taking a break

Hi there!  If you stop by my Etsy shop now, you'll see this message:

Thanks for stopping by my shop! I've decided I need a break from Etsy--there's just too much stress in my life right now and I need to focus on my family for a while. I don't know exactly how long this "vacation" will be, but I will probably reopen sometime in Late Winter/Early Spring 2012. I plan to use the time to add to my inventory too. Come back and check out my new items in 2012! Thank you!

I've come to the conclusion that right now I need to relieve as much stress from my life as I can.  I cannot control the stress of my Dad's cancer or the stresses my husband is under at work, but I can control the stress that comes from having an Etsy shop open.  So for the time being, perfectioKnits will be closed.  I really do need to focus on my family.  From a business standpoint it's probably not the smartest time to take a break, but this is what I feel is best for me and my family. 


I plan to be open for business again in just a few short months.  In the meantime, I may take the occasional special order, so contact me through my Etsy shop and I'll let you know if I'm able to make your requested item at that time.  Thank you for understanding and for all the support!

Have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a Happy New Year!  God Bless!

Help me, Obi-wan Kenobi...

...you're my only hope!

Ha! That's one of our favorite Star Wars quotes around here.  Anytime things don't go quite the way we want, someone's sure to say it. 

So what am I needing help with?  Why would I feel like quoting that today?  Well, my items just aren't selling.  I'm trying to figure out whether my Etsy store is just not getting enough exposure, or if my items aren't what folks are looking for.   Despite offering a sales coupon last week, I still have most of the same items left in my shop.  (Whereas I had really hoped to sell more.) 

Any thoughts, suggestions, ideas? Please let me know what you think! 
 
Anyways, now that my Thanksgiving Sale has ended, I'm trying to decide (besides wondering what I can do to make my Etsy experience better) whether I will leave my shop open for a while or if I need to take time off from checking Etsy daily and instead focus on making items for my shop.  I've read how it's important to list new items frequently--that alone will increase your shop's exposure.  But I just don't seem to have time to make new items to list all that often.  (Do I really knit that slowly?  I don't think so.  But I just don't have 8 or more hours a day to "work" like some Etsy shop owners.  In fact, I'm happy if I happen to have 1 hour of knitting time and that's definitely not every day!)

So, for now at least, my shop is open and I'll consider any good business advice that comes my way.

Thanksgiving SALE

Well, I don't have a ton of items in my shop, but I've decided to have a sale anyways.

My Dad was recently diagnosed with cancer and I may end up putting my shop on vacation mode for a while so I can help Mom and Dad out. But I'd like to sell as much of my ready-made items as I can first.  So if you make a purchase from my Etsy shop this week, be sure to use the coupon code THANKFUL15 to get 15% off!  Sale will go through Saturday the 26th!

Happy shopping!

And have a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Treasury Friday

Well, maybe that title doesn't roll off the tongue quite as nicely as Treasury Tuesday or even Treasury Thursday, but today I'm sharing my latest treasury collection with you.

Novem-brrr!!!
A November collection.

It's cold here in Northern Minnesota. So I've found some items that would warm a person up...or at least give you a warm fuzzy feeling!

Enjoy!

Happy I love yarn day!

ch-ch-changes...

I couldn't help but think of the song "Changes" by David Bowie when I started writing this post!  Seriously though, it was just the ch-ch-changes part that kept repeating itself over and over in my head. Nice, huh?!  :)

Anyways, I just learned about some pretty BIG NEWS.  The photographer I've been working with has a major life-change happening in the next couple of weeks. 

Here's the blog post she wrote about it.  

I'm happy for them. 

But I'm sad that Sarah's photography business will have to be put on hold for now.  This also affects me personally since she won't be taking any new photos that I will be able to use in my Etsy shop. And she won't be needing any new props either.  At least not for a while.  Yeah, I'm a wee bit bummed.

So as I process this information, I see that I'm either going to have to figure out a way to set up my own "photo sessions" with local friends who have babies that are willing to be models for me (since my baby is 4 years old) or I'm going to have to stop making mostly baby items and work on primarily kid and/or adult-sized items instead.

I'm leaning toward the latter option.

