Back to goal-setting

Yesterday I finished up a project by making this cute little bee shell for my dress-up turtle. It was his third shell, so I did a photo shoot and got him listed on Etsy... okay, caught up with projects. No orders. No deadlines. No plan. I just sat in my chair and played games on my tablet. 

The "good" news is that I cleared a nightmarishly hard level on Candy Crush... one that I've been working on for over a week. The bad news is that I felt guilty about not getting something productive done. 

I think that I need a framework of goals to work towards each month, to keep myself on track and keep moving in the right direction. So I'm back to setting some goals for August. I decided on a ten-point list this month. Ten goals should be easy to reach. Of course, orders take precedence, so if I get a custom Etsy order, I'll drop everything and work on that. 

Goal #1: To work down my scrap box (which is always on the ottoman to the left of my chair). I prefer to have all the yarn fit on one side of the box, so I can close it up and take it along as a project box. 

When I look at the box, I think, "oh, I want to make a sparkly pink gecko, and a little green turtle, and make that tropical fish pattern with that purple and some bright yellow..." A few "scrappy projects" will clean up the box nicely! 

8/4 update - Making a few Hug Monsters took down the orange on the right and the fuschia hiding in the top left.... so I'm making progress! 

Sparkly Pink Gecko Done! 
(only used half the yarn in my box!)

It's looking much better!

Augie finished off a lot of small balls of yarn from my scrap bin!

Goal #2 is to publish my dress-up turtle pattern. I have been working on the pattern since early July. I've made three turtles and about a dozen shells. Now I need to compile all the info, get some production pictures, get it tested and published... then...somewhere down the line...it will be released step by step on this blog as a Crochet-Along (CAL). 

I have the pattern typed, but my version 1.0 is covered with additions, revisions and corrections... so I need to focus on getting it updated, tested and published! 

8/4 update... now I've made 4 turtles and have the pattern ready for testing! 

8/7 update - DONE! The pattern is published! It is available on Ravelry and Etsy

Goal #3 is to promote my shop daily. I want to get up a post on Instagram and post one Etsy listing to various sales groups on Facebook. August is typically a slow month for sales... I'd like to set some new sales records this month! 

Goal #4 is to work on one new design... I have a short list of 9 possibilities in my planner... We'll see which one jumps out at me when I'm feeling especially creative! 

Done... worked up my pattern for a rainbow hedgehog. My pattern is a scribbled mess, so it will be a while before I type it up and publish it. 

I saw a design contest on Instagram for the month of August... so I jumped on that, to make a small amigurumi that would fit into the palm of your hand. I made a Sleepy Sloth. I'll know by September 7th if I'm one of the 6 finalists... If I'm not a finalist, I will publish the pattern to Ravelry and Etsy, and put a free version here. 

Goal #5 is "One Big Project"... pulling a paid pattern that will result in a large, higher-priced finished item. I used to always have one big project in the works, but I got away from that. (Started a Pocket Shawl, which is a hot item right now... should I give myself credit for starting, or do I have to wait until it's finished?)

Goal #6 is to finish the Ocean Friends blanket. The base blanket in Royal Blue is pictured with my scrap box in Goal #1. I just need to make some cute little appliques... turtle, starfish, coral, shark, fish, maybe even a mermaid, and sew them to the blanket... maybe a couple of hours of work... but the blanket has been sitting unfinished by my chair for weeks (maybe months?)

Goal #7 - make three African flower sea turtles. They're cute, they're fun to make, they will help meet Goal #1, and I've actually sold a couple! 

One down, two to go! 

Goal #8 - Make 3 mini dragons. Once again, they're cute, they're fun to make, they will help meet Goal #1, and I've actually sold a couple... 

Finished 8/6. Finished the gray yarn, too! 

Goal #9 (we're getting there) is to make three chicken potholders. I sold a lot of these last year, and they get lots of Etsy views, so I want to get some made up and update my Etsy Listing to see if having ready-to-ship options helps get sales moving again. 

