North Beach Craft Fair

It was the first of the season for me. I figured it was cold enough in Seattle to venture out with my thick and chunky knitwear. Shoppers were very responsive. I heard lots of ooooh's and ahhh's as they touched the warm and cozy yarn. I had a few new items that got their debut: My new CHUNKY connected scarves are a giant loop of cuddly goodness. They can wrap once or twice around your neck for several different looks all in one scarf. And my convertable scarf is a hood and a scarf in one. It's long enough to pull over your head but it will scrunch up to just be a cowl. Also, it was my first chance to try out my new gridwall display. After a little tinkering initially, these things are WONDERFUL! I highly recommend them for any new crafter looking to improve their setup. All in all, the North Beach Elementary School craft fair was a success and very fun. I will definately sign up again next year. Thanks so much to my consultant, sales guru and buddy Lisa P. for being there ALL DAY with me. What a trooper!

A shout out from KIRO's fantabulous Traffic Anchor

My co-worker, friend and traffic diva Jenni Hogan placed a big order last Thursday, for a bunch of my crochet earrings. She was scrambling for something fun to try for Fashion Friday

when she wears a new outfit and lets viewers decide whether it's the outfit's debut, or final swan song. She picked out a stunning orange sweater with gold fasteners and I went to work making the perfect matching pair of earrings. Well, okay ...so it was a coincidence that the pair I'd made went well with the sweater, but it all worked out, which is what really counts. It was so fun waking up early (okay, okay so I watched the KIRO morning show on my DVR when I woke up from my sleeping-pill induced haze) to see the gold earrings I'd made, on the air sparkling and blinging away. I tested out a new double-threaded pattern and purchased a ton of new beads, so now I'm inspired to make more to sell on my website ...and maybe a new pair for myself!

Spring Knitwear -Stay or Go?

Spring Knits ...should I stay or should I go? Last year I decided to launch my first ever spring line. It included knits and crocheted items that were made mostly of lightweight cotton. The line featured capelets, spiral scarves, beach hats, and bikini tops, among other things. I did several spring and summer craft shows which were a complete BUST. If you're a knitter, I don't have to tell you how much work it was to compile 15 to 20 items of each thing in different colors. So I have been asking myself since then, was it what I made, or was it that knitwear in the summer is just UNAPPEALING, even if it's light weight? Now, I've been asked by one of the stores that has experienced GREAT success in selling many of my items, to make some spring/summer stuff. I guess it can't hurt to give it another try right? In limited amounts ...two or three of a few select items. Then more if they sell! But WHAT? Hmmmmmm.....

Virtual Trunk Show

ATTENTION! ATTENTION!Roz's Sax will join Etsyrain in the Etsy.com Trunk Show!Etsy.com is going to make craft and internet history on November 13th at 4pm Pacific Time. On this day, Etsy sellers from around the world will get together to show their wares to a live audience in Etsy's Virtual Labs. Here you'll be able to meet the maker, learn about the process and even see them live in their studio via webcams! With the help of Etsy Teams, like EtsyRain, Seattle's Etsy Team, this is going to be the handmade shopping event of the season, and is not to be missed!

My inner packrat

What I mean by 'inner' is that it's something I try desperately to both hide, and stay in denial about. I do the obligatory "purge" of my closet, my junk room, and my refridgerator. Yet, somehow the junk trickles right back in. My mom is a neat freak. I'm talking you could walk through her front door at any given day or time and it would be SPOTLESS. No dishes by the sink, no discarded clothes near the shower, not even a pillow out of place. And junk piles NEVER seem to accumulate anywhere in her house. If she hasn't used or worn something in a few months, it's gone! So it's not like I picked up these bad habits from her. But I still have clothes that I haven't warn in years, stashed away in 'under the bed' storage or some box in the back of the closet. And the stuff I will never wear, you know those pieces that still have the tags on? They're taking up prescious space in my overstuffed closet. Did I mention I'm also a shopaholic? I'm guessing those weaknesses usually go hand-in-hand. My dream closet is one that is packed full of stuff for every occassion, lined up with outfits that will never let me utter the words, "I don't have anything to wear." But whose isn't right? Don't even get me started on my office/junk room/craft room. Sometimes I have to move stuff out of the room, just to be able to get in. Sigh... there's no hope! I think organization is a chip that I am missing --and will never be able to download.

My Olympic Experience RUINED!

My 'day job' is actually a graveyard shift. I'm a News Writer at KIRO Television. The hours make it much less glamarous than it sounds. What REALLY bugs me about it lately is that it's wrecking my Olympic Experience! I'm a big Olympics junkie. I watch all the major events, know the players ...even read the previews and bios. Unfortunately, because I have to go to bed early, I have to watch it all on a DVR-delay. For the past couple days ...that hasn't even been possible.

Let me set the scene for you ...so you can feel my pain. When I walk into KIRO, there's TV's EVERYWHERE!!!! There's a giant string of televisions mounted up high on the wall, can't miss them. There's also AT LEAST ONE on every desk. There's two at mine, and another one at the next desk. We're very 'plugged in' to what's happening on the tube.

So Monday, I walk in and the sight of Michael Phelps flexing his muscles and letting out a roar I could just image was heard throughout the The Water Cub (Beijing's new Olympic Pool) drew my attention. How could I turn away? The boy is CUT! Since he was standing with a few other guys in those cool NASA swimsuits --I could pretty much tell the relay team had 'done good.'

Then today, I come in and announce that I don't want anyone to tell me the results of the men's gymnastic team finals. It was bad enough those cute little Hamm brothers weren't competing. Then the men's team had been given slim hopes of doing anything worth anything. But I at least wanted to SEE them not do anything for myself. This time, I turned on the television at my desk and there was the men's team captain holding up his bronze metal. ARGH!

I guess the only good news is, it takes the pressure off and my nails don't get eaten off while I'm watching?

Smigel's New Haircut

My Chihuahua Smigel is just like a child to me. I take her EVERYWHERE, spoil her rotten, and I protect her at all costs! So, she's never been to the groomer ...because I didn't want to leave her there for hours while she's tortured with a shaver. But she's been panting like crazy in the last month of warm weather in Seattle, so I decided it was time! Luckily, our favorite groomer Kevin lives in my condo building and agreed to make a house call. It took a lot of patience on his part, and an hour of holding her down and coaxing her to lift legs and expose the belly, etc. Now she's BALD and lovin' it! The fur was everywhere and Smigel was a little traumatized, but she'll be so much cooler for the rest of the summer, and it'll all grow back by the time she needs it in the winter. The only thing is ...she looks so WEIRD! I kept asking her (yes, we talk all the time) who ARE you strange dog?