Cah-ray-zee Cro-shay-zee

Does your memory only remember the good things? And forget the bad times/memories? Mine does. I remember my brother and I getting along like peaches and cream growing up. My other siblings and parents will tell you that was not the case.  We were, according to them, constantly bickering and fighting.  But somehow I've managed to forget all those bad times he made me feel like an annoying little sis.  

My brain has also apparently forgotten how insanely busy I was last year at this time.  I mean, I remember crocheting up until December 24th for people's Christmas orders, but I don't remember having to sacrifice so much of my time.  The past two nights, I've woken up in the middle of the night to crochet.  Last night, I woke up at 3am and crocheted until 5am and then went back to bed.  Thank goodness for Roku, because nothing is on bunny ears TV at that hour. *Side note: I may have watched Elf too many times last Christmas season, because this year, I don't really feel the need to watch it 20 times (or even once through) between Thanksgiving and New Years. Sad.

As of today, all my out of town orders are done (except for the etsy order that came in at 6am this morning).  Now, I just have 17 beards to make between now and Friday.  A co-worker ordered 10, and she's going to give one to each family member....so awesome!  The big seller has been the beards, but I've also sold quite a few pairs of fingerless gloves.  One pair, I sent to CT on December 8th using USPS and the buyer emailed me Sunday to let me know she JUST received them, and that the package was ripped open and all that made it was one DIRTY glove. Awesome. (But she did say the one glove looked lovely) Oh, and that she needed another pair by Friday. Have you BEEN to the post office or UPS store this week? I spent my entire hour lunch break there yesterday, and paid double the price of the fingerless gloves to ensure they make it to CT by Friday. 

I told myself this year's goal was to have a cut off date for orders, and to not still be crocheting on December 24th.  I'm guessing I'll make that goal by a whopping 2 days. The main reason I cannot say no? I love the idea of my stuff being given as presents, and being worn around proudly.  That and I'm a yes woman.  

I don't want to complain about getting orders and being busy because I love crocheting, and the money is going into a savings account for a very important reason.  But I've sacrificed a few things that I'm not proud of.  I've been so busy (crocheting before and after work until bedtime) that I haven't had the chance to spend time with friends, and specifically my parents.  They recently let me know how much they've missed me and it broke my heart.  I would do anything to be able to hang out with them. After all, I am their baby.  But I've stretched myself a little thin lately and really needed their reminder to pull me back in.  

I told Hottie Hubs last night that I will be taking a month off of crocheting in January.  But thats like Santa saying he's going to take all of December off.  The cold months in the year are when I get all my orders.  I don't get beard requests in July.  So I probably won't be taking January off, but I'm not going to be crocheting at 3am, this I know for shore.

I will leave this post with our Christmas card.  Since I work at NW Media Productions, I have access to an amazing photographer, Patrick Brown-Hayes and an amazing graphic designer (and one of my bffs) Jenny Purington. Put that together with the cutest most amazing dog in the world, and the outcome is this: 

*Picture was cropped quickly, so its not showing like the real card, but just know Jenny did an amazing and perfect job :)

Beardie Fever

Have you seen these?

Lady Beards

 

 Man Beards

If you're a friend of mine and not some blogstalker (which is o.k. too) you probably have.

I call them beardies, I spose because it sounds like (blake's) beanies and because I'm a dork.

I've sold them to people in Vermont, Texas, New York, Utah, Ohio, California, Louisiana, Deleware, Kansas, Florida,  Seattle, Pullman, to name a few places.  Crazy thinking about all these people putting something I crocheted on their faces.

The latest beardie craze happened over the weekend.  If you saw my FB posts, then you already know.  I have an order for 50 OR MORE.   And she wanted around 1/2 of those mailed to her this week, so all beardie buyers can wear them for a football game on Friday.  Its a fundraiser for the high school she teaches at, and the mascot has an orange beard, as shown here:

It's super awesome because it means lots of exposure and mulah for muah.  But what it also means is that I'm crocheting instead of sleeping, cooking, cleaning, bathing, blinking, etc.  Well, I guess the I don't normally bathe on Saturdays anyways, so thats nothing new. jk. kinda.

On top of that, my etsy store is on FY-AH.  I started my etsy page in December of 2011, so I didn't realize how much business to expect for the fall season.  Man,  people plan ahead!!! Either that or its a lot colder in other parts of the US right now because so far this week, I've had 7 orders for hats, fingerless gloves and beardies. 

Plus, I've got my in town peeps ordering stuff too!!!  (you guys are priority right now fyi)

Obviously, I LOVE CROCHETING.  And every year I'm helluz busy.  But this year tops it.  I've stocked up for my November 17th craft fair, but now I'm selling the stuff I have in stock, so I'm now restocking my stock.   I'm loving all the orders I've received and I see myself crocheting until I grow old and can no longer operate my robotic fingers. 

Thanks to EVERYONE who is sportin a Blake's Beanie, Beardie, Headband, or fingerless gloves, pretend eating my crocheted food,  or has just purchased one and is waiting (hopefully patiently) for one.   

Also, thanks to ROKU for allowing Netflix and Hulu+ to be streaming Teen Mom, Parenthood, Breaking Bad, Walking Dead, Workaholics, and many many movies. 

If YOU would like a beardie, or anything else crochet related, email me at blakesbeanies@gmail.com, or visit my etsy shop!  And if you've already purchased something of mine, I would LOVE a picture of you wearing the beard or hat!!!

