On Swatch Watch

Last month we started our basement renovation with the main purpose of having a specific office/craft room area for French Press Knits.

We were moving right along but it has come time to pick out colors. You'd think that after painting 9 (yes, nine!) swatches on the wall we'd be closer to picking a color... not necessarily! We are leaning toward the light color around the outlet in the second picture (Cappuccino White by Glidden). The basement is a large area, so there may be a few different colors- but again, that is yet to be decided.

Any advice, any tips? Do you have any rooms that you *love* at the moment? Throw up a link, I would love some inspiration!

Texture Cowl

Yesterday I shared my Ishbel progress, today I wanted to give you a peek at what else I have been working on. I've been selling the Breckenridge Cowl online since the beginning of December, but have not been able to make it available for wholesale purchases yet. The main reason for this is because I sell it for so cheap online. After printing costs, it wouldn't make sense for me to sell it at wholesale prices.

Here is my solution: two patterns on one sheet of paper! In order to offer these to local yarn shops, and still keep my low online prices I will be selling the Breckenridge Cowl together with the 'Texture Cowl' (final name is yet to be determined). Both cowls are similar in construction, using the same weight of yarn and needles.

Both of these cowls were introduced in my Etsy shop when I opened, so although they may be old news to me- they are new for you! So, here's me in all my dorkiness modeling the Texture Cowl.

Pattern should be available on Ravelry by this weekend. The combo Breckenridge Cowl/Texture Cowl pattern will be available for wholesale orders by next week. If you happen to be in Detroit this weekend to see the Yarn Harlot speak at the Library- I should have print copies hot off the press!

But Everyone Else is Doing It...

If 'everyone else' decided to jump off the top of the Empire State Building would I do it too? No. But how can I resist the Ishbel Shawl from Ysolda that everybody and their mother has made?! I know by now, most of my readers have seen this shawl as it is hard not to come across it on Ravelry, but I am still super excited to share my progress.

I cast on for this shawl last week in attempts to keeping up the 'knitting for myself everyday' resolution that I made last month. Believe it or not, after I finished my Girasole blanket I had to quit the resolution. I'm not really the kind of person who has many projects going at one time. In fact, I get so focused on the project that I forget about everything else in life until I am finished.

For a few weeks in February, when I should have been working on some new designs, I was solely working on the blanket. Since I finished, I have been typing up patterns, contacting test knitters, and re-knitting my designs myself.

So, with this project, it is my new resolution to not let it take over my life. I'm practicing moderation...we'll see how that goes.

March Forth

{via weheartit}

Whenever March fourth rolls around, Joe states, "March fourth...the only day with a command!" Because it is also one of his best friend's birthdays, he calls him up and instructs him to "March forth into a new year!"

When I posted this on twitter this morning, I was reminded that there is also "March First". How could I have missed that?! Here I am, thinking I need to 'March forth' when I didn't even 'March first' a few days ago.

Anyway, since the date does tell us to do something, we like to make it a notable day. Believe it or not, it is probably one of my favorite days of the year. I mentioned our good friend's birthday, but there are also other notable March 4th's in our past.

-Last year on March 4th, I registered my Etsy shop. Although I didn't actually start posting hand knits for sale until the end of the month, I had just decided on my name and took action. Because of this, this past year has been an incredible journey into a new world of creating, designing, and blogging.

-My grandparents got married on March 4th 53 years ago (Happy Anniversary, Dee Da and Doe Doe- I love you!).

-Today I will begin tackling the Adobe Creative Suite I just got in the mail- we'll see where that takes me :)

-My favorite March 4th? Five years ago today, while visiting my grandparents and celebrating their anniversary with them, Joe asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. What a wonderful day that was. Here's to the next 55 years!

So, take action. What have you been putting off? March forth and make today count!

Yarn on the House

Have you heard about Yarn on the House? If you haven't, you should! It's a new blog whose purpose is to give away free yarn...EVERY WEEK!

Veronika (of Yarn on the House) has already given away skeins of the new Malabrigo Twist, Cascade 220, Cascade Eco Alpaca, and Malabrigo Worsted. If you're wondering what the giveaway is for this week, take a look below:

Yarn on the House is giving away 3 French Press Felted Slipper Patterns- and two of them will come with Paton's Wool as well. So, make sure you stop by, look around the site, and leave your comments. Veronika (Ve) also came up with some interview questions so her readers could get to know me a little better. Hop on over- you'll probably learn something new about me as well!