Random Wednesday Business Thoughts

I'm really happy with how the giveaway is going. I mainly wanted to get myself over the 200 hump and it has accomplished that and then some. It has also gotten some lurkers out of the shadows which is always nice. I really like the above picture even though it doesn't show off the scarf or headband very well. I still haven't really gotten a handle on my camera or its functions. It's been either cloudy or too darn hot every day that I've felt like taking pictures for the past few months. Yes, I am full of excuses. I have literally hundreds of items in my inventory that are unphotographed. I'm okay with it for the most part since I am feeling ambivalent about my Etsy shop right now and I'm not ready to make a commitment with any of the other options yet. I've embraced craft shows as the way to make money from my knitting and am excited about doing as many as possible this Fall.

Of the other on-line options out there I really like the direction that Artfire is going but I am unsure of the $12 a month fee. I love the customization that they've made available to the shops and how much they are listening to their sellers, something so different from the Etsy experience right now. But I am very aware that there are about 6 months of the year that I will make very few sales even with all the promotion in the world. The other 6 months would have to be much more lucrative than Etsy was last winter to make it worth it. I haven't taken the time to investigate to see if I could go back and forth between the free shop and the upgraded shop but that is something to explore.

I went through my inventory a few weeks ago to see where I stand. No, I haven't been keeping up on my records as I intended to this year. But I got everything separated out so that I could see what I needed to be working on over the summer months. As I suspected I have plenty of scarflettes and actually had to buy a bigger bin to store them in. I do so love making scarflettes and hopefully they will still be popular at this years shows. I also have more than enough of the higher end scarves.

I think there will be less people willing to make a bigger investment this year than last so I really need to focus on the lower end line. This is my least favorite knitting but for the next 4 months it needs to be my priority. I have plenty of yarn in my supply and I just need to keep finding ways to keep it interesting. I've been using my big needles with several yarns held together which creates some fun scarves that knit up super fast. I've also been using some easy lace stitches that keep me interested with the lower end yarns. I need to get my headbands and wristcuff supply up as well. These are quick knits and I will spend a weekend just doing them which makes them go fast. I'm not real sure about my pouches but I think I will try some different ideas out for little bags. I don't know how well they will sell at the shows but I think it is always good to have variety.

Summer Fun With Lenox Knits Giveaway!

I've decided to celebrate my 200th post with a little giveaway. Yes this is my 200th post and I am also just 4 away from 200 followers. Coincidence, probably. But I still wanted to have a little fun with it. I've decided to giveaway this lacy and fun scarf in vibrant summer colors with a matching headband worth $25 combined. It is a silk and viscose blend and is lightweight and very drapey, perfect for summer days. You can tie the scarf around your waist and wear it is a belt or let it hang loose as a fashion scarf all year round.

I'm going to keep the rules simple. All you have to do to win is follow my blog and leave a comment letting me know. If you already follow my blog than just leave me a comment letting me know. Please include a way to contact you if your e-mail is not easily found on your blog.

If you would like to get one extra entry you can tweet the contest and follow me on twitter. Please leave a comment with the link for your tweet.

It is open to anyone with free worldwide shipping. I will choose the winner by using the random number generator on June 30, 2009.

Happy Anniversary to Me!

Thanks for bearing with me as I rambled this week on my beloved and our unique brand of marital harmony. There's lots more I could say about Mike and our comfortable and happy life together but I'll save it for next year. It took me a long time to get to this place and I spent many years longing for someone who would understand me and still want to be with me. So in conclusion of this week long anniversary celebration here is my message to Mike in handmade glory. Way better than Hallmark any day!

Initial Letter I Antique Typewriter Oak Leaf Ring
Q A Create

The Letter L
Kelsyhenke

Initials Collection- O Pendant
Molly Stuff

v- Small Shadow Box
Fleureish

handpainted wooden letter E
Kailey Hawthorn


SOLDERED GLASS WEARABLE ART INITIAL PENDANT
The Cutting Edge

Vintage Crockery Mosaic Letter O

Anna Tilson

U- The alphabet Series
Dot84design

My True Love Part 3

The great thing about my Mike is that even though he is a science nerd he is also incredibly creative too. He plays guitar and has a band with his twin brother on drums and his best friend since he was 4 on vocals and bass. They really are quite good and I'm not just saying that since I'm his wife. You can hear some of their originals on the website he's working on here. He has no aspirations to be a rock star but he just really loves playing music with his buddies and sharing it with people.

When I first met him he was a closet guitar player and was apprehensive to play in public. When Chris moved back into town two years ago they started playing together regularly and with Chris as his partner he started playing at a coffee shop and then a wine bar as a regular duo. Mike started writing songs and he and Chris were able to convince his brother who is a very good drummer to join the team. I'm so proud of what they've accomplished and how far they've come together. They have a local booking agent now that will hopefully be able to get them into some new venues. And Mike has put together a CD with some of the originals. He spent last Friday at his Mom's house cutting out the inserts and getting them all together to sell at the Big Top Tent Sale. Betty called it his little craft project which I thought was hilarious. They sold a few to strangers and more to friends and family.

The great thing about Mike's music passion is that he totally understands my passion for knitting. He has never given me trouble for buying yarn or the time I devote to my hobby. The fact that we both have outside passions and interests keeps our relationship fresh and interesting. Financially our hobbies now pay for themselves with our different ventures which is also a good thing.

