Aberrant Crochet (TM)

November 21, 2011 · 5:25 pm

How Much Are You Worth?

What is the true cost of handmade items at a show? I’m not really talking about taking a bead and sticking it on an ear wire. There’s almost no training or skill involved in that. There’s not much honing of a craft going on there. Though it does take time to assemble, it’s small and not considered skilled labor.

How much do you make an hour for your expertise? How much should a hand crafter make per hour? What is right for a living wage? It’s easy to forget sometimes the nature of how some jobs work. In many jobs, you get paid a set wage + benefits. Some jobs involve a commission, which is generally highly taxed by the government even if it is really what you feed yourself with. Other jobs, like waiting tables, are often half of minimum wage with the expectation that you will make up the rest in tips. That was a rude awakening when I landed my first waiting job right out of college. I was taxed out of my $2.13 an hour each week as if it were twice that, because it’s assumed I would make up the other half of minimum wage on tips. And I didn’t. Sigh, those were the days.

So how much should a hand crafter make? Well, one obvious thing to consider is the cost of table fees to get into the show in the first place. Just here in Austin, there are shows that range from $40 a table to over $3000. It’s a chunk of change, and somewhat of a gamble playing the odds whether you will sell something at the venue or not. Space rental is not cheap. Neither is security, electricity or many other expenses people might not think of. If you take credit cards, you have expenses there as well.

You have the cost of materials as overhead. When it comes to yarn, it’s interesting to me that so many buyers really have no idea how much yarn can cost these days. To buy enough to create a garment is a pretty substantial chunk. Are we using “That Old 70’s Yarn?” Or something nicer like silk or cashmere or even a microfiber? Either way, it’s way more now than it was when I was a kid.

Then there’s the amount of materials as well. Just because a hat you find at WalMart cost $5 doesn’t mean it has a comparable amount of fiber in it to something handmade. Nor does it mean the yarn can be purchased in the US for so little either. Where many often use one yarn for a design, I often use three myself. So that’s a jump in cost for me. Plus there’s the value of other elements, like antique buttons or sterling silver findings.

And then we come to the aspect of time and of skill. What would you pay an expert to do and what would you pay a beginner? There should be a difference. There’s something to be said for a skill that has been honed over time. Because the quality of labor is much different. Why should an expert be paid the same as a beginner? There’s a reason why we pay doctors what we do, they are highly educated, trained and skilled.

But let’s say we have a beginner. Federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. Even people receiving training to flip burgers get at least minimum wage. If an item requires $30 of materials and takes 4 hours to make, you have at minimum a $59 item, before taxes. Right? What if you decide not to charge minimum wage? Even at $5 an hour (a minimum suggestion from Crochet Liberation Front founder, Laurie Wheeler), you still have a $50 price tag. At minimum. For beginner grade work.

I like some points Laurie made on this subject in previous years on the Crochet Liberation Front forum, “The best way I know of raising the value of anything, is to value it yourself.”

Followed up in her article last year “At What Price?” Laurie has this to say:

“FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS FUZZY DO NOT…and I repeat…DO NOT UNDERSELL YOUR WORK!! …. Materials + Time x Skill = $$…. Time is valuable. Especially in today’s fast paced world, time is PRECIOUS, your time is VALUABLE. If you spend 2hrs on a hat and you spent $3 on the materials and you only charge $4.00, $3.00 covers the materials and you just made FIFTY CENTS an hour. Really? You are not a SWEATSHOP…You are WORTH more than that… “

Also, I’ve heard many women make comments that should never be made, like: “Oh but I enjoy doing this so I don’t charge very much.” WHAT? Seriously? Did I just hear that? SO you should only get paid for what you don’t derive a sense of satisfaction from? (I’ve never heard a man say something like this, btw.) If you’ve ever been guilty of saying something like that, stop and consider the craziness of what you’re suggesting. Not to mention how it undervalues the work of all hand crafters when you do that, including the ones who rely on selling their wares to put food on the table. Just because you don’t have to rely on it to feed your kids, doesn’t mean you should undersell your work.

Factors to keep in mind as you consider pricing also include rarity, how labor intensive, precision of the work, and expertise and range of experience. Some items, you’ll have to judge. You may have to tweak your prices or process a bit here and there. Just because you are capable of making wash cloths out of cashmere doesn’t mean it’s practical and that everyone will buy one for what it’s worth or at all. Hmmm… So maybe there’s a cap there somewhere on what kind of materials you expect to use for what items and the price range most of your customers will fall into?

There’s also travel time, packing materials and postage. If I’m doing custom orders and find myself driving all over town from yarn shop to yarn shop trying to find what will make my customer happy, it becomes an expense that has to be accounted for, because they want a custom item and not something I have ready to go. And it requires me to take time off from my regular business and work only for them until they get what they want. That can be a lot of time, especially if they don’t really know what they want or it’s difficult to secure! Think about the fees you would pay a graphic artist when you don’t have a clear idea of what you want. Usually you get one or two proofs and that’s it. Consider that custom handmade should not be much different.

So when you’re pricing, you have a lot to consider for variables. And once you have that, stick with it and do not let buyers bargain with you. Not only is it poor form at shows, but when you do it, you give people permission to essentially cut your pay! Set a fair and reasonable price, based on the variables we’re discussing and decide ahead of the show how you will deal with such requests. If you want to offer a discount for multiple purchases, that can be nice, but price your individual items accordingly so you are still coming out on top in the end. Do not stoop to the rude folks either. They are not your market. Be polite, but do not waste your time on them. You want to know at the end of the year, after all those last-minute material purchases and all the time invested and you sit down to do those taxes, that it was worth it. If you never stand up for yourself, who will?

Now that you’ve read all this and taken stock, how much are you worth? Think about it and add to the discussion in the comments! 😀

Go ahead and click a link below to “share this.” You know you want to! : )

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like:

Dear Artists: Your Prices Are Not The Problem – Or Are They?

