Latest Beanies Pictures

I just wanted to quickly publish some of the latest beanies I have made. I am so excited. Especially for the one I made for a photographer friend of mine. What do you guys think?? I think I'm getting better!! Not to toot my own horn but TOOT TOOT!!!!
I'm really enjoying making these and will be sure to keep you guys posted on the ones I make. Oh and if any of you decide that you would like some for yourself or your kids let me know. I'll make you an offer you can't refuse!

Yarn, Yarn and MORE YARN!!!

So there is a show on A&E called "Hoarding - Buried Alive". I've decided that soon I will need my own reality show to be entitled "Crocheting - Buried Alive...in YARN" I'm sure it will have more viewers than the Super Bowl. I can see it now: $1 million for people to air their 30 second commercials during my show. Did I mention my mind wanders??? No, but seriously I've been to Joann Fabrics 3 times this week (it's Thursday), they practically know me by name. But I can't help it they have a huge yarn selection. On the plus side that means that I'm getting orders for hats and thus need to go and buy yarn. But the dark side to crocheting that they don't warn you about it high school while they are discussing the other addictive drugs is the VERY QUICK accumulation of yarn that you build up. 


I JUST started crocheting about a month or so ago and already I could overflow fill 3 Abercrombie & Fitch retail bags. You know the ones I'm talking about ladies the one with the super hot semi-naked LEGAL (or so I like to believe) young man on the front without a t-shirt but fully equipped with  a washboard stomach. Anyone have some laundry to wash on his stomach?? I'm sure the clothes would be cleaner than ever. However, I have a feeling that they would smell strongly of cologne. Can't you smell it??


What was I talking about again?? Oh yeah YARN!! So I have a lot of yarn and I'm really at a loss on how to organize it properly. I've seen some cute things on Pinterest but I don't really have a desire to run out and buy a nice large cherry wood wine rack to display my beautiful yarn....not yet anyway. Give it time though, I'm sure I will go off the deep end by this weekend. All of my yarn is scattered into bags and my side of the bedroom is starting to get cluttered. I'm not even sure what yarn I have, which makes it worse because then I just buy more at Joann's. Vicious cycle. 


If any of you have any ideas I would love it if you would post a comment!! Hell I would love it if you would just post a comment anyways!! I'm desperate for your approval....just kidding....kind of. 


Ok so on another note I just received my new business cards in. I'm OFFICIAL now. What do you think. I'm impressed, it's just a bummer that I didn't have the really pretty picture of the baby in my Elf Hat before I placed the order. Oh well.

Aren't they pretty?? I'm going to stand out in front of the grocery stores and start handing them out and bug people like those boy scouts do! Who am I kidding, I'll just end up walking in and buying cookies or cupcakes or something else I shouldn't be eating. Mmmmmm...cupcakes!!!

Once again I lost my train of thought. Oh yeah, business cards. Too many distractions with half naked barely legal men and cupcakes. That's a LETHAL combo!! I should stop before I end up on "To Catch a Predator"

Hasta la Bye Bye.

Slouchy Beanie Pattern

So I decided to post a pattern for a crochet slouchy beanie. I didn't come up with the pattern though I did write it so that those of you who CAN read a crochet pattern will be able to do this. I want to give TOTAL credit for this beanie to Youtube User - TraceyBeauty for posting the video of how to make this cute and easy beanie.

To watch the video of how Tracey does it:  Slouchy Beanie Video Tutorial

I will finish making the beanie tonight and will update this post with the finished product. But here you go for the pattern:

Slouchy Beanie

Supplies:

I (5.5mm) Crochet Hook

4-ply worsted weight yarn – any color you like

Stitches Used & Abbreviations:

Chain Stitch – ch

Single Crochet - sc

Slip Stitch – sl st

Double Crochet – dc

Front Post Double Crochet – fpdc

Back Post Double Crochet – bpdc

*If you need help with these stitches check out these videos:
                 1. Basic Stitches

                 2. fpdc/bpdc Stitches


Pattern:

Ch. 52 (check head size to make sure it fits properly)

