Yay, Etsy!

I'm a real Etsy fan.  I find the best bargains, wonderful quality, and unique things/objects/jewelry/ whatever.

I thought it would be nice to share some of my faves with you, just  in case you need ideas for, gasp, the holidays.  Yep, they are all upon us in less than 3 months and we'd better get prepared.  Hanukkah is December 1-9!  That's 2 months from Friday.  So, check these vendors out and maybe you'll find some answers to the never-ending question of "What am I going to get them?"  A word of warning:  these are all female oriented; the Hubbo and I are way too smart to exchange presents.

American Girl Doll clothing.  You can get the prettiest stuff on Etsy, and not crazy expensive either.  Of course if you have a persnickety kid, who only wants AG stuff, well then that's your problem.  Miss P is the proud owner of tons of Etsy clothing for her dolls, and in fact, doesn't want the standard AG clothing; she likes the variety and different outfits  that I find her.  The Principessa is of the same opinion.


http://www.etsy.com/shop/juliascreations - Julia's Creations has contemporary outfits, and they are around $15 - $20.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Margarettedesigns4AG - Margarette Designs with the prettiest period costumes and in the range of $16-25.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CindyrellasCloset - Does your doll need jammies?  For a mere $16, you can get really cute ones.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/sassydollcreations - Pretty little dresses and outfits from $8.75!!!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/nayasdesigns - A nice variety of outfits mostly in the $20-30 range.  I've bought a lot of her clothing and everything is so well made.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/sewgrandmacathy - Both AG and Barbie outfits from $3- 8.75.  How can you beat this?

Bags, knitting and others.  I admit that I'm a sucker for a nice cloth sock bag; I own more than anyone needs, and I still get the tug to buy them.  I also love any cloth tote.  The Hubbo calls me "Ruth the Schlepper";  I carry way too much junk around with me.  As much as I adore Coach bags, just the leather alone is too heavy.  And then, when I load up my stuff, well, it just doesn't work.  But give me a nice fabric tote, and I still overload it, but at least the bag itself doesn't destroy my shoulders.  OK, it does, but not nearly the way a leather satchel will do it to me.  Here are some of my favorites. 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/zigzagstitches - Catherine is wicked.  She is the worst sock back enabler going.  Ask me how I know!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Clutterbags - Charming purses, both big and little.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/56495677/drawstring-bag-pattern-the-original? - If you want to sew your own patchwork bag, here are the instructions.  Too bad I'm such a crummy seamstress.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ruddawg - Wonderful sock and knitting bags, and pretty cheap, too. 
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Messie - I bought my very first sock bag from her and it's still going strong.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ibunnysavetroy - She's a college kid.  Sews beautifully.  Go, support her!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/affordablebagdesigns?ref=seller_info - I haven't bought from her yet, but I'm seriously thinking about it.  This bag stuff is an addiction!

And, of course, you know that I'm on Etsy:  http://fritzl.etsy.com

That's enough for today.  I don't want to wear you out.  What's coming up in a future Etsy moment?  jewelry, soap, already-knitted or crocheted clothing, stitch markers, potpourri.

itsJUSTme - What I particularily love about Etsy is that most of the vendors are "little" people like you and me.  I like supporting small businesses.  The profits go directly to the vendor and not some big anonymous corporation.

Imponderables

How come:

there are always too many dishes on the top of the dishwasher than the bottom or the reverse?  Why do we never have the same amount of dishes?

we are always out of teaspoons?  Does the teaspoon elf swipe them?

my house is such a mess?  This is rhetorical; doesn't require an answer.

the Hubbo sleeps on top of the covers?  Does he not understand that the word "cover" means for him to BE covered?

we have so much laundry?  Does it expand at night while we are sleeping?

the grass is really greener on the other side?  Do we need to start watering our lawn and wasting water?


I'm not rich?  snort.  giggle.  howl with laughter.


I don't care that I'm not rich?

I'm writing this?

you're reading this?

Good night, folks.  This silly ruth is going to sleep!

From itsJUSTme - Whoa, did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed? What exactly is "the wrong side of the bed" anyway? And if you start sleeping on the other side and get up there, does that suddenly become the "right side of the bed"? What if you jump up and get up from he bottom of the bed, is that "the really wrong side of the bed"?