There are so many items I really enjoy making--fingerless mitts, cowls, scarves, and shawls to name just a few.  I could also focus on designing more and start selling my patterns instead of just selling items.  I do so love sock-knitting too, but would never consider selling hand-knit socks.  (The cost would be about $120 a pair because I use sock yarn which is rather skinny and it takes a lot of time to knit a pair.)  But a sock pattern might be a very real possibility!

Well, have a lovely Saturday y'all!  I'm off to contemplate life, the universe, and new designs!  :)

yarn art

I've been seeing a lot of articles and photos on the web about a relatively new knitting craze...YARN BOMBING! It's amazing! (And technically illegal because the places that are "bombed" happen to be public places.)

Maybe one day I'll get bored and knit a cozy for my kids' swing set. Or something pretty for one or more of the lovely old oaks in my front yard. That way it wouldn't be illegal. Hee.

Here's a link to a site dedicated to Yarn Bombing.  They've evidently even written a book about it! 

Int. Yarn Bombing Day – Recap 7 (Updated)

It seems that June 11th was International Yarn Bombing Day.  If only I had known...

Independence Day

Happy Fourth of July!  Did you see the July treasury I put together?  If not, you'll want to check it out here. 

Or you can check out this fantastic blog right here where my treasury list and one of my items were featured today!  Sweet!  By the way, I LOVE the "Treasury Tuesday" idea...maybe I'll do that myself sometime too!

Today, I listed a couple of long-tailed patriotic newborn hats (photo props) that I had been fighting with working on for quite some time.  They knitted up just fine.  So what took me so long?  Well, the plan was to go back and stitch stars onto the blue to give them the U.S. flag look.  I thought it would be a ton easier to do than it actually was.  After many failed attempts (on a swatch of the blue yarn that I had knitted for testing my embroidery ideas), I finally had the solution.

Waste fabric.
 
I knew there was a reason I bought that waste canvas stuff ages ago. It was just sitting there, patiently waiting for the day when I realized what I needed it for. I'd never used waste fabric before, but I have done a bit of cross-stitch in the past.  The instructions on using the waste cloth were clear and so I tested it out on my knitted swatch to see how it would look.  Both my husband and eldest son agreed with me that it looked good, and so my cross-stitched stars came to be.  Although my initial design had multiple stars stitched on the blue background, I decided to just stitch one star on each hat since the cross-stitching technique is rather time-consuming and I really wanted to get these hats finished before the Fourth of July.  I'm pleased with the results and like the "lone star" look.

my cross-stitched star!

These hats will make a special addition to any photographer's newborn prop bag--especially considering that besides the Fourth of July holiday season, there are a lot of wonderful military families who would truly appreciate having a patriotic hat used for their newborn's first photos.

patriotic hat #1

patriotic hat #2

These two hats are basically the same, but I noticed they do have a few minor variances.  They're a couple inches different in overall length and the blue portions are just a row or two different in height as well.  I've listed them as the individuals that they are.

More hats are in the works!  I have two new long-tailed elf hats in bright summer colors--that are going to be listed either tomorrow or the next day!  And here are a couple sneak peeks of a newsboy set--I have plans to make more of these soon!

shawlette blocking

The following questions were posted in the comments to my last post.  I thought I'd go ahead and answer by writing up a new post!
 

So I have a technical question for you...how do you block something that large? Where do you find a space big enough to spread it out, where you can leave it pinned until it dries? Or is there some other magical method of blocking that I'm not familiar with that allows you to block it instantly in small sections? Blocking is one of the things that keeps me from certain projects and fibers. 

No, there's no magical method of blocking that I know of.  I suppose you could try steam block it in smaller sections, but you'd still need to pin it and it would ultimately take more time and effort.  Not sure if you could get the sides evenly stretched either.  So I think it'd be near impossible to make a shawl like this look right any other way than wet blocking.  That being said, don't be afraid of projects that require blocking!!!
 
This shawlette is only the second project I've had to properly block.  Most of the time I will just wash and then shape the item, laying it flat or hanging it to dry.  But when it comes to a lace project where you really want to open up the lacework, the best way to accomplish this is wet blocking.  For any non-knitters reading this, that basically means you need to get the item wet, remove excess water (you don't want it dripping!), carefully shape it, pin it in place, and leave it until it's dry.  When you take the pins out, the item will keep its new {stretched} shape and you can see the lovely lace you knitted.

The first project I wet blocked was this lace scarf that I finished back in January 2010. 

