Wow! This has been a great and super busy holiday season! I've been super buried in knitting during the last week!
Today's the deadline for USPS priority shipping and I have the stack of packages by my door (and soon to be on the post office's counter) to prove it.
But never fear, orders placed after today will still make it by Christmas if you upgrade to express/overnight shipping! In fact, every ready to ship item in my shop will be set up with express shipping as the default after my last post office run this afternoon (but if you want first class or priority shipping, just let me know).
Thanks to severe colds turned into bronchitis, California's week long storm (it's WET), etc., my family is putting off our Christmas gathering until January. I'm bummed, but want everyone to be in good health and cheer and without the fear of driving in this insane weather.
This time of year, my life (as is yours!) is all about: knitting, packaging, shipping. Daily post office drop offs. Knit, knit, knit. Make another batch of buttons: stamp, cut, bake, paint, bake, sand, sand, sand, sand, glaze, glaze, glaze, buff, buff, buff. :) Today, I realized this is what it's like to be one of Santa's elves. Isn't that every child's dream? Not such a bad thing to be!
But I also have lots of new goodies to share (and more yet to photograph and list). AND, as anyone who works in a retail-related field knows, even amidst one busy season, you have to already be working on the next season. So you'll start seeing more Winter and Spring colors, less holiday colors, even this week.
I'm really excited about brand new creations you'll see in January and February. I'm super excited about building out my home decor and art lines. I can't wait to get back into the dye pots and dye my own yarn for mitts and maybe even to sell. And ... to finally have time to spin my own yarn (yay!).
I love online magazines (never thought I'd say that - I used to be vehemently opposed to anything other than print!) and this is definitely one I'm adding to my regular reading list!
I've been thinking about how to use tillandsias (air plants) since earlier this summer: felted cozies (didn't like the prototype), knit doilies (ugh), glass vessels covered in crocheted lace (meh).
And then it hit me.
What could I make with polymer clay? A shallow vessel, similar in style to my filigree buttons?
Everyone seems to be looking for quick gifts to make for Christmas presents right now. Here's a super quick scarf pattern that you can knit up in different colors for more than one person on your list. Super easy - all you need to know how to do is knit, purl, cast on, bind off!
Super quick ribbed scarf knitting pattern
One skein super bulky yarn (106 yards - use Lion Brand Thick & Quick if you like, which just so happens to be 106 yards!)
One pair size 19 US (15.5-16mm) needles (you could use 17's - just know you'll get a slightly skinnier scarf)
For a 55" x 8" (approx.) scarf:
CO 15 sts.
Row 1: k3, p1, k2; rep from * to last three sts, ending k3.
Row 2: p3, *k1, p2; rep from * to last three sts, ending p3.
Rep rows 1-2 until you near the end of your skein.
Next row: BO in pattern.
Weave in ends and block. Trim ends. Wrap up and give!
Want it longer and a little narrower? CO 12 sts instead of 15, follow pattern (you'll just work one less pattern repeat [k2, p1 on RS]).
It's been a rough and tough year, I won't lie. But lately, things are going so well that I stop to thank God multiple times throughout the day!
As of this week, my day job includes benefits. Yay!
And my day job is part time, which allows me to continue Phydeaux (crucial through the holiday season!). Yay!
The second said benefits are active ... I'm taking care of health business. Yay!
I very nearly sold my Christmas tree this year, but knowing how very much I love Christmas trees, decided not to. I love the lights - it's prestrung and wired. As you can see above. Yay!
I had the best Thanksgiving ever with my parents and brother - first one as an entire family in more than 10 years. (How many people say that about Thanksgiving with the family?) Yay!
I have new two new lines I'm preparing to debut for Phydeaux - totally new and different from what I've done previously - so excited! Yay!
I have the absolutely most comfortable down comforter on the planet - I was worried that it might be bedraggled after being in storage - just in time for an early super cold spell in the Bay Area. Yay!
I have the best customers ever - so many wonderful people who love handmade and love knitting -thank you thank you and yay!
What awesomeness is going on in your life lately???
It's officially Thanksgiving in the US as I type this - I wish you and yours love, fun, feasting and treasured memories!
But you might also want to start your holiday shopping even a little earlier than the infamous Black Friday (day after Thanksgiving - a huge shopping day in the US)!
So, I'm sharing my Black Friday discount code with you a day early ... and it works on all Phydeaux Designs sites:
"blackfriday"
(I know! Such a sneaky and clever discount code!)
