Year in Etsy 2012

Another year, another set of fabulous handmade purchases.  Here's my annual Year In Etsy.  When you're looking for a special gift, please consider handmade (or vintage!) and help support local and global artisans. 

Happy New Year!

 

 

Monogrammed cell phone case from Pencil Shavings Studio

Silver wire beaded earrings from Tessyla

Poppy skirtalls from Overall Baby

Wood bead bracelet from ZorNella Designs

 

Turquoise Pyrex casserole from The By-Gone Bee

Moss resin bracelet from Modern Flower Child

Cupcake invitation from Olive and Star

Black beaded earrings from Tessyla

 

Initial necklace from Merriweather Council

Pearl and crystal necklace from Cassondra Justine

Yellow Pyrex refrigerator dish from Look Back Vintage 

Black chain necklace from Tessyla

 

Leaf resin bracelet from Modern Flower Child

Leather bead bracelet from ravah

Beaded crochet necklace from Irregular Expressions

Pink Pyrex baker from Vintage Jay's

Holiday Greetings from Yellow House Knits!

 

All Smiles!

This picture of Miss E in her Prospect Street sweater absolutely made my day!  I love that big smile!  Her mother reports that she wears the sweater all the time, which makes me so, so, SO happy!

 

 

Now is a good time to remind everyone of the 10% savings offer to those who send me a picture of a little one wearing a YHK sweater.  See this blog post for more information. 

H. in Walter Street

Here's two-month-old H. in his Walter Street sweater. He looks pretty cozy doesn't he?!  I absolutely LOVE to get these pictures!

 

Etsy Holiday Shop

I'm so pleased (and excited and flattered) to announce that Yellow House Knits has been invited to participate in the first-ever Etsy Holiday Shop, a brick-and-mortar pop-up store to be held in Soho starting November 29.  A selection of baby sweaters, in a range of sizes, styles, and colors will be available.  If you happen to be in the area, be sure to check it out. 

I'm so disappointed that I can't be there to see it myself.  I hope it's a wonderful event.  And while I'm so happy to be included, I also--more importantly--hope it does a lot to increase awareness about Etsy and buying handmade.  It sounds magical!

Click on the image below to get more information about the Holiday Shop.

In the Mail

Anyone else catch the East Capitol Street sweater in today's EtsyFinds email? Love all of the bright colors for winter!

Color Inspiration: Karmin

This seemed like a good Color Inspiration for Election Day!  Karmin was the headliner at the Rock 'N' Roll Providence Half Marathon in August.  (BTW, I really like that Brokenhearted song.)  As I was looking at their promotional materials, I was struck by how much I loved the color scheme. I adore the clean and crisp combination of colors. I think the two shades of blue (as well as the fact that they aren't royal blue) and the gray keep it from looking too Fourth of July.  If I were making a sweater in these colors, I'd probably make it primarily blue and gray, with the red and white as accent colors. 

Bright Stripes

I was so happy to get this picture of E in her custom Yellow House Knits sweater!  The sweater looks perfect for a cool fall day!  Love that big smile!

In October, I . . .

--Spent a gorgeous week on Grand Cayman.

--Came back from Grand Cayman just in time for Post-Tropical Cyclone Sandy.  Thankfully, all is well, aside from a little leak in the living room.

--Saw "Evita" and "Newsies" on Broadway.  Both were fantastic!



--Lived through my very first kidney stone.  I'm not exactly sure tht's something to brag about, but thanks to those in the ER at George Washington for helping me out!

--Went to a Pittsburgh Steelers-themed wedding at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.  There were concession items (nachos, pretzels, hot dogs) for appetizers, plus some Pittsburgh classics (pierogies and mini Primanti Bros. sandwiches).  GENIUS!  I wore a black dress and gold jewelry.  Perfect.

Blowing Buttons

I think these blowfish buttons are so stinkin cute!  I love the combination of orange, red, and blue and the unexpected pop of my favorite lime green on the lips.  I think they'd be so cute on a cardigan for a little boy in blue and orange.  Or they'd be charming on a little red hoodie.  Also, the craftsmanship on these is amazing.  Each fin and scale is a separate little piece of clay, so they have a great texture as well.  Let me know if you'd like to see these on a custom sweater.  (It might not be too long before you see them on a sweater in the collection!)

Street Level: Linnean Avenue

Today, Street Level goes to Linnean Avenue in Northwest Washington D.C.  Linnean Avenue runs through the neighborhoods of Chevy Chase and Forest Hills.  It is a winding tree-lined street, flanked by large houses with immaculate lawns and huge flower pots out front.  With two significant exceptions (the Netherlands Embassy and Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens, the former home of cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post), the street is residential.  Most--though not all--of the houses are fairly traditional in appearance, but there is a fair amount of variety in style.

