The Construction of Designer Ella

My first completed knitting project was this choker with pearls sewn on for my BFF’s mother. I was so proud! The thing came out amazing. She loved it, too and she wants another one in black.

I love working with this pattern that I created. The stitch changes keep my mind alert and entertained and there are different aspects to it without the project being too hard or slow. I can do this with a couple days of hard work.

I’m working on her black one with pale rainbow ribbon now, but I’ve been taking a break from almost everything during this oppressive heat wave (no AC). It’s fun. I did eyelets for the first time! I’m planning a clutch with “Fun With Eyelets” for a bit later - lol.

Photos … and as you can see, I can make more and am selling the item already on Etsy!

I’m beyond frustrated and moving into upsetment, because I cannot. list. on. Etsy. I’ve managed to get 4 items on, but other than that, the process has always frozen forcing me to close my browser windows. The trouble usually centers around the categories / tags page. I continually try on both of my computers, in Firefox and IE. Usually I’m on late at night, but I’ve tried during the day at different times on different occasions.

Etsy support gave up on me, they’ve suggested “everything”. No one else seems to have this problem , but I only have it with the Etsy site. So - me or them? I feel so unloved by Etsy and so left out of the community. I love shopping there, and they have the largest collection of indie wares in one place, but even searching for things to buy lags forever sometimes and using the site is far less fun than the awesome shopping should be!

Anyone have issues with Etsy or anything anti-Etsy?

On the handmade hunt, this time for inspiration. So how do DIYers craft a money clip for father’s day?

The winner: a Copper Wire Money Clip from Ialuna

It has that home-made feel, isn’t made from leather (some like, some don’t), is pretty and is quality. Plus the seller is a great photographer. (Preety) Also, it’s most reminiscent of my father’s current money clip — which is - um, a paper clip. Agh!

Oh and of course a bonus is that they’re Ms! (Btw I tried making my own, and I can tell you jewelry gauge wire is a no-go.)

Find more at Ialuna.com or Etsy (above).

I’m so proud; I knitted my first row of knit stitches!

L’s first knitting knit row / green organic merino wool yarn

I also have a tip for beginners (something I learned the sort of difficult way by not doing it so far):

While you learn to knit and purl, use ribbon yarn because that type of yarn does not have multiple “plies” winding round, which I found can catch up beginner knitters when trying to work in the stitches/loops. I tend to split the yarn and add extra stitches to my row. Ribbon yarns actually resemble a ribbon, for the most part, but I also think of it as linguine pasta (I think that is the one). Some ribbon yarns are different though.

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