When Artists Hear “I Can Make That!“

Cro-pocalypse: The Rise of Crochet

29 Comments

Filed under Business, crochet, Crochet Community, Crochet Education, Doing the Show Circuit

Tagged as crochet, pricing

November 20, 2011 · 11:19 pm

The Pirate Skull Cameos Are All Gone! Here’s What I Worked On Today!

Today was the last day of East Austin Studio Tour and the last of the pirate cameos found new homes! I haven’t found another source for the “Guns and Roses” style in the color I had. I’ll see what I can find do to find some more.

Here’s the piece I was working on today. Again with my tiniest antique crochet hook!

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Filed under Artist Information & Notes

Tagged as crochet, steampunk

November 19, 2011 · 10:30 pm

Saturday Recap For E.A.S.T. #67

Well, it was a lovely day out at the E.A.S.T. #67 location at Flat Fork Studios. I was a little worried at first with the wind picking up this morning. Luckily it calmed down a bit later. There were lots of gracious people and fellow artists and artisans. And I really enjoyed talking to some aspiring crocheters and other fiber artisans, including a shy spinner/weaver. Maybe, just maybe, I talked him into posting photos of his work somewhere publicly. (Let me know dude, ‘cuz I’d love to see! I wasn’t joking!)

Flapper Purse in BLue for Cindy

Flapper Purse in Silk and Rust

It was also nice to talk to more traditional media artists who got some of my quirky ways of looking at texture and design and even got excited with me about what I was doing. Awesome! Different worlds, but maybe not so much. I brought the purses out to show-n-tell and promised to blog more about them as I finish my work on them. Nothing like a gentle prod to help me stay in gear. I still need to make a trip to find the blue silk to line the blue one though.

Sunny Bear Hat For Lola

People were having a good time. Lots of babies and kids. Lola was there with her famous gumbo and kind, motherly smile. She made me feel special telling me she looks forward to seeing me every year and that she still loves her hat from two winters ago. I love you too Lola!

Purple Eggplant with Vintage Button Pin

I also had a customer from last year drop by. She bought my Purple Eggplant hat last year and has since moved to the Rockies where she says she absolutely loves it and that she gets so many compliments. And another let me know that she took her hat on a ski trip and stayed incredibly warm and comfortable. That was so awesome to hear. I don’t often have the privilege of hearing “where they are now” and it’s a treat. I have to really thank everyone who supported my work today. I’ll keep going because of you. Thanks for sharing my excitement and vision! 😀

Teeter Totter and Fun

Wondering who’s out there this weekend? Well, here are my colleagues. (You can find info about the other artists and bands in studio here.)

Craft Riot Team Members at E.A.S.T. stop #67:
Nepenthes Bathtime – artisan Soap & bath products
Robo Roku – art, apparel, accessories
Gem Junkie – jewelry for the go
R + R Design – recycled & re-purposed jewelry & home accessories
Sweetwolf – facio, ero sum
This Creative Life – paintings, prints, & apparel
Pixie Worx! & Aberrant Crochet – crochet designer, fabric artist + hand-carved crochet hooks and shawl pins

All in all, a pleasant day. I look forward to tomorrow.

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Filed under Artist Information & Notes, Doing the Show Circuit, Events

Tagged as austin, crochet, east austin studio tour, events

November 18, 2011 · 6:31 pm

Life Has Taught Me That All Too Often You’re Better Off On Your Own

People let you down. Teams, bosses and employees let you down. Friends make promises they don’t keep. Family members have insane expectations. Colleagues take advantage of you and your work. Leaders pretend to be people they aren’t. Managers abuse their power. Religious people prove to be hypocrites. Atheists and politicians too. Armchair warriors who can’t help but to give out a cyber punch/ jab/ pinch. Like an abuser, justify it with “They deserved it.” The people with those handicapped tags that aren’t really disabled and who cut you off in a parking lot so they can swoop quickly into that front row parking space before you pass it. I’ve been cut off in parking lots by more people with temporary handicap tags lately than ever. Wtf?

People who pretend to be experts at something they are not. Receivers with no sense of gratitude or conscience. And the guilty who take their guilt out on others when they fail.

And it generally boils down to a selfishness at heart. A general disregard for a fellow human being. The one right next to you, not the stranger from another culture you’re trying to impress.

It’s kind of like how family all too often treat each other worse than they would a stranger. Biting the hands that feed and nurture them. Devolving into a vicious cycle of dysfunctional relationship and communication to rule the rest. And now days, a couple of conversations online makes you familiar enough to take a punch, familiar enough to receive judgement and be devoid of rights to safety. Familiar enough to be disliked or hated, never having met face to face. And based solely on a paragraph or two. I feel like a bit of my soul bruises every time I hear someone talk about how they hate someone else.

Have people disappointed me lately? You bet. People with enough life and professional experience to know better. People who’ve received enough kindness too. People who should know the value of a team, of a cause, of a single person or an act of selflessness. How a betrayal of trust ruins it for all. And how gratitude always wins.

Has it been everyone? No. Not by a long shot. But enough repeats to get to me. I know better than most how tough life can be, so as patient and laid back as I can be, it takes a while to build up. I wrote the emotionally charged title on purpose. Because I know it speaks to the feelings of a lot of people lately.

This Thanksgiving, of all times, let’s think about this. And not just football. Take accounting, of ourselves, of the relationships we allow in our lives, of the examples we allow our children to see. Recognize reality for what it is. Take responsibility for ourselves, because others are not as invested. Demonstrate patience and tenderness with others, because we know what pain is. And savor the gems in our lives, rarer today than ever.

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Filed under Artist Information & Notes, NaBloPoMo, Random Thoughts

Tagged as gratitude, nablopomo, thanksgiving

November 17, 2011 · 10:10 pm

Letter To A Homeless Guy: I Hate Liars

You sir make me angry. Because you are not really “homeless.” Nor do I think you’re a veteran. For nearly a year now I have passed by you every day on my way to and from my kids’ school at the noon hour and watched you with your signs asking for beer or food. And I’ve noticed how you hang out during lunch rush at the corner just long enough and then disappear into a parking lot for the rest of the day.

