43 Ideas for Birthday 43: Yards of Yarn

More yarn, please! pic.twitter.com/3VCDaKywDv

— Lion Brand Studio (@lbystudio) December 10, 2014

Auntie Nettie's Attic Merchandise 2013 - July, August, September

I've been flipping through my notes from the summer trying to remember what it was that kept me so busy. It was things that have no visible output on the blog; things like culling through closets, buckets, shelves, etc. Other items on the summer agenda were finishing "grown-up" life projects - like running and cleaning credit reports, shredding bills and documents, getting rid of old electronics, etc. etc. etc.

MOST importantly, at least to me, it was imperative to finally finish off crafting projects that I had laying around the Attic. 

To that end, here's the few projects from July through September.

ANA 2013-22: Purple Scarf 

(2 skeins of Cascade yarns Peruvian wool)

 

It's a miracle only 3 years in the making! HOLY COW.

Can I have a moment to savor the fact that the UFO/Bane of My Existence is FINALLY Finished.

ANA 2013-23: 

(Multiple skeins of white Caron sport yarn, arcylic; and Lion Brand Roma yarn, acrylic - Roma, discontinued)

BEFORE

 AFTER

 

Much like my life, I don't know why I was so "stuck" on this. I only needed a (three years and a) four-day weekend of no interruptions to power through it. And now, it's done. Whoo-hoo! (Though, fair warning - it is SUPER warm. Don't, like me, have a lap full of this stuff when it is over 80-100 degrees. It may look light, but it gets HOT fast.)

ANA 2013-24: Little Bitty Blankie, Fuchsia

(4 skeins of Plymouth Yarns, Dreambaby DK, 0306, Silly Spots, acrylic and nylon)

ANA 2013-25: Old-fashion Capelet

(Leftover skeins of Lion Brand ROMA acrylic, discontinued)

Now that the UFO is done .. I need to get cracking selling these things. Next project? Maybe more trunk sales. And getting the shop up and running. 

Maybe next year.

Auntie Nettie's Attic Merchandise 2012 - February

February is a short month, which is all to the good - except for when you are trying to see people, do things, and would like to also spend time at home crafting.

This month, somehow, I managed to:
~survive my birthday -- and yes, survive is the correct adjective. It's a big birthday, as you'll have been reading, and why I don't mind the tributes that are being posted on the blog, having to be up, functional, and at work, while trying to get through it like it was just another day was tricky. Luckily most of my family and friends know how I get, so we had our phone and Skype time prior to the day. My colleagues at work were also clued in/warned, and so, thankfully, kept the fuss to a bare minimum;
~ have lots of meals with friends, i.e.:
-brunch with Poopeh,
-lunch with Christine and Tammy,
-lunch with Jane,
-lunch with Susan, and
-lunch with Ed and Arsi;
as well as:
~get my taxes done,
~work late FAR too many days;
~catch up on television programs, including Downton Abbey;
~and to attend a recital or two.

Oh, and I got sick. AGAIN. Darn stress.

One of the things I did NOT get done this month was to take advantage of the Lion Brand Yarn specials. During the week of your birthday, if you head down to their Studio space on 15th Street in NYC and show proof, you get 20% of your entire purchase. Now, I really need to stock up on some stuff, like gender specific baby blanket materials, but the universe conspired against me, with work appointments, conference calls, and 10-12 hour work days. I suppose it's just as well. (Right? It saved me money, didn't it?)

One of the resolutions I made LAST year was not to buy any more yarn until I used up the stash I already had lurking around, hiding in closets, stuffed between books on the shelves, and between furniture. Aside from a few slip-ups, I've been holding firm to that resolution. I've prodigiously been turning out blankets from the stash I had, as well as scarves, and hats. I have so much inventory for the etsy.com shop! SO MUCH.

