Updates on WIPs

Happy Tuesday, readers!

I have been a busy bee, as usual.  I wanted to update you guys on everything I have been working on lately (hint: it is a LOT!).  I have been getting back into cross stitching as well as maintaining my knitting workload - the benefit to knitting being that I can do it on the train on the way to and from work without looking like that crazy lady sitting in the corner, sewing, pants speckled with cat hair.  :-)

So, without further ado...

1.) "Celestial Dragon" by Teresa Wentzler

"Celestial Dragon" by Teresa Wentzler

The cross stitches in this quadrant are almost finished - I just need to fill in some more turquoises and yellows.  It is such a lovely piece!  The picture really doesn't do it justice - there is so much SPARKLE in it due to all of the blending filament.  I will make sure to get some great macro shots once it is finished and beaded to really show off all of the bling.  I should have it finished in, oh, about three years at this rate.  :)

2.) "Wise Owl" from "Hold that Thought Bookmarks" by Sandy Orton

"Wise Owl" from "Hold that Thought Bookmarks" by Sandy Orton

I am stitching this one again because my fiancé bought the pillow ornament from my shop and now has it hanging in his apartment in Houston, and I have been meaning to re-stitch him for a while to restock.  I found a tiny little whitewashed white frame at Goodwill that will be the perfect size for him!  I will be sure to post pictures once he is framed and mounted.  You can never have too many owls sitting around!

3.) Knit dishcloth in "Playful Plaid" pattern

Knit dishcloth in "Playful Plaid" pattern

This pattern is a variation on the traditional ball band dishcloth pattern.  The plaid pattern is created by wrapping the yarn around the needle three times and then dropping the stitches in the next row, then you slip the loops in the next six rows thereafter.  It is a lot easier than it looks!  You can find the pattern over at Ribbed for Your Pleasure.  For this piece, I used Sugar 'n Cream cotton yarn in Sunshine (MC) and Batik (CC) on size 8 US needles, and I really like how it turned out.

4.) Cashmere brain hat - now with improved packaging!

Cashmere brain hat - wrapped to look like a surgical pack

I have been knitting these brain hats since about November now (this was my twelfth one), and the buyer for this one is a human (MD) neurologist (I have to clarify, because I know more veterinary neurologists than I do human ones).  He requested that I knit his hat in cashmere yarn, so I knit it using Debbie Bliss's Cashmerino Aran yarn in silver.  While I was packaging it up for the mail last night, I had a great idea - I would wrap it like a sterile surgical pack!  I used tissue paper instead of surgical draping, of course, and I borrowed two strips of autoclave tape from our stockroom and filled in the indicator lines with a Sharpie (autoclave tape turns black under sterilizing heat and temperature conditions, so you know that whatever you autoclave is sterile until you open it).  I hope he appreciates the humor - I think I am going to wrap all of my brain hats like this in the future!

I had some yarn left over from the brain hat, and coincidentally, my officemate also got me another skein of the same kind of yarn in a different color (dusty blue) as a Christmas gift, so I am going to be working on learning Fair Isle knitting so I can knit myself a two-color cashmere hat!  Stay tuned for pics of that project - hopefully I can finish it before spring!

I also have a lovely little pink pair of baby mittens that I am working on getting ready for my Etsy shop (because God knows I have enough pink yarn in my stash from those brain hats).  :)

So... there you have it - a little peek into my WIPs and a couple of knitting finishes!  I hope you enjoyed it.  Thanks for stopping by and for all of your wonderful comments - I hope my new readers are enjoying my blog!

Cheers,
-Erin

P.S.  If you have a minute, go check out Heather's Stitching Story - Heather is having a giveaway for some wonderful Little House/Country Cottage Needleworks patterns!  Country Cottage Needleworks is the company that published the pattern for "A Day at the Beach" by Nikki Leeman, which I finished back in October.

The Liebster Award - and Pre-Holiday Wishes!

Hello, readers!

First, I would like to say a big THANK YOU to Andrea at Finish Friday for giving Less Bitching, More Stitching! the Liebster Award!

"Liebster" is a German word meaning "dearest," "favorite," or "beloved."  Liebster Awards are given by bloggers to other bloggers who have fewer than 200 followers to spread the word and help newer bloggers gain wider recognition.  Here is how it works:

1.  Choose five bloggers with fewer than 200 followers to whom you would like to give the Liebster Award.

2. Show thanks to the blogger who awarded you the Liebster by linking back to their blog.

3.  Post the award on your blog.  List the bloggers to whom you are giving awards, with links to their sites, and comment on their blog with a link back to your blog to let them know that you have given them the award.

