This week sucketh

So, last week I was going to post a picture of Leah's birthday sock and I had started writing a posting about it, but it was looking a lot like George W. wrote it himself--that is how bland and incoherent it was. And then I still had nothing interesting to say, and still yet nothing interesting to say and, well, if you wanted to hear George you could have turned on NBC this morning, thinking you were going to see Day 2 of Where In The World Is Matt Lauer, and instead you get to see George having it out with a reporter who tried to cheat and ask a 2nd follow up question in the surprise press conference when apparently that was against the rules....sigh....

And I thought about just rewriting that posting using the same picture, but the date on this post would have been wrong, and that is unacceptable in my eyes, and it would mean reimporting the picture and, even though in the time it has taken to type all of this I could have done that, I just didn't. So you get a post with no pictures today.

This week. This week I have A TON of hats to knit. Miya from Willow and Bloom called last Thursday and said all of her hats were gone. All of them. She needs more--stat! Fine. I can handle that. This week is also the week I need to get ready for the garage sale Shirley and I are having on Saturday. At first it was going to be just me and Shirley. And then it was me and Shirley and her mom. And then it was me and Shirley and her mom and her friend, Julie. And now it is me and Shirley and her mom and Julie and half of our street. Which is great because a 6 or 8 family garage sale is much more appealing to the general public, but it also means I really do have to do this garage sale. So on my calendar I designated today as Garage Sale Set Up Day to force myself to do it. Which is why you are finally getting a new post. The first of many attempts to avoid the garage.

I also need to garden. It's spring, it has been raining, and things are finally growing like weeds. Including the weeds. I have spent the last few years putting some serious time into my garden and I refuse to let it go by the wayside. Which means I need to get out there. Also, after having our septic tank pumped last fall, there is some damage I need to repair and it is just taunting me everytime I look out the kitchen window. The birdbath is crooked and there are some serious holes that need to be filled and smoothed over. I also have some pavers that need attention. Could I do this next week? Or the week after? Will my garden disintegrate if I don't get out there this week? Well, technically, no, but....

And I'm out of coffee. So I'm drinking tea purely for the caffeine. I hate tea. And I could drive to Starbucks to get a latte, but that would mean getting in the car and driving to Starbucks. So I'm drinking tea. I hate tea. Did I mention that already?

Where am I on the knitting front? I'm almost done with Leah's 2nd sock. I presented her one completed sock on her birthday, which I think she is excited about, and have been working hard on sock #2. I just love working with the Pagewood Farm sock yarn. It's yummy. I was also able to present Leah with her completed convertible mittens and am now working on a matching hat for her. My sweater is still in a big scary heap and I have another class tomorrow. I'm knitting like crazy for Willow and Bloom and I have a couple of new ideas for Venue that I'd like to get started on. In my spare time.

I ripped out the Tilli Tomas scarf. I didn't like it. If I am going to knit and wear a scarf from the beautiful coveted Tilli Tomas Flurries, I am going to love it. And I was not loving this. I did a little research on Ravelry and found another pattern, that I just happen to have in my brand new Louisa Harding Knitting Little Luxuries book, and it was adorable. Using my exact yarn. So I ripped it out and have it "resting" for a bit.

I need a haircut, I have nothing to wear, Eric keeps taking toys out of the garage sale pile, and Ryan has already earned himself Wii restriction for being a total and complete snot.

Let's see--the bright side? Hmmmm....if it does not rain in a torrential downpour this Saturday, I hope to have my garage cleared of much crap after the garage sale, my customer loved her strawberry hat, so I guess it was not as evil as I had imagined, and season 2 of Robin Hood started this week.

Must go now. Laundry, pricing, and weeding awaiteth.

The Pressure is Mounting

Eric and I made the trek to Venue today. I dropped off 5 hats, checked out my inventory, removed 4 sets of booties that are clearly never going to sell, and talked with Caitlin for awhile about this Artist of the Month business. She showed me my spot for the month of March, which is a prominent place near the front of the store. I am going to have to knit a lot of hats in the next month to fill that space up. And according to Caitlin, the place will be jam packed the night of the Art Walk. Apparently I will need a ton of inventory since it will all fly out the door that night. I should also have pictures and perhaps even a sign.