Pattern: Haruha scarf by Mari Muinonen  

Yarn: Winterside Farm 100% wool sport   

Needle size: US 8

I have a large enough house that's it's not too difficult to find a corner for blocking. To block the shawlette, I put down a couple towels in a corner of our living room/computer room and just started pinning it, shaping and stretching it as I did so.  The towels keep the carpet from getting wet and the carpet and its foam backing are easy to push the pins down into--sort of like pinning into a cushion.   I should have taken a photo of this so I could show you what I mean!  I'll try and remember to the next time I block an item.

Pattern: Summer Mystery Shawlette by Wendy D. Johnson

Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy {sock/fingering weight}

Needle Size:  US 6

It took some time to get it blocked just right--I think I re-pinned and/or adjusted it at least 2 or 3 times to stretch it a little more or shape it a little more evenly, but it was worth it to get it to look as nice as I did.


I had only to leave it overnight to dry, so I just told the kids to stay away from it and I sort of blockaded the area too.  The next day I checked to see if it was dry {it was!}, unpinned it and took some photos!

If I had a small house or apartment with limited space, I'd block a project like this on a bed first thing in the morning.  Most projects like this one would be dry by bedtime.  However, an item made with thicker/heavier yarn would take longer to dry.  A fan in the room would help circulate the air and might quicken the evaporation process a tad too.

I did find the process a bit trying because I have such a tendency towards perfection!  For a perfectionist like myself, I think I'd recommend getting a blocking board with grid-lines and maybe blocking wires too. Here's a blocking cloth that might be made into a DIY blocking board!  These blocking mats look useful too! Someday I will invest in these tools and blocking will {hopefully!} be a bit easier and the end result even more perfectly beautiful!

Hope this answers your questions! 

mystery knit along--shawlette complete!

I've been taking [some] photos of my shawl's progress, but haven't been online enough to post updates. 

Part 2 is done!

I seem to be missing photos--did I forget to take them or are they on our other camera?  I did complete Part 3.  And I was sure I had taken photos too!  But since they weren't on my camera, here's a photo from my Memorial Day weekend trip--a late anniversary getaway for my hubby and me.

Split Rock Lighthouse on the North Shore of Lake Superior

Part four completed! Only a little bit to go!

And 

 

now 

 

for 

 

the 

 

finished 

 

shawl.  

 

 

  

 

Drum roll, please!!!!!

Blocked and beautiful!

Lovely lace!

At 54" wide, it's difficult to get a decent photo of the whole shawl. I'll have to wear it someday and get a photo of it so you can see how it looks when worn too.  It's truly a gorgeous piece and I've totally fallen in love with lace shawl knitting.  It's my dream to someday be skilled enough that I might be able to design items like this myself. 

mystery knit along {continued)

Well, I finished Part One of the Summer Mystery Shawl on Sunday.  I *thought* I had it finished on Saturday, but then I realized I hadn't done the last purl row of Part One. 

You can see what it looked like after I completed Part One of the pattern.  I'm so glad I chose to use my size 6 needles after all--I think it's going to be just perfect as long as I don't run out of yarn!  I really love the varied blues in this yarn too.  So pretty!  And if you're wondering what all those little purple and green thingies are--they're stitch markers to help me keep track of the pattern repeats as I knit.  I'd be utterly lost without them!

Part Two (aka the second chart) was posted to Wendy Knits Sunday and I got right to work after taking a few photos of my progress.  I made it through 8 of the 12 rows Sunday!  Doesn't seem like that's much to be excited about?  Well, consider that each row has over 200 stitches and maybe you'll see why I'm happy I got that much knitting completed.  Sadly, I haven't had any time to work on it since Sunday but I hope to get Part Two done before Wendy posts the next chart on Thursday (aaack!  that's tomorrow!).

I'd best get knitting!

mystery knit along: take 2

Part One of the Summer Mystery Shawlette has been posted on Wendy Knits (that's the next section after the Preliminary Info)!