Goal #10 is to make one item from my best-seller list (hedgehog, gecko, mermaid, unicorn, turtle, elephant, butter lamb, dragon, octopus, donut, cupcake, bottle sling, moose, taco, giraffe) - DONE! Made a gecko! 

Okay, goals are put in writing... let the progress begin! 

Well, my progress on goals was slowed when I signed up to test a complicated pattern. 

I worked on this tractor for about a week. The pattern is available on Ravelry - just click on the word "tractor". 

I also spent some time organizing my work space, my patterns and my yarn. I got a few custom orders, which got bumped to the top of my to-do list, and made up little surprises to go along with ready-to-ship orders. So while I didn't ace my list this month, it's been a productive month. I set new records for August Sales, and August Etsy sales. I gained some new followers on Instagram. I designed a few new items. 

A list of lists...

Lately, it seems like I've been making lots of lists... 

•  items that need to be added to my Etsy shop
•  items already in my Etsy shop that need updated pictures or videos
•  patterns I'd like to make
• items that need to be restocked
• designs I'd like to work up
• items with the most views in my Etsy shop
• best sellers
• things to get done this month
• things to get done today
• Shopping lists
• potential meals for the week
• food items in the fridge that need to be used up

It goes on and on... sometimes, I'll finish up a project and just stare at my list of "Items I want to make this month" and feel so overwhelmed that I pick up my tablet and play Candy Crush instead! 

For instance, here's my list called "Top Projects for this Month" 

Donut - 

Donuts are a quick, fun project that use up scrap yarn... and I like to have a bunch on hand for craft shows, or to send with an order as a bonus... but even though they were on my list all month, the only time I made one was when I made a mini donut to send as a traveling snack with a small stuffed animal... 

Baby Groot... I have a groot-colored yarn out... he's cute... I've made three so far, and they sold quickly... just need to find the pattern... and the time... 

Baby Shark... I have a cute pattern... I figure these would be great filler for my craft show table (when craft shows start up again... I'm hoping Fall shows will still take place!) This should be a quick, fun project... 

Dogtor Made this back in June, and it sold on Etsy... I want to restock it. Pattern is Dogtor by Sweet n' Cute creations. 

Mermaid - I just sold a cute little mermaid on Etsy, so I need to restock the listing... But I have so many mermaid patterns... which one do I use? 

Pusheen - This pattern for Pusheen with an ice cream cone is so cute... I just have to make one! 

Hilde - 

One of my favorite designers, Yarn Society, recently published a pattern for Hilde the Cow. I knew as soon as I saw it, I HAD to make one... I did, and it sold within 24 hours... then I made another, and it sold, and I got orders for two more... then another... I need to get a few made up and ready to ship! 

Pacifiers... we just had a baby shower for my oldest daughter, due at the end of September with a little girl. I made a couple of pacifiers as gifts for the family cats (since you're supposed to take a gift for the siblings when you take a baby gift, right?) The cat pacifiers had catnip in them, but they're such a fun, quick project that I wanted to add them to my Etsy shop without the catnip! 

 

Cat Couch... 

Speaking of cats... mini couches for cats have been making the rounds on the internet lately... so I figured I'd try my hand at one. I bought a roll of foam cushion to make the couch base... I have printed out patterns and ideas... but I still need to get around to making one! 

Baby Goat... Bruce the Beardie... Sprinkles Dragoncorn 

I recently was gifted a pattern collection from a designed called Manic Yarn. Oh, man, there are so many of her patterns I want to make! 

Fluffy Chicken... 

Back in May, I made this multi-colored chicken... Because I thought it was adorable and would sell quickly. Within 24 hours of putting it in my Etsy shop, I could see that someone put it in their cart... but alas, it was not purchased. When I posted pics in a Facebook sales group, someone asked, "Can you make a fluffy chicken like this?" and posted a picture of a Silkie chicken. I think I can alter the pattern to make a silkie chicken... but working with so much eyelash yarn may be traumatic... so it keeps getting pushed down on my to-do list! 

Unicorn... always a best seller... when in doubt, make a unicorn... 

