2013 – Page 9 – a hippie with a minivan

Crochet sets and more needle felting

I have been keeping busy lately either crocheting or needle felting depending on my mood and the time. I find that needle felting is easier in the evening after Willa is in bed or when she is playing outside in the snow with the boys (but when she is outside I always end up cleaning up). The way I have been needle felting lately is that I start making something without knowing what I am making and just letting it transform, so when I do that I want to get into the moment and it is easier when there are no constant distractions or little hands wanting to touch what I am doing.

Here is another bunny I made with a carrot. Like the first little guy, he has a pipe cleaner base and can be posed. I think I will be making more of these and selling them. They are so cute, the perfect size for playing and fun to make. At one point I would love to make a family of bunnies with a little woodland home for them to play in.

This dragon started with a head and I had no idea what he was going to be until I started shaping him more. He almost became either cow or a croc but then I decided that he would make great baby dragon tuckered out from a day of playing…

This guy also started with a head but I had a feeling that I wanted him to become a squirrel and so he did. He is actually quite big with his head being more then 3 1/2 inches tall and his tail reaching 5 inches. I made a little acorn for him also which he can hold between his paws.

In other moments I am often Crocheting. There are a few shows that I really enjoy and that I watch on the computer and when I did so, I would always feel guilty that I was “wasting” time that I could be using for doing something productive instead of just something that I enjoy but that doesn’t bring me fulfilment. Crocheting is the perfect answer to that. I can sit a watch something and crochet at the same time. Have my guilty pleasure yet still be productive. I Love it!

I am trying to find things that I can sell so I thought that dish cloths and scrubber set might be a good answer to that.

Aren’t they pretty?

I am hoping that a set like this might be a good seller. The dishcloth is 8 1/2 inches wide and the scrubber is about 3 inches wide and fits perfectly into your hand when scrubbing rough to get spots on dishes.

Another thing I have ready to sell is a cat costume with ears and a tail like the one I made for Willa. However, this one is actually adjustable since I made ties instead of being one piece or with a button and not only that but the tail portion is even more adjustable with the way I made the tie.

Now to figure out prices… (that seems to be the hardest part!!)

Dreams for 2013

Looking back on 2012, I guess it was really not our year for the big changes that we wanted. Maybe it was for the best, maybe I needed to get ready emotionally and be in a better place. Maybe we needed that time to make the initial leap but were unintentionally resisting what may have come.

A few months ago, our “For Sale” sign blew away. It was just around the time that we realized that we could not get a loan from the bank for our bus project and we were feeling defeated. It was a fitting moment, or so it felt like it and we never bothered putting it back up. I ordered a more professional looking sign from Vistaprint before the holidays and we decided that we would put it up after the holidays. And that is what I did. Out sign is back up and the house is officially up for sale again. It feels good.

Simon and I have been tackling problem areas in our house where there was clutter behind doors. The Tupperware cupboard, the linen closet, the bathroom cupboards and other places like that. I am feeling much less resistance to keeping things and it is easier to let it go. Though I still have a problem with the Kid’s stuff and our love of books etc..

Our dreams this year are to go ahead with our plans and not give up. We want the bus. We need that time and that freedom that the bus could provide to get us back in a better place as a family. We are still in that vicious circle for the bus so I decided to start a bus fund. It is not like me to ask for help, or especially ask for money, but the more I think about it, the more I think that it doesn’t hurt to at least try.