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Crochet Enclosure Cards

I had been looking for something to include with my crocheted gifts, and some way to enclose care instructions, too. I hadn't come up with much.

There was the sew-in tag option. I could buy a pack of customizables, or get custom ones made, or make my own, but none seemed like a great solution to me. I wouldn't want a tag sewed onto an afghan or in a baby set, personally, so why would someone else want it on something I gave? Plus, it wouldn't have the care instructions option.

No, I needed something else.

The solution presented itself when I had to get some items from VistaPrint.com for a church group. It didn't take much more in shipping to have a box of business cards sent, and they were running a special (aren't they always?) for free premium business cards.

I found a design I thought looked classy, played around with the text and formatting, and ended up with what you (mostly - I blurred some info) see above.

They say "Uniquely hand-crocheted by Katherine E. Dohl", and then some contact info. The backs are totally blank, and I put care instructions unique to the project (if necessary) or other message on the back. I thought a lot about the wording before I finished it up.

Uniquely - each of my projects is unique, some to the point of free-form, others unique just because of the nature of hand-crafts
Hand-crocheted - all crocheters probably think I'm being redundant, and I guess I am, since there is no way to machine crochet, but many non-crocheters don't realize this and I thought this was a fine way to include it
not including "especially for you" - I originally had "especially for you", but I have had a few projects that I have sold, not to mention I have some smaller projects I have made before having a recipient in mind. I don't feel comfortable in those situations claiming they were made "especially for you" (unless it was a commissioned project). There is a good space beneath my name that I have used to personalize a tag by adding "especially for Jane Doe" in the many cases where it is made beginning to end with a particular recipient in mind.

I think they turned out very nice, and I look forward to having 250 projects to attach them to that necessitate another printing!!

Labels: crochet, Misc

posted by Kate on Thursday, September 27, 2007 @ 12:40 AM

0 comments

LYS Etiquette?

As many of you know, I have a thing for etiquette books - especially vintage etiquette books. I don't just line them up on my shelf - I read them, ingest them, and try to apply them.

But I have something that's not in any of my etiquette books. What is proper etiquette for visiting a LYS?

When I walk into a yarn shop, clearly I want bring home all of the yarn, but do I even need to say that I just can't afford it? As I live in an area where the nearest LYS is at least half an hour away, when I am in the vicinity of one I really want to check it out and pet all of the yarns. I get so many ideas!

But even finances aside, I really want to get away from buying yarn without a project in mind. This goes double for yarns with specific dye lots and low availability when I go back home.

I feel quite guilty going into a shop with no plans to buy, though. I irrationally feel like if I don't talk with the shopkeeper it's not so bad to not buy, or if I don't actually express interest in the yarn. But then I'm just being incredibly rude on another level (and I'm not a good enough actress to pretend the yarn isn't just lovely).

I've gotten to the point where I don't want to go to the stores, because I feel so guilty about buying (or so resentful that I felt I needed to buy something when I end up with $30 of beautiful but ultimately currently useless yarn that I really didn't budget for).

So what is the etiquette?

Labels: LYS, Misc

posted by Kate on Thursday, January 25, 2007 @ 4:12 PM

1 comments

Six Weird Things

I have been tagged by Anna or this meme. I will go ahead and tell you I am going to cheat. I don't think I know 6 people to tag when I'm done, so I'm going to make this post Six Weird Crafty/Crochet things about me, and then "tag" myself for my other blogs. If you want to volunteer to be tagged, leave me a message or shoot me an email, so that I can link to you :-)

THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the 6 weird things about you. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says you are tagged in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

Weird Thing #1 • I bite off my yarn and thread. I can't stop! This way, I can switch to a new color or whatnot so much quicker. I do use scissors after the ends have been woven in, clearly. I'm not actually a barbarian.

Weird Thing #2 • I don't organize my yarn - my husband does. He built me a set of bins and set up a crochet area for me, and he sorted out all of the yarn and supplies by type, color, and completeness (that is, he put all of the scrap balls in the tall bin).

Weird Thing #3 • I have an unnatural aversion to crocheting with the color yellow. I have crocheted a grand total of one thing with yellow yarn. I'm not sure why this is. I like yellow.

Weird Thing #4 • I am incredibly anal-retentive about blogging. That's why I made the Doily and Snowflake Blocking Guides. Yeah, and you thought it was because I'm nice. I also use about a hundred pins per large doily.

Weird Thing #5 • I have crocheted in the car. Who hasn't? But I've actually done it while driving. And I don't just mean while completely stopped at a light or train. I don't promote this; I'm just reporting the facts.

Weird Thing #6 • Before I learned how to crochet in college, my main creative outlet was making things out of duct tape. I haven't completely given it up, though crochet is the predominant craft!

Labels: crochet, Misc

posted by Kate on @ 12:00 AM