Workin' It/Weekending August 20, 2015

So, right now my week is a little 'off'.  Now that I have a full time job that does not have a traditional weekend, I tend to work all Sat and Sun and my weekend is Tues/Wed.

So, hence the combo post.  And, I wasn't here yesterday, got in at 10 last night, so even though I had some vague notion of blogging last night, I wouldn't have been very coherent with it.  So hence the combined blog.  First up...

Weekending:
This past 'weekend' for me was spent with one of the people I love most in the world, Roiana.  Roiana  is one of the founding members of the knitting group that I joined 7 years ago.  She has since moved to the wilds of Tennessee and is working on living her dream of being a shepherd and independent business lady.  She specializes in tatting cottons and silks and her colors are beautimus.  And, butterflies love her, so that makes her extra awesome.

 I went to visit her and we went to the Tennessee Aquarium where we had a lovely time looking at the fish.  They have a 'petting' aquarium with stingrays and a small shark.  They also had a 'river' building and a 'ocean' building.  I think the boys liked the ocean building best, because, Hello!  Sharks AND Cuttle Fish!

And this is the boys playing the next day in her back yard.  Yes, it's just as idyllic as it looks, you can ask my sunburned face and arms about that!  I just did not want to go in.  It was lovely wading and skipping stones and watching the kids catch crawfish and TRY to catch minnows.

We had such a lovely time.  This is the one thing about having the full time job that makes it worth it to me.  Twice in the last month I have gotten to go visit people that I love.


And Now, Workin' It:

So I started the second sock and work half heartedly on it while on the plane.  There was surprisingly little time to knit while I was in Tennessee, but that's okay!  I got to hang out with the sheepies.

I got to the beginning of the heel flap, but didn't knit too much on the plane ride home because I was in middle seat and felt a little uncomfortable moving my arms too much since we were packed in like sardines.

Brazen Friday August 14, 2015

So, this week has been a supplies ordering week.  I have ordered fun things like yarn, but I've also ordered shop and booth supplies.

And I ordered an Addi Express Knitter King size.

(this one is not mine, but a photo from the web)

I am envisioning quick hats, scarves, and dishcloths.  Some for gifts, and some to expand what I offer in my booth so that I can have a few FO's for the tag a long friend that accompanies crafters to the shows that I participate in.  I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of this box with hope that it is everything I want it to be.

Next up, Brazen Appearance wise, I am doing a trunk show at JenningStreet Yarns in Fort Worth.  I still need to iron out the exact days since I am having trouble getting all the days I want to get off at the FT job, but I am gonna keep fighting for them.  This will be during the DFW Yarn Crawl.  I am looking forward to this since I had such a good time doing this last year.

Well, on to work on the website which is on my to do list right now.  I hope y'all have a great weekend filled with yarnie fun!

Workin' It Wednesday August 12, 2015

This week I am resuming my normal blog schedule of 2-4 Blogs per week as part of my healing process.  

Last week, on my way to Vermont to visit my Sis in Law and her family, I finished the last few rounds of my shop sample socks using District 12 in my Harmony Halfie skein.  I also used a new product that I am offering called H&T Skeins.  It's a mini skein of yarn with 80 yd of a sw merino/nylon.  I had enough left over from that skein so I am going to...

 Use it for the toes on this next pair of socks that I am knitting with commercial sock yarn.  I started this sock on the plane to Vermont, worked it through my short visit, and then was picking up the heel sts when my needle broke.  So, I tucked it in my knitting bag and proceeded to drowse of several times with my mouth hanging open.  I am sure it was VERY attractive.

I am just using a very basic pattern from Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd.  This was my first sock knitting book and bay far is the most used.  I find this book to be an invaluable resource 6 years in to my sock knitting life.  It not only has clear and concise examples and instructions on the infrastructure of knitting a sock, it has some lovely patterns as well.

Peeking Out

You my dear reader, may have noticed that I been an absentee dyer lately.  I sometimes deal with stress by hobbiting myself away inside myself.  And this year has been a doozy.  Last year, right after Kid N Ewe fiber fest Ray and I found out that we were going to have another baby.  We were surprised and overjoyed to discover this especially since there had been no other pregnancies since O and we figured that our baby making days were over.  However, 2 days later when I went to the doctor, I found out that my hormone levels were really wrong.

So, I went to google.  Where I learned way TOO much about progesterone and hcg levels required to maintain pregnancy.  And mine were low.  Not ridiculously crazy low, but low enough to be worrisome.  I had a sonogram, and there she was.  My tiny little grain of rice with her heartbeat going like it should.  Then I went in to see the doctor and he started talking D&C and sometimes these things happen and blah blah blah.  I said 'Wait a minute!  There's a heartbeat!' he was all, 'Oh!'.  I think he never really looked at my chart and just saw what he expected to see.

