Shop Local Ohio

Have you been wanting to buy that perfect item that's been sourced and made locally?  Look no further than these lovely items for sale in my Etsy shop!  In this post I want to highlight the items in my shop that are made in Ohio.  I realize that Ohio is a big state, but when you consider buying yarn made in Ohio in comparison to yarn made in Turkey, I'd call that local.

Each of these items are hand-spun by me-- the Woobie. :)  I produced the yarn by spinning it with my drop spindle or on my wheel.  The wool and other fiber was purchased from several different local sellers, and was grown in Ohio.

I chose the fibers for the colors and texture, which created a unique item you will enjoy for a long time.

Currently I have only four Ohio made items in my shop, but I will be adding more in the near future.

1. Crochet Slouchy Hat- Hand-spun
2. Merino/Alpaca Fuzzy Beanie Adult Large
3. Raspberry and Cream Handspun Neckwarmer
4. Hand-spun Merino Cowl

PS. If you live in Columbus, OH you can contact me through my shop for local shipping options as well!

Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sales

SALE!

Just wanted to give you a heads up!  On Thursday at Midnight I will post a coupon code for my Etsy shop!  It will be good through Tuesday at Midnight for you to save 10% off anything in my shop.  I'll be posting it here, on Facebook, through Twitter, and a friend is sharing it in her blog.  So lots of people will know about it and things may go fast, so be sure to check it out right away.

If you miss out, I'll be restocking the shop and hosting another sale in time for Christmas!  I'm also taking custom orders.  If my schedule gets busy I might have to stop, so get your request in early.

Featured Creation: Children's Pumpkin Beanie

In the next few weeks I will be posting all kinds of items for fall in my Etsy shop.  Wanted to get this one up as soon as possible.

I LOVE this pumpkin beanie, perfect for hay rides, or a Halloween costume.  It's also a great price.  Hop on over to my SHOP to check it out!

Made from acrylic yarn it's durable and important for kids WASHABLE!

Frugal Foodie Mama Giveaway!!!

My friend Carrie over at Frugal Foodie Mama is celebrating her birthday with a Handmade/Homemade Giveaway.  Your's truly is participating by giving away a handmade crocheted cotton market bag!  It's purple and pretty awesome!  The rest of the items are great, and winner takes all!!

You can enter by doing many very simple things, and the rest of the ladies giving away handmade items are pretty talented.  So head on over and check it out!!

You can find the post by clicking here!

What I've been working on: Socks and Gnomes

Over the last couple of weeks I've been developing some new projects.  I haven't been a super good Etsy shop keeper lately, really only selling things that are custom orders.  But honestly that is my favorite part.

One thing I have been developing for the shop are these little mini gnomes.  They popped into my head one day and would not go away.  It's a great way to use a lot of my small balls of yarns, there is an endless amount of hat, top, and pants color combinations.  I've even made them so they can go on a skewer and sit in your house plants.

Besides developing things for my shop, I also like to work on projects for myself.  These are usually things that won't be on my shop for a very long time, or ever.  But they are things I enjoy making for friends and family.

The last few weeks I have been working on socks.  I haven't done any cool patterns or anything yet, just a normal short sock.  I am making short socks because that is what I wear and does not require as much yarn for the learning knitter.  I love self striping yarn, one of the best inventions!  Each sock takes quite awhile, so they won't be something I will be making in large quantities.  But it's been totally fun!

Crochet Easter Egg Tutorial

The sun is shining, and the birds are beginning to sing.  For years I've always felt that spring has arrived after celebrating Easter.  Attending Easter Egg hunts, the bright pinks, greens, and blues of the holiday, and of course eating chocolate (ok so chocolate is not spring specific, but there are some Easter candies that make me really happy).

After making a few spring related amigurumis I decided that crochet Easter eggs would be a great decor addition (if I actually did things like decor).

There are dozens of tutorials out there for crochet Easter eggs, but every one I tried just didn't create the shape I was looking for.  So I've put a pattern and some instructions together for you to enjoy.  I made at least a dozen different eggs trying to get this pattern just right.

The great part about crochet Easter eggs is that they are a perfect scrap buster.  You can dig out all the little tiny balls of yarn you have at the bottom of your stash for this project.

Read on for tutorial and pattern...

New Items at Etsy

I've recently posted bunches of things on Etsy! Check them out here:

What I Made Today: Amigurumi Owl

I have been incredibly restless lately.  I have not been getting proper restorative sleep which is a common problem for those who live with Fibromyalgia.  Often when I feel like this, a lot of mental energy without the physical, I start to feel discouraged.  I feel like I should be contributing so much more than I'm currently capable of.

I thought that I would post something here today so I would feel that I had contributed.  I hope it at least makes you smile.

This little amigurumi owl came to me after Ryan's alarm had gone off and I had yet to fall asleep.  He hooted at me till I turned the light on and gathered the yarn I thought would be perfect for this project.  I rarely use patterns for anything.  I get more satisfaction out of paying attention to how the yarn responds to different combinations of stitches and shaping it whatever I am making.

