WIP - Angel Wings Baby Blanket by C. Lee Goss

Right now I'm working on a gift for my boss. As soon as I found out that she was pregnant I went digging through all of my knitting patterns. The moment I saw this gorgeous pattern I knew that the search was over. 

This pattern was in Creative Knitting's May 2009 issue. It looked elegant enough to stand above all of the other mundane blanket patterns but not so complicated that I couldn't finish it quickly. I used Caron's Baby Soft yarn with my trusty size 8 needles. 

So far I'm really enjoying the pattern. There's a simple progression that builds on itself to create the angel wing design as well as the bumpy texture. It didn't take long for me to get the repetition down so I don't have to constantly check the chart to make sure I'm doing it right. Overall I feel satisfied with my choice and I know that my boss is going to love her gift.

WIP - Enchantment Shawl by Hélène Rush

I got the yarn and pattern as part of a fabulous knit kit at my LYS, Yarn Junkees. They have a wide variety of knit kits available from shawls to hats to gloves to scarves. This particular shawl kit ran me about $53. Included in the charming plastic bag was the Knit One, Crochet Too yarn brand in Crock-O-Dye #564 Teal and Kettle Tweed #4435 Bamboo, the pattern (which is worth about $6 or so on its own), and the needles required for finishing this project. Each hank of yarn is worth around $25 each and the needles are about $10-ish. You really do get your money's worth with these kits. Not to mention it's the perfect way to pick a project when you're feeling a little indecisive or if you're new to knitting and want to give yourself a challenge.

You begin with the border working side to side as you can see in the WIP photo above. The lacework gives the impression that you're creating cables with the edge, but you're not. They do look pretty convincing though. Once you've finished the border, you pick up the stitches along the edge to begin working on the body. I'm a few rows in and now I'm starting to feel a little lost. There's some confusing phrasing in the directions that I'm having some problems deciphering.

The rows I'm struggling with are as follows:
Row 7: K7, *(k1 wrapping yarn around needle 2 times) 3 times, k7; rep from * across
Row 8: Using B, k7, *sl 3 wyib dropping extra wrap for each, k7; rep from * across

So, I guess I'm not supposed to knit those stitches? I'll figure this out, but for right now I'm stumped. I know that there will be some bobbles up ahead and I'm looking forward to those. From the picture of the pattern it almost looks like the slipped stitches are actually knitted in later which makes a lot of sense. So far, I have to say that this pattern is a lot of fun. I can't wait to start working on the short rows.

As for the yarn itself, I am beyond amazed at the color, texture, and ease. The first thing I noticed were the gorgeous colors of the skeins of yarn of the Kettle Tweed and Crock-O-Dye. The Crock-O-Dye is made with superwash wool, nylon, and silk. It's very soft to the touch and doesn't break easily. One of the things I loved about working with it is that when I needed to do the P2togs with the YOs in the pattern, the yarn didn't untwist very much making it easier to pull those stitches off without having to retry them over and over again. The Kettle Tweed is crafted using merino wool, baby llama, bamboo, and donegal. It has a crimped texture and feels even softer than the Crock-O-Dye. The blending of the earthy colors are even smoother. I'm totally falling in love with this yarn. The cable definition is outstanding.

Virginia Is For Lovers

I've really been enjoying my stay in Shenandoah, Virginia. My grandma and I have been going through a lot since losing my grandpa but together we are getting through it. My heart has always belonged to the valley and I have been seriously considering a longer stay. I have the advantage of running my own business online. This means that I can pack up whatever I need to and go where ever I feel like going for as long as I desire. This freedom has allowed me to help my grandma in her greatest time of need. It makes me glad that I decided to follow my heart instead of submitting to the idea that the only way to make a living is by going to work for someone else in a retail store (or something like that).

So far I've been doing very well for myself. My collaboration with another Etsy shop is continuing, albeit with a few disadvantages with the distance but we are working it out through trial and error. There are many people that pass through this house and my grandma loves showing off everything that I make. She's my best promoter! Many of the people that I've met are interested in lessons. I'm sure that I could teach them in the house. It would be really great if I could get that part of my life back. I really miss teaching.

The landlady for the house also owns all of the buildings on the block. There are a lot of empty business spaces available in the gorgeous historic town of Shenandoah. I would very much love to open a yarn shop. It would be perfect in keeping with the aesthetic of an old train station town. She seemed to be really into the idea of having a yarn shop in the area. With all of the crafty people around, I should have no problem having people consign a few of their pieces. This will also be a great way to bring awareness to some of my favorite charities involving yarn. I really hope that this can happen!

