So this is Christmas!

How was your Christmas?  I hope it was as lovely as mine was.  For the first time ever I had a little Christmas rush at the store, had 5 whole sales in one month!  That's a new record.  Also got not one but two amazing presents from Santa, one being a new computer that I'm writing on right this second and the second being a printer.  Oh joy!  Oh lovely joy!  Not only can I print out coupons witch will save me tons and tons of money I can also now print out shipping labels and postage all from the comfort and joy of my own home.  No more will I have to drag the kids to the post office in cold, wet, raining, snowing weather I can just package and ship from my mailbox.  How great is that??? 

The kids got spoiled from my family and have more toys than they know what to do with.  They also got some clothes witch helps me I will no longer have to do laundry every other day however I probably will anyways from force of habit.  A's medicine is working and he's back to his happy go lucky self aside from the part where he has to actually TAKE the medicine.  Got the kids hair cuts today with magical Christmas money and took them out to eat.  We haven't gone out in forever.  It was nice. 

Got to see my baby sister get engaged after the family opening of Christmas presents.  I'm glad she's happy and that I got to see it.  She wants my daughter to be flower girl and my kid's already all upset about it because she doesn't want to wear a dress.  Yeah that figures my one and only daughter is a total tom boy.  I think it might have something to do with her having 2 brothers.  I got asked to be a flower girl once.  My parents said no because it costs money.  Oh well. 

I posted some new items! 

First up is my Valentines day heart infinity scarf.  It's made from bubblegum pink acrylic yarn and has tons of cute little crochet hearts all over it.  Pretty sweet yeah?

 Next up is this neon magenta, purple and blue beanie hat.  I made one of these for my daughter for Christmas and it was just so freaking cool I had to make one for the store too.  Very trendy hot hot hot colors.  The little poof comes off too if you don't like it.

Last up is this sweet Electric magenta newsboy cap I went and saw the next color of the year and then went out and got a color that's most similar to it and made a sweet trendy newsboy cap out of it.  In real life the color is a bit more purplish and dark, for some reason in my photo's it keeps coming out a neon pink it's not really this bright. 

 

Well there ya have it.  I hope you had a Merry Christmas, and if not why  not treat yourself to something from Crochet by Mel?

Freeshippingday.com

Today is free shipping day!  My store along with many many other etsy stores and big box stores are offering free shipping today on all orders.  Delivery by Christmas Eve.  My heart is beating a million times a minute.  My adrenaline is pumping.  ANYTHING could happen.  But it probably wont.  If anything at least I'm getting a lot of views out of the deal.  Maybe some new eyes will see my stuff and snag it.  Maybe not.  But its worth a shot.  Just so you know if your looking for last minute gifts and want to avoid the malls and going out in this crappy cold snowy weather just visit freeshipping.com there's bound to be something for everyone there and you don't even have to shell out the money for shipping!

What's wrong with me.

I have a heart problem.  Being a single mom I have gotten so accustomed to the whole idea of "If I don't do it, it's not going to get done."  I have become so self reliant that it's just so hard to ask for help.  I have a friend I just talked to and she said that I should pray every morning to commit my day to God and ask him for strength to get me threw the day and to keep from sinning.  So I tried that today and I realized my problem. 

Anyone remember the story about Jesus where the guy came up to him and told him how he's always kept the 10 commandments and never broke any laws and blah blah I'm a good person Jesus will I get into Heaven?  And then Jesus said he had to go and sell all his things and follow him?  And then the guy walked away all sad because he loved all his things and didn't want to give them up?  Yeah.  That's my problem right now it's not so much the material things because we all know I don't have much in the way of that but it's those crutches.  I found myself feeling like I don't want to give up my whole day to God.  Those little pet sins we all have who really wants to give them up?  What's a life worth living if you can't do what you want and enjoy it? 

Well you know what they say, the first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem.  If you pray please pray for me that I can give up my little 5% of my life that I want to keep so that I can lay everything down and follow him.  It's so hard, and it really shouldn't be.  I'm convinced this is why so few actually make it to heaven because people are born selfish and no matter how much they want to do right it's just so hard to do the right thing.  So that's what's wrong with me right now.  What's wron with you?

Finally finished!

Yay!  I finally finished the never ending project that took about a month!  I'm sure you're all just dying to see it so here it is:

Honestly it looks much better on a real live person but being as I'm just me I can't very well take pictures of it on someone because I suck at selfies.  The majority of it is done in Ivy green and then the stripes on the arms are in mint, gray and brown.  The sides are done up in chains to let your under layer show threw and adds to the style. Here's a close up of the shoulder

area so you can see the detailing on the waves.  It really is a very nice sweater, worth all the time and torment.  Not sure if I'll make another one though so if you like this, it's a size small/medium you can find more information on it right here this chenille is really nice stuff it's soft and warm without being overbearing and not in the slightest bit itchy at all. 

Here's a better look at the sleeves they are long and are a total of 8 rows of waves on top and the bottom is the same ivy green as the rest of the sweater. 

Here is the back and you can of course wear the front for the back or vice versa depending on what you prefer.  I was going to do a big blog post about all my new stuff because I do have a few new things up but then I got lazy and decided, why not give this bad boy it's own post.  Thank you so much for stopping by!  Until next time take care. 

Bottled Wind - Polar Bear Club 3-23-13 I can't outrun it on . ..

What are you thankful for?

Funny thing about loosing everything.  It makes you incredibly grateful for the things you do have.  Being Thanksgiving and all I wanted to write about the things that I am thankful for.  I am thankful for my 3 healthy children.  It's so easy to take things for granted, you assume your going to get knocked up and have healthy perfect babies but that's not always the case.  2 out of 3 of my kids have birth defects, and where as it's not ideal at least they are healthy, smart, they can see they can hear they can use kid logic.  I am one lucky lucky lady! 

I am thankful for my car.  I can't believe I've had that car over 12 years.  I remember being 12 years old and thinking I was really old now and what a big shot and I knew everything. . .  wow.  Now that I've had a car for 12 years 12 years really doesn't seem like that long of a time.  It still works!  The only big thing I've had to fix was the transmission.  It's been in many accidents, got hit by a semi-truck, a tree fell on it,k got struck by lightning so the radio doesn't always work but hey it get's me where I'm going. 

