Rain, Rain, Won't You Stay?

I'm glad to report that we are FINALLY getting some wetness here in the usually sunny Exeter, Ca.  The poor ground was just begging for a little drink.  And although my kids are already running circles around the house I'm excited to spend a rainy day inside with the heater on, movie playing, and a crochet project in my lap. 

I've attached a little sneak peek at what I'm working on right now.  For those of you who crochet, this is a little Tunisian stitch that I discovered and can't wait to put in a pattern!  I just love all the different directions that are happening with this piece...you've got the amazing horizontal color changes (thank you Noro yarn...soooo beautiful!), the diagonal stitches that pop out on top, and the horizontal tracks in the back that hold it all together.  So cool.  (Eeek, I can just picture my husband rolling his eyes, smiling, and saying with all the love in his heart "you're such a yarn nerd"!)

I hope this brings some color and inspiration into your day.  Talk soon, but for now, enjoy the rain (I know I will!)!!

I HEART PATTERNS

NeoGrandma is offering a LOVEly promotion through February:  All Patterns Just $.99!!

Yay, I just love promos!  There are really several reasons for celebration:

#1  It's February...the month of love!  Or maybe it's just the month of hearts.  Seriously, I see hearts everywhere I go!  Either way, I'm happy to jump right in.

#2  Have you heard of Craftsy?  It's this fairly new awesome website where you can find how-to's and classes on just about anything you can think of in the craft universe.  Well, they recently added a section for...you guessed it...PATTERNS!  Yippee!  Naturally I jumped right into this as well.  Go check it out, I think you will find it very interesting: NeoGrandma's Craftsy Pattern Store.

#3  NeoGrandma's blog is getting a face lift!  I'm working with Stephanie G Designs to create a lovely new look.  I can't wait to get it up!

#4  Have any of you noticed the weather lately?!  Here in the central valley we have been experiencing some beautiful spring sunshine and crisp breezes.  It's the perfect combination for some serious inspiration.  My hooks have been flying (I've got so many ideas and projects going I had to buy some more hooks! haha) and I WILL get some new patterns out soon.  I bought myself a daily planner as things seem to keep speeding up and piling on.  Hopefully this will get me organized and on top of actually finishing something I've started.  I've already noticed slight improvement so we will see if it lasts.

Although I could go on and on about things that I'm celebratory about, I'll spare you.  For now:

Happy Heart Month!!

Spring Fever...Already?!

Ok, so I know it's not quite spring yet but with the weather we have been having lately (sun-shiney days with a cool breeze and some showers blowing in this weekend), who can't help but catch a little spring fever?!  I know I sure have.  So I thought it was time to spruce up my shop & blog (notice the new banner?), my patterns, and the NeoGrandma logo.  I'm so excited to show you!  Ok, here goes:

Haha, now that I put it there it doesn't look that different!  With the little design added to NeoGrandma, I am able to shorten my logo to fit it on small spaces...like so:

Oh, how cute!  What do you think?


Coming up:
The next phase in my (soon-to-be) spring cleaning is introducing new items and patterns to my shop.  I have tons of winter items that I've created but haven't quite finished writing and formatting the pattern to.  I'm pretty sure I'll still put them up in my shop since we really do have a few months of winter left.  Plus, it's never too soon to start making some cozy items and gifts for next year!  I've actually picked up some knitting needles and have started my very first knit design!  Let's see if I'm able to finish it. ;)

Snow Bunnies

Soft Merino wool, soft warm fur...come over and meet the Snow Bunny Cowl.




      

In The Works

Do you crochet?  I do, and I've decided it's time for NeoGrandma to spread the love!  I'm working on putting several of my designs (including some crochet jewelry pieces) into patterns to share with all through my Etsy shop.  Here is what is in the lineup:

* Braided Cowl (Infinity Scarf)
* Any Way Wrap
* Lovers Knot Cowl
* Lovers Knot Neckwarmer
* Autumn Leaves Neckwarmer
* Chevron (Necklace)
* Dimensional Flower (Necklace & Earrings)

For now, please enjoy my very first pattern (winner of the Knitting Daily "Tahki Yarns Color Play Challenge"!),

A TANGLE OF COLOR

Hi, Welcome To My Booth!