I do have to be realistic. The chances of this shop coming to life are slim to none. I have no collateral for the bank, I have no money saved up, I don't have a business license (I would need a new one for the shop anyway), and I have no credit. There are a million things working against me right now. That doesn't mean that this dream of mine is impossible. I'll look into all of my options before I give up.

Why I Hang Out In Yarn Shops

I like to visit my local yarn shop as much as I can to say hello to the yarn. One day while I was visiting a very professional man walked through the door and started asking questions about the Cascade 220 yarn displays. It didn't take me long to figure out that he was a representative of Cascade Yarns. The ladies from the shop introduced him to me. Moments before he had walked through the door I had purchased two skeins of Cascade 220 yarn. As I was being introduced to this man I felt relieved that I was knitting with yarn from his company. 

The man's name was Mike. He watched me knitting away as we got to know each other. Mike was impressed with my ability to not only follow an intricate pattern with cables and such, but that I could do so from memory and without looking. He began talking me up to the shop owner and convinced her to utilize me in any way that they could. He asked if I could teach some classes. I already teach the speed knitting class. Then he asked if I could knit the display projects to help sell the yarn. That's when I got really excited. 

Mike left the store for a moment and came back in with some beautiful light green yarn and a gorgeous cowl that was knitted.  He started to tell the story behind the cowl and explained that the yarn that was used was the ball that he was holding. He said that the company tried to come up with several one skein projects and that this was one of them. The cowl that he brought in was actually made by the president of the company. A jolt of excitement went through me as I gave the cowl a closer look. I admired the even stitches and binding off technique used. The yarn itself had impressive stitch definition. I had to have this yarn! That's when Mike told me that he wanted to give me this yarn and even told me the name of the pattern so that I could try it out for myself. 

That was just the beginning. Mike began going through the store and was on the hunt for yarn to use for display pieces. That's when the store owner Terri presented three zip locked bags of yarn with patterns inside. All of the yarns were different styles made by Cascade. There was: 

Alpaca Lace: 

 Eco Duo:

and Ultra Pima:

 Then Mike started talking about a new type of yarn that Cascade just started selling called Souk:

So, the task was presented to me to create these beautiful designs using the patterns given to me with all of this amazing yarn. I felt like I had made it out of that store like a bandit. Not only was I given all of this beautiful yarn for free, but I was even offered compensation for my talents. This was one of those rare moments when I was in the right place at the right time. Mike even discussed an opportunity for me to sell patterns through Cascade. With all of these wonderful things happening I no longer felt bad for splurging on the other items I had purchased. I felt like I had been given a wonderful deal!

Owl Lace Sweater - WIP/Review

I've been working on an amazing sweater with owl lace for the past couple of days. It's Ginny's Cardigan by Mari Chiba from the Unofficial Harry Potter Knits magazine published by Interweave Knits. I love their regular magazine patterns, but this collection really knocks my Narcissa socks off. I literally want to knit every single pattern. They have a few sweaters, socks, scarves, and mittens. There's over 30 patterns for me to sink my teeth into.

Here's what I have so far. You can't really see the sides, but it's all stockinette stitch. This is worked mainly in one piece from the bottom up. I love the shaping techniques used in this cardigan. Short rows were used to construct the bust line. Decreasing, then increasing stitches creates a snug fit for the hips.

The owl lace is the main focus point of the cardigan. It's really important to pay close attention to the chart as you're working. I usually can pick up on a lace pattern rather quickly and won't have a need to follow the chart after a couple of passes. This lace pattern is to intricate for me to memorize like that. You work this pattern over 23-31 stitches which means that you gain and lose stitches as you go. Regardless, it offers a challenge that I enjoy. 

I'm going to make a trip to the yarn store later this week to pick up some size 4 and 6 DPNs. I've had to buy brand new needles to do this project, but luckily the yarn was free for me. The needles are the interchangeable kind from Knit Picks. I'm really loving them so far. I can't wait to get the DPNs. 

The yarn I'm using is the Bernat Nylo Sports wool blend. It's 50% wool and 50% nylon. The colorway is Silver Mix which gives a great denim effect to the cardigan. I love how soft it is. I can't wait to put this sweater on!

