process::documenting

Documenting a product is all part of the process, a part that I both love and dread. This morning I have spent much of my time photographing a few new items that will be heading off to the shop today and tomorrow.


I really do love photographing the items when I am inspired but there are other times when I continually push that task to the bottom of the list. Maybe its the thought of getting the lighting set up just right or maybe its the time it takes to actually upload and process the images once they have been taken but what ever it is I know it effects my productivity.


I just wish I could find a better way to stream line the whole thing. If only I could make the product and it would just miraculously show up in my Etsy shop or better yet turn themselves into promo packets and be shipped to stores. Oh if only...

If you sell your work what are some of the things you love about the process?
What holds you back or takes up a lot of your time?

shop sale::buy one get one [30% off]

I wanted to let you all know that scissorstitch is having a small sale Friday and Saturday. The deal is this: buy one item and get 30% off [of equal or lesser value] the second item. This sale is in conjunction with other EtsyKids members who are having similar sales. View a list of participating shops here.


I am excited to announce that I have been working on quite a few new items which will be making their way to the shop throughout next week and the following. You can expect to see quite a few more Giraffes, tissue holders, and bibs along with some new items I have been working on. Just in time for the holidays I will have many great stocking stuffers such as eye pillows, tissue holders, coffee sleeves and more.

complete

after a month and a half of work the sweater it's complete. just in time to accommodate the ever growing belly. this project was so great to work on. I will admit that at first the lace pattern was a bit hard to remember but about 4inches into it the pattern it stuck and I was able to get quite a few videos watched at the same time.


the project would have actually been completed about two weeks earlier if it were not for my running low on yarn. it actually worked out perfectly, a friend had about 3/4 skein left of the same yarn and I was able to take it off her hands. it was just the right amount, that is once I decided to actually get back to the project. I am still amazed that it took so long for me to complete the remaining three inches. funny how it works that way.

the pattern for this great February Lady Sweater can be found here along with some great photos for inspiration.

knitting season...

It feels so nice to really be knitting again. Sure I always have something going and will take it with me to our weekly knit night but now I am really getting into some projects and seeing results.

In part it helped to have recently purged/organized my yarn selection. I now know what I have and need. It also helped to finally join Ravelry. It has been a great way for me to get organized and actually document the process of the projects I am working on. So much inspiration on that site I really have to keep an eye on the time or I could hunt around for hours.



I also had a lot of time to knit waiting through Daniel's physical therapy appointments. Those have now come to an end for me since he is now able to drive but there is always the time between dropping Alena off at school and working out. Every little bit of time feels great to just sit and knit. With the change in season and coming rain there is nothing better then getting a bit of time to sit down with some needles and make something beautiful.



Now if only I could finish up these two baby sweaters before the little guy gets here. They are so small I am sure he will be wearing them only a few times before he grows out of them. Maybe that's why I never knit anything bigger then a hat for Alena...

dear baby brother

This week while Alena and I were playing around in my studio I over heard her writing a note to her brother. It was such a sweet sentiment I had to write it down before I forgot. I guess despite her verbal acceptance of having a brother at times she still longs for that little sister.

It seems like there are so many situations throughout the days that quotes like this come up. I always think I need to write it down right away and yet the moment passes and I forget. I hope to challenge myself to be more aware of these times and write them down as they come.

What great moments or conversations have you observed this week? Do you find yourself documenting them, if so how?

no looking back

Yesterday was Alena's first day of pre-school and it went off without a hitch. We were actually a little surprised when she confidently and without hesitation crossed the threshold into the classroom and did not look back. Both Daniel and I walked away a bit stunned.



These past few weeks have been a bit of a blur as we wound down from summer and tried to get prepared as best we could for the things to come. A week ago Daniel and I took a long weekend away just before his knee surgery. The following week was filled with doctor appointments and a day of surgery which again went well. Just one week post-opp he is feeling great and already back working hard. It has been a bit of a circus around here at times. The first day home from the hospital was a bit hard as I am sure Alena sensed my need to help Daniel and that only increased her need for my help/attention as well. Things have calmed down a bit and she is now quite helpful. But it is quite entertaining to see how funny a pregnant lady and gimp try to run a house these days. The good news is that the bigger I get the healthier he will be. So maybe by the time the baby gets here he will be able to walk.


I am really looking forward to this time that I will have off during Alena's school day before the baby gets here. Now if I could only get my studio cleaned I will be able to get back into the production mode and make a few things that have been on my mind. For now I have been enjoying knitting in the evenings.

catching up::photobooth

Well we are back from our trip and all rested up. The laundry is slowly being washed an folded and we are getting back into everyday life. It will only take me another week or so to upload and convert the three cards worth of images that were taken in our time away. For now I decided to catch up on a few photobooth images that have been hanging around the house. It has only been five months since the last post of photobooth images, oops. We have been diligent about taking them and it is always something that is looked forward to each month. Just this past Sunday as we were piling into the booth we were talking with Alena bout how we could all get in there once her bother arrives. In great three year old fashion she had it all figured out.

