Friday, September 30, 2011

Sneak Peek 3

     Today is Friday and time for another sneak peek at the new line.  For those of you who are on the demo list, this is the last sneak peek before your demo letters!  Very exciting!!


     I've been working really hard on this line and I'm looking forward to sharing it with the world.  I'm hoping to have the new line demo welcome letter sent out tonight (midnight) or tomorrow at the latest.  Remember that the demos will be sent out on a first come first serve basis. If you aren't signed up for the demo, there's still time! Just  *like* HN&S's facebook page (link below) then add your name to the "free demo" discussion.




     Here is a quick review (with adjustments) of the new line's schedule:

September 2011
     Send out demo letters
     Ship out demos

October 2011
     Improve (based on feedback) and create more product
     Build up stock for release dates

Release dates:
     Fans ---------------> October 20th 2011
     Fort Frances* ----> November 5th 2011
     Public and Etsy --> November 7th 2011

*The new line will be available at a local craft sale Nov. 5th 2011

Friday, September 23, 2011

Sneak Peek 2

     Well it's Friday and time for another sneak peek at the new series:


     There's still several spots open for the free demo. Just visit HN&S's facebook page and leave your name in the discussion "demos" to sigh up for it.  Demo letters go out next week!

Monday, September 19, 2011

Lakers Afghan

     For the past year and a bit I had been really wanting to make an afghan to donate to the Fort Frances Lakers in order to help them raise money, and finally, after completing my brother's birthday blanket I decided to dive right into it.  Having completed my brother's afghan in record time I felt confident I could keep the streak going and finish up the Lakers Afghan in no time, and though I may not have finished this one in record time, it is completed and I'm glad to see how wonderful it turned out.

I started out with the lettering for the logo

Then worked on the afghan background.... Of course Zija was all over it.

And more work on the lettering

Background finished, lettering almost done

Lettering finished! (no easy task)

Ready to scope out how big to make out the rest of the logo

Kitten just waiting for me to turn my back so she can pounce on a fresh afghan

This is how it starts.... two paws at a time 

Kitten caught!!

Logo placement, still needs to be sewn on
Friday the 16th, in the morning, sewing on the logo

And the afghan makes it to the first pre-season game!

      The Lakers Afghan is part of a Lakers raffle to be drawn on December 19th 2011 at the last Lakers home game before the holidays.  The draw will be for the Afghan and 2 chairs (seen in the above photo).  Tickets are 5$ each and ALL proceeds go directly to the Fort Frances Lakers.  The blanket was 100% donated :)  I am planning on having the Afghan available for custom order sales, however since it took up so much time to make, the price will be adjusted accordingly plus part of the proceeds will go to the Lakers.  Once I've crunched up all those numbers it will be up on my Etsy site and this one as well as the Facebook page.
     When it comes to labours of love, they are always long and arduous but ALWAYS well worth it in the end. :)

Friday, September 16, 2011

Updates

This is what HN&S has been up to this week,    
  
Crochet

    Lakers Afghan
     I've been hard at work focusing mostly on this project for the past week as it needed to be done for today.  The Fort Frances Lakers are the local Junior A hockey team.  They are part of the SIJHL and judging by the exhibition games we've recently had I think they are gonna kick some ass this year! :D.  I'm very glad I finally decided to dedicate myself to making up this blanket to donate in order to raise money for the team.  After over a year of "wanting" to do it, I finally got to it and set a date: it *MUST* be done for the first pre-season game.  Tonight is the first pre-season game and I'm finally done! If you are in the Fort Frances area, stop on by at the Ice For Kids arena to watch a good game of hockey and come see the beautiful afghan! The raffle will be going on until December, the fund-raising comity has decided to do the draw for Christmas.

     I have to say, I am INSANELY happy to be done with this afghan... I was really getting sick of working on it lol, but the satisfaction of seeing it completed and knowing it will raise money to help support our hockey team is well worth the effort.  Tomorrow I will have full post on the Lakers afghan and how it went at it's debut tonight at the arena.


Knitting

     New Slippers
     I haven't done much knitting this week. The past couple days I needed brief distractions from the Lakers Aghan so I started working on some slippers.  I've been 'tweaking' an old slipper pattern to make it more comfy and better fitted.  I haven't assembled them yet so I'm not sure how it'll will turn out.  I should know by this weekend and the slippers might be up on my site by the end of next week (assuming the 'tweaking' of the pattern worked).


Sewing

     New Series.
     I've not done too much sewing this week as I was more focused on my crochet project though I did do a little work on my new series and did TONS of computer work for it.  I've set release dates for the new series here, made up the free demo letters and made up the page that will be posted on the public release date.  I never realized just how much work needs to go into launching a new line!  But like the Lakers Afghan, I'm sure it'll be well worth it in the end.

