Last-chance Christmas

It's finally 100% Christmas in our house. Our tree is decked with lights and ornaments from our childhoods and adulthoods. And the house is sparkly on the outside.



Has Christmas snuck up on you, too? If so, I'm having a last-minute sale in my Etsy shop. Check out some of these gift goodies ...




Infant-size dino hat, available in toddler size, too.
Mountain View recycled T-pillow, for your artistic friend
Sparkly cinch-bag, perfect for a winter wedding
Slinky recycled T-pillow, for your geeky buddy

At the checkout, enter coupon code LASTCHANCE for 25% off. Plus you get free U.S. Priority shipping so the post office Santa should get it to your home by Christmas.

Shopping for something you don't see? Maybe a monster hat or scarflette? I'm open to new ideas for the new year! Leave me a little comment below.

Have a wonderful winter holiday!

Happy St. Nick's

Are your stockings hung by the chimney with care? My husband's is!

I pulled several patterns and color charts together to design his mega Christmas sock. I created my own letter chart for bulky yarn and his name just fit! I'm not sure my name will be as lucky.

The specs:
Loom: 48-peg purple Knifty Knitter hat loom, regular gauge
Yarn: Katia Peru bulky in ruby, dark navy, olive green and mustard
Rows: 64 rows in the leg, (short-row heel), 30 rows in the foot, (short-row toe)

I haven't done much new knitting otherwise. I'm designing a poinsettia hat for myself and about halfway through a puppy hat for a friend's toddler boy. Maybe I'll knit a last-minute gift or two. I promised myself I wouldn't but well ... we'll see!

Speaking of, here's a perfectly honest video about Christmas knitting by Franklin Habit.

Zig-Zag Cowl

If your neck is feeling nippy, you can loom-knit this lace cowl in less than a week. Here's a quickie pattern for you to make for you or give as a gift.

I label this pattern as "advanced" since it incorporates lace yarn-overs on the loom. But if you've done those before, this will be a breeze. And you won't feel one when you're done.

Pattern PDF download, $3

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Rocky Road Fingerless Mittens

If you're looking for a quick gift to loom-knit, check out these mitts. The Rocky Road fingerless mittens hug your giftee's hands with their soft bumpy texture.

If you're looking for more ideas, check out the pattern page or come back later this week for a lacey cowl pattern. Happy holiday looming!

Pattern PDF download, $3



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The story behind the sale

If Black Friday is turning you blue with the wintery winds outside, come back in and shop online for a bit. Etsy has a nifty Shop Local page so you can still support your neighbors, too. Handmade crafts have a story to share. Check out this nifty video from the Etsy itself.

What's my story? My T-pillows are made with repurposed and thrift materials. I start with a well-loved, clean shirt with an intriguing graphic. Mountain View is made with a limited-edition Threadless tee so it's extra unique.

Scrap fabric completes the back. This pillow is trimmed with some vintage tassels from my mom-in-law's basement. The pillow is eco-friendly and has a bit of history to boot. The only new item is a button handmade by Lisa Clarke of Polka Dot Cottage. So the story continues. Visit her site and Etsy shop to discover her crafts.

Back in my lil shop, I'm having a Free U.S. Shipping Sale plus 10% off all stock for this holiday shopping weekend. This baby blue dino just arrived and his orange buddy is coming soon.

If you want to take handmade into your own hands, here's a sneak peek at two loom-knit patterns coming next week. They are drying now before their big photo shoot. They will be quick knits just in time for a last-minute holiday gift.

Happy Holidays and stay warm while shopping or knitting!

Welcoming Willow

A new girly bunny has moved into the Made by Telaine headquarters. With her speckled gray and white fur, I've named her Willow for the tree bark with a secondary nod to my favorite tv Buffy character.

Hullo!

Willow certainly looks furry with her lionhead mane and puffy butt. But she actually sheds into the air a bit less than some other bunnies. Lionheads are wool breeds and if I am patient, I could turn her fur into yarn. It would probably take more than a year's worth though since she's less furry than an angora breed.

Willow checks out her room

My girl was one of three who came to visit with Kristin from K&R Small Animal Sanctuary in Oshkosh, Wis. It was a tough choice! I think I spent about two hours choosing between Willow (who was then named Dazzle) and the black lop-eared Trick. The lop was quite awesome and I recommend him to anyone in my area looking for a mellow bun. He's content in your lap and he even checks back with you while he hops around to explore. A black lionhead, Nala, also visited. I think this beauty would be a great choice for someone who has rabbit experience. She just needs a little TLC but has come a long way in temperament since arriving at the sanctuary a short while ago.

In the end, Willow was the sweetheart for me — once you caught her — and I was looking for a small rabbit this time around.

She's a speedy little girl!

Now that Willow knows she's here to stay a bit, she's become a bit more opinionated with her thumps. She does this one-foot pound while I try to catch her to say "I don't like this!" I'm sure time and daily handling will calm her. It only took one day for her to learn the litter-box rules in her new home.

She'll do almost anything for a treat.

And my home feels complete again, with a furry friend. I can be the crazy crafty gal who talks to her bunny while she works.

A little Red, orange and yellow

My likely last garden update is brought to you by my alter ego, Red Riding Wolf Hood.

Happy Halloween!

Little is left in the Goen garden but a few plants still have some fight in them — even after this past windy week.

Toughest tomato plant of the backyard

Last of the pink spirea

This pink daylily didn't bloom all summer long. The leaves were yellowing and then this month, pow — a bud pops out of the ground. But I think the frost might have claimed this tardy flower. It doesn't want to open.

