My First Cardigan

First of All:
Thank you everyone for following my blog. I am so close to having 100 followers which was my goal when I first started! My shop is taking off, and I owe it all to you guys!

Second:
I am starting my first Crocheted Cardigan and I am super stoked! Its my first garment EVER! I was so scared to start it and made sure to pick something that I would love and that wasn't too complicated for my first one.
I was thinking of making a child or baby sweater (thought it may be easier). I decided against it mainly because I would not be able to tell if it fit right. I don't have any babies in direct contact with me. Lots around.. but most are a day's drive and finding time to go visit would be a big problem.

I looked an looked and finally fell upon a sweater called Aruna. It is a Berroco Free Pattern... I didn't even know Berroco patterns existed!

It is beautiful and my style! I already started and it is coming along pretty well. I had to adjust the pattern a bit (I was losing stitches somehow in the pattern so my garment was shrinking).

Feel free to start this one up with me and we can compare results!

Here is my progress so far. I have been doing about 5 or so rows each day so I don't get bored with it.
Has anyone made a garment before? I would love to hear some tips... especially about piecing it together.. I am dreading that part.

The Lunch Box Project Giveaway

I have been working with a Wonderful artist and etsy seller to bring another giveaway to my followers!

Lisa Orgler is a wonderful artist who has started The Lunch Box Project.
"The Lunch Box Project began on January 1, 2009 as a resolution to paint an image of food daily. I achieved my goal of 365 delectable illustrations and am now carrying on that tradition in new ways." says Lisa Orgler

Her Illustrations are delectable all right! Just take a look at these Tomato Cards! They come with envelopes and little stickers perfect for stationary lovers or a great home warming gift.

She makes more than just cards though. Take a look at these great recipe cards! The great news is they can be yours!

You could win a set of recipe cards from Lisa Orgler's Shop!
Best of all you get to choose which ones!

When Lisa first approached me and I took a look at her shop her recipe cards stood out to me the most. Mainly because when I got married my Aunt gave me personalized recipe cards (vintage of course). I absolutely fell in love with the idea of beautiful recipe cards that you can hold on to and pass down generation after generation!

Alright now down to business!
This Giveaway starts February 18, 2010 and ends February 25, 2010. I will announce a winner with in 1 week of the end date. I will contact the winner and send them over to Lisa to get the details squared away!

To Enter:
All methods give you 1 entry

1. Visit her shop and chose your favorite item. Comment to this post telling me what item you like. (only do this once)
   
2. Sign up for her newsletter! You can find out how on her blog: http://lunchboxproject.blogspot.com (only do this once)
3. Start following her Facebook Fan Page. (only do this once)
   
4. Tweet this:
   

@craftytortoise join the giveaway and win illustrated recipe cards! http://thecraftytortoise.blogspot.com #contest #giveaway #blog #free

You can Tweet as many times as you want as long as it is the above phrase.


Good Luck Everyone!

More than one comment on any one post will not count towards multiple entries, but is welcomed. (only 1 entry per blog post)
I am not responsible for unrecorded entries due to computer or internet problems.
More entries does not guarantee you will win, it only ups your chances. Winner/Winners will be chosen at random.
Prize will be mailed to the Postal Address received after contacting the winner/winners. I am not responsible for prizes not received due to postal problems.
If you wish you can add your email address in your comment to make it easier for me to contact you in the chance you win.
Following the Blog is also advised. This will keep you in the loop and show you my latest posts.

41 Listings and Counting

Being an up and coming shop on etsy I have been working very very hard on my shop. Improving it, updating it, researching it and more.

I created a new banner! You can visit my etsy shop to see it.

I have been reading and visiting the forums and have gotten a lot of advice. Once piece of advice I really took to heart was having as many Listings in your shop as possible. Most of the top sellers have at least 100 listings in their shops. So 100 different items to buy. I was very impressed and figured if I was impressed that other people were impressed as well.

So as part of my shop improvements I am striving to have 100 different listings up in my shop! So far I have 41, but earlier this week I only had 35. So six new listings is good... not great.

I will get there... it just may take me a while.

Monday Flickr Inspiration

This Monday is Flower inspirations! Enjoy!


