Indie Bazaar

This weekend was the Indie Bazaar in Ft. Lauderdale. It's a craft fair held in a somewhat small space just to the side of of the Cinema Paradiso movie theater but the organizers make sure to cram it full of vendors. So many great items to see and so many shoppers shopping! There was a much bigger turnout than the last time I was there - in March? April? I don't rememember - with still a long line to get in even when we left. I did a lot of browsing and noting of how vendors set up their displays and promote their merchandise (always gotta be researching) and snagged a couple items:




I LOVE Superman and really liked this keychain made out of vintage comic book art. Plus, the artist was a teenage girl who was peddling her wares with her parents as her assistants. So awesome! They let her handle all questions and transactions just like a proper little business woman while they bagged her goodies and proudly discussed their daughter's craft with anyone who stopped at the table. How could I not support that kind of comraderie? The artwork is by a local artist named Kapone and I really liked the colors and boldness of his work. Also, a steal at 2 for $30.

While I was busy supporting my local crafts people, I was featured in another Treasury! I know, another one! I swear I don't know any of the kind folks who have selected my items but I'm so happy people like my goods. With all this motivation I've worked non-stop on my fingerless gloves all week and weekend long - but then the ol' carpal started to kick in and my wrist begged for a break. So I've spent all afternoon on the computer today, updating the shop, sending and replying to emails, and creating my very first Treasury. You can check that out here. I'd love to get better pictures up in the shop but that really requires a better camera so until I can make that happen, it'll have to wait.

For now, I can't wait to get back to the knitting needles tonight. Is it awful that I sometimes knit right through the wrist twinges? Can't let a little thing painful mobility stop me! Hee. (It's not so bad yet, but I really need to get a brace before I cause myself permanent damage.)

Currently shuffling through my soundsystem: Sixteen - The Heavy, Your Personal Wedding - Pop Unknown, So Much - The Impossibles, Polar Opposites - Modest Mouse

Yay Me!

I found out about a website called Craftopolis where you can track some of your Google Analytics stats in a bit user-friendlier format (at least to me) and see if you've ever been featured in any Treasuries in Etsy. I had noticed a couple weeks ago that one of my Light Bulb Beanies was getting a lot of views and hearts and wondered why now, all of a sudden. Turns out, it had been featured in a Treasury that made the front page of Etsy! Then, just today, I noticed my Female Silhouette Beanie is featured in another Treasury! How nice is that?! So flattering and encouraging to keep doing what I'm doing. Which is nice because when you're not making sales, knowing that people at least like what you're creating is very motivating.

All of this goes hand-in-happily-coincidental-hand with the fact that I planned to start featuring items I've come across throughout the week from fellow Etsy members that I like. So here's the first batch!


From top left - right:

BareTree - Black 5 piece drum kit belt

DarthDanner - Funky Fungi Necklace

ProletarianVintage - Vintage Nautical Anchor and Striped Button Ring

YummyPocket - Moustache iPhone Cozy

Mariforssell - Small Messenger with Extra Pockets - Black and White Houndstooth

designedbyDiana - Retro D Apron Bright Polka Dots

CrazyBoy - For You....Black Stripe Denim-Bag

Fongstudio - The Apple Tree's Wishes

DillonDesigns - Great Big Owl Ring

Oktak - Clutch Purse - Orange Mother Bird and Baby

Work in Progress

I've started working on the items I want to have ready in time for fall/winter. I have a few new items I want to add and the first on my list are fingerless mittens. I like gloves but hate the inconvenience of having to take them off everytime I need to use my iPhone or dig for change or a million other little things that you need your actual fingertips for. So, since that's what I prefer, that's what I'm gonna make for the shop!

Of course, coming up great ones that are just the right size is an exercise in patient knitting and reknitting.


Cute, right? However, a little too big for my small hands.


And this was the second "sample" I made! Supposedly customized for my chubby hands and stubby fingers! I really thought I'd nailed it, which is why I went ahead and made the pair. But, alas, just a mite too big still. No real loss, I'm sure they'll fit medium size hands and at least this tells me there really is no "one size fits all" for mits. At least not the ones I knit. I am now working on another pair and truthfully, despite the sizing frustrations, these are really fun to make! They knit up pretty quickly and I like the way they look and feel. I'll probably never get a chance to wear them myself while living in Miami, but I like the idea that they might bring a little fun and color to hands in colder climates.

Currently on the tube as I craft: All About Steve. I was prepared for this to be a bad movie, which is why I waited to watch it on cable, but it's really not that bad. Decent enough as a background distraction, anyway. I Hate Valentine's Day? - now THAT'S an awful movie.

Non-Shop Crafting

In the interlude of not crafting for the shop, I started playing around with various buttons and doodads to see what trinkets I could come up with. I don't know that I have any intention of selling these, but they're fun to make. And I love pretty colors!


The blue and yellow one is definitely for me since, in trying a new adhesive out, I managed to glue the star a bit off-center. I figured I'd have at least one second to adjust it but boy does that adhesive adhere! No sooner did I put the star down than -bam!- it was stuck. No budging. Makes it a great glue but I just have to be extra careful when I place things. I think I did a better job with the pink one. Big and simple, I know, but that's how I like my accessories.


These are the only two I've managed make, though I have at least six others waiting patiently to be glued. I have to live with things for awhile before I can fully commit to them - I'd feel like I'm wasting pretty resources if they turn out badly, even though I know it's just for fun.

Currently shuffling through my soundsystem: Don't Fear the Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult; Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' - Journey; Over The Hills And Far Away - Led Zeppelin

Knitting...finally!

So, I think it's no secret that I haven't been super-inspired about knitting lately. However, I remembered that I've been meaning to whip up some preemie baby beanies to donate to different charities and hospitals and I figured now was a great time to do that. In the last couple of weeks I came up with these:


I'm really happy with the way these turned out and wish I had a baby doll or - novelty!- a real baby to model these on so you could see how teeny these are. They're just a bit larger than my palm and if you know me, you know I have small hands. They knit up so fast and totally served at least one purpose of motivating me to get back to crafting for the shop again. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to send these to one particular place or divide them up into smaller batches to hit more places at once. Actually, I think I'm gonna make these a monthly project - or at least an in-between-inspirations project - and pick a different place to send them to each time. Wanna know where to send your own charity knitting to? Click this and this for an array of links.

Currently on the tube while crafting: reruns of Clean House. I don't know why I can't get enough of this show.