new blog look

the sun's been out and the sky blue. things are growing in the garden. these colors are making me happy.

thanks to blogger's new design templates, i gave my blog an update. i'm working on an about page. hope you like the fresh, new look!

crochet tiny whale, plus catnip

oops! where did spring go?

remember me telling you about planet june's spring crochet along? well, i blew it. a small, scrap yarn project that takes an hour and it completely just slipped my mind.

but... i'm crocheting again! a bit. there's a cute and interesting tank in the most recent crochet today! magazine that i just had to have, so i'm doing about a row or two a day. hopefully by mid-summer i'll be able to wear it!

in the meantime, i sat down for an hour in front of the tv and busted this little guy out. quickest (no-sew!) pattern ever. he's made with acrylic yarn and stuffed with polyester - plus a ball of home-grown catnip* in his belly!

the pictures aren't very good because they were taken rather hastily. both cats smelled the nip and wouldn't let me finish!

also check out planet june's blog, where she did a roundup of the fantastic whales and daffodils that other crafters made.

*about growing catnip:

it's part of the mint family, and it grows almost like a weed. super easy to grow, it will invade any garden if you let it. best grown in pots. you can start the plant from seeds, but if you have a friend who already grows it they'll be happy to give you a snipping or two. the small stalks will root if you keep them in a glass of water.

sometimes my cats like to gnaw on the fresh plant right out of the pot, but it's most potent and effective for that hyper "kitty high" when dried. clip off a sprig or just individual leaves and lay them somewhere dry and airy - away from your furry critters - for a few days. then give them the whole leaves or crush them up to use in toys.by the way, you can grow and dry other mints (spearmint, peppermint, chocolate mint) the same way to use in teas and recipes. there are so many varieties of mint, it's fun to experiment with the different flavors!

5 for friday: what kind of entrepreneur are you?

this week's 5 for friday:

the 5 types of entrepreneursfrom inc.com

• 
  
  home run sluggers
  ...want to change the world in a big and obvious way...would rather make a single business their life’s work, and make it big...not as amenable to early exits or succession planning.
• 
  
  on-base hitters
  ...have a series of successful business start-ups to their name...content to achieve success in bite-sized bits on a regular basis, rather than all in one flourish.
  
  
• 
  
  fact finders
  ...seek details before making decisions...each answer to a fact finder’s question triggers a new set of questions...seeks out the answers to his or her questions before making decisions.
• 
  
  follow-through
  ...love systems...think in a linear fashion, where Step 1 leads to Step 2 and so on...tend to operate by methodology (think Six Sigma) and to reward employees for continuous process improvement.
• 
  
  implementers
  ...live in the physical world and enjoy building and fixing things...innovative by nature, and always looking to build the proverbial better mousetrap...thrive in environments that allow them to work with their hands.

i'd like to think that i've got a bit of the qualities from each of these 5 entrepreneur types, but if i had to categorize myself i'd say i'm about 1/3 follow-through and 2/3 implementer.

your turn...
view the slideshow at inc.com
for the full descriptions,
then let us know what kind of entrepreneur you think you are (or would be)!

also... do you think that most of those who sell handmade goods would fall into the same type(s) or be more evenly spread out?

animated embroidery?!

how amazing is spool spectrum's new embroidery project?

i can't begin to imagine how much planning and stitching is involved here. very, very impressive!

Tips for a Zero-Waste Home

thanks to the more hip chicks, i've come across an interesting blog about living in a zero-waste home. the author and her family have essentially learned how to live without generating household waste.

Bea's blog, the zero waste home, documents her family's journey towards this lifestyle and the part each family member plays in helping to continue to achieve their goal. she offers a bunch of simple and practical tips on how you can reduce the waste in your own home and in various aspects of your life.

listen to the latest episode of the More Hip Than Hippie podcast for an exclusive interview with Bea!

5 for friday: in the craft room

this week's 5 for friday:

stash photos