My blog does not have ADD

As you have probably noticed, my blog has had a few different looks.  This is mainly due to the fact that I'm still figuring out all the kinks to blogging.  My friend Jenny is a graphic designer and had designed my Blake's Beanies Banner for my Etsy page, and also designed all my logos, signs, stickers, business cards. So when she saw my latest attempt at making a blog banner she puked a little in her mouth wanted to help.  So I let her. And now, I have a banner that ties everything together!!! (I believe thats called branding)

So, here's the final look, hopefully. I apologize if you don't deal with change very well. Oh, and if you need any graphic design work, get ahold of Jenny Purington @ Northwest Media Productions!!! She makes a bomb baked french toast too.

Burger with Fries, Minus the Grease!

I love crocheting small, strange items. Its a quick "fix", gets my creative juices flowin, and puts me in an instant good mood.   

Blake's Beardies 

(think Charlie's Angels)



The beards were a hit.  My etsy page BLEW up this Christmas season with orders. I had one friend from college order 8. I had orders from all over, including Delaware, New York, Texas, and North Carolina.  Its really fun to imagine complete strangers sporting the beards and them (hopefully) mentioning Blake's Beanies, or at least a mention of some guy named Blake that crochets. Hey, I'll take what I can get.  

 

Well, its not really beardie season right now, but it is always the season for a good burger and fries.  So thats exactly what I've made.

Would you like fries with that?

One all beef yarn patty, special sauce, lettuce,

cheese, pickles, onions - all on a sesame seed bun

Its like an addict moving on to his bigger and more dangerous fix. Beanies are the gateway craft. Well, actually I think pot holders are, but I skipped right to learning the beanie. I'm bad2thebone like that.

I got the idea about a year ago when I bought a crochet book that had different toys in them, like dolls and doll clothes.  I quickly learned I'm not a doll maker, because I hate reading patterns and, they overall, just took too much time.  I favor the wham-bam thank you ma'am projects.  The book showed a hamburger with all the fixins, and a tea set with teapots, cups, saucers, and cookies.  Screw the fake porcelain. Lets eat! So I made cookies, and a hamburger set for my niece Evelyn.  Since she lives in Las Vegas, I have no idea if she ever plays with them, but thats ok.  I will just envision her sleeping with them next to her pillow every night.

Since then, I kinda moved on. I made my burger, and that was my "fix". I was good for a bit. And theeeeen, the urge was back.  I just HAD to make more food.  I found this cah-ray-zee etsy shop that has patterns for literally everything (think crochet tool set and curling iron/hair dryer set to get an idea of the word everything).  She doesn't sell the actually crocheted item, but just the pattern to be able to make it.  Like I mentioned before, me and patterns mix about as well as orange juice and toothpaste.

Take a look at a pattern I quickly found for illustrative purposes (and this is a straight forward/easy level pattern):
 Using mc yarn, ch 28 (30, 33, 35, 38, 40).
Foundation Row: Sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in each ch across -- 27 (29, 32, 34, 37, 39) sc.
Row 1: Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc), dc in next 0 (1, 0, 1, 0, 1) sts, *dc in next 2 sts, ch 1, sk next st, dc in next 2 sts; rep from * 5 (5, 6, 6, 7, 7) times, dc in next 1 (2, 1, 2, 1, 2) sts -- 22 (24, 26, 28, 30, 32) dc.
Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc), dc in next 0 (1, 0, 1, 0, 1) sts, *dc in next 2 sts, (yo, pull up a loop) 4 times into next ch-1 sp, yo and pull through all 9 loops on hook, dc in next 2 sts; rep from * 5 (5, 6, 6, 7, 7) times, dc in next 1 (2, 1, 2, 1, 2) sts, turn -- 22 (24, 26, 28, 30, 32) dc
Row 3: Ch 1, sc in each st to end, turn -- 27 (29, 32, 34, 37, 39) sc.
*Repeat Row 3 until piece measures 9.25 (9.5, 10, 10.5, 10.5, 11.25)” from beginning.
Row 5: Ch 1, sc in next 9 (10, 10, 11, 12, 12, 13) sts, turn.
Row 6: Ch 1, sc in next 9 (10, 10, 11, 12, 12, 13) sts. Fasten off yarn and weave in yarn end.
Row 7: Attach yarn to unworked edge. Ch 1, sc in next 9 (10, 10, 11, 12, 12, 13) sts, turn leaving the center 9 (9, 12, 12, 13, 15) sts unworked.
Row 8: Ch 1, sc in next 9 (10, 10, 11, 12, 12) sts. Fasten off and weave in yarn end.

I think I barfed a little in my mouth

So, I like to take the pictures of crochet food items, and just DOOO IT.  If its not working, I have no problem completely pulling the string and starting over.  In fact, I like doing that with new stuff, because I like it to look good enough to sell, or at least gift to a relative.  I have unraveled so many projects even hours into them, just because I'm not going to waste perfectly good (and overpriced) yarn. One time, I knitted a sweater to completion. From like really expensive, thick ass yarn. Ok that didn't read correctly. But you get it.  Anyways, I followed a pattern (knitting ones seem to be easier to follow) and completed the sweater, well "shrug".  And I never wore it. Later I found out you have to "block" sweaters so they look good when you put them on, but by that time, shrugs were just about out of style.  ( the one shrug i did own/wear ellicited many jokes about where the other 1/2 of my sweater went)  So, I took the yarn, unravelled the entire shrug and made it into hats for babies, as modeled below. 

My friend Stephanie Krupicka took these two.

She's pretty awesome!

Baby Ezra wearing the bunny style.

Love her!

Back to the food. Man can I get off track easy.

I made some breakfast foods too:

MMmm. Bacon
(The maple kind?)

"Ohmahgoodness."

I'm always taking requests and custom orders, so if there is ever anything crazy you need crocheted or knitted, ask me, as I'd probably be MORE THAN HAPPY to crochet up something crazy/different.

Are these crazy enough for ya?

HAHAHA. Love the tattoo one.