I am thankful for my apartment.  Sure it's got its massive flaws but it's a place to live.  It beats one room in my parents house where we were not welcome.  It beats living in my car, or the trailers I have looked at.  It's got pretty good square footage for the price, the kids have their own room, I have my own bathroom and a place to do laundry where I don't have to put quarters in it.  My very own kitchen.  I remember when I moved in how excited I was about having closets.  It doesn't take much to make me happy.  Be it ever so humble there's no place like home. 

I am thankful for my warm cozy bed.  For a while I didn't have a bed I had a mattress witch is better than nothing but it was like night and day when I sprung for the pillow top.  Makes me wonder why anyone would ever sleep on those old school mattresses.  The kids can climb up into my bed and it doesn't even wake me up anymore.  I actually get to sleep threw the night.  It's wonderful. 

I am thankful for my God.  No matter how hard times get I am so thankful to know I don't have to go threw any of it alone.  He's always there to listen to me.  There's been so many answers to prayer.  Maybe some day I'll try and list them all.  I would just be so lost without him.  He truly is an awesome God.  He has blessed me with so many great things.  I don't know why he decided to pick me but I sure am glad he did. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all and to all a good night!  Thank you for reading my blog may God bless you e even more than he's blessed me. 

Cheapo thoughtful gift idea's for everyone on your nice list.

T minus one month till Christmas!  Are you done with your shopping yet?  I haven't even started mine.  I might just not do it this year since I'm all broke and all.  Maybe I'll be able to get the kids one thing each.  I lucked out and my daughter asked Santa for something that's like 6 bucks this year so at least I got that going for me.  For those who aren't in love with my little pony's though here's some thoughtful gift ideas for all those people on your "nice" list.

First up we have this lovely blue-gray chenille scarf that's perfect for either gender.  It's soft and warm without being too girly.  The color is one that will go with anything, if you get it for yourself you'll want to wear it all winter long.  If its a gift who ever you give it to will want to wear it all winter long and will no doubt think of you and how awesome you are that you got them such a lovely handmade gift.  Right now I'm also offering free shipping to the 48 states with coupon code FREESHIPPING at check out.  No minimum purchase!

Next up we have this lovely chevron cup cozy that will help your eco-friendly friend drink coffee from all their favorite places without killing tree's.   As an added bonus it keeps their fingers from getting burnt and also helps keep their drinks toasty longer.  Talk about a nice gift for under 10 dollars!  I can make this in any colors you choose so if they have a favorite sports team or whatever just ask. 

Lastly up for your consideration is this sweet baby pink crochet beret for under 15 dollars!  It has an oatmeal colored band that's made of super soft chenille to help keep it in place.  Who doesn't love a sweet winter hat??  Fits your average teen/adult sized head.  Don't forget free shipping if you live in the 48 states!  There's plenty more to choose from at Crochet By Mel so please do stop by.  Get your shopping done at home and have it delivered to your door!  Beat the crowds and the cold and support small business.  Thanks for stopping by. 

The rock and the hard place

I never was one to make decisions.  Now that I'm a single mom I have to make so so many of them.  The latest I am struggling with is to get a job or not to get a job .. . that's the question.  I wanted to wait till my kids were older because me being me I don't trust anyone that's not family (and some of my family I don't even trust) with my kids, but the boys are going to be 4 soon and I'm starting to think maybe it's time.  On one hand I am seriously sick of being broke all the time, but on the other my mom has been trying to get a job like one I'd need for a very long time and she can't find anything so I'm thinking my chances might be slim to even find a job. 

Also, I hate the government and I really don't want to use any of their programs to help me get back on my feet but I'm just not seeing any way around it.  The quickest way to get daycare assistance is to sign up for food stamps, you sign up  for the food stamps and they give you 13 weeks to find a job.  Well if my mom can't find one in over 4 months what are the odd's I'm going to do any better?  They say that they sign you up for all this crap to get a job, temp agency's and such but I'm sorry I don't want to throw my kids in daycare so someone else can take care of them while I go do a job I hate all day.  Is that wrong?  Is it wrong to want to be able to do a job you love? 

I'm stuck.  I keep mulling it over.  A big part of me says they are only going to be young once and I should really just enjoy it.  Another part is saying I should go and get a job so I can get them all the material things that well, they don't really need per-say but it would make life easier.  Is 4 a good age to go to daycare?  And then my daughter is getting bullied on the bus and I worry about her getting bullied at afterschool care because she'll be by herself.  I pity the fool who tries to pick on either of my boys b/c they always have each others backs. 

And then there's the thing of if your getting food stamps, and the government is paying a big chunk of your daycare bill, are you really on your own two feet?  Are you really contributing to society or are you a part of the problem?  Right now I feel like I'm doing them a favor by not using the services so that they can use it for someone else who might need it more than I do. 

And then there's the am I even going to make any money if I start working?  By the time you pay for gas, uniforms, my part of daycare oh and finding a job that's going to let me have Wednesdays off early because my court order says I have to drive to Illinois for 2 hours worth of driving so the kids can see their dad for 2 hours that's always there too.  Where am I going to find a job like that? 

If you pray please pray for me.  I need all the help I can get.  Anyways thanks for letting me rant. . .

Getting ready for winter

A funny thing happened this week.  My daughter asked me for mittens.  Me being all resourceful I crocheted her some mittens that very night.  No pattern needed.  She loves them and now my daughters hands are no longer cold when she's outside for recess.  I decided to list them, so your kid can have warm chenille mittens too.  They come in size small medium and large.  The sample size is what I would call a medium they fit my 6 year old nicely.  I have many colors of chenille to choose from a few examples are butter cream, white with gold sparkles, brown, blue and red.  It's hard to see the glitter in these but they came out pretty cute. You can find the listing for them here and they make a lovely gift for that special grandchild or child in your life.  They aren't super bulky but they are soft and will keep those precious little fingers warm.

Next up I have your traditional Santa hat in what else?  Chenille.  I wish the pictures would have come out a little better but this hat is super comfortable and also very cute.  It has a vintage feel to it and the red reminds me of the red in red velvet cake.  Sorry this hat isn't as delicious as cake but it's a good size for a man or woman is pretty warm and of course very soft and is a lovely gift option under 20 dollars. 

