EtsyRAIN Handmade Holiday Show

I've been so busy getting ready and helping with the marketing efforts that I nearly forgot to promote the show on my own blog! Well, it's the night before the show and I expect to get very little sleep since I have several more pieces to make before I sneak in some shuteye. The volunteer marketing team has been helping the organizers get the word out about what could be the biggest EtsyRAIN show yet! It's been featured, written about and mentioned far and wide. Anyone who doesn't heard about it surely has been under a rock.

ScarfCity will have some new items never before seen by EtsyRAIN show shoppers; including leg warmers and cloche hats. After many requests, I finally wrote myself a pattern for leg warmers and started knitting them in fun and funky colors. I have quite a variety ready to sell.

Cloche hats are the new "in" hat. I try to gage what's trendy and new by what Nordstroms chooses to stock for fall and they've got dozens of cloche hats this year.

It's time to pack the car for tomorrow's unload and setup.

Here are the "deats":

Intiman Theatre, Seattle Center

201 Mercer Street

Saturday and Sunday November 26 and 27

11-5 both days

Yule Boutique: Pacific Lutheran University

I get to take a mental sigh this week and know that I am being backed by capable hands. My booth buddy this week is my DAD! He's the greatest dad on the planet. ALWAYS, ALWAYS there when I need him. When he helps me set up it's always in record time because he's a doer ...that's where I get it from!

So Dad and I will be at PLU's Yule Boutique on Saturday. Be sure to say "Hi Rolly" if you see us! We'll be in the Country Fair room this time, a change from last year. The shoppers there are fantastic and the show is a good match for those who are looking to get some serious checkmarks off their Holiday Shopping List.

Tacoma here I (and dad, and Smigel) come!

note: always pictures is my dad's dog Zaire, R.I.P.

My Friends & More Holiday Bazaar

My needles have been flying to get ready for my next craft fair adventure. I'll be in Bothell this weekend at the IUOE Hall at 18701 120th Avenue Northeast from 10 to 5 this Saturday.

This show promises to be a lot of fun for visitors. Santa arrives at 1pm. Parents and pet owners are encouraged to bring their own camera for pictures with the Jolly One. AND ....there's free refreshments!

I've been gearing up all week to sell at my first Poulsbo craft fair. I found this one by chance and I'm not really sure how it's going to go, but I think this early holiday show has a lot of potential.

To get ready, I've made lots of items in their school colors, purple and gold. The way I figure it ...if they don't sell they can turn into Husky-colored items since University of Washington has the same school colors.

My mom (and dog Smigel) are coming with me since two-day road trip craft fairs can be grueling. We're hitting the road this Saturday, November 6th and 6 a.m. (YIKES!) We'll take the ferry to Bainbridge and should be in Poulsbo in a matter of minutes.

Thankfully, we're staying overnight in Bremerton, so we don't have to do the ferry thing two days in a row (I just don't know how those islanders do that!)
I'm also excited because I've changed my display setup (yet again) and I'm excited to give it a try.

Poulsbo ...here we come!!

Craft Fair Schedule

Scarf of the Month is on hold through this busy craft fair season and is set to return in January. Meantime, here's where you can find ScarfCity for the next few weeks:

November 5 & 6
North Kitsap Holiday Fest
North Kitsap High School - 1780 NE Hostmark, Poulsbo, WA
Hours: Saturday 9:30am - 5pm
Sunday 11am - 4pm

November 12
My Friends and More Holiday Bazaar
International Union of Operating Engineers
18701 120th Avenue NE, Bothell
Hours: 10am - 5pm

November 19
PLU Yule Boutique
Pacific Lutheran University Campus, Tacoma, WA
Memorial Gym
Hours: 9am - 5pm

November 26 & 27
EtsyRain Handmade Holiday Show
Intiman Theatre, Seattle Center, 201 Mercer Street
Hours: 11am - 5pm both days

December 30
Seattle Tennis Club Holiday Bazaar (private club)
922 McGilvra Blvd. E, Seattle, WA
Hours: 9:30am - 3pm

December 2 and 3
Kent Winter Craft Bazaar
Kent Commons, 525 4th Avenue North
Hours: Friday 10am-7pm
Saturday 9am-5pm

December 10 (My birthday!)
I Heart Indie Holidays
Wallingford Boys and Girls Club, 1310 North 45th Street
Hours: 11am - 7pm

Scarf of the Month - AUGUST!