He is also a very good writer and has dabbled in writing science fiction. He has a book that he has started about 3 times and every summer he devotes time to it. I tease him that he will never finish it but even if he never does I still respect him for trying. He has ADD and can rarely spend more than 15 minutes at a time focused on anything other than his computer games. The fact that he is able to write and be as accomplished as a musician really is quite remarkable.

My True Love Part 2

Thanks so much for indulging me on my anniversary week. I told Mike not to read my blog this week until I told him to and he said not to worry that he lives my blog so he doesn't have to read it. I was once talking to Mike about how I couldn't believe that my sister married someone so much like my father (macho, traditional values and ideas about relationships, and highly impatient). Mike came back with the fact that I shouldn't be surprised since I had married my mother (catty, loves to tell stories and gossip, lazy, and passive). I couldn't believe that he was the one to point it out to me but it was totally true.

Mike and I have honestly had one total blowout in our entire relationship and it was about toilet paper, which is not as uncommon as you would think I have discovered. We have lots of little squabbles but they are almost immediately forgotten. When we first started dating I tried to instigate fights since that was what I knew but it just didn't work with him. His gentle and honest spirit is one of the things that I love most about him.

He absolutely adores his mother's poodle, Hershey, seen above. Mike sings songs to him and gushs over him every time we are at the house. My family thinks that I am depriving him of a pet but he insists the few weeks we watch him a year for Betty while she visits New York is all he needs.

He is also very good with kids and has legions of students and former students who adore him. He calls himself the King of the Nerds and his Physics classroom is often one of the few places that students feel like they can be themselves. My little niece Kate who is definitely a nerd in training has been in love with him since she was an infant. He was one of the few people she would let hold her when she was a baby and as a toddler would follow bald, heavy set men around that looked like Mike. They have a real bond and I told him it was because he was the only one she considers an intellectual equal. The kids moving has actually been almost as hard on him as me in fact.
The fact that he would make such a great father is one of the main reasons I'm so torn right now about our decision not to have kids. There is a real part of me that feels like I'm depriving him of that role but he insists it is not something he needs in his life and is perfectly content either way. I know this is true since he is so honest and would have no problem telling me otherwise and Mike really is a content soul. He is happy with our life together and finds joy in his job and hobbies. I have no doubt he would be happy as a father or as a beloved uncle whichever way it all works out.

My True Love

Since this is my anniversary week I thought I would share some of the reasons I love my nerdy and sweet husband. Let me start off by saying that before Mike I had rarely dated nerds. I had my bad boy phase and my cop phase and had a very distinct look that Mike most definitely did not fit. But when I was set up with him I had just turned 30 and had a much more open mind about men and what I wanted/needed in a mate. I wanted someone who "got" me and whose quirks were compatible with my own. I needed companionship and someone with an understanding spirit to put up with my varying moods. The picture above is from the first year of our relationship at my first Archon, a gaming convention that Mike and his twin brother have been attending every year since they turned 12.

One story that I think sums up a lot of the reasons I love Mike is from when we were planning our wedding. As I described here we had quite the wedding event that took a lot of time and money to organize and caused a lot of stress on my part. I grew up in a house with a lot of turmoil and fights which was not the best environment for someone with the anxiety I have. My parents are very passionate people and there was always a lot of high emotions in our house. Mike is a very low key and relaxed kind of guy which is exactly what I needed.

I was venting to my mother about Mike complaining to me about the money we were spending on the wedding. I had not learned the boundaries yet that all marriages have to come to between what you share with the in-laws and what you keep between the two of you. I told her how he was annoyed with how much I had spent on my Dad's father's day present. As the words were leaving my mouth it struck me that it was a bad idea since my parents were footing a large portion of the bills for the reception. I later told Mike that I had told my mother in a spiteful moment. There was a moment of silence when I really thought I had struck a nerve and he was going to finally let me have it. Then he said, "Well, I'm going to tell my Mom that you called her a whore."

If you knew my mother in law you would know how hilarious that comment is. She is a widow who doesn't have a whorish bone in her body. It totally broke the tension between us and brought my guard crashing down. This is one of the things I absolutely love about Mike. He knows how to put me in my place but never in a mean or spiteful way.

I'll share some more stories of our true love as the week goes in if you don't mind indulging me.

Anniversary Gifts

So this Friday is Mike and my 5 year anniversary. We are going to the Melting Pot for a romantic dinner that night complete with my mother-in-law. Could Mike be any more of a mama's boy I ask? It is our ritual to have Friday night dinner every week with his Mom and our anniversary is no exception. She is a total sweetheart so it's actually perfectly fine by me and watching her try to figure out the fondue will be entertainment I'm sure.











I have a tradition of getting him a fun handmade anniversary present. Some of them were bigger hits than others. His favorite has been the custom Mean bags by Maybe You Should Die with our "pet" names for each other. He was creeped out by the naked clay figures of us that I got the next year. Tip: if you do get naked clay figures of yourself made, don't leave them out when your niece comes over, (not fun explaining that one).

He liked the tits and ass soap I got him last year although I don't think he's used it much. He got a kick out of when I told Uncle Jack about it and he was able to whip out the CD from the musical and play the tune "Tits and Ass" in the car. Only Uncle Jack would have that CD in his car for that perfect moment.

This year I got him the cross stitched picture from Needles & Pins of this quote from the Anchorman movie. He is always saying that line at work and I thought it would be appropriate to hang in his classroom. I also got him the card at the top by the very clever NotMoir. The inside says "Oh wait, I think that's just gas." After 5 years we have to be able to keep each other amused.