Maple leaves before the windy week

Purple petunias

It's not a flora photo but it represents the season. I had a blast carving pumpkins for the first time in years with my knitty friends Em, Vicki and Zoe. "Dead Jack" is flickering away on the porch now. (Photo by Em Bielinski)

Back to the garden ... I'm going to miss my favorite season to take photos. Flowers are my favorite model (sorry, Em) ;-) and the long days give good light in my craft room. Goodbye garden and see you in spring!

Putting pencil to pattern

With finished knits heading out, new projects are knocking on the door. I'm ready for something new so I'm going to design a few loom-knit patterns for you. 

The first one up is a lacey cowl. Yep, it's the one frogged above. With my first try on the 41-peg large-gauge loom, I found the gauge to be a bit loose. I am using Interlacements Yarns Yang bulky yarn but it's acting like a heavy worsted for me. So I will be instead casting on the 48-peg medium-gauge loom.

I designed some long woven-stitch fingerless mittens for my mom this past summer. But I forgot to take photos. So I'll be looming a pair for myself with some chunky alpaca to go with the pattern. So those are just two of the projects I'll be writing up. Is there a loomy pattern you haven't seen yet? Let me know and I might be able to design it. Check out my current patterns on my shop page or on Ravelry. 

Now it's time to say goodbye to two projects that had been filling my days and nights. My friend, Alenne, is on her way to pick up the pink and white afghan. It's a double-knit rib pattern with four rows of furry yarn during color changes. I knit three panels on the Knifty Knitter blue long loom/knitting board. My friend, Lyn, taught me the proper mattress stitch for almost-invisible seams. It's stretchy and soft!

And it's the last of the dino hats for a little while. Today, I dropped off the last two in blue and orange for twin baby boys. I think she and her nearby co-worker loved them so they are a wonderful finale for me. 

Before the curtain call, one child-size dino did stomp into the Etsy shop. Pick him up for a birthday, Christmas or just because.

Graphics in the bag

Let's get a little graphic … artsy. To my extreme glee, my freelance graphic design gig has picked up a little. Here is a big one I recently put to bed …

 

Power of the Purse sponsor presentation

Click the link above to see a Flash presentation I updated for the Women's Fund, a local charity. Former instructor Diana Resch passed this on to me to help get my name out in the local graphic designer pool. 

I should have gotten a photo of me because I actually gussied up a bit for this luncheon. I wore a pretty black lace and gray top from LucieLu. Speaking of the gal who runs the online shop, I've done a bit more design work for her, too.

 
Print ads for BUST magazine


Homepage graphic

Working off the same look of the sale, I'll next design some typography illustrations for some vintage postcards. She wants to add a little thank-you to each package she sends out.

I have three logo projects in the works. First up is one for a knitting-loom shop business that is right up my alley. Next I'll will turn Wisconsin into a knit mitten for The Bay Area Knitters Guild. And No. 3 is Stitch 1, Stitch 2 for the former Craft Junkie. Yep, I notice a theme here. I can't help if my acquaintances all tend to be knitters. I can do much more though! So if you're looking for a logo, business card, web art, etc., send me an e-mail and we'll chat. Check out my portfolio. I'll be ready for new jobs in January 2011.

While we're in the realm of graphic design, here's one more moment of personal pride. Nicole of Hello Sweetcheeks sent me a Francesco Mugnai blog link that includes my business cards (and hers!) among the best of September. All that eyelet hammering was not for naught.

Spooky sale!

Lately, I've been the culprit who goes bump in the night. I've been knitting like the ghostly wind, working on custom orders. I'm taking a short break now to add a little "Boo!" to my blog. It's time for a Halloween sale!

Rocket glow wristband, Pink monster hat, Purple glow wristband, 
Halloween skeleton t-pillow, Green alien wristband, Black monster hat

If you're looking for a crafty costume or decoration, check out my Etsy shop. All of my Halloween-theme merchandise is 33% off until the end of October. And I've added a few special wristbands from my Sputnikfest stock. These nifty cuffs glow in the dark. The buttoned ones are adjustable and the rocket one is stretchy. Let them sit in the sun all day and they glow for night-time fun.

In between my non-knitty jobs and a new exercise routine, I just finished the cutest hat for a local client. She asked for a baby hat for a shower and gave me creative freedom. I remembered an idea from my friend, Erin. I set to work on a furry puppy hat in girly colors. The puppy ears hang low to become ear flaps for the little baby ears. I handed off the hat today and I hope the new mother loves it!

Garden buzz

Autumn has arrived but my garden is still pretty bzzz-y. The fall flowers are blooming and the bees are feasting. The sedum has been the buffet of the block. I like to believe they are quite thankful for the nectar so I thought it would make a good card for my Etsy shop.

Autumn sedum bee thank-you card listing ... available as a single card for $2. If you'd like a discounted set of 6 or 12, send me message!

Onto to the best photos of my September garden ...

This year, I caught a butterfly enjoying the sedum.

... And a bee sleeping in my bunny statue's ear.

The Mitzy planter shows off the licorice vine on the deck.

On the patio below, my stubborn strawberry plant tries to bear another round before our first frost hits.

Now I want to show of the star of the season. My four toad lilies are all blooming in the shade garden. These teeny tiny flowers squish in so many details that I love getting right in their faces. I can't wait to see how they spread to fill out the area next year.

This big bloomer came from my mother-in-law's friend.

The tallest toad lily of dark purple and white rises high above the three other plants.