Anemone Hat - 

Back in May, I got a request for a custom order Anemone hat... The purple version was my first try, which the customer loved (but apparently didn't love enough to pay for... after two weeks of non-payment, I put it up as an open listing and it sold immediately), then I made the "gummy worms" version (still available). I have an idea to change my pattern a bit to make it faster... just need to decide on a color scheme and cast on! 

Rainbow Elephant - Rainbow Rex 

I made up this Rainbow Elephant last summer, and he sold at a summer street fest. He's been on my list to remake since then. I also printed out a picture of a rainbow T-rex that I saw online. Yup... on the list... 

Sleepy Bears Lovey

Okay, it took a while, but I looked it up. In July of 2017, I saw a pattern for an adorable baby blanket that has a sleeping teddy bear on it (Sleep Tight Teddy Lovey). I bought the pattern... but, guess what? Still haven't made it... 

Okay, that's one list... just what's left on the list for this month... to my credit, I did knock a bunch of items off the list... Oh, wait... I should add "new scrubbie design" to the list... browsing through my yarn stash, I remembered an idea I didn't write down on a list...

Right now, I'm working towards publishing a pattern for a dress-up turtle... I've made three so far as I refine the pattern... and that generates lists of its own... 

• corrections to make on pattern
• photos to get to update pattern
• steps to publication
• possible dress-up shells

Oh, man... the list for potential dress-up shells just keeps growing... bumble bee, pizza, pumpkin, unicorn, apple, valentine, Jack Skellington, ninja, patriotic, watermelon, orange... 

So many lists... so little time... I guess I'd better get working on one of my lists! 

How to turn on a light in ten minutes

This evening, I was sitting in my recliner, crocheting, when I realized that I needed to turn on the lamp next to my chair. Now it's not as easy as it sounds... there is a cube bookcase with my crochet supplies between me and the lamp, so I have to get up and go around the bookcase to deal with the lamp.

I gathered up my current project (a scrappy giraffe) and set it down on the ottoman to my left. I noticed that the cooling fan that is keeping me from overheating in our 90-degree weather was running low on water.

So, I head out to the kitchen to fill up the measuring cup I use to fill the water canister. It's a skinny little slot, so there's one measuring cup that works really well, without spilling. When I looked around the kitchen for it, it was on the table, next to the baked oatmeal we had for supper. Oh, yeah, that should be cool by now. I need to put it in the fridge. Well, the plastic wrap to put on top is under the sink, and when I went over to the sink, I saw that there were a few dirty dishes that needed to go into the dishwasher. I got them put into the dishwasher, washed the few items that aren't dishwasher-proof, and started the dishwasher. Of course, all that running water reminded me that I needed a bathroom break...

Coming back through the kitchen, I see the oatmeal is still out. I get the plastic wrap and get it covered, but in order to fit the pan into the fridge, I have to move stuff around. There are only two eggs left in the egg holder on the door, so I take the full dozen and refill that. Okay, now there are just two eggs left in the carton... so I cut the carton down to two-egg size, fit that nicely next to the pan of oatmeal, and put the cut-off carton on the counter to take out to recycling. Oh, there's an empty vanilla bottle, the can from the black olives I opened for lunch, and an empty tissue box too. I guess I really should take the recycling out to the garage. When I toss the vanilla bottle into the plastic, I see a gallon milk just that's in the bin, not hanging on the cord where we keep the bulky plastic jugs. I must have been in a hurry the last time I took stuff out! I put the jug on the cord, where it belonged.

Okay, where was I? I came out to the kitchen for something... Oh,yea. The water for my fan. I filled up the container, put the water into my fan, and took the measuring cup back out to the kitchen.

I finally got around to turning on the lamp... and sat in my chair, only to hear a timer going. You see, I set a timer to remind me to put the oatmeal in the fridge, but when I put it away a little early, I forgot to turn off the timer! Back out to the kitchen again!

So, now the light is on, and I can crochet... except for the fact that I opened up my laptop to type this, and as long as the laptop is out, I might as well check Facebook, and play a game or two, and check the stats in my Etsy Shop (did the promoting I do today get me any views?)

Sooner or later, I'm going to get back to my crochet project...