birthday plans!

[birthdayshare]

Long time, no see

It’s been SUPER long since my last post. That’s because I’ve been up to my neck in school work and volunteering. 

I am finally going to gather up everything and send it into Youth Without Shelter! I haven’t been able to add anything new because of the lack of time, but I hope to make more in the future. 

I will probably be delivering everything on Friday, so if anyone still wants anything, let me know :) Again, 100% of the money goes to YWS!

yws.com

[birthdayshare]

FAQs

Here are some questions I've received in the past and some potential ones I anticipate:

Q1. Where is all the money going? A1. 100% of the money I receive will go directly to Youth Without Shelter. I am currently in the process of filling out the forms to make it official!

Q2. Who and what is Youth Without Shelter? A2. My background is in Child and Youth Care - I majored in studying how to work with children and youth with a variety of difficult backgrounds and I get very excited whenever I see organizations that help the young people in our society. This organization works to help out young people on the street, ensuring they have a place to sleep or run to in trouble (thus, the name, "Youth Without Shelter"). Also, this organization is based in Toronto, which makes this project a supporter of a local organization! 

Q3. Did you make everything yourself? A3. So far, everything on this website is handmade by me. I have some friends, however, who have volunteered to make something as well! If you'd like to join me in making pretty things to help a good cause, let me know!

Q4. What if I don't like what you have? A4. If there is something you'd like in a different colour, I may be able to make it for you, dependent on a variety of factors. Ask me!

Q5. How will this transaction work? A5. If you know me, message me on Facebook, text, or e-mail to let me know which item you would like. If you don't know me, my e-mail is: [email protected]. We can also figure out a way to get the item delivered to you and how I can receive your payment! 

Q6. How do I know you're not lying to me by keeping the money? A6. I am currently keeping a list of which items I have sold and how much was paid for each item. I will tally up everything and write out something that looks like a receipt and post it here as proof!

Q7. Do you have other items besides scarves/cowls and toques?  A7. I am in the process of working on my mitten technique and also working on a lapghan (a smaller version of a blanket). I am hoping to also combine ALL my skills to make some pretty neat projects I've been itching to start!

Q8. Handmade items are super expensive.  A8. This is not a question; however, I looked into the pricing that professional knitters and crocheters (yes, super professionals) place on their items, and they range within the $100's. It makes sense because they are probably at a higher skill level than I and for many of them, it is a JOB, not simply a hobby. The most basic calculation of handmade items equaled to 3-4x the cost of the materials. I REALLY ball-park'd the figures, so if you've seen professionally handmade items, what you're seeing here are probably Dollarama versions. Don't ever expect professional knitters/crocheters to sell their goods for anything less than $100.  TL;DR: My stuff will be dirt cheap in comparison to professional knitters/crocheters because I'm not that good. 

Q9: What is the material you're using? A9: I use acrylic (mostly) because it's the cheapest yarn that I can buy in bulk. I currently have no job (other than being a student - and that doesn't pay money, trust me) so I've resorted to buying as much yarn to make as many items as I can with acrylic! If there is other materials, I will mention it. 

Q10: How many are you planning to sell? A10: I want to sell 25 because I started this on my 25th birthday, and hope to finish before my 26th! If I sell more, that works too :)

Q11: What are you going to do with the leftover items that you don't end up selling? A11: I am going to donate unsold winter-items from this project straight to Youth Without Shelter. I will not be giving them away. 

Q12: Can you make me something? For free? Because I'm your friend? A12: That'd be nice. Unfortunately, that means I will not get any donors for this project, and that would totally suck. So no. We can come to other arrangements in the future (if I like you enough). 

Q13: So what are the prices of the stuff you're selling? A13: Here are the prices of the items I have already completed!

Blue Crocheted Cowl - $20

Knitted Tweed Cowl - $20

Green Knit Toque - $10

Blue Ombre Wool-Blend Infinity - $35

Crocheted Turquoise Cowl - $15

Knit Twist Maroon Headband - $7

Knit Cabled Maroon Headband - $7

[birthdayshare]

Preview of my next finished item for sale!

[birthdayshare]

Photos

Here are some photos from the mini "photoshoot" that took place at a park :)

Crocheted cowl

Knitted infinity scarf/cowl

Knitted toque

Knitted tri-coloured infinity

Orange infinity

Crocheted cowl

P.S. Shout outs to my model for braving the wind, cold, AND snow! You're a beautiful trooper :)

[birthdayshare]

Finally!