My amigurumi owl is made out of 100% Peruvian wool with acrylic accents.  I love the rustic look the texture of the yarn creates.

I will certainly be perfecting my design and make more of these little guys.

Ear Infection Mania

Often when I've been down with a general flare of my chronic conditions or some illness for awhile, I go through a period of time which I can only describe as creative mania.  It happens after I have been unable to do things for many days and I begin to feel a fraction better.  I get ideas about things I want to create and it is impossible for me to sleep or sometimes even rest until I can see my ideas in some tangible form.  This process is often counterproductive as I spend many hours, sometimes staying awake all night, creating. Lack of rest and sleep allows my flare or cold to get worse again.  It's hard to control, but it usually produces some very lovely things.

On January 3rd I woke up not being able to hear out of my right ear.  By the 4th it had started to hurt and was clear that I had an ear infection.   After visiting Urgent Care and starting antibiotics, then visiting a specialist and receiving ear drops the infection still seems to be clinging on.  I go for another specialist appointment tomorrow in hopes of getting some more answers.  

Late one night when the pain in my ear was still unbearable I treated myself by purchasing some wool roving on Etsy.  I found beautifully colored Polwarth roving form Greenwood Fiberworks.  I was so excited when it came in the mail that I wanted to spin it up immediately but I already had another project on my spindle (green and yellow yarn).  So I finished that one, and spun 4oz. of my new wool.  I still have 4oz. left that I'm brainstorming about now.  

After I finished spinning on Sunday night I started (and finished) a great crochet beanie with a cute heart pattern.  There are other things I want to be working on now too, but my body has put a stop to that feeling achy but I am sure I will be back at it in a few days.

Handmade Love for the Special Olympics

The 2012 Special Olympics USA Scarf Project has put out a call for donations of handmade scarves for the participants, coaches, and volunteers of the 2012 Winter Special Olympics.

I jumped at the chance to do something that I really love for an organization and event that I know makes a difference in the lives of many people.

The scarf project was born in 2009 with a call for scarves for the World Winter Special Olympics, and in 2011 the project went nationwide.

Handmade scarves given out to 2012 Special Olympics participants, coaches, and volunteers serve to provide unity, empowerment, pride, and demonstrates the support of the community for the Special Olympics.

I love when two of my passions come together like this.  In 2004 and 2005 I worked in a group home for adults with developmental disabilities.  I've witnessed first hand how programs like the Special Olympics bring joy into people's lives.  I also know that receiving a handmade scarf while participating will instill a great deal of pride long after the event.

I will be making my scarves for the Ohio State Winter Special Olympics.  The goal for the state is 625 scarves due on January 18th.  I'm almost done with my second scarf and plan on making at least one more with the left over yarn.  One of my scarves was my first knitting project, it's not perfect but I'm pretty excited that I've now learned a new skill.

I encourage you to participate in this great project.  If your state isn't participating there are several states that are still in need of a large number of scarves.  You can find all of the information at the 2012 Special Olympics USA Scarf Project webpage here.  Be sure to check the project guidelines for the official Red Heart colors, measurements, and mailing instructions.

Are you participating in the project?  I'd love to hear from you, leave a comment below.

Blooming Granny Square Slippers

Over the weekend I spent a few hours going through my large tub of yarn.  I really only got about half way through sorting all the little balls I have left over from previous projects.  I had them spread out on the bed, sorting them into color groups so that I could have an idea of what was there and usable, and what could be relegated to small time waster projects.

Recently I've noticed the popularity of the color combination of yellow and gray.  The soft buttery yellow that I have was actually bought as a back up incase I couldn't find the yellow I actually wanted.  When my yarn was laid out I pulled the gray, white, and yellow together and started making some granny squares.  These were different than the traditional granny square as they have a flower as the center piece.  I didn't have a plan for these squares but I figured it would reveal itself.

In a completely separate event I was cruising Ravelry for pattern ideas.  I came across some granny square slippers that are posted on the Purl Bee.  I said to myself, "Self, you already have some granny squares made."  It turns out I had exactly the amount of squares made for the top of the slipper, and I made solid gray squares for the sole.

So here they are.  Sewing the individual squares together is a little tricky, but it's illustrated with photos in the pattern and slightly easier to understand than just words.  They are my first pair of slippers.  I honestly don't like to wear things on my feet, so I'm not sure how much they will get used, I suppose when it's really cold.

Next time I will use slightly heavier yarn than the gray I used.  Slippers wasn't my plan when I began.  I will probably also use a smaller hook, the holes in the squares are slightly larger than I would like.

As you can see, Popeye always has to get in on the picture taking.

SNOWFLAKES!

I'm honestly surprised I'm not seeing these in my sleep.

On December 3rd is the GRAND OPENING of Amy Clark Studios!  I was asked to contribute to the swag bags for the event and I crocheted 50 of these snowflakes.  Luckily by the time I was done I was not sick of them and crocheted several more for my Etsy Shop.

