shop.

These cowls are infinity style, which you can't see in the pics. There is a bright royal blue, a warm true red and crisp winter white available.  Get yours before they're gone!

I'll be adding some things to shop over the next couple of days.

Perhaps the thing you've been looking for is right there in my shop. :)

Handmade with love <3

This is my Etsy shop:   http://www.etsy.com/shop/StickwithLove

Shake your booties!

My nephew has a new son, just 8 days old.  I can't help but think about my grown babies, when they were newly born.  The smell, the snuggle, the sense of awe.  Ahhh, those are good memories.  I love my babies all the way, fully and completely, and my prayer for Baby Leo is to know that same deep and abiding love.

In honor of the new baby, I made booties.  I found this pattern on the wonderful world wide web and made a pair for the sweet new boy, who was named Leonidas by his parents (God love them).  Knowing they will never find anything with his name on it, I made a little charm for his Mom.  I like charms, hope she does, too.  I included a frog for my Mom, who would have loved the great grandkids as much as she loved her grandkids.


The pattern is fun and easy, so I made a pair for a co-worker who just found out grandchild #2 is on the way.  I skipped the bows on this pair as they overshadowed the toes, which I love!  Isn't this yarn amazing!  It's Lion Brand Jamie Yarn - both booties actually. Totally love the way they stripe.  By the way, I went down in needle size from the pattern, so experiment with the pattern to be sure you'll end up with size you want.

Babies are a miracle. A true and honest miracle we can see and touch. ♥

inconsistency...

I post to this blog inconsistently. Sometimes I'm bummed or frustrated or irritated and sometimes I'm accepting that inconsistency is a part of who I am.

Primarily, I'm bummed when I want to document something I've created and forget! I've been working in my studio this month and there are things to post, before I give them away! My camera is getting kind of old and the digital pics are not as clear... Oh, heck. Hold on, I'll get some pics to post.


Okay, this scarf I just finished today. Yes, I'm intentionally knitting things to keep. Which feels weird. But I'm doing it anyway.

It's some sort of specialty yarn that I've had quite a while. Unsure how to proceed, it's been waiting patiently in a box until last week when I spotted it. It was a little fussy to work with, but the end result is really interesting.

I made it to wear with this corduroy jacket.  I'm really pleased with the way the orange bits reflect the light.  The scarf itself is 10 inches wide and 32 inches long.  I started with 33 stitches on and knit every stitch until it was a good length.  I wanted it to hang, not too long, and I definitely didn't want to double it up.  It's an infinity scarf, which means I gave the end a twist and joined the wrong side to the right side.  This time I tried knitting the ends together as I bound off.  An earlier infinity scarf ended up with a serious seam when I bound off first and joined second, so I was looking for a new way.  I like the seam better. I'll try again with a less fussy yarn and see how it goes.

As this is the Year of Light, I'm going to lighten up about fuzzy pics.  I'm also going to lighten up about the inconsistency.  

The knitter's wrist...

Last year I developed this pain in my right wrist, along the top only. It's dull and achy with just the occasional sharp twinge. I spent an hour trying to reconfigure my workstation to improve the ergonomics because I figured it to be carpal tunnel-esque, but no improvement. I reduced the number of hours I spent at the computer, home and work. I took breaks every so often to stretch and exercise said wrist. I iced. I warmed. Still no lasting improvement. Quite frustrating, but I learned to live with it. Fast forward to this week. My wrist has started hurting again. I say again, because when I noticed it was hurting I realized it hadn't bothered me in months. Months. So that got me to wondering what's different right now than it was two weeks ago. Work is the same. I actually spend less time on the computer at home than ever before because of my smart phone. I discovered the pain I have isn't consistent with carpal tunnel at all. Hmmm... Now this is a puzzler. I can't think what the pain could be from. Did I sleep on it wrong? Pull it doing some yard work or... As my mind zipped along the possibilities, I picked up the knitting I've been working on (gift for a small sports fan) and voila... Pain intensified. I hadn't knitted much this summer, which is why the pain disappeared without my noticing. I've been knitting, pain free, for years, but last year we rearranged the furniture and I've been sitting in a chair with arms to knit, whereas before I sat on a couch, away from the arms to knit. Mystery solved. Little did I know that pain in the wrist is very common for knitters.

