The Weatherman Lies

Chance of precipitation today = 55%-65%
Actual precipitation today = NONE

Based on the 55-65% chance of rain/snow, I didn't want to take my chances at the market as a tentless vendor. So I didn't go. Grrrr.

It looks like my luck with markets is not so great so far. Hopefully, things will start to look up in the new year.

not so great

Well, The Vera Project craft bazaar sucked. Actually, the other vendors were great, and the venue was great, but The Vera Project did a really bad job of promoting and advertising the event. In other words, there were almost NO customers - which is ridiculous considering the great venue and vendors and the fact that there were TONS of customers at another craft fair (Urban Craft Uprising) about 200 yards from us. All they had to do what put up big signs pointing people in our direction, but that didn't happen. So I sat with lots of other lonely vendors and knitted.

On the other hand, there were some pluses to this experience...
1. Got a lot of knitting and embroidering done and am, particularly, excited about how this embroidery turned out...

2. Sold a couple of things.
3. Got my name out there and distributed my cards/info.
4. Met some other talented and nice vendors/artists
5. FINALLY weaved in all the freaking ends and tagged most of my projects.

So, with all that prep-work done, I'm hoping to set up a table at the Ballard Farmer's Market on Sunday. However, since the market's policy is that vendors provide their own tents (which I don't have), I'm wondering what kind of chance I should take as a tentless vendor.

Any advice? 10% chance of rain/snow? 30%? 80%?

This Weekend!

I'm participating in my first craft bazaar this weekend! It will take place in the Seattle Center and is being put on my The Vera Project in combination with their "Bring It Screen It" screen-printing event. If you're in the area, COME check it out! noon-7pm on Saturday.

as promised

The final product (post-blocking)...

Guess what I'm doing?

Yep, that's right. BLOCKING and finishing! Thanks to deadlines, I do manage to get such things done - even if it's at the very last minute.

I'm looking foward to showing you the final results of this laborious process.

sweet finds

A couple of years ago, my friend Cosy taught me how to recycle the wool from old sweaters and use it for knitting. As soon as I learned this handy-dandy trick, I couldn't stop going to thrift stores and saving the many six-dollar, wool sweaters from their hideous, 80's-style bondage - only to re-form them into something new and exciting. Over the past couple of years, I've scored some gorgeous undyed wool (that would cost about $75 if I bought it new) and some crazy-soft merino wool and lambswool.

But every now and then, I have to pass up the beautiful wool, because the sweater is too beautiful as is - sometimes even handmade. Last night, I found 2 amazing, hand-knit sweaters and decided to keep them for myself. (It's not easy to be the photographer AND model of the sweater...)





After buying the sweaters last night, I suddently wanted to go on a hayride or winter camping or move to the Irish countryside and raise my own sheep - all because of these sweaters. I love it!

Progress

I just found out that I got accepted to be a vendor at a local craft fair (put on in the Seattle Center by The Vera Project) on December 6. I have not done a fair yet, because I've been trying to build my inventory so I'll have enough stuff to sell.

That brings me to another point... MARKETING.

Since starting Greenleaf Knitting, I've gradually been trying to focus in on, articulate, and market my particular knitting style. I, actually, enjoy designing and knitting a variety of styles and pieces, so limiting myself to one particular style has been quite an unappealing thought to me. But I also know that some level of consistency and commonality among my work is important if I ever want to sell anything. So, although this plan will need more tweaking, I think I've finally figured it out...

I'm going to create 2 seperate Greenleaf lines of garments: "Greenleaf Indie Line" and "Greenleaf Classic Line". This should allow me more freedom to design and knit what I want without creating too much disunity among my products.

The "Greenleaf Indie Line" will be feature vibrant colors and funky styles/patterns like this...

The "Greenleaf Classic Line" will feature more earthy tones with lots of cables and intarsia - a bit of a classic, outdoorsy, scandanavian vibe like this...

Hurray for new ideas and first-time fairs!

[FYI - The Vera Project craft fair is more of an indie scene, so I'll be selling more from my Indie Line (e.g., leg warmers, wrist warmers, funky hats)]

cables

Many new-ish knitters are intimidated by cabling. And even more non-knitters are deeply impressed by a piece that has cables. The hilarious secret is that a basic cable is SOOO easy - even mindless. It's also an exciting way to break up the monotony of a simple project without turning it into a stress-the-heck-out-of-me-because-I'm-constantly-counting-stitches-and-rows project.