You can find the listing for this lovely hat here and sorry to say but when it's gone it's gone, I don't have enough of these two exact colors to make a second one. 
























Lastly I have a very simple soft and snug neck warmer in my signature color, purple.  This yarn has light purple and dark purple together so it gives it a nice textured look.  It is accented with a pink square button so you can wear it many different ways.  This is also a nice gift option under 20 dollars.  I love neck warmers because you get the warmth of a scarf without the extra scarf flying around all over the place in the wind.  For the most part they stay neatly in place and you never have to re-tie them. 

You can find this listing right here  and this is another one of when its gone it's gone, I've had this yarn in my stash for quite some time and don't know if I can even find it anywhere anymore.  It's very soft and not scratchy at all. 

Well I hope you enjoyed your little peek of whats new for winter and if you get a chance please check out the rest I have to offer over at Crochet By Mel there's more than meets the eye.  (My camera pretty much sucks)  Ta ta for now. . . .

some firsts and, give responsibly

Who hoo!  There I was minding my own business crocheting a scarf as I was waiting to get my oil changed and you'll never guess what happened, SOMEONE ASKED FOR MY CARD and I actually had one to give.  Funny the kinds of things that excite you when your just a small time dealer of crochet products on Etsy.  Let's see, other big news some publications are following me on Twitter.  Of course I don't know if they are the actual real live publications or just someone posing as them, or someone hired to do PR for them but still that's pretty cool.  Yay.  I need to get some new stuff in my store I know but I'm still working on the sweater that I'm not so sure I'm in love with anymore.  I still have to finish it because I can't start something and not finish it but I'm kind of looking at it like the project that will never end.  Those who know me know I have kind of a short attention span.  Can't imagine where I got that from . . .

So it's that time of year again where stores are crammed to the brim with all those useless gift sets that are cheep and no one really wants or uses, and if you do use them they break the first or second time you use them.  I urge you fellow American's not to buy said crap.  I know its tempting, and it's the seemingly perfect gift to buy for that someone you have no idea what they are into or what they like so you go and you get them a box of 46 shades of eyeshadow that they are never going to use and they thank you and smile politely but nothing says I honestly don't care about you at all like buying those stupid gift sets.  Something else that would be a bit more thoughtful would be say, a gift card to Starbucks if they are a coffee drinker, or a gift card to the movies if they like that sort of thing, or whatever.  Really.  Anything but those gift sets made in China.

I know it's tempting as all get out to spoil your children rotten this time of year.  My parents were gulity of buying a lot of those crappy gift sets for us as kids because honestly they still don't have any idea who we are and I think they just wanted stuff to put under the tree but a good rule of thumb is to get each child only 4 presents.  I'll be lucky this year if I'm able to get my kids each one present.  They say you should get something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read.  I know as a kid my parents didn't have a lot of money but the truth is me and my sisters would have been happy with just one well thought out gift, something that said that they actually like. . . cared.  Being super poor like I am I used to really stress over Christmas because you know, I want to give my kids the world but I don't have it but watching them share their Halloween candy really opened my eyes.  They don't really care about the presents.  Sure they look forward to getting something but for our family the holidays are more about being together than anything else.  We're making memories and cookies.  We're going to see Santa at Bass Pro shop because any smart child know's that's where Santa vacations for 2 months out of the year *wink wink*  Asher is really looking forward to going fishing with Santa when he's a little older.  But it's about the Church Christmas program and watching the movies and going to see family- well my kids will miss  out on most of my family this year because my parents refuse to have Christmas any day other than the actual Christmas and my ex gets the kids for Christmas this year.  Maybe I'll be able to get them out to my grandparents one of these days but with Molly in school she's always bringing home illnesses and the last thing I want to do is get them sick.  Anyways I'm in the bad place so I'd better shut up, but please America, give responsibly and don't waste your money on commercial bull that no one needs.  Everyone is tightening their belts these days and I really believe this is one area we can all cut down on.  Toodles.

Free shipping day!

Who knew?  There's this magical thing called free shipping day on December 18th.  From what I gather its the last day before Christmas that you can send stuff out and be sure it will get there before Christmas.  To celebrate this magical idea I am now offering FREE SHIPPING on all my stuff for the 48 states on any item from now till December 18th.  Just enter FREESHIPPING in the coupon codes at check out.  How exciting is that?  Now you can get high quality hand crocheted products for you, your friends and family and get them shipped for free.  I know I love free shipping, it's just about the only time I order from anywhere. 

Speaking of witch, I have a Victoria's Secret problem.  My problem is they keep giving me coupons and free stuff.  Rough gig right?  Sometimes I wonder how they can possibly make any money when they keep giving me stuff for free but they must be, because they are still in business.  I will tell you this much, NEVER pay full price there.  I mean really who pays 14.95 for one pair of undies?  If your a fan of this place you really should get their credit card, the trick is just to pay it off every month.  Did you know when you use a angel card at the store and pay your bill you get double points, every time?  I used to think holy cow 250 points that's 250 dollars before you get a 10 dollar off coupon but that's not the case, not really.  They have specials all the time where if you buy such and such thing you get double points, then pay your bill and they double those points as well, next thing you know your getting an angel reward card for 30 bucks and then you pop in a 10 dollar off a 50 dollar purchase survey coupon and your getting 50 bucks worth of stuff for 10 dollars, you get 10 more points (or double if you got a bra) pay that 10 bucks off at the register and you got your self 20 to 40 more points twards your next reward.  They also have a special on comfy cotton undies I think they are 7 for 26 bucks right now what I do is I get 14 use my coupons and it's like I get them for 10 bucks.  FYI there is a market for reselling those bad boys on Ebay.  Your welcome. 

I am looking at a kid free weekend.  This time I feel rather good about it since I've spent so much time with them over the past 2 weeks but today is a mommy son day since my daughter is in school.  We are going for hair cuts and grocery shopping.  Sad what makes me super happy right?  When you have to share you learn to appreciate every single day and never take one for granted.  I can't believe what awesome little people they are turning into, all 3 of them.  Yes I am totally looking forward 2 two count them two full uninterrupted nights of sleep, two days of being able to go to the bathroom by myself and two days of being able to clean and walk around without tripping on toys.  Be jealous. 

