Tracey Knits is Online!

you can find me here

2011-05-10T04:41:00.000-07:00

sorry, but you are no longer going to find my updates here. If you want to know the latest about me, you are just going to have to go and check out my brand new website:

http://www.traceyknits.com

hope to see you there!
Tracey

Sign up or miss out!

2011-05-04T15:57:00.000-07:00

I have been working super hard to get the new website up and it looks like the big launch is just around the corner. And when I say just around the corner, I mean like NEXT WEEK!

soooooo.... you have got to sign up for the email newsletter if you dont want to miss out on all the cool new stuff that we will be doing over at the new site.

The Hammer of the Gods!

2011-05-04T04:23:00.000-07:00

Thor Golf Club Cover by Traceyknits

Thor opens this weekend in movie theaters across the country. While the opening of another Marvel Comics action film may not seem like a big deal to you, consider some of the details:

Marvel films are now made by Disney studios
The film was directed by Oscar Nominated Actor/Director Kenneth Branagh
It stars Oscar winner Natalie Portman and Sir Anthony Hopkins

Sounds to me like it a sure fire hit. We will see what happens. As shown in past box office flops, sometimes too much of a good thing is just that.

I plan on seeing it just for the scene where He takes his shirt off. See that body in the trailer here:

Where are you?

2011-05-03T04:29:00.000-07:00

Justice League Knit Golf Club Cover Pattern
by TraceyKnits

Have you ever googled yourself? You know you have at one time or another done a search to see what people out there are seeing about you. You may have even googled your Etsy shop, but have you googled the competition?

I had a a BIG wakeup call the other day when I decided to do a google search for "knit golf club covers". The first sign of my shop was on page 4, and that was a review from a blog. The link to my actual shop came up on page 8.

PAGE 8!

You know that no one is going to leaf through 8 pages to find my shop unless the first 7 are filled with garbage, which I must say, where not. None of the others made anything like what I make, but how can they find me on page 8?

Think about your SEO!

This is a perfect example of why SEO is important. And how did I correct the problem you may ask? Well I will tell you: View Source.

Every webpage has a source code that you can view by clicking on "View/Developer/View Source" in your navigation's toolbar. In the meta tags, under keywords, you will find what you need. Go to the first page that comes up and read those keywords, they may be the thing that is leaving your shop at the bottom of the pile!

Like this article? Be sure to sign up for the email newsletter. We will send you updates right to your inbox. ---->

This Day in History

2011-05-02T07:21:00.000-07:00

Custom Marine golf club cover
by traceyknits

I woke up this morning to find out that Osama Bin Laden had been killed by US forces in Pakistan. After the shock of the years of anticipation for this moment wore off, I started thinking about President Obama's place in history.

Did you know that on the same day in 1945, the world found out that Hitler had killed himself in Berlin? A Democrat, Harry S. Truman sat in the Oval Office.

Hitler is Dead - 1945
Osama is Dead - 2011

I hope that his death brings some comfort to those who have lost loved ones to this man's horrific plots against the world. And I hope that it does not renew enthusiasm for those that follow him.

Get in the Hole

2011-04-30T04:34:00.000-07:00

Fear Bob Barker

Are you a golfer? Do you enjoy a golf movie? If you do you are not alone.

Millions of people share your love of the drama on the green. Some of the most memorable comedies of all time have centered around this gentleman's sport, often finding humor in the not-so-gentlemanly behavior of some characters.

According to SportsinMovies.com, here are the top golf movies ever made:

What is your all time fave? You can include movies with golf scenes but are not about golf:

The Official Announcement

2011-04-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

Time to Change

2011-04-28T04:13:00.000-07:00

It was inevitable. My website was going to have to change in a major way. Not that I dont love all of you who follow me so loyally, just the opposite is true. I want to very much to give you the best website possible that I have been working feverishly to figure out how best to serve you.

Great Scott! I have found the answer!

Like many of you out there, I am a sports widow. I adore my husband, but I am NOT a fan of watching sports on TV. How do you survive this life of spousal fandom? Lets take the journey together. Maybe we will even learn to appreciate the down-time a little :)

If you are ready to take the wild ride, please sign up for my email newsletter. I will be contacting everyone when the big re-launch happens, and may even have some great surprises!

Top Shop: Waste of Money

2011-04-26T04:16:00.000-07:00

You are a crafter. You have a shop on etsy where you sell your handmade creations. You sell a few items a week/month, enough to pay for your supplies and listing fees with maybe a little something extra.

Does this description fit you to a tee? Then it is time for you to make a decision:
are you a crafter or an entrepreneur?

Hand Stenciled Shirt by Verbing

This is how I answered that question for myself:

Do you seek out anything and everything that might help you learn to make your shop a success?
Do you subscribe to newsletters of blogs featuring articles on making your shop work?
Do you check your shop stats often to see what new ideas have worked for you?
Do you imagine yourself working full time on your shop?

If you said yes to these questions, you may have the right stuff. Sometimes it takes a little more then you can find online for free to make it as a crafting entrepreneur. You can find that online for prices ranging from $4 to $1000, depending on how much help you think you need.

If you are not putting this effort in already, chances are these programs are a waste of money for you. Enjoy your moderate success. You may stumble upon sales without effort, and you will definitely enjoy making your products, but you will not have wasted your time and money on these serious programs.

Still interested? I will be sure to highlight some of my favorite programs over the next few weeks.

Geekly Weekly: Greatest Treasury Ever Sold

2011-04-25T04:23:00.000-07:00

So you say you want to sell on etsy but your not sure how to get noticed. How about borrowing a little brand recognition from some of the big boys? What is good for us is also good for the brands. Being a "pop icon" means that people will buy anything and everything related to their product. We keep the brand fresh and creative while reminding shoppers that they can still buy the official products in stores.

Or at least that is what I keep telling myself about my golf club covers....

Yarn Goes Gangsta

2011-04-23T05:58:00.000-07:00

I am a fiber artist. I have chosen yarn as my medium and my finished products are works of art.

Like many children of the 80's in NYC, I grew up surrounded by some of the great graffiti artists of all time. Haring and Basquet who both started their careers as graffiti artists, transformed the urban landscape.

What an amazing time to live in when 2 movements have converged and have made such a substantial impact on the world. "Yarn Bombing", as the graffiti is called, can be seen all over. Now a documentary is being made to draw more attention to the artists behind it.

Check out this video, and if you feel moved to donate, you can find more information on doing that here: http://www.indiegogo.com/Yarn-Graffiti-Documentary#

Right Tool For The Job

2011-04-21T04:12:00.000-07:00

Wood Knitting Needles by Baahurrah

There are many similarities between knitting and golf. One of the most important is using the right tools for the job. As a golfer I would never pick up a driver to putt a few feet, and as a knitter I wouldn't use aluminum straights to knit socks.

So how do you learn what is the right tool for the job? Well in both cases, it is a combination of advice and experience.

When I first began knitting, I was told that the easiest thing to learn on was bamboo. You are less likely to drop stitches because of its "sticky" nature. I loved knitting on them and began investing in bamboo needles in every size. Now I have a collection of needles I barely use. Why? Because once I got past the learning stage, I found out that aluminum needles are a lot "faster" and lighter.

So now its your turn, what have you learned in your craft from experience?

Top Shop: 13 billion dollars

2011-04-19T04:13:00.000-07:00

Handpainted Wooden Pin by StudioFludd

You are not alone in the crafting universe, but if you are making a living at it as your full time job, you are definitely in the minority. According to CODA (craft organization development association), 127,000 people in the US list craft artist as their primary occupation. This, of course, does not include 26,000 painters and sculpters, 137,000 photographers, and all those people who do it on the side.

So why try? The craft business in this country generates $13,800,000,000 in revenue annually. That includes supplies sold and finished products. The average gross income of a crafter is $76,000. That is a pretty nice number for getting to do what you love. 79% work from a home based studio, so you would get to work in your pajamas. 52% of their sales are direct to their customers. That is the one that I found most amazing.

