Monday, January 17, 2011

Inching toward progress

I opened my Etsy account, also Knitster37.  Not that I have anything for sale.  I did some research and there are thousands of stitch markers, mostly cheaper than I was hoping for.  Ah, well, times are tough, and it's not an original idea.  I stole it from Somer.  Even though she blessed me. Somer, feel free to use my idea for baby bibs. There are some really cute ones on Etsy, but they're small and knit up fast like dishcloths, and you certainly know how to do those.  I'm thinking of trying for some sets, matching hat/booties/bib/blanket kind of thing, maybe just in pairs and offering more on consignment.  I did shop for supplies, too, got myself some little baggies for the finished product and some supplies.  I did see some opening clasps at the craft store and wasn't sure if I wanted them, but now I see that those are for crochet stitch markers.  So I think I will pick some up later.  Right now I still want to finish my past due knitting projects before I do anything for the shop.

My name change is in a holding pattern waiting for my driver's license.  I got my social security card, yay.

Jack is doing great with the potty but still has an accident a day.  We still have 2 weeks until he's 3, so I think he'll get it better by then.

Charlie slept from 12:15ish until 6:30 last night and it felt great.

My unfinished knitting-still have a lot of the fembot to do, and my friend is leaving on Friday.  I wanted to finish it and wash it in time for her to take with her.  Progress was halted by some tangle in the yarn, because it's so soft and fuzzy, but I got it all squared away now.  I also cast on birthday socks for Dad, even though I should finish one project before I start another one...all the others are too big to travel well, so this is purse knitting now.  I might cheat and use some previously started baby blanketness that I found in the closet and add elaborate border to it.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

new beginnings

new year, new decade, new name, new blog.


new years resolutions:
1 start knitting business
2 change name (to married name, nothing dramatic)
3 potty train Jack
4 goal weight
5 catch up on knitting projects
6 plan to pay off debt
7 dermatology
8 finish kitchen and upstairs painting
9 hang pictures
10 sell Ranger ASAP
11 (not so sure about this one) Charlie goals


so far
1 I have set up a ravelry account and a betterfly account.  Still want to set up an etsy account and talk to some friends about if I should incorporate.  I have plans to knit some baby items and contact the giftshop at the base hospital to sell through them, knit christmas items year round to sell at christmastime, and knit things for stuffed animals/dogs.  Any/all available through etsy account for sale, plus taking commissions.  I want to make matching stitch markers like Somer does, and I'd love to get into project bags.  A little at a time.
2 I have gone to social security and the DMV, once my real stuff comes in I will go by some businesses.  I have changed a lot of things online, email for starters, but I still have some business at the DMV and have to inform a lot of billers.  Our bank is changed, checks ordered and debit/credit cards ordered.  Insurance is changed too, but still have homeowners to do.  In all I have a good start but I think I still have more than 20 hours of crap ahead of me.
3 Jack is doing great.  We're practicing in the mornings and he has not had an accident free day yet, but hey he's not 3 yet.  And when he's 3 is when he's in undies all day, with pullups or goodnites or whatever for sleeping.  He's pooed in the potty once (yay) and pees a lot.  
4 goal weight is -30lbs.  Half by May and the other half by the end of the year.  I have done nothing for this one yet.  :)
5 I have several projects in the works or on backorder.  A wedding blanket, dad's socks, a nightie, 3 kids projects for my charity knitting group (Yarn for Yhwh), and a baby blanket.  After that I will still have charity knitting but otherwise can focus on my business.
6 We had to do emergency house repairs and therefore have an extra 13k of debt.  Plus 1400 on the credit card, plus a car loan and the mortgage, we need a budget.  I already trimmed the fat around the edges and we're promising not to go out to eat (doing better but still cheating a little) and have paid off almost 2k so far. 
7 dermatology is for my moles.  several have grown in scary ways during my pregnancies, and it is time to get them removed and biopsied.  Have to wait for name change stuff first, though.
8 I started to remodel my kitchen about a year ago and it is time to finish.  My temporary backsplash of tinfoil is getting very old.  The kitchen stuff has to get done before I can finish the painting, and then my house will look much much better.
9 the house will look like home once we get pictures up.
10 the ranger is costing us insurance and we bought the replacement vehicle almost a year ago, just a couple weeks shy. I've already spent the money we'd get for it, I just need to sell it.  It needs a fix first, the wheel bearings need greasing up, I think.  And it needs a little cleaning.  I really love that truck and wish I could keep it, but it can't take a carseat.  So it's not really an option.
11 I want Charlie to sleep in his crib and eat less at night until he can sleep through the night.  Technically this means midnight-5am. He did pretty good for half the night until I was too tired to get him to sleep without laying down with him in my bed.  But the biggest goal is to have a kid-free bed.  The sleeping through the night thing, I really can't do this for him, he has to be ready.  I think he will be, but still.