Ok kiddo's just a recap, free shipping at Crochet By Mel till December 18th with coupon code FREESHIPPING at check out.  Have a killer weekend! 

Scarves scarves and more scarves

Who doesn't love a good scarf these days?  They are perfect for cuddly cozy comfort on a cold blistery day.  They add color to an otherwise dreary outfit.  They subtly mumble "Hey look at me" without being too obnoxious.  They sway when you walk.  Mostly though, they make a great gift for the person who has everything.  Not much says "I love you" more than giving someone a handmade scarf.  Let's check out a few of the humble offerings from my little shop shall we?

 This little beauty is a blue chevron ombre scarf.  Colors range from white, to light blue, medium blue and dark blue.  It's made with lacy mohair blended yarn that if you have sensitive skin it might find it a little itchy however you can always wear it over a turtle neck.  Or give it to someone you want to make itch.  Worn over a coat it would make a stylish and beautiful statement without saying a word.  You can pick up this little beauty right here if you have a mind to. 

 Now this pink fetish scarf is made from 100% crochet cotton so it's both comfy and functional.  Funny side note, it's also a shawl.  Two products, one great price.  It's made from a series of chains that are beautiful and simple at the same time.  It sports a beautiful flower fringe that's all attached so you won't have little pieces of fringe falling off all over the place.  You can pick up this one over here and if you like this but aren't crazy about pink I also have a smaller version available in purple.  I know I have a lot of purple in my store, too bad everyone else doesn't love purple as much as I do. 

 Speaking of purple, here is my fantastic invention the Everything scarf.  Not only is it a scarf it's also a caplet, and also an infinity scarf.  Look over here for all the many ways you can wear this plush chenille beauty.  It's warm without being over bearing and so soft you'll never want to take it off.  Forget about giving this to someone because if your a woman you're going to want to keep this for yourself.  It's a rich dark plum color that will go with most everything and the pattern of it is simple enough that it's not going to overshadow the rest of your outfit.  A lovely confidence boosting piece, and three products for the price of one, you can't beat that value!

Lastly here's my purple green and white chevron scarf.  A little birdie told me that green is supposed to be in this season so this was my attempt to cash in on that.  So far it's not really working but this is a really cute scarf and I imagine it would make a nice gift for a woman, teen or tween.  Made from regular old acrylic yarn it machine washes and dries like a dream and don't ask me why but chevron is very "in" right now.  You can find it right over here along with a lovely scarf I did up with in gold, baby yellow and heather gray with the same pattern idea.  There's also many other scarves and shawls and such at my shop if your interested. 







I'm still working on that sweater I was talking about before.  Not much farther along than I was before but it's coming together rather nicely and I kind of doubt anyone is going to want to drop that much cash on a one of a kind Crochet By Mel masterpiece I'll never know if I don't try right?  Thanks for stopping by, until next time. . ..

Daylight savings time, WHY???

Now I really don't understand the point of Daylight Savings time.  It's not really saving any daylight, the sun is still out for the same amount of time.  I got to see the sun rise today and it came up at about 6:30, so I guess before this it came up at 7:30.  Don't farmers want to sleep in?  I don't understand why they can't just push back milking the cows or whatever till 7:30 and really who's dressed and up and ready to go before 7:30 anyways?  Am I missing something here?  Never was a morning person myself I am not as bad as my sister I don't wake up and curse the morning like she does but 5 is just so so early for someone like me who doesn't go to bed till about 12, not to mention pip squeak woke up at 2 AM with a bad dream so I only got about 5 hours of interrupted sleep.  Takes me back to the days where the twins were babies and I like, never slept.  At least I know I will get some sleep tonight and the cool thing about daylight savings time is it gets darker earlier so its much easier to trick the kids into getting into bed at like 7- 7:30 and then I can attempt to go to bed early tonight. 

There's an old proverb of some nationality that says the person who says it can not be done should not interrupt the person doing it.  That's pretty much how I'm feeling right now.  So many people who I'm not going to name because someone reading this might actually know who I'm talking about are always telling me what I can't do.  What I shouldn't even try to do.  What's impossible to do.  Unless they are using some kind of reverse psychology than they just rather suck and I can't wait to prove them wrong.  There's one that really drives me crazy not only does she tell me what I can't do she then turns it around and says if I don't do the impossible thing that she said can't be done I'm going to be even more screwed.  Nod and smile.  That's about all you can do with that one.  I've found that where there's a will there's more than one way and where there's no will there's always excuses.  I've decided these folks who keep saying it can't be done are just saying that because they feel bad about all the crap they never even TRIED to do because they were too afraid of failure.  I have decided that failure isn't as bad as not even trying. 

Odd how it took me so long to find myself but all this time I didn't even know I was lost.  Yes I stole that from a song.  So sue me.  I wish it hadn't taken me so long because there's so many years I'll never get back but you know what they say there's no sense tripping over something that's already behind you. 

So you, yeah YOU go find that impossible dream and tackle it till it's possible again.  Start out small little baby steps and just keep going.  If you get stuck try something else till it finally works.  By the time it's no longer daylight savings time I want you to have accomplished your goal.  You CAN do it.  Nothing is impossible, and if you need someone to hold you accountable for your actions and help you get it done than I'll be more than happy to yell at you till its done.  If you have the faith of a mustard seed you can move mountains, how much faith do you have?  

If this makes no sense or is senseless remember I am running on like no sleep and have a headache and kids screaming in my ears and there's only so much coffee can do.   Have a great day :)

Stumbled upon and tricks or treats

Now this website is perfectly named or maybe it's just me but I am totally stumbling all over that site that seems to have no rhyme or reason why it shows you the things it shows you, how to add content to it, how to add followers or get followers and how to get seen on it.  Kind of reminds me of this baby mole I saw over by my house the other day that was totally blind, stumbling along looking for who knows what probably food right?  Or maybe its mom?  Honestly its a wonder those little ugly things find anything it was so small and blind and totally clueless.  Some social media are pretty easy to navigate, like Pintrest for example.  You pin a pin, you get followers, you follow people although I have yet to figure how to find people outside of my little circle.  If you have any tips or tricks or help with stumbled upon please leave me a comment. 