More then half of professional crafter's sales come from selling directly to their customers.

That means you control your own fate. The harder you work towards your goal, the more likely you are to achieve it. Work harder, work smarter, keep your eyes on the prize.

Geekly Weekly: 4 Questions

2011-04-18T04:51:00.000-07:00

Passover begins tonight. My favorite part of the tradition has to be the youngest child asking the four questions. In reality, there are 5 questions, something I have never quite understood. Maybe I should add that question to the list this year, making the total 6. Those questions can really add up!

ANYWAY... this week's collection was inspired by the great questions of geek culture. Do you know the answer to life, the universe and everything?

For Those Rainy Weekends

2011-04-16T04:23:00.000-07:00

Wall Decal by DesignUnited

You made a tee time but sadly the weather decided not to cooperate. Get that golfing fix you need in the comfort of your home... online. Check out these sites that offer online games geared towards you fans of the links.

http://www.netgolfgames.com/

http://www.worldgolftour.com/

http://www.minigolfonlinegames.com/

You have any sites you frequent?

Simple Knit: the Bunny Square

2011-04-14T04:36:00.000-07:00

It is often easy to forget how much fun it is to just whip a project up in no time at all. Well, most of my projects take about a day for me to make so maybe I am not the person who should be making that statement, but it doesn't make it any less true!

My Finished Bunny

While knitting at a Girl Scout meeting, some of the other moms asked if I would be willing to teach them how to work the needles. I was excited at the idea of turning new people on to this ancient art and excitedly accepted the challenge.

Now what would a new knitter want to make?

I remember knitting my first scarf. It felt like it went on FOREVER. A bookmark is just not enough time to get the hang of what you are doing. A washcloth, who wants to make one of those...

A Bunny Square!

I found a great blog that had a nice, easy pattern. I did a run through. I am ready to teach these newbees how to knit.

Just in time for Easter, knit up a bunny in about an hour. I am sure I am going to make more :)

Top Shop: Stats that will blow your mind

2011-04-12T04:18:00.000-07:00

Agnes by CricketandBear

63% of us decide NOT to buy a product advertised on the Internet because we think the shipping and handling charges add too much to the order.*

80% of Americans say giving personal information (especially their credit card information) over the Internet scares the living sh#t out of them.*
*stats from home business for beginners

Do these blow your mind? Both directly effect you if you sell your handmade creations online. So how do you deal with these major obstacles to selling on the Internet? Here are some ideas:

Offer free or at cost shipping. You can add a little to the price of the item if you are concerned about the loss of money, but you may make the difference up in volume anyway.
You can offer free shipping as a coupon code in your shop announcement. People who were smart enough to browse your whole shop will benefit.
Use services like paypal to accept credit cards and offer to take other forms of payment too.
Be sure to indicate in your store policies that you do not share personal information and have no hidden fees, then keep to your word.

Now you can get to work chipping away at that large percentage of scaredy-cats. What have you tried to quell those shoppers fears?

What's New?

2011-04-11T07:58:00.000-07:00

Have something amazingly cool and new in your shop this week? Share here!

Rules:
1) please dont post more then one item
2) please only post items that went up on etsy this week
3) please share this page everywhere :)

Geekly Weekly: Hop To It

2011-04-11T04:36:00.000-07:00

What does a bunny have to do with the resurrection of Christ? Well, whatever the reason we worship these little rodents, they are as much a part of the holiday as the eggs they bring. So lets celebrate EB's brethren; The White Rabbit, The Beast of Caerbannog ...

In The Press

2011-04-09T05:59:00.000-07:00

have you seen me someplace before? Check out some of the amazing places I have been featured:

Features and Interviews
CNBC: Etsy.com: A Shore Thing
MSN: Superbowl Kids Bash
Lil Sugar: Superbowl Gear For Babies
Handmadeology: Handmade Top 10: Geekery

Published
Etsy and Paypal Stats Analysis
Organize Your Craft Space
Video Knitting Tutorials and a Free Pattern

Something New

2011-04-08T04:43:00.000-07:00

Sneaker Baby Booties Pattern by Traceyknits

It has been a while (well for me anyway) since I wrote up a successful new pattern. You can imagine how I felt today when i completed work on a brand new pair of baby booties that i created entirely out of my imagination.

Making things for babies is a joy I share with many knitters. Besides the fact that it is so nice to see their cute little bodies in our handmade creations, most projects are so small that they can take you little more then a day to complete. Even with creating this project from scratch, I was able to knit, type it up and photograph it in about 4 hours.

I have already posted the pattern for sale, and the original pair will be going to a very sporty young man who will be born this May. He will also have a very cute matching football helmet to wear this winter.

Geek Craft: Foam Lightsaber

2011-04-07T04:47:00.000-07:00

Buy them on Etsy from Crich

I know, normally my crafts are sports themed, but I found this project and could not resist. My son is OBSESSED with playing with his hard plastic lightsaber. i have gotten knocked by that thing playing with him one too many times. Wouldn't it be nice to be hit with something soft and still be able to enjoy playing with my little guy? Thank goodness someone thought of this!

Makes 2 lightsabers

Materials:
1 - Foam Pool Noodle
Black Duct Tape
Silver Duct Tape
Utility Knife

for the full instructions, check out the Jedi Broad Squad.

Lets Craft Geekly

2011-04-06T08:03:00.000-07:00

Star Wars Craft Book by Bonnie Burton

I should have been the one to write this book. Sadly, I am not, but I am excited to see all the great new ideas Bonnie Burton collected to share with us geeky crafters.

My fave so far? It has to be the Chewbacca Sock Puppet. Don't have the skills to knit yourself one of my golf club covers, this is the next best thing. Personally, Chewbacca is my least favorite of all my patterns, mostly because I am not a fan of fun fur, so this seemed like an amazing alternative.

Also, try out the Talz Snow Globe. Who doesn't love a clever snow globe?

Want to try out some sample projects? Amazon has generously posted these 4 patterns on their website.

Top Shop: What's The Big Idea?

2011-04-05T04:23:00.000-07:00

Dancing Bear Golf Club Covers by TraceyKnits on Etsy

I am super excited that I found my big idea. In the way that Steve Martin was when he discovered his "Special Purpose" in The Jerk, I now know what it is I bring to the world through my work. How did I come upon it? Well, I was hoping you would ask me that :)

While Watching Kathy Lee and Hoda the other day, the show had a feature on fashions in sports clothing. So far, right up my alley right? A lot of the outfits were very new designs for running, tennis, etc... then there was golf. The golfer was wearing something super-sexy and cool; something I would love to wear on the course but KNOW I would never see on any of the golfers I know. The thought got in my mind, why do these golfers take themselves so seriously? Why is their equipment and clothing so serious? What I love most about my golf club covers is that they are light-hearted and fun; not so serious. Soooooo...

I am putting play back in the game.

Yay! My big idea!

Everyone needs a big idea that drives their company. Some call it a moto, others a slogan. It is imperative to the success of your shop that you know why you do what you do. It is one of the reasons your customers choose your shop over others that may offer similar items. Reebok and Nike both have sneakers, but Nike has "Just Do It", a slogan that has brought them success beyond their competitors.

Now my customers will know why they should choose my shop; I will make their golf game more fun by the addition of my club covers.

Do you know your big idea? Share it in the comments below.

Geekly Weekly: Talk to the Hand

2011-04-04T04:30:00.000-07:00

If you follow me on twitter, you got to know me a little better a few days ago as I participated in the #100factsaboutme. One of the things I neglected to share is my obsession with hands. I have a collection of them on my fireplace mantle and I have done numerous paintings of them. So no disrespect, but you need to talk to the hand...

Top Shop: the twitter experiment (part 2)

2011-04-03T04:33:00.000-07:00

All You Need Is Love by AbbieRoad

If you didn't read Part 1, you can check it out here.

Now on to Part 2...