Top 6 Apps I Use For My Business

Here's a quick list of apps that I use everyday for my business. I'll give a brief description of each and touch on what I like specifically. Some of these are pretty standard and some of these I've mentioned before in other blog posts. Some of these apps are available on both smartphones and tablets, some are not. For simplicity's sake, I use these apps on my Android phone exclusively therefore I will include links to each app from the Play Store.

6. Kies Air by Samsung Electronics

If you have an Android phone, then you'll need to have this app in order to share files on your phone and computer with each other. I like the Air version best because I don't have to connect my phone to the laptop and wait forever to be able to save pictures onto my laptop. Everything is organized as it is on your phone, so navigating is simple. I take most of my photos with my phone since the camera is really boss, so this makes things more convenient for me.

5. Pages Manager by Facebook

I run a business page on Facebook and a lot of the time I'm trying to share content from my phone. This allows me to keep track of how my page is doing when I'm not near my laptop. I can fulfill orders easier, communicate with customers easier, and post photos of WIPs and finished products directly.

4. USPS Mobile by the United States Postal Service

This is great for when people don't give their full nine digit zip code when placing an order. A lot of people aren't aware that they need the extra four digits when shipping something, but alas, you do. It makes things simpler for the post officers to organize the massive amounts of mail they receive daily and pin point the exact location of your address. It gets especially more necessary when shipping to a customer living in an apartment complex. Really, this is more for helping the post office than myself, but I do use this app a LOT!

Aside from finding the extra four digits, I calculate shipping rates very frequently. With the steady increase in international shipping, this helps me prepare for what I should expect when paying for the shipping.

3. Time Sheet by Florian Rauscha 

I love this app so much that I made a special blog post for it. Just to reiterate, I enjoy being able to keep track of my progress on how quickly I create an item. Also, it gives me an idea of how much I should charge for my time.

2. The Official Etsy App by Etsy, Inc

This one's a no-brainer. If you have an Etsy shop, you need the Etsy app. I can relist items, create new listings, look at other listings - the works. It has a very simple page setup that helps you keep track of new favorites and likes, sales, and how much money you've profited without having to swipe a lot or jump between pages. Plus, there is a very satisfying *cha-ching* sound every time you sell an item.

1. PayPal Here by PayPal Mobile

I sell at a lot of conventions and farmer's markets. More and more people are now coming to expect local artisans to accept credit cards at their booths and tables. Be prepared to have either the PayPal Here or the Squared Up apps. Both are relatively the same. They charge the same percentage from every transaction and have virtually identical accepted forms of payment and policies. The only main difference is that the PayPal credit card app accepts PayPal payments as far as I know.

Timesheet - Time Tracker App Review

A friend of mine let me in on an app that he's been utilizing with keeping up with his projects. We both run Etsy shops and spend a lot of time creating things. Sometimes we crafty types lose track of the hours spent and aren't exactly sure what to charge for the time we put into our amazing products. Thanks to this app we can now use a simple timer to help keep track of that time for us. There are timer apps out there, but what really sets this app apart is that it separates your projects to help you track your time and you can add how much to pay yourself per hour. You can make several projects and it will organize it all for you and even export it to Microsoft Excel.

Here's what the product description says on the page:

Timesheet allows you the recording of your work with a simple push of a button. You can easily add breaks, expenses and notes. Manage your projects and export your data to Microsoft Excel. Clear overviews and statistics will give you the best working experience.

Here's where the app falls a little short; the app can be a little confusing to navigate around. When I first started playing around with the app it seemed like I could only create one project. When I realized that I had a spelling error that I wanted to fix it took me a few minutes to figure out how to edit the project. After completing the project I wanted to start a new one. I didn't realize that I needed to tap on the top drop menu and select Projects, then hit the add project button. The confusing part is that the add project button is seen on the top of both the Projects and Timesheets pages. Whenever I was on the Timesheets page and I wanted to add a project it wouldn't allow me to edit the name of the project. 

It didn't take too much time to figure my way around the app. I tried tinkering around with the Export, but was unable to e-mail the file to myself. The other options for Exporting are AT&T messaging through the cloud, Bluetooth, E-Mail, G-Mail, LAN, and Wi-Fi Direct. 

One thing that could really bring this app together is an option to take photo progress along with the description of progress. You can keep track with your overall happiness with your projects which I'm not really into. I can see how it may be useful for other people, but for me it seems a little useless. 