I am so out of my league. I know NOTHING about displaying my merchandise. Caitlin wants me to think about just how I want to display my hats. Well, that tiered shelf that I'm currently using seems to be working just fine--can't we keep using that? Apparently I need to be creative and dazzle the baby-hat buying public. Seriously, I have no ideas. Zero. How about a box with a bunch of hats thrown in it? Would that work? A long table with some hats strewn about? Is that not appealing enough? Anyone who might be planning to stop by that night--I would seriously lower my expectations if I were you.

I've pulled some loser items from both Happy Delusions and Venue and have placed them ever-so-appealingly on Etsy. There is no reason anyone perusing my Etsy shop has to know that these items are apparently poisonous and will make their baby's head turn green. So they can sit there for awhile getting no attention and then I will sneak them back over to one of my shops so they look like brand new items again. Clearly these are items I will NOT be making anytime again in the foreseeable future, but I would like to at least recoup my costs.

I would like to finish my own pair of convertible mittens, now that I've calmed down and figured out how to make the flap. I would also like to finish my Tilli Tomas scarf while it is still winter (and winter it is! It was 19 degrees when we woke up this morning! And they're talking snow later on this week. It will either be Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, depending on which channel you watch). I also want to finish my sister's socks, begin Leah's convertible mittens (which are way more exciting than mine, truth be told), and finish Cinderella #2. I have been narrowing down my project options for Tiffany's baby and I'm pretty excited about my selections. When I will actually find the time to begin that project I have no idea, but it's still a step in the right direction. And I found a pattern for a sweater for myself that I am dying to try.

Oh, and I do have a job and a house to maintain. Can't say I'm really on top of the house portion of my life (Eric officially ran out of underwear this weekend. The good new is, Mike was able to teach himself how to use the new washing machine while I was at work), but work is great. I am truly amazed at my ability to sell yarn and books to people. Expensive things that I easily talk people into--people who clearly have much more money that I do. If I can't buy it myself, it is somewhat satisfying to help someone else buy it!

And my parting thought for the day: school holidays should be banned. The only benefit I got out of this 3 day weekend is an especially evil 7 year old who yelled at me all day because I told him to find something else, anything else, to do other than play the Wii.

I am, after all, the Queen

I realize I've spent very little time discussing knitting lately. As this blog is titled The Knitting Queen, I should probably touch on actual knitting from time to time.

The fact that very little knitting has been posted as of late is NOT an indication of the amount of knitting I have been doing. Quite the contrary. The other day Mike dropped Eric off at preschool and Teacher Meghan, who had been expecting me, asked Eric where I was. Eric told her "Mommy's knitting. She always knits." Lately, that is a very true statement.

Mike has set up Excel spreadsheets of each store and project to help me keep track of my vast knitting responsibilities. He and I have lengthy discussions about my knitting projects. Yes, that's right. I spend so much time knitting that Mike has now assumed the role of my lovely assistant. He helps me with my inventory and has even been known to purchase yarn for me. If Mike didn't have 4 thumbs I would probably teach him to knit.

And just how much knitting am I doing? Anna (the owner of Zizia) has ordered 31 baby hats from me and 8 pairs of booties. I drop in each Friday with a bit more of her order and pick up a check from her. I still owe her 4 pairs of booties and 5 hats. Initially Anna sold a lot of hats, and now has sold none. I keep bringing them to her and I've questioned her order a few times. Is she sure she wants it all? Yes, she is quite sure. She has every confidence it will sell. And since she pays me up front, I'm not complaining too much. However, it is a little perplexing that the hats are not selling. Her store is very nice, in a great location, and is surrounded by other fun gift shops. So while I agree that they will sell, I'm confused about why that have not sold yet.

Venue: Venue Venue Venue. I do still love Venue, although sales there have been so-so. I am still selling there and the hats are still popular, but I guess I expected to see a big jump this time of year. It's cold, it's the holidays....for 6 months now I've been waiting for the Christmas season to see the hats really take off. And my sales are about the same as they are every month. I sell 7 or 8 hats a month and it's pretty consistent, but still. The nice thing about Venue is, I can control my inventory and make whatever I feel like. Making 9 Viking hats for Anna is starting to get a bit tedious.