For an automatic 30% (!!!) discount on the following sites, just enter "blackfriday" during checkout. Your order, prior to shipping, will be automatically adjusted for a 30% discount:
I'm not able to combine discount codes (I'm elated that Etsy allows discount codes now - a brand new feature!) and the discount is valid only for purchases from now through Friday night, midnight PST.
But!!! I will, periodically, on Friday put up a super special or something new and exciting that you might not have seen before (oh, say ... Christmas ornaments???). If you'd like to stay in the know, just follow me on Twitter or Facebook - you'll be covered either way.
One last little incentive ... I very may well be taking down anything that isn't ready to ship in any of my shops later today (particularly buttons), so if there's something you've been eyeing, now's the time. Just saying. :)
p.s., On Friday, there will be three (3!!!) brand new cowl designs in my hand knits shop on Etsy. Chunky, oversized with LACE (hehe). And if I'm very productive tomorrow night after the turkey coma, I will have at least one knitting pattern ready from that new bunch.
The immortal words of my youngest brother. As a baby (OK, toddler), he'd mutter those words in his sleep at night if he kicked off his blankets. Now a family slogan, forever burned into our subconciousnesses and family lore.
It is cold! Tonight is supposed to hit freezing the Bay Area. Wow! I was wearing shorts just a week ago. Now all I can think of are wearing cozy, chunky warm knits.
I have piles of just that to add to my Etsy shop! Chunky, soft, cozy, colorful, warm: 'tis the season to wear your knits. I have many new things as of today, and more will arrive this weekend.
Hard to believe. I often feel as though I spend the entire year recuperating from the holidays, and am taken by surprise every single year when it's suddenly Thanksgiving again!
I'm preparing to spend my first Thanksgiving with my family (parents and brother) in y-e-a-r-s. I'm cooking dinner (yay!) and will be rushing back on Friday morning for ... Black Friday.
I'm going to have a super awesome Black Friday sale this year: 30% off all day long in any of my shops. And will have spot specials throughout the day for even better savings.
Interested in learning more? Join my mailing list - I'll send out the details Tuesday night! I might also have a few surprises only for mailing list members!
Not sure how to join (missed the link?): click here!
So, as we all rush around this busy Thanksgiving week ... where will you be spending your Thanksgiving day???
As you might have noticed, I've been a little absent lately. Between transitioning back to a day job, the crazy holiday season, the release of Joyeux, the fun and games I've been having with my health, etc., etc., etc. ...
I lost track of what I was going to say.
Sigh.
Life.
And its little ups and downs.
I don't have much to share, simply because I'm just trying to keep on keeping on right now. I will share some Phydeaux news throughout the week though.
Thank you for visiting and for your good thoughts!
In the latter category of "not very wonderful," I'm in the unfortunate, while necessary, position of needing to suddenly simplify my life, while dealing with a potential medical issue. I'm thinking positively - and hope you'll think the same positive thoughts for me! Hopefully, everything will turn out negative, but there are some definite tests and procedures in my near future.
I'm happy to share a few new pretties in my hand knits shop, all knit up with handspun yarn from the wonderfully talented Naomi (love her sqoosh monsters handspun!).
As a designer, do you have a "vision" or a "version?"
I'm watching Project Runways finale tonight (yay - I've loved this season!) and am once again struck by how the designers this season are really focused on their design perspective and their own, unique vision.
I see a LOT of hand knits and knitting patterns each day. From Etsy to Vogue Knitting to Twist Collective to Stitches West and beyond. So many designs are really, really incredible. Awe inspiring. Original. And many are ... The. Same. Exact. Thing.
Oh, but wait, there's often a disclaimer: "this is my version of (fill in the blank)."
When I was in junior high school, my VERY popular art teacher gave me a C in Art. To get a great grade from this teacher, you had to allow him to draw on top of (redraw) your drawing. And I wouldn't let him do that. I didn't want my drawing to become his drawing. I didn't want my drawing to no longer look like mine. I didn't want it to look like everyone else's in the room.
Although I don't like or want to design things that look like everyone else's, it can be a challenge to know what my "look" or perspective is. (I think this is a challenge for many creative types.)
So how do you know what your vision is and how do you stay true to it?
You'll have to come back tomorrow to find out!
In the meantime, I really do want to know your thoughts on this! Share with us in the comments - how did your own tastes, perspective, aesthetic, etc. develop? How do you stay true to it? On the flip side, if you have no idea, what do you hope to learn about this?