[April][May][June][July][August]

I am really loving our adventured each month. As time goes on everyone gets into it just a bit more. Props are talked about and items are chosen to take with us. This time is was cameras from the collection. Only one of them has film in it but no photos were taken. Maybe next time when the light meter is fixed but really is is a bit hard to get the right lighting in there. My secret hope is that photobooths don't go out of style anytime soon and that at least a few stay in places that minors can go since it seems as if a lot of them around town are in bars. It would be wonderful to keep this little tradition going for years to come.

hitting the road

We are getting ready to hit the road for a week long vacation. We will be at the cabin in Idaho with a couple days in Montana to visit the grandparents. Looking forward to a lot of swimming at the lake as long as the rain lets up and sun decided to come out again.

Once we get back it is a quick week before Daniel gets ACL replacement surgery and then Alena heads off to pre-school. I am amazed at how quickly summer how has passed and yet it feels like things are just getting started.

It's a...

baby with


BOY parts!

It took a good hour of ultrasound before we got the news but in the end there was no doubt that it's a boy. Alena's first reaction was "but I want a girl". This continued for the rest of the appointment and actually almost brought me to tears seeing how sad she was with the news. By bedtime she was in much better spirits and was happily talking about her brother. We are all excited with the news and are trying to wrap our heads around what having a boy will be like. Only a few more months until we get to meet him.

baby bump::reflection

It seems as if the first 11 weeks of this pregnancy went by so slowly. Maybe it was the decision to not tell others the news or maybe it was the constant feeling of nausea that was with me throughout the day. Whatever it may have been the last nine weeks have flown by. When asked what week I am in I often have to stop to think and even then can be off by a week. It is amazing the difference between the two pregnancies. Working full time was sure to make things fly by but really I had the luxury of getting home and laying on the couch by four in the afternoon each day. Now I find myself looking up at the end of a week and wondering how it passed so quickly. Between swimming, ballet, workout and playing with friends it's not that hard to figure out where the time has gone.

This past Wednesday evening after a long day of kiddo and an evening class I felt the baby move on the outside for the first time. At first it was hard to tell, I doubted and wondered but then a few minutes later it was confirmed. I was amazed at how reassuring that feeling was. It solidified things for me in a way that is hard to explain. The next day Daniel was also able to feel the baby and Alena tried, exclaiming each time "wow, she just did a somersault" even if nothing was happening. She just loves listening to the baby and being the translator for all of us as to what "she" is saying.

Early this coming Wednesday we are going to the Doctor for the ultrasound. We hope to find out the sex of the child [as long as everyone is cooperating]. With Alena we found out because of pure curiosity. Daniel's argument was that it narrowed his list of names to think about by half. But knowing in advance did not help us in picking the name any sooner. Alena was still without a name for the first 2.5 days of life. I am not sure knowing in advance will help narrow down our name options. I do think we will all be happy to know if its a boy or girl. I believe that Alena will have some major adjusting if it turns out the "she" is a "he" but I know she excited either way.

studio purge::knitting

I am a bit amazed that it has taken me ten years to get around to purging some of my knitting but it was time. after years and years of collecting, knitting, tearing out various projects, buying skeins at different sales with half ideas of what they might turn into I finally sat down last night to go through the inventory. I will admit that all of this was truly spurred on by the knitting group I get together with each Tuesday night. It seems as if we have talked about purging out stuff to swap for years and it is now finally happening. so tonight we are getting together with all the items we no longer want/need and I hope to come home with much less then I am taking. last night as I was sorting through my accumulated mass of yarn I found myself tearing out many forgotten and discarded projects. there were the typical hats and starves started and left on the needles waiting for me to remember them and then there was the lovely pinafore that I started for Alena when she was just months old. I remember thinking that I would make it big enough for a two year old being optimistic in thinking it would be done well before then. as is the case with many well intended projects it was put aside. looking at it I was a bit sad to take it out but really there was no way I would finish it even if this second child is a girl.


it was fun to be reminded of past projects as I looked through the leftover skeins from past projects and was inspired by the yarn that I wanted to keep. after going through the yarn I took inventory of my needle collection. I was actually surprised to find that I only had two sets of needles that overlapped in my whole stash. it was nice to see where the holes in my collection and I now have a nice grid mapped out of what I actually have/need.


so tonight I am off to rid my stash of a full duffle bag of yarn. the bag I have filled of yarn is the one I use for groceries and can get a good three bags wort of food in at a time. I hope that what I came back with is a bit less then this but really I am just excited to have get an evening of food and drinks with friends. I am proud that I now know exactly what knitting projects I have going. three things at a time is not so bad for me and really they are all for the baby so that can't be bad can it? now if only I finish them all before he/she actually gets here then I will be doing good.