It was a total failure! I am terrible at scheduling myself to do anything. Even when I have it written in a calendar it will often go undone unless I FEEL like it.

Day 1, 2, 3... I tweeted a link to my shop, when I remembered, then didn't do it at the same time the next day. Then I lost interest in the experiment. So goes the life of an adult with ADD.

There is a lesson to be learned here.

play to your strengths. If it is not in your nature to work on a schedule like that every day, don't force yourself. Nothing important can come from your struggle.
twitter, while it is a wonderful free tool for promotion, is not the be-all end-all. What works for some wont for others.
Yes, I do get small jumps in traffic from twitter, but a large portion of the traffic to my shop is from google searches. That I learned on google analytics.

anyone else want to try the twitter experiment and let me know how it turns out for them?

The Tao of Purl

2011-04-02T04:17:00.000-07:00

Scarf by SusanNeedleHands

Sometimes I stumble upon articles that I just have to share. This is one of those times.

Caitlin Spaulding has brought to our attention the growing trend of both meditation and knitting, and how the two have so much in common. She writes:

The formation of a stitch, the repetition of a pattern, the recitation of a mantra, the deliberation of a walking meditation, the creation of a mandala: all of these are examples of the inherent and beneficial repetitive aspects of knitting and Buddhism.

So check out her full article on her blog: Out of the Rocking Chair

Lets Make a Dress: my inspiration

2011-04-01T04:17:00.000-07:00

Everyone (by that I mean some people) has a moment when they start to feel like they are old and ugly. I KNOW I'm not old or ugly but have been having that moment a lot recently. Mother of 2, closer to 40 then 30, couldn't get into my skinny clothes if i tried. And what makes me feel better when I am in that funk? Proving myself wrong.

I do actually have an occasion I needed to go shopping for. My BIL's wedding is at the end of this summer. I also happened to have a nice sized gift card to a fancy local dress shop. So there was in fact a reason for me to be trying on this stunning piece.

The dress (shown on the left) is by Roberto Cavalli. It retails for $2500. Let me say that again, $2500!!! even with my nice gift card, there was no way I was taking that dress home.

So what does a crafty girl do in this situation? Why i took a REALLY good look at the dress, headed over to the fabric store, bought something that I liked, drew out a pattern and got to work!

I will be posting the pattern and pictures when I am done, whether or not it turns out the way I plan...

I have been Nerd Approved!

2011-03-31T12:24:00.000-07:00

Knitted Headcovers For Geeky Golfers

check out this cool site for the best in geek culture, which now includes my golf club covers. Holla!

Sports Craft: Baseball Sidetable

2011-03-31T04:50:00.000-07:00

I found this week's sports craft on a sweet blog called Love of Family & Home. This Mother/Daughter team loves to craft and share, and takes the most beautiful pictures of the journey. This time they have shared the transformation of a simple plant stand into a very cool baseball themed sidetable.

Materials:

wooden baseball bat

wood plant stand

Spackle

drill

screws

primer

paint

pencil

plate

antiquing medium

paint brushes

To see step by step how this was made, check out Love of Family & Home

FREE PATTERN! Plus: Learn to knit in the round

2011-03-29T04:21:00.000-07:00

I spend most of my time now-a-days knitting golf club covers of various characters. It is hard to believe that a few short years ago (2005 to be exact) I had not knit a stitch. Now I can cast on and knit without even thinking about what I am doing.

You too can knit my golf club covers, but first, grasshopper, you must learn to knit in the round. Below is a great pattern to start with. You will make a complete project and learn the technique in an afternoon.

ADDED BONUS:

I have made a video tutorial! These videos will walk you through 3 of the most popular techniques used when knitting in the round. Learn how to use Double Pointed Needles, 2 Circulars, or 1 Circular for Magic Loop.

Materials:
Worsted Weight Yarn
size 8 US DPN's or circular knitting needles
scissors
darning needle

Pattern:
Cast on 40 stitches and connect them in the round
*k1 p1*, repeat across to 4"
Cast off
You can see mine on a cup on the right --->

You now have what can be used as a funky wrist band or a coffee cup cozy! AND you have learned the basic technique of knitting in the round.

You can pick up one of my more advanced patterns (like the one on the left) in my etsy shop, or on ravelry.

Geekly Weekly: For My Sistas

2011-03-28T04:16:00.000-07:00

Geraldine Ferraro, may she rest in peace, reminded me that this is indeed women's history month. And what better way to celebrate the history of women then to celebrate our strength! How far we have come, and yet how far we still need to go. Lets celebrate that superwoman in all of us and be sure to thank your mothers for burning their bras.

Baseball Fans! play to win custom golf club covers!

2011-03-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

Tracey Knits is proud to announce the formation of our very first MLB Pick'em Tournament!

The winner for the season will have a set of 3 custom golf club covers designed and knit to their specifications. All you have to do to enter is sign up for the email newsletter below. If you are already signed up and you would like you join in, please email me and i will be happy to send you a referral.

So sign up and I will see you there...

Sports Craft: Jersey Cozy

2011-03-24T04:36:00.000-07:00

This week's craft comes from Amy of Positively Splendid. I found her amazing blog through Craft Gossip, a must read for creative people. This is what Amy has to say about her project:

I created these with 12-ounce beverage cans or bottles in mind (I posed these with a bottle of Izze to show the fit), but they also perfectly accommodate water bottles - or even sippy cups! Wouldn't your little one be thrilled for you to make some of these for his or her teammates before their next big game? Water break was never so much fun!

Materials:

Beverage Holder Templates

Foam insulating material (the same that mouse pads are made out of), found in the utility fabric section of some sewing stores

Felt (2 different colors)

Pinking shears

Marine vinyl

Wash Away Wonder Tape

Leather sewing machine needle

Tissue paper

Coordinating thread

Basic sewing supplies: machine, shears, etc.

For instructions on how to do this project, check out Positively Splendid.

Top Shop: Thinking in Advance

2011-03-22T04:35:00.000-07:00

Calendar Necklace by PunkyJane

Retail has a holiday schedule. All summer we stock up for the Christmas rush. In January, jewelers stock up for Valentine's Day. Currently I am stocking up for Father's Day.

Thinking about what holidays are around the corner is very important to your shop.

Take out a calendar.
Take out that great chart of sales from last year.
See if there are any holidays that fall around your busiest times of year.

Those are your key holidays!

Now, take that calendar and mark it 6 months ahead of that holiday. This is when you are going to start your planning. It may seem like a long time, but if you get a good head start, you are sure to have just what you need in time for that date.

What holidays do you need to prepare for in your niche?

Geekly Weekly: Sprrrrrrrrrrrring!

2011-03-21T04:36:00.000-07:00

The weather is getting warmer, the birds are chirping, the flowers are growing, and you are still sitting inside playing video games. Celebrate the changing season with my new treasury. Spring into Spring with springs!

Writing a New Pattern: conclusion

2011-03-20T04:17:00.000-07:00

Cobweb Lace Stole by KrazyKnitter01

I am very disappointed. I really wanted to document my successful journey from idea to pattern, but as most of us creative types know, not every project turns into anything.

There were several problems from the get go:

I have never knit a lace shawl before
the design was geared to women (not my target audience)
It was taking too damn long (most of my projects take less then 2 days to come together)

As you can see, this design was just not meant to be. I am planning instead to record a series of videos on some of the knitting techniques required to knit from my patterns. Useful to my friends and customers!

For those of you looking forward to purchasing said design, here is a great capelet from BernioliesDesigns that has a web-like appearance and a knit doily done in the round by Patternsalacarte

What kind of Geek are you?

2011-03-18T04:33:00.000-07:00

Geekster Handbook, a Field Guide to the Nerd Underground

If you are one, you probably already know it. If you love one, you know it too. But for those of you who are oblivious to the different kinds of Geeks (yes, there are sub-divisions), here is a great little guide brought to you by your friends at Wired Magazine.