Something else I am stumbling upon is google SEO.  SEO stands for search engine optimization.  It's the kooky little formula that google geniuses concocted that decides what pops up when you search for certain things.  I must be doing something right now though because when you type in my store name it's only 7th on the list now ha ha lucky number 7.  I guess there's some magic formula of words that's supposed to drag people to your site but yeah. . . not a clue how to get there.  Someone found me last night by typing in "crochet shawls for sale" but they must have dug threw pages and pages of results before they found me because I looked and I am no where to be seen in there I gave up looking. 

Yes my kids are having candy for breakfast.  I made a super healthy Butter Braid but surprise surprise they didn't want it.  It's one day a year and it is kind of a tradition around here candy for breakfast the day after tricks or treats.  I learned a lot of things from my parents, what kind of parent I want to be is one of them.  What will my kids remember once they've grown up?  Will they remember that there was almost always dirty dishes in the sink or will they remember that mom would drop everything just to take them to the gas station for a slurpee in the summer?  Will they care that their room was almost always a cluttered jumble of toys or will they remember how mom never made them throw their toys away because she deemed them too old for them.  Are they going to remember how totally poor we are or are they going to remember snuggling on the couch with mom watching cartoons and having popcorn?  People spend so much energy and time trying to buy their kids the best of everything but most times what the kids really want and need is their parents love and attention.  They say the average 4 year old asks 400 questions a day.  Well I got twins.  And a 6 year old. I am always answering questions.  Always so busy, but hey at least my life is never boring. 

And here I go stumbling upon this entire blog post of randomness.  If you read this hey that's like 3 minutes of your life you can never get back.  :)  thanks for stopping by .. .  hope you enjoyed the show

 My 3 trick or treaters you better believe they made out like bandits.  Ash did exceptionally good he played the game of always being the last one to the door so he usually got 2 handfuls. 

And brave princess mommy- and I was brave last night I can't believe we all crossed the train tracks twice and visited some very spooky houses and no one died. 

Happy Halloween and other stuff. . .

So Trick or Treats was postponed till tomorrow due to lack of interest. . . no really its because they thought the weather was going to be bad but it's looking pretty mild and no rain so they probably should have just left it.  Oh well.  Watch it be pouring buckets tomorrow.  Not to toot my own horn but BEEP BEEP some things I'm pretty excited about . ..

If you type in "crochet" and search for people on Twitter I come up 16th on the list.  Not that many would type in "crochet" on twitter but if they have a mind to I only have to beat out 15 other people before they will come to me first.  And the first 5 or so were like crochet publications and such so yay for that! 

If you type in "Crochet By Mel" on Bing my site is the first one on the list.  Google still has some catching up to do for some reason they think some other crochet shop that sells mostly kiddie type crochet stuff is more important than my store even when you type in my stores name but on the plus side my links to my store are at least coming up on the front page of there now so yay!  Still lots of work to do but its nice to see some fruit coming out of my labor. 

The kids were very disappointed that trick or treating got pushed back a day but I think it means my sister will be able to join us witch will be awesome and I got another friend and the neighbor chick we got a group thing planned so yay for that I won't be constantly having a heart attack because someone ran off. 

Got to see my daughter at school today for her Halloween parade that was fun.  In case you don't have kids and are wondering what the big costumes are this year at least in this neighborhood its mostly, Mario, Luigi, power rangers, some weird thing with no face that comes in a bunch of different colors, Batman, IronMan, FBI agent (lol) and then your standard witch's and Disney princesses.  Today A crowned me brave princess mommy so I guess that's my Halloween costume this year. 

My thumb and fingers still feel like they are gonna fall off so I should probably lay off the crocheting for awhile but I so want to finish my sweater.  It's not even half way done yet.  You know people really don't realize how much TIME it takes to make a thing, sure sometimes they look super easy but the reality is even the most easy of projects that's 2 hours of my life I will never get back.  Good thing I love what I do, if I didn't I wouldn't be doing it. 

Here's a spooky spiderwebish shawl for ya, would make a great accessory to that sexy witch costume, you can find it right here and I'm not making another one.  I love how it turned out but it was a pain in my hands to make so yeah, this is a Crochet By Mel one of a kind shawl.  Made from silky smooth black bamboo thread.  The options are endless, would be great with a dress, at a wedding, wear to the office, whatever you want.  Classic black goes with everything and you will be noticed.  Yeah I under priced this little beauty but it's not really doing me any good sitting in my inventory so my loss is your gain.

This super creepy giant bug was out and about when I was taking pictures of my items.  I think its a praying mantis or some such nonsense.  I live right next to the woods and sometimes its just like camping but even though I'm a city girl I got used to it. . .kind of.  The other day I saw a tiny little creepy baby mole digging right next to my door.  I don't think they can see at all from the way it was wobbling around.  Yuck.  Then this past weekend I saw a wolf cross the street on my way home from the gas station.  It looked right at my car and kept walking.  That's right, you'd better get a move on.  I'm so scary I even scare wolves.  Anyways I'll shut up now, thanks for stopping by leave a comment if you wish and have a safe and happy Halloween, be sure to take candy from strangers :)

unisex styles and Christmas gift ideas

Know what sucks?  When you have a million ideas of awesome things to crochet but you can't because it feels like your thumb is going to fall off from the hours you spent crocheting at the speed of light.  I'm in the middle of a super awesome sweater that I'm probably going to list as a custom order and keep this one for myself because it's just that cool.  Honestly I don't know what I'm doing wrong I stretch and take breaks and all that but still it's like my thumb is out of joint or something so I'm going to have to give it a couple of days before I go back. ..yeah right. ..  maybe I'll only crochet for like an hour today that's giving it a break right?

Anyhow I been busy making fabulous winter scarves and hats for fantastic Christmas gift ideas or for yourself.  I've even made some unisex things for guys or gal's just to make things extra easy on you.  Let's take a quick peek shall we?

 Here is my latest greatest chevron chenille scarf.  It's white and a medium to dark blue and this chenille is super lush and luxurious.  It's warm and soft at the same time.  Last time I was at the store I saw ton's of Chenille scarves and throws but why not get yourself a one of a kind scarf?  It's right here and it cost's less than you think.

