More hats!

Today's post is short... I just wanted to share the matching hats I worked on yesterday and today. A friend of mine ordered them for her daughters, who are 1 and 2. They came out beautifully, I think. :)

Having fun...

I have had a lot of fun creating things lately!

 I have also had fun selling things! Visit my Facebook!

Business is booming!

Well, not really "booming..." but it's off to a fabulous start. I haven't had the luck with Etsy that I'd hoped, but I started a Facebook page (4Hankins Crochet)... Good decision! I've already made three sales and have had several items used in photo shoots as advertisement, and have two more shoots coming up, which are potential sales. I have so many ideas... Just need the time to create! I'm very excited about this adventure, and I'm getting very proud. So, the first thing I will post are pictures from shoots! (The first four are courtesy of Kim Sawyer Design & Photography, also on Facebook!)

 Some of what I sold:

 #1- My very first customer's matching set!
#2- A work in progress... I'm waiting on some clips to come in so I can make my flowers detachable. These three flowers are all going to the same person, whom I'm making a few other things for as well!

Also, I have made a couple of new things:

#1- A super chunky oversized hat for my little girl, to take some adorable pictures in. :)
#2- A Valentine's Day inspired hat
#3-6- A set I made today, for someone who my husband works with. His work gets together and gets a collection of money and clothing going when someone has a baby. I had fun designing and creating this set.

Well, I hope everyone has wonderful weekend! I will be focusing on cleaning, because I've spent so much time crocheting this week. I still have several WIPs... two ponchos and hat sets, for two different photo shoots... the rest of the flower set... and a long list of things I want to make for my own little lady. I stocked up on yarn this week... About 20 skeins & 3 trips to Michael's. I have fallen in love with their Loops & Threads Impeccable yarn. The more I use it, the more I love it. It's "baby soft" in my opinion, and I'm very picky. I also love the colors. I have never been so mesmerized by yarn as I'm working with it, but I'm definitely obsessing over this stuff!! Even better, it's been $2 a skein this week!!!!!! LOVE that price! I really wanted to get a bunch more to start a Babette, but I know I won't have the time for that any time in the near to distant future, lol. Ahhh, so anyways. Wonderful weekend, everyone!

The mad hatter!

Since my last post, I've made a few hats! One for my little sister:

A slouchy beret! I have been wanting to make one, but I don't really wear hats. I was glad my sister said that she would like to have one. I hope she likes it and wears it! I know it will look perfect on her.

I made a hat for a friend... Well, for my Etsy site, but I am sending it to my friend for her son to model and keep.

And while waiting to do my glucose test Friday at the doctor, I finished this up for my own little ladybug:

That's what I've made since Wednesday. Also, I went to the library and checked out a couple of crochet books. One of them is chock full of patterns I would like to make... just have to find the time and the yarn! I can't wait. :) Hubby has a 4-day weekend though, so there won't be much crochet taking place over the weekend... We'll get a lot of family time in, though. Today, we went swimming! Yesterday, we went to the mall, the movies, and dinner with friends. The weekend's off to a good start. :) Hope everyone else has a wonderful weekend, too!

An award!?!? YAY, me!!!!

Thanks so much to Shanti over at Wires & Yarns for presenting me with: (cue in dramatic music)

 As all awards, it comes with certain rules that I have to follow now...

     ** thank and link back to person who awarded you   done!
     ** share 7 things about yourself    done!
     ** pay it forward to 15 discovered bloggers    done!
     ** contact these bloggers and tell them about the award    working on it!

7 things:
1. I am almost 30 weeks pregnant with my first daughter.
2. In Dec 2010, I bought a car for the first time EVER!
3. I love trying new cooking and baking recipes, but they don't always turn out as planned.
4. I have only two friends where I live now, so blogging has become a good way for me to reach out and "meet" new people.
5. I have a Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies K-8, taught second grade for a year, and will have a Master's degree in Mathematics Education in March.... but I'm taking several years off to be a stay-at-home mom.
6. I found out what true love was when I married my husband and moved across the country.
7. Although I love to crochet, I don't think I am a very creative person, and I have a hard time coming up with ideas on my own!


15 bloggers:
**I'm glad it says "discovered" bloggers, because all of these blogs are very newly discovered for me, since I just started my blog. I'm not sure if I will even make it to 15!
1. Carol (my mom) @ Just a Virginia Girl
2. Heather (my sister) @ Abby J's Quilting Mommy
3. Ashleigh @ My Sweet Little Life
4. Victoria @ ...yarn round hook... 
5. Kristi @ Hair Pretties by Kristi
6. Alicia @ Crochet to Go
7. Samantha @ The Handmade Dress
8. Caroline @ The Kansas Hooker
9. The Sunroom
10. Michelle @ The Royal Sisters
11. Ladylinoleum @ Monster Crochet 
**Well, that's all I got, because I was trying not to repeat anyone who just got the award. These are the blogs I have been following lately. I have gotten a lot of inspiration from them, maybe even a few patterns, and I really enjoy keeping up with them.


