New Additions!!!

Hello!! It has been quite a while since I have blogged.....too much going on! The craft fairs in December did not go quite as planned....not a lot of buyers! But it was fun and a great learning experience! I think I will stick to selling online thru etsy.com and facebook from now on! I started crocheting and knitting some baby clothes in the last months of my pregnancy. I found this adorable (and incredibly easy!) pattern for knit booties! Love them so much!!! Made a few hats and even attempted to sew a swaddler, although that wasn't a huge success! Addison Joy was born on April 28th and I have been very busy with her and big brother Cameron! But I have still managed to find some time to crochet (totally keeps me sane!). Our friends are expecting twins at the end of the month (so excited!!!!) and I wanted to make something really special and unique for them. I found patterns for the mouse from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, the caterpillar from The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Max and a monster from Where The Wild Things Are!! I altered each pattern slightly and I think they turned out awesome!!! I might attempt some characters from Dr. Suess books next! So much fun and I think they really liked getting the book and an animal to go with it! My Koozie Mitten pattern has been selling well on etsy.com! Hopefully that will pick up again soon as well get closer to fall and winter! Make sure you check it out on etsy.com (my store is called CraftyCrochetMomma). I don't have anything else big going on this summer in terms of crafting. But I am excited to return back to dancing and teaching! Got to get this post baby body back in shape!!! Happy summer and happy crafting!!!

Below are all of the fun things I have made in the past few months!

First Craft Fair!!!

Yea! Happy December and holiday season! Had my very first craft fair today at The Attic Christian Arts Center in Batavia! Not a lot of foot traffic, but a few buyers! Definitely a good start to my business!! Here are some pictures from the craft fair and a few pictures of some of the things that I am currently selling! Order now for holiday gifts!!!!

My next craft fair is THIS FRIDAY!!! December 7th, from 4-8pm at the Independence Center for Early Learning at 200 Taylor Avenue, Bartlett, IL!!! Come on out if you like what you see! There are over 40 vendors at this craft fair, so it should be awesome!!

...back in the game!!!

Hello! Well, I think it has been about a year since I posted last...well, not really, but might as well be!!! The beer koozie mitten didn't sell well over the warm months (no surprise there!), and I became very busy. Toddlers are hard work!! I was also working a lot.....recitals, classes, shows, etc. All fun stuff, but leaves very little time for crochet!

Just found out some great news, and some bad news......we are expecting our second baby!! Woohoo!! Due April 28th!! I could not be happier! Bad new: suffered a threatened miscarriage 4 weeks ago and the doctors are strongly suggesting that I do not work for the duration of the pregnancy. That is right....I am 17 weeks pregnant and I can't work again until AFTER baby!! I might go insane!!! What this does mean, however, is that I have PLENTY of time to crochet and get my business back up and running!!!

I recently made my first display at the dance studio on a cheap portable coat rack! Looks pretty good if I do say so myself! I am selling little girls leg warmers, dance shoe bags, and adorable tutus!!! Haven't had a ton of sales yet, but it is starting to get colder....which means little girls are going to start complaining in dance class!! Buy my stuff!!!!

Going to attempt to make a few koozie mittens again and sell them on etsy.com.  Only sold 2 last time, but I think that if I have some pre made, they might sell better?! There is another store that is selling koozie mittens as well, and she is selling them for very cheap....but they are so different and I offer a matching mitten!! Spread the word that mine are better!! :) Might start selling some tulle outfits for little girls for Christmas on etsy.com as well.....just need to figure out that best way to go about it!!!

I am going to be involved in 2 craft fairs this season!!! I am really excited about it and also very nervous that I am not going to have enough to sell or I won't sell anything! The first one is going to be on December 1st in Batavia, IL. It is at the studio that I used to work at called The Attic Christian Arts Center. It is at 26 N. Island Avenue, right off of Wilson!! Come support local artists and businesses!! It is from 10am-2pm and is going to be fun!!! Please visit: www.theatticbatavia.com for more information or if you want to be a vendor!!!   The second craft fair I will be in is on December 7th in Bartlett, IL. It is call Mall in the Hall and will be at the Independence Center for Early Learning at 200 Taylor Ave, Bartlett, IL. It is from 4-8pm. Admission is $1 for anyone over 16, but it includes a raffle ticket! Please contact StephanieHopkins@u-46.org with any questions!  I will be selling crochet hats, holiday hats, scarves, koozie mittens, fingerless mittens, headbands, puppets, leg warmers, dance shoe bags, and tulle tutus!! They are all homemade (and made in the past few weeks......silly bed rest!!)

If anyone has anything that they would like me to make for them for holiday gifts, please email me or message me and let me know!!! I love to try new patterns and I am pretty good at making up my own if you have an idea in mind!!! Also, my koozie mitten pattern will be going up for sale on etsy.com sometime this week!!! I might also put it on raverly.com! So much going on!!!! As soon as I put some of our personal pictures on cds and get them off the computer, I will upload some pictures of what I have been making recently!! Hopefully tomorrow night!

I am hoping to blog more, but we will see how I am feeling and how much time I actually have as a stay at home mom.......somehow, I feel like it is not going to be as easy as it sounds!!!

Hope everyone is doing well!! Hooray for crochet!! :)
Andrea

Pictures

Hello! Here are some new pictures of the two special orders of koozie mittens that I sold on etsy.com!! Enjoy!

Starting the Dance Line

Hello!! Can you believe that tomorrow is February?! Where did January go?! i thought I would start the month off by starting my dance line!! First thing that I am planning on creating is a dance sweater wrap! Trying to decide if I want to knit it or to crochet it......knitting is softer but takes longer (for me at least!!), and crochet is so much easier for me to create a pattern but is not as soft (generally). Any opinions?! I am hoping to make two different patterns...one that is a pull over, and one that ties.  If anyone has any good patterns that they already have that I could look at, let me know!! I have been searching the internet, but cannot find a pattern that I love! 


I am also working on an afghan for a family from Batavia.  It is taking me a long time to do just a few rows.......I am on row 37 of 257!!! Hopefully I can bust it out quickly so that I can focus more on new patterns!! 


Hope everyone is doing well and I will post pictures of everything as I make it!!
Andrea

First Sale!!!

Hooray! I had my first sale on etsy!! So exciting!! Hopefully there will be more to come! If anyone wants a koozie mitten in time for the superbowl, order them quickly!! Here a few AMAZING pictures that my friend Jess took of the koozie mittens in action! Enjoy! 

Etsy

Hello! Been a while since I have posted! I have been busy crocheting more beer koozies and writing out the pattern to be sold on etsy! My sister sent me a link for livingsocial.com that has a beer koozie as the special today....  Maybe it will spark people's interest?! I am hoping to post a listing or two on etsy today and post the pattern later in the week. My mom did a test of my pattern the other day, and there is only one part that is confusing. Hopefully with the pictures I am going to post with it, it will be a lot clearer! If anyone is good at writing patterns, contact me and I will send you the pattern to try! I could use any help I can get!!! 


Hope everyone has a good day and check out my etsy shop: CraftyCrochetMomma!
Andrea