PS: Left out in the article are Goths. Not normally considered by traditional geeks, I nominate them for official status. They are often obsessed with literature including the work of Bram Stoker, Anne Rice, and Stephanie Meyer. They fantasize about being an immortal creature of the night and sometimes dress in costume. So, my blood craving brethren, you are now a part of the team.

Funky Fights the Funk

2011-03-16T04:27:00.000-07:00

Hello Sweetie soap by Funky Chunks

So I am on Twitter (big surprise) and one of my "friends" tweets that she is mixing up a batch of new soaps. The names included: Suntan, Surf Wax, Dirty Boy, Good Earth, Wasabi and Jersey Girl. You can imagine why it caught my attention. What does a jersey girl smell like? And do I really want soap that smells like a dirty boy?

I responded that they sounded pretty cool and guess what... Free Samples!!!

Funky Chunks has some great looking soaps. All are made from organic materials right on the Jersey Shore. She also offers a line of scrubs, candles and lotions. She even has more masculine scents for those manly men and hand-crocheted washcloths to use with her products. I have to say though, my favorite thing about her soap is its appearance. What amazing looking soap! I can imagine it in my guest bathroom, giving off its delicate fragrance and dazzling the eye at the same time.

The samples arrive and I am not disappointed. There are three beautifully wrapped and labeled bars of soap. I pull out Good Earth first. It smells like a day in the park. Next up is Dirty Boy. It has a much stronger, minty scent to it. Last is Jersey Girl. Taking a whiff reminded me of vanilla candles.

Michele, owner of Funky Chunks, also included a card directing me to return to her website for a "customer testing program". I get the free soap, and in return she gets to pick my brain. Seems like a good deal to me!

Be sure to follow them on Twitter and Facebook for updates on all their products.

Top Shop: Go Team

2011-03-15T04:29:00.000-07:00

Baseball Golf Club Covers

Etsy has a lot of teams. A LOT of teams. I am not going to discuss any of them today. This article is not about Etsy Teams the way you may have experienced them in the past...

The Team I am going to propose to you today is more like a Think Tank. A small group of creatives get together, it is of no consequence if their shops sell even remotely similar items, in fact it may be helpful if they sell drastically different things. This group then takes on the task of helping each other make their shops the best they can be.

Face it, we all have aspects of our shops we love and hate. Things we are good at and things we probably could use a little help with. What you are good at is probably not the same as your neighbor. So lets get together and share our strengths and get something great in return!

If you are interested in participating in a Think Tank, I am sure their are others like you who would be happy to join in. Please comment below with:

your etsy shop link
what you think you could bring to the team as your strength.

Hopefully we will be able to get teams together with a diverse a group as possible.

Geekly Weekly: 22/7

2011-03-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

I <3 math. I have <3'ed math for as long as I can remember. Can you believe that this is the first Pi day i will be celebrating? For you not in the know, Pi=22/7 or 3.14.... See you again on July 22nd!

Top Shop: the twitter experiment

2011-03-14T04:36:00.000-07:00

There have been many etsy experiments I have read about, most of them involving re-listing at its focus. I have not found any change in sales for myself in the past from re-listing so i have decided to try something else; Twitter.

Twitter has been a great resource for me. I have made many "friends" and connections across the country and the world. Many of them have similar interests to my own. Some who just want to have a zillion followers. Either way, keeping things interesting and re-tweets are the key to success in the twitterverse.

This is my experiment:
I plan on using it as I normally do most of the day. Sporadically making inane comments on life and business, however, I will make sure to tweet a link to my website with a clever tie-in once per day. I will change the time every day to see how tweeting at that specific time on that day effected my traffic/sales. Of course I will chart everything and be sure to share the findings with you.

Brand New from Handmadeology!

2011-03-11T04:24:00.000-08:00

If you dont already know about it and you are a seller on Etsy, shame on you! Handmadeology by Timothy Adam is one of the most important sites for handmade sellers to be aware of. Once again, he has brought a new must see site for us called the Handmade Top 10.

Products are featured and voted on by you. Check out all the categories, vote on your favorites, add your items to the appropriate categories so others can vote for you. He has even put in convenient links to share on twitter and facebook to get more votes.

Be sure to go to the Handmade Top 10, and while you are there vote for my Yoda Golf Club Cover in the Geekery Category :)

Writing a new pattern; day 5

2011-03-10T04:29:00.000-08:00

Watch Winder by SMStudio

If you are just joining us, you can start back at the beginning here. Now on with the show...

I thought I had it down. I was increasing every third row, but I didn't notice until it was WAY too late that I was creating a giant ruffle. Alas, frogging was the only option. Boy am I glad I bought a ball winder this past summer!

I am not sure why I am not working directly from a pattern to learn technique, but this is the path I am most comfortable with. I guess it will also teach me about how to create different movement in the fabric, so this may turn out to be a good thing.

The choice to work with the cheaper yarn may have been the best decision so far. I am less fearful of making a mess with it or "wasting it". It is also has less of an aura then what I had chosen before so I can see what I am doing. I guess I will never be one of those people who gets a kick out of using gorgeous expensive yarn. I am too afraid of ruining it. Probably why all that LYS stuff sits unused in my craft room while I work with the cheap stuff.

Hopefully, by my next post, I will be beginning to work on the final project idea so I can FINALLY share what all the fuss is about.

Top Shop: Fear Rules

2011-03-08T04:17:00.000-08:00

Sun of All Fears by Egolikeness

Don't moms have the best advise? I am not saying that with even the slightest hint of sarcasm. Yes, sometimes I feel like my mother should keep her opinions to herself, but this time she was spot on.

I have been struggling with some of the exercises in my Blacksburg Belle Blogging Rockstar program. I was telling my mother about how the questions just took me out of my comfort zone and I was feeling immobilized by it. Her response, "Just make something up." BRILLIANT!

Now she was not telling me to lie or tell stories, she was simply saying that sometimes if you start writing something, anything, it will get your brain working. Plus, very often the first thing that pops into your head is the answer you were looking for. Don't be afraid of the page, make a copy of your form and fill in the final version after you have worked it out on the scrap.

Mommies are the best, and I can say that because I am one :)

Writing a new pattern; day 3

2011-03-07T07:51:00.000-08:00

Started the whole project over by downgrading to some cheap sock yarn, some size 6 DPN's and size 6 circulars. I cast on 8 stitches and started with *YO, K1* to end every 3rd row. When there became too many stitches for the DPN's I switched over to the circulars.

So far it is looking pretty good. The shawl is increasing at a good rate. It is not web-like, but I can see how I can change the pattern to make it more open and airy.

I am definitely finishing the shawl, maybe sew it into a bolero for my little girl. When it is complete I am thinking I now have the tools to design the finished version.

Geekly Weekly: Sticky and Sweet

2011-03-07T04:27:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it is national bubblegum week? There are soooo many of these crazy celebrations in this country: frozen food month, optimism month, safe toys and gifts month... and as a geek it is your job to have all of these ridiculous pieces of unimportant information at your disposal. You can see them on this site so that you can be sure and mark your calendars for national mole day.

Writing a new pattern; day 2

2011-03-06T08:55:00.000-08:00

Party Favor Tags by Bellezaeluce

Missed day 1? check it out here.

This was WAY more ambitious then I anticipated. That may be because i have chosen non-american patterns to use as reference, it may also be because I have no clue what I am doing. I have frogged 4 times since yesterday and downloaded some new patterns (from American authors this time) to see if that will make a difference.

The yarn I have chosen is sticky, which means i dont lose stitches when I drop them, but when I frogged I often had to literally rip it appart! I may have to try knitting someone else's pattern from beginning to end in order to understand technique before I can start another version.

PS: Once this thing is complete, there may be a giveaway because I am pretty sure I will never want to see it again.

Writing a new pattern; the odyssey

2011-03-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

I have yet to decide whether I have lost my mind or I am just way too confident. simultaneously, I am attempting to knit my first project in a lace stitch AND write a pattern of it. Let me explain...