You know that yarn shop that you often walk by? The one with all the gorgeous colors and textures in the window, teasing you, beckoning to you? The one you've avoided entering, because you feel just a wee bit intimidated? That one?
And guess what? Yarn shops have egos. Well, not the shop. But the owner. The manager. The staff. They are there to provide you a service: sell you yarn, patterns, notions, tools, classes. They are proud of their offerings and their service! If you come in and ask where the red heart acrylic yarn is, that's more than a bit of a shock to most yarn shops.
(Not that there's anything wrong necessarily with red heart acrylic yarn ... if you like acrylic ... but most shops don't carry red heart.)
Being a retail business, most shops are going to try to sell you their higher end and more special yarns and fibers. They want you to see their indie dyed and spun yarns, because they want to support those artisans. They want you to buy addi turbo needles because (a) they're rather expensive, and (b) they believe they are the best needles.
In the end, most shops want you to introduce you to the best quality at a price you can afford. I've been in many a shop with customers commenting on how expensive things are. Audibly commenting. True, some shops are REALLY expensive, but most are reasonable, given the goods they are carrying. Their yarns are likely more expensive than craft store yarns, but they are likely higher quality yarns.
Have you ever railed against the prices in a shop? Or made a disparaging or dismissive comment about their stock? That may actually hurt the feelings of the workers in the shop! Which created defensiveness and even anger. The staff are people with feelings, who may take things very personally.
I just had to play devil's advocate for a minute, remembering what it's like when I'm vending at Stitches West or Renegade or other shows/fairs, trying to not let comments like those bother me. Being human and all, it's hard.
If you're genuinely baffled about price differences between your yarn shop and the Hobby Lobby ... ask the staff about it! I don't recommend a "why the heck are you so expensive compared to Michael's." :) But a genuine question showing authentic curiosity, such as, "I'm really curious about how the prices and quality between yarn shops and craft stores are so different - can you help me understand?" In a nice, friendly, curious tone, not an aggressive tone!
Most yarn shop employees genuinely want to help you. They love knitting as much or even more than you do (hard to believe anyone could love it more than you, right?). They may not be extremely skilled in customer service, communication, human interaction, but they do want to be helpful!
So help them help you!
(And now you get why the youtube clip - be sure to watch it!)
Be nice, open, friendly, and you're more likely to get the same in return. Go in on the defense, ready for a fight, already not happy about prices or selection, and you'll get defensiveness in return.
And yeah, I know it's not that simple all of the time, but this has worked for me 99.999% of the time! When I feel that defensive crunchiness starting in a yarn shop, I remind myself that I can change the vibe, and set about to do so right away. Even just a "hello, how are you" and smile from me can reverse what's starting to be a negative yarn shop experience!
But what do you think? Have you had similar experiences? Or very different experiences
I actually designed and knit these mini hand knit lace wall hangings in preparation for Stitches West earlier this year ... then ran out of time to finish the pattern/kit.
I may release these as kits ... I haven't decided yet. For now, they're available in my home decor/art shop (more colors are coming!).
I really had fun knitting these. I was dying to use the lotus lace pattern - I love it's contemporary flavor - and liked the idea of using a garter stitch, very free form, using different sizes of needles.
I'm using a super thin organic cotton ribbon, tied to balsam dowels that I cut/sanded.
No two will be identical! Perfect colors for Autumn (and gorgeous hand dyed colorway/merino wool from Lisa at Wabi Sabi Yarns!).
What a week I've had! Big orders (yay), more work at ... work (yay), Phydeaux deadlines (nearly met, yay), something brand new coming up at Phydeaux (yay), and, oh yeah, that little thing called health.
I ran into a new health issue last week that made my week all the more challenging, even a little precarious, but I seem to have emerged from the other side and that is a GOOD thing.
Life gives us these little reminders now and again. Helps us remember what's important (oh, say, living?) and what the true priorities are in the end.
I've felt a bit like living life at the speed of sound while through a haze, but am so glad the haze is lifting and I feel like a human being again. :)
I am seriously swamped this week with work and Phydeaux deadlines, so am just popping in to share with you a (yay!) shop update in my hand knits shop on Etsy! I've had scarves piling up for weeks (and in some cases months) - finally blocked and photographed them.
These are all knit from luscious handspun fiber. Even one that I spun myself (below)!
Even more to come this weekend!
What colors would you love to see in scarves knit with handspun fiber?