R1: SC to join, ch. 3, dc in every stitch

R2: Sl St to join, ch. 3, *fpdc, bpdc* repeat, Sl St to join

R3-R5: Repeat R2

R6: Ch. 3, *dc in next stitch, 2dc in next stitch* repeat, Sl St to join

R7-R8: Repeat R6

R9: Ch. 3, dc in every stitch, Sl St to join

R10: Ch. 3, dc in every other stitch (skip one stitch), sl st to join

R11: Ch. 3, dc in each, sl st to join

R12 to end: Ch. 2, sc in every THIRD stitch until the hat closes

SC across big gap to close hat, tie off

Newest Crochet Venture

"The term is Flighty Crafter."

"Can you use it in a sentence??"

"Amber is a Flighty Crafter because she keeps changing her crafts."

Ok so this isn't a spelling bee, but I just wanted to reiterate why I am...well you know. So I had a EUREKA moment!! Literally just now!! I was thinking about why I am so "flighty" and I came to the conclusion that's it's not so much that I get really bored but more that I want instant gratification. Sometimes that means a full stockpile from couponing, sometimes that means success from dog treat making and sometimes it means others purchasing hats from me. I kept slightly burning (a.k.a. Cajun Style) the dog treats which frustrated me. With crochet I can finish a project in a couple of hours. That means I get satisfaction fairly quickly and that is always good. This is hard for me to admit but I CAN'T do everything perfectly. I know somewhere my mother is reading this and laughing because she can relate to my frustration of not being the best all the time. Maybe it's more about acceptance...I'm jotting that down to discuss with my therapist next time. Maybe it's me having an anal personality (Mom, please stop laughing so loud). I'm going to go with that one the most. Criticism is very difficult for me to take. I either get angry and defensive or I cry. Just in case you didn't know I can be a bit of a crier. I'm jotting that one down too for my therapist. Not like she doesn't know, I'm constantly grabbing a tissue. Since criticism is difficult to take, it only makes sense that praise is something I LOVE!! I love to get a compliment on something I have done well or in my Flighty Crafter case MADE well. 

Crocheting well and people acknowledging that gives me that warm fuzzy feeling inside...the same feeling Hostess cupcakes give me. YEP, THAT GOOD!!! Sometimes I stumble over all of the flowers people are throwing at my feet....like I'm a celebrity or something. It's embarrassing, really. Ok back to reality. Seriously though, people are really liking these hats and I really enjoy making something that people enjoy. I made two kids and people enjoyed them but no one wanted to buy them for $25 like they do my hats, so thus I had to move on to another craft. One not so expensive!!! So a photographer friend/acquaintance of mine gave me the fantastic idea to contact photographers that specialize in newborn photography to see if they would be interested in my hats for session props. I did and they are!! I have gotten a few emails back from photographers asking for pictures and hopefully they will place some orders soon.

Who knows when I will find all the time to crochet these hats, but I love it so I will figure it out. Goodbye lunch breaks...hello crocheting (and money). I hope that my crochet business will continue to grow. I have several things on my list to crochet and I am planning on doing a show next month to help get my name out there. Things are definitely going in the right direction. Who knew this was going to happen from just watching one Youtube video. See how things can snowball for me?? That could be the OCD in me (jotting that down for the therapist as we speak). Either way I'm happy. YAY!! Happiness is good otherwise as you know....CRYING. So to all of you reading this who haven't bought a hat, the moral of the store is: BUY A HAT OR I WILL CRY. Something like that.

Here are the latest things I have made. ENJOY!!!

Hope you like them. I enjoyed making them. Spongebob was awesome!!

Over and out!

I'm GONNA be a Billionaire so freakin' soon...

Ok well maybe "soon" is jumping the gun a little. But with $100 in sales and $110 in purchase orders I'm ballin' son! Purchase orders...listen to me, like I have a big corporation I'm running. Well in the near future I will!! As my boss would say "You gotta have goals". Let's just hope my Flighty Crafter ways don't get the better of me. But that never happens, I mean it's not like it's the basis of my blog or anything.