You may have seen some of my work depicting super heroes like superman and iron man. I wanted to knit something other then another golf club cover. I decided that a lace shawl based on Spiderman's webs would be a great idea. The only thing standing in my way was that I had only knit a shawl once before and it was TERRIBLE looking. Fortunately, it was not my pattern :). This time I will do it right and it will be fabulous.

So now I have my size 2 DPN's in hand and Schoppel Wolle Zauberball yarn, a few patterns just so I can see how other people have done it, and a stitchtionary. I will keep you updated as I progress

Fashion IS Art

2011-03-02T04:23:00.000-08:00

Oh how I love outrageous fashion. Lady Gaga is my hero. Halloween has always been my favorite holiday.

Now look at the picture of this woman on the right. Would you look at her and say, "that is a woman who loves crazy fashion"? Probably not. My personal style leans more towards Donna Karan then Betsy Johnson. I shop more at Target then Barney's. I RARELY wear jewelry or a belt, it just feels like too much. Lip gloss is generally my version of makeup.

Now the big reveal: I ADORE Alexander McQueen. For years I have looked at his fashions with lust. I dreamed of owning one of his works of art. A few years ago McQueen did a line for Target. I tried on every piece hoping to fulfill my fantasy at a price I could afford. No dice. There was no way I would ever wear any of those clothes, even at a reduced price tag. Sigh.

When he died, I felt a loss. A true artist, creating wearable pieces that transended their purpose. Maybe I should have bought one of those dresses at Target and just hung it in a frame.

If you are a lover of fashion or art, you will want to check out the costume institute at The Met for their Savage Beauty exhibit, opening May 2011. McQueen in his glory, all 19 years of his career. His most interesting and original pieces on display for 3 months.

epilogue: Target announced that they will be re-releasing some of their most popular dresses from the GO collection over the last 5 years. Sale starts March 13th, be sure to check it out.

Top Shop: Be Original

2011-03-01T04:26:00.000-08:00

Artist by NatashaVonBraun

New ideas are hard to come by, so when you have one protect it like a mother grizzly. That doesn't mean you have to "go rogue", but it does help to know your rights. Trademark and Copyright laws are complex and hard for the average person to understand so SmallerBox.net has broken it down into easy to understand tidbits. Whether you are the artist creating original work or the handmade shop getting inspiration from pop-culture icons, learn what is protected and what is infringement.

Beware The Brand Bully

Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks

Legally Protecting Your Original Designs

What the Heck is "Trade Dress"

Parody and Derivative Works

Geekly Weekly: Ladies First

2011-02-28T04:37:00.000-08:00

Celebrate ladies, this is your history month! We may have come late to the party, but we have made an amazing impact on the geek world. From as far back as Mary Shelley, Mary Currey, and Mary Magdalen, women have been making major contributions to the world's of science and fantasy. Lets celebrate some of the great contributors and characters who are of the female persuasion.

Girls Gone Geek

2011-02-26T04:23:00.000-08:00

OMG, do I wish I lived in Seattle, Washington, or at the very least find myself on the West Coast this October in time for the first Geek Girl Con.

The Organizers of this convention want to celebrate the contributions of the ladies in geek culture. Women are participating in all aspects of Science, Sci-fi, comics and gaming. It is time someone noticed we are much more to the genre then boobs in a skimpy costume.

Geek Girl Con will be here before you know it, so if you are a fem or fem supporter, you can buy your tickets online here. Also, they are hosting tons of social events leading up to the big weekend, keep yourself up to date on Facebook and Twitter.

Sports Craft: Flipping Gymnast

2011-02-24T04:34:00.000-08:00

I am very excited about this project. My eight year old daughter and I collaborated on it together. I had this idea for a flipping gymnast but was not sure what I could use to attach the rubberband to. She suggested the box and this craft idea was born.

Materials:
cardboard box
full length photo or drawing of gymnast
clothes pin
rubber band
glue
2 popsicle sticks
hole punch
scissors
white paper
crayons, markers, etc.

if you are not using a shoebox, cut open "front" side of box
draw background on paper and glue inside box
cut out picture you plan on using as the "gymnast"
glue to clothes pin
punch holes as close to level as possible in either side of box
wrap rubber band around popsicle stick
thread other end of rubber band through both holes in box with popsicle stick on outside of one hole
secure rubber band with second popsicle stick
clip your gymnast to the rubber band

Big thanks to both my son and daughter who each made their own flipping gymnast box.

Lost in Translation

2011-02-23T04:17:00.000-08:00

Did you ever hear a commercial in the background and think to yourself, am I hearing this right? Well it happened to me just the other day with this new toy, Shnooks.

Most people will think its just a silly combination of words, maybe even trying to sound like Snookie. I am here to tell you it is a word, and not a very nice one at that. Schnook is a Yiddish word meaning dimwit.

As most people buying these trendy purposeless toys can be described as dimwits, maybe the name is not such an insult. Maybe it is more like a label saying,"hey you, this toy is perfect for your level of intelligence".

Don't even try to look for these yet, they are extremely hard to find. Of course, only a schnook would be looking for them anyway. :)

Top Ten Crafter Must Haves

2011-02-22T06:35:00.000-08:00

Keep Calm and Craft On Ladies T by BoldBanana

Can you imagine some people dont keep these things around the house? I have an overstocked collection of crafting supplies but there are those just beginning their stash. Here are the must haves for all creative types.

Library Card I am starting with this one because it is no longer a given that everyone has one of these. What a great resource for ideas! They stock books on every kind of craft; you can make copies of your favorites if you wish, or just bring the book back when you are done with it. Be sure to check out the crafting books in the adult and children's sections, you never know what will have that idea you need.
Self Healing Cutting Mat Don't destroy your kitchen table with that x-acto knife, cut on a mat, that is what it is made for. The self healing part will prevent you from going over the lines of your previous project.
Hot Glue Gun Great on just about any surface for some serious gluing action. Dries clear and you can pick off the little strings after it dries very easily.
X-Acto Knife I mentioned this along with the self healing mat. Use it to cut out those detailed paper dolls or a straight line. Just be sure to change the blade when it gets dull or the point breaks; and watch your fingers!
Metal Ruler It can measure, it has a straight edge, you cant cut into it, what cant this amazing item do! Be sure you get one with a cork backing so it wont slide around as you use it.
Colored Paper From the fanciest scrapbooking sheets to the cheapest pad of construction paper, you will use this for so many projects. Cut it up, draw on it, rip it to pieces, even sew it together; there are a million uses for this craft room staple.
Yarn I know what you may be thinking: Tracey, I am not a knitter, what do I need yarn for? There are millions of projects that never use a knit or purl stitch you can use yarn for. Pick up a few small balls in various colors and maybe some needlepoint floss as well.
Pencils This is my drawing item of choice. I use standard #2 with the pink eraser for drawing and colored pencils for loads of projects. Great for drawing as well as marking your cutting lines. Just be sure to have a pencil sharpener as well!
Old Shirts SOOOOOO many uses for old t-shirts. You need a smock, done. You need a project bag, sew it up. You need a rag to clean up, it can do that too. There are books filled with projects just using old shirts.
Binder Remember how I said to make copies of your favorite projects from library books? Well this is where you are going to keep them all. A folder would probably work too, but I find that they overflow way too fast. Stash all your ideas in one place for easy access.

Your faves not included in this list? What would you say is your Must-Have craft supply?

Geekly Weekly: Hail to the Chief

2011-02-21T04:13:00.000-08:00

When they decided to combine Washington and Lincoln's birthdays into a 3-day weekend celebration they called it "President's Day". What makes those guys so much more special then the rest of the elite club? History buffs know that every president had his good and bad points; even Tricky Dick Nixon who opened trade with China. Who is your fave?

ScatterbrainTi... $28.00	TheClayGarden $24.00	amandajean $45.00	mullishmuse $16.00
senioritis $15.00	kastex $32.00	Sinami1 $5.00	petsalad $14.00
FelixStreetStu... $34.00	ihavethreehead... $45.00	KATKo $14.00	ArtByMarilyn $16.00
PlemonStudios $10.00	miketanoory $21.00	senioritis $15.00	spoonringheave... $14.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.