 Next up we got this cute and functional brown and orange beanie.  It's got a slight rim to it that can be pushed up or down.  It's really cute, and conforms to the wearers head.  Perfect from Halloween to Thanksgiving, made from two different types of chenille that will keep you warm and fashionable.  Check it out here one of a kind I don't have any more of these colors and I doubt I can get them.  One size fits most.

 This awesome snuggly oatmeal and rusty brown chenille hat is perfect for anyone.  Most people it will fit a little slouchy on witch is the style these days.  If your head is exceptionally large it will stretch.  Check it out here, best part?  These gifts are 20 bucks or less and it looks like you really care because they are handmade.  Or maybe you do really care, in that case even better! This hat is mega comfy.

Lastly here's me and why I'm not a model with this oatmeal and brown striped beanie.  This too is 20 or less and is great for a guy or girl.  Super comfy and warm it will stretch to fit everyone.  You can find it here along with many other awesome gift ideas handmade with love by yours truly.  So here's hoping I can kick my crochet addiction before my thumb falls off and I will have many more awesome products to come.  If there's something you'd like to see or something you'd like me to make please don't hesitate to ask I love a challenge.  Thanks for stopping by, tell your friends :)

Read your Bible

I know, I know right usually when I make a post I'm sitting here spewing about my latest and greatest creations but this is important folks.  If your going to call yourself a Christian or a Christ follower if you will READ YOUR BIBLE.  I have been reading mine lately and I gotta tell you it sure makes a lot more sense when you read whole chapters rather than picking out two or three verses like they do in church.  Church is all good and everything, you get to meet with other believers and talk and have some coffee and sing some songs but I got to say, rarely if ever have I learned anything there.  I don't know if it's because there's just not enough time or because pastor is too afraid to say something that's going to offend someone but man that stuff is watered down. 

Right now I'm a big fan of anything written by Paul.  Paul was a good guy he seems to really get it.  I take my Bible literally though so some of the stuff about women is pretty offensive.  I'm just going to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that some of his meanings were lost in translation.  This last part I just got done reading touched on teaching and in the end times how we have all these pastors pushing their own brand of Christianity.  That's what's turning so many people away.  They lie.  No where in the Bible does it say that abortion is wrong, murder or a sin.  I've yet to come across anything that says being gay is a sin either.  Maybe they didn't talk about those types of things back then or maybe I'm missing something somewhere but what I did read was it said that it is good for a man not to marry.  So from what I gather of that is gay people should be happy they don't have to marry, because let me tell you its not all its cracked up to be. 

Other insights I learned is if your a christian your supposed to take care of your own family so that the church can take care of those who are really in need and have no family.  My mom keeps trying to push me off on charity's that give homes to single mothers and such but I just don't feel right doing it, I know things are not super great here but some people have it much much worse and I'd rather they get the help they need than me.  Maybe she's worried about us I don't know.   All I know is I will pray.  It's not failed me yet and I'll just pray, somethings gonna come threw it always does.  From what I've read it seems like I'm on the right track.  Live a nice quiet life.  Yeah,  I think I can do that. 

A few of my favorite things

Sigh.  Another kid free weekend.  Another weekend of perfectly perfect weather and two nights of blissful sleep with no snuggly munchkins waking me up at 3 am to snuggle.  Ok so I miss the last part but they will be back tonight and everything will be back to normal.  I especially love the snuggling since now they are old enough to walk their little selves to my room and crawl into bed and half the time I don't even wake up I wake up in the morning snuggled next to one or two of my favorite people on the planet.  What's wrong with that?  If I was them I would too those toddler beds are not near as comfy as mine is.  Anyways on with the show. . . There has been so many new additions to my store lately I just have to share with you a few of my most favorite things.  One of them being this super lush and awesome chenille yarn that I just ordered a boatload of and can hardly wait for it to come in so I can make more pretty things. . . I know.  I shouldn't be spending money but I did get a really awesome deal on it.  What??? I did.

 First up is this lovely mohair blended chevron infinity scarf.  It's lace weight so its warm without being too warm and I love how it stays in place without me even having to tie it or re tie it, for someone like me who often forgets to wear a necklace it kind of doubles as a necklace and the colors are very "in" right now.  You can also double it for extra warmth during the evil super cold months.  You can find this awesome infinity scarf right here, the way the yarn is even if I made the same exact scarf again the color pattern might not be the same so if you like this one, make it yours :)

 This bamboo shawl is so dreamy it's light and soft and very comfortable to wear.  It's sexy and sleek and would make an awesome addition to a sexy witch costume.. . .just sayin' but you could also wear it with just about anything for a touch of classic black and a bit of mystery. . . you can find it here and as much as I like this shawl it was a pain to make so I don't think I'll be making another one so if you want it I'd make it yours before some one else nab's it.

 Now I don't usually use chunky yarn because I prefer the small stuff however this hat as got me thinking I should be more flexible because it turned out fabulous.  I added on a giant fall mum that is easily removed with a button so you can take it off, or place it somewhere else on the hat if you wish.  I love it because it gives it a touch of fall flavor and then you can take the flower off in the winter if you wish.  It's super comfortable to wear and keeps your head warm.  You can find it here.

Lastly I finally got this dress up in my shop again.  Its a wedding dress but could be used for anything really, a costume, a party, a whatever you wish.  This dress is being sold at a reduced price since it was used as a sample.  It's made of bamboo and is so light it was blowing all over the place with a light breeze so that's why the picture is a little fuzzy.  It has a slight train.  I never thought I'd be making wedding dresses but why not?  Dream big right?  You can find this dress right here and if you know someone getting married, or would like a one of a kind super sweet and delicate wedding dress made just for you please do drop me a message, I would love to contribute to making your special day extra special. 




Well there you have it folks, a few of my favorite things.  I'll leave you with this, BUY AMERICAN ha ha

Bring on Fall!

I know I haven't been here much, bad me.  I been busy creating. . .   Fall is coming.  Christmas is coming.  School, homework, spending quality time with my boys and creating has been taking up all my time.  I am making tons of stuff that will hopefully get sold with this Christmas rush I hear so much about. . .however I am suspecting it's a myth.  Either way I need more items in my store so its not like I have anything to lose really, and if it don't sell well . .. guess what everyone I know is getting for Christmas :)  Lets take a look at some of my newbies shall we?