I've been reading the Ravelry discussion board again and found that there was a mistake in the prelim.  Wrong number to cast on!  Of course, for those who have already done the prelim and don't want to start over, there's a relatively easy fix.  But for people like me, who feel that they've chosen the wrong needles (after reading those posts and seeing what experienced lace knitters say about it), it might just be better to start over.  Which is what I've decided to do.  Thankfully, I don't have much to re-do.  And I still should be able to keep up with the others in the KAL (that's the knitting abbreviation for knit-along ☺).  Going to rip it out and start over so I'm using those US6s even though my gauge was way off.  And I'm going to add another repeat.  Since I have 450 yards of my Smooshy yarn, I *think* I should have enough.  And if not, it'll be another lesson learned.

mystery knit along

I am so excited!  

Yesterday I was reading one of my favorite knitting blogs, Wendy Knits, {of knit designer/author Wendy Johnson} and found out she's hosting a mystery knit-along!  Woohoo!  Count me in! 

(Image from Summer Mystery Shawlette's pattern page on Ravelry.)

For those of you non-knitters who are wondering what on earth that is, a knit-along is when a bunch of knitters decide to knit the same project at the same time.  A mystery knit-along is when the designer only gives a little bit of the pattern at a time and doesn't post any photos of the finished project so you don't know what you're knitting (except a very basic knowledge that it's socks or a blanket or a sweater--you get the idea) and don't get to see what it's going to look like until you've knit it yourself!  I've never actually done a knit-along before, because I haven't found the right knit-along project until now.  Did I mention I'm excited?!?

Anyways, I've been following Wendy's blog for some time now and have been in love with the lace shawls she's been knitting up lately like no one's business. So knowing I love her other lace shawls, I'm confident that this summer mystery shawlette is going to be just what I need for a personal {read non-business} summer knitting project. 

[Just don't tell the 2 pairs of socks I've already got on the needles that they'll be in hibernation for the summer.  They might get jealous that I'm knitting my first lace shawl with...yup, that's right...sock yarn.] 

<<< giggles >>>

So right away I dug out some Dream in Color Smooshy that's been ever-so-patiently waiting in my stash for the past couple of years. 
 

 







I also grabbed some circular needles size US 6 and began by making a gauge swatch. 

Um.  Houston, we have a problem...

According to the pattern, we're supposed to get somewhere around 5 stitches to the inch.  Wendy admits that she tend to knit with a looser tension, so I decide I'd best go up a needle.  But my gauge on 6s was 7 stitches to the inch!!!! 

If you knit, you know that's a far cry from 5 st/in. 

How on earth does she get 5 stitches to the inch on US 5s with sock yarn????   Sorry, Wendy, but I just can't figure that one out.

Since my gauge was so far off, I went online to check out the Ravelry discussion about the project and saw that, indeed, I am not alone.  A few others out there were dealing with the same issue.  Some said they'd be okay with their shawlette being smaller, some said they changed the cast on number, and some were undecided whether or not they'd use the needle they got gauge with (size US8) or a smaller one.

So now with my US 8s in hand, I knitted another swatch and found my gauge ended up about 5.5 stitches to the inch.  It's definitely not perfect, but I'm petite and I don't mind if my shawl is a tad smaller than the pattern's.  I'm really not sure whether the 8s are going to work, but my only other choice is to cast on extra stitches with smaller needles which ultimately means the project would require more yarn too.  And I just don't know how to figure out much extra yarn it would take, so I've decided to go ahead with my 8s and see what happens. 

My version of winging it, I guess!

I cast on my stitches and and finished knitting the 2 set-up rows last night. 
I'm ready for more of the pattern now.  It's supposed to be up on Wendy Knits sometime today.  

It'll be fun to see how it turns out, won't it?!

May Treasury

It's my goal to put together one treasury list every month.  For now, the months are giving me my themes.

Here's my May collection. 

I've joined an Etsy team--Schooling at Home Etsians (SHE). Every item included in this collection is from a SHEteam member.

And I've just gotta say--isn't that a really cool Treasury widget? Don't you just love that it's click-able? Me too.

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Craft Cult!

photo props

For a couple weeks there, I really felt like I was spinning my wheels and not getting anywhere with my knitting.  I did design a couple pairs of fingerless mitts, but I need more of the same yarn before I can make them to sell.  So I did an inventory of the yarns I have and realized that there were still a few items I had planned to make and sell that I hadn't gotten around to yet.

But I can finally say there are a couple new listings in my Etsy shop!

First, we have a newborn cocoon in a tweedy brown.  Great for keeping baby warm in between shots and makes a great prop too!