     Now, for those of you who are waiting on the new series: here is a sneak peek! Every week until the public release date I'll post one random pic here in the weekly updates! They may be close ups of an actual product or just of the materials used. Hopefully they won't be too obvious.... or too confusing :) Enjoy!


Wednesday, September 14, 2011

New Series!

     Here is the scoop! Over the past few weeks I have been brewing up something special: a new series! And it's big one!  I'm hoping to have it up and ready for public sales by early November.

     What is this series? Well rest assured it's lovingly handmade by yours truly.  Does it have a name? It sure does but that's secret until the release date. Of course everything will be described and detailed on the official site once we reach the public release date (and on the demo letters sent out to the fans who request the demo) but in the mean time, here is a little peek at what's going on in my workshop: 

     The nature of this product requires much effort and creativity.  It is an eco-friendly product and contributes to several ethically sound practices along its creation process.  Each product is unique, different and has a story; a story that can be told.  As for the functionality of the product, it is very practical and can be used either on a daily basis or for a specific purpose. Either way, it is quite useful and durable.

So far, here is the plan:

September 2011
  •   Finding and buying up a stock of materials
  •   Creating products
  •   Send out the free demo letter to selected fans (see below for details)
  •   Ship out the free demos
  •   Hopefully, receive feedback

October 2011
  •  Work like mad at improving and creating more product
  •  Continue working on site to be ready for release date

October 20th 2011
  •   Fan Release Date!!

November 7th 2011
  • Public and Etsy Release Date!

     Here is what you need to know if you'd like to be on the demo list.  First, find HN&S' facebook page (here) and show some love by *liking* the page.  Then in discussions, you'll find a thread titled: "New product demos". Join the conversation! Leave your name and e-mail and you're all set to receive info on new demos!  From there, if you like what you see and want the demo, you send me your mailing address and I send you some awesome goodness in the form of a free demo! Sounds good, yes? If you are only interested in the new series demo, just write "new series demo" next to your name/info and you will get only the new series information and demo.

     On October 20th 2011, the fan release date, the new series will be available only through the facebook page and only to those who've *liked* the page (effectively making them "a fan") and the main page (on the blog) will not be functional until the public release date on November 7th 2011.

     On November 7th 2011 the full series goes public! So exciting! On this day the main page for the series will be up, the product name is released, the new products will be up for sale on the Etsy site and anyone will be able to make custom orders of the product.

     So that's the D-L on the new series I'm cooking up.  I hope I've got your attention.  I also hope you'll join me and the other fans that have requested the free demo and be part of the .... oops, almost slipped there ... part of the "new series" family :D

Keep crafty everyone! And mark your calendars!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Totes!


         For the past month I have been sewing totes like it's nobody's business!! ... Well, it's MY business, but you get the idea.  I must say I've become a pro at this pattern, though I really need to start making something different.  20 thousand totes from the same pattern isn't very good for business. But they are pretty sweet totes! 



Gurr is Keeper of the Totes!
     I've just started experimenting with linings and matching clutches (making my own patterns).  The clutches are still very much in the "trial and error" phase and have a couple kinks to work out but I hope to have a working product out and ready to sell within a few weeks to a month.

First attempt at lining and matching clutch

Turned out pretty good
     These totes are available for purchase on my Etsy site here or you can send me an e-mail at HookNeedleSpindle@hotmail.com.  Keep crafty!



Thursday, September 1, 2011

It's Fall!

     Sure officially we are still 20 days away, but to me, in my mind September 1st has always signified fall!  And today is the perfect example: overcast, windy and chilly, leaves scattered all over my yard... It's a typical fall day.  This means a wonderful thing: Fall Projects Time!! Fall has beautiful brilliant colours and inspiration is everywhere! Be it for crochet, quilting or even painting! Though I do have a current fall crochet project on the go, it has proven very difficult and time consuming.  I started it 2 falls ago and have worked sporadically on it ever since.  Being a combination wool-eater and babette, this blanket I fear will take many more falls to complete.  That being said, my mind is vivid and excited to start new fall projects that can be completed in mere weeks or even days! Going through various online sites (including Google search "fall afghans") I've found a few projects that caught my eye and I may attempt in the next couple months.  Most of the ones I've found so far were from Etsy (searching handmade "fall afghans"), the links are in the captions.

I can no longer find the link for this one, I believe I had found it on Google search.
A quick and easy project for sure!

The seller on Etsy is selling the pattern here

This is one of my favs.  The Etsy seller labeled it "A Dash of Fall and a Splash of Christmas".

Again, the seller is selling the pattern here.

I really like the textured stitch on this one. Found here.

A cute and quick granny square afghan.  Found on Etsy, here.

I absolutely *LOVE* this one! Though it might be difficult without the pattern.  Item found here.
     Now the difficult part will be deciding which one to do :).  For the time being, the weather is too threatening to venture out to the yarn store when I could be comfy and cozy with tea in my mug and soup in my crock pot in my home.  Besides, I really should be working on some of my current dresser projects! :)