Giveaway!

We have been scrambling trying to get our stuff to together to head over the mountains and through the woods to Seattle and I completely forgot that today marks my first product review. 

Okay, really, it was just a blurb but needless to say I am really excited!  A sweet Missoula mommy blogger was so excited to start using my dryer balls she blogged about me...and she has TONS of followers.  So I am hoping this means good news for my dryer ball business. 

In honor of this blurb, I am doing my first GIVEAWAY!  That's right, you too can have a set of dryer balls in your home!  To enter to win:

1.) Become a subscriber to this blog.
2.) Leave your email address and comment telling me about a travel adventure. 

I will pick a winner at random on Saturday and let you know by email that you have won.

Until then, happy St. Patrick's Day!  Wish us luck as we journey to Seattle on a 7 hour drive with a 4.5 month old, a dog, and a loaded car!

Finally...working from home!

Okay, not really. I am still working at my office most days but seeing as my contract ends in June I am constantly thinking of the future--trying to find a source of income that will allow me to stay at home full-time with my little man.

I feel guilty admitting that I would rather be at home than using my degree (which cost me $20,000) in a fulfilling career. However, I have my entire life to pursue all the careers I dream and Kannon will only be young once!

So this is the path I walk....I now make and sell dryer balls, produce bags, and other clever creations. It is not easy. There is a cost--my fingers are sore from winding balls and balls of yarn and my eyes are tired from working late into the night counting stitches and rows. But it is worth is to sleep in every morning, waking up to precious blue eyes knowing I have no agenda, no commitments, and no where to go.


Produce Bag

I am jumping ahead of myself as I am still working part-time but come summer I am trading in my work slacks and heels for full-time pajamas and unwashed hair....all in pursuit of happiness--and dryer balls.


My dryer balls

So what may you ask are these silly little balls I keep referencing? In a nutshell, they are balls of recycled wool yarn that I wind into balls, felt twice and package neatly in a handmade storage bag. Why use them? They help cut down the time it takes to dry your clothes by breaking up your laundry so hot air can penetrate the core of your laundry. We have found using 5 balls that our drying time is decreased by 40%...good for us, good for the environment, and good for our energy bill! In addition, dryer balls help pick up lint, pet hair, and remove static eliminating your need for harmful fabric softeners and dryer sheets which contain chemical additives not only known to be cancerous but on the EPA "Hazardous Waste List".

In a nutshell, never buy dryer sheets again, reduce your drying time, energy costs, and go green with dryer balls.

It gets really exciting!


The Good Food Store order $200 worth of products!

I sold six sets of dryer balls and 12 produce bags to the Good Food Store on Thursday. My husband just informed me that 3 days later, there are only 2 sets left. Woooooaaah!

There are other alternatives. Several companies make plastic, rubber, or pvc free balls. However, these tend to be noisy and have been rumored to damage clothes. There is also line-drying....but in Montana, in the middle of winter, this is not an option unless you feel like putting frozen underwear on your as$. You can also add vinegar to soften clothes, but you still have drying time to worry about. But wool dryer balls can be expensive and some folks have wool allergies. All in all, all products have their costs and advantages, just be open minded and aware of the products you are using.

Anyhow, I really hope that these nifty little balls and produce bags take off. Being a VISTA I have learned to live on a really tight budget and Dale and I have figured that I only need to make $600 a month to keep up the same lifestyle we have now. Between the Good Food Store and Farmer's Market this summer, some potential writing opportunities, blogging, and babysitting I should be able to come close.


Some produce bags

Check out my etsy site for new updates and products! http://www.etsy.com/shop/theyarnbox

Presenting....TheYarnBox

After weeks of creating, crafting, and crocheting I finally set up my etsy.com site!!! It is still in its beginning but has a few cute offerings for both our little ones and ourselves.

After getting so many compliments on the hats I have made Kannon and receiving so much support and encouragment from Dale, I finally took the plunge! So please check my site out and check back often for new items!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/theyarnbox

Hand Made Ornaments

I meant to post this a few weeks ago, but its never too late! We decided to make some ornaments this year mainly because I wanted to make hand and foot print ornaments for Kannon. So I thought I would share it in case you find yourselves needing something fun to do before Christmas (no baking required!!!).




Hand Made Ornaments (Cornstarch Dough)
Ingredients
1 cup cornstarch

2 cups baking soda

1-1/4 cups cold water


1.) Combine the cornstarch and baking soda in a saucepan.

2.) Gradually add the water until the mixture is smooth.

3.) Stir constantly, over medium heat, until the mixture reaches a moist, mashed potato consistency (about 7-10 min)

4.) Turn the dough onto a plate and cover it with a damp towel.

5.) Knead the dough when it is cool enough to handle.

6.) Roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness.

7.) Cut with cookie cutters. (Dip cutters in cornstarch and shake before cutting.)

8.) Using a skewer, pierce a hole at the top of each ornament (for the hook to go through later to hang the ornament).

9.) Place the dough ornaments on a cooling rack to air dry. It takes a couple days, depending on how humid your home is.

10.) PAINT!

* Add food coloring to make different colors.
* Roll out the dough into 1/4 inch thick to make foot/hand prints
* Clay may crack if too thick or too thin, so make sure to roll them thin and evenly about 1/4 inch thick.

ENJOY!

Karate Knitting Master.... (The easiest baby blanket ever!)

In an effort to bond with the little one growing inside me I decided to knit our baby's first blanket. 5 skeins of yarn and two weeks later the blanket is finished.

While I was knitting, I contemplated baby names. I watched over dozen movies and I gossiped with new and old friends. I used to knit all the time but as the years go on it seems I knit less and less. Being pregnant, tired and energetic all the same, has given me a great opportunity to take up knitting again. I forget how meditative it is to work needles and create blankets, scarves, and hats out of nothing.

The blanket is done and beautiful! I will post pictures soon. The pattern was simple and quick. For all you knitters out there:

Using 9mm needles and Vanna's Choice yarn (Micheal's)

Cast on 5
1 Row: Knit
2 Row: Knit 3, YO Knit 2
3 Row: Knit 3, YO, Knit 3
4 Row: Knit 3, YO, Knit to end

Repeat until you have 160 sts then:
Knit 2, Knit 2tog, YO, Knit2tog
Repeat until 5 sts remain.

It was that easy!

Now on to the next knitting project, a hat for Dale and a baby hat and booties for the little one!