Little "o" on a graph.

 Sigh.

I like to graph out my designs first on graph paper with my favorite pencil, Papermate Sharpwriter (those nice yellow ones with the points that you move up).  And then I knit from the charts, and if all is well, then I go to the computer. 

So, for the last three months, I've been slowly working on this pretty lace shawlette.  I did the pattern just by playing around, no stitch dictionary used.  Good.  It's not an easy pattern because it doesn't have repeating rows, or at least the repeat is many rows long.  So, I have to pay attention.  That's fine with me.  I'm not crazy enough to put complex stuff on the wrong side, and indeed this one has a wrong side resting row.  But still, I have to pay attention.

The last time I worked on it, maybe 2-3 weeks ago, I discovered a mistake, so carefully tinked it a few rows.  Then I worked back to where I had been.  Today, I picked it up, found where I had left off, and proceeded to work the following:  k2, yo, k14, k2tog.......  The pattern is centered and at the end of the section I should also have that k14, only instead the chart says k13.  Now I did this chart.  I can look at it and know that no way did I have an extra stitch on the right hand side of the chart.  Nope, nada, not!  But when I count it, there is that k14 and the k13 at the other side of the section.  So of course, I tinked, knit back, tinked again, knit, tinked back.  I'm thinking that my brain has ceased to function.  I took a ruler and lined up those increased on both sides of the section.  Everything is fine.  So why an extra stitch or one less stitch?

Ah ha!  Seems that I drew that little yo not very well; I didn't fill up that little box, and of course, I saw a bit of space and counted it and came to the number 14.  No, no, no!  It's actually 13 k stitches, and now I'm done tinking, at least until the next time I goof.  Fixed that little "o", and all is happy!

Henya - It's a very bad little o, and it's going on the  bad behavior chair right now.

I love Karen cashmere sock yarn.

I love all my yarns, and here is why I adore Karen mcn (merino/cashmere/nylon):  it is beyond soft, and since it has nylon, you can actually make socks from it.  Not that I would.  It's way too pretty for my feet.  This is prime yarn for scarves and shawlettes, and mitts, and cowls, and OK, socks too.

I dyed yarn yesterday morning.  The Hubbo was off on his garage sale expeditions, and it seemed a good moment to play with color.  I set out to dye autumn colors and pastels, but you know those dyes; they have a mind of their own.  I did get some lovely muted blues and teals and an antique rose, but then the dyes took over, and I have a lovely collection of rosiness and pinkies, too.  While I had my back turned, an amber colorway sneaked out into the dyepot.  What can I tell you?  I have no control here.  I can't repeat these colorways except for Summer's Last Rose.  I happily mixed and poured and played and don't ask me how I did it because I don't know.

The roses:  American Beauty

Cherie Rose

Charming Rose

 Muted Roses

Summer's Last Rose

The Blues: Black Forest

 Sleepy Meadow

Waves

And Amber:

You can email me directly if you want one before I post on Etsy.  fritzL234 AT yahoo DOT com
Otherwise, wait until I put them up on Etsy.  http://fritzl.etsy.com

Scrabblequeen - Karen yarn is $25 + the usual first class shipping of $3.  It's more than my usual yarns because it costs me considerably more.  It really is gorgeous and worth the money, and you know I'm cheap. 

Do you ever have The Wants?

What do I want?

I want this and I want that and I don't need any of it.  Here's today's abbreviated list of wants:  I want enough KnitPicks City Tweed DK to make a sweater.  The fact that I haven't finished last year's sweater started at the same time of year should tell me that I don't need more sweater yarn.  I have enough yarn to float a boat, and that includes the most delicious SW merino DK to be dyed. That doesn't stop me from wanting it, though.


I want to learn how to weave.  OK, that's doable, but not in the forseeable future.  I just don't have the time for another obsession, and where would I put all the gear.  As it is, the house is awash in yarn in various stages of preparation.  So that will have to wait.

I want to learn how to do patchwork.  I'm a lousy sewer.  I'm a very good embroiderer, but a terrible sewer.  And my sewing machine is ancient and kaput.  So do I get a new sewing machine, go into fabric stashing, and generally gnash my teeth at my crummy sewing?  Nope, but I want it and I want to do it.  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I want to be organized.  No brainer:  it will never happen.  If I haven't gotten my act together in 66 years, what makes me think I'm going to do that now?  Piffle. But still, it would be nice.