And Happy Delusions? Not so happy. I have not sold a thing. Not. One. Thing. Zero. Nada. Zip. I'm confused as is Mary, the owner. I'm making no new inventory for Happy Delusions since there is nothing to replace. But if I look at the bright side, that gives me much more time for my special orders: 3 cupcakes hats for Mike's co-worker, 2 marley hats for Cori, socks for mom, hat for Jeremy, baby daisy hat for Karis--all before Christmas. And Meghan has gently nudged me about the birthday cake, which she would like before her birthday in March.

So there you go. The Knitting Queen is still knitting. Now I don't have to change the name of my blog.

Summer Break, Week 6

I went to Venue this last weekend. I had not been there since my initial appointment a month ago and I really wanted to check out my inventory. I tried to get Mike to go on his way home on Friday, but we apparently had a miscommunication. He asked me if I wanted him to go to Venue, I said Yes, and he didn't go. When he got home and I asked him about my inventory, he said "I didn't go because you told me not to." I told him NOT to go? Why would I actually tell Mike NOT to check out my inventory and see how well I'm doing? So we had that discussion for awhile...

On Saturday I had already planned to head up north to Edmonds, so I left a bit early to drop by Ballard. I sold 4 more hats and the felted bunny slippers. In one month I've sold 7 items! My display was noticeably bare and I am now ecstatic and in a knitting frenzy all at the same time. I hit 2 yarn stores on my way to Edmonds to stock up and I've been knitting like a mad woman.

Some of these hats are technically for my Etsy store, but since no one seems to know it exists, I may send them on to Venue.

In other news, He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named and his brother have taken up residence in our home (Which is which? Doesn't matter. It seems to be tag-team evilness). We were up very very late the other night at a Little League playoff game for the son of some college friends. Two days later and they both are still so tired they can barely manage to hold their heads up. Eric had a nap today, but the older one Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named has become increasingly more belligerent as the day goes on. We have an evening pool party tomorrow night that I'm looking forward to like a root canal, as that is going to prolong the evilness that is invading my house. Example: last night we brought a tired-to-the-point-of-hysterics-Eric to bed at 7:00. He cried for an hour because I wouldn't make him a batch of pancakes. Right then. In his room.

Ryan continues to sleep in his crawlspace. At this point there is no need to change the sheets on his bed, so it's saving me some laundry.....

Alice continues the peeing, the garden continues to grow, and I continue to do just as much work as I need to in order to maximize my reading and knitting time. It will be a small miracle if the 3 of us live to see Labor Day because I don't know how much more "quality time" I can take if Ryan and Eric continue on their paths to touch each other as much as possible, despite my constant yelling "keep your hands to yourself", while they take turns screaming because each has been touched by his brother....Everyone else in the neighborhood knows that I would like Ryan and Eric to LEAVE EACH OTHER ALONE, so I'm not sure why they're not picking up on it yet.

And we're out of beer.

I'm Just Wild About Harry....

I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows this morning. I had been reading along for the last couple of days, picking up a couple of chapters here and there, and then I got to about the half-way mark. There was no turning back. I was completely riveted and forsook all other responsibilities until I finished. I had a playdate with Penny and her boys at my house this morning. When she arrived at 10:05, I answered the door with book in hand and said "I have 6 more pages left to go!". She read a magazine until I finished. My kitchen sink was full of dishes, the boys bedrooms were disasters, but I could not waste valuable time tidying up before the playdate. The book needed to be finished, and then discussed!

Book 7 is truly the climax of the entire Harry Potter series and it left me breathless. And so sad. I'm in mourning for the fact that the story is finally finished. I am completely in awe of what is in JK Rowling's head. The movie of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is going to be the most intense 4 hour movie!

In knitting news: I've made a few hats for my etsy store, so it feels good to start restocking. I have no idea what is going on with Venue. I'm suppose to get a check and/or inventory list once a month, but it's strange not having an idea of what I've sold. I can go in anytime, but Ballard isn't exactly on my way to anything....so I hesitate to make more until I know what has been selling. Not that I don't have Peter's gift, a sock, and Cinderella's twin to finish up. I seem to be suffering from Project ADD and would rather start another new item than finish up one of the many I have in progress.

