This post might be long, so here’s a list of what I’m likely to mention: podcast, life, money, life, dyeing, side-businesses, selling an already-crocheted Buckle Cloche hat.

I’ve recorded the next podcast episode at least 5 times now. I just deleted the raw recording of the fifth take. I don’t know if I can do this stupid episode again, but it has a lot of good information! I’m going to have to reshuffle the order in which I discuss things so I don’t sounds mechanical. I’ve memorized so much of what I’ve wanted to say, that it sounds like I’m reading from a script. So much dislike.

Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn’t just be best to put the podcast on hold until I could have a recording buddy. I don’t think my personality transmits when I’m alone.

To keep my head from exploding, I’ve been coming up with a few ideas, or being sucked into a few of Caryn’s. Almost all of them are good, but not anything I/we can do at the moment. Not having the extra money, or money at all, to do what we need to do to push our creative endeavors is harsh. It feels like I’ve been waiting forever for the e-mail telling me when my interview for this job I want will be. The company is notorious, I’m told, for taking their time finding the person they want to hire. When they do decide, however, the speed kicks in and everything’s a go. I’m just waiting for a lousy interview! It doesn’t help that I’m looking at the last $20 of my paypal account, my Netflix account is suspended for nonpayment, and I’m pretty sure it’s going to be down to chicken noodle soup and rice sometime this week. The credit card and grocery store accounts are nearly maxed.

We’re waiting on a check to arrive for some freelance work I did, as well as a check for a book cover Caryn sold (a Joy Fielding novel!). When those come, the pressure will be let up some, but that won’t be for another week, likely two. It’s the not knowing about anything that’s driving me crazy.

I’m desparately trying to reign in the desire to deplete my Paypal account in order to sate this need I have to purchase roving. I’ve been thinking a lot, lately, about dyeing roving to sell as a sort of side to my side-business. I love colors and playing with them and getting messy. Do you know what one of my favorite past times was when I was a kid? Fingerpainting. I kind of look at dyeing roving and yarn as a grown up way to fingerpaint. Maybe I wouldn’t necessarily paint with my fingers, but it would be similar, and, I think, just as fun.

Another aspect that I’m considering is jumping on Caryn’s idea of doing some crochet resin pendants. She’s going to be making more pendants of her photographs (and I think she’s going to do the crochet heart one that I posted a photo of in a previous entry), but this time underneath resin. So we were discussing layers of resin with lace doilies or hearts or whatever. It sounds like a blast, and a perfect little addition to my Etsy store. If I could figure out a way to set-up a store on here, without doing a mass amount of coding, then I would. For now, though, Etsy can do most of the work, and I’ll just link to the listings.

Which reminds me…I had a custom order fall through. Nothing negative, just bad timing for the woman who requested the hat. But, it leaves me with a hat just lying around, and it’s not exactly something I would wear. Not in Florida, and not in the colors the custom order required.

I was approached by a lovely woman who had a buyer wanting a Buckle Cloche. Instead of poaching my style, she sent her customer my way, post-mailed me the yarn and buckle, and I crocheted the customer the hat.

It’s in a black wool, but there’s a silver metallic sort of yarn carried along with it. The buckle is a small silver square. It’s not a buckle I would have chosen, but custom means custom, and it was already purchased.

If any of you would be interested in this hat (photo below is a link), please visit the Etsy shop and purchase it. The hat will fit 20-22″ circumference heads. Your purchase would not only help me out financially, but it would also get the hat off of my mannequin and out of my house.

This hat was a custom order. Made just like the red one that I created for the AHA, only, obviously, this one is black and has a different buckle and belt loops. I love how simple and quick this pattern is.

I’m very glad it’s done, as this means I am caught up with fulfilling orders and fixing things, and can concentrate on future designs. Hurrah!

It was a pleasure while it lasted.