If you would like to take one home and live in the Columbus area you should head to the Gallery Hop in the Short North on Saturday and stop by Amy Clark Studios at 1242 N. High Street from 6-10 pm for a chance at a swag bag.

Or you can purchase one from my shop for $5 which includes shipping!!  I think it's a great deal.

Conundrum Update

So I've decided to keep this great mohair scarf.  Green is a color I've become pretty fond of recently, and it goes really nice with my gray peacoat.

Score one for me!

So You Want a Custom Item

I get messages and tweets all the time inquiring about having something specific made.  Out of all these requests, I may eventually make one or two items.  I wanted to make it easier for you all to actually make a request and for me to actually get paid.  So, I don't do this for the money, but I'm not going to lie that it's a good incentive to get things done.

I am asking that if you are interested in a custom item, please visit my Etsy shop to do so.  The link that you click on looks like this:

If you don't already have an Etsy account I highly recommend signing up for one.  There are all kinds of hand made goodies available for you to purchase.

Once the conversation is started through clicking on this link, I can gather the pertinent information to make your requested item. :)

The Crocheter's Conundrum

Anyone who makes anything has had this experience:

One day you conceive an idea in your head.  It's a good one, perhaps the best one you've ever had.  You gather your materials, and become even more excited as you find the exact things you are looking for to bring your concept from you head and into real life.

You work hard, you occasionally stall, but you are so behind this idea that nothing will prevent you from finishing it.

When the work is complete you are left with this amazing salable product.  And then you have a conundrum.

This beautiful piece that you brought forth into the world will now be heading off to undisclosed locations, and all you really want to do is keep it for yourself.

That is where I am today friends.  I made this beautiful mohair cowl, the whole time thinking about all the costumers who would jump at the chance to own it.  I found perfectly sized vintage buttons that completed the exact look I was going for.  But now all I want to do is wear it for myself.

I know that the occasional special treat is necessary.  But is this something I really need?  Probably not.

I'll let you know what I decide.

Coming Soon!!

Lots of exciting new information, shop items, and custom order options!!  Stay Tuned for NOV 2nd!!

Granny Circle Placemats

In June the Craft blog brought to my attention this neat pattern found over at The Purl Bee.

I knew I had some weddings coming up and thought that a set would make an excellent gift.  I headed over to my favorite yarn shop and then saved the pattern onto my Kindle.

They were easy and quick to make.  The pattern was certainly well written.  I chose a slightly heftier cotton yarn than what is recommended, but I think that a lighter weight yarn would make them just as nice.  I chose a color combination that is fairly neutral and inverted the colors, making the darker the primary color as to hide inevitable stains.

I didn't finish the set of four before the wedding, only because I'm a procrastinator, but the first two came out great!  I plan on mailing the rest of the set when I get them finished.  I totally recommend you trying out this pattern.

Crochet 101 Class!

I know that you've been dying to learn how to crochet!  So now is your chance!

Teaching other people to crochet has been one of my favorite things about this whole Woobie endeavor and am really looking forward to teaching in a class format.

I'll be teaching a very beginning crochet class at Wholly Craft this month.  It is a two session class and will take place on May 15th and 22nd, 1-3pm. 

I'll be teaching the basics of crocheting, including hook size, yarn weights, several basic stitches, as well as pattern reading.  You will be able to complete a scarf in class and be ready to tackle more advance projects by the end.

You can find all the information about the class on the Wholly Craft website HERE! 

New Items

HELLO WOOBIZENS (I just made that up, what do you think? Citizens of Woobieland)!!

I have some great new items in my Etsy Shop.  Lots of cute stuff for Spring!  So be sure to go check it out and tell your mother!! :)

If you live in Columbus and want to arrange for delivery instead of paying for shipping, let me know ahead of time!!

Beer Critter Bottle Cozy Giveaway!!

You read that right.  It's time for another The Pink Woobie Giveaway!!

I've mostly been running these on Twitter, but have decided to take a crack at running this one from my blog. That way my facebook fans will have a chance to play too.

I love making things for people, it seriously brings a lot of joy to my life.  Even when I'm being paid for it, I just love being a part of something that brings happiness to people.

On Friday the 15th I will be posting some new items to my Etsy shop.  I also want to start working with the folks I've been meeting and talking to that have ideas for custom items but have not made an official request.  The Pink Woobie wants to help people acquire the awesome creations they are desiring.

There will be lots of creativity happening, and it may be a long process, but I plan on reaching my ultimate goal: to make my readers, my customers, their loved ones, and my loved ones HAPPY!


To kick the happy off I'm giving away another Beer Critter Bottle Cozy.  To participate in the contest reply to this blog post telling me something you would love to see me make and your favorite color by Midnight on Friday.  I will pick the winner by using a random number generator and you will win an octopus or cthulhu Beer Critter Bottle Cozy of your choice.

And just because you love me, you can spread the word!!!