The other unfortunate side effect? Stuffed animals are breeding like, well ... rabbits up in here. Not only that, they are trying to find ways to escape the Attic to find new homes. Help me out, please. Make an offer in the comments, or DM, or e-mail me for prices and availability, or head over to the shop where I've got the bunnies, birdies, and bears listed. I'd even trade. A bunny for a skein of certain types of yarn .... *

ANA 2012-13: Purple Bunny
(mystery acrylic yarn, batting, and buttons)
(as of 4/2012 no longer available, gifted)

ANA 2012-14: Rose Bunny
(mystery acrylic yarn, batting, and button)

ANA 2012-15: Maroon Bunny
(mystery acrylic yarn, batting, and buttons)
(as of 2014, no longer available, gifted)

ANA 2012-16: Pink Bunny
(part of a skein of Caron Simply Soft yarn, batting, and button)
(as of 05/2012, no longer available)

ANA 2012-17: Halloween Hare
(part of skeins of Caron Simply Soft and Lion Brand Micro Spun yarns, batting, and button)
(as of 12/13 no longer available, Toys for Tots)

ANA 2012-18: Orange Bunny
(part of skein of Lion Brand Micro Spun, batting, and buttons)
(as of 4/2012, no longer available, gifted)

ANA 2012-19: Out-of-this-world Roving Rabbit
(part of skein of Caron Simply Soft, ball of mystery acrylic novelty yarn, batting, and buttons)
(as of 8/2012, no longer available, to be a Toy Society toy)

ANA 2012-20: Mint Green bunny
(part of skein of Red Heart Baby Sport Pompadour yarn, batting, and button)
(as of 2014, no longer available, gifted)

Still in Progress:

2012 UFO 1: A bird? A bunny? Parts of 2 birds? I don't know yet. I'll have to see.

2010: Multi-fiber, multi-colored blanket aka the bane of my existence

Hi. I'm Auntie Nettie, and not only am I a workaholic, a biblioholic, a chocoholic,
I'm a yarnoholic.Yes. The shop is open. Please help me out. Shop and clear things out of my studio.

Auntie Nettie's Attic Merchandise 2011 - August

I don't know when I'll get a chance to replace the camera, but wanted to make sure to document the productiveness that was August.

It's deceptive though; most of these projects were 1 skein. I thought I was working my way through the stash, but then, in a fit of cleaning, I made a mistake of opening a bucket to find more yarn. Plus, I found a really cheap stash at Housing Works that I couldn't resist. At the rate things are going, I may not have to,or allow myself to, buy more yarn until the end of 2012!

I actually might have gotten more done in August if I hadn't been:
~ running around preparing for Hurricane Irene and then constantly monitoring Twitter/the NYTimes, etc. on the progress of landfall and the aftermath;
~ having lunch with more of the Mannes Library crew;
~ walking half of the island of Manhattan for Summer Streets;
~ visiting the New York Botanical Garden two days in a row;
~ watching copious amounts of television, mostly catching up on USA network summer programming;
~ having a belated burst of spring cleaning, including a kitchen appliance/utensil/item purge; bookshelf inventory update and shifting; apartment scrub-down and puttering;
~ a marathon bout of ironing, like 8 hours worth, made easier by watching another season of Drop Dead Diva; and most importantly ....

~ FINALLY setting up the etsy.com shop, dealing with the PayPal portion, and then sending e-mails to everyone I knew to tell them that it was open.

That's right. Auntie Nettie's Attic is now on etsy.com.

After 15+ years of keeping my crafting hobby a semi-secret, I am pleased to announce that the crafts are moving out of the attic and on-line, to a little corner over at etsy.com. It's a little scary to move beyond my close circle of work colleagues, friends and family and out to the world wide web, but it was beyond time. I still can maintain control of content, but can expand my reach beyond those patrons within train and walking distance.

I'm trying a "soft-opening" right now, with only a few selected baby blankets and stuffed animals. However, there are literally trunks full of other treats yet to share - scarves, hats, a bag or two, pins, blankets of varying sizes, and a whole carnival of animals. My repertoire continues to expand, so who knows what I'll "hook up" with next.

If you'd like to receive special updates from Auntie Nettie's Attic about new merchandise, please me know and I'll add you to a special mailing list.

In the meantime, here's what I got done in August. They may or may not show up on the shop sometime down the road.