Next, we have a set of 2 newborn striped elf hats--one for a boy and one for a girl.  The long-tails on these could be a potential danger to a newborn, so these aren't for every day use.  But with adult supervision they make an adorable photo prop for baby's first photo shoot!  I decided to sell them together as a set.  That way a photographer could have one of each and since they're a near-perfect match, the set would be perfect for boy-girl twins.

I'll have to go over my to-do list again and see what I can make next.  It's nice to be working again.

new design: {unnamed} mitts

Here they are at long last!  These are the mitts I made just over a week ago.  With the busy Easter holiday, I didn't have a chance to photograph them until today.

Although I would be the first to tell you I hate having my picture taken, I decided the best way to "show off" these beauties is to wear them--and show them being worn.  So, I imagined myself as a knitwear model and had my eldest son once again pretend to be a photographer.  Thankfully, he likes to take photos--especially when it means he gets to use his daddy's fancy camera.  {I like using his daddy's camera too!} I know these aren't the greatest photos, but for now, they'll do.

All dressed up with nowhere to go:

My little guy being silly during the "shoot"

Ribbed texture.  Frilled at the cuff.  Small eyelets at the knuckles.

 

A little more relaxed look:

Closest to actual color of mitts (at least on my monitor!)

 

The nice thing about this design is its versatility.  

These mitts really look great whether you wear them with a dress or your favorite jeans and t-shirt.

Click on your reaction below to let me know what you think of this new design!

spring cowl

I finally have a couple shots of me modeling the new cowl described in my last post.

My 11-year-old son had the privilege of being my photographer today.  I think he did a pretty good job too! And now you can see how the cowl looks on a person instead of just hanging on a bedpost.

So tell me what you think!  {I'll even say "please!"}

How does it look?  {No, not how do I look--that's not the issue here.  I really want to know how the cowl looks!}

Do you like the drape?  What do you think of the lacy texture? 

Would you like to see it in another color? If so, what would you suggest?

Any other thoughts/suggestions for revising this design or do you like it as it is?

I await your comments!!!

new design: spring cowl

I have a question for you.  Well, it's mostly for the folks at my church who saw me yesterday, but I'll take input from anyone reading this post!  Did you notice the cowl I was wearing?  It's one I designed myself this past week.  I'm looking for some feedback on the design/style. 

For those of you who weren't blessed to see me yesterday, here's a peek at it:

cowl is shaped so bottom is wider than top

lace texture close-up

the drape of the cowl

I know it's not super-easy to visualize it on a person since I'm not wearing it in the photo, but I'm still in my jammies this morning and want to get this post done.  <smile>

It's made with bright white chunky-weight yarn.  I used a lacy and lightweight texture and shaped it so the top is narrower than the bottom.  It might be a tad too warm for summer (unless you live in Northern Minnesota like me!), so I'd say the style could be a 3-season cowl. 

So...what say you?
Do you like it?
Would you wear it?
Would you buy one?
Would you give it as a gift to a loved one?
 

You can leave your feedback here or on my Facebook page!

I look forward to seeing what everyone says!

seeking inspiration

We're getting close to Easter now.  I'm guessing that not very many more orders will come in for my bunny hats, but I still have a few ready-made and for sale on Etsy. It'll be nice if they find new homes before the season is over.

Although there are quite a few other baby props I could be making--cocoons, baby bowls or pods, jester hats, pompom hats, bomber hats--not very many of them are appropriate for spring and summer.  So I've started looking for ideas and inspiration for new items I can make that are better suited for spring & summer. 

I'd like to design some new fingerless mitts for spring.  I think using different color(s), length(s), and texture(s) would not only add variety but may interest a wider range of customers too.  I also think I might like to try making some lightweight scarves, cowls, or even shawls too.  I could use some ideas for baby or child items too.

I'd love your input, suggestions, ideas, inspiration.
Let me know what you think in the comments!
Thanks!

Giveaway results!

The winners that were chosen randomly are as follows:

The winner of the pair of Katelyn mitts is Megan Wold who left this comment on the perfectioKnits' Facebook wall "Glad we found you early because your going to be HUGE! Love all of your work!"  

{Thank you, Megan!}

Our second winner, who gets the newborn bunny hat, is Jana.  Jana is a Facebook fan (and a good friend of mine too)!  I'll get the hat to you soon, Jana!  