Wish You Were Here

2011-02-18T07:28:00.000-08:00

Connect the Rings by NekeDesigns

Did you know that your article could be featured on Tracey Knits? Well it's true! If you have an interesting idea you would like to share, and get more exposure for your blog or shop, fill out the form below. Not only will your article be seen by my blog followers, it will be shared on Facebook, Twitter, Ravelry and Tumblr. That is THOUSANDS of potential views... for free!

Sports Craft: Paper Pom-Poms

2011-02-17T06:32:00.000-08:00

Every team needs a cheerleader. Lets give them something to cheer about with a pom-pom craft project! Super easy and fast craft.

Materials:
colored paper (newspaper can work too)
tape
scissors

Layer several sheets of paper depending on how big you want your pom to be
cut along length of paper, forming strips about half way down
shift layers slightly so that strips no longer line up with each other
lay a strip of tape over the visible layers (as shown)
roll into tube and tape into place
let strips fall were they want, shake em out to get that pom-pom look

Forever Learning

2011-02-15T12:47:00.000-08:00

"When you stop growing you start dying."
— William S. Burroughs

Chalkboard Teacher Notebook by Gibberish2

I decided to open my etsy shop about a year and a half ago exclusively to sell my hand-knit items. Research on how to sell crafts became part of my life. I have spent at least 10 hours every week since then reading everything i can get my hands on about how to improve my business. Some have been very inspiring, others less so, but I would never have known that had I not taken the time to try.

Today I take my first live session with April of BlackburgBelle. This is the first time I am paying for help with my site. I felt like I had exhausted much of the free resources, and with the success and growth I have seen in my business, it was time to re-invest. April has been working me HARD already. 4 weeks before our first class the homework began. Think about your customers, inspirations, blog ideas, short biography, etc... I am officially overwhelmed! Taking a break became necessary.

ANYWAY... the point I really wanted to make is that it is very important to not limit yourself to what you already know. Yes, I know how to knit. I know how to write a pattern. But as we in the all know, it takes allot more then that to run a shop. Expand your skill base. There are tons of free and cheap resources available online. Also, be sure to check out your local library for great books on selling your crafts. And lastly, give yourself a break. You are not going to learn everything in a day, take your time and learn as you go, you may find that you are learning as much from the experience as from the research.

Top Shop: Inspiration and Perspiration

2011-02-15T04:19:00.000-08:00

Become Who You Really Are by LPJewelry

Sometimes I am uninspired. There, I said it, the great Tracey does not always have an idea what the next project should be. While it is good to take some time to clear your head, it is also good to know there are resources out there you may not know about to find inspiration. Here are a list of some of my faves, you may or may not have heard of:

Craft: A magazine turned online community; full of projects, patterns, and ideas. Coined "The Martha Stewart for Geeks" by Newsweek.

Craftbits.com A reader contributed craft blog out of Australia, created to share ideas with teachers, therapists and craft enthusiasts.

Design*Sponge More about design then craft, this blog covers trends in interior decorating. Great place to see how people are using color in their homes, ways to hang art and creative storage.

Core77 Hardcore industrial design website. I love to look at the sketches for the ideas and the "out there" items that may take years to come to market.

The Dieline All about package design. Go here to look for creative ways to sell your work just through creative use of type and a label.

Poppytalk a true design inspiration blog. Based in Canada, this blog is dedicated to promoting handmade and vintage

got a place you go to for inspiration online? share it here!

Geekly Weekly: So Yesterday

2011-02-14T04:19:00.000-08:00

Felt like a little reminiscing this week. Lets geek out over some old school memories. What were you up to 20 years ago?

beepart $20.00	soaparty $3.80	TheBlissfulBak... $6.50	KittybadKiddie $6.50
knotworkshop $11.00	Decalz $6.99	beanforest $1.00	FemmeDiable $25.00
goblinhut $7.00	foreverfun $8.50	StarGallery $50.00	monkeyminion $20.00
LiamandLeia $4.00	GeekGear $18.99	Littlegremmies $9.00	DailyGrinder $14.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.

Sports Craft: Hockey Chalkboard

2011-02-10T04:37:00.000-08:00

I am very excited to be attending my very first hockey game this weekend. I have by jersey ready to go and tickets in hand. What i dont have is any hockey items in my home. This is another fun project easy enough to do with your little ones but can be jazzed up for the grown ups.

materials:
peel and stick chalkboard (available at ACMoore) or chalkboard paint (available at Michaels)
magnet sheets (printable or self adhesive, either is fine. Available at most craft stores)
large circle about 9" in diameter or circle cutter
cardboard
glue
white paper
scissors
markers

peel and stick magnet to chalkboard, peel and stick sides facing
trace circle onto chalkboard using chalk
cut out circle, you now have your "puck"
draw hockey stick onto cardboard and cut out
trace hockey stick so that they are a similar shape or draw a second stick and cut out
glue white paper to both sides of cardboard
cut white paper following edge of the "hockey stick"
decorate the sticks as you like using markers. this is a great place to put your favorite team or kid's names.
glue these sticks to the chalkboard side of your puck
grab a piece of chalk, hang it on your fridge and you are done!

alternatives: you can use chalkboard spray if you want instead of pre-made chalkboard

thanks again to my little girl for doing this craft with me.

I would love to see your projects. be sure to post links to your pics in my comments section!

Why Do They Want This Instead Of That?

2011-02-09T10:13:00.000-08:00

The Riddler Question Mark Fingerless Gloves by TinyBully

I have been putting allot of thought into this question recently. My shop offers 3 products: golf club covers, football helmets, and patterns. I strive to have current items in my shop, like football teams during football season, and make sure most of the winningest teams are represented. I have been featured on the front page of etsy several times, and even made it to CNBC. Dont feel bad for me, I know these are impressive accomplishments, especially in a shop that is less then 2 years old.

This is what gets me; my number 1 item in terms of views is my Pittsburgh Steelers football helmet hat. It has been on the front page twice and was recently featured in a pre-superbowl etsy email. 3500 views and 77 hearts! That is 2000 more views then my next highest item. I have never sold that hat. I have had at least 20 custom orders based on that listing, but the original hat is still in stock.

OBVIOUSLY people like the hat and I am very happy to fill any custom order based on its design, but I will tell you this is not the only item this has happened with. I designed the Grateful Dead Dancing Bears golf club covers with my father in mind and ended up creating several versions of the bears for custom orders (including the panda) but did not sell the original 2. It doesn't stop there either. Do I not have my finger on the pulse of my customer? Why am I just slightly off so often? How do you figure out what people want?

Top Shop: Stats Analysis (part 2)

2011-02-08T04:12:00.000-08:00

If you read my first top shop article on stats you already know how to use etsy stats and paypal to get a better look at how your shop is really doing. I have discovered yet another way to get a better idea of how you are doing. This time it is especially for your blogger blog and your facebook fanpage.

I had no idea that blogger had all this information readily available. Sign into blogger and look at the tabs under your blog name. The last tab on the right is called Stats. DUH! They have collected some great information there. You can see how many people have checked out your blog in the last day, week, and month. I found the most popular posts to be very helpful, it gave me a better idea of what people really like. Almost 500 people have come to read my DIY article on recycled art postcards. That is far and away the most views for any one of my articles.

Now lets talk about that Facebook fanpage. I know they send you some basic stuff in an email every week, and they have that cute little box of basic insights in the left-hand column of your page, but did you ever think to click on see more? I have never done that as I am assuming many of you have not either. It is full of useful info on who is frequenting your fanpage. Some of which could be very helpful in finding your demographic. While looking at the insights, I found out that the vast majority of people looking at my page were in their 30's to 40's and female. In fact, I had barely any male viewers at all! There were quite a few people who looked at my page but did not comment on my posts. I am hoping to change that shortly. I could use this information for facebook ads, which I am sure they would like, though I will likely use it to discuss topics that are closer to my audience's heart.

