A combined order

 Hello! How are you going? Are you managing to find time to have relaxation? Do you have a hobby?

I was looking at a list of unique hobbies recently, and saw this: 

"Competitive duck herding. The perfect hobby if you have a dog to help you herd."

Doesn't strike me as very exciting, but to each their own, right?

I knit 😂

I was watching a seminar about knitting, and the lady said 

"set a reminder to knit every day"

Wow!

Do I set a reminder to breathe?

Nup!

 Why would I need a reminder to knit????

Anyway, that's enough about me!

Let me share another recent order...

Hopefully giving much joy to their new forever friends!

Tilly and the Bunny

 When Tilly joined our household in October last year, I really didn't realise what a help she would be!

She sits by me every day, as I knit and do all my other work. Her cheery smile helps the work go smoother. ☺

Last year I made another bunny! I must count up again one day to see how many I have made! This one was dressed, a very pink bunny.

Tilly enjoyed having someone new to talk to! ☺

But when it was time for the bunny to go to her new forever home, she and Tilly were quite sad. See them hug each other?

And just before the box was sealed, Tilly gave the bunny a reassuring pat.

Thanks Tilly! 😍

Birthday gift

I like to have a knitting project that is small enough to fit into my handbag (purse).

So I thought of coasters...

And then wanted to back them.

A great birthday gift!

Will work on a few more sets of these, I think. 