So the reason my post is titled as it is (FYI - sung to the tune of Bruno Mars "Billionaire") is because I have several people interested and I'm even planning on reserving a booth for a show in March to take custom orders. I enjoy crocheting and the best part about the hats I'm doing is that people are giving me new ideas. My boss wants a Star Wars theme for his 3 boys. I'm so excited. They will make such cute characters. I'm thinking: Yoda, R2D2 and a Stormtrooper. AWESOME!!! I got a request for Spongebob which I'm looking forward to finishing so I can post photos. I've also started making cell phones sleeves.

I can see retirement in my near future. If only I could give up food and shelter I could retire right now. But alas I must have some luxuries in life...ya know like a roof over my head. I know, I know, high maintenance. I will have to work on that. For those of you that ACTUALLY know me you know I am way more high maintenance than that. Have you heard someone say "Oh no, I broke a nail" if so it was probably me...oh and I was probably frantically pushing you out of the way to get to the nail salon so that Lynn (yes of course that's her REAL name...sheesh) can fix it ASAP. This is no laughing matter. I have actually been in therapy and discussed the anxiety that I have felt trying to search for a new nail lady...not anyLynn will do. TRUE STORY!! But thankfully I have found someone and all is right in my world again...oh and my therapist put me on meds. Some problems need more than a crying session on a couch.

So back to my hats. I made several over the weekend and am pretty proud of myself because I didn't use any patterns I just saw a picture and copied it. BAM!! So what do you think???

Pretty impressive huh? I know I am. I love the little sleepy owl. My fav!!! Oh and my dog Winnie loved her dress, she could hardly contain her excitement!!! Isn't it obvious??? I think I'm getting better and I'm probably going to be doing some more dog clothes too. If only I had more time. That husband of mine needs to make a Lady of Leisure already!!! Ok, I just woke up from that dream. But if I'm running a crochet business I guess I still wouldn't be a Lady of Leisure. The truth is I actually like working. I was on vacation the last 2 weeks of the year and I hardly changed out of my jammies. I looked like one of those frumpy ladies on "How Do I Look?" that say "but I'm comfortable". I'm comfortable with my capri leggings that I bought for $8 at Target only to find out they had a hole. I had every intention of returning them for a non-ripped pair but I was consumed by COMFORT once I put them one. Once again...TRUE STORY!! So needless to say (even though I just gave you a pretty legitimate reason) I don't want to end up in a pajama blackhole.

Honestly I think I like jamming my life full of stuff to do, if I didn't have a million things to do I really don't know what would happen. Probably search for another craft. Huh, things are starting to become very clear now. I'M CRAZY!! Time to up the dosage....again!!!

I'm signing off now. Gotta go home and put on my capri leggings with the hole in them. It doesn't get better than that!! Oh and to give you a visual we have 2 dogs and 2 cats so let's just say I have fuzzy black pants. Sexy huh?? You know it!! Everyday I'm shufflin'!!!

Feelin' like DEATH!!!

Crafting is my outlet. So what happens when you are sick as a dog and have no energy to do anything even the things you love?? Ooh ooh pick me...I know!! You feel miserable and on top of it I still have to go to work. BOO!!! First let me just thank my sweet kids, the fruit of my loins, the apples of my eye for giving me the plague. I love everything they make for me at school except when it includes deadly mutating germs. Ok so I lied I don't really love everything they make for me at school. Who really wants construction paper with glitter glued to it?? FYI Teachers glitter doesn't stick to glue!!!!!! What it does stick to is every inch of the interior of my car, my butt and for some odd reason my upper lip. Here's how you can tell when you have glitter on your upper lip: People can't stop starting at your upper lip while you're talking because it keeps shimmering. Either that or it's time to go get my lip waxed again. God I'm a hairy beast! But that's a post for another time when I feel compelled to tell you all about how a boy started calling me "Wolfie" in elementary school and I've been paranoid ever since. TRUE STORY!!

So my kids gave me this lovely present that requires a lot of tissue. And this isn't the dainty I'm lightly blowing my nose because I'm a girl and we don't do disgusting things. This is full on flock of geese honking happening here. So feminine, right?? No?!? Well how about when I throw in the old smoker congested hacking?? BINGO!! Nailed it!! I love being a girly girl. I have a lot of crocheting to do but feel like the walking dead. I'm actually pretty excited and can't wait for this sickness to move on and infect someone else - preferably anyone at work that annoys me. It will be nice to get a break from them...you know who you are!!

