We hopped on an airplane...

....and moved across the country.

Views of Others, Views of Self: 5KCBWDAY6

"Write about another knitter or crocheter that you admire."

For some reason, this topic has become very tricky for me to write about. Perhaps I'm overthinking it. I mean, there are a ton of knitters and crocheters I admire. There is my Grandma, who taught me how to crochet. Her mountain stitch afghans are the works of art that first sparked my interest in yarny creations. And what about my mother? My mom who more than just humored me when I was an enthusiastic little child learning to crochet. My mom who took me shopping for yarn, and praised me when I challenged my self with new patterns. And then there's my sister, who showed me that crochet can be intricate, as well as playful, when she took up doily making. Or what about my aunt? Her meticulous color choices and dedicated project planning abilities are constantly inspiring me to focus, and make the details count. All of their enthusiasm for the craft continuously inspiring and re-inspiring me. Challenging me. Pushing me. How on earth could I choose just one member of my fiber-loving flock of a family to admire?

And what about the crafters outside of my family? What about +Lise Engdal who taught me to knit the right way Norwegian way via webcam one weekend? What all the school friends who gave in to my begging and let me teach them to crochet? What about the bloggers and pattern writers and photographers who keep publishing such delightful material? They all certainly deserve my admiration.

I have always felt that thing that makes knitting and crocheting so wonderful is the bond it creates between so many people. I'm not just talking about weekly knitting clubs or sisters who crochet together, I'm talking about a historical bond between our modern times and a bygone era. A time when making things by hand was not a luxury, it was a daily fact of life. And though so little time was available after all the other chores of the day were done, our ancestors still found time to make little extra touches on the most humble of garments. A rose bud on a shirt cuff, the name and date on the edge of a scarf. Little flourishes that prove even though it was perhaps a chore, knitting and crocheting were still means of self-expression. A way of physically creating a representation of your care for another person.

In my experience as a crafter, there is one particular experience that really stands out in my mind as the perfect representation of how making something by hand creates a meaningful connection between the maker and the wearer. I became good friends with the teaching assistant for my Russian class in college. She was from Russia, teaching in the US as part of her language study program to get her Masters degree. When the semester was over, I wanted to send her home with something handmade. I decided on a scarf.

When I gave it to her, she was so happy. I really can't put it into words. I've given people things I'd made before, but she told me that nobody had ever made her something before. No handcrafted gift. Ever. She wrote me once she got back home, and thanked me again fro the scarf. She said it reminded her of America, and all the wonderful experiences she had here. It was a physical representation of good memories, and good people. And it was the best thank-you for anything I've ever made.

We Need to Talk.

We need to talk. We really do.

No, you aren't in trouble. We need to talk is scary. Don't those words just make your stomach churn? Like some adult authority figure has discovered the fact that you did the thing.... The thing you were under no circumstances supposed to do? Yeah. I probably should have said, "Hey, can we chat?" Chat is nice. Chat is friendly. Chat means they didn't find out about the plate you broke.

So let's chat.

I've been gone a while. Well, I've been gone for....a few weeks? Heh. Yeah.

In my absence, my real life has been changing more rapidly than you can say "wireless access point." I've been thinking a lot about my life in general and my choices and how I spend my time and blah blah blah adult chores. I've come to two realizations:

1. I'm having a baby in 4.5 months.
2. No matter how clever you are at planning, if it's not God's will, it's ain't gonna happen.



While obvious, these two things alone have driven me to inspect various areas of my personal life with a new lens. I won't bore you with a weird tale of self discovery or emotional breakdowns, but I will fill you in on how my view on my blog has changed.

One of my long-distance crafty buddies had mentioned to me a week or so ago via la texting that she could tell I was super busy, since I hadn't updated my blog in so long. It suddenly struck me that I was busy, but not that busy. I mean, I was busy before and I still managed to churn out several blog posts a week. I then, staring blankly at her text, began to think about why I hadn't been posing things on my blog? Really, why hadn't I?! Things have happened! I've been crafty! I could share stuff!

