Photographers, I need your input please!

I'm working on a new baby blanket design to be used for newborn photography. It will be soft, thick and textured and come in a few colors, mostly neutrals. My question is: what is the ideal size to make the blanket? Some photographers like to have a very big blanket to use as a backdrop, and some like to have a smaller one that can be folded and placed in a bowl, crib etc. The yarn I will be using is quite expensive, so a big blanket could easily cost over $100. I insist on using this yarn as it is incredibly soft and is what will give the blanket it's texture. I currently use it now as trim on a few of my hats and it'a also used in a couple of my hanging slings.

This is very large blanket I made a few months ago, using the same yarn.

If you have time, please leave a comment regarding what you think is the ideal baby blanket size for photography. Thanks!!

New shop!

I'm so excited because I've just opened a second Etsy shop, Brooklin Girl! Its soon to be full of crocheted goodies to accessorize your home. I currently have coasters, dishcloths, felted bowls and napkin rings available for sale. I am looking forward to adding some afghans and throws, but my Bubblegirl shop is keeping me very busy. That shop has had quite a year, I've almost reached 1600 sales in 18 months which might explain why I haven't posted here since last March. I'm really enjoying making some different things for the new shop. I was so happy to see that my one of my felted coaster sets made it to the front page on Etsy only a few days after the new shop opened!!

New year, new design

Happy New Year!! I ended the year on a high note by celebrating my 200th sale on Etsy. I'm pretty pleased about that since my original goal was to reach 100 sales in my first year. I opened my shop in May 2008, so I've doubled my goal in a little over 7 months. I'm now hoping to reach 300 sales by my 1 year anniversary. I spent some of my holidays working on a new baby hat design. It's a folded brim baby cap that's decorated with a little flower. I currently have 3 colors available in the shop.

Chocolate Brown

Sweet Cream

Pretty in Pink

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas

Our family decorated the Christmas tree this past weekend. I actually left most of the kids' ornaments where they put them, I'm not as fussy as I used to be...once you have children, Christmas really is more for them. The tree is covered in 24 little white mittens I hand knitted 2 years ago. I got the idea from Martha Stewart when she had an "Advent Tree" on her show that had 24 mittens, each with a number counting down to Christmas. I wasn't ambitious enough to knit numbers onto the mitts, but I like them all white. The next year, I crocheted a "scarf" to use as garland. I started making that in June so it would be ready for December. I was far too busy this year to make anything new, but I'm thinking of knitting little caps for next year's tree. Maybe by then my kids will be a bit more adept at knitting and they can make them instead!

We also went to see the man in red on Sunday. We waited over 2 hours, which might explain why the kids look a bit worn out.

Newborn Earflap Hats

I already have a few earflap hats for older kids in my shop, and now I've added some for newborns. So far I only have 2 color choices, but will be adding a few more soon. These ones are made with Pretty in Pink and White.

These one are made with Sweet Cream and Pretty in Pink.

I also have a new Chocolate Brown Earflap Hat for the big kids too!

New hats for fall

I spent this past weekend making some new hats for fall. I now have a larger "big kid" version of my Baby Hat with Tassels that has been so popular in my shop. I think they look pretty cute, I'll have to wait and see if anyone else likes them.

I'm also adding some more brimmed hats to the shop and have included some for boys!

From start to finish

I thought I would show the step by step process I used to make my latest baby blanket. This Wonder Dreams blanket was crocheted in blue and green cotton yarn, with a white trim. All knit or crochet projects begin the same way, with a ball of yarn and a needle or hook. In this case a 5mm crochet hook and several balls of Bernat Cottontots yarn.

The blanket is made up of 25 6"x6" squares; 9 blue, 4 green, and 12 granny squares that are a combination of blue and green with a white edge.

Once all the squares were made, I crocheted them together with white yarn to form strips 5 squares long. They could also have been sewed together, but I prefer the look of the crocheted border around each square. I ended up with 5 strips that then had to be joined to form the body of the blanket. I then crocheted a white border around the entire blanket.