Project #19 Short Row Scarf

Isn't this a cool scarf? Also from my favorite source Lion Brand Yarn. It's called a Short Row Scarf and as I've never made anything with short rows, it was really quite fun for the first half of the scarf ;)

Joking! It is a long project, but worth it as it looks very elegant. I've included the LBY photo as it shows how the scarf looks on. Some reviewers on the LBY site complained about the 'holes' left when making the short rows, but I have to say I think it makes the scarf way more interesting! I used a super soft bright yellow and am quite pleased with the result.


I am also pleased to report that I've finally mastered figuring the gauge. I know, I know, it's not rocket science, but for whatever reason I've struggled with finding the gauge knitting. This scarf is made to the patterns specifications :)

Project #17 More Scarves

Okay, I'm a little scarf happy. I'm really enjoying using all the crazy yarns I've collected.

These two scarves are knit every row with large needles, 15's I think. The reason is that the yarns are so busy that intricate patterns are lost and the yarn doesn't look as good. But these big knit stitches allow the yarn to shine. Plus, the knit fabric created is super drapable, soft and flowing.

I apoligize for the top picture. I tried everything I could think of to get this yarn to look as good in the picture as it does in real life. No luck. The yarn is Lazy Daisy, by Moda Dea, and I think it may be discontinued. It's possible to still find it around though. The yarn is fairly thin with big daisies every few inches. Using the large needles creates a very webby scarf that looks beautiful with my black wool coat. This is a wide long scarf, suitable for tossing over one shoulder with attitude :).

The other scarf is made from a yarn called Twister, by Patons. It's two different yarns, twisted together... get it? Twister - twisted. hee hee. Anyway, very interesting yarn, easy to use and the end result is very textural, soft and drapey. This scarf is wide but not as long so it will easily tuck into the neck of your coat.

Project #14 Scarves

Couple of guy birthdays coming soon and I found this scarf at Lion Brand Yarn. I'm including the LBYarn photo as no matter how many ways I tried, I could not photograph these scarves and do justice to the pattern.

It's a fun knit and I used two strands held together. The pattern creates this deep, wide ribbing effect that feels great and looks manly! The one on the right is wool-ease variegated. The other is one strand black, one strand camouflage.

I am a relatively new knitter and am in awe when something I knit looks just like the picture. Okay, you'll just have to take my word for it - they do look like the picture!

Thoughts on gifts...

We have a lot of family and friend birthdays in the winter. A lot. Virtually every week from November through March, even doubling up here and there. A lot.

The picture is of my 'finished basket'. A place where completed creations rest until a birthday or other holiday comes along.

I often crochet and knit for relaxation. While watching TV or traveling or waiting for this child or that, I put yarn to hook or needles. A scarf, a baby afghan, a hat, a shawl - whatever strikes my fancy at the moment and I add it to the finished basket.

If I'm sewing an easy project, I'll often make more than one and put the extras in the basket. Easy projects are great 'assembly line' candidates.

I also occasionally get the beading bug. When that happens, I make at least two things so I can add to the basket.

Today I went 'shopping' in my finished basket and found a scarf for a friend from work who has a birthday this weekend. While I was perusing the scarf pile, I discovered a baked potato bag in the basket and decided to include it, too. Easy, stress free shopping.

All these extras become great gifts throughout the year, but especially during this time when the holidays take precedence on time and energy. I highly recommend it.

Another thing I recommend... step outside the box. I am a sucker for clearance yarn (think I might have mentioned that before). Mostly because I can try out all the different specialty yarns at much more affordable prices. Also because it get me outside the box of what I would typically purchase as far as color or texture. It's kind of a challenge too... unusual colors, maybe not enough to actually make a complete project out of one yarn so you must combine with another.

Why am I telling you all of this? Well, some people when they create things their color pallete or material choices are so focused that all their finished projects have a certain look. Branded if you will. Shopping in the clearance section gets me out of that branded-ness. It helps me to expand beyond my natural tendancies. What's really cool about that is I can almost always find something in my 'finished basket' that suits the recipient. Instead of giving away a gift that looks like me, I give gifts that look like the recipient.

Project #4 Scarves

Here are two very different scarves I finished today! One is a keyhole scarf in a yarn that reminds me of stones with gray, copper and cream. The other is a fluffy knitted eyelash yarn called "Denim".

This 30 projects challenge is really fun. I'm thoroughly enjoying the accomplishment of it. But I'm also pleased to have taken so many pictures. Quite often, I give away the item before I've recorded it.

from Emily Dickinson...
It's all I have to bring today --
This, and my heart beside --
This, and my heart, and all the fields --
And all the meadows wide --
Be sure you count -- should I forget
Some one the sum could tell --
This, and my heart, and all the Bees
Which in the Clover dwell.