Your neatly trimmed beard has always been exactly the same. It’s like your hair doesn’t grow. And your fingernails never get dirty. Your jeans always look cleaner and newer than even my own. Those ball caps and shoes you change out as well. I seriously doubt you’ve ever served a day in the military. Nor have those BDUs you were sporting today. Or that booney hat you’ve pinned up on the side. Doubt those clothes have even seen a hunt. You missed the creases on the back side of your pants. Which tells me you mail ordered them to boot.

Ah, but today! Today was the kicker. I passed you wearing those silly BDUs, on my way to the school. And on the way back, as I passed your corner, I spied you walking back from that parking lot you so often disappear into – with a whole different change of clothes on.

There are people in this world who really are veterans and really are homeless. If you were one, you wouldn’t need to change clothes and looks to keep up your con.

I hate liars. You piss me off.

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Filed under NaBloPoMo, Random Thoughts

November 16, 2011 · 11:43 pm

Remembering…

A lifetime ago, I used to volunteer at a medical facility for profoundly physically and mentally disabled children. It was a kind of half-way house between a hospital and a home. Every resident child had extreme medical needs and could not live at home for one reason or another. Some had been abandoned to the state. At the time I was seeking to go on a mission to work with disabled children overseas.

Most of the kids at this facility had what was then termed as “profound” mental disabilities, but all of them had severe to profound physical disabilities. Disabilities that are so incredibly hard to imagine. Medical anomalies that we tend to think happen somewhere else in the world, but here they were all in one place, under one roof. I cannot imagine anyone walking away after a visit there without a shredded heart.

Every resident had to live in a medical facility like this just to stay alive and receive medical care they needed either constantly, or at the drop of a hat. It was a sacred bubble of physical therapy and medicine around the clock. Volunteers like us came in and helped work with the kids, especially for physical therapy, but also for social interaction.

For some, no social interaction was possible. I remember one girl who had been unconscious and on a respirator since near birth. All the patients needed their muscles worked with and we helped with this, even for the unconscious patients. When I saw her birthday, it was like someone walked over my grave. She was my age and we had been born within weeks of each other. I couldn’t help but spend time talking to her as I worked with her hands and feet. About life, about school, about things I didn’t know if she could hear, but knew she had never seen. How did her lot end up so different than mine? She was unconscious all her life. And I was studying theology and music in college. The experiences of this place challenged a lot of my reality, even some of my spiritual beliefs. Awakenings I’ll never forget.

There was this small special group of kids though, with amazing physical limitations, who had no intellectual handicaps at all. A tiny bubble of 4 kids in a world they could not mentally or psychologically fit into, only physically relate to.

There was Sergio (who preferred to be called Sarge) who was paralyzed from the neck down and could eat with a fork just using his tongue. There was the preteen girl who loved Michael Jackson and the Backstreet Boys. She was also partially paralyzed and had a chronic condition that put her organs at risk. There was a Brian whose condition I never really knew, but it caused him to need a feeding tube and permanent IV.

One of the boys I worked with at this facility had a rare genetic disorder that caused his body to literally attack his own skin and bones. Though he was born with 10 fingers and toes, by the time I met 13 yr old Brandon, he only had part of one digit left. Which he used to master Nintendo quite handily. Drawing too. Amazing. Brandon was a genius trapped in a body that would not likely live to adulthood. To slow down the process, the medical staff had to keep his skin oiled and medicated. Unfortunately, his mother had also abandoned him to the State. What he had was not contagious, still so many people were afraid to be around him. His flesh was in a constant state of agitation and peeling. It was heart-breaking and scary. And he was a cute kid with a great sense of humor. I was one of the few who would not only touch him, hold what was left of his hand, but hug him.

One of the days I came, something was wrong and Brandon was in a lot of pain. The staff were rushing around to treat. I didn’t understand what was wrong, but he was crying, in distress and so scared. As staff barked orders at each other, they let me stay by his side and my ride stood at the bedroom door by Brandon’s roommate. Looking back, I don’t know why, but whatever happened, because I still don’t really know what, I guess my presence wasn’t a problem. The poor kid screamed and cried. I held his hand and stroked his head, talking to him softly, calling his focus to me. He was still scared and crying, but he calmed and let the nurses work. I think it was around an hour that I held that intense space. Brandon was falling asleep when I left. I was exhausted too. It was in the parking lot that my ride then told me, “You are the most powerful person I have ever met. That was amazing.” And I burst into tears.

It was that day that I realized I could not do the kind of work those nurses did as a career, to feed myself and my family, to make ends meet. They were like stone with Brandon that day and I think they had to be. They had to do their job and they didn’t have time to cry and have a breakdown. And whatever was going on, they had to work fast. And Brandon didn’t really have a mom, so I was able to be there and hold his hand instead. They were a small group of staff with an entire facility of children to care for. They couldn’t afford to become too attached. Every “bedroom” door in that facility had a symbol on the door letting everyone know how far they were allowed to go to save the life of the children inside. Green light: do everything you can. Yellow light was a moderate level. Red light – do not save them, let them go. It was a reality for every volunteer that a child you worked with today might not be there next week. It was an everyday, all day reality for the staff. Thank God for the people who can be and do all of that. I realized that as a volunteer was the place I needed to stay. I could remain soft-hearted that way, without the jeopardy I would surely cause as a professional crying every day. And I could fill in the gap when needed. I never wanted to lose my squishy little heart or my ability to cry for another.

Remembering these things. Another lifetime ago. It’s good to remember. Lessons whispering from the past as new ones form today.

I didn’t end up going over seas for that mission. It was probably a good thing, as much as it was a disappointment, as by the end of my college career, I ended up facing my own battle for health. Eighteen years later, I don’t know where the kids I worked with are, or how they fare. But their stories gave me a whole new insight into what can be in this world, even in the face of extremes. Those lessons learned and smiles shared will never be forgotten.

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Filed under Artist Information & Notes

November 15, 2011 · 10:13 pm

Next Projects

The Tiniest Crochet Hook Made These!

