Knot By Gran'ma

Who is Watching You?

2012-02-01T13:09:00.001-05:00

Today it is little monsters, waiting to be finished... creepy.

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What Do I Love?

2012-01-30T10:45:00.000-05:00

Lots of lovely things around.... A lot of these peeps are local to me and part of the HVNY Team on Etsy.

Check out the treasury itself on Etsy... Beauty All Around.

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Snowboard Cowl: Take 3000

2012-01-29T15:12:00.000-05:00

I have frogged this more times than I am proud to admit. I couldn't figure out why my stitches were so tight and just not working. It dawned on me that my circular needles may be too long (probably at 29 inches). I switched to dpn's and... so much easier!!!! It's quite possible that I'm not meant to use circulars in my knitting yet.

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Saturday Caturday

2012-01-28T12:56:00.000-05:00

Lurking around, as cats and monsters do.

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Petite Pineapples

2012-01-27T16:39:00.000-05:00

A little peek of what I'm working on for you.

new pattern wip

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We Whip Our Hair Back and Forth

2012-01-26T18:25:00.000-05:00

Catching up. These were supposed to be finished yesterday.

We whip our hair back and forth

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Homemade Playdough For Monsters

2012-01-25T12:58:00.001-05:00

Today is a monster making day. Then some quick yoga (This video... still sore from snowboarding on Saturday.), and then back to the monsters. I'd like to have 3 finished and be calm at the same time. This is a challenge with Dr. Destructo lately.

monster work in progress

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I am Plush, Hear Me Roar

2012-01-23T14:20:00.000-05:00

New in the shop... Mini Monster and a Monster Cozy.

mini monster

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Snowboarding Without a Scarf

2012-01-22T09:56:00.000-05:00

We went snowboarding yesterday. My neck was cold, as the "scarf" I was wearing wasn't really a good cold weather scarf. It is more of a cool weather wrap around your neck fabric. Lesson learned. Thinking back, falling so that the snow was jammed down the back of my jacket probably wasn't helping with the cold part either.

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Saturday Caturday

2012-01-21T13:00:00.001-05:00

It is finally snowing. Louie (a.k.a Pouise the Puma) doesn't care.

louie, yarn (that should be a pair of socks), and a monster cozy hanging by the stove

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How To Make Crocheted Amigurumi Hair

2012-01-19T21:31:00.000-05:00

I've been doing quite a bit of monster hair making lately. It's really something that I enjoy, so I'm sharing my technique.

mini monster with hair

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Jackalackackie Free Hat Pattern For You... Surprise!

2012-01-16T21:25:00.001-05:00

Baby, it's cold outside. I made this one for myself. I didn't have one single hat that I could wear out of the house and not sprint for the car due to the ugliness.

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What Do I Love?

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

Giant monster sculpture? Why yes, yes I do.

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Adding to the Army

2012-01-11T10:33:00.001-05:00

I am finally getting back into a nice groove. It's so nice that I started playing around with designs, monsters and even had an epiphany.

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What Do I Love?

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd share some monster loves off of Flickr. They're all very monstery in their very own way.

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Ouchi Gallery Reception

2012-01-06T13:05:00.000-05:00

I GOT TO RIDE IN A FREIGHT ELEVATOR! Yes. This country mouse got to check TWO things off of her bucket list. I'm a little sad that I didn't think to take a picture of this event, but it's etched in my brain forever.

The whole show was super fun. I was a little hesitant about going when I found out my sidekick wasn't able to accompany me to the show. Granted, me waiting until the last minute to remind her (because I can't seem to remember what day I'm on) didn't help. Note to self: figure out a way to get babysitting funds for KBG outings. Luckily my mother-in-law was game and off to Brooklyn we went! I almost didn't get lost too.

Love knows No Boundaries

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Happy and Organizing

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm working on being more productive. I've been thinking about it at least. My biggest challenge seems to be organization of my workspace, daily schedule (there's the whole mom/homemaker thing), and storage. I also apparently need a system for packing orders and locating where I hid my finished monsters.

can you hear me now?

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What Do I Love?

2012-01-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd start off the new year by featuring other doll artists on Flickr...

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Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T10:38:00.000-05:00

Monsters Like Skirts Too.

2011-12-27T22:05:00.001-05:00

Here's a little bit of what's going on today.

self striping sock yarn for the monster's skirt

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Aftermath Recovery

2011-12-26T22:27:00.001-05:00

The holidays are behind us, and I'm happy to report that they were awesome. Getting back to normal has been a challenge this morning for everyone. Hubs went back to work (Awake at 4:30... Ugggh!) and the kiddies are home, trying to figure out what to play with first. I'm behind on everything and working on looking beyond the clutter to get some work done.

oh no! don't make yarn barf!