Here are my picks.  I am trying to represent a variety of art styles!  :)

1.  Rambling Thoughts on Food, Firearms, and Fun - Wendy is one of the newer blogs I follow, and as a former Ohioan/Pennsylvanian, I always enjoy reconnecting with people from my home states who share my love for the 2nd Amendment.  :)  Plus, she is a "wicked good" crochet-er!

2.  ThirtyOne13 - Robin is a very gifted stitcher who has a fabulous collection of completed cross stitch pieces.  I met her on Etsy and have enjoyed reading her blog for several months!

3.  Hallbrook Designs - Missie is actually my neighbor from way back, when I used to live in Ohio!  She makes lovely quilts and also dabbles in day trading during her "free time."  :)

4.  Starry Nights Studio - Alissa has beautiful stitchery and paper designs, and she kicks ass because she also does all of her framing in house!  That is totally impressive.  Her stuff is GORGEOUS!

5.  Etsy Needle Arts Team (EtsyNEAT) - This is a collaborative effort from a bunch of stitchers on Etsy.  I really like this blog because there are frequently contests including members' needlework, so it's really nice to see what my teammates have come up with!

I am somewhat caught up on my brain hats - I finished all of my Christmas orders last night, so now I can work on my post-Christmas orders (4 total, plus a few extra for inventory if I get bored).  My stitching has taken a back burner to the Christmas frenzy, but I can't really complain.  I am still trying to finish up a few of my personal Christmas presents, but they shouldn't take too long.

I should add that today (Friday, 12/14) is the last day to place orders from my Etsy shop before I go on vacation for 2 weeks - otherwise, if you order later, you are going to have to wait until 12/28.  I have had a great first year; I met my goal of 20 sales, and the brain hats are really star sellers!  I also added a gray brain hat to my inventory yesterday, and it is already gaining favorites and has been featured in a Treasury.

New item in my shop - brain hats are now available in gray!

So, with that, I will bid you adieu - have a happy Hanukkah, or merry Christmas, or amazing Kwanzaa, or festive Festivus, or whatever holiday you choose to celebrate!  See you in a couple of weeks!

-Erin

BRAINS!!!!! a.k.a., My New Brain Hat :)

Wow.  I have been SWAMPED.

It all started back on about October 29, when my friend and co-worker asked me to knit her a "brain hat."  Quite literally, it is a hat that is knit to look like a brain - you knit a hat, and then you tack on 15-20 feet of i-cord artfully arranged to look like gyri and sulci.  I was intrigued, so I made her one.  Here is the finished product:

Knit brain hat - perfect for your zombie-phile friends!

Then, I figured, as long as I had one finished, I might as well take pictures and list it on Etsy.  So, I did... and HOLY CRAP.  The thing has taken off!  It is already in 10 treasury lists, and it has had over 300 views.  I got an order from Italy for another one right away, as soon as I finished this one, and I have had requests for a bunch more, so it looks like I will be knitting brain hats for the forseeable future.  That may not mean much for all of you stitching fans, but at least it is a passable excuse for why I have been neglecting my blog!

If you want to check out the Etsy listing (or if you would like to buy a hat - only $50!), you can click here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/114737296/pink-brain-hat-thinking-cap-hand-knit.  I can also knit them in other colors if the pink is too girly-girly for your taste.

I was hoping to get a bit more stitching done before Christmas, but I don't know if that will be happening or not.  I wanted to finish a big stitched piece (no specifics, it's a surprise!) as well as make a few more ornaments, but between Etsy and finishing up my project for the Handmade Holiday Gift Exchange, my stitching seems to be taking a backseat to knitting.  I guess that's okay - I tend to knit more in the winter anyways, and it's much more suitable for gift-giving because it's so much faster than cross stitching.  Plus, I still have about a month left before Christmas Day, so maybe I will have time to catch up.  I will just have to be that crazy lady knitting in the corner of the subway car every morning.  :)

I suppose I should get back to work - I traveled to West Palm Beach this past weekend to visit my fiancé for Thanksgiving, and I just got into the office this afternoon.  Lots of catching up to do - busy, busy, busy!

Take care, everyone, and thanks for stopping by!

Cheers,
-Erin