Being a Flower Solicitor

Try new things. Persevere. Be bold and creative.
I've heard those things plenty of times, and heaven knows I've used those little mantras in most of the business I've done. However, never have they become so apparent as in my latest enterprise.
Weekly bouquet subscriptions, marketed door-to-door. I found it an interesting experience, and I thought I'd share it with you, so read on for a story and some insight at the end.

Now, I like to consider myself an extrovert, because I am, but I was not prepared for the psychological experience that is being a door-to-door salesman.

Too Much?

So here's the deal.

We all know I can knit, or, at least, you probably do. But what I've realized is how seasonal selling knits is, and how little of a real profit one can turn from knitting. Honestly, you simply cannot charge enough for knits to be truly worth your time, so knitting can only really ever be a hobby (there are exceptions to this rule, of course... but I am not one).
So this spring I decided to expand into sewing clothing (if you follow me on Instagram you might have known about this already). I've done a bit of sewing before, nothing TOO special... a skirt here and these, failed attempts at a dress or two... and I've also done some fashion sketches in my time. So I thought, hey, I've wanted to design dresses, so why don't I?

The Margaret Tunic Free Pattern

So I finally designed a successful garment you guys!
And I actually wrote a pattern for it, so you can knit it too!
(Or if you don't want to knit it, you can buy it here!)

I've always wanted to knit a light spring/summer top, and I figured out a really simple way to do it. It's basically a long rectangle with a head hole, that's seamed on the sides, with a long lace panel down the front. Easy-peasy and quick to knit on big needles.

Keeping Up, New Beginnings (and What's Ahead)

Life is hard.

I'm just going to be real with you all here, it's hard to keep up with everything. I've got schoolwork, first and foremost; music (piano) to work on daily, and a variety of farm work to do. I'm running multiple businesses, and I've got activities in two different towns to run to nearly every day.
I guess you could say I'm the typical example of the overachiever-teenager... you know, the one who's in everything and who does everything and is always complaining about how busy they are? Yep. That's me.

Star of Winter free hat pattern

Hey everyone!
Here's a free pattern for this hat:

It has been too long since my last pattern, now, hasn't it? Well, I've been busy with Christmas stuff, and anyone who knits will know how that is, and anyone who sells crafts will know even better.
Complaining aside, lookie what I got for Christmas:

My Garden Transformation

When I was younger I begged my parents to let me have a flower garden all for my own. Long story short, it went to heck after the first year. For one thing, I wasn't taking care of the garden at all after the first year. For another thing, I had a friend give me some plants from her garden. one of those plants is called Leafy spurge.

This is what it looks like

 This is what it can do.

So if you ever see it in your garden, remember this motto: PURGE THE SPURGE!

Of course when I planted it in my garden I had no idea it is one of the most noxious weeds in the country.

After about 3 years of not working on it at all, I decided that I needed to start completely over. Rather than try and weed out all the individual plants, I needed to rip everything out and start afresh. So I did.

Knitted Drawstring Pouch Pattern

It's nice to have big bags for things, but sometimes it's nice to have littler bags, too. 

Here's a pattern for a quick and easy drawstring bag to hold those little things. It's worked from the top down in a very easy-to-pick-up lace pattern; and most of it's on some pretty big needles, so you'll just fly through it, trust me. I use my bag as a fabric scrap bag!

Materials

Size 7 and size 10 16" circular needles

Blunt tapestry needle for finishing

1 ball Lily Sugar n' Cream 100% cotton yarn (or any worsted weight yarn)