Aside from the tiny antique crochet hook in the next photo, pliers and these other tools were necessary to create this look. The wooden crochet hook helped block the lace loops. Pliers helped pull the needle as needed to tie in threads.

I not only put together this skull cameo, but crocheted lace around the cameo frame by crocheting directly onto it.

This is the tiniest crochet hook I’ve ever owned along with the tiny butterfly pendant I crocheted with it. I don’t know a lot about this kind of hook, but I am blessed to own a few. I know they are antique, precisely hand-cut and made in England. And they are the best quality hooks of this tiny size I’ve found. The handle says No. 9, which doesn’t seem to have anything to do with modern crochet hook sizes. But I estimate this to be maybe a size 16 or smaller??

These butterflies were created by crocheting around a tiny tag like this one, with my tiny antique hook.

It took me about 45 minutes, start to finish, to crochet, secure and finish off one of these. So how much would you think they are worth? What would you charge for one? I plan to put a jump ring on each of these and crochet chokers for each to hang from. But I’m considering the idea of offering some up by themselves. Maybe earrings. Not sure yet.

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Filed under crochet, Crochet Patterns

Tagged as crochet, hook

November 14, 2011 · 3:17 pm

Every Day Can Be Friday…

“Every day can be Friday, if you just don’t think about it like it’s Monday.”

These were the words my 12 year old son spoke to me this afternoon in the car on the way home. Wisdom in that, young one. Perhaps there’s more to the fact that his name looks like a mirror image of (a recent discovery from making my punny pumpkin shirt).

And this on the tail end of hearing from an enlightened stranger today, “They? Who are “they” who say that you can’t? Forget what “they” say can and can’t be done. I want to know who “they” are and where are “they” anyhow? You want to do something, just do it. Forget what others say.” I had been staring at Christmas trees at a local home improvement store, lamenting the “fact” that I would not be able to sell my house before the end of the year, because it’s not the right time of year to do it. And I’ve been feeling discouraged. And tired. Shows are important this year to break even. I haven’t been able to focus on the house while getting ready for shows. I find that I work best when I focus solely on one thing at a time. The house is pretty much fixed; it’s just time and logistics now. And we need to sit down, forecast and put together a plan that takes into account everyone’s needs and obligations.

These were messages I needed today. I’ve been thinking like Monday lately and I know better. And I’ve been discouraged about keeping up with some things. I guess I just need to own that I can’t do it all. And as simple as that sounds. As much as I already know this. It’s like another layer of understanding of what that actually means is revealing itself to me. Even if it means I must own letting someone down.

Something to meditate upon.

Austin Craft Riot is Over…

It was a pleasant time visiting at Austin Craft Riot today with Megan of @Love_evol. She dropped by my booth at opening time and we chatted up our love of crochet and desire to get some hookin’ gals together. We’re totally going to have to do this drop-in crochet somewhere in Austin thing y’all. And maybe serve some Fearless Leader’s Crochet Bacon for fun!

ACR may be over, but you can catch me next weekend with a handful of other local handmade artisans out at East Austin Studio Tour (E.A.S.T.) at spot #67, hosted by Flatfork Studio. My friend Sam will be uploading photos from this weekend soon, so check out the link.

Located over by Tito’s Vodka, this is a fun spot with lots of interesting artistic and handmade joy from nearly two dozen artists in one stop! This will be the 3rd year that Lola the Nubian Queen (one of the coolest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting) will be present with her famous Cajun gumbo and cooking benefiting her program to feed the homeless. Also, every year that I’ve had the privilege of being at this location, Tito’s has also offered complimentary vodka drinks. I hear they have a new airstream bar this year! Faith of Flatfork Studio has some crazy killer sculptures and a giant seesaw that looks like a piece of watermelon. Made for adults in mind too! Not to mention there will be handmade goodies from myself and a handful of my friends and colleagues. Oh and even a couple picnic tables if you want to rest and eat.

If you’re going on the tour, this is one spot not to miss! Let me know if you plan to drop by ~~~~!

@ObeyCrochet and @Love_evol say they might be dropping by. How ’bout you???

Me And ObeyCrochet At Austin Craft Riot!

Look! It’s Ms. Stephanie Toppin a.k.a. Obey Crochet in the flesh! At my booth! She came all the way out from Houston, braving bad traffic and all, to visit Austin Craft Riot! Oh Snap! Forgot to show her my crochet bacon project. And ask for another pin since my others have been appropriated. (See, I’m sporting my Crochet @Cama pins!)

Stephanie’s a beautiful, funny gal and we really need to have a crochet convention of our own here folks. Seriously. A crochet convergence somewhere in Texas. Hey! That could be the name! ACCST! She was telling me about the crazy quilt show Houston puts on. Where the quilting grannies are intense and if you make the wrong move…. Well, you gotta hear her tell the story. She promised to blog about it, so stay tuned.

The photo was taken by my new friend Jennifer, who was helping Joyce of @GypsyHarte, an incredible felting artist. She was saying we should do the photo in front of my booth. Which is a good idea. But all you can really see from my booth is my spider web parasol. But it’s a good photo! Which doesn’t happen for me often!

It was nice to meet in person and spend time with you Stephanie! I wish we could have had time for tea. One of these days, we must converge on a couch with our favorite drinks, hooks and yarn in tow. I’m looking forward to meeting Megan from @Love_evol tomorrow! 😀

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Filed under Doing the Show Circuit

Tagged as crochet

November 11, 2011 · 11:16 pm

Have You Heard of The Five Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Kids Do) – From The Tinkering School?

About 18 months ago I was introduced to an educational concept I’m completely in love with, called The Tinkering School. It’s right up my alley in a Maker Faire kind of way, calling straight to the heart of my inner child. As well, it sweetly validated a general sense of parental philosophy when it comes to learning what I call essential life-skills and the duty of parents to expose their children to the real world and humanity’s natural state of innovation.

