A New Career Has Come and Gone?

The craft show has come and gone, and so has the idea of making little knitty things like pouchy bags to sell, at least for the moment! Sold two cell phone covers to the same lady, which was nice! I had a lot of fun at the craft fair...it's always great talking to people and learning new things. But I just didn't get the reception I thought I might....of course, things like that are always fickle...you never know what people are going to like or feel in the mood to buy. And then, there's the matter of pricing...how to price your things you make.

At the Yuma, AZ rally, I sold seven sock yarn knitted Easter eggs, but not a one at this show! I did put out some Tastefully Simple beer bread and strawberry cheeseball and a lot of people took my business card and a few catalogs, so we'll see if anything comes out of that...

Met a nice lady at the craft show who is staying at Palm Creek and she offered to show me her felted mittens she makes....I went over yesterday to look at them...they were beautiful! I might head down the road of the felted stuff, as that is really fun to do.....I'm working on a turquoise crocheted small purse at the moment. It worked up quickly with a size J crochet hook and an online pattern from Red Heart. Unfortunately, I tried to hand felt it, and after 20 min., it had barely changed. This little purse was crocheted out of 100% wool, but I don't' know if crocheting it made it harder to felt or not. I'm going to try again in the machine, but now I have to wait to have some laundry to do at the laundromat! I did get a little better hand method of felting going today. I used two plastic drinking glasses in hot soapy water to mimic the agitation action of a washing machine so my hands didn't get so tired! Up and down, up and down, pumping those glasses on the crocheted purse, but to no avail! It sure looked like what a washing machine does, and man, did I get the soap suds!  Maybe I just didn't do it long enough.....

While sitting with the knitting group yesterday, I was winding a ball of yarn the way my mother had taught me, and a couple of gals asked what I was doing. I showed them how to wind a ball of yarn so that it pulls out from the center. They loved it and immediately wanted me to show them how I do it, so I did. I could buy a ball winder, but I LIKE winding my hanks of yarn by hand, and it reminds me of my mom, so it's comforting to me. Here's how I do it: I take the end and hold it in my palm. The end stays coiled up in my palm as I start winding around three of my fingers until I get a little cluster of yarn.

Then I slide out my fingers and just stick my thumb back into the center of the little cluster and start winding around the little cluster close to my thumb. I keep twisting my thumb around in the little hole so that the winding process keeps the yarn crossing close to my thumb and moving around in a diagonal pattern around the ball. I try to keep winding close to my thumb so the yarn doesn't fall off the ball.

I pulled my thumb out of the hole in this last photo above to show you how keeping your thumb in the center as you wind makes the hole for the yarn to come out from the center easily later.

And there you have it.....a ball of yarn with an easy center pull out. You don't want to wind too tightly or it will be harder to pull out the yarn.....

My sister has started with her loom! I'm excited for her!  She is experimenting on the same piece with different types of yarns and colors. So much can be done with texture and color, I can't wait to see her as she progesses with trying different materials! I'll have to get more information about what kind of loom it is and what size it is....

Until next time....we'll have to see what Millie's girls* are up to!

*That's Jeannie and Lyle