Alice: She peed on Eric's comforter today. Sigh.....In her defense, the comforter was on the floor, practically begging to be peed upon, and the boys all played in Ryan's room, which is in the vicinity of Eric's room. So naturally she should pee in Eric's room. I give up.

The garden: my dahlias are starting to bloom! I have brought forth life in my garden. Walter got serious with the moles in his yard last week and seems to have driven them to our yard. I would yell at him, but they are camping. As far as I'm concerned, camping is what the 2nd circle in Hell is like, so maybe he is being punished enough.

Pastoral Search Committee: our candidate preached this last weekend and it was truly a fabulous day. He received an overwhelming vote of confidence and we're just waiting for him to sign on the dotted line. It has been a long long long year of Monday night meetings, but this last weekend made it all worth it.

The Legos: Eric just got them out again. I think I may cry.

Spiderman by Day, Harry Potter by Night

Seven year old Ryan has an incredibly vivid imagination. Always has. Ryan has never really expressed an interest in regular "boy" things, like balls, firetrucks, cars, dinosaurs...Ryan's interests are purely fiction. Superheroes, Charlie Brown, Looney Toones, Buzz Lightyear, Harry Potter--the more make-believe the better. He dresses up, draws elaborate comic books, talks with accents--Ryan is a born method actor.

Lately both he and Eric have revived their love of Spiderman. They each have a costume which they wear daily. I have drawings all over my house of regular Spiderman, Black Spiderman, Venom, the Green Goblin. They hang from the swingset and leap from the furniture. It's all Spiderman, all the time. Except at night. Around bedtime Ryan gets into Harry Potter mode. He has always been completely fascinated by Harry Potter. I don't even know how to pinpoint what aspect he finds so interesting. From beginning to end, the story of Harry Potter completely captivates him. He was Harry Potter for Halloween (complete with striped scarf, made by moi), he had a Harry Potter birthday party, and the July 21st square on Ryan's Harry Potter calendar states the arrival of the 7th and final book (which is coming to me, by the way. Ryan sleeps with his books and "loves" them to the point of their demise. Ryan gets paperback versions).

The boys each have an upstairs bedroom with dormers. They are great bedrooms with lots of character and angles. And the favorite part for each of them is the little crawl space in the dormer. It's the perfect little hidey-hole and Ryan has named his the Secret Lab. We put a carpet remnant on the floor for him and have allowed him to decorate any way he wants--he has drawn on the walls and has all kinds of treasures stored away in there.



Ryan is really, really excited about the release of the 7th book. So excited in fact, that he has been sleeping in his Secret Lab, just like Harry Potter has to sleep in the Cupboard Under The Stairs at the Dursley's house. My only caveat is that he must sleep with the door open so he doesn't suffocate to death.

In knitting news, I'm still plugging away at Peter's surprise birthday gift and I'm determined to finish Gordon's hat tonight. I have many baby hats to make, in my head, but I need a trip to the yarn store for some colors. I really want to replenish my Etsy store, but I think it may be another week or two. So, I'll just keep plugging away at the projects I've already started. What a novel idea!

Alice update: you're probably wondering what's up with Alice, as it's been awhile since I've talked about that passive-aggressive-geriatric-peeing-feline. Still peeing. On my bed. I bought new waterproof pads that are working great, so I don't have to completely sanitize and remake my bed every night. But Alice is still same old Alice. Mike was at the pet store buying food for her the other day and somehow he got to talking to the employee about the problem (I'm having a hard time imagining how the conversation got started. "So, I need some food for this cat we use to love, but now we hate her because for some reason she hates us and pees on our bed every day. Do you have any food that might control that problem? Or poison her?"). Apparently when some cats have a hairball problem it often feels like a bladder issue to some cats and they have the immediate urge to pee. So the pet store employee recommended this hairball stuff, which is basically petroleum jelly with cat nip in it. Alice loves it and happily licks a big blob off my finger each night. And pees on my bed the next morning.

Sigh.......