Started by Gever Tulley, The Tinkering School concept provides an exploratory environment using real tools and real materials to get kids directly into the mix of experimenting and learning how to take an idea and simply make it. But also it stimulates kids to learn how things do work, might work and could work. A rather organic way of learning if you ask me – very, very natural. I love it! (Or is that just my inner steam punker?)

I am not new to the philosophy. If anything, it’s a part of the

Jack’s Key Blade (Kingdom Hearts)

code of life I carry in my heart. You can see an example of this in my daughter’s creative efforts pictured here. I didn’t design any of her key blade (based off a magical weapon in a popular video game called Kingdom Hearts). She did the whole thing herself. Hers was the spark, hers was the plan. About all I did was take her to the lumber store for the dowel rod and the dry cleaners for the cardboard tubes from hangers. Aside from a little cutting Daddy really had to do, this entire project, even down to asking a thrift store to help her find a piece of wood in their scraps so she could cut stars out of, was all her. On the one hand, I’m adamant about taking care of the things my kids can’t do yet, like driving themselves to the store. On the other hand, I’m adamant that if they have an idea, they should get creative and make a plan themselves too. Even down to “What kind of materials and how will I acquire them?” I love supporting them even though my pocketbook is not very thick, and I know better than most that where there’s a will, there a way. Figuring out how to afford things is a life skill too.

Halloween 2009 – Fan Fiction – Kingdom Hearts

So as you can imagine, finding the following video on Five Dangerous Things (Kids Should Do) just made me feel incredibly happy, validated and empowered in my principles of parenting! #1 on his list just flat out made me giggle. Then again, they all kind of did.

Austin is lucky to have it’s own version of the school called Austin Tinkering School. Though related in concept, the two schools are actually independent from each other. My son had the exciting experience of attending their boat making workshop (big enough for a kid or two to sit in) on his birthday last year and LOVED it. As my tween engineer, it helped make for one of the best memories he’s probably had in getting to just get right into the materials and try to make something without someone trying to lecture him first or slow him down.

So all the links are here – go check it out!

I found out about the Austin Tinkering School through mutual friends of Austin Area Homeschoolers. If you landed on my page because you’re looking for alternative educational approaches and life enrichment, etc., I do highly recommend AAH as a great local resource, whether you are a traditional homeschooler or not.

So Happy Tinkering Ya’ll!

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Filed under Education, Friends and Family

November 10, 2011 · 11:53 pm

Some Days Are Tougher Than Others…

I’ve determined that having a glass of wine after a long day and class, and with only 15 minutes to spare until midnight, does not help with inspiration for writing my #NaBloPoMo post tonight. It will however help me sleep. Which I desperately need.

So I will see you tomorrow. My post for today has now been made. By the skin of my teeth. And maybe a freckle. As my husband keeps reminding me: “Perfection is the enemy of good enough.” NaBloPoMo is, after all, all about just doing it. Making the commitment and doing it every day. No matter what. It is not about perfection. Even though as a writer I’d like to lean that way.

Think NaBloPoMo is easy? Let’s see you try. Check it out here. In the mean time, I’ll be catching some Z’s and dreaming up a better plan to tackle tomorrow with.

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Filed under Artist Information & Notes

November 9, 2011 · 11:33 pm

The Birds Are Coming

Tonight, after an evening run to Kinkos for printing hell… I mean help, I had to run by Sam’s Club to pickup sandwich fixin’s and essentials. As I drove through the parking lot, this scene met me. A sea of black Starling birds covering the parking lots of stores that were already closed. This colony of birds has grown substantially over the near 17 years I’ve lived here. And they have become a nuisance to every business near I35 as they show up in droves and take over the parking lots of local businesses. Of course, this gets worse in the fall.

Driving into this section of the parking lot and getting out to take photos drove some of the birds to flight. This photo was taken after sunset, when the sky is just a little dusky still.

The Birds: Can you see how full of birds that tree is, and the crowd of them in the next parking lot over?

Almost as impressive as the sight is the deafening sound. I took a quick video just so you could hear. But alas, for some reason WordPress does not seem to support both a photo and a video in the same post. You can view the 30 second video here: http://youtu.be/nQjfyT5Dq0A

1 Comment

Filed under Random Thoughts

Tagged as starlings

November 8, 2011 · 8:06 pm

I Spy With My Little Eye….

So I’m at the last minute today. Damn it. I don’t have business cards for my show this weekend or anything else graphics wise ready to go. And there was Tae Kwan Do and the book fair and a fundraiser tonight that I skipped out on and…. Yeah, you get it.

I have a lot of ideas queued for NaBloPoMo, but none of them are quick enough to allow me to get right back to designing my tags. I needed something quick and creative to pass the muster for my post. Because after all, I’m a bit of a stickler for posting with some sort of purpose in mind.

So it occurred to me to look around my kitchen, err… my office I mean, and post some photos of things in this room that might tell you a little something about me.

Didn't you know that a built in wine rack is perfect for model rockets? Sometimes there's wine too.

Pottery skull my daughter made when she was in 6th grade? Behind that is a pottery slate she made with hieroglyphics.

Vase that belonged to Grandma Leona and a sheet of antique music I collect. Grandma almost sold that vase for $1 at a yard sale. I snatched it before someone else could and told her if she was getting rid of it, then I wanted it. I just love it.

Stuff on my fridge.

Two of my favorite magnets ever.

Can you tell I like magnets?

This sign belonged to my husband's 90 yr. old grandmother. She used to work for an antique store and found this. After she died, it came to me. She had a sense of humor, her.

In the end, it wasn’t exactly all that quick, but it was pretty straight forward. So I’m sticking to the notion that at least it was fun and interesting!

2 Comments

Filed under Artist Information & Notes

Tagged as I spy

November 7, 2011 · 11:13 am

Eye See You! It’s What’s On My Hook Today!

Eye See You!

Want to know what I’m up to right now? Well this monster flower is what’s on my hook today. I’m not sure where he’s going just yet. I’m crocheting madly trying to get ready for Austin Craft Riot this coming weekend. Just wish I’d had more time this summer to be better prepared.
(I’m still not moved and right now I don’t want to talk about it.)