The best part of this app is that it's FREE! It's available in the Play store for the Android and Tablets. Check it out here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rauscha.apps.timesheet

The Red Scarf Project

This year I've dedicated some of my time and yarn to a very special project that I'm rather fond of. It's called the Red Scarf Project. Basically, knitters and crocheters are invited to use various hues of red yarn to create beautiful, soft scarves for unisex college students. The students are foster kids putting themselves through school and may not receive such a kindhearted gift from a loved one. 

This year I have made three scarves to submit. I wanted to take this opportunity to teach myself some new skills and get rid of some extra red yarn I had lying around the house. Believe it or not, I still have some more. The new technique I taught myself this year was working short rows. You can see how I utilized this new technique in the scarf below:

I also converted a pattern that I've used about 20 times with a beret that seems to be a favorite among my customers. I took the cable panel and added a simple border around it. I plan on using this for future scarves to sell in sets with my berets. They look really lovely as their own accessories, so I can only imagine how beautiful they will look together as a dynamic set!

This year I came up with a clever little way to solve a couple of problems. One, I needed a way to keep the scarves folded. Two, I had such a small amount of each color left over that I really didn't have a lot of options as to what I could use that yarn for. So, I came up with the idea to make a coffee mug cozy to wrap around the scarves. This also presents a new gift to the student who receives this scarf. Not only is this a clever way to keep your scarf in place, but it also gives the student something to keep their coffee mug from being too hot or cold. And we all know how much college students love coffee. 

I've got some of my students making scarves as well. We're all writing letters with words of encouragement and shower them with some love for Valentine's Day. Next year I plan on getting involved much sooner. The range of time that donations are allowed are from September to December. This was a really fun experiment for me! I tried some new stuff and succeeded and tried some other things that didn't quite work out. I'll get it by next year though! 

Found A New Place To Eat - Zoë's Kitchen

There's a new restaurant that just opened up where the old Wendy's was in the Beechwood area. It's a Zoë's Kitchen! I've never been to one of these places before, but it's fantastic! I loved the colors and atmosphere in the restaurant. Plus, the food was perfection!

If you haven't heard of Zoë's kitchen, it's a chain that serves Mediterranean dishes that opened up in 1995 in Alabama. They now have 71 locations spread across 12 states.The food is made fresh every day and includes various sandwiches, soups and salads. Their menu contains dishes for vegans, vegetarians, gluten free items and some selections for meat eaters, such as myself.

This is a place that has a little bit of something for everyone. I can take my vegetarian friends there and enjoy dishes with meat if I so choose. No one has to feel left out if we're going to a fast food place. That brings up another point. This is a fast food restaurant that actually serves healthy food. It's such a strange concept in the fast food industry, I know. Seriously though, name one fast food joint that serves actual healthy food and has the option of gluten free dishes. You can't. They don't exist.

Not only are these dishes conveniently served fresh daily and with a quickness, but the prices are awesome too. I paid around $10 for my lunch, which is around the same amount I pay for a trip to Taco Bell or Burger King. It may be a couple dollars more than McDonald's, but my body thanks me for not eating something that takes years to digest.

Let's talk about my lunch for a moment. Here's a picture of what I ate:

What you see here are the chicken roll-ups for $7.79. I grabbed a side of potato salad made with baby reds for $2.09 which is both vegan and gluten free. I could tell immediately that the salsa was handmade. It was amazing and really spicy. I'm a lightweight when it comes to spice, but I could handle this level. The chicken wraps themselves were deliciously filled with feta, lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, and wrapped with tortilla. The tortilla wasn't deep fried which was really nice. My meal was light and didn't leave me feeling shame afterwards which is always refreshing. I felt confident and ready to face the rest of the day. Yeah, food can do that. 

Here's what my friend got. It's the chicken pita pizza. He let me try a couple bites. My mouth exploded with flavor! He also had a side of beans, but I'm allergic so I didn't try it. My friend raved about the beans though, so I'm going to have to trust him. This pizza has mozzarella, feta, fresh basil, and marinara. I loved the basil. It really popped! 

Zoë's Kitchen also serves beer and wine, which I didn't realize until after reading through the menu again to see if they had some fresh lemonade, which they do. They also cater and have family meals for around the $30 range. If each meal comes to around $10 per person, then you'll save about $10 with their Dinners for Four deals. 