Like many streets in Washington, D.C., Linnean Avenue is composed of two unconnected segements.  In this case, Soapstone Valley Park, which the Washington City Paper called the Best Place in Rock Creek Park You've Never Been To, divides the two parts of the street.  Had I not been actively looking for the Netherlands Embassy, I would have missed the lower portion altogether.

Little Boy Blue

I think these pictures of the Harrison Street sweater from photographer extraordinaire Trish McCoy are so fabulous!  I especially love the blue sweater against the red background.  It really makes the color pop!  Trish has photographed a bunch of YHK sweaters, and she always does a fabulous job.  Thanks again for another great set Trish!

Today! Semi-Annual Sale

The Yellow House Knits Semi-Annual Sale starts today!  The sale will run until October 21.  All sweaters are 30% off (see the fine print below).  Use coupon code OCTOBER12 at checkout to take advantage of the discount.

Don't forget the additional special offer for bloggers: and Facebook-ers.  Blog or post on Facebook about the sale before October 14 and receive free shipping on your sale items (in addition to the 30% off) or save 15% on a future order. Postings must include at least one picture of a Yellow House Knits sweater and a link to the YHK Etsy shop. Email yellowhouseknits(at)gmail.com to let me know where to find your posting, and I will send information about redeeming these offers.

THE FINE PRINT:  Sale applies to in-stock, knit-to-order, and custom sweaters up to size 2 only.  Prices shown apply to the styles and sizes listed; changes may result in additional charges.  Please see the shop policies on the Yellow House Knits Etsy site for the current turnaround time on knit-to-order sweaters, including holiday deadlines and shipping dates.

The Semi-Annual Sale is Coming!

It's that time of year again!  The Yellow House Knits Semi-Annual Sale is almost here!  The sale, which will run from October 7 to October 20, is your chance to get gorgeous handknit baby sweaters at a significantly reduced price. Order a few for holiday gifts!

All sweaters will be 30% OFF. Please be aware that the queue fills up very quickly during the sale, so the wait for knit-to-order sweaters may be longer for sweaters ordered during the sale. If timing is an issue--especially with the holidays coming up--plan to order early during the sale. The turnaround time will be regularly updated on the Etsy site.

As usual, there will also be an additional special offer for bloggers and Facebookers: Blog about the sale (or post on Facebook) between October 7 and October 13 and receive free shipping on your sale items (in addition to the 30% off) or save 15% on a future order. Blog postings must include at least one picture of a Yellow House Knits sweater. Email yellowhouseknits(at)gmail.com to let me know where to find your posting, and I will email information about redeeming these offers. So schedule your blog postings now!

YHK Featured on Scoutmob

Have you heard of Scoutmob?  It's sort of a Daily Candy-meets-Groupon website with some very cool content.  I was excited to learn that Yellow House Knits was featured on Scoutmob yesterday, as part of a feature on options in the D.C. area for sweaters for Sweatertember (I SO wish I'd thought of that!).  Check it out here! 

Confessions of a Knitter

Time for true confessions: I watch a ton of TV. When I'm knitting, I need to have something on in the background to keep me occupied.  Generally, it's the television. I'll watch it all--sitcoms, dramas, reality TC, reruns of Law & Order, Dateline and 48 Hours (should I admit to the last two?). 

I try to break up my TV watching with audiobooks, movies (the real kind--like in a theater), and people watching (I love to knit in the Sculpture Garden at the National Gallery of Art).  But in the end, TV is the best and easiest.  Unfortunately, summer is something of a wasteland for good television programming (though I have appreciated the push for new shows in summer--hooray for USA's Political Animals!).  So I was DELIGHTED to get the EW Fall TV Preview in the mail last week.  I devoured it.  Here's what I'm most excited about for fall: 

--The return of "Glee"

--The next season of "The Amazing Race"

--The new show "Nashville" (LOVE Connie Britton)

--The new show "The New Normal"

--Election season on "Saturday Night Live" and the two "Weekend Update" specials

--The last season of "30 Rock"

What are you excited for?

YHK in the Etsy Look Book

I'm SO excited that the Potomac Avenue sweater was featured in the Fall 2012 Etsy Look Book.  There are some gorgeous things in the look book (I want one of each, please), including a lot of really great stuff for kids, so I'm really flattered to have been included.  You can see the whole Look Book here. 

In August, I . . .

--Saw Jerry Seinfeld perform at the Kennedy Center.  Hysterical.

--Ran the Rock 'N' Roll Providence Half Marathon.  I hadn't been to Providence since I moved from Boston in 2000, and I'd forgotten what a charming city it is.  And the Water Fire was even more spectacular than I remember. 

--Sent my very first order to Australia!  Love that Yellow House Knits are down under now. 

--Saw the Julia Child Kitchen exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. I half expected her to step out from behind the counter.

--Savored the Wonderful Place that is Washington, D.C., in August.  Yes, it's humid.  But everyone who lives here is on vacation.  Congress isn't in session.  The tourists are on vacation somewhere other than D.C.  The streets are empty.  The sidewalk cafes are open (with no lines).  I'm sad that it all ends today. 