My crochet to do list is as follows:

iPhone sleeves
Baby beanies - for photo props in exchange for good pictures

Spongebob Hat for one of the attorneys at a firm my company uses. He wants it for his son. I found a great pattern and can't wait to start. Here's what it SHOULD look like when I'm done. Pretty cool, huh?

So that's what I'm working on right now. Crocheting takes a while so unfortunately I can't know these out as quickly as I would like, but it's ok. Now to figure out a way to organize my ever growing yarn collection. It's getting scary. Which reminds me I need to go buy some more. Hee hee!! I need the light brown for Spongebob's pants...his Squarepants that is. Bazinga!!

I also didn't get to do a lot of crocheting last night due to the fiasco that happened last night. So I mentioned I was sick, right? The last thing I need is a FIASCO, but that's just what I got. My husband wanted to go get dinner last night so I got the kids ready and was going to pick him up from his pet store. So I opened the car door for the kids, shut it and started walking around to my door when all of a sudden it happened. Horrible pain all over my feet. I literally kicked my shoes off into the driveway and started freaking out. ANTS!!! I had stepped in an ant pile. So I open the car door only to find my kids starting to scream, not just any screaming but horror movie screaming. I start frantically trying to get all the ants off of my son who apparently got them the worst. We're all screaming and he starts yelling/crying that he wants to go in the house. No big deal to grant him that wish, right?? WRONG!!!! That would be how it would go for the Cleaver's, NOT ME!! So I forgot to mention that I had previously given my new housekeeper my key and had to run by my husband's store to get his since I've been to busy/lazy/sick to make a copy. Therefore, I don't have the key on my ring I was just holding a loose key when I locked the door to leave. Well in all the chaos of me getting eaten and my kids having complete meltdowns I did something with the key and now, WHEN I DESPERATELY NEED IT, I can't remember what I did with it. Did I drop it in the ant pile? Did I put it in my purse? Did aliens abduct it?? WHO KNOWS!! Well I can tell you who DOESN'T know....ME!!! NOT GOOD!! My kids are standing at the front door and my son is screaming hysterically in a voice I have never heard before "I want to go inside!! I want to go inside!!" So I'm taking EVERYTHING out of my purse....NO KEY!! It's dark so I can't see in the grass. Finally, I do something that is a NO NO!! I have a meltdown myself and start crying hysterically...in front of my kids. This only makes them cry more. "Oh no Mommy is crying, we must be dying now" are the thoughts that my kids must be having. Oh and did I mention that in the middle of all of this I have called my poor husband to say in a horrified voice (with the kids screaming in the background) "COME HOME NOW!!!!" I can't even imagine what he thought was happening.

For some random (but God sent) reason there was a flashlight in my car. I searched in the car and realized I had dropped the key between my seat and the center console. Hooray!! It's only been 10 minutes. I'm sure the neighbors have already called the police to report me for attempting to murder my children. What else would explain all this hysteria?? So my husband walks in to find me on the floor in a fetal position crying for being the worst mother in the world and the kids are on the couch crying because they have now realized they have the worst mother in the world. This is very clarifying moment in my house. Poor kids. So Nathan walks in and starts asking what has happened. I can only assume he thought someone had broken in and was trying to kill us. Oh, did I mention that I still had my shoes in the driveway?? I'm sure that looked like a crime scene. Guaranteed he walked in adrenaline pumping.

No honey it's just your wife having a meltdown!! So he threw the kids in the tub just in case there were any ants left of them and then proceeded to soak our front and back yard with ant killer. That's my knight in shining armor!! By this time though I was soaked from tears and horrible sweating!!!

The moral of the story?? Never leave my house without the key on the keyring. I'm sure there are other morals but I'm starting to sweat and tear up again after now reliving those moments so that's all I can come up with right now.

Stay Safe there are ants EVERYWHERE!!