Photo Friday

Yum....

This Designer's Dream

I have...before me... NINE colors of the same yarn ready for swatching/designing/playing.  AND I think I have at least 4-5 more colors in my closet.  Really, really fun. 

Why didn't anyone tell me....

That my book in "German" is really "French"?  LOL.  I swear the books arrived with a sticky note on them that said, "German"  but apparently it is French?  I have no idea, I didn't really double check but instead took the sticky at it's word... isn't that embarrassing?

Either way, I'm taking Europe by storm! LOL I think I need some International travel.

Office Organization

Now that I have a clean office I feel the need to reflect on the organization system I have. I'd love to hear how you all have your space organized.

My space has always been organized into sections but my drop and go lifestyle has created chaos over the top of the underlying system.

On my desk:  Tool box, in-box for 'to-be-filed' paperwork, second monitor, and my laptop when I'm writing patterns. This is an old photo. The inspiration board had to move because Tom put in cabinets above my desk.

Over my desk: A shelf for HELP.... garment design templates, sizing charts, graph paper, tracing paper, articles on sizing. Another shelf of REFERENCE... stitch dictionaries and a basket of swatches that haven't been sold yet.  A shelf for Office supplies that I don't want on my desk including color pencils, stapler, etc. In the other cabinet.... ONGOING BINDERS..... where I keep large books paperwork in one spot. I have a binder for the Knit and Crochet Now tv show, and binders for books THREE, FOUR, and FIVE. Also on that shelf is the style templates that I have for the yarn companies and magazines that I work for.

Behind me on the Bookshelf: The top shelf is the most recent year or two of all the crochet magazines, and the knit books clustered together. On the bottom shelf, all the knit books. Several books clustered together of garment design, then books on techniques, Tunisian, hairpin, then books that are my favorites, then a few vintage books that I never look at but keep for sentimental reasons.

Printers, modems, copy machine on the back wall. The Cabinet over the bookshelf is paper, ink, printer cartridges, labels, etc. Boring Stuff.  There is very little yarn in the office, it's all in the closet. 

Photo Friday: Office

 My family cannot believe my office. Chickee said she was speechless. Why that reaction?

                                                                I cleaned it.

It took me 4 days off an on. (Shameful!) I really should have gotten you a before photo. But you don't really need one, just think of an episode of Hoarders.  (Just to be clear, it's only my office that gets totally out of control in the house...) It's just when I'm done with a project, I just don't have a plan for what to do with the messy leftover yarns and labels and notes, etc, so it gets dumped.  (Note to self... make a plan....)

No, really this is GOOD for my office closet.  I have project bags hanging from hangers. All the yarn I'm not using is in bins.  I took 5 trash bags of yarn out of this closet and 2 trash bags of trash and more boxes than a few. All in all, I think I'm nesting... there must be a BIG, REALLY REALLY BIG project in my future. ;)

Turns out that big gray chicken in the back... is a rooster. (Insert sad trombone sound here...)  So far, we are keeping him. He is crowing now and shows signs of, uh, maturity.

Back to School Wednesday!

Chickee in 7th grade and Chief is in 5th!  :)  What great kids!

French!

I feel like I told you this already but I can't find the post.... Go Crochet! Afghan Design Workbook is now in French.

:)  Pretty Cool, huh?

Teal Treasure Wrap Revealed!

The Teal Treasure Wrap is in the new October 2013 issue of Crochet World magazine. It's made of Caron yarn, Simply Soft Light. It is an easy to memorize row pattern with excellent drape. You can read more of the materials details on the Wrap's Ravelry Page HERE. :)  You can also "favorite" it or add it to your "queue".

Photo Friday

I also did some... KNITTING on vacation!  I'm taking Miriam Felton's Lace Shawl Design Online Knitting Class  on Craftsy.

I actually DID the homework, practice swatches! They were fun and easy and I got them done in the car on the way TO vacation.

I'm learning SO MUCH! I feel that it has taken my beginner/advanced beginner knitting skills to the NEXT LEVEL!  On they way HOME from vacation... I was knitting LACE!  Very productive.

What I did on my Summer Vacation...

Swatch pile!

I learned Hairpin Lace!  I was inspired by Kimberly McAlindin who had a gorgeous Hairpin top on at the CGOA Knit and Crochet Show and a beautiful Walnut Loom from Stitch Diva studios... I think I *must* get one of those looms for myself... Maybe a reward for myself when I finish Book FIVE, due Dec 31. The loom I was using in the photo was so old.... (how old was it?) that the prongs only fit in a few of the holes and only in certain directions... very annoying. Note my gorgeous Namaste bag in the background.... Thank you Namaste and Marly Bird, the Maven at the Yarn Thing Podcast and the Yarn Thing Designer Dinner.... OH! Also note my Chic-a Bag that I'm working from, which was *PERFECT* for the beach with the oilskin bottom, making the sand easy to shake off!

The 'To-Do' List, a photo essay...

When I go to the Crochet Guild of America's conferences, the Knit and Crochet Shows, I come home with MONTHS worth of work. There are many ways to measure the "success" of a show. Who I got to hang out with, who I met, what I learned, what yarn and goodies I discovered. The bottom line though is.... Did I earn/contract out MORE than what I SPENT (on the trip).  The first year, no, back in 2006 the first one I went to I didn't come home with commitments that earned more than my travel expenses. After that though... it builds. Since then I have always brought home commitments and contacts that add up to more than what I spent. Sometimes it takes a few to several weeks after the trip to see it all shake-down. Sometimes the conversations I've had at the conferences lead to work later in the year as the conversation continues.

With that said, my to-do list is now making me feel like I'm up in a truck lift stranded without power....

(this actually happened to the Captain this summer, luckily, he was smart enough to bring his cell phone with him.)

And when the to-do list hits like a ton of bricks, I admit it makes me want to "hunker down" ....

(at Ft. Sumter in Charleston....)

When I look at my to-do list, I think I'd better get out the BIG GUNS....and look to my talents and assets to help get things done.

(Canons at Ft. Sumter)

and I'd better get my priorities in hand.... and work on the things that are due first... first.

(Cool hand chairs at the The Tides Hotel, Folly Beach, SC)

So, when I look at my to-do list, I often feel like hiding with a bag over my head...

But I know the only really solution is to peck away at the list little by little....

Make it a productive day everyone!

Vacation Crochet

Do you crochet while on vacation or do you take a vacation FROM crochet?
My crochet goes with me. We had a very long drive so I got a great deal of crocheting done. Here's the kids at Folly Beach, Charleston, SC.

Hmm, how can the cool pier structure inspire a design? We'll see!

We're Back!

Sorry I was absent last week. We were on family vacation and I don't like to put out into the world that we were away until we get back. Anyway, it was a family vacation but I worked a great deal and I'll tell you about it when I figure out how to get some of the photos off my camera.  In the meantime, here's a photo of us at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina.

A Wonderful week...

It's time for a WONDERFUL WEEK of learning and Designing. I used to trry for a MONTH of design binge, now I have to squeeze in a week....

Photo Friday

Piglet and Charlie