So....why not post?

Every time I logged on to blogger to start a post, I felt drained. I know, I'm pregnant. Tired is my day to day life. This tired was more a mental tired than anything. Doing a blog post meant making sure I update Facebook and Google+ and put all the fancy tag words in it and posting it to link parties and Pinterest and watching page views and numbers climb and drop and and and -sigh- nope, I'd rather watch Netflix. And knit. Or scrub toilets. Anything but blog.

I took a break, because I was looking at blogging the wrong way. I was comparing myself to big-name bloggers who have bazillions of pageviews a day. The ones that companies beg to write reviews of their products. The ones whose projects show up on thousands of Pinterest boards instantly. The ones who make moolah off of their blog. I had started to idolize them. To study their habits, and their tips on the best way to be seen, develop a following, and create great content...while making money doing it.

This is my personal opinion. I am not hateful of the peeps who have mad blog-money-making skillz. That is great for them, for their families, and whatnot. I do not think that any blogger who reaps money from their blog is a sell out, or evil, or anything like that. For me, however, the blogs I love to read and the ones I follow most closely, are not the big-name mega blog queens. They are people who share interests with me. People who inspire me with their creative outpourings and silly tidbits on life. People who answer my comments and who I feel I can develop a real relationship with, albeit online.

It all dawned on me with that one text. Why was I writing a blog that I hoped would become a big blog, instead of focusing on being the type of writer that I would love to read? Why was I feeling angst about not having thousands of page views a day instead of relishing the people who did take the time to read my nerdiness? It was crazy, I tell you, crazy. And incredibly selfish. And it made me avoid writing on my own blog. Well, no more, I say!

I am not going to monetize this blog. Though the thought still delights me, it was kind of the reason I started to hate what I was doing. Again, I am not writing this to try and bash on people who write sponsored content. If you can make money off your blog, good for you! I don't hate you or think what you are doing is dumb. I just hate how I felt when I realized the reason I was avoiding my own blog was because I wasn't having fun writing it when the goal at the back of my mind was "more pageviews" and "someday making money off my blog."

So how is this new direction going to change things? Really, the biggest changes are going to be behind the scenes things. Mostly things that happen up in my brain. The result will be more frequent posts and more sassy commentary. And more belly pictures. Because I love my belly and I don't care who hates belly pictures. Sorry I'm not sorry?

16 weeks (aka 3.5 weeks ago)

So, three cheers for having a silly outlet for your crafty musings! Three cheers for being true to yourself! Three cheers for probably overthinking this entire thing, but not caring!

Has anyone else been feeling similar angst? It would be nice to know I'm not alone on this crazy train of thought.

Free Printables: I Love You More Than Yarn Valentines Card

I have decided to try and make free printables a monthly thing. After all, I am obsessed with them and I love finding fun ones, so why shouldn't I offer some too? This month's freebie is coming at you a little early, but there's a good reason for that which I will explain later.

Happy February!! The month of looovveee. I'm not a big fan of the commercialism surrounding any holiday, so the amount of stuff I already see in the stores for Valentine's Day makes me a little grumpy. But still. I find it to be a fun, light-hearted, happy day amid some of the coldest months of the year. And there is nothing bad about sharing a little lovin' with those you hold dear.

This printable is a spin-off of a valentine's day card I made for Sailor while we were dating. He got a little laugh out of it, and said, "Oh, gee, thaanks. I was really worried," very sarcastically. Little did he understand (after only having been with me for a year) the full compliment of the sentiment I had expressed. I think he is FULLY aware now of my yarn nerdiness, so perhaps this year the card will mean a little more.

Especially considering he has lived with me and my yarn stash for closing in on two years now.

Find the Download Here!!

It prints on a full sheet of paper, so if you want smaller cards, you will have to resize it. It would also be super cute printed on kraft paper or glittery cardstock! Alas, I do not have either of those right now and I am too lazy to do what I normally do in want of kraft paper: cut up a paper grocery bag. But it looks cute on white still.