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Happy Holidays

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

Whatever you celebrate, everyone at KBG headquarters wishes you a happy, safe, and blessed holiday season.

Notice the awesome stocking that was knitted for me when I was a baby... love it.

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Made It Out Alive

2011-12-19T22:24:00.001-05:00

Here was the last batch of packages that went out yesterday. A big THANK YOU for all of the orders. You kept me very busy these past few weeks. Next year I will plan waaaaay better to keep the stress and finger cramping down.

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The Great LOVE Unveiling

2011-12-15T11:11:00.001-05:00

I couldn't be any happier with how this turned out. It's on it's way to the Ouchi Gallery for the 100 Artist Exhibition. You'll be able to vote on your favorite piece (hopefully mine!) shortly.

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Blindingly Beaded

2011-12-12T22:47:00.001-05:00

I love returning to a technique that I love... but don't use very often due to the time it consumes. This is a bit of the LOVE piece I've been working on. I had to cover up the wire pieces. Apparently the pieces wasn't intricate enough. My eyes are still crossed from the bead work on these guys! They're so pretty. It's like a nice visit with a good pal (cough*cheesy*cough).

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Holiday Custom Order Deadline

2011-12-09T15:08:00.001-05:00

Just a friendly note that TOMORROW will be the last day for custom orders for the holidays!!!

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My Name in Print

2011-12-07T08:32:00.000-05:00

This will always be amazingly exciting to me. I got this email yesterday... and LOOK! I'm in there!

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Birth of a Monster

2011-12-05T20:26:00.001-05:00

Working on the next monster... Wait. You finished the LOVE piece? Well, no. I finished the day's goals on the LOVE piece. That's why I started something new. I have the attention span of a small child. I also had all this lovely yarn from Knit Picks that was SCREAMING, "try us out!!!"

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Busy and Grateful

2011-12-04T20:28:00.001-05:00

So it's been a bit busy with custom orders and whatnot... I kind of like it. This is a normally busy time of year for us on top of the usual holiday insanity (That's what I'm calling it from now on.). Kiddo's birthday is also in December, so there's a party to plan for that... he's still into parties, but I think this is the last big party year. Anyway.

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Let's Feel the LOVE

2011-11-28T05:45:00.000-05:00

I'm happy to report that I've finished the two dolls that were waiting to be finished. I haven't been able to work on my LOVE piece because these two were blocking my creative flow... or nagging my subconsciousness to finish or NOTHING ELSE WILL BE FINISHED. Maybe a little of both...

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Thank You Sale

2011-11-23T12:39:00.001-05:00

Hope it's a day filled with love and joy for everyone... may you eat turkey among friends and family!

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The List Goes On...

2011-11-21T10:38:00.001-05:00

Now that the craft show craziness is over (maybe... stay tuned for more information on that) I still have a plethora (maybe my most favorite word, in case you were wondering) of awesome work to do. Apparently Thanksgiving is on Thursday and then the holiday shopping masses will rain down upon us (I hope).

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Where Is Knot By Gran'ma This Weekend?

2011-11-18T09:36:00.001-05:00

If you're in the area, stop by! It should be a good time... plus there will be real life roller girls and my KBG Roller Derby Monster Dolls!!!

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Just Call Me The Claw

2011-11-16T10:01:00.001-05:00

This has been a very busy 2 weeks of insanity crocheting. Between finally catching up on orders, making more mini monsters and some roller derby dolls... my hands are feeling it. I have 2 and a half more days of crocheting and then a little rest. Craft show days generally have no crocheting in them, and the day after is always a resting day.

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Grawr... Means What?

2011-11-14T08:37:00.001-05:00

I have a craft show on Saturday. I have to make more mini monsters for this craft show. I'm out and really have been slacking on their production. My very full time mom hat has been worn mainly this past week, so I'm trying not to be too hard on myself. Family before monsters! I'm still a little frustrated with my progress, but a lot can be accomplished in a week.

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Texture Makes the World Go Round...

2011-11-11T09:54:00.001-05:00

Or was that love? I have old sheet music from my Grandmother that I think goes back to the 20's. Yup... definitely LOVE Makes the World Go Round.

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Good Karma

2011-11-10T09:43:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I dropped off some monsters to a new shop up in Kingston, NY... Karmabee. I drove up to check out the store last night, and I'm totally stoked to have my guys in there. The shop is adorable and set up so well. Along with very cool Karmabee items, there's a local artisan section filled with other Hudson Valley artists. I can only wish Karen the best of luck in her new venture... good vibes for the shop to succeed too.