Here are some of the bookmarks I made last week as well. I’ve got spiders and skulls too. You know me, can’t make exactly the same thing twice. The clockwork bookmark isn’t done yet.

I still need to find just the right sprocket for it. Most of the buttons are vintage from Grandma Dot and Grandma Leona’s collections. A couple from when my teens were babies.

Crochet Bookmarks

Anyway, so it’s past time to work on tags and business cards and such lovely things. I was going to practice my booth setup this weekend, but it didn’t happen. Somehow other chores and business won out, along with computer work. I can multi-task on a computer fairly well. Like now, I have 20+ windows open on my computer and I’m managing them all. Yes I am. I’m working on this post, organizing our bills, replying to tweets, writing a newsletter for my group, getting a template ready for tags and emailing folks on my list. No it’s not instantaneous, but it will all happen fairly fluidly as long as I’m not interrupted.

Why doesn’t being a taxi for my kids and the other mundane things in life work like that? Where’s my driver, secretary and maid?

6 Comments

Filed under Artist Information & Notes, crochet

Tagged as crochet, monster

November 6, 2011 · 3:54 pm

Oklahoma Earthquake & Asteroid Nears The Moon

Listening to the blessed soft patter of rain this morning (something of a rarity this year due to the crippling Texas drought), I’m struck by the surrealism of recent events. An earthquake of 5.6 magnitude shook my hometown of Lawton, OK last night. Right about the time I was Tweeting that, why yes, I was going to take advantage of that extra hour of sleep afforded by going off Daylight Savings Time. (I didn’t.) Reports of the earthquake flooded in from Kansas City, MO to Dallas, TX. And I found myself logging into Facebook to see if my family was reporting it too. They were.

Luckily, it has not seemed to have caused a lot of damage, but it is scary for Okies none the less. Speaking from experience growing up there, I can tell ya – we’re used to tornadoes in the Great Plains. Not earthquakes. Houses aren’t built for that there. And as a friend on Facebook pointed out last night, thank goodness there weren’t a bunch of broken gas lines from it. That would definitely make for a very difficult winter.

Why on earth was an earthquake like that felt across so many states? Well, in reading the tectonic information available about this region, it seems that earthquakes east of the Rockies are not as deep as on the West Coast and they spread out more. Not to mention they are way less frequent. So even though the epicenter seemed to be near Oklahoma City, OK, the effect as far away as Wichita Falls, TX and Kansas City, MO was still enough to knock walls.

By the way, if you felt the quake, be sure to report it.

It’s hard to fathom that actual earthquakes of significance took place in my home state this weekend.

You gotta understand, it’s like a joke that turns out to be real. It’s not like I am not already seasoned (or the whole Comanche County residential area for that matter) to loud noises and the rumbles of the earth. Lawton resides next to Ft. Sill, where the artillery practice was so common place when I was growing up there, that no one native to the area ever thought twice about it when the ground thunder rolled. To this day, if I hear a rumble from nearby quarry, which is nothing like artillery fire, I have to think twice before it really even registers.

In Lawton, you could hear the artillery rumble approach your position, rattle store windows, etc. and then leave. I remember once as a kid when apparently one of the shells went off a little closer to town than usual and some store windows broke. Not to mention the loud chinook helicopters which seemed to make both the air and the ground rumble at the same time. We always ran outside to watch those powerful buggers fly in. All that thunder, rock and roll – not a big deal.

I spent a year of college out in LA and remember experiencing my first earthquake (5.7) Feb 1990. I didn’t notice it at first and then it felt like a long artillery rumble, lasting about 10 seconds instead of 2-3 seconds at most. There were girls around me screaming. People dashing under school desks. I stood there blinking stupidly and said “That’s it? What’s the big deal?” I was a little disappointed in the experience. My edgy classmates griped at me, asking me what would it take to impress me.

I suppose I should have had more appreciation. After all, I grew up up near the Wichita Mountains where a minor fault line does reside, complete with a seismograph somewhere out at Meers, OK, just outside of Lawton. I remember watching it for awhile at the restaurant when I was a kid. (By the way, Meers Burgers are the best!) In spite of knowing about the fault line and seeing little bumps on the monitor, there was never anything of note. The Wichita Mountains are amongst the oldest on the planet. Mt. Scott, a glorified hill to most folks, is even an ancient dormant volcano. It was like a joke.

So of course, with all this perspective, it feels strange for the “joke” to become real. They say this makes it the largest earthquake ever in Oklahoma history.

But if there’s anything that life has taught me, it’s that anything is possible, no matter how unlikely it might seem. Even a giant asteroid approaching to skim past our moon.

That’s just the way the thunder rolls.

1 Comment

Filed under Editorial, Friends and Family, NaBloPoMo

Tagged as 2011, asteroid, earthquake, Great Plains, november, oklahoma, Wichita Mountains

November 5, 2011 · 5:26 pm

Meet Obey Crochet! – Blog Interview

I want to introduce you to someone I know you will enjoy!

Way back in late spring I came across one of Obey Crochet’s cartoons on Flickr and was literally hooked! I felt like she had crawled into my mind and pulled out my most obscure thoughts of crochet madness and made them funny!

Immediately I just had to get to know this fellow Texan crocheting chic and talk her into making a t-shirt! I didn’t care if anyone else wanted one – I wanted it for me! Stationary too! Like yesterday already!

She only had a handful of drawings up, but darn it if I wasn’t already a fan, hook-line-and-sinker. I dragged her onto Ravelry and told all my friends (even the ones who just don’t understand this crochet thing I’ve got goin’ on). I just loved her and wanted everyone else to as well. She even drew something I could use for one of my previous blog posts this summer “Tech Help For Crafters.” I also put her in touch with Laurie and she designed the Mascot for the Crochet Liberation Front “Crochet @Cama” 2011 Retreat!

I knew immediately the day I found her drawings that I wanted to interview this chic. Finally I asked and graciously she accepted.

I’ve been saving this blog interview, waiting for the right moment to share her with the world, when she wouldn’t have to share the pedestal with someone else or some other event. But now it’s time!