And the final winner is another new Facebook fan, Holly.  Holly wins the pair of brown newborn booties. 

Congratulations, winners!  I have sent each winner a private message on Facebook (instead of emailing as originally planned--Facebook was easier).  You have until 4pm (CST) Tuesday, April 12 to claim your prize or a new winner will be drawn.

Thanks to everyone who participated!  

Don't forget to check out my Etsy shop.  Not seeing the item(s) you really like in my shop at this time?  Send me a message and we will see if I can do a special order for you.

Giveaway Time!

Spring is in the air (sort of), Easter is right around the corner, and I'm thrilled to have my Etsy shop up and running!  I think it's a good time to hold a little contest/giveaway!  If you've already been following perfectioKnits, you know that I am very grateful to be able to work with an incredibly talented photographer, Sarah Homme. Beyond Ordinary Photography by Sarah is soon-to-be-open,  and she has decided to have her Grand Opening giveaway at the same time I'm doing mine!  So once you've finished leaving your entries here, go and check out Sarah's blog and enter her giveaway too! 

MY PRIZES
In honor of Spring, since it is officially that season now despite the snow still covering most of the ground here in northern Minnesota, I'm giving away a pair of my knitted Katelyn mitts, a perfectioKnits original design, in a Ladies' size Medium.  These mitts are the perfect accessory to keep your hands and wrists warm while walking and enjoying the reawakening of God's creation, driving your car, or just catching up on Facebook at your computer keyboard.

left mitt is completed!  right mitt is almost done too!

Next, to celebrate the upcoming Easter season, I'm giving away an adorable crocheted newborn bunny hat. This sweet little hat with bunny ears is perfect for a new baby's Spring or Easter photos!  Would make a wonderful photographer's prop or a really cute gift!  The main color is a lovely brown with cream highlights and for the inner ears I've used an equally lovely cream color to contrast.

newborn bunny hat in brown w/cream

And finally, just to celebrate the opening of my Etsy shop and the new beginning that it represents for me, a pair of crocheted newborn booties in brown.  These adorable little booties would be the perfect little "shoe" for a new little man, and could be equally cute on a little miss!  The buttoned flap keeps the "shoe" on baby's foot.  [Design by Cassi Ence at Polka Dot Posh]

newborn booties in my four year old's hands

HOW TO ENTER THE CONTEST 
{updated 4/06/2011to clarify}


MANDATORY ENTRY (do this first!!!)
"FOLLOW" this blog and then leave a comment describing which perfectioKnits item you like best!  (1 entry)

EXTRA ENTRIES
"Like" perfectioKnits on Facebook  (+1 entry)
Leave a message or comment on perfectioKnits's Facebook wall/photo (+1 entry)
{NEW!!} TAG perfectioKnits with a post to your Facebook wall  (i.e. you could post "I ♥ @perfectioKnits!") (+ 1 entry)
"Heart" your favorite item in perfectioKnits's Etsy shop  or "Heart" my shop!  (+1 entry)
Blog about this giveaway!  (+3 entries)

<<<< Don't forget to come back to this blog post and leave a new comment for each entry activity that you do! >>>>

Giveaway begins March 30, 2011 and ends at midnight CST on April 9, 2011. Entries must be in the comments of this post to be counted (i.e. don't leave your entry comments on any another posts I might write).  Three winners will be chosen by a random number generator.  Winners will be notified via email, and also posted here. Entries valid within the US. Each winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn.

yarn delivery!

So excited to see the UPS truck pull up today!  The yarn I ordered last week is here already!  Which is fantastic--I won't have to delay making more bunny hats now that I have more yarn for them! 

 

Is that too mundane to blog about?  It's little things like this that make my day. I just can't help but share!

Well, that's all for now.  I have to go finish my lunch, then we need to complete our school day before I can really get to work some more. (I do manage to do a little knitting or crocheting during our school day, but it's not very much--5 minutes here and there.) 

Hope something or someone makes your day happier too!

learning to use Etsy

I'm still learning how to use Etsy and all its features for sellers.

