Sherri Crochets & Crafts Blog

That’s me, right there at #13.  I sure wish I could have been 6, 7, 10 or 11…

Sherri

I just found out one of my free patterns is on CrochetPatternCentral.com!  Woo-hoo.  It’s my HoneyBee Bug-a-boo pattern. 

I feel like I’m big time now!  I think I’m more excited about this than I am about Vogue Knitting.  LOL.

Sherri

Oh my goodness, I’m freaking out.  I finally get noticed by a national magazine and I don’t have the supplies to make the item that was featured. 

I’ve bought every tape measurer Hobby Lobby has for sale (they have the most cost efficient tapes), and have even ordered some tapes in bulk from CreateforLess.com but I can NOT find Lion Brand Wool Ease yarn in Mushroom anywhere!!!!!  I ordered some from Joann.com, but I just checked the delivery date — and get this — FedEx estimates it will be delivered on 8/22.  That’s a week away!!!!!!!  Argh!!!!  How many customers am I losing right now?????

I’m about to head out to another city nearby where I know they have another Hobby Lobby, so I’ll buy more tapes, and they have a Michael’s with a pretty good yarn selection, too.  So I’m hoping to get lucky and find the Wool Ease at one or the other…

You’re probably wondering why I didn’t get this done sooner?  Because I really thought that Vogue Knitting would change their minds and not use my sock monkey tapester.  Or that it would come out next summer and I’d have more time.  I thought it took months to get a magazine out, not weeks.  Ugh.

Anyway, I’m done whining …

Unprepared,
Sherri

Man, I’ve spent hours this morning updating my Ravelry information! Yippee for me!!!

I added all my new patterns, my free patterns, all my holiday patterns and patterns that I thought I had added but hadn’t. Thank goodness I started a MSWord document years ago, that I call “Catalog” with everything I sell listed in table format. I have a column that tells me where I’ve listed everything (it’s so hard to keep track of the regular website, Etsy, Ravelry and Lulu) and I was scrolling down going, “OMG, I haven’t listed that at Ravelry either?????” I also applied to be a seller on Ravelry, so Ravelers can buy and download patterns there, too.

Just in case you’ve never heard of Ravelry, go to http://www.Ravelry.com and sign up. It’s like MySpace for knitters and crocheters - crochetists - whatever. Anyway, it’s loads of fun. They have the best forums ever. And I am not a forum lover. You can log projects you’ve made; tag projects you’d like to make; check out what others have thought of that pattern before you buy it; see what everyone else is making; log the books you own.

Anyway, I am SherriCrochets on Rav. Friend me and I’ll friend you back.

Sherri

My Sock Monkey TapeSters have been featured in Vogue Knitting!!!  Woo-hoo!  They had contacted me a month or so ago, and asked me if they could use one in an article about tape measurers.  I made and sent them one, but I was afraid it would never make it into the mag.  Well, I’ve heard that it did! 

I can’t find the Fall Issue in the stores yet, so I haven’t seen it, but I’ve started selling the pattern and some finished TapeSters already.  I’m very excited!

Sherri

Big News!  In August, I’m going to have a big, blow out 50% sale on Sassy Hats.  Get ready for winter early and get your nice, warm, hat(s) at a great price!

I’m still working on the crocheted doll pattern.  I hope to have it ready in August.  I got side-tracked, though, when my beagle died in late June.  At that time, I became determined to make a crocheted copy of her.  I’ve made up a pattern, which I might post for free, but it seems like it may be too complicated, so I’m still thinking about it.  It’s really cute, though.

I also started making reusable grocery bags.  I used a plastic grocery bag as a pattern and, as often happens to me when I find a new craft, I’ve become obsessed with making them.  I’ve made myself about 12 of them, and have at least 6 more than I need, and I have fabric to make at least 12 more of them.  I’ve thought about selling them, or giving them to relatives as gifts or gift bags.  We’ll see.

My favorite thing this week on Etsy:

This knit Princess Leia wig!  If it’s sold out, check her shop for more!  This comes from seller ansleybleu, who also has a knit poo pattern (Mr. Hankey) and a big, knit breast pillow pattern.  You’ve got to check it out!

That’s all for now!
Sherri

Is my John McCain doll featured somewhere on the web?  He’s got a ton of hits and I have no idea why.  Let me know if you know the answer!

I sold the Barack Obama doll - he now lives happily in Maryland, which is, coincidentally, very close to Washington DC. I guess Hillary has no chance now…  LOL.

Hey, I’m having a 50% off inventory blow out sale from July 1st to July 4th, so be sure to check that out.

I listed a bunch of plushies today that I made ages ago and have been sitting around waiting patiently for me to put them up for adoption…  Including a Great White Shark, Little Astronaut and a Sock Monkey TapeSter.

I’m in the process of creating a new line of doll patterns (and there will be plushies, too).  I have ideas for at least 4 and have 2 of them made up.  I have not typed up the patterns yet, so I’m looking at early August for a release date.  Sign up for my newsletter (http://SherriCrochets.com) if you are interested in finding out when they are ready.

Don’t forget I have free patterns available now. 

That’s all for now!

Sherri

I think this is the coolest thing ever. 

I was always too skittish to actually dissect a frog in high school, and even though I’m home schooling my youngest son, I don’t see us dissecting a frog here for a science project.  This, however, is do-able for us.  Maybe he’ll even help me knit it?  An easy and less messy way to learn our biology (and crafting at the same time.)

This really cool knitted dissected frog can be found here (if it’s already sold out, check out CraftyHedgehog’s Etsy shop for more, she’ll relist it!)  She has tons of really cool patterns, so check out all of them while you are there.

Sherri

My John McCain doll was sort-of, kind-of featured in a Storque article (the Storque is Etsy’s blog) about the political candidates for president here in the good ol’ US of A.  Ok, well, his picture is included in the article.  John has the most views on my site, but Barack has the most views on Etsy (although, this press has been good for Mr. Doll McCain, as his views are way up there, now, too!)

Someone told me I should make a Stephen Harper doll (which led me to Google him, since I didnt’ know who he was - if you dont’ know either, he’s the Canadian Prime Minister).  Which led me to think of making dolls like The Queen of England and Prince Charles.  My husband thinks I’m insane because I really want to make a Jesus doll and a Virgin Mary doll.  I think they would sell well. 

Right now, though, I’m working on a new Great White Shark so I can take new pictures of it.  I don’t know why I thought the picture of him on a towel on top of my BBQ in my back yard was a good idea, when my son has an underwater sealife mural painted on his bedroom wall that would make a much better backdrop for a shark picture… 

Off to finish the shark.
Sherri

I wanted to let you know about a really cool place for anyone who designs anything made with yarn.  Whether you crochet or knit you can find some friends at the Designers Den message boards. 

It was set up by Diane of Stormyz Crochet (or check out her Etsy shop) after some designers got together on Etsy with some talk of setting up a designers team.  That never happened, but now we have this fun forum to get together.

The only problem?  We don’t have enough members!  So come on over and check it out. 

Sherri