New Year and raring to go!!

Really?

I have loads of ideas swimming around, the Vampyress Loo Roll Doll and the Flapper Loo roll doll might make it to the crochet hook today, as might the fern inspired wrap/scarf that came to mind whilst driving through the bush clad hills of the Taranaki yesterday 

 

Forgotten World Highway - Stratford to Tauramanui

The most remote pub in New Zealand

And the shawl made of flowers? Well, some of the flowers are made :-)

Then there's the mosaic on the outside table that is half done and I'm sure I could finish today if I put my mind to it. 

 

It does seem like I'm raring to go, it is after all Saturday morning at 8.30 and I'm up, showered and having coffee whilst blogging so who knows what the day will bring?

Stash Busting

Since I started reading about crochet on-line I've found a whole new vocabulary!

Stash is all the yarn I have.  And I have LOTS!

Lots of half balls, not quite enough to make anything and yet a bit too much to be added to my messy afghan project, (which is coming along slowly).

I've made myself a pact (mainly becasue I'm running out of storage room) that I won't buy any new yarn until I've used up some of the stuff I've got.  Hence there was the fancy yarns made into coffee plunger cosy's, and also in to scarves like this one:

And.... I've started to make a full sized granny square blanket! 

You'd have thought with my love of the granny square that I'd have made one ages ago, it's just that they are so BIG they need so much time, and yet if I ever want to buy yarn again I'm going to have to finish the squares.  I'm going for 6 x 7 to start with.   That's 42 squares, I've done 20 so far, almost half way there, and then it's the border and joining bit (phew!)

Looking back and looking forward

The etsy bloggers carnival is on again, one of the topics is

"Now that 2009 has come to a close, what will you remember most about last year?"

Here are some of the things that will stick with me about 2009:

People I didn't know bought my creations

People I don't know are supportive of my creations

I have sold my creations at the local market

I've learnt how to blog

I've learnt how to Twitter

I learnt how to have a Facebook fanpage

I learnt how to open and operate 3 online shops

I have semi learnt how to market my creations

Google Analytics is an amazing tool that scares me

There are people out there in the world that love to create and are friendly even if you don;t meet them face to face

I have learnt all sorts of new and amazing crochet tricks and techniques

I have learnt that I love to buy handmade

All in all a pretty good year crafty wise. I think 2010 is going to be even bigger!

This is where we went on New Years eve day - gobsmackingly beautiful, all about the past and the present and the future

Bridal Veil Falls - Raglan New Zealand

2010 - it's going to be a good one!

Best wishes for the upcoming new year

I'm taking a break, see you in a week or so all bright, breezy and refreshed.

I have really good feelings for this next year

2009 was pretty amazing

2010 is going to be a happening one!