I haven't been able to update my blog with anything because I've been trying to get organized at school. I'm still not organized, but I was able to take some time to get some photos in. I am NOT a photographer, so I needed almost 20 takes per item, but most turned out okay and I had a fantastic model! I'm still working on some items with time, but hopefully I reach my goal of 25 items before my next birthday!

Also, I've decided that all the money will go to the Youth Without Shelter program (http://www.yws.on.ca/). I can't use their logo without their permission, so I'll have to give them a call to settle all the details. :) Please help to support a charity that is close to my heart!

[birthdayshare]

First Item to Go!

I haven't posted in months because I've been trying to finish a gazillion other things. I've finished a major project that I've been working on for over a year now, which is actually a HUGE lift off of my shoulders. Now I can go back to focusing on the rest of my life :)

Meanwhile, I was able to give one item away! Here is item #4: 

Thank you :)

I've also decided on which charity I'll be donating all the money to, but I'll have to finalize some last details first! 

Okay, off to bed now!

[mariadora]

[birthdayshare]

mariadora: Wait, what?!?? #cantbreathe

I haven’t posted in a while because I post on Sundays; Sundays are also the days I’ve had softball games for the last few weeks. Yes, I play softball (for those of you who think I sit on my butt all day, everyday - which I do). 

So, here is something to occupy your minds: there is a project I plan on starting one day and this project is one I’ve been itching to try for a very long time. The original work is by Maria Dora (the link above), and the project is the one pictured (above). There is no official pattern, as far as I know, so I’ll make one up as I go along. Since I’m still a newbie, I’m taking my sweet time so I can make it as close to the original as possible. Meanwhile, take a look at her posts - she has some pretty original and interesting ideas. There are some posts that are so inspirational... I can't wait to get started!!!

[birthdayshare]

Item #4

I started working on another bus/subway/streetcar project, and almost finished! The problem is that it was too big, so after many, MANY back-and-forths about it, I have decided to frog it and restart with fewer stitches. :( 

Meanwhile, here is another project I've finished. 

The colour looks really faded here, but it's a nice, dark navy blue. 

This blue, in my opinion, is gorgeous! It is such a rich, deep colour and it's pretty squishy too, which makes me want to bury my face into it.

Here it is again in the first picture, but a better colour view.

And here is the length! It's not crazy long, but just enough that it can be unwound if it gets too hot. I really like it and want to make one for myself...

Here it is on its own:

I took the pattern from here. I worked with a smaller hook (M), chained more (82), and worked in rounds, turning each round and working back on itself. The first couple of times, I worked in a continuous round, slip stitching each round, but then for whatever reason, decided to turn. The scarf from the blog looks WAY more drape-y, but mine is less open (holes are smaller), so it COULD be warmer. I wouldn't know how to compare. 

I hope everyone had a wonderful mother's day :) I have exciting plans I've been working on, but this past week (and the weeks to come) are filled with other plans and responsibilities (#adultlife). So I'll have a LOT more TTC projects. I've been sleeping instead, recently, so I'll just have to sleep better and work harder. 

Okie doke. Back to real life. 

Ciao!

[birthdayshare]

Item #3

Someone gave me a good suggestion: instead of selling items now (as summer approaches), post everything closer to winter, when people actually have the mindset of needing winter accessories. For now, I will keep posting the stuff I make for anyone interested :) 

I need to find a better photographer than myself... 

Here it is, on its own:

Side note: I am wearing sun glasses indoors because I'm a rebel like that. 

There is no pattern I followed. I like how the stitches are random (I was starting to get bored of the monotone HDCs). 

I think the colour is soooo pretty! Blue used to be the only colour in my closet, back when I was younger, and I still have a soft spot for it. This blue and a soft white together would blow my mind. Maybe one day in the future. 

Meanwhile, until next time! 

[birthdayshare]

Item Idea

So, the other day, I saw a young lady on the subway with a bright orange scarf, and it was gorgeous. I knew I wanted to make it and I knew I wanted one just like it. I was quite tempted to go over, grab the scarf, and take a closer look at the stitches, but I figured it might not be the best way to be friendly. 

Instead, I stared. Really stared.

I think I scared the girl, regardless, but the scarf was so PRETTY and I knew I had to make it. I still can't find the exact stitch I want, but I am quite determined to find it. When I do, I will lock myself up somewhere and knit all day/all night. Then, I saw one of my cousins with almost the exact same scarf with similar stitches! I'm still not 100% sure of the stitch (haven't seen it before), but I am going to start working on it as soon as I finish one of the 5 other projects I have.

Basic glimpse into my daily life... 