So with the enthusiasm of Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear, here she is ladies and gentlemen – I know you’ll love her too! Ms. Stephanie Toppin! a.k.a. Obey Crochet!

Ms. Obey Crochet

1. How did you get into crochet?

My mother, who does not consider all the things she does a skill, but just a basic knowledge. I was about 8 when she showed me crochet and it awakened in me three years ago for fun and a determination to learn patterns and not just wing it.

2. What is the story behind your website Obey Crochet and your crochet drawings?

Frustration. Mostly frustration. I felt the pains of being a second class citizen while creating a public art project using crochet. People were allowed to come and watch as we labored for art and many expressed their love for my choice of craft which they all assumed was knitting. For everyone to admire what you do and then call it something else, it’s like a gorilla tap dancing on your forehead, über annoying. Off to the internet for some type of rescue to show off my crochet pride!

The crochet community existed but there was nothing that suited my dry, tongue in cheek, silly behavior. “I heart crochet” was not going to cut it. I had the idea of “Codependent” and on a Friday night I sketched, on a Saturday morning I drew what turned into 12 drawings. I uploaded them to my Flickr and ideas kept flooding me so I indulged them.

Obey Crochet was born in less than a fortnight as the first website I constructed. I bought a tote bag and some iron on sheets and made a bag that I still carry. It happened so sudden and it’s less than a year old but it was the first thing that just clicked and I never questioned. Fun factor for me? Bajillion times awesome.

3. I hear you’re from Houston, TX! How would you describe the Houston craft scene?

I’m new to the “craft scene”, most people know me as a painter. I have always been crafty but it was more for hanging out at craft fairs, things for friend’s birthdays, Christmas, and junk to spoil their kids with some handmade goodness. It was just a personal release. From what I have come across now after getting more involved, it seems to be huge. I have heard of dozens of craft groups and I think the only down fall is that they don’t know about each other. Houston is a huge city, it’s sometimes tricky to make bridges beyond your area.

4. Can you tell me about your day? What other hats besides “Obey Crochet” do you wear?

Up at 6:30a. Lay in bed, check email, twitter, WordPress from phone. Shower, dress, eat at work. I work at a small local IT company, all guys except my boss. I do graphic design, HR, assistance, work with soap, random tasks while tolerating my male coworkers. I mostly eat cereal and yogurt with local honey. I have allergies. I go home 6ish, sometimes later. Come home, draw, take photos, scan. I paint, or make banners, work on cake sketches, upload an Obey Crochet drawing, work on my other blogs (Fabricandlines, Art Keeps Me Poor) do a proposals for art galleries while listening to podcasts, over 80 of them. I stay up until midnight/1ish most days. And then do it again. I volunteer, I drink beer, I use to ride my bike more, I thrift in my spare time for awesome things like huge brides maids skirts.

5. Quick! What are 5 random things about yourself that others might not know?

I have an afro, I love it. I’m making a unicorn cake for a soon to be 6 year old (hope that’s right). My family is West Indian. I never use LOL. I don’t know how to follow directions.

6. What’s your favorite drawing and/or crochet project so far? A favorite yarn or hook?

I really like roving yarn, I love the way it feels and looks. My heart leaps for it. Hooks? I like the way wooden ones feel more than metal, although when my hands get sweaty the cool metal is nice (sorry, too much info).

Favorite drawing…? “My shadow puppet is better than yours.” It’s silly and ridiculous; it was one of the firsts that were on Flickr. It makes me laugh really hard which is weird and awkward and awesome. I tend to use awesome too much. And to ramble.

7. Artists and crafters seem to be in constant pursuit of the perfect work-room! What is one thing about your current work space now that you like and what is one thing you would wish for in a dream work space?

I like that I have a workspace. I just moved and the old digs had my workspace as my bed in a 9 x9 room. Now I have a spare room and I love that it has French Doors, but I love more that it is a room without my bed in it. For the space, I really wish I had shelves. There is no point grudgingly wishing for grand things when all I need are some shelves. Cinder blocks and wood would be grand. Everything on the floor is really not assisting the flow.

8. Where can people buy your stuff and/or meet you? Shows, venues, etc.? Are t-shirts available yet?

I’m mostly at a taco truck near Shepherd and Alabama in Houston, but I am usually at a craft store somewhere in the loop. If you are local, you know what that means. I plan to go to all the upcoming craft fairs in Austin and the quilt show in Houston. No booths, just me, I have big hair, I’m easy to spot. I’ll give you a free button or a rub on tattoo.

[She’s going to be at Austin Craft Riot a week from today, along with the yarn bombing freebies she donated!]

I currently have a Cafepress store and yes we have shirts, we even have shot glasses. My goal is to get all the drawings on some type of item in the upcoming weeks. Check back for new uploads all the time.

9. Would you share with readers one valuable piece of advice someone gave you that has helped you or one that you have gained from hands-on experience yourself?

My boss shared what a professor once told her:
Talent is not that rare. Discipline is rare. The will and determination to get up and write that paper, look for that opportunity, save instead of blowing it all on beer, is rare.

I know that being self-motivated is tough. To craft a life of the things you want to actually be doing is nothing short of the most insane schedule and complicated game plan you will ever set out to do. And no one will write it. It’s yours to fumble and attack and concur every day.

My advice is: Do it.

My fear in life is to be that person who has a million ideas, dreams, and wishes for the rest of their being. Write them all down no matter what you feel about them and do them today or tomorrow or next week, but just make sure you actually do them. Don’t share all of your dreams. Sometimes people can erode an idea before it has even taken its first breath. Sometimes you don’t need the reality check to stop you before you start. You never know until you have it down, it’s solid and real.

What do you want people to say about you on your 75th birthday? Okay. Good. Now go at it and good luck.

So there you have it! Obey Crochet! Go check out her site and subscribe – it’ll do your crochety heart good!

Thank you to Stephanie for agreeing to be featured on my blog! Love ya gal!