For example, they have options like Renew and Copy for re-listing items.  I didn't know what the difference was.  Until I finally took time to look it up this weekend.  Turns out I had used the Renew option incorrectly for at least one of my listings.  I wanted to sell another bunny hat in the same size, but it was a different color.  I now know that I should have used the Copy option instead to list a similar, but different, item.  So for those of you who may have put a brown baby bunny hat in your favorites and find that now it's suddenly white, that would explain why.  I inadvertently changed it when I re-listed with new photos.  Thankfully, I know the difference now and won't make the same mistake!

bunnies!!!

Wow!  My baby bunny hats are selling FAST!  I'm so happy to have a seasonal product that people like and are buying!  I just can't keep up!  {I'm not complaining!}  The other problem challenge is that I'm quickly running out of both the brown and the white yarn that I'm making these with.  I did place an order for more, but I don't expect it will get here until late this next week.  I'm working with the yarns I still have and will continue making bunny hats as long as they keep selling!

If you're a customer who has stopped by my Etsy shop and are sad to find the hat you loved and wanted has sold, don't worry!  More are being made!  You can even send me a message {conversation} to let me know what size/colors you're looking for.  Although I'm not officially doing custom orders, I am willing to if I have the yarns on hand.

bunny hats

I listed this adorable bunny hat this weekend (size 3 months).  I have a few more bunny hats "in process"--in different colors and sizes--that aren't quite done yet.  They will be finished soon and then I'll be listing them in my Etsy shop too.

Sarah (Beyond Ordinary Photography) and I are working out the details of a combined giveaway. We will both be posting about it as soon as we've got it all worked out and know what we're giving away, how you can enter, and for how long we want to run the contest.


Thanks for stopping by!  Hope you have a wonderful first week of Spring!

never enough time

I set a goal for myself last weekend to post something more on Etsy.  Somehow, it just never happened and here it's already Thursday again. 

I am still working.  Currently working on making more Bunny hats in both newborn and 3 month sizes {and a few color options too} with the hope of listing some VERY soon!

not limited to baby knits

Although I am primarily making baby items to sell at this time, I do love making (and wearing!) fingerless mitts. I currently have this pair listed on Etsy, with plans to make more very soon!

Katelyn Mitts (back of hand)

Katelyn Mitts (palm side)

Katelyn mitts (modeled by me!)

This design is a perfectioKnits original!  I used an off-center leaf motif to decorate the back of the hands and ribbing at both the cuff and top of mitt. I call these my Katelyn Mitts {named after my niece Katie} whom I originally designed them for. 

Fingerless mitts work wonderfully to keep your hands warm while driving, doing computer-work, knitting, crocheting, reading, watching tv--really just about any time you want warmer hands with your fingers free from the bulkiness of mittens or gloves.

In fact, I could use a pair right now.  Brrr!  I just realized my hands are freezing!  I guess I'd better go put on a pair of my own!

items listed!

It's just a start, but I do have a few items listed on Etsy!  I'm so excited!

Keep watching as a variety of new items will be added soon!  I'm trying to keep myself from watching Etsy, knowing that these things {selling items}take time.  So I've got a bunch of projects queued up on my to-do list and am going to keep making more items so I'll have even more to sell soon!

Keep on the lookout for a giveaway coming to my FB page &/or this blog real soon!  I'm still working out the details but I'm thinking it may have an Easter theme. {smile}


Now for some new photos!!!!  Sarah took some really cute ones of her little Teddy this week!  I just love seeing more of my hand-knit items on a real baby!  Too cute!

Teddy Hat--designed by perfectioKnits especially for Theodore!

Jester hat, Lemongrass (green)

Elf hat, brown and light blue stripes

Newborn lace wrap

In case you are wondering:

Yes, I do create SOME of my own designs.  Teddy's hat is a perfectioKnits original.  It's also a OOAK (one of a kind).  So no, I won't be making more--at least not at this time.  

Some of my designs, like Teddy's hat, are more or less straight from my brain.  True, the bear hat idea isn't at all new, but I feel that my interpretation of it was fresh and original.

Some of my designs are based on items I've seen or ideas that someone gives me (usually because they saw an item and want to know if I can make it too).  I prefer NOT to try and copy other people's ideas and work and strive to either improve or change the design to make it my own if possible.

And some of my items are made with the help of purchased or free patterns which have given knitters like myself selling rights. I really appreciate designers who allow this as many (actually most) patterns have "all rights reserved" which means it's technically not legal for a knitter to make and sell the item without getting permission from the pattern designer first.  I won't bore you with the details of copyright laws and how it pertains to knitting, but if you really find yourself interested in this topic there's a really good {but also rather long} article about it here.