Crochet Cowl Scarf!

Materials: 200 plus yards of yarn. Try variegated yarn for more interested, or mix your favorite colors.

Skills: simple chain stitch, double crochet

Directions:
1. Chain stitch until the chain (held together at the ends) can easily slip over your head with very little room after that (because this project will widen slightly as you work).

2. Connect chain with a slip stitch. Avoid twisting the chain.

3. Mark first stitch with a stitch marker and double crochet in each chain stitch around.

*Note: Do not join at the end of the round. Continue to the next stitch in the next row without leaving a gap. Move the stitch marker to the next row (first stitch) and continue.

4. Continue in this pattern until the piece is as long as you would like it. Single crochet your final row using the stitch marker to determine where to start and stop. Fasten off, weave in ends. Longer cowls can be pulled over your head for a hood. Shorter cowls are easy to slip off if you get hot. It's your choice!

HAPPY SCARFING!

Feels like team spirit!

Introducing ...my new line of headwraps in team spirit colors. I was thinking the other day how fun it would be to make myself something to wear to a Seahawk game (assuming I could score tickets). Then my brain expanded....thinking if I would want to wear something cute in the appropriate colors, so would other fashion forward Seahawk fans and Mariners fans, and WAZZU fans and ...well, you get the idea. So, I cranked out one in every color combo I could think of. I love them and hope I get requests from fashion forward fans in others cities and states. So, here they are!

GO SEAHAWKS!
Click here to buy this headwrap

GO MARINERS!
Click here to buy this Headwrap   

Click here to buy this headwrap

GO WAZZU COUGS!
Click here to buy this headwrap

SOON TO COME ....GO UW HUSKIES, SOUNDERS FC AND STORM!

Scarf of the Month JULY!

Spiral Scarf

Materials: 3-5 balls of yarn. You will need more yardage with each row.

Skills: Basic chain, double crochet, triple crochet

Note: The key to this scarf is to keep multiplying the number of stitches wih each row.

Directions: 1. Gather Yarn. This can include coordinating colors like cream, beige, and brown or tone colors like multiple shades of green or blue, or any color you wish! I chose red, white and blue for this scarf to honor the holiday!

2. Chain. To decide how many chains you will need,  put the chain around your neck and continue until you have the length desired. For this scarf I chained 150 for an extra long spiral scarf.

3. Row 1: Double crochet in each chain stitch.

4. Row 2: Switch to new color and triple crochet two in every double crochet

5. Row 3: Switch to new color and double crochet two in every triple crochet

Continue in this pattern until you have the width you desire (3-5 rows). For this scarf I did four rows.

Buy this scarf for $10

Scarf of the Month JUNE!

Pom Pom Boa

Materials: Scrap Yarn, Pom Pom Maker, Crochet Needle, Scissors

Skills: Basic Crochet Chain

Directions:

1. Gather scrap yarn. Pick as many colors as you would like. They can coordinate, match or be every different color you ever wanted in a scarf!

2. Make pom poms. You can you any use any pom pom maker from a craft store, or even a piece of cardboard. Just wind the yarn around, slip off and tie in the middle, then cut around the edges. You will need about 25 pom poms with a very long tail.

3. Make a chain. Use several strands of the left over yarn so the chain is thick for stability. Keep chaining until you have approximately 50 inches in length.





4. Tie on pom poms to the links of the chain, about 1.5 inches apart.

5. Finishing. You may need to trim some of the poms poms to make them even and round. Give the scarf a good shake to knock off the loose fuzz. Wrap around your neck and STRUT!

Buy this Scarf for $10

HAPPY SCARFING!