Go ahead and click a link below to “share this.” You know you want to! : )

7 Comments

Filed under crochet, Crochet Community, Events, Humor, Interviews

Tagged as crochet, Houston, obey crochet, stephanie toppin, texas

November 4, 2011 · 8:07 am

Backstory: The Hook Of Desperation

This event took place about a year ago. People have heard me tell this story in person, but I’ve never written it down, until now.

It was time for our annual tag renewal on our car. Usually I would do this at the local county annex. I know a lot of people mail theirs in, but I’ve never been a fan of that. I like to have my receipt and new stickers in my hot little hand when I pay. Not wonder if they’ve been pilfered in the mail. After all, we live in the historical district, with an old fashioned mailbox by our door. Not one of those new-fangled group mail boxes like newer neighborhoods have.

Back to my story. However, our county built a whole new annex for our town. I walk in and am immediately greeted by a slick new computer terminal for me to register my name and pick the purpose for my visit from a list of three main categories. Supposedly this isolation of the purposes for your visit, like paying for your tags, vs. filing a title, would help speed up the process. I punch my info in, receive a number to get in line and walk into the new, bigger, better waiting room with my children and their reading books in tow. A sea of people like I’ve never seen in our town lay before me.

Arg! Two hours later I am going crazy. I hate waiting for long periods of nothing productive. What a waste of a precious life. Usually I have yarn or a book with me somewhere in the car, everywhere I go. But not this time. I’ve never spent that long at a tag office before, but I was late to renew as it was, so I had to stick around.

Those three purposes for my visit that I had to register and pick from? That each entailed their own specialized number sequence, making you think there’s a line dedicated for each purpose? Apparently served no purpose. Instead of one list of numbers to watch for yours to come up, there were three. And no particular teller in any order was dedicated to any of the number systems. And out of a brand new office with 10 windows, only three were manned.

Looking up at the “serving now” number, I knew it was going to take a long time to get to me still. I couldn’t take it anymore. I headed out to the car. There had to be a crochet hook somewhere out there! I needed to do something before I just totally lost it. But alas, though I found a bag of yarn, there was no hook.

Out of desperation I dug under a car seat and found out a pkg of Pei Wei chopsticks. Wait! Idea percolating! There’s a file in my purse. Holy cow, I’ll try anything at this point!

So taking my nail file to the chopstick I went to town. And managed to produce the tiniest edge of a lip.

Having finished his book some time before, my son turned bored eyes to my hands with renewed interest. “Mommy, can I try that?” I had to bite back the primal hiss threatening to well up from my soul.

I said much nicer (in my outside voice) “No honey, I’m trying to make a crochet hook.” He continued to watch with new amusement.

I tested it out on the yarn I brought in. Hot damn – it actually worked! Not ideal by any means, but it actually hooked yarn! Bwahahahaha! I felt triumphant in my rebellion. I’m sure I probably looked like a crazed mom, sawing and huddling over my new invention. I did not care.

It was about that time when a voice came over the loudspeaker.

“If any of you are here to renew your auto tags, you know we have a drive through…”

Whut?

There’s a DRIVE THROUGH?!

Mother of Mary in a flight suit! Why the hell didn’t someone say something sooner!!!!!

With that, half the room jumped up and ran out the door!

By the time I gathered our stuff and retrieved a child from the bathroom, figured out where the drive-through was hiding and pulled up, there were 10 cars in front of me. I continued to tweak my hook and crochet. It only took about 10 minutes for my turn and I was outta there!

Bah! Stupid drive-through. You should be obvious, located by the front door and painted red!

But here it is, The Hook Of Desperation. Yes, it can be done. Give me enough of an edge and I can crochet with anything!

The Hook Of Desperation! And it actually works!

Look what a file can do for you! You never know, it might be a yarnie's best friend.

7 Comments

Filed under crochet, Humor

Tagged as crochet, hook, patience

November 3, 2011 · 8:43 am

Want To See My Freebies For Craft Riot?

I’ll be participating in Austin Craft Riot a week from Saturday. It’s a great handmade show full of all sorts of goodness. Texas crochet peeps @ObeyCrochet and @Love_evol are both going to be dropping by the show.
If you’re in the area, you should too! Maybe watch my booth long enough to give me a bathroom break?

One of the features of this handmade show is that the first 25 people through the door each day will get a grab bag of free handmade goodies. Yes, that’s right. FREE handmade items.

Admittedly I do have mixed feelings about the words “free” and “handmade” going together in the same sentence, but it does get people in the door and it is fun to win things. Plus there will be raffles for handmade items donated by Austin Craft Riot team members as well, which helps us pay for things we need to continue to put on awesome shows. Soooo, it’s all for the cause and part of the expense of getting a booth.

Donations for door prizes are always a bit of a quandary for me, since as a crochet artist who likes to use high-end materials, my overhead is already pretty high before even considering a donation. Not to mention I cannot compete in volume of production with someone who strings beads. Last year’s crochet magnets still took a lot of time to make, not to mention materials I don’t normally stock. Which also means time away from making what I can sell. (And additionally takes time away from other causes near and dear to my heart.)

This year I’m donating a hand carved shawl pin for the raffle cause, thanks to Jimbo’s guidance and encouragement at Crochet @Cama (which I have yet to make). Below are samples of the handmade freebies I put together for the Austin Craft Riot goodie bags. (Click the picture to get the slide show to play.)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The tags? They came from Avery’s Design & Print Online. I had to tweak the layouts, as the template does not allow you to change the size of the tags. I needed these in a hurry, so I just moved all the text over and trimmed off nearly an inch of red from the tags after printing so they would fit the plastic bags I’m using. I only needed 15, so I justified speed over cost of ink. I wouldn’t recommend this for a mass amount of product. Still, take a look at the Avery tools and it should give you some ideas if you’re getting ready to do shows and are debating on how to tag your goods.

For more help and ideas on doing shows, you might like to read my article “About Doing Craft Shows: Observations, Likes and Advantages.” I still haven’t written part 2 for it, but perhaps I will for NaBloPoMo.

Go ahead and click a link below to “share this.” You know you want to! : )