So he sent me off and scheduled another sonogram for the next week.  This was the beginning of my weekly sonograms.  I went weekly, dreading every appointment, never getting a due date, hormone levels never being good enough to support a good pregnancy, supplementing with prescription progesterone.  And every week it was the same.  Dread the appointment, go in to the sonogram room, have the tech find the baby, and hear the heart beat with joy and fear and amazement every week.  I heard her heartbeat 5 times over the next month and a half and begged her to fight and get big and strong so that I could meet her.  And yet every week, I came home without a due date, with a new bandaid from the blood test.

We defied the odds, even the doctor was saying that maybe it could be a viable pregnancy.  But on Jan 30, I was out on a walk with the boys and I felt something go wrong.  New Years Eve, the spotting and cramping intensified, and I spent most of the night curled up around myself begging for the pain to stop, not even able to do much more than moan in pain.  I have never felt physical pain quite like it.  It was amazing in its intensity.  Then, a few days later, while making a middle of the night trip to the bathroom, I passed the pregnancy.  Just like that, flushed away with all the waste.  I was about 11 weeks into my pregnancy.

And No.  I did not tell.  Because I couldn't handle the 'whole world' knowing when I wasn't even sure that the pregnancy would progress past those first few weeks.

And so.  I've watched other friends grow large with baby and give birth all in the last few months and it has been hard.  Because I am equal parts happy for them but also jealous and sad.  Because I should be under slept and over worked and smelling those new baby smells and kissing a soft and sweet head.  But I'm not.  I am sitting at my computer with tears rolling down my face.  Healing.  Slowly healing.  And peeking out of my shell, looking around the world, and maybe coming back to myself again.

KANG Prep is underway!

I am doing all those last minute things that I need to do to get all prepped for the Kang Houston Fiber Fest this weekend.  I have about 40 more skeins to dye and errands to run in hopes to changing the booth around a bit.  I was not able to make any new bags for this show, I haven't found the time management skills needed to be able to sit at my sewing machine in several months.  I think the last time I did any sewing was for the Yellow Rose Fiber Fest, so bags are looking kind of sparse, but there are some cool fabrics left to buy.

I plan on finding the time to sew again so that I can have some cool designs/fabrics available at the DFW Yarn Crawl.  This year I will be set up in the JenningStreet Yarns shop on the south side of Fort Worth.   I am gonna try to have one dedicated day a week for all things Brazen, and that way each week I will set goals and keep creating for the shop so that I don't find myself having to dye 100 skeins of yarn in a week!  And then also fall short on the bag side.  So, If I dye 8-16 skeins a week, and make 4-8 bags a week, thats up to 64 skeins dyed and 32 bags sewn per month on the outside of my goal.  This way, I'll always have a good show stock on hand with out having to run around the last few days before a show.

Plans for this show for me to just be in person there on the Friday of this show, due to work and family obligations, I can only be there one day.  But never fear, all the pretties stay for the entire show.  I hope to see some familiar faces and meet lots of new ones!

The Amazing Disappearing Stacey

Hi, gang.  I have gone and disappeared again for a while.  2015 has been an uphill battle from the beginning for me, so I apologize to you, my one loyal reader, that I went off the deep end again.

I now have a full time job, luckily I am able to work from home, but it has been a huge adjustment and study in how to mange time.

I have made a decision regarding my business for now.  Brazen Stitchery as a dyer and bag maker will be available only at shows, via special order, and in person at InSkein Yarns in San Antonio and JenningStreet Yarns in Fort Worth.  I just do not have the time to maintain a healthy online store at this season in my life.  If there's something you want to special order, let me know and I will set up the dye pots just for you.

The February Giveaway Post

Hey gang!  This months giveaway is another bright one to chase away those winter blues.  We've had bona fide winter weather 5 days in a row in my area of Texas-sleet for two days and snow three days in a row.  I am pretty happy about it because we so rarely get this kind of weather and snow never stays around for too long.  But I know that a great many of the folks in the Northeast are OVER. IT.

This months yarn is called Punky Monkey and is on my Paparazzi base.  438 yd/100g/75% SW Merino, 20% Nylon, 5% Stellina.  So bright and fun and sparkly to boot.

To enter, just comment on this post-Please leave your ravelry ID or email address in your comment so that if you win, I can get in touch with you.

But wait!  There's more!

If you want an extra entry you can share this blog or my Website on social media and/or follow Brazen Stitchery on Facebook, Instagram, or Ravelry.

Winner will be chosen via a random number generator on March 8, 2015.

May the odds be ever in your favor.