Saturday, December 29, 2012

So, almost a year later...

Funny how life likes to throw curve balls, isn't it? Changes things up and gets you all discombobulated. That's what happened to me since I last posted here. Scott had to retire on medical disability and we are both completely out of the plumbing/heating business. And neither of us miss it in the least. I now work for a local business that sells bottled water and Green Mountain K-cups for Keurig coffee makers. There are two locations and I work in both of them at different times. Mostly I sell coffee and water, stock shelves, answer phones, and do office work. I like the people I work with and I like the job so all is good there. Scott has taken over the household duties - laundry, cleaning and cooking. He likes to cleand and loves the cooking part. And he's good at it. So that's good, too. And through it all, I am still knitting. Mostly it's been hats, mittens,and baby items. We rented a small space in a local antiques/craft co-op where we sell small antiques and my knitted items. We only started in the middle of November so it's a little hard to tell how well it's going to go. We have sold several items, though. These mittens are in the shop right now but haven't sold yet. The yarn is Plymouth Encore and the pattern is just a basic mitten pattern.
This is a Cupcake Cutie Cap from the book "Grammy's Favorite Knits for Baby" by Doreen Marquart. It's a fast, easy pattern and people love it. The yarn is King Cole Merino Blend DK which is machine washable wool. It was one of the first things I sold.
I'm also still making Concentric Striped Cardigans. This first one is made from Vanna's Choice yarn. The hat is just a basic hat pattern. This set sold fairly quickly.
This one is made from Plymouth Encore and Vanna's Choice. I thought it would sell for Christmas but it hasn't yet. I'll mark it down and see if it sells before the middle of January.
And this is an Elf Hat by Celina Garrels. It's an Ann Norling pattern. The yarn is Plymouth Encore. This didn't sell for Christmas either. It might be because it's a newborn size or because I didn't get it in the shop until right before Christmas. I'll mark it down and if it doesn't sell, I'll keep it until next year.
So, now I'm working on other things to put in the shop. Baby items seem to be a good seller but I'm going to do a few adult things, too. Hats, fingerless gloves, and cowls are some of the things I have in mind. I'll keep you updated.