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Uppity-Date

2011-11-07T11:54:00.000-05:00

Here's what's been on the hooks, as I've been desperately trying to catch up after a good 6 days of being down. Thanks sinuses.

2 new monsters waiting for eyes and fangs... pink aviator hat, a new hat design, and a pair of Jessabelle Mitts. Go!

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My Favorite KBG Treasury Feature... October

2011-10-31T07:00:00.000-04:00

This is a treasury close to my heart... monsters!

You can see all of the treasuries either featuring KBG or made by KBG by clicking here.

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Would Monsters Use Yoga Mats?

2011-10-28T10:51:00.001-04:00

I was wondering if they would yesterday or if they'd just use the floor. They are monsters after all. This thought process (and my sore muscles and the yoga magazine I was reading) inspired maybe a yoga monster. I'm not sure if he'll have a mat or not yet.

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The Plague Doesn't Wear Hats

2011-10-24T14:33:00.001-04:00

I'd love to say I had the most awesome productive weekend ever. I have tons of goodies to show you all and wonderful pictures of whatever adventures we experienced. I can't.The reality is I've been stuck in my house since Wednesday, because Kiddo has caught the plague... or probably the flu. It's a good one though. I've been a little busy catering to his needs and making sure Dr. Destructo doesn't get too close.

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Everybody's Working For the Shop Update

2011-10-21T11:46:00.000-04:00

Well it's Friday and I have decided that Friday's are a good day for shop updates. That's the plan, anyway. Plus I have a sock to finish so I can start my latest project. It involves a real life art gallery. More about that later.

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Yarn Adventures to Rhinebeck...

2011-10-17T20:16:00.000-04:00

Let me start with I GOT TO GO ALL BY MYSELF. Hubs took the kiddies for the day (even to an 8 year old's birthday party with Dr. Destructo in tow). I happily jumped into his truck and off up the Taconic I went... making sure not to speed too much or burn out Hub's clutch.

This was the first booth I saw... and I think I took this same picture last year too. Although, last year's came out blurry I think. I was looking for yarn to make this fingering weight crochet shrug and these guys fit the bill. I just didn't have enough dollar bills in my pocket to get the yardage I needed on top of the yarn for the other projects I planned out.

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Lessons from the Kiddies.

2011-10-14T11:15:00.001-04:00

I've learned quite a bit this year. I'm not going to get into everything, but I'll share the lesson from the few craft shows I have done this year. Kids love my monsters. They are drawn to them like bees to honey. Their parent's are not so thrilled with the price tags once they see the dolls and the fact that they aren't really kid friendly. (DISCLOSURE: I DO NOT SELL PLASTIC BAG STUFFED DOLLS TO KIDS. THE MOM IN ME KNOWS IT'S WRONG) I've lost many a sale because of all of this.I've been trying to come up with a kid friendly, price friendly, and eco-friendly solution to my dilemma.

Merfious Mini Monster OOAK Kid Friendly Plush Toy

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Can You Guess the Theme?

2011-10-12T09:56:00.000-04:00

There's a new project in the works... I'm not going to get into the details, but only because I don't know all the details yet. Either way, it will be super cool. For right now I'll share my preliminary sketch of the doll that I hope to come out of said new project.

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Apples and Hot Air Balloons

2011-10-10T12:46:00.000-04:00

We went apple picking. I didn't get a stitch of crochet work in... even though I sat down to do so a few times. It was still a good weekend.

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Jessabelle Mitts

2011-10-07T13:48:00.001-04:00

You have heard my chatting online about these for weeks. Or ranting... depended on the day. They're done, and I love them. You can make your very own.

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What's on the Hook

2011-10-06T10:08:00.001-04:00

Finished the large mitt... now I can write up the pattern for you all. Yay!

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Weekend Wonderful

2011-10-03T09:33:00.000-04:00

Kiddo had a birthday party this weekend. It was nice... he's finally to the age where he can be dropped off (depending on the party) and I don't have to worry about his behavior. This particular party took place at a lovely and old camp down the street from us. We parked at the bottom of a giant driveway and walked about the length of a football field to the top. It was brisk out and wonderful. I snapped some pictures on the way down...

old camp house

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Making New Friends...

2011-09-30T10:03:00.000-04:00

I actually am making them... one monster at a time.

wip new monster with cotton and wool yarn

This is the next buddy on hanging out on the hook for a bit. He is already significantly bigger than our other pal, Vascularity Ted. This is good, as he'll be able to be propped up on the painted base without looking silly... I hope.