If you haven't been yet, I definitely recommend that you do. If you're after a healthy meal in a great, friendly atmosphere for a reasonable price then this is the perfect place to go! Tell your friends. 

Lemme Teach You A Thing - How To Cast On (Knitting)

I finally started making videos on how to knit. I'm so excited! Please tell me how I did, if you followed along, and if you have any specific stitches you'd like to learn. 

YouTube Channel

So I bit the bullet and started making videos on YouTube. Here's my first vlog post. I made a few more since then and I've got a couple of videos that I need to finish editing.

In my vlog I'll be discussing running an Etsy shop, tips on how to improve your store, some randomness, interviews, and reviews of artists. I've been compiling a list of artists to do interviews with and so far I've had four or five say yes.

I can't wait to get better at all of this. The first few videos will always be pretty rough.

New Dress Form

I just got this new dress form today! I've been wanting to get this for years. I named her Circe. <3 

I plan to take Circe with me to my craft market on the weekend and to have her pose for my Etsy listings. She's going to look great wearing my wraps and scarves. I'm really excited to start this new friendship! 

New Collection of Headbands

I've made a few more of these delightful headbands. I plan on working on new colors and new patterns soon. These have been gathering a lot of interest for my store! I've already sold three and it hasn't even been 24 hours since I've made the first one. I'm very happy with the decision to include headbands in my store, albeit long overdue. I feel kinda slow for not doing this sooner. 

I'm offering a range of selection for these little beauties. If anyone wants a different color then feel free to request a custom item! Also, the pattern is available here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/154580897/leaf-lace-knit-headband-pattern

New Headband

I saw a cute little pattern and decided to give it a go. It was very quick and easy. I'm going to start making these in a few different colors. So excited! ^_^

Game Reviews - Dungeon Defenders

Platform: PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Android, iOS

Genre: Action RPG/Tower Defense

Developed By: Trendy Entertainment

Published By: Reverb Publishing

ESRB Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+)

Price: Sells for $14.99 (1200 Microsoft Points) but worth the price.

Single or Multiplayer: Single with the option to play with up to four players.

Difficulty: Hard!

Overview: Long Ago, Etheria was once a land of living legends… Throughout the ages, brave warriors across the realm stood together against the forces of evil, led by immortal beings known as the Old Ones… After a titanic struggle, these champions locked away the power of the Old Ones, inside Eternia Crystals.

These legendary heroes have recently left their younger kin in charge of the common castle chores… Bored with their dreary duties, the inexperienced pupils decide to play… And accidentally unleash an ancient force that has long been dormant!

Age: The beginning of the game warns that there are alcohol references in the game. The only reference is that you hang out in a pub. No alcohol is consumed, available for purchase, or even mentioned in the game. It also warns the player about animated blood and fantasy violence. It's really not gory and the violence isn't more than just some punching and kicking. No one's being stabbed or mutilated.

Game Length: This game can be beaten in a day or two.

Replay: There's a lot of replay value here. If you want to get most of the achievements it would require a few playthroughs.

Effects/Graphics: Cell shading. I really enjoyed the graphics. The artstyle was very cartoonish and fun.

Rating: 4/5

Final Thoughts: This game is pretty impossible to beat on the harder levels unless you're playing multiplayer. Even then it can be very difficult and many people online rely on playing with modded weapons. You almost have to play with a modded weapon or have someone in your party with a modded weapon to beat the insane modes for the missions and challenges, even some of the hard ones.

Coin Purses

I love coin purses. I looked everywhere for a pattern for a lacy coin purse and couldn't find one. I came up with this. 

I'm very happy with how it came out. It's so elegant and simple.

I can't wait to make more of these in different colors. I'm also thinking about putting beads in.

Blog from phone?

This entry is coming to you straight from my phone! How cool is that? I won't give any official opinion on this app yet until I do this a few more times. So far the concept is very appealing, but I hate the autocorrect on my phone. If I wasn't respelling every other word then no one would have a clue what I was trying to say. That's a phone issue though and has nothing to do with the Blogger app.

Anyhoo, super excited about this. I'm going to start doing blogs for events for an Etsy group I'm a part of. Now I can write them while at the event!

Tiny Tina Cosplay WIP #1

So, I've made the decision to make a Tiny Tina cosplay. I'm super excited to do this and I have plenty of time to get this done. If you're not aware of who Tiny Tina is, she looks like this:

So far I've got the knitted top part of her shirt completed.