Weekend Update

I am able to blog again, now that the temperature in my house is back to earth standard. The heat wave cometh, and now the heat wave goeth. It has dropped a good 20 degrees and we had the most fantastic thunder storm Friday morning! I am back to being my normally cranky self, rather than the raging cranky demon I become when temperatures rise to the point that my bra becomes seared to my body.


We all survived Day Camp and Ryan is quite disappointed that there is not another week of it. Eric was able to bring home all five of his Bible Buddies and got a new shirt--so he's happy. I had a very successful run as Snack Lady this year, if I do say so myself.


Mike dropped by Venue today and brought them 5 new hats. He also discovered that I've sold 2--tangible proof that at least 2 people in Seattle don't think I'm a complete loser. I believe I'll make some more! But I'm still a little stressed about my current projects vs. future projects--I'm still not done with Gordon's hat, I'm still knitting Peter's birthday gift, I have yet to replenish my Etsy store and I'm only half way done with Cinderella's twin. I need a knitting lounge in m house. Currently I knit in the living room. Our couches are quite comfortable, so it's the best place to knit. I have yarn everywhere and there are kids and husbands everywhere. The knitting is still possible, but I feel like I'm imposing on all of them and everyone is always sidestepping my projects. I'm always distracted and have to put down whatever I am doing about 75 times to draw another picture of Spiderman and his new nemesis, Venom (Eric loves Venom. He talks about him like he's a cuddly little teddy bear or his blanket. He is especially in love with Venom's snake-like tongue and his needle sharp teeth, dripping with saliva. I don't have words to express how I feel about my 4 year old's object of affection. But I'm getting pretty darn good at drawing pictures of him!). I need my own room with a super duper comfortable chair and my own tv with unlimited access to movies and dvds. And the entire collection of I Love Lucy. And then I would be a knitting machine! Mike would tell me that I will get that room all in due time--in my assisted living facility at the rest home.


Yesterday Cori and I made another trip to Flower World, the best nursery in Washington State. We were practically giddy with excitement and squealed when we arrived. I bought 6 dwarf boxwoods for the path off my deck, to frame the cobblestones and irish moss. It looks so adorable I can hardly stand it! I also bought a lily of the nile for $6.99, which was a steal, and some plant with yellow flowers.

And what will today bring? Oh, I'm sure it will be a magical day. Mike and the boys are at the computer making Spiderman comic books and I have a pile of crumbs on the kitchen floor calling my name....

I Rock!

First of all, I went yarn shopping the other night and bought some long overdue items--Peter's birthday gift, more cupcake materials, etc... I also splurged on a couple of things (try lifesize handknit birthday cake, with swirly frosting! And special lace needles to help me with the bobbles...I COULD NOT leave the store without all of the materials. When I will actually find the time to make this, I have no idea). My total came to $102, which was a bit hard to swallow. As I was about to fork it all over, I remembered that I had some Purl 1 dollars that the store had not sent me yet. Sure enough, I had $50 in points waiting for me!! I got everything for $52. That is one reason I rock.

Today I had my appointment with Venue. I dropped the kids off at my sister's house, and had almost an hour to make my way from North Seattle to Ballard--a 20 minute drive. Good thing I had the entire hour. I got off at the wrong exit, which really was not the wrong exit, but just poor judgement on my part. I got off at the 65th street exit, which is at Green Lake, a 3 mile lake in the middle of the city. And you have to drive around it, obviously, so the streets don't make much sense in that part of town. But not to worry since I grew up there. So I knew exactly where I was and got on the right street, heading in the exact opposite direction of Ballard. And since there are many deadend streets in the Green Lake area, turning around and heading in the correct direction was a bit of a challenge. Ok, so I don't rock when I can't find my way around my hometown, in an area where I spent most of my childhood summers. But there was no one there to see that, so it doesn't count.

I met with the owner of Venue and her assistant and showed them all of my Etsy inventory, including Cinderella They loved the hats and took them all. Seriously. They depleted my inventory! One hat they thought would do better in the fall, but they were willing to put it in their backstock. I decided to take it back home to have something left for Etsy. They then told me I should really make more. They didn't think I had nearly enough. Wow. And then they had the conversation about Cinderella:

Diane: I don't know...

Lovely assistant: It's adorable! Let's take it!