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What's on the Hook

2011-09-28T10:05:00.002-04:00

Working on legs, painting the base and some eyeballs today. It would be amazing if I got some stuffing in too. We'll see how the day goes.

monster wip

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Mitts of Doom...

2011-09-27T10:10:00.000-04:00

I'm being a little over dramatic. That's odd, I know. (Note the dripping sarcasm... you got some on your elbow.)

Years ago, before a tee-pee party actually, I made this pair of mitts. It's always cold at these parties and at the last minute I decided I needed to whip up a pair. So I did. I love them. That was my first experience with sock yarn too. Love.

mitts i love

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Shop Update

2011-09-23T06:49:00.000-04:00

Eight new monsters are now up for sale. You can see them all on the top header. (Look above this...)

blueberry smiles monster

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A Plethora Kindness

2011-09-21T17:43:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago, at the Fine Crafts Fair in Garrison, I was approached by a very kind lady and her friend. We chatted for a bit, and she came to ask me what kind of yarn I used for my dolls. I told her acrylic, but also that I was hoping to switch to wool once my stash ran out. She then proceeded to offer me rug yarn from her overwhelming stash. The only catch was I had to come pick it up in Englewood, NJ (about 1.5 hours from my house).

Ummmm. Yes.

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Maker Faire 2011 Wrap Up

2011-09-19T13:11:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was the final day of the Maker Faire in Queens yesterday. I had the lovely privilege to be one of the vendors under the Bust Craftacular tent. (This is all information I should have blogged about before the event but was too busy getting ready to do so.) The weather was nice, and we (Jackie and I) had a blast driving down to Queens... the nice part of having a cop-pilot/pal who helps you laugh at your driving shortcomings without yelling at you for potentially killing everyone. We were following Judy and her husband over at JSWMetalWorks, but got separated over the Whitestone due to a lack of an Easy Pass on my part.

display setup with jackie sitting behind the tentacle ballet monster

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A Moment of Zen

2011-09-10T13:10:00.000-04:00

Agamemnon ♥

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Marching Along

2011-09-09T09:46:00.000-04:00

I'm still here... slowly plugging away at building up my stash of monster friends. Here are the latest WIPs... There's another on the hook, but I'll get to her later. I'd like to get the 3 I have started plus 2 more finished by Sunday.

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Behinds of the Feline Persuasion

2011-09-07T09:15:00.000-04:00

I made cat butts last night.

Off to make monster bodies today.

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Monsters in the Rain

2011-09-06T12:33:00.002-04:00

It's raining again. I'm finishing up this batch of dolls to start another. Their little mouths have to dry before the pins can come out. I'd also like to make a few cat butts later. We'll see how much of the house I get cleaned up from yesterday's BBQ.

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Eyeball Panic Mom Style

2011-09-02T10:09:00.001-04:00

According to my Twitter stream the past few days, there was an incident of missing eyeball making supplies. I ripped things apart, panicked that I left them at the last craft show and even searched Hub's truck (which I drove to the craft show...). No luck until I looked right next to the couch that I sit on every night. They were right there, neatly stashed in a plastic bag.

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Hurricane to Tropical Storm Irene and Us

2011-08-30T06:49:00.001-04:00

So we got hit with this storm. The last hurricane I remember in NY was when I was 5 or 6... I think that one was Gloria. Luckily, the storm didn't do too much damage aside from power loss and minimal flooding.

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Prepping for Bust Craftacular at the Maker Fair

2011-08-29T12:28:00.002-04:00

This is what I'll be doing for the next 4 weeks or so. The Maker Fair is on September 17th and 18th. I'll be vending under the Bust Craftacular tent on the 18th only. Very exciting!

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Fine Crafts Fair at Garrison

2011-08-18T09:59:00.000-04:00

Knot By Gran'ma is one of the vendors! If you're in the area, please stop by and say hello! I'm also offering 20% off any KBG purchase to anyone who brings me plastic grocery bags. They'll be turned into monster doll stuffing instead of landfill waste!

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Just Butts

2011-08-17T14:38:00.000-04:00

This is pretty much what I did today.

Pin It

Pug Butts... to be made into keychains.

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Hexagons and Body Bits

2011-08-15T12:42:00.000-04:00

Yeah it's going to be a blanket. I started it because I needed something mind numbing and simple. This fit the bill and I need a nice wool throw anyway. The pattern is from Attic24 and I love that you can connect the hexagons as you go. I'll be keeping track of my progress through (public link) Ravelry.

There's also been some doll body progress. I'm painting their mouths and getting the eyeballs, hair and pouches together. The sewing machine is slowing down my process. It's my arch nemesis as of right now.