ANA 2011-33 & ANA 2011-43: Black Wool Skull Hat - tight fit (1 skein Lion Brand Wool each)
(as of 11/2012, no longer available, donated to Hats for the Homeless)
 ANA 2011-34 & ANA 2011-44: Brown Wool Skull Hat - tight fit (1 skein Lion Brand Wool each)
(as of 11/2012, no longer available, donated to Hats for the Homeless)
ANA 2011-35: Brown Hat with Brim(1 skein Lion Brand Wool)
(as of 11/2012, no longer available, donated to Hats for the Homeless) ANA 2011-36: Grey Slouchy Hat - loose fit(1 skein Lion Brand Wool)
(as of 11/2012, no longer available, donated to Hats for the Homeless)
ANA 2011-37: Black Slouchy Hat - loose fit(1 skein Lion Brand Wool)
(as of 11/2012, no longer available, donated to Hats for the Homeless)
ANA 2011-38: Brown Slouchy Hat - loose fit(1 skein Lion Brand Wool)
 (as of 11/2012, no longer available, donated to Hats for the Homeless)
ANA 2011-39: Cream Slouchy Hat - loose fit(Part of 1 skein vintage Red Heart Sport)
(as of 11/2012, no longer available, donated to Hats for the Homeless)
ANA 2011-40 & ANA 2011-42: Gray Wool Skull Hat - tight fit (1 skein Lion Brand Wool each)
(as of Oct. 2011, #42 is no longer available)
(as of 11/2012, no longer available, donated to Hats for the Homeless) ANA 2011-41: Cream Skull Hat - tight fit(Part of 1 skein vintage Red Heart Sport)
(as of 11/2012, no longer available, donated to Hats for the Homeless)
ANA 2011-45: Brown/Cream Striped Skull Hat - tight fit (made from combo of Lion Brand Wool/vintage Red Heart sport)
(as of 11/2012, no longer available, donated to Hats for the Homeless) ANA 2011-46: Fancy Peach/Cream/Light green scarf (not available, to be a gift)(made from 3 skeins of Trendsetter Yarns, Monarch-1 yarn. Made in Italy. Polyamide/Acrylic)
Still in Progress:2010: Multi-fiber, multi-colored chevron blanket2011: Potential mobile of hearts (created as part of ANA 2011-08 group) - need hardware
Fancy Blue Scarf (finished 9/4/2011 - thank you very much)
Cream Purse, like the ones in April - but I need handles to finishBlack Infinity Scarf (finished 9/5/2011 muchas gracias)

As ever, if you see anything you'd like, just contact me for sizes, availability, and costs -- or better yet

Don't forget to go to the shop!

Auntie Nettie's Attic Merchandise 2011 - April

That monsterworkprojectfromhell was FINALLY dropped in the mail on March 31st, with an impromptu boogie session with my comrade-in-arms highlighting our glee (read her blog here.) While she gets to have baby, art, and relocation therapy, I have crafts therapy to help me decompress.

Although the Twitter can be a major distraction, it is also very helpful when major yarn companies send out free patterns and pictures of other projects to peak your interest. Lion Brand tweeted the Crochet Posey Purse a few times over the last few months, and I finally had time to try it, and then try it again, and then, oh, again.

I'm on a materials "fast" this year, which means I am not allowed to purchase new items. Luckily for me, I knew I had purse handles stashed away in another cache. I had to adapt the pattern to make them work, but I think I like the result better, especially after I used a bit of color-appropriated leftover velcro to keep ANA 2011-16 and -17 fastened closed.

I'm also going to try and keep better track of the types, brands, and plys of the materials used -- just for kicks.