7 years::no itch

It is amazing how time has passed so quickly. Things just keep getting better. I look forward to seven years from now and what that will bring. Daniel is the best husband and father I could ever ask for, thank you love.

shop news

Over the past few weeks I have been starting to upload new items to my shop.



They are actually items that I generated for the sale I had at the end of April.
Due to not feeling quite in the game I never got around to actually photographing the surplus items.



Now that most of the items have been documented I have been uploading new products to my Etsy shop. Enjoy. I am excited to also be adding some Giraffe Applique pillows soon, just a new product I have been working on.

movin on up

Alena has grown to love the water and was quite excited to start up with lessons again this summer. It has not been since she was a little over a year old that she had her last class but still she could not wait.

For two weeks her and I would trek to the pool with our bathing suits in hand ready to take to the water. We would both plunge in and learn new skills.


After class she would come home and want to practice what she had done in the tub at bath time. I finally broke down and got her a little pool to play around in which I have found to be a wonderful investment. She does not want to get out on a good day and would stay in till dinner if I let her.

Last Friday she graduated from her Starfish class and was so proud of herself for getting a certificate.


We had prepared her for the next class of Goldfish where she would be getting in without me. On Monday there was no problem she was eager to get to class and once there intently took in all that was going on.


By Tuesday she was offering to be the first volunteer for many of the activities.


I am looking forward to seeing what she will be like this year when we make our trip to the cabin in Idaho. I'm sure we will be in the water every chance we get.

two turned three::three going on four

I can hardly believe it when I think over the years. Three seemed to pass so quickly and yet here we are. Alena turned three yesterday and as we went through the day with family celebrating I was struck by just how much she has changed over this past year. She is so eager to explore and try thing on her own. Next week she will be a Goldfish in swimming and is eagerly looking forward to getting into the pool alone with out mom [I am looking forward to not getting into my bathing suit]. She loves riding her bike while we walk to the farmers market and to the park to play.

The stories she has started to tell are entertaining and she can't get enough of her books on record. And on and on... These past few months have been wonderful getting time to really spend time with her. As I realize that September is coming soon and that she will be off at pre-shool part of the day, I want to spend more and more time absorbing everything she does.

By the first of the year the whole dynamic of our family will be changing as we are getting ready to welcome number four to our family.


Yes that's right I am a little over three months along and just out of the tired/nausea all day long feeling. It has been a little different this time around with a Toddler turned Kid who no longer enjoys taking a nap. We are all excited to experience our first Dr. appointment together. Alena loved listening to the baby'sx heart beat and now wants to talk to it daily. I have a feeling the next 5 plus months are going to be a bit long for this little girl.

Now that I have a bit more energy these days I hope to post a bit more often. I was looking back at this year and this is only my 12th post so far. Not quick the best track record for the third year of this blog but who is counting. Since the last post we have taken at least three more photo booth images. Maybe that will be the next post...

photobooth for a year

At the start of the New Year we decided to make it a monthly practice of getting a family Photobooth strip taken. Last year we did a handful and ended up using the images for our Holiday card. So this year I wanted to document us as a family over the course of the whole year. So far we have three strips and it is turning into quite the event. We now make a day of it. I enjoy looking at the calendar and seeing one day on the last weekend of the month is slated as being the Photobooth day. We'll head downtown to the Ace Hotel [place of choice these days] and take our photos and then grab a bite to eat or coffee.


Already both Daniel and Miss. A have warmed up to the whole process. This last weekend I found myself looking down at Daniel before the second or third photo only to realize that he had brought a prop. Prior to the flash of the first bulb he donned an old pair of magnifying glasses we had sitting around the house.


Miss. A has warmed up to the camera and by this last photo strip she had taken to sticking out her tongue for the whole strip. It must have been held over from her solo strip she took prior to the family one.


I am looking forward to seeing what that photobooth image will hold as it processes the final images on the 27th or 28th of December. Only time will tell.

[7] things about me

Well I have been tagged by my sister to write seven random things about myself. I always love reading what other people write but have a hard time with myself, I will give it a try.

1. Savory not sweet
I have to be in the mood for ice cream or chocolate but will almost always crave a savory treat.

2. Cream no sugar
Coffee is a must every morning but it is always just a plain house coffee with cream. When my punch card gets filled at the coffee shop I tend to redeem my free coffee for just a house blend often getting suggestions of more fancy drinks from the person behind the counter. If I am feeling like something special I will go for a latte but tend to wonder half way through why I ordered such a milk heavy drink because it always upsets my stomach. I will learn one of these days.