If you ask most knitters or crocheters (or hookers as we are known) what they like least about their craft, most of them would say, "weaving in the ends". I am no different, this was the most time consuming part of this project. As you can see in the photo there were ALOT of ends to weave in. The more color changes there are, the more ends there are too. I hope this makes you appreciate all the work that goes into making something that has many different colors. It would have been harder for me if all the squares were granny squares instead of plain. I have made many blankets with all granny squares and it has taken days just to weave in the ends.

It was worth all the effort, here is the finished product a 31"x31" baby blanket.

First try at pattern writing

I have been thinking about putting my patterns down on paper. I have them all written down in some form, mostly drawings and shorthand that only I can understand. I think it takes alot of skill to be able to write a pattern that other people can understand and follow. I have decided to start off with a very simple pattern and am posting it here in the hopes that someone will try it and give me some feedback. I would like to know if it is readable and if it needs any corrections. All critiques will be much appreciated.

The patttern is for a soap cover that I designed for my kids. I have a couple of them for sale in my Etsy shop and I also made one for myself that I use all the time.

The soap in the photo was purchased from Lily Pond Soaps. If you would like to purchase this Citrus Bubbles Shea Butter soap, visit http://www.lilypondsoaps.etsy.com/

Bubblegirl's Soap Cover

Designed by Lisa Charbonneau

Materials:

Size H (5mm) crochet hook

Worsted weight cotton yarn - 1 skein (50g)

Size:

5.5" x 3"

Skill Level:

Easy

Instructions:
Row 1: Ch 28, hdc in 2nd ch from hook, *sk 1 ch, hdc in next ch, repeat from * to end; ch 2 turn.

Row 2: Sk 1st hdc, hdc in next ch 1 sp *ch 1 sk next hcd, hdc in next ch 1 sp, repeat from * to end; ch 2 turn.

Rows 3 - 16: Repeat Row 2.

Finish off.

Sew bottom and side seam, or sc them together instead of sewing.

Top Edging:
Join yarn with a ss near seam at top, ch 1 and sc evenly around top of soap cover.

Drawstring:
Ch 70. Ss in 2nd ch from hook, ss in each ch to end. Fasten off.
Thread drawstring through holes in the third frow from top as shown in photo. Tie drawstring as shown.

Abbreviations:

ch=chain

ss=slip stitch

sc=single crochet

hdc=half double crochet

sk=skip

sp=space

Must get back to the Blog!

I've been neglecting this blog for a few weeks. I don't know how people do it...I am so busy with my little business endeavor, not to mention my family.

Big news, my daughter "graduated" from Nursery School, they even had a little ceremony, how cute! Here she is getting her "diploma", she was so excited.

I have come up with alot of new designs lately, a new Baby Gift Set, an adorable little poncho, a new baby blanket, and a really cool soap cover. I've been buying some of the awesome handmade soaps available on Etsy and they are great! My kids love them too, the only problem is, they have a hard time holding on to the slippery soap, so I made them a little cover that doubles as a washcloth.

Boy, have I been busy!

I've had a few sales in my Etsy shop, so it's been knit, knit, knit to re-stock the shop. I also just finished a cute little crocheted dress.

I'm excited about a new Gift Set I will be offering soon, it will consist of a baby blanket, baby hat, and a pair of booties. It will be made to order and be offered in light or medium pink, light or medium blue, light green and all white. I will be starting to make a blanket for a friend in pink, and will use that one in the listing photo. I'll post it here as soon as it's done!

I've also been playing with some photo software and designed a new banner for my Etsy shop. I added it here too, what do you think? I'm addicted to it now, and have also designed new business cards. I wish I had found this software before I order 250 cards!

This week is going to be another busy one...I'm going on an all day school trip with my son tomorrow, and my daughter graduates from Nursey school on Thursday! I'll post pics of that too.