1. Jewelry Box Stained Glass Mosaic, 2. Orange/White Show Flower, 3. crochet flower in white y pumpkin orange, 4. Turquoise and orange headband

More Blogger Love

I received an email from a fellow blogger earlier this week. (by the way I LOVE hearing from fellow bloggers or followers) She didn't know how she got to my blog but was happy she did. She asked for some advice and for some help getting people to read her blog.

I remember when that was me, (heck that still is me) but I gave the advice I could and she ended up talking about my shop in her blog.

Don't you know I love when people talk about my craft! So go over and visit her blog. She has some great ideas!

The-Crafting-Nut

In Use

Every once in a while if someone tells me they are having a baby, or just had a baby I give a hat away. I don't expect anything in return.

Well the other day my husband came home and said that someone in his office was excited because he had just had a baby boy! I of course immediately went to my inventory and grabbed a blue hat to give to him. Well, I didn't think anything of it, but the recipient did. He just sent me these pictures!

I love seeing my items in use! Just makes me so happy to know that they are being used and loved!

Prices Prices Prices

I have been hanging out in the etsy forums lately (I got 2 sales from people in them too!) and I have noticed a lot of people talking about how pricing too low or too high can make a huge difference whether your shop is taken seriously or not.
So I thought I would take a little time to price my items and figure out a price guide.
I took into account things like:
Supplies
Attachments (ears, flowers)
Complexity
Design (if I create my own)
and Size

After calculating my prices now and breaking them down I realized that I was SEVERELY underpricing.
So I made up a chart and attached a price to everything and all of a sudden things looked better.

I am really excited about it my new pricing. It give my shop the availability to have discounts and will bring me a much better profit for my time. I also tried to keep my prices fair so that I won't lose any potential buyers.

I don't know if any of you sell your own crafted items, but if you do:
Anyone having trouble figuring out how much to price their items?

Treasury

I was featured in another treasury today and just wanted to share.

Check it out HERE!

My New Crocheted Garland was chosen and I absolutely love the treasury anyway!
I loved this creation when I made it and I do have the pattern/tutorial on sale as well!

Monday Flickr Inspiration

I have been throwing around what day I was going to make flickr day. I knew I wanted to start sharing more flickr mosaics and I still do! I have decided after much thought to make Monday Flickr Inspiration day.

Mondays are Mondays and I know I have a whole lot of trouble getting up and moving let alone being creative. Sometimes we need a little push in the right direction. Here is where Flickr Mondays will really help out.

I started this one simply. I gathered a few pics of crocheted and other handmade garlands that are just beautiful. Leaving me to go... I wanna make a garland. (the whole purpose of mosaic monday inspiration) I am inspired! I hope you all will be too.
1. christmas garland, 2. new year garland, 3. scalloped fabric garland, 4. spring buds garland

Please let me know if this inspires you! Also if you create a garland don't forget to share it with me! Email me your projects and I will share them or just add me as a flickr contact and I will make your items into a mosaic!

Feel the warmth!

I am getting cabin fever! I can tell. I keep wanting to crochet warm things. I just finished 2 baby hats for spring. I am so ready for March!

Here are my new hats for newborn baby boys and girls!

They fit Newborn-3 months and I think they are absolutely adorable! I cannot wait to give one away to some of the prego women I know!
The girls hat has a flower attached with an alligator clip so it can be removed.

I love giving things like this at those baby showers where the mom chooses not to know the sex of the baby before hand. Its great because I bring the hat with the flower attached and when they find out they can have a boy or a girl hat! (and it is much more fun than just a plain green or yellow hat)

Hand Warmer Pattern FREE

I know its been a while since I posted a free pattern. Mostly because I am working really hard on my shop now a days. So to make it up to you I am offering you my Hand Warmer Pattern for free.

You remember this one. I posted when I made it and said it was coming for you for free... well here it is. It is in PDF format but the link is HERE!

This pattern is more on the intermediate level for one reason. You need to know how to do Around the Post stitches. If you have no clue what I am talking about skip rows 5-8 and just sc around instead.

As with all my free patterns it is not perfect. If you have major problems please contact me and if I can I will try to help you as much as I can!

Good Luck and Enjoy!

Don't forget to send me pics of your creations using my patterns! I would love to post them and share your creativity as well!
thecraftytortoise@gmail.com

Love is all you need

February is here and man did it get her fast. I feel like Christmas was just last week.