I want lots of new clothing from Lands End, Coldwater Creek and J. Jill.  And where exactly would I put it all?  The closets are so squooshed, I need nothing, and I don't want to spend a lot of money.  But still.....

I want to like to drive.  Nope, ain't happening.

I want a magic knitting and crocheting fairy to finish up all the projects that I've started so that I can start new ones.  Uh huh.  If you know that particular fairy, send her to me.  I'll bake a bread for her.

I want a personal chef.  Snort.  Giggle.

This is just the tip of the iceberg on my Wants.  What about you?  What do you want?  And don't ask for a gazillion dollars, or perfect health or world peace.  The Wants have to be doable, and realistic.  Aw, forget the realistic; this is fantasy land.  We can want what we want.  We may not get it, but who cares?  It's just fun.

And now I'm off to finish a project or two.  Gotta make room for more Wants to be filled.  Like all those projects from yesterday.

Caryn - I too hope that your dad's peaceful.  That is an awful way to live.  And I hope you get all your fun wants.  You clearly need a chauffeur.

Scrabblequeen - Hey, we're twins!  

Henya - I have a great use for your red tape:  knit a bureaucrat out of it! 

There are just not enough hours in the day.

I need more time!

Do you ever want to try so many new ideas and not have the time to do it? That's where I am these days.

I'm working happily away on my cowl project, and am almost done. OK, one idea down. The socks are just basic socks and I just motor along on them. The zillions of blankies are always in process.

But here's the thing: I want to play. Just play, and what with designing and dyeing and the normal chores, I can't seem to find the time. Of course, if I ever got off the computer, I'd have tons of time. But do I do that? nooooo. So mostly it's my fault. sigh.

BUT, nonetheless, here's some of what I want to play with:



I really want to play with these post stitches. I learned how to do them on this scarf, and liked them. Maybe another scarf or ten?



How about lots of flowers from this book? Aren't they cute?



I now own the Japanese language edition of this as well as the English one. They are not the same at all. There are lots of projects here that are calling me.



I want to do this:




And I haven't begun to think of what I want to do from the new entrelac book that I just received.

See what I mean? In my lifetime, I will never be able to do all those projects that I'm interested in. Still, I could get a good case of startitis and try some of them. Now if I would just get off Facebook.......

The Yarnarian Watches TV.

Whoo hoo! The fall season has begun. After the vast wasteland that is summer television, it's so great to watch all my regular shows again.

House is back, this time with Cuddy and House starting a relationship. The first show wasn't "House-ish" enough for me. I love his weird way of looking at the world, but I have great hopes for his usual misanthropic ways. We also watched The Event on NBC; this might grow into something.

And last night, The Biggest Loser started again. I'm in love with that show. Considering that I'm a little over 5'1" and a size 6-8 (depending on the day's blubbiness), I'm not exactly someone who is even remotely overweight. But I love to watch these poor folk go from obesity and feelings of worthlessness into strong, confident athletes. I have to admit that we tend to nibble when we watch TBL, thus defeating any possibility of weight loss for ourselves. Still, it is inspiring. Now if they only didn't keep repeating the same lines over and over and over. But then, during those repetitious moments, I can find more nibbles, and can do some bread baking, and knit, and crochet.

And while I was watching TBL, I baked some bagels. They look odd, not like store-bought ones, but they have this wonderful crackly crust. They also don't taste much like regular bagels, but they are mighty tasty.

Tonight? Who knows? Maybe I'll just read instead. I'm beginning to think that I need a 28 hour day. There is just not enough time to knit, read, compute, bake, exercise, etc, etc. If I ever get off Facebook, then I'd get the time, but do I do that? Noooo. I have to play my dopey games. What's a day without Farmville or Cafe World? Not to mention the never-ending games of Klondike on MindJolt.

Pics? Nope, not at the moment. I'm writing this at 5AM, because I wake up every morning at 4ish, play on Facebook, and now I'm blogging. Besides, I haven't done enough of anything to show you new pics. And so it goes.

Back to slumberland. Talk to you soon.