You could even make banners out of the card!! Too cute right? I love holidays and coordination and cute things.

Speaking of cute things....

Dat Bunny. Check out Tara Lea Photography here!

My sister, the very clever photographer, took some stinkin' cute pictures of Arlo while we were visiting family at Christmas. This is one of my favorites! He was so intrigued by his gift from my parent's dog, Roxy. Spoiler alert: It was a sweater. How cuuuttee is thaattt??

On to the last bit of business before I close out this post: the reason why the free printable for February is a few weeks early. There are some big changes going on here at the Carrot Cottage. Boxes are everywhere I look, and the sound of packing tape cannot be escaped. You know what that means...

We are moving!

I can't give all the details now, but I wanted to post a bit of a disclaimer as to why my posts are going to be pretty sporadic throughout the next two weeks. By February, we should be all settled in to our brand new (albeit still temporary) home. This is not a forever move, but rather a nine month to a year long move. After this...we will begin the adventure of looking for a house to own.

!!!!!!!

I am so excited. Baby Z is on the way, moving is underway, and I am currently in the way. -flees to dodge couches and boxes being moved-

Hopefully I'll sneak in a few more posts before we go, but do not be surprised if I suddenly become silent. This also means that Last in Line Shop on Etsy will be closed in a week or so until we get all set up in the new place.

Happy -early- Valentine's Day! Can't wait to get back in the swing of posting and show your our new home!

-Carolyn
Linkin' up at these fine sites!

A Very Last in Line Christmas

My in-law's tree. Note Spock in the lower right.

Making homemade pizza for lunch on Christmas Eve

Sailor, playing pizza chef.

That darling sister-o-mine

Smeesteeerrrrsss

It was so snowy at my parent's house!

Because holidays require board games in my family.

Daddy, making a Prime Rib Roast for dindin

My mom and cousin reading the Christmas story from the bible before our prayer

Dat meat.

Christmas morning

Christmas morning gluten free pancakes by yours truly.

Dat ornament. You know you are jealous of my skillz.

Grandma's Christmas tree

Christmas Lunch at Grandma's

She made me a personal pan of gluten free cheesey tates. Be still, my heart.

The pickle!!

Not only was our holiday full of busy, family joy....but Sailor and I got to announce some thing very very exciting that we learned just before going to visit family....

Our first child. I'm so excited!!!!! It is such an exciting time for us. I'm sure you can expect to be bombarded with craftiness for Baby Z in the near future.

Hope your holiday was beautiful and full of family and love!! And...I hope that you are all recovered from the festivities. Because I'm not. So sleepy!

Yours from the couch,
Carolyn

Being a Big Girl Blogger

I have had blogs since I was a freshman in High School. Scratch that. I had a Xanga account when I was in middle school back in 2004 or 2005. So, blogging and whatnot is not a new trick for me. I love writing and talking and meeting new people, so I jumped on the bandwagon early. It's a great outlet for me to do the things I love!

That said, I am by noooo means a blogging expert. As a matter of fact, I'm a total noob when it comes to maintaining a fun, fresh, professional crafty blog. I have peeked back at some of my old blog posts on other platforms and gone, "Yikes. What a whiny, unprofessional twirp! Uuugggh. That was me."

Insert face-palm here.

So I decided that I needed to start seriously addressing my past blogging fails. I got out my planner.

Seriously, this is so stupid simple I don't know why I didn't do it before. I use this planner to write out meal plans for the week anyways, so I just started writing plans for upcoming blog posts as well. Hello sanity!! Hello organization!! Hello getting more posts out in a timely manner!!

One of the main problems of my old blogs was the lack of exciting content. I'd post updates about whatever craft project I was doing, maybe about my mood that day, and call it good. Uhm....okay, that was fine...but there was nothing else. All the blogs I enjoy to read may have a specific topic they work off of, but they also post about other things. Interesting things! Things I want to read!

I thought, gee....why don't I do that, too?

Rocket science. I tell you.