That's all for today! I'm leaving for our play date in about an hour, and I have yet to figure out what I'm taking to work on!

Photos & AN AWARD!

1. Shanti, over at Wires & Yarns was awarded a Stylish Blogger Award. With this award she had to award 15 bloggers she's discovered as well.... I was one!!! Thanks, Shanti. :)

2. I have a crochet/play date tomorrow, at my new friend here in Washington's house. Her five year old is out of school, so my son and I are heading over there so the boys can play and we can crochet. Because I worked on the cocoon in all of my spare time yesterday, I will be working on schoolwork all day today, until it's time to figure out what I'm taking to work on tomorrow. This will be a hard decision! Yesterday I got some Wool-Ease Thick & Quick yarn in green and gray... I want to make an oversized chunky hat for my daughter, but I am trying to think of a way to incorporate something girly looking in it... maybe a pink border? I wasn't fond of any of the pinks/purples/reds, so I figured I would try to make something with green, but I don't want her to look like a boy. ;) Because I won't have any crochet posts today or probably tomorrow, I figured I would share some photos from a shoot we had while in VA!

Photos courtesy of Kim Sawyer Design & Photography. Aside from photography, Kim does graphic design and designs web pages, ads, invitations, etc.

Bundle up, baby!

Today, I made a cocoon to send to my photographer and post on my Etsy site. Actually, I started it last night, but ran out of yarn. In a quick trip to Michael's today, I discovered that they have since clearanced and sold out of that particular kind (Red Heart Soft Baby Steps)... so I had to get a different kind. My husband always says, "I don't see why dye lot and all that matters." Well, today he learned that white is not always white. The whites were so different! I started a new cocoon, and when I can venture out to JoAnn's, I'll look for the Soft Baby Steps and finish the first cocoon for my daughter. Anyways, because I was making it to send to our photographer, I figured it would be a nice touch to have a way to incorporate pink or blue depending on what gender she is photographing. I'm glad it turned out well. I know it's simple, but I'm just starting to create things from scratch. =) [This is the newest item in my Etsy Shop!]

Over the last few days.......

I have neglected to post any of my recent creations, because I have been busy, busy getting my Etsy site up and running. I truly hope to have some success with this. I think I set my goal a little high for just starting out, but I will just have to find more ways to advertise and/or make things more appealing. Anyhow, let me share with you what I have made in the last week or so!

Photos 1&2: Just a simple little hat and booties set for a baby boy... This is yarn stolen from my mom's stash when I was in VA. I don't have a baby boy to use this for, but the hat and booties worked up so quickly, I thought it would make a good start for my Etsy shop.
Photos 3&4: I've pictured these booties already, but they didn't have buttons yet. Pretty soon after returning home, I got buttons and finished them. I'm keeping these for my baby girl, but I also posted them to my Etsy site to sell.
Photos 5&6: Bunny ears! My photographer back home in VA has a newborn shoot coming up, and I thought a bunny hat would be cute with Easter coming up. I am making her a few things to keep and use as props, and she is going to send me pictures to use on my Etsy shop. Items get sooooo many more views when an adorable little newborn is photographed! I will have to make this hat for my little one, too, as she will be here just in time for Easter!
Photos 7&8: This has got to be my favorite hat of all time. This is the 5th time I've made it, and it just works easier and more quickly each time. I really hope this is a good seller on my Etsy site, because I can make it so quickly, and probably because I just think the world of this hat. I changed it up a little by making a medium-sized flower and putting a button in the middle. I may have to redo the flower on the hat I made for my own little girl, because I just love this one so much.
Photo 9: Ruby red slippers! I went to Michael's the other day but totally forgot to look for some black cord. I want to lace it through the top and tie a little bow in the front. Either way, I went ahead and put this on my Etsy site, because they're so darn cute. Of course, my little one has a pair.
Photo 10: Walmart has buttons! My Walmart's craft section has some pretty slim pickings, and I was shocked when I stumbled across a little turn-style rack full of buttons! They were so much cheaper than at the craft stores I've looked through, and I loved a lot of them! I got some cute ones, some multi-purpose ones, and some adorable little hearts I want to do something with before Valentine's Day (fingers crossed on selling them!).

Anyway, I hope everyone's New Year is off to a wonderful start. Mine has been so far, and it should just keep getting better! March is closing in fast, and I have so many crochet projects in my head to get through before then... Not to mention all the work I have to do to be the holder of a Masters degree before my daughter's birth!! Yay!