ANA 2011-13: Cream Crochet Posey Purse
(Vintage Red Heart Sport Yarn*)
with ANA 2011-18: Detachable Flower
(Lion Brand Moonlight Mohair, color may be discontinued)
ANA 2011-14: Chenille Bear with long limbs
(maybe a discontinued Lion Brand chenille)
(as of Dec. 2011, no longer available, Toys for Tots donation)
ANA 2011-15: Chenille Bear
(forgotten parts discovered in another storage bin and reassembled)
(as of Dec. 2011, no longer available, Toys for Tots donation)
ANA 2011-16: White Crochet Posey Purse (largish)
(Red Heart Super Saver, 4 ply acrylic)
with ANA 2011-19: Detachable Flower
(Lion Brand Moonlight Mohair)
ANA 2011-17: Black Crochet Posey Purse (mediumish)
(Vintage wool from charity rummage sale - no label for brand)
(as of 08/2011, no longer available - nor is one of the flowers)
ANA 2011-20 and 21: Additional Flower Pins
(Lion Brand Moonlight Mohair)
In fuzzy close-up:

*So vintage, a colleague bought it at a Woolworth and those have been extinct for years

Still in progress:

2010: Stuffed Animal/Multi-fiber chevron blanket
2011: Potential Mobile of Hearts (created as part of ANA 2011-08 group),
Blue Scarf in Tapestry Wool Combo, in Diamond Pattern,
Fancy Blue Scarf

As ever, if you see anything you'd like, just contact me for sizes, availability, and costs.

Auntie Nettie's Attic Merchandise 2010: Part 4

I was updating the inventory list (and by extension old blog posts) the other day and realized that I'd done another 40 or so objects since the last Merchandise update. Since I'm either donating, gifting, or selling these sometimes before I know it, I thought I'd better update before the menagerie began to strangle me. (oy, the puns ...) .

Plus, the annual Holiday Boutique is in about a month, so I thought I better let some of the out-of-state people see what was available in case they wanted to have me put stuff aside for them (YO! CHICAGO! I'M TALKING ABOUT YOU!)

If you want to check out other projects, I finally just added a separate link to the Friends, Family, and Favorites on the right side of the blog template. Go to Auntie Nettie's Attic Merchandise and everything that's been tagged should show up.

#101-114: Caps for Charity

(no photo, not available - Donated to Caps for Good)

#115 & 116: Creamy Lacey Spiral Scarves

#117: Creamy Short Scarf

(as of 12/10 not available, gifted)

#118: Cream Bear with Button Butt

(no longer available)

#119 & 120: Squares for Warm Up America/Yarn Bomb at Maker Faire

(not available, go here for the whole story)

#121 & 122: Squares for Warm Up America/Yarn Bomb at Maker Faire

(not available)

#123: Square for Warm up America/Yarn Bomb at Maker Faire

(not available)

#124: Cream Bear with Scarf
(as of 10/2011, no longer available)

#125 & 126: Pink Lacey Spiral Scarves

#127: Triangular Metallic Yarn earrings, silver (to be, still need hooks)

#128: Triangular Metallic Yarn earrings, multi (to be, still need hooks)

#129: Floral Metallic Yarn earrings (to be, still need hooks)

#130: Black Spiral "Changes" Scarf (see below for examples)

(no photo, not available, gifted)

#131: Sunset Spiral "Eclipse" Scarf (see below for color swatch)

(no photo, not available, gifted)

#132: Black Spiral "Changes" Scarf (see below for color swatch)

(no photo)

#133 & 134: Purple Lacey Spiral Scarves

#135: Sunset Spiral "Eclipse" Scarf

(no photo, as of 12/2011, no longer available)

#136: Black Spiral "Changes" Scarf

#137: Black Spiral "Changes" Scarf (slightly wider spiral)

#138: Purple Spiral Scarf

#139: Cream Bear with Black Button Eyes and nose
(as of 12/2011, no longer available, gifted)

#140: Cream Bear with Brown Button Eyes and Nose
(as of 8/2012, no longer available, to be a Toy Society toy)

#141-145: Pack of Petite Piglets
(As of 7/11, #141-143, #144 no longer available; as of 08/11 #145 no longer available)

#146: Roly Poly Heifer
(as of 12/2011, no longer available, gifted)

#147: Roly Poly Pig
(as of 08/11, no longer available)

#148: Roly Poly Pig

If you see something that interests you, please contact me.

Prices and current availability upon request.