I love that February is all about love (pardon my nerdyness)! Valentines day is just around the corner and if you are like me you just cannot wait to wear pink and smooch with your hubby.
Ahh...

But if you are like my sister you see the dark and scary part of Valentines day and cannot wait for it to be over (the curse of being single).
Either way I hope this mosaic makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.



1. Love Cats Crochet Rug, 2. Love Letters Crochet Pattern..., 3. way back into love, 4. Crochet Rose, 5. Love - Snails, 6. love birds, 7. I love green fingerless gloves, 8. Love Chan in a Box of Love, 9. Fortune Cookie with I Love You Message, 10. Amigurumi Panda Love Love, 11. Love Letter Coin Purse - Front, 12. love tokens for sweet nothings, 13. ♥♥, 14. jojo and joseph 2, 15. Miniture Love, 16. First Crocheted Chocolates

Also don't forget to add me as a friend on flickr and start posting your photos of your great creations (they don't have to be crocheted). I really want to feature some of my fans!

Retire or Keep

Never thought I would have this conversation with you guys.

So my Baby Monkey Earflap Hat is becoming my best selling item in my etsy shop. Which is great, except I spend a lot of my time making them now. I just made 3 last week. It is an adorable hat, but I am worried that I won't be able to expand because I keep making one thing.

I am not at this point yet... but just in case I would like to get your advice.

I have never had a problem like this, but I am certain it exists. What do you do? Do you retire the item and only make one occasionally to sell or do I keep it up and keep making them?

New Ways to Join Granny Squares

I have always thought there were only 2 ways to join Granny Squares:

1. Whip stitch them together with a tapestry needle (not fun)
2. Single crochet them together (leaves a very obvious join line)

I hated each of these methods and still to this day do not like the way they turn out. Whip stitching them leaves them loose and they don't lay right. They are always puffy. Single crocheting them together leaves a raised border around all of them that I think looks choppy and takes away from the overall beauty of the granny square.

I had ruled out granny squares because of this reason (and the one I mentioned before), until I stumbled on another way. I then googled the heck out of it until I found a few more methods. Here they are all in one place for you (with pictures).

1. Whip stitching
2. Single Crochet them together
3. Slip stitch method
4. Carina's Joining method
5. Joining as you go

Obviously these are only some of the ways to connect granny squares. Please let me know if you have another way! My preferred method is #5. I enjoy joining as I go for a few reasons. 1 being that I am super impatient and cannot wait until I crochet them all to attach them together, and 2 The squares lay perfectly flat every time! I can't even tell that they are even joined.
Anyone else have a different Joining method? I would love to post about it, or try it out!

New Hair Accessories!

I just started a new collection for the summer months ahead (I know its early, but the cold is getting depressing). The above is 1 of the 2 new listings I have put up on etsy so far. There are more to come.

Oh... did you notice the great pic! I made a photo box. It works wonders! My photos look so freaking good now!

Anyways. The above flower is 10 dollars and the ones below are 8 for the set!

These are just the first of many as I am going to make a huge stock for the craft fair I am attending in May.

Oh.. I also got a custom stamp! You can see it in the first pic. I used alchemy on etsy.com to get a custom listing. I worked with JLMould to make it and they did a great job! I fully recommend going through their shop if you need a custom stamp. (I'll talk more about her stamps later)

I Found the Solution!

I have found the solution!
Remember the organization problem I was having a little while back. Where all my yarn was getting tangled and sitting in duffel bags. Well I had my engineer husband help me find a solution that didn't break the bank or hurt my yarn. He came up with Tupperware... which would work, but would be kinda expensive for all my yarn. Then I had a stroke of genius.

Here is step 1 of a total organization solution.

Step 1:
Place all yarn skeins in plastic Ziploc bags. YES! Ziploc Bags!

This really works. I put my ball of yarn in a Ziploc (I used a storage bag, 1 gallon I think). I then poked a small hole close to the zipper and pulled the end of the yarn through. It works really well when you are working on projects too. It will keep my yarn clean and the yarn pulls through the hole without snagging. When I am not using the yarn I tuck the end back through and zip it into the Ziploc, so it doesn't get tangled with any other ends, or start unraveling like balls of yarn usually do.

Step 2:
Buy a shelving rack to place them all on.