The longer I knit, the more I realize that such a pattern is ideal for me. I get bored with my project and feel disconnected from what I'm doing (i.e., knitting) if the whole pattern is mindless. But I tend to get stressed if the pattern is so complex that I can't get into any sort of rhythm. The meditative process of a rhythm that gently invites me back to itself (the pattern) periodically transports me to the healing, creative space that makes knitting the therapy that it is.

I’m currently making some children's sweaters in this basic cable pattern.

These awesome leg warmers have the same basic cable up the side of each...

And this baby sweater (yet to be blocked and assembled, of course) is my favorite variation of this pattern thus far. (It doesn't hurt that it's knit with a gentle, pink, SOFT alpaca wool.)

In Need of Finishing

Have I mentioned that I have trouble finishing my projects? That is to say, I knit the whole piece(s) but will NEVER block, sew seams, and weave in the ends until I'm about 10 minutes away from giving it to the person who has bought it or is receiving it as a gift. But the ridiculous thing is that each unfinished project (there are, literally, at least 20 of them in my apartment) each hold a special point of tension in my neck and back or a lovely knot in my stomach. You'd think that would be motivation enough to finish the project, but, alas, my masochism prevails.

Next week is "reading week" at school (which means we don't have classes), and, among other things, I hope to throw myself a finishing party - in which I'll spend a whole day finishing all those lovely, lingering projects and hopefully knock out a few of the kinks in my neck and back through the process!

Meanwhile, there's new stuff in lots of fall colors going up on etsy...

Finally

After a very long delay, I've finally added a new item to my etsy shop. I have tons of mostly-finished projects lying around the house, but I can't seem to get motivated to weave in all the ends, sew the seams, and take the pictures. I absolutely LOVE the designing and knitting process, but I have such a hard time with the final details (symbolic of many things in my life, maybe?)

Hopefully, I'll start to post new stuff to my etsy shop several of times a week. We'll see how that goes. :)

This is the yummy hat that I posted today...

eco-wool taking form

The sun is still shining, but the temperatures are beginning to fall and the leaves beginning to change. Slowly but surely, the lovely eco-wool (described & pictured in the previous entry) is becoming a very warm and exciting baby boy sweater. I love this wool so much. Have I mentioned that yet?! Here’s a taste of what’s developing…

yarn shopping

You'd think, with ALL the yarn that I have in this apartment, that I wouldn't need to go yarn shopping. BUT I am working on a new commission and couldn't find enough of the yarn that I needed for the project. So I got to do one of my favorite things yesterday - feel, smell, and feast my eyes on the gorgeous, vibrant fibers at a local yarn store. I could spend days in this place!

For this particular commission, I've decided to use one of my favorite wools. Cascade Yarns produces these HUGE (250 grams/ 478 yds) skeins of Peruvian "ecological wool" in more than 20 colors/shades, and it's UNdyed - meaning these 20 (or so) colors are the natural, gorgeous colors of the sheep. All the colors are various shades of creamy white, brown, and gray.

Also, because the wool is undyed, it still has its natural, sweet smell that I have become addicted to.

I also scored some sale yarn in my yarn excursion yesterday, including...

this beautiful navy, angora wool for 50% off

and these awesomely bright, watermelon colors in cotton - perfect for a kid's project!


Ahh, yarn shopping. It makes me so happy. :)

becoming official

Is it just me or is it strange that paying some stranger at a printing store to print business cards and price tags, somehow, makes my business more "official"? I was amused at this idea and thought that I was above believing such ridiculous things about my business... UNTIL I received a perfectly and beautifully organized box of my self-designed business cards and price tags.




Suddenly, Greenleaf seemed so professional/official, and I became quite eager to distribute my cards and tag my work. On the other hand, I was also deeply aware that business cards end up in the trash (though they should be in the recycling!) most of the time, that Greenleaf is NEW, and that I have MUCH farther to go before it will be an established business. In the meantime, I'm going to thoroughly enjoy and be proud of my cards and tags and wooly creations.

Here's a glimpse of some projects that are in the works...



By the way, constantly taking pictures of oneself has some interesting effects on one's psychology. If anything, I'm deeply amused by myself in the process. :)

a new adventure

I have decided to start a knitting business – and with, a blog about my knitting adventures. This is a risky adventure that is presently full of excitement and fear. So, we shall see how it goes!

For now, here’s a glimpse of the chaos that has been exploding in our apartment since making this decision…

Knitting Books

Yarn

more yarn

and MORE yarnone of MANY projects

finished projects!more finished projects!

photo shoot for online shop

p.s. You can check out my online shop at greenleafknitting.etsy.com.