Making Lemons Out of Lemonade, Maybe. Organic.

As I have mentioned, the job I got that seemed like it would be so much fun and so lucritive has turned into a stressful system of sitting around waiting for something, then being asked to work 12 hour days with no warning. Not ideal. But, it pays pretty well and at the moment I have nothing else, so I am going with that. While applying for other jobs in a brisk manner, I figure I can also do something else to make money. So I have churned out these.
What you see are coasters, in a pattern called Springtime Coasters on Ravelry. The best thing about them is that the author gives permission to resell them anywhere but online, so I am going to check out a few local boutiques and stores to see if I can sell some there. The ones you see are all made from undyed organic cotton. Probably not the most cost-effective thing to make in the long run, since the brown and green was quite costly (it was $16 in yarn to make the 8 coasters). But, since I had the stuff already, it's no additional investment. The white ones are in a thinner yarn, so they are smaller, but still plenty big enough to be coasters. I think I'll get at least 8 out of that ball of Rowan cotton. The colored yarn is Peru Naturtex Partners Pakucho Organic Cotton, which I got last year when we visited Stonehill Fibers in Fredericksburg.

This is a quick and easy pattern. Pat at the yarn shop has been using up her leftover cotton to make some to sell there. No, we are not competing. Plenty of coasters for all.
The natural colored cotton is certainly not very "springtime" looking, but would fit in with a lot of people's decors, and I know here in Austin organic sells well. Too bad I will probably be selling in Round Rock or Cedar Park...it's not quite so organic in the suburbs.
This one I did sort of on a dare. Pat wanted to know if I could do one in crochet cotton, so I did. This one is just 2" across and I used it as a clothing decoration yesterday. I think I'll try to make a few with the thread doubled. Single is just too fussy and starts to hurt my arm, which is why I don't crochet too much in the first place.


My other bright idea was to make some fingerless mitts to sell. Darn that Pat, she had the same idea. At least I am using a different pattern. I am modifying an idea I saw online so I can resell them. I have a lot of leftover worsted that would easily make these. The above is some Cascade 220 superwash. I had a very hard time getting a photo of this that was not blurry. I guess I can't hold my arm and a camera with both of them still at the same time.

I'll feel a little better about not having work if I feel productive. And this is better than cleaning out the closets.

Tonight should be fun. The Yarn Harlot is here, and I get to go with Tina to the pre-event gathering (thanks to the LYS). That should be real nice. I know a lot of very chatty and extroverted people I know will be there, so I doubt I'll get a chance to talk to her, but I'd sure like to thank her for showcasing the parenting philosophy I adhere to and her love of babies--she is a good influence on modern young women, even if it's subtle and subliminal.