I like to watch something as I knit, or listen to something, and recently I watched the Phantom of the Opera. I watched it YEARS ago, and I remembered it again recently. It was as good as I remembered it. The Phantom is so good looking in this movie, and it was a really good movie to sit and knit with.

Which reminds me... I need to go to bed now. 

[birthdayshare]

Item #2 - Infinity Scarf

Item #2! This was more like a bus-project. I've worked on this for weeks, almost always on the bus/subway/streetcar. 

I've been seeing the linen stitch pattern around on YouTube, Pinterest, etc. so naturally I wanted to try it. It looked simple enough and laid flat! THAT was the most attractive part of it. If I could find something that was simple, smooth, and flat, unlike the stockinette stitch, i wanted to try it. This ended up being the result. 

I made this scarf without following a pattern and I didn't check gauge, so it's a little tighter than I wanted. I rib stitched both ends, mostly for its finished look, more than anything. 

This scarf is wide enough to be a shawl/wrap. I'm not 100% sure if anyone wants to use it as such, but realized it's possible as I tried it on. 

Again, this scarf wasn't as loose as I wanted it to be (it's a snug fit when wrapped around twice), but because I used larger needles than required for the yarn, I found it to be quite stretchy. 

It was quite warm, regardless. I'm happy it's done! I really enjoyed making it, and despite how long it took, it was pretty quick, considering I knit this twice a day, for less than an hour each time. I learned how to knit continental specifically for this project and it went by SO much faster. Teehee. Good skill to learn!

Next time I do this again, I'd cast on about 20 more stitches, but overall, happy with it! And it's pretty soft, while still able to hold its shape. 

#2 is done! 

[birthdayshare]

Item #1 - Basket

My first item that I finished for this project is a basket! This basket was inspired by a specific yarn I received: a silk and cotton tweed (Rowan's Summer Tweed collection in Exotic). It is mixed with a bulky wool-ish yarn (it didn't come with a label, so I'm not 100% sure of its content). I had it almost finished, but I had to frog most of it because I didn't like its height. Regardless, it took longer than I thought, but I'm happy with the result!

Measurements (approximate): Diameter: 12.5cm/5in Circumference: 44.5cm/17.5in Height: 17cm/6.5in

Here are some photos I took of the basket I finished! 

Side view with handle

Close-up of basket stitches.

Inner base of the basket (top view).

I took the pattern from here and modified it quite a bit. BUT, I originally got the idea from here - a blog that took effort to translate a pattern! I ended up liking the flat bottom better and chose the other pattern.

My photo-editing isn't the best, but I hope you like it as much as I enjoyed making it! Stay tuned for the 3 other items I'm still working on!

[birthdayshare]

The date is coming closer...

So! My birthday is coming up and my brother came up to me and presented me with this: 

Which is great, nice and all, but then he goes on to say: "Yeah... There were solid coloured ones, and then we saw this one and figured we'd give you the ugliest one". 

Whelp, if they did it to embarrass me, they are in for a surprise. Regardless, I think it's pretty and want to thank my brother for buying it for me. I'll make sure to wear it around you a lot. Especially when we go out to buy food. Especially when it's just you and me. Especially...

It is Easter weekend! Woot! The celebration of the reason for my faith! 

So pretty! My parents got me some roses, but we also bought some for the people being confirmed tomorrow :) It was a flower shop at our dining table. 

As for WIPs, I am working with these yarns: 

The closest one is a Rowan Summer Tweed in "Exotic". It's a silk and cotton blend and it almost feels... Felted? I dunno. The one behind is a dark green-ish blue and it didn't come with a label. It has a worsted wool feel to it, but it's quite bulky (maybe a 6?). I'm working on something, which I hope to finish by tomorrow! Bleh. I haven't been able to do any crocheting this weekend because I've been mostly cleaning and organizing, but I will get more work done, hopefully soon!

Happy Easter!

[birthdayshare]

For the millionth time...

I've started a billion blogs in my day and none of them passed a couple of years. This probably won't be any different, but I'll try anyway ;)

This time, all the posts will be about the projects or WIPs (work in progress) that I will be making to sell. 100% of the money I get will go to charity. I will not take any money for the yarn, the work I've done, or anything else (I consider the price of the yarn my own contribution/an investment).

Last year, I gave out little happy-packages to people downtown to pass on a little happiness. This year, I want to do something that is a little more meaningful and invest in something that will actually help out people in need. I plan on making 25 pieces to sell (hopefully before my next birthday). We'll see how that will change with time.