What do ya think? Were you surprised by any of the things you found out?

Geekly Weekly: Nerds in Love

2011-02-07T04:27:00.000-08:00

Love is in the air. Like Han and Leia, Wesley and Hermione, Peter and Mary Jane... love is everywhere in the geek universe. There is no reason to celebrate this Hallmark holiday the way the card companies have told us to. Break out a page from your favorite fanboy materials to stir up the romance.

collageOrama $6.99	FixerUp $47.99	WeebeeDrives $24.95	happyfamily $16.00
itsastitch $60.00	TheWallaroo $3.50	NelmaK $15.00	ArtWalls $9.80
WhatsEatingYin $8.00	LuciusArt $18.00	kiracards $2.50	TheWallaroo $10.00
Toridawn11 $7.50	ElectrikPinkPi... $1.00	blackbirdandpe... $12.00	goblinhut $7.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.

side note: the last selection was for my honey; happy valentines day pica <3

The Great American Sports Celebration

2011-02-06T05:38:00.000-08:00

Packers Football Helmet

Today is Super Bowl Sunday. The best of the best athletes converge on the field of battle, after years of working out, drills, practice, games and of course eating right. How do we celebrate such an achievement? By sitting in front of a television eating thousands of calories in fried and cheese covered snacks.

I know, its the American way, celebrating a holiday by over-eating unhealthy foods in front of the television. Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving... and those are just the non-religious ones! We eat chocolate on Valentines Day, we eat more candy on Halloween. Its a culture of over-indulgence.

Steelers Braid Hat

I have no intention of telling you that you shouldn't eat those foods on those days. I love to indulge in that stuff too. All this would be fine if we weren't so lazy the rest of the year! So this is what I am proposing this Super Bowl Sunday; spend the day throwing around a football or some other fun game. Make those unhealthy snacks "special"; only eat them on holidays. Lets keep our traditions and make the rest of the year great.

Manly Men Love Broadway

2011-02-03T06:37:00.000-08:00

Broadway has gone to the boys, and its not the boys you may be thinking of.

I have noticed a trend in the shows advertised on TV. It started with Rock of Ages, a show I have seen with my husband. Definitely testosterone driven, full of 80's rock, something an average man would not be afraid to be caught singing along to. They were even nice enough to include a scene at the strip club. Now with Spiderman, Lombardi, and That Championship Season it seems like Broadway has decided to target the pockets of men.

Lombardi is the story of Vince Lombardi, former coach of the Green Bay Packers. It is based on best selling biography by David Maraniss and stars Dan Lauria, best known for his role as the father on The Wonder Years, and Judith Light, the mom on Who's The Boss.

Spiderman has been in the news quite a bit due to all the accidents on stage. With jaw dropping stunts (most of the cause of the accidents) and music from U2, it is sure to be a manly romp. That is, if it opens.

That Championship Season is the story of men forever connected by their inspirational coach. It is a limited engagement staring some very big name actors including Keiffer Sutherland (24) and Chris Noth (Sex and the City).

I have even heard good things from older men who have seen Jersey Boys. Its the music of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons telling the story behind that famous crew of guys from Newark, NJ. Of course, that might be pushing it with the younger set as it is very retro.

So if you have one of those guys that thinks Broadway is for those "other" boys, now is the time to get him to go with you to a show.

Sports Craft: Football Pillow

2011-02-02T04:35:00.000-08:00

a great decoration for your Superbowl party, man cave, or boy's bedroom. This Football shaped pillow is a nice easy project to do with your sports and craft loving kids alike.

materials:

2 pieces brown felt

1 piece white felt

fiber fill

scissors

glue

sharpie

instructions:

draw a football shape on the brown felt, using as much of the surface as possible
cut out the shape on both pieces
cut out white strips; 4 long ones, 1 medium, and 4 short ones.
glue strips on the two sides
let glue set
place glue along edge of one side and stick insides together leaving a nice size hole for stuffing
let glue dry
carefully fill with stuffing
place glue on edge of one side of hole and press closed. you may need something to weight it down, I used a plate
let it dry, you can always clean up the edges at the end so don't worry

As an adult alternative, you can use a hot glue gun, fabric glue or pin the pieces on and sew.

Big thanks to my daughter for all her help in this project :)

Afghan shown: knit remnant blanket by Tracey Knits. You can find the pattern for free here.

Top Shop: Organize your Space (Part 3)

2011-02-01T04:38:00.000-08:00

If you are just joining us, you can read all about Day 1 and Day 2 of this project. Now, on with the show...

Day 3 was a Monday morning. I am surprisingly efficient on monday mornings, I think it is my most productive time of the week. i got my kids on the schoolbus then got right down to business.

There were still piles stacked up outside of the room and even some that ended up back in the art room so that I could add items to the cabinets as I went. My greatest challenge lie in the space stocked with the kids stuff as well as some of my old cardmaking supplies. I emptied out the whole thing and noticed allot of dried up paint and markers, as well as half empty boxes. This was no good. I consolidated all the usable items, even bringing down my stamps and an old school bedazzler. I must have thrown out a bucket of old markers and paint pens!

Once the challenge of the kids area was taken care of, I was able to start work on re-organizing the yarn I actually use for my shop. I already had most of it stored in clear plastic containers by color, but I still had a hard time finding what I needed most often. This time I took out my handy-dandy chart and was sure to put the most used yarns in the easiest place to find them.

Since I completed this project I have done 2 projects; a NY Giants football helmet and a Yoda golf club cover. Both use completely different yarns. I was able to quickly and easily locate all the yarn and tools I needed, flipped through my pattern notebook to find the patterns and get right to work.

Geekly Weekly: Deja Vu

2011-01-31T04:32:00.000-08:00

I am sure most of you get the reference, but for those of you who are a LITTLE slow, this week is Groundhog Day. That amazing movie staring Bill Murray as the weatherman stuck in Deja Vu until he figures out how to "do things right". In celebration, I have put together a little Deja Vu of my own. See if you can spot the the repetitions in this week's collection.

knotworkshop $15.00	darkcyclecloth... $20.00	beaujangles $45.00	ViperCoraraDes... $16.00
darkcyclecloth... $18.00	ElectrikPinkPi... $1.00	lterrill9 $17.00	LLsCreations83 $19.99
NerdJerk $38.00	YellowBugBouti... $30.00	czechpub $36.00	MadamePoindext... $45.00
superdecals $7.90	CorsoStudio $12.00	mrsdazo $10.00	EternalSunshin... $16.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com.

My Favorite Book and Parenting

2011-01-29T08:18:00.000-08:00

As a self-proclaimed geek, it is my duty to adore Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. I read it for the first time in college and identified with this tortured child who wants to do the right thing but keeps being pushed to the dark side. OK, maybe I am mixing up my references, but like yelling home run at a football game, it made a little bit of sense.

I recently read the article Creating the Innocent Killer: Ender's Game, Intention and Morality by John Kessel. It made me think about why I was so easily able to forgive the horrific acts of this boy as a young person. I saw myself in him, being told what to do by grown ups and other kids. Often seeing vengeance as justifiable. Mind you, this was well before Columbine and many of the other bully-related tragedies of the past decade. When the news covered these events, they were quick to condemn the act, but also victimized the accused, saying these tragedies could have been prevented.

One of the things Kessel points out is the role adults play in the "creation" of Ender. As a child reading the book, I paid no attention to the fact that his parents were relatively absent in his life. Why were they not protecting him from Peter? Why was there no discussion of what happened with the bully at school? The boy was 6!!!! My little guy punched a peer his second week in kindergarten. They were playing superheroes and my son took it too far. Believe me, not only did the principal get involved but I was right there explaining to him what he did wrong. Over and over again in the book, adults purposely don't get involved in the bullying of Ender in order to teach him to defend himself. He ends up killing 2 kids and an entire alien population in the process. Good job guys.