--Enjoyed the bounty of fresh produce from Eastern Market.  August tomatoes, peaches, and corn on the cob are three of my all-time favorite things.  So good. 

Artizen Magazine Feature

I just learned that the Chesapeake Street sweater was featured in the August issue of Artizen magazine.  This issue focuses on handmade items for kids and includes some great clothing and toys.  You can see the whole issue here.  I'm flattered to be included with some other beautiful products!

Famous Sweaters

I saw this on Found Item Clothing.  I think they left off Charlie Brown (or maybe that was a T shirt?), but it's still a clever idea.  How many do you recognize?

(And who'd have thought I'd have two posts with references to Weezer so close together????)

Street Level: Volta Place

The next stop on my Street Level tour of D.C. is Volta Place in Georgetown.  Volta Place is a narrow, quaint street just above the hustle and bustle of the Georgetown business district.  It runs three blocks in Northwest D.C., from Wisconsin Avenue to 35th Street, dead-ending at the Georgetown Visitation School.  The street is positively charming, lined with narrow red-brick town houses and overflowing flower pots.  It's a short stroll, but a very pleasant one.

Volta Place used to be known as Fourth Street, back when Georgetown was separate from the City of Washington.  In 1871, a single government was created for the entire District of Columbia, but it wasn't until 1895 that the streets of Georgetown were renamed to match the naming convention (letters, numbers, and states) used elsewhere. 

An interesting fact about Volta Park, which is located about midway down Volta Place, is that the park once served as a cemetery for Revolutionary War soldiers.  (The bodies were moved when the park was built.)  Today it's a place to toss a frisbee and swim in one of the city's few public pools. 

Color Inspiration: Let Them Eat Cake

I hate to use the cliche that the "Let Them Eat Cake" series of paintings by Paul Ferney is absolutely delicious, but it really is.  The oil paintings are just gorgeous.  I can't imagine the actual cakes that served as the inspiration were this pretty!  This particular painting is called "Coming Up Roses."  I wish I could buy it and put it one the wall in the Yellow House.  (Seriously Paul, tell me you have an extra hanging around your studio!)  And this may be one of my favorite art-inspired color palettes. 

You can see the entire series on the artist's website here.  And prints of all of the cake paintings are available as well. 

Songs About Sweaters

Back when I was trying to get psyched up about my impending move from Ann Arbor to Memphis, I put together a playlist of songs about Memphis.  It quickly became one of my favorite collections of songs.  And I was so excited when I walked into my neighborhood grocery stores, Miss Cordelia's, and heard the same songs playing over the loud speaker.  (Off topic: Miss Cordelia's was one of the reasons I liked living in Memphis so much.)  Anyway, that was the start, and since then I've thought it was fun to put together themed playlists: songs about sunshine, songs about highways, songs about dreams, and so on.  It's been a fun way to find new artists and songs. 

My latest and GREATEST?  Songs about sweaters!  I had planned to make this the definitive collection, but it turns out that there are a lot of songs about sweaters!  So let's call this Volume I. 

In no particular order:   (Where I could find a YouTube video, I've included a link below.)  Don't worry, I hadn't heard of most of them either.

--The Sweater, by Meryn Caldwell  [YouTube]
--Undone (The Sweater Song), by Weezer  [YouTube]
--Autumn Sweater, by Yo La Tengo  [YouTube]
--Sweater Song, by Hedley  [YouTube]
--Sweater, by Terry Reid  [YouTube]
--V-Neck Sweater, by Greyboy Allstars  [YouTube]
--Red Sweater, by The Aquabats!  [YouTube]
--Sweater Weather, by The Neighbourhood  [YouTube]
--Blue Sweater, by Poema  [YouTube]
--Sweater Song, by Erin Bode  [YouTube]
--My Sweater, by Susan Justice 
--Varsity Sweater, by Weston  [YouTube]
--Sweaters, by Beth Waters

(from the video for The Sweater, by Meryn Caldwell)

Gorgeous Quilts

I'm probably a little biased because I think a baby sweater is just about the most perfect gift for a new baby or expecting parent.  But I also think handmade quilts are really great presents.  I know more than one new parent who has received a beautiful, colorful quilt and has designed the baby's nursery around the quilt, with spectacular results.  As with baby sweaters, these gorgeous quilts become wonderful heirloom items, to be treasured for years to come. 

Here are a few quilts that I think are particularly spectacular.  They're all available on Etsy.  Click on the title to link to the Etsy listing. 

Blue and lime quilt by Quilts of Color

Chevron baby quilt from Dreamy Vintage Streets

Blue and green baby quilt from b/perrino Quilts

 

Gypsy bandana patchwork quilt from Now and Then Quilts

Gypsy girl quilt from Carlene Westberg

 Orange bright blocks from Tannei Casey

Teal, aqua, and green quilt by Peace Love & Quilts