earrings!

I love crocheting. I've been crocheting since I was about 8 years old. I wish I could remember how I started - maybe my mom remembers. 

I call these my "unschooling mama" earrings

But I don't remember the learning process, I don't remember the person who I first saw doing it, I don't remember falling in love with yarn.

Emerald is going to be a color of 2013. Apparently.

 I remember many living history events where I would plant myself next to the woman carding wool, or using a spinning wheel - and just watch and watch and watch. I remember making friendship bracelets for the kids on my swim teams and girl scout troops. 

I started selling my handmade crocheted jewelry at a few craft fairs and at royaboya.etsy.com and showyourcolorz.etsy.com - and then ignored it for a little while.

 I've recently decided to devote more time to it - and have been really enjoying the process. 

Bold, geometric shapes! Also in.

I've consulted with a few people who are successful on etsy, and realized that one of the most important things I need to do is to improve the photographs of my items.

I just make color combinations that make me happppyyy

I'd been using my smart phone to take all the pictures - I have it on me, it's easy to upload, and didn't really think that the quality of photo was that much different.

Today, though, I got out the Canon PowerShot A480 that I bought my husband a few years ago, and decided to give it a try. I used different layers of curtains to diffuse the light to try to minimize shadow and glare - and I was more or less successful.

I only had time to do a handful of earrings that I made this week - my goal is to get a good photo-taking set up, so that it's easy to stick a pair of earrings in and snap a few photos every day - take advantage of when the light is right, and it's not a huge production every time.

Another thing that I never really thought that much about were fashion trends. I've always been sort of oblivious - at some point I realized owls were in. Then I noticed that people are wearing a ton of neon. 

bright, sunshiney, spring and summer colors

But when you make fashion accessories, it's sort of important that you are aware of these trends at the beginning of their appearance, if not before. 

It also never really clicked for me that there are people out there who are making these decisions -and putting them down on paper, in blogs, and magazines. The information is there for the having. 

flowers!

I applied for the Renegade Craft Fair - which is a giant craft fair in LA. If I get in, it's a two day show and I'll need lots n lots of product... so it's time for some marathoning crocheting. These flowers will be turned into hair clips, rings, and earrings. I also sell them here, on my etsy shop. I have a bunch of photos of them as finished products on my facebook page.

someone asked me for a pattern -- so here goes

using the magic circle technique I then do 10 half double crochet stitches in the circle, and pull tight. (If you want a smaller center, do single crochets. If you want bigger, double crochet.) 

Switch colors, and attach with a slip stitch to the top of one of the hdc's. Chain 2, and attach to one of the stitches with a slip stitch. Chain 2, skip 1 stitch, and attach to the top of every other hdc. So you should end with 5 chain2's. Attach to the nearest Chain2 space with a slip stitch. Then, *single crochet, half double crochet, 4 double crochet, half double crochet, single crochet* in the same space. Repeat from * in each of the 5 chain 2 spaces. Finish off, tuck in strings, and you have your flower!

I use embroidery floss and a tiny little crochet hook for these - but you can use any weight yarn or size hook, it'll just change the size of the flower.

yo yo's part two

Figured out what to do with all those fabric yo yos!!! Rings and hair clips! I sewed buttons to each one and am waiting for my supplies to get here from my ebay purchases before I finish them all off. To be sold in my etsy store soon! 

earrings

Lately I've been working on new earrings -- I like this new design. I crochet all the pieces then put them together with little bits of jewelry chain. They'll be up at my etsy site soon.