This past weekend NeoGrandma set up shop at the Exeter Fall Festival.  This was officially my first festival booth and I must say that it will not be the last!  What a blast it was to talk to so many people, hear some great feedback, and sell some handmade NeoGrandma items!  Thank you to all my friends and family who came by to show support.  Thank you, Samantha (my talented sister-in-law) for taking some great photos and for staying with me almost all day!

If you weren't able to make it out there, here's a little "Hello" from my booth:

Infinity Scarves (Cowls) & Any Way Wraps pictured above.  My darling husband forgot to load the display for my Braided Cowls so we didn't get a picture of those.  You'll have to stop by my next booth to check them out! :)

Necklaces!  All handmade, all one-of-a-kind!

Earrings!

More Earrings!

Fun triple layer flower earrings.  These were the first crochet earrings to go!

Note: Not all of these items have been photographed and listed in my Etsy Shop.  If you are interested in something here but don't see it in the shop, just e-mail me or send me a conversation on Etsy and I'll let you know if it is still available for purchase. 

Awesome Autumn

I don't know about you but I LOVE fall.  I love feeling the weather change, watching the days shorten, and witnessing the trees shed their leaves.  Although fall isn't quite here yet, I can feel it coming in the cool morning breeze and the smell of the Eucalyptus trees surrounding my home bringing to mind the season and holidays ahead.  I always want to start my Christmas shopping around this time of year.  Spreading out the cost, reducing the stress, and taking time to find the perfect gift is my goal every year.  Not that I'm successful, not in the slightest.  But I thought I would try and help you out this year by giving you a little incentive: 

25% off all items for your shoulders and neck at NeoGrandma for the month of September!

Enter code AUTUMN0911 at checkout.

ENJOY!

A Lacy Autumn

Having some fun while my hubby tries taking pictures of me...in the house.  Yay, air conditioning!

  Above is the new Convertible Lovers Knot Cowl in Plum.  I love this color and I love this yarn.  It's single-ply (only one twist) so you can really see the beautiful stitches.  The name comes from the Lovers Knot or Solomon Stitch used to make this piece.  You can wear this as a cowl like I am above, you can pull it down over your shoulders as a little poncho (pretty!), or you can put it over your head to keep in that warmth on a cold day.  I'm totally keeping this one (seriously, I'm keeping this one...you get a brand new one from my shop :).

This is the Lovers Knot Neckwarmer.  It's about half the size of the Cowl for those who aren't as into the over sized scarves.  You can see more of the lacework and it keeps your neck so warm.

 Another ultimately awesome thing about these two beauties is that I can make them in a plethora of colors! 

Baubles & Chains Necklace

Just added to my shop yesterday: For a little romance and vintage(ish) style, I give you the Baubles & Chains Necklace. 

I actually made this necklace while on a camping trip my grandmother, Grami and all the other girlies in my family.  I brought the yarn in hopes of becoming inspired.  We stopped at a craft store on our way to the woods and I found the lavender gems.  The wheels began to turn.  I nabbed the silver wire from my (amazingly talented) aunt and got cooking...errr crocheting.  By the time I was done with the wire strand my fingers were so raw that I couldn't make anything else for the whole day!  I think my little fingertips made a good sacrifice, don't you?  

Taking it Outside

Keeping an extra wary eye out for snakes and critters, I put on my boots and tromped through the weeds to find the perfect spot to photograph the Any Way Wrap in Oatmeal.  Here is what came of my bravery (the rattle snakes are at a high this year), muscles (I moved the props all by myself!), and sweat (it was in the high 90's when I began this adventure):

I thought this photo was extra fitting for this post seeing as how I look a little dead.  Each photo I took manually.  I would push the button and have 10 seconds to run over rocky terrain, plop in the chair and try to pose.  Then, up again, back to the camera, push the button and huff, huff, huff, plop, click.  Phew!  Hopefully the beauty of the wrap was captured.  It really is a lovely piece.  Freshly listed in my shop.