Speaking of quality posts... I started looking at what my favorite bloggers do.

Again, this should have been so obvious to me. But the best way to learn about something is to examine the practices put to use by experts. What do the best bloggers do? What don't they do? I started really looking at my favorite blogs and taking note of the things I like about them.

As follows is a short list of my blogging idols and a few reasons why I love what they do...in no particular order:

Neon Fresh

Roo writes such funky-fresh awesome-tastic posts. I can't get enough. The products she features in her sponsored posts are all kinds of awesome. Her take on parenting, her Christian values, and sass are incredibly relatable to me. She is so professional while still being 90's gangsta that it's scary. I love it, and it gives me hope for my highly-unprofessional sassiness.

Little Miss Momma
I have only just started reading this blog, and I already love it. Her site has beautifully streamlined navigation, colorful photos, and her 'voice' of her writing is fantastic. She just did a post about her family's Christmas decor. Buuhhh. I want to be her best friend.

Future Girl
This girl. Just. This girl. Her posts are fun, her crafts are dope, and she wrote her own blogging platform. Uhhhh....wow. Love it. She is super accomplished, and incredibly clever. She has been writing her blog for eight years. It is really insightful to be able to view the journey she has gone on through her blog. Inspiration!!

What bloggers inspire you?

An unrelated Arlo photo!!

Secrets, secrets, are so fun! Unless like me you can't keep one

--> Hello dear friends!

Yesterday I wrote about how well I feel that I am doing in the realm of "Getting All My Crafting Done BEFORE Christmas Eve." It's still going well, but I am starting to feel a bit of anxiety in one department. Namely, the Secret Keeping Department.

 

 

-->I love surprises. I really do. Though, let me clarify in case Sailor decides to read this and increase his frequency of attempting to scare me: I like FUN surprises. Not "I just jumped out of another room because I heard you coming and you screamed so loud our windows broke" surprises. Not "Oh dear Arlo wedged himself under the couch and pooped 75% of his body weight" surprises.

-->
No, I like fun ones. Like, "Wow-wee! Someone stalked my Pinterest account and scored me that t-shirt I love but forgot I pinned on my Wishlist board 8 months ago!!" Or "I thought this grocery shopping trip was going to cost $200 dollars but there's a mega sale going on and it only cost $60!!" You know, pleasant ones.

As much as I love fun surprises, I love surprising people even more than I love being surprised. I love to be that person who stalks your Pinterest or Wist or whatever other list-making account in order to get you a sweet gift you forgot you wanted. I love to pop something dorky in the mail so that you can get a kick out of receiving a package shaped like a firework rocket. Love it. I love making you feel special and important. It is the best feeling.

-->

Clearly, my love language is gifting.

I love gifting and the reaction I get when I really and truly surprise someone with something awesome, that I can hardly stand to wait. I want you to be all excited and happy right this very instant. I mean, I have your Christmas present hidden in my closet, and I know you are going to love it and it seems lame that you have to wait for forever until you get to be excited and happy and use the thingamabob I got you. It's hard!! It's not faaaiiirrr.

Am I a two year old? Possibly. Is it really hard for me to keep secrets for too long? Only when I know people are going to be all excited and stuff. So what have I been doing to keep myself relaxed and untwitchy? Uh....nothing. I'm like a dam about to burst. I...may...or may not have dropped a lot of really obvious hints last night to Sailor in regards to what is gift is, which may or may not have resulted in him guessing it. Maybe.

--> Arg! It's so frustrating! It was going to be the first year EVER that I was sneaky enough to get his gift without him even KNOWING and have it hidden until Christmas andandand buuuhhhhhhh. Aw well. I still beat my record for longest amount of time that he has not guessed what I got him. Boyah?

:(

So, moral of the story, STAY STRONG MY FRIENDS. Keep that secret! It's gonna be great!! I believe in you!!!

Yours bad-at-being-secretly,
Carolyn

(Also, did you notice my title rhymes? Wut wut? I'm the man! Well...sort of.)