Handy to have gifts ready 😊

~~~~~~~

Can you think of other small gift ideas I could knit?

 

Real dazzler!

Rather dazzling, isn't it? 😊

Do you recall back in November that I showed you the blanket I made for Dad's Father's Day gift?

I told you that he ordered another blanket to match.

Well, this is the same pattern, but with a different colour scheme!

Looks amazing!

 

A BIG bunny!

My second BIG bunny was ordered without clothes ☺

At 50cm (19.5") these bunnies are very large, and this particular one was soft and very cuddly.

Pictured with Tilly, who enjoyed a few cuddles before the bunny was packaged up and mailed to his new forever home!

 

Cuddles are important! Make sure you get some today ☺☺☺

Another rainbow!

 Back in September, I made a rainbow stroller blanket.

The colours were just gorgeous... I loved how they went together so well!

Seems I wasn't the only one who was taken with it...

I was asked to make a throw in the same pattern and colours!

47,600 stitches later... it was done!!!!

WOW!!!! 😲

Isn't it beautiful?

I wonder what I will knit next?

6 years of Betsy's Boutique!

Betsy's Boutique celebrated 6 years of business on the 2nd of January!

It has been an interesting time for me learning SO much.

The items produced over the years have changed quite a lot and I am expecting that this will continue to occur.

That's because I knit for the customers. If they want something, I do my best to knit it!

I ask LOTS of questions, and double check everything, so as to be sure to produce something which is just what the customer had in mind. 

My absolute favourite part of this business is...

being able to give such joy to so many!

 

A beautiful bunny!

 It is quite plain that bunnies are my most popular large toy. 

It's been a while since I counted up how many I have made, 

but it must be getting to be quite a number now!

Bunnies can be made in so many colours, and with clothes, or not as the customer desires.

I enjoy them, for that reason, because each one is different, and has their own personality!

All in the pink!

Tilly enjoyed a few chats with a smaller friend 😊 

She does find it interesting to see who will come off my needles!

Covid has made some people very lonely, which is sad. We need to be sure to phone those who could be lonely, it will definitely make their day! 

Especially at this time of year...

Keep safe, take time to rest and just breathe during your Christmas/New Year break...

Love gift for me!

 As mentioned in a previous post, my precious sister passed away in mid-April this year.

So it has been a pretty rough year.

Grief is hard work.

Really hard work.

Then her birthday was 16th October.

....

....

On that day, I received a love gift.

Her name is Tilly, and October 16th is now a happy day, because it is HER birthday!

Tilly is my friend, sits beside me at my desk as I work.

No matter whether it is knitting, school work, writing letters, or managing posts for Betsy's Boutique.

She keeps me going with a smile and I often chatter to her! ☺

I hope you have a friend that you can talk to ☺

Especially that you have a friend who doesn't argue back 😉

Dad's blanket

I had not done a blanket for Dad.

I show him pretty much everything I make, because he has always loved to see what his girls could do - yep, there was 4 of us =) 

But I managed to surprise him with an early Father's Day gift this year, of that ^^^ blanket!

He loved it so much, he ordered another in the same design, but with different colours. Keep an eye out for a future post featuring that blanket!

I had never done a pattern like this one before, and I really like it a LOT! Definitely one that could be repeated many times in many colours!

Now, how can I do better next Father's Day????

 

Big bunny!

 I was asked to make a bunny the size of an adult!

I didn't look to see if there was such a pattern, because I can't imagine there is!!! 

But I did my best...

and produced a bunny 51cm from top of head to bottom of toes. 

(Yep, that's 20" if you are outside of Australia)

Thankfully patterns can be changed to meet customer's needs! ☺

I've mostly knitted girl bunnies.

I wonder why?

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How are you doing? I hope that you are taking the time to unwind from the busyness of life on a regular basis. It is very important for all of us. A change of view. A change of pace. A change of routine.

Knitting is my therapy. I always have orders, but I also have items that I want to knit as gifts. So, more often than not, I have more than one item on the go at once. This is good for me. Means I don't get stuck in a rut. 

We all need rest. Be sure to rest!

Starry, starry night!!!

 How are you doing? Do you have a hobby? 

Some people do the most amazing handicrafts, seems the sky is the limit there! It is always amazing to see something that someone has done, and you really had never thought of such a thing, isn't it?

Talking about the sky.

I got an order for a star blanket! 

That was definitely a new idea to me. I didn't even know you could do one!!! 

This could be done in SO many different colour combinations...

Oooooh, that is one of my favourite subjects! 

Knitted items change SO much when you just change the yarn colour. I have never got over how amazing that is, hehehe.

I found another star blanket pattern when I found the one above. Perhaps one day I will have the opportunity to try it too. 

In the meantime, it sits with my all other patterns ideas 👀

Warmth for the elderly

As you would expect, I knit gifts to give away myself. 

Actually, I get frustrated if I can't!!! 

Gifts are most fun when it is made by one's self.

Don't you think?

This has kept my Grandpa warm this winter, which is wonderful!

The yarn was SO warm, and since he lives in a cold part of Australia, and being elderly has not the best circulation, you can imagine how much the warmth is appreciated.

Over the rainbow...

 Many people are unfamiliar with handcrafts. They may remember some old aunt, or grandparent who did such things, but have never learnt for themselves, or were never presented with such an opportunity.

My mother taught me to knit when I was a young girl, and I knitted up the obligatory scarf, but didn't really do more. Until I was in my late 30's, when I rediscovered knitting and started with yet another scarf!!! 😆

I have had customers ask me for an item which is crocheted. And I don't crochet. Much. Yet. 

However, many crocheted items can also be knitted, so it just means I need to search for a pattern if I don't already have one. 

I have HEAPS of patterns.

When you are as addicted to knitting as I am, you start to avidly collect them. 

Just in case!

Here is the result of one such request. It turned out just amazing!!!

The colours just went SO well together. 

I'm pleased to report that both my customer and I were VERY pleased with the result! 

Phew!

No restriction on love

 People order gifts for all sorts of reasons.

Some are boring, some are fun, some are routine, others are a surprise.

I LOVE surprises, so if you have an idea that you would like to surprise someone with, please, feel free to contact me!

Toys don't need to be reserved for babies and children either.

The pair above were ordered by a lovely lady in her 60's for her younger sister. They were unable to visit each other, due to Covid travel restrictions, so were a reminder to her younger sister of them being together. 

Thinking of a gift that represents someone, or something, as a reminder that someone cares is a great idea! We need to make sure we look out for each other, right?

The bear and bunny are very proper, wearing matching undergarments. Such things are important to some, so I do my best to please the customer! 😉

Philosophising over monkeys...

Sometimes I make a toy, and feel disappointed. I feel it really doesn't look good. I expect that all toys MUST be cute! But yet, sometimes, it just doesn't happen. It is REALLY disappointing.

But the thing for me to remember, is that it isn't about me. 

First, it must please the customer.

Then it must please the recipient's mother 

(most toys are ordered for children)

Then it must appeal to the child, or baby.

But wait, what does a child base their assessment on? Does a newborn, or very small child look at something the same way an adult does? I expect not. 

So therefore can draw a sigh of relief and keep those needles knitting...!

 

A big colourful blanket

I received an order... In mid-January.

It took quite a while to complete, but I was very thrilled with the result!

Hopefully my customer will also be! When it finally reaches her! Thanks to COVID-19, the mail is slower than a turtle!!!

This blanket marks a new beginning for me! I finally learnt how to crochet! The border which so beautifully finishes off this blanket, has crochet on it. I was very pleased to learn this new skill!

I am not planning on learning any more crochet for the time being. Being able to finish off a blanket seems like a good start, and I do love the feel of knitted items! But perhaps in the future!

How has COVID-19 affected you?

Product review

Everyone loves to read others opinions of something they are considering to purchase themselves, right? We want to know that what we are about to buy is worth the money, what we really want and "just right"!

I have found it is not terribly easy to get people to do a product review on my work! 

There is two ways to look at this:

1. people are lazy

or

2. my work is great, so they don't have any complaints to share with others!!! 

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

I prefer to see the low product review rate as the latter - wouldn't you?

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Now and then, I DO get a picture of my product with the recipient, and love to see how they are received. That gives me the impetus to keep on...

A new adventure

This year I had a very lovely customer of mine ask if I could make ponchos

I hadn't, but I am always interested in experimenting

So we looked at patterns, and she found some she liked

Here they are!!!

Front

and back

Front

 

and back

A prayer blanket

When you have someone special, sometimes you go that extra bit

you want them to know they are someone special to you

and that they are in your heart and your prayers

this is a prayer blanket I made this year

very special indeed