 While digging in my stash I found a skein of this super soft and silky rayon chenille.  This is a special run they did because it's got a thread of sparkly gold in it.  Perfect for Christmas or really any day.  I was about to keep this hat for myself but then I realized. . . I have enough to make 2 :)  It has just the right amount of volume and is soft and romantic with a bit of warmth.  Makes a great gift or treat yourself!  You can find this hat here and no where else! 

 While digging in my stash I also came across this lush mauve chenille yarn and made this super trendy fun and versatile neck warmer, or some prefer the word "scarflette" If you like this one I also have a matching hat made in the same yarn that looks pretty much like the white one only mauve at my store as well.  Now I've had this stuff forever and I doubt I'd be able to get it again so if you like these no doubt snag them before someone else does!  You can find this neck warmer here and no where else.  Often duplicated never exactly well. . . you know what I mean. 

 Next up you know I jumped on this chevron craze.  Of course its my favorite colors yellows and gray this mediumish sized scarf is acrylic so it's machine washable and its decently warm for fall and winter months.  You can find it here and I also just posted a dark yellow hat that looks like the white one only yellow and would match this perfectly.  Who doesn't need some bright yellow to warm up their freezing winter day?

Last up (for now) is this sweet sapphire blue flower string scarf.  It's made from a bamboo silk blend that gives amazingly sexy drape.  It's extra long so you can wear it as many ways as you can dream of.  The color in my pictures doesn't really do it justice it's really a bright rich blue that you really need to see in person to fully appreciate.  You can find it here. 

Ok so I'm gonna stop typing now because I managed to break one of my fingers a few days ago and I didn't split it or anything so it's still a bit sore and typing isn't really it's friend right now so please forgive me for being brief.  I hope you love fall as much as I do and that you'll check back at Crochet by Mel often as I'm adding things almost daily to try and stock up for the holiday season.  Thanks for stopping by! 

Mickey mouse

Took the kids to see the mouse on ice today.  Before I forget I want to write it all down to remember it forever and ever because this is a special thing to me, kids grow up so fast these days and they are so precious when they are small, I want to make sure I remember these little tit bits forever.

A wouldn't get off my lap.  He figured out he could see much better while sitting on it. 

When D was watching the beast turn into a prince he looked over at me and said "I sure hope this works!" so so cute!

When Buzz Lightyear came out of the present box I got a "Mom, I love you" from my little D.

When the Chinese dragon came out during the Mulan number D. got so scared until M. told him not to be scared it's just people in costumes. 

A. said his favorite part was Mickey mouse.  Yep.  He's my son.

D. said his favorite part was Goofy and Toy story.  He about fell in love with the good fairy from Pinochio he couldn't take his eyes off of her and kept saying "wow" over and over.  To be fair she was probably the best skater at the show.

M. said her favorite part was Stitch and she even got a Stitch stuffed animal, even though she's never seen the movie I guess she really liked his character in the show.

All 3 were perfect little angels and listened and were so good I took them to Mc heart attacks for dinner.  It was a good day.  Here's hoping I get extra weekend days with them (when my ex was supposed to have them) more often.

Just another day in paradise

What's new party people?  I'm battling a head cold from hell so expect this to be brief.  3 weeks into school and my daughter already bambozled me into not going to school.  I really thought she was sick since I was sick, I took her to the doctor and everything.  Got the schpeel about how kids who go to school get sick and I need to get used to it.  Got told not to keep her home from school unless her temp is 101 or higher.  Really?  I run cold if I was 101 I'd be 4 degree's over my normal and she run's cold as well.  The school nurse said if she's 99.5 or  higher keep her home but if you get too many unexcused absences then they get all mad with you.  Now having sick kids is miserable but having sick kids when your sick that's just torture.  The more she goes to school the more and more this homeschooling idea is looking like a better idea.  She's already getting notes sent home for kicking other students and I'm getting calls from her teacher.  She's beyond bored and who can blame her, colors and shapes really?  Phonic's?  She's been doing that crap since she was 3.  It's crazy to me how quickly she's picking up her sight words.  And then I'm getting notes that kids in her class don't know phonic's and it seems like she's way ahead of the class.  It's hard to convince your kid that school is important and you should go when you yourself pretty much believe it's a waste of time and they would learn a lot more at home.  These days they have computer programs that do the lessons and check the lessons for you and all you got to do is help them if they get stuck.  But my ex doesn't want her to be the awkward home school kid who doesn't know how to socialize so here we go, one year of constantly getting sick and fighting with my 6 year old to get ready for school b/c she don't ever want to go.

On the good news side though YAY Disney on Ice is coming to town again and I get to take not only my daughter like I usually do the boys want to go too!!  Yeah its expensive I got 2nd row seats in the second section right in the middle, usually I got the side seats that were like 7 bucks less per seat but with it being the boys first time seeing the mouse I wanted to be sure to get good seats.  I shouldn't be this excited to go to an ice show but they really do go all out.  It's like being at Disney world for a couple of hours.  I really want to take them there too but I figure I should probably save for a better car and a better place to live first right?  Speaking of witch lets segway into me asking you to please BUY MY CRAP.  Yes there's a store on Etsy called buy my crap.  Here's a couple listings I don't care if you don't want them buy them anyways, give them to someone you don't like or something. . ..

 First up I am pimping out my purple ombre chains bucket hat.  Perfect for sunny days, accessorizing and other wise looking cool and showing your own style.  The chains are supposed to have spaces between them for your hair to poke threw and to keep your head cool while still blocking some of the sun off your face.  Perfect for your average headed woman teen or tween.  Yours for the low low price of 24.99. 

Next up I am pimping out this lovely mohair lace pink and brown shawl or scarf.  Perfect for a little pop of color to bring your outfit together.  The colors in this range from light pink to mauve to brown to black and the pattern gives you just the right amount of warmth while still letting your skin breathe.  Yours for the low low price of 37.99.







Let me end this by giving my loyal blog readers (all 3 of you) a coupon code for free domestic shipping on any order of $50.00 or more.  Just use coupon code SUNFLOWER at check out this code is good till November 30th so please someone take advantage of this wonderful offer so I can know if my coupon code actually works.  Yeah.  I been watching infomercials again. . . please pardon my speak.  Thanks for stopping by, hope it wasn't a total waste of time. 