3. I used to be quite the risk taker. I love adventure and the outdoors.
My date for the eight grade graduation dance took me rock climbing for the first time before dinner, my parents were not very happy with this decision but it may have been what spurred me on to try other things. I continued to rock climb in both high school and college. Daniel and I actually met while rock climbing. I summated two 14,000 ft peeks in college and used to sky dive until I realized it was only a matter of time before something went wrong. The summer before getting pregnant with Miss. A I learned to surf and even thought I would be taking her to the beach for a few surf trips the summer she was born, this never happened. When Miss. A was nine months old I ran my first half marathon it was amazing to realize that I could actually do something like that. Now I don't do quite as many adventures things with my time but we still love to get out and hike as a family.

4. I had a fear of sewing until about three years ago.
When I was young my mother taught me to sew on her machine and I loved it. I would mess around and play with different fabrics but it did not stick with me. During winter break my freshman year of college I taught myself to knit and just stuck with that for years. I would collect and buy fabrics that I intended to make dresses and skirts out of but would just put them into a suite case and then suite cases as my collection grew. My fear was that once I made the cut in the fabric there was no going back. With knitting I could just pull out the yarn and start over but with fabric if you make a mistake you have to get creative. It is amazing for me to think that just such a short time ago I really had a fear of that first cut.

5. I am left handed:: kick with my left foot+sew with my right
I write and cut with my left hand, play soccer with my left foot but when it comes to sewing I have to use my right foot and can't have a shoe on. There have been many occasions that I will answer the door with one shoe on and the other off because I have been sewing. I know it must look quite strange but it really makes a difference in how I feel the foot peddle.

6. Freckled face Imp
When my sister was in fifth grade she wrote a story about our family and described me as a "freckled face imp". I was so offended by this statement and insisted that I was not an imp. She informed me that I should look up "imp" in the dictionary and I found that she was quite right. I am the fair skin, reddish hair, freckled one of the family with a bit of an impish side while my sister had the blond hair and tan skin and her personality is anything but impish.

7. Love to read hardly ever have less then one book going at a time
I think this trait was inherited from my father. In years past I would start more books then I would finish and end up with a pile by my bed of books I was in the middle of. Last year I challenged myself to reading only one book at a time and though I did not hold fast to the challenge it did help me to focus a bit more on only reading maybe two books at a time and actually finishing them. Even now I have an ever-growing stack of books I want to read by the bed but I am only reading one. Now if only I could stay up late enough at night to get through more than five pages at a time.

[Interesting or not at least they are random. It is amazing how long it took me to actually compose this post. I am not tagging anyone to write about themselves but if you choose to take on the challenge I would love to read about it.]

interlude

Monday was the perfect day to go to the beach for the afternoon. Miss. A is now at that point where the wonders and exploration of the sandy beach are all encompassing.

She could have spent the whole day wondering around digging in the sand and playing with the water.


We are looking forward to a few more trips like this in the coming spring/summer months.

large shop update

I am excited to announce that the shop has been filled with a new run of items I have been working on recently.

I had aimed to have the shop loaded on Friday but decided to not push myself and instead enjoy distractions that came up. The weather has been wonderful around here and so it was hard to stay inside. In the evenings I was continually being drawn to a book I was only pages from finishing. Finally on Friday evening I finished the book only to pick up the next one on the shelf. Instantly I was drawn into it and found myself steeling away time to pack in a hundred pages an evening over the weekend. So despite marking my calendar with a prospective load date for the shop I enjoyed the wonderful distractions of family, friends, gardening, and books. It feels good to have done all of these things and to get the shop in order. Tomorrow Miss. A and I are off to the coast of the day. It should be quite an adventure.

small shop update

These items have been ready to go into the shop since November but things got in the way. The Coffee Sleeves are currently in the shop and I will also be adding a new addition of baby items on Friday morning. I am quite excited for the new items I have been working on, thank you for your continued support and encouragement.

A first time for everything

Miss. A has been asking for months when she was going to get a haircut like mom and dad. She has never had her hair cut at a barber shop and really the only time it was cut was when she was about six months old.


At that time we had to get rid of the mullet that was getting out of control. It's funny Miss. A has always had quite a bit of hair. I distinctly remember the ultra sound tech making a comment about the amount of hair she had and I was shocked, what did that mean.

So in the past two years we have not done anything to her golden locks except try to keep it brushed. Even that is a challenge at times and we often resort to putting it up. Well this weekend we were driving by our barber shop and decided to just see if Vinnie was in and had a quick opening. As luck would have it he was just finishing with a client and had some time.


Miss. A was all for the idea in the car but was a bit unsure once she crossed the threshold. We watched another person getting their hair cut for a few minutes just to see what it was all about. Once it was time to sit down I think it started to sink in for her and she needed me to stay close. The whole process took less then ten minutes and Vinnie only took a bit off the back.


By the end Miss. A was excited about the whole event and walked away wanting to go back for more. Who knows when that will be.