Diane: We don't have any dolls.

Lovely assistant: We could have dolls...

Diane: Ok fine, let's see what happens.

Me: Hee hee hee hee hee hee hee

Driving back up to North Seattle I called Mike to tell him how I ROCK, and mentioned that they want more. Mike told me, actually said the words, out loud, in English "you should stop by the yarn store and get some more supplies". He has never uttered those words in his life. He has never uttered anything close to those words in his life. So I drove like a bat out of hell to the nearest yarn shop to stock up.

And now, I worry. How will I ever find the time to make 162 more hats? I still have Gordon's hat to finish (it actually was finished, but when I tried it on, it didn't cover my ears, and I'm thinking that on bike rides up Mt. Rainier, his ears should be covered. So, I'm altering it a bit), and Peter's birthday party is in mid August. I also have about 52 books to read. That I want to read. That I want to be reading at the same time because I can't make up my mind. Except for our bookclub book. I have not even cracked the spine on that book and bookclub is in 10 days. But no pressure there... And I want to replenish my Etsy store, so I need to make hats for both Venue and Etsy. But which do I make first? And after I bring Venue more hats, what if no one buys them? Ever? I have made 3 trips to the yarn store in the last few days and about $80 of it is hat/cupcake money. What if I've just wasted $80? Can my family eat? Have I just made a complete fool of myself thinking that the general public, wandering aimlessly around Ballard, will stumble upon Venue and spy my baby hats and exclaim with sheer joy "that is EXACTLY what I have been looking for!"

Ah yes, my bliss is short lived. But it usually is. I don't have time to be happy and excited when I have so much work to do!

Super Soakers

Did I mention how much we love Emily the neighborgirl and her family? Last evening the boys were running around on the deck and they were suddenly blasted with water from the other side of the fence. And Walter was practically cackling over there. He had bought his kids these giant water-blaster things that apparently they needed to try out. My boys sprang into action with their super soakers! Eric was already in Superhero mode, wearing his Spiderman costume, so he was ready for action!

In Etsy news, I made another cupcake that was purchased by the same person. I'm feeling cautiously optimistic...and plan to make some more cupcakes! Gordon, you won't need your hat until November. Apparently it's cupcake season!

My Glass is Half Empty Because I Drank the Beer

I sent my application to Venue a few days ago and have heard nothing yet. So in my mind they hated all the pictures I sent and never plan to contact me. That is just a small glimpse into the mind of a pessimist. I haven't even brought this to Mike's attention yet because talk like this makes him crazy. I just sent it, the owner is busy/out of town/has it in her to-do pile etc.....I can hear his exasperated voice as he explains to me for the 3979879832 time in 17 years that there is actually another way to look at things. But in my mind, until the owner of Venue calls me, I'm a big fat failure. It's not easy being green.

On the flip side, I just made 3 plush cupcakes, listed them on Etsy this morning, and sold one in about 7 minutes. I was so excited by the sale that I plan to make another one just like it this afternoon and list it as soon as I can. See, I'm a very complex person.

I have the same tug-o-war going in in my mind about summer break. In just 4 short days, life as I know it will change. Ryan will be out of school and it will be all Ryan and Eric, all the time. The thought of it frightens me. I like routine. I like the 1:00 nap time for Eric. I like the preschool schedule and how I can order my day. On the other hand, it will be really nice not to have to be up, showered, and ready to go before 8:00 am. Of course by 10:00 am, I may be ready to lock both of them in the closet. But it will be nice to hang out on the deck and read a book while the kids play in the sprinkler. Until 10 minutes later when then are done and I have a pile of wet clothes and towels and the boys are bored and start to fight over the Game Boy again.

I was all gung-ho about finding a vet to make a house call and tend to Alice, but it's not going well, so I've lost energy for it. However, the other night when Mike and I were changing our bedding AGAIN, I had a sudden revelation--what if I removed the comforter each morning. If it's not on the bed, Alice can't pee on it! Of course there is always the risk of her taking her anger out on our sheets, but it's a lot better than washing a huge down comforter every other day. But I was so proud of myself for finally finding a "solution".

