The Beer Bazaar, Sunday August 27th, 2-8PM

Come to the Beer Bazaar at Angel City Brewery on August 27th!

http://angelcitybrewery.com/event/angel-citys-beer-bazaar-2017-08-27/

This brewery is gorgeous, with tons of great beers on tap. There will also be food trucks with lots of choices for a late lunch or early dinner. Kids are welcome, but of course they can't drink.

For more information, go here: http://angelcitybrewery.com/event/angel-citys-beer-bazaar-2017-08-27/

The Beer Bazaar starts at 2PM, and goes until 8PM. There are some awesome sellers to check out here, so there is plenty to see. We came to the Bazaar a few weeks ago, and they were playing fun 60's music, with plenty of tables (we sat down and played a board game), and a beautiful bar. There were fun, independent artists selling all kinds of handmade and vintage items. It was a ton of fun!

Come hang out, and say hi to me!

Craft Fair Searching

I love craft fairs. I've only done two, but I'm completely hooked. I love setting up my items, and then fiddling with them, and then rearranging them. I love talking to people about my creations, and meeting new people. I know that sounds like the worst thing ever for some sellers, and honestly I thought I'd hate it. I have a bit of stage fright, but at craft fairs I just have so much fun.

So far I've only done tiny shows, one of which I barely made $100 over two days. But I liked chatting with parents, and showing off my toys to kids.

One thing I recommend to others is to check out the fairs and shows ahead of time. I love the major fairs, but luckily I've checked them out before applying. I am DEFINITELY not ready for that! I have so much respect for those people who sell at the nationally known shows. If you're one of those sellers, my hat's off to you.

I've also been to shows that seem lovely, but just aren't for me. I went to a permanent show this weekend which was absolutely gorgeous, and the people who worked at it were so nice and friendly... but it was a 90 minute drive through nasty traffic. If I lived nearby, I might be tempted. Plus, the foot traffic in the show was pretty slow.

On the other hand, a few weeks ago my friends and I met up at a local brewery. Lo and behold, there happened to be a super tiny craft show!  I had no idea! It seemed to be in the very beginning stages, but super cute, and in a brewery! My husband and I are beer geeks, so it works perfectly for me.

Another thing that's helped me out is the many craft fair checklists. Here are a few really good ones: https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/what-to-bring-to-a-craft-fair/22715491953
https://festivalnet.com/help/tips/160things.html
http://www.handmadeology.com/a-great-big-craft-show-checklist/

Braided Cable Cowl

Want to make the entire set? Find the hat pattern HERE and the gloves pattern HERE. The finished projects will also be sold in my Etsy shop.

Materials needed:

Worsted weight yarn, Lion Brand’s Pound of Love is the perfect amount for the cowl, gloves and hat. Patterns for the gloves and hat are available in my Ravelry, Etsy and Craftsy shops.

Size H crochet hook

Stitches used:

Ch: chain

Sc: single crochet

Fpdc: front post double crochet

Fptr: front post triple crochet

Notes:

Each row (except the first, which will have 35 chain stitches) should have 34 stitches.

Row 4 is the first row with fpdc stitches. Those stitches should be done around stitches directly below, in row 2. After that, each fpdc should be done around the fpdcs directly below.

Instructions:

1.      Ch 35

2.      Skip the stitch nearest to your hook, and sc across

3.      Ch, sc across

4.      Ch, sc, (fpdc 2x, sc 2x, fpdc 9x, sc 2x) 2x, fpdc 2x, sc

5.      Repeat row 3

6.      Repeat row 4

7.      Repeat row 3

8.      Ch, sc, (fpdc 2x, sc 2x, skip 3 stitches, fptr 3x, fptr 3x around the skipped stitches, fpdc 3x, sc 2x) 2x, fpdc 2x, sc

9.      Repeat row 3

10.  Repeat row 4

11.  Repeat row 3

12.  Repeat row 4

13.  Repeat row 3

14.  Ch, sc, (fpdc 2x, sc 2x, fpdc 3x, skip 3 stitches, fptr 3x, fptr 3x BEHIND the fptrs you just did, around the 3 skipped stitches, sc 2x) 2x, fpdc 2x, sc

Repeat rows 3-14, as many times as necessary. In my photos, I repeated it 14 times. Lay your work out, with your last row you crocheted next to the SIDE of your first rows. With the braid sides on the inside, crochet one row of scs through both your current row AND the side of your first rows. This will connect your cowl. Fasten off, and weave in the ends.

My Lion Brand Pound of Love Project

Recently, I found some Lion Brand Pound of Love yarn on sale. The yarn is great because it's machine washable, and the colors are really nice and bright. It started to make me think: what about making something that uses the entirety of this, but no more? That way a crocheter could get multiple items out of one skein of yarn.

Here is Lion Brand's website: http://www.lionbrand.com/pound-of-love-yarn.html They have awesome colors, and it looks like a few of them are on sale now!

How about cabled sets! The first one will be braided cables, made with white.

Look how many items I made with just one skein! I made a slouchy hat, elegant gloves, and a giant cowl. I am almost done creating my patterns, and I will be posting them shortly.

Here's a sneak peek at my next set, made in denim:

Brand New Brachiosaurs

I tried out the new Red Heart Super Saver Stripes. These yarns are so much fun with amigurumis! I now have two new brachiosauruses (or apatasauruses) in my Etsy shop.

The rainbow dino is HERE
The purple dino is HERE

Want to make your own? The pattern for this cute guy is on Etsy, Craftsy, and Ravelry.