Oh, was today a holiday?

Huh, Labor day.  Who knew?  I have been busy creating and cleaning and cutting toxic people out of my life.  Ya know it's a special kind of struggle with toxic family, you don't want to do it because they are family and I was struggling with so much guilt for so long it was really weighing me down but today, I feel better.  Bout time.  Something other single parents can relate to you kind of feel like you got the whole world on your shoulders and these amazing little people are counting on you for absolutely everything day in and day out and then when you have no support from your family or friends on top of that things can get kind of overwhelming.  Thankfully I do have an amazing community of (mostly) online friends who do support me and stick by me no matter what and it has made all the difference in the world.  Anyhow's. . . here's some of my new creations I hope you enjoy .. .

 Up first I have my Ombre chevron scarf yes boys and girls I have joined the trendy train and sold out and am giving my all to give these trendy hipster kids the kind's of products they crave.  Hopefully it will do the trick.  The more products you have on there the more chances you have for someone to see your stuff and want it so let's stock this store! 

Next up I have my blue ombre chevron infinity scarf now I know I have been living under a rock because till I started selling on Etsy I had no idea what an infinity scarf even was.  What an amazing idea!  I never really wear scarf's because I never really knew how to tie them and they'd always be falling off or otherwise a pain in my butt because accessorizing has never been my strong suit but this scarf is amazing.  It never falls off.  It always looks perfect.  And you can double it up for extra warmth if your going out in the blustering cold.  Sweet!!  My first ever infinity scarf and I think it's quite good.  I hope you do too.

Lastly we have my very first attempt at a beret.  Not bad for a first try right?  I had a purple beret a long long time ago in a land far far away and I loved that thing but ya know what, I never could remember to wear the darn thing so it too went by the way side.  These days kids are wearing these things in school, on dates, just because.  It's made with acrylic yarn so it is actually warm and the creme color goes with pretty much everything.  I know my little fake head is kinda scary but it was free so I don't look a free fake head in the mouth. . . or broken nose for that matter .. . maybe someday I'll invest in a good looking head but for now it will have to do.

So there's my 3 new inventions.  My shop is a little less bare.  I did get a special order that I'm working on now and that's kinda awesome with it's own new challenges.  It's just not enough for me to follow a pattern.  I'm an artist!  Got to make my own way and all that noise and challenge myself and do new and exciting things.  Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed the show.

quick check in

I know I've been absent, I've been busy.  My car keeps busting although they did finally figure out what it was and got that fixed once and for all recently, and then my daughter started Kinder garden and now we are battling some kind of cold thing that's making the kiddo's a bit cranky.  Busy busy busy also I have been working on promoting the shop and making a couple new things.  You know it's crazy how much just having one kid in school changes the dynamic's of a household.  I went from having one child to three thanks to the blessing that is twins but now it's like for the first time I have only two children.  I kept telling myself twins wasn't that much work and what's the difference having one baby or two but yeah, I guess I was just telling myself those things because what else can ya do?  Not like you can give one back.  Anyways I totally appreciate having Molly around now when she's home and when she's not I find myself spending more time actually hanging with the twins.  Doing fun things (when they aren't sick anyways) like the park or going to play at their new buddy's house.  My house isn't a constant mess of yuck.  I love that little girl but all her little science experiments sure did make a mess.  Kind of funny how the twins are so much more behaved when she's gone.  Kind of makes me wonder if they were always this well behaved and I didn't notice because I was so flustered or if she stir's the pot.  I think she likes to stir. 

Now I am NOT a fan of full day Kinder Garden and I think they should stop doing that.  I know most parents throw their kids in daycare so they are used to having the kids gone all day but some parents don't do that and these kids are not used to it and I can see it's totally bumming my little girl out.  Maybe she'll get used to it but I say in a perfect world she wouldn't have to.  Kinder garden used to be fun.  You learned your colors and your numbers and your ABC's that was pretty much it.  Now they have them learning to read sight words and use the computer and internet and this is why children are growing up too soon.  We teach them and expect them to act like adults but we still treat them like children till they are 30.  Think there's something wrong there? 

Anyways.  Can they just stop growing up now please?  It really does go by way too fast.

August and Everything After .. .

I know I haven't been busy keeping up with my blog  .. . sorry.  I've been busy trying to fill gasp- orders!  I still have one to finish before I can make some new stuff but yay for orders!  It sure beats not having any orders.  So what's new?  My facebook page has swelled to 99 likes.  I have 904 followers on Twitter.  315 followers on Wanelo.  Whoo hoo!  Oh and Macklemore is following me on Twitter how cool is that?  But probably not really he's following thousands of people so he probably doesn't really pay attention to any of them, right?  My daughters kinder garden open house thing is tonight and I get to meet her teacher and she gets to meet her classmates.  That's exciting.  I am thinking its a really good school her teacher has already called me and she even sent my mini me a post card in the mail saying how she hopes she had a good summer and she can't wait to meet her on the first day of school witch is GASP Wednesday.  I'm so not ready for this. . .Anyways lets get on with the show a couple of projects I want to feature in my blog today, the first one is brand spankin new and I think it would make a beautiful addition to any girl's wardrobe.  This beautiful flower lace pattern wrap it's a wrap.  It's a shawl.  It's a scarf.  It's soft and not too warm and a pretty shade of purple.  Pictures speak a thousand words so heads up here's some pictures for ya. . .

As you can see it can even wrap around the top of your dress as a foe tube top.  The ways to wear it are truly endless.  Every woman should have one of these!










The next item I want to highlight is this sand dollar pattern black bamboo shawl it's bamboo, need I say more?  Great drape and endless wearing options await anyone who has one of these in their back pocket.  And yes when folded up its so small you could easily put it in your back pocket or purse.  It's not exceptionally warm or anything but its a great fashion statement and you could wear it again and again without anyone even noticing its the same shawl.  On with the pictures! 

These are just a few options.  I love to change my look on a whim so that's why I decided to make these pieces.  So you know if your running from the FBI or whatever you can change your look or put your shawl in your pocket and they will never suspect that your you.  Ha ha, but you get the idea ;) Thanks for stopping by I hope you enjoyed your visit to my little corner of the world.