Have a happy weekend everyone!

Today's the DAY! {part 2}

perfectioKnits is now open for business on Etsy!  Stop by and take a peek at what I've got posted so far.  More items will be added as I get them finished and/or photographed so check back often!  Don't forget to Follow perfectioKnits on FB too!  Just click on the FB badge in the column to the right and "like" the page! 

I'm so nervous-excited that my hands are sweating!  And freezing. At the same time.  Weird!  So I'm gonna go slip on a pair of fingerless mitts and finish knitting a pair that I'm going to sell.

And yes, I did manage to get some sleep...sometime after 3:30am.

Today's the DAY!

I'm so excited I couldn't fall asleep!  So I got out of bed and am online for a bit.  I should really take time to clear the clutter off my computer desk.  Then maybe I'll knit a little if I'm still not sleepy enough...there's a pair of fingerless mitts I'm working on.  It'd be nice to have them ready to sell too.  I really need some sleep so I can think clearly when posting my items on Etsy. 

Chill.  Relax.  Get some rest. 

(But I'm too excited to sleep!)

Ready or not!

I'm opening shop March 1st!  I've still got a few things to work out in the next few days--like how much I need to charge for each item to make this venture worth my time and energy and how much will it cost to ship each too, but I think it's about time I get some stuff up for sale and just see how it goes! {Besides, I need more money so I can have more colors of my yarns on hand to work with.  And the only way I'm going to have more money is if I can actually sell some stuff!}

I must admit I'm rather nervous.  Perhaps that's part of the reason for my procrastination with starting up.  But I know that's only a part of the problem.  We've been incredibly busy with LIFE lately too.  And there just don't seem to be enough hours in the day to accomplish all I need too!  I know I'm going to have to work hard at scheduling so I have enough time for homeschool, housework, and still leave myself time each day to knit and crochet my products too.  I also think my perfectionist nature makes me feel like I have to have everything perfectly in order before I can go forward with this business.  Hmmm...I think I'm going to have to work on "relaxing" my perfectionism a little.  Is that even possible?! 

A young mother who I know from church recently sent me a request to see if I could make a hat with bunny ears for the baby boy she's expecting soon.  Here's a photo of my prototype.  I'm thinking a hat like this in either brown or white with cream inside the ears, instead of the pink, would be fitting for either a boy or a girl.

I'm waiting to hear back whether she likes it and wants me to make a boyish version for her, but I may go ahead and get some yarn so I can make a few of these to sell on Etsy.  There will be a month and a half before Easter and I can see a potential for photographers to want one a baby bunny hat for Easter or spring photo shoots.

Speaking of babies...Sarah {Beyond Ordinary Photography}had a baby boy on February 8th!  Check out her blog and read the incredible and miraculous story of how this little man entered our world.  I'll warn you now, though.  Have a tissue handy--you're gonna need it! Sarah relates the entire story and through it shares how God has once again proven His faithfulness to their family.  We are thanking and praising the Lord with them for little Theodore!

a new month

Is it really February already?  I can hardly believe it.  January was such a busy month and I'm still not ready to start selling on Etsy.  Ah well.  The shipping supplies I ordered should be here any day.  And my hubby, with some brand new software on his work laptop should be designing--and then printing--a few business cards for me soon too.

I'm currently working on another test-knit.  It's a two-color hat based on the long tail pixie/elf style, but with a different color pattern than stripes.  It's been fun trying to find a new stitch to use that looks good in the yarns I have.  I don't have any photos yet, but will post some later if it turns out!

I finally got my bomber hat to properly fit up to a 6 month old!  This means that I believe I have "perfected" this design to fit both 0-3 months and 3-6 months.  I suppose I really should make another of each size to be certain I can actually make more that will fit properly!  Ha!

Sarah, from Beyond Ordinary Photography, is expecting to deliver her own baby sometime in the next week or two.  Needless to say, I'm super-excited for her--but not nearly as much as she probably is!  The soon-to-be-born babe will get to model many of my new items in the weeks to come.

Now it's time for me to get some homeschool work done with the kids {and maybe even sneak in a little knitting time too}!