I haven't successfully done this step yet, but I have been searching for just the right type of storage for them. I think I have decided on clear rubbermaid drawers. That way I can separate all my yarn by color and be able to see it clearly. I keep looking for them to go on sale so I can save some money in the process!

Already my supplies are looking a lot better!

Good luck to all of you out there with the same problem!

Help Needed

So as you can see I am getting mosaic madness... it is contagious so watch out!
I have decided that I would designate a day of the week just for mosaics. Mosaic Monday Madness will now be a frequent Monday blog post. I am really excited to find more great handcrafted items on flickr.com.

The great thing about this new addition is that you all can be in my mosiac! All you have to do is:

1. Have a flickr.com account and post pictures of your crafts and finished items
2. Add me as a friend so I can see your photos: melunder8 is my username
   
3. Check my blog every Monday to see if your photos were picked!

I am really excited about this... so I made a mosaic!
Here are some great Knit items!


1. twinkle's big city knits-bfc, 2. Knitted Ballet Slippers, 3. knitted star tutorial, 4. happy - pink and green knit bag, 5. knitted balls, 6. Knitted anteaters, 7. Knitted FairIsle Cushion, 8. Turquoise Knit Bedcover, 9. Knit Dishcloths, 10. Asteraceae ... Knitted Neckwarmer / Scarflette - Chartreuse Green, 11. Soul of a Vagabond - classic cable knitted shoulder bag, 12. Victoriana Knit Scarflette - Merino Wool & Cashmere, 13. Hand Knit Mitts14. Not available15. Not available16. Not available

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

Rethinking the Granny Square

I have seen some bad granny squares in my day. I have even created some really bad granny squares that I would like to burn to this day, but recently I have learned that granny squares can be absolutely beautiful!

Here are just some of the granny squares that have inspired me to pick up my hook and try again!
And yes I know that one of them is a circle, but its a very perfect circle I just had to throw it in!


1. Granny triangles, 2. 62/2009: Hot Pad Side 1, 3. The End Result, 4. willow granny square II, 5. Granny Square white spring, 6. WIP, 7. granny squares, 8. c u s h i o n, 9. circles, 10. Granny Square Design Closeup, 11. Doll blanket, 12. Granny Afghan Edging, 13. Granny Squares, 14. Flower Granny Squares, 15. Granny Squares, 16. Pip's Granny Squaring

Simple changes in color, stitch, and pattern can transform a granny square to a modern beautiful work of art!

I have been very inspired by the work above and vowed to make my cousin (who is now expecting a baby girl) a gorgeous granny square baby blanket.
I will make sure to post my progress (as soon as there is some to show).

Anybody else weary of the granny square?
Hopefully this will help boost some confidence!

Jen Ting's Jewels free offer

Jen Tings Jewels has teamed up with me to offer these earrings above for free with any purchase of 15 dollars or more.

I can tell you it would not be hard to spend 15 dollars in her shop. Take a look at some of the great items that would earn you these free earrings:

Lavender Mist BraceletOne of my favorites! It is just beautiful and I am a sucker for bracelets! It is made with Swarovski Crystals so you know the quality is there. There are even matching earrings available in her shop.

Tangerine Sugar Bracelet

Not a big spender. This Tangerine Sugar Bracelet will put you right on the money to receive those free earrings. You will even get some great jewelry out of the deal. This bracelet also has earrings made to match available in her store.

To get her great free offer mention that you were sent to her shop by me The Crafty Tortoise in the message to seller.
Hurry up though. This offer is only good until January 20th. So go get some jewelry!

What is your favorite jewelry item of hers?

I have to say mine is the lavender mist bracelet.. who can resist that loveliness.

New Email Address

So over the holidays we started to talk about changing out TV service. Which I thought was a good idea... until I realized that my business email is through their service. So like everything it was time for a change.

It will be a slow change, but my new email is:

thecraftytortoise@gmail.com

Gmail.com is the only thing different.

How was everyone's Holidays. Mine were great. Although we went snow skiing for the first time... I came home with more than sore muscles. My husband is just glad I didn't die, lol. Lets just say I am not the best skier, but I am just learning so with time I should get better. (crossing my fingers)

Sadly I did not get much crocheting or crafting done over the holidays, but am hoping to make up for it now.
Did anyone else get anything done crafting wise?