Not the best picture, I know, but it's the best I can do right now. I'll be sure to get better pictures once the costume is complete. I am really happy about how this has turned out. I completely improvised the pattern and it turned out to fit perfectly! Yay math! :D

The next part of the costume that I'm going to work on is the orange knee-length pants. I've got the orange material and matching orange thread and I'm ready to go! After I finish making this costume I'll have to dirty it up a bit. She's filthy!

I've got the wig ordered, but it's on backorder right now so it'll be a while before I get it in the mail. I also ordered a wig stand to attach to my table so that I can style it to look more like Tina's hair. I'll probably make my own pink ribbons to go in the wig. I can't wait!

This is the style of wig I got from www.arda-wigs.com:

I got this wig in platinum blonde. I can't wait to see how it'll look in person. I've bought wigs from Arda before and I've never been disappointed.

Anyhoo, back to creating!

The Xbox One

Am I the only one who isn't excited about it? I was really eager to hear about this new console and as I watched the announcement I was left with a bad taste in my mouth. I don't think it's a good fit for me.

During the demonstration they only really showed what they could do for people who are into sports and other things I don't care about. I don't care about making a fantasy basketball team. Is there anyway to make that sort of thing work with anything else? What if I wanted to make a fantasy tv personality team? Could I do that? No? Only for people who watch sports? That doesn't alienate anyone. Not at all.

I like the idea that you can have the new Xbox synch with your other electronics so that you can go back and forth immediately between gaming and watching television. It can't record shows like a DVR can. One thing I'm concerned about is what will happen if I'm playing and someone else decides to be a dick and switch the Xbox from the game I'm playing to watch television? What if I hadn't saved in a while? All of the work I put into the game will be lost. I guess what I'm getting at is that it sounds great until you put it into practice. Someone might mention something about watching a show on a specific network and then the Xbox will take it as a command and make the switch over. They say you can instantly switch back and forth, so I might not lose any save data, but I want to make sure first.

You can also do Skype calls while playing a game. I love that idea so much. I wonder if it's just for one on one calls or if you can do conference calls? They also mentioned that the One will have a Blu Ray player. I think that should have come out with the slim, but whatever it's there now. Everything's being released on Blu Ray nowadays, so this was an obvious step in the evolution of gaming consoles. Oh, the new controller actually looks nifty. I like the thumbstick design the most. You could tell that it was designed by gamers for gamers.

My biggest complaint is that the new console will not be backwards compatible. I just bought a new 4G 360 with the plan to trade it in for the new Xbox One when it came out later this year. I made a mistake and assumed the new console would be backwards compatible. That's why I didn't spend any extra for a bigger hard drive. I didn't think that I would need it. It's okay though. Now instead of trading in my Xbox for the new one I can just use the money I would have to spend on the difference on a new hard drive. I don't want to get a new console and have nothing to play on it.

During the announcement they revealed a new Halo tv series, a new Call of Duty game and some sports games. I couldn't care less about any of these things. I don't like Halo unless it involves Red vs. Blue, I hate all of the Call of Duty games and I'm glad Madden announced that it would finally stop making games. I'll give the Halo tv series a fair shot and keep an open mind to it. I think it's really cool that they're making a big budget series for a video game, even if it's not my cup of tea. In the new Call of Duty game they kept saying that they would bring new elements and stuff but don't they do that with every new installment in the series?

I think my final score on the new console is a 2/5. I think I'll wait until someone I know gets one and then I'll check it out. That Quantum Break game looked boss. Anything that involves quantum mechanics/theory gets me really excited. It's one of the reasons why I enjoyed Bioshock Infinite so much. I can't wait until E3 to find out what other games will be released. To be fair, the ones that were announced were the ones that everyone knew would be coming out anyway (except Quantum Break). I know I'm in the minority of people who don't like games like Call of Duty or Halo. I don't like playing MMOs. I don't like lobbies. I prefer to play with friends and that's it. The chances of playing with nice people these days is so slim. I just want to enjoy the game and have fun. I don't want to be harassed and bullied. Unfortunately, the future of gaming is playing online with strangers. You can't even do split screen with some recently released games.

New stuff!

New earrings available in my store! I love these earrings so much! They're really pretty. 

Working on an antique teal brambles hat. Loving this yarn and everything about it so far. The color is beautiful and it's so soft. I can't wait to share this when it's finished.