Same Old Story

So, I've had three mitten posts in a row.  Time for something else?  At least until I get finished the gloves I'm working on :)

I got asked a little while ago to donate a raffle prize to a newborn photography workshop.  Of course I will!  I first toyed with the idea of knitting something new, but with the thumb incident, and trying to get the Owl Mitts finished, I opted to get something out of my bin.  I don't have any luck selling ready-made items anyway.  I selected this pixie hat, made from re-purposed yarn.  I wrote about it back in March 2013. I never did make myself a hat or cowl! 

I did decide to make some baby legwarmers to go with it.  I was hoping to do a layering blanket too, in a complementary yarn, but I've changed my mind.

This whole thing hasn't gone smooth though.  I needed to include business cards.  I knew I was getting low, and could only find 10, and needed 20.  I have new designs to get printed up, but hadn't gotten to it yet.  I bought some business card sheets and figured out how to do it, though they didn't line up exactly right, and the colour is a bit dull.  I'm glad I had Hugh help me alter one of the cards a couple months ago so I didn't have to print on both sides.  Though the text is a little small now.  Then, I wanted something to go with the prize, and made up something to print on 4x6 photo paper, since I have a ton of that.  Not perfect either, but hey, I'm a knitter, not a graphic designer :)

Then, packaging time.  Got it all in the Foodsaver bag, vacuumed the air out, and realized the flower pin was right where the stamps need to go, and was really lumpy.  I knew the postal clerk would not like that.  So I snipped the corners and let the air out, then realized I should move it around.  Cut it open, resealed without sucking out all the air.  Finally got to the post office (what a day!) and the clerk could not fit it through the "letter slot" so she said it had to go parcel post, for $12!!  Are you kidding me?!

I took it home, and since I was going through the city where the event was going on, but the organizer lives in a totally different area, I emailed her and asked if she had someone local helping out I could drop it off with.  She said no, but suggested just leaving it at the hotel where it's happening.  I said I would on my way back down, which was going to be  today.

Except that a major snowstorm suddenly brewed up and I decided to leave late last night and didn't want to stop at a hotel with three kids and a dog at 10pm.

So, I'm back to mailing it.  I took off the broach and added some crocheted flowers.  Four.

Maybe the winner will contact me and I can see about getting just the brooch to them.

The hat is already accounted for last year, the leg warmers used up about 19gr.  The flowers came to 21gr  This surely doesn't make up for what I bought while up at my parents...I had to go to V&S Stedman's and they had some new bags in from Spinrite's tent sale!  Got another 5 balls of Patons Classic Merino in the bright green I used in those last mitts,and 5 balls in a mid-blue.  $33.90, 1000gr!

Yarn In:  354gr + 1000gr = 1354gr
Yarn Out:  40gr + 515gr= 555gr
Balance:  799gr more brought IN than out
Cost:  $19.85 + $33.90 = $53.75/71 days = $0.76/day