Evolution?

2011-01-28T06:13:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, i made reference to the apes and robots looking for equal rights. Little did I know it was allot closer to reality then I thought. Have you seen this video?

Etsy on MSN mag Glo

2011-01-27T06:56:00.000-08:00

Touchdown! MSN has this amazing online magazine called Glo that has a feature article today on Etsy and the cool things you can buy for Superbowl. Check out all the rest of the gems but be sure to take a good look at my beautiful boy's smiling face in my Football Helmet Winter Hat.

I Love This: cross my heart

2011-01-26T04:13:00.000-08:00

Corset Heart Necklace by FrostedTreats

Top Shop: Organize your Space (Part 2)

2011-01-25T05:39:00.000-08:00

If you want to read how the saga began, be sure to check out Day 1 here. And so we continue...

Now that the floor was (mostly) clear, and the room next door was filled with stuff, it was time to start finding places to put it. I came up with this idea to "display" my golf club covers and hats rather then store them away in boxes after a customer ordered something I had in stock and I proceeded to re-knit it, only to discover the item on completion. Not a huge deal, but certainly a waste of my time during the busy Christmas season.

When i did craft fairs this past year, I would hang this light weight plastic fencing from my tent and pin all of my club covers and hats to it for display. i have loads of extra, so i thought that would make a great bulletin board type way to hang things in my room. As you can see, i still have plenty of space left. I also took an old foam core sign and put it on my currently unused easel with pushpins to keep track of important papers. Note that it is blank, i have not gotten to that part yet.

Next was the stuff i have not used allot recently recently, but I am not ready to part with; my painting supplies. i was able to consolidate the mess and get everything into one cabinet. i stacked all the paintings in their respectively sized shelves, including those unfinished ones I left out in hopes it would remind me to get to work.

Still there was so much more to be looked through, and this was only the stuff that I DIDN'T use on a regular basis. The last cabinet I worked on that day was full of yarn, but not the yarn I use for my shop, this is my personal stash. It also houses my collection of knitting needles and unfinished projects collected in their individual bags. I decided that i was much better off stacking coloring books high up and making my yarn more accessible in hopes that I will get to use it more often. i also used a recently cleared chest of drawers to organize my total mess of knitting needles, scissors and random tools.

Fortunately, this was Friday, and I was able to get a nice relaxing weekend in before I would tackle the next day of work on "The Room". i discovered through this process that as usual, the areas that were the most out of control housed the things that were not mine at all, they belonged to my children. I made the mistake of keeping their art supplies in this room as well. But that challenge came on Monday.

Geekly Weekly: Who's The Man?

2011-01-24T04:55:00.000-08:00

All this football in my house had me thinking about men. What kinds of things would the superman(ly) geek in your life love to have? A few of these may work for you.

knotworkshop $13.00	findstotreasur... $14.99	LoveDogCardCom... $55.00	projector $30.00
DesignDude $3.99	sushibooties $42.00	MighteeShirtsC... $15.00	Triplelle $15.00
iDecalPro $8.95	bombastitch $4.00	ctrlaltdeviant $1.25	sweetbitesllc $6.25
strikebooks $225.00	crabappledesig... $24.00	jamjamtees $14.99	FforFelt $49.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com.

Handspun Fun: the tide is high

2011-01-23T14:04:00.000-08:00

Tide Pool handspun art yarn by CodovaStudios

Undiscovered Gold: What's the Use?

2011-01-21T04:23:00.000-08:00

It is getting harder and harder to find something to feature here every week. I guess after writing a few of these things I have become jaded to most of the shops I "pounce" past on etsy. I love it when one of these shops grabs my attention with something truly unique.

I introduce to you ghowiellc by Susie McDonald. Unusual is one way to describe her work. Quirky might be another you would choose. I love it!

Susie has taken the art of mosaic and applied it to your pantry. She transforms dusty old salad bowls into living works of art to be displayed proudly year round. Some of her pieces have hundreds of tiny parts painstakingly glued to them creating a mini diorama.

And the reviews are in. While participating in the Austin Texas Armadillo Christmas Bazaar, feedback was glowing. Children and Men (not generally the target audience of a craft fair) were found admiring her bowls. Susie even heard some kids say they were "cool"; I would have to agree.

I Love This: Invited to the Big Game

2011-01-19T05:12:00.000-08:00

Ready For Some Football Superbowl Invitations by Bellezaeluce

Top Shop: Organize your Space (Part 1)

2011-01-18T05:45:00.000-08:00

Can you believe this mess? How can anyone work in chaos like this? Yarn all over the floor, paintings leaning on the wall, bits of paper and candy strewn about. I had this room built so I could leave my art out in mid-project without fear of my children getting into it. What it became was a storage space where I go in, get what I need and leave; often throwing things in there when I am in a rush.

This January 1st, my New Year's promise to myself (because resolutions just don't work for me) was to organize this space in a way that would be usable. Just so you know, i am not organized OR neat by nature so this was going to be quite a challenge. And so the quest began...

Day one i took pictures of the mess. It was amazing I was able to get in to take pictures! My plan of attack was to get everything off the floor and in bags based on what is used together. There were bags of yarn, stacks of frames, finished and unfinished projects. At first it felt like I was moving garbage from one room to another; which is exactly what I was doing. However, as I moved it, i was sure to put it with its mates in either bags or stacks. I decided that there was no reason for empty frames to return to the room, so they were stacked in our storage space with old mirrors.

As you can see, there is a floor in this room. I even decided to change the painting on the wall on day 1 to bring a more positive vibe to the space; it is a basement for god sake!

Geekly Weekly: Rainbow Coalition

2011-01-17T05:36:00.000-08:00

Today is MLK day in the USA. What could possibly be geeky about that? Well in the Star Trek universe, during a time when black and white people could not sit together in a restaurant, Lieutenant Uhura, a black woman, served side by side with men of many ethnicities and extraterrestrial birth. She even rose through the ranks to become a Commander in the films. Roddenberry saw the future filled with equal rights. Just watch out for the apes and the robots; they will be looking for their rights next, and we all know how that turns out!

ivylanedesigns $6.00	coolDecals $3.90	jctebeau $25.00	theangryrobot $1.00
KLynnae $15.00	rainbowalterna... $22.00	SpaGoddess $5.00	crimsonking $8.00
MichellesCharm... $22.00	peacemagnetgir... $3.50	Pegopolis $54.00	tinaseamonster $20.00
karenlaneart $12.99	thecattsuglyba... $90.00	jan553 $40.00	geekbliss $6.39

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

a note for those that may not know: the Rainbow Coalition is an organization headed by Rev. Jesse Jackson, supporting diversity peace and justice around the world

Handspun Fun: It Does Exist

2011-01-16T05:23:00.000-08:00

Unicorn Tail handspun art yarn by InnerSpiral

Undiscovered Gold: Under My Skin

2011-01-14T06:25:00.000-08:00

I must be in the mood to stir things up. While doing my weekly search through the newest Etsy shops, the only ones that seemed to catch my eye had something controversial about them. The shop I have picked is no exception. Some may question why I think this shop has anything off about it; to them I say FUR.

I will just start by saying that I am not a vegetarian. I have eaten meat all my life. However I am pretty liberal. My children know that the chicken nuggets they eat were once real chickens and their eggs would have been baby chickens. To some that may sound awful, but to me it is important that my children make a conscious decision to eat another living thing. On the other hand, I would never pick up a gun and kill my own dinner.

Now, more importantly, why I love BuslinHeirlooms. Vintage. Many years ago, when people didn't wear faux fur, these pieces were "harvested". Rather then picking up a new pelt from the back of their ancestors, we can continue to wear one of these. Linda meticulously photographs the coats inside and out and makes sure to add any information about the owner and history.

Another benefit of buying vintage is price. a brand new genuine fur coat can cost a pretty penny. Buying vintage is as good on the soul as it is on the wallet. So if you are in the market, as far as I am concerned, this is the place to go.