I can apply this crazy mixed up emotional logic to just about any area of my life. If I don't have something to worry about, I will worry about that. It's amazing that Mike has been able to put up with me for so long. But then again, I'm not sure how he would make it through the day if he didn't have me to worry about all of the details of his life that he feels are not worth thinking about. See, I'm the glue that holds it all together!

Take 2

My Etsy store is dead as a doornail right now. I am getting no traffic whatsoever. None. Zilch. I know these things come in waves and, with the end of school and the change of seasons, for whatever reason, it affects things like Etsy and Craig's List. Regardless of the reason, it is very discouraging for me.

So I'm trying something new! I'm of course keeping my Etsy store (although apparently no one would notice if it went away), but I'm going to consign some of my things at this great new shop in Ballard called Venue. It is a work studio and boutique and is a place for artists to sell their wares.

I love Ballard. It is an old scandinavian community located in North Seattle and it is where both of my parents were raised. My sisters and I were raised just a few miles to the north and we have always spent a lot of time in Ballard. My dad was born in Ballard Hospital and attended Ballard High School. His family belonged to Ballard First Lutheran, which is also the church where I was baptized. When I was growing up and in my college years (my alma mater, Seattle Pacific University, is just a couple of miles south of Ballard) Ballard was considered the home of the "newly wed and the nearly dead". But in recent years it has gone through a resurgence (as many Seattle neighborhoods have. Which is why no one can afford to live there any more!) and Market Street and the surrounding side streets are full of fun and funky shops and boutiques. Venue is one of these shops.

My sister, Emily, told me about it a couple of weeks ago and I sent Mike to check it out the other day (he does a lot of business in the Ballard area). He concurred with Emily that Venue just might be the right "venue" for some of my things and he brought home an application for me. I spent last night printing pictures of items I would like to sell there and hope to work on the application today. Mike is seeing a client in Ballard again tomorrow and I'm hoping to have the application ready for him to drop off. So I'm going to try and peddle some of my hats, cupcakes, felted pears, java sleeves, and Cinderella. And perhaps I'll make just enough money to replenish my yarn supply and start all over again!

Weird Etsy Things

So, I'm very confused and perplexed by the Etsy crowd. People actually do sell things on Etsy. You can see what has been sold. There are people out there, all over the world, purchasing things from Etsy. I have people looking at my products. I have one hat that has been viewed 161 times. I have 15 people who claim me as a favorite. I'm advertising on two different blog sites, specifically for moms (as my products are for cute kids and their moms!), and in the last month since I started, I've made one sale (ok, I've made two sales, but the first was to my friend Meghan who bought a cupcake from me just to give me my first sale...). Personally, I think my stuff is pretty darn cute. Others have told me so as well. People have hired me to make baby hats for them. In other words, this is not all in my mind. And yet, I cannot get anyone to purchase my products.

Now, this is what gets me. I like to look at Time Machine 2 on Etsy--it's a list of the most recently posted products, so you get to see a huge variety of what's out there. On Time Machine 2 I ran across home-made maxi pads. And the description, well, it defied description. As Meghan put it, "way to go green, crazy lady!". First of all, these things are machine washable. Now, I have a brand new front load washer and dryer. State of the art Whirlpool Duet with a sanitizing feature. I use this sanitizing feature at least one each laundry day (yes, I have laundry days--I can't do a load every day like my friends do) to wash towels and my kids' underwear. I would not ever wash my maxi pads in the washing machine, even on the sanitizing setting. Those are items that are meant to be thrown away. The creator of these ingenious products goes on to say that, if you hose them off in your garden, it makes great plant food. I'm just picturing my neighbor, Walter, poking his head over the fence for a chat, as he often does, and seeing me hosing down my maxi pads in my rose garden. I think he would move away. And how do you tell people what you do? "Oh, all of this cute fabric I'm buying? Why, I'm making my own maxi pads! Would you like to order some?"

My point is this: she has sold 25 of these things. I am making the most adorable baby hats, felted bunny slippers, plush cupcakes with beaded sprinkles....honestly, my stuff is precious. And no one wants it.

Mike thinks I should start to knit my own maxi pads. Then I'll be sure to make them the right size and he will never again come home from the store with the wrong product. And then I will finally get some sales!