Also, if anyone has any funny stories or jokes that they want to share... it's been a rough week or so, and I could use a smile. :)

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Priorities, Priorities, Priorities

2011-08-10T15:06:00.001-04:00

This is what happens when you're sad and have to pack... and have a slight "problem" with fiber. I guess I should bring some clothes and whatnot too.

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Your Flowers are Stepping on My Heads

2011-08-08T10:54:00.001-04:00

I don't have any new finished dolls to show you all today. I have heads so far... which is amusing to me. That makes it all okay. The reason behind no new dolls is due to flower folding. My friend had a baby shower thrown for her on Saturday and me and a bunch of gals did the decorating.

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Dangerous Unicorns Don't Wear Socks

2011-08-05T10:12:00.000-04:00

I started my newest big doll... the unicorn/man-of-war jellyfish doll. The original sketch is in this post. I got as far as the head before I was bored beyond all recognition. I shouldn't have gotten bored, because horse (ahem unicorns to be) heads are flippin' difficult to crochet. My first attempt seriously looked like a cow. So I fixed his ears and we're a bit closer to horse. I think it's the fact that I'm basically making a horse body out of boring white yarn that's going to make this part difficult for me to stay motivated... until the fun details. Then it's a different story.

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Introducting: Lady Fab Monsters - Project Hook and Needle Holders

2011-08-02T11:54:00.000-04:00

I did it. I sketched them, worked on the design for over a week and finally finished last night. They're fabulous. I hope you think so too. I'd like to introduce Lady Fab Monsters - Project Hook and Needle Holders.

lady fab monsters

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Sneak Peek and a Really Good Sandwich

2011-07-29T16:47:00.000-04:00

I've been working pretty hard (even with Hubs home) these past few days on a new design... which I will share with you all when these first 3 dolls are 100% finished. They're at about the 80% point. Mostly...


sneak peek... shhhhh!

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The Perils of Jellyfish Crochet

2011-07-27T07:23:00.001-04:00

I didn't think that crocheted jellyfish could be dangerous... until I started thinking about putting a light in one. And I guess the jellyfish itself wouldn't be the dangerous part. It would be the cotton yarn catching on fire if this isn't done properly part. So that's what I wanted to do with this... thinking I could crochet up the jellyfish first and then sliding the bulb in didn't work out.

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What The Heck Kind of Direction Am I Goin In?

2011-07-19T21:15:00.001-04:00

I'm a little all over the place lately. I'm chalking it up to things I have no control over and not being where I'd like to be with KBG. The things I have no control over are making me feel more scattered than usual, making it difficult to get motivated and actually do stuff. The not being where I'd like to be with KBG is a direct result of me not getting enough stuff done and contacting the right venues/people with my work.

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Roll With It, Baby

2011-07-15T11:45:00.001-04:00

Seems like this song (Roll With It, by Ani Difranco) has been running through my head for a while. I am making it my career, while the home fires are burning and the fact that I'm not an army wife parts have nothing to do with things in my day... it's still a good line to have running through your brain at times like these. I'm stuck in some projects, as it's just hard to pick up the hook and yarn some days. I'm a bit scattered with my thinking and just trying to get through to tomorrow.

jellyfish wip

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Be Awesome.

2011-07-11T09:57:00.003-04:00

I found this on Pinterest this morning, and thought it was a good fit for how I should be. (I repinned it to my inspiration board... which I should visit more often.) Also, love me some Neil Patrick Harris.

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Finding the Good...

2011-07-05T11:03:00.000-04:00

We had a bad weekend. I won't go totally into it, but there's all sorts of bad vibes flying around. Public service announcement: drugs and alcohol ruin everyone's lives... even if you (No, not you...) don't see it because of the before mentioned items. I'm praying that some people realize this before everything can't be fixed.

remember to love monster doll v.7

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Slow Down and Smell the Flowers Without Hyperventilating

2011-06-29T15:22:00.001-04:00

Ever get that feeling that you're not being productive enough, even though you really are doing a lot of stuff? Well I've got that feeling ALL THE TIME. It's been rough trying to shake it... I blame being overwhelmed by the universe on this one. (Easier than blaming yourself, no?) But really it is me.

I managed to finish these guys' bodies this ~~morning~~ afternoon. They're to be stuffed into bottles hopefully by tonight (children pending). These WERE SUPPOSED TO BE FINISHED YESTERDAY, according to my evil to-do list (THAT'S a doll I should make... Evil To-Do List of Doom). Breathe.


Monsters under glass waiting to be put into glass...

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The Tutu That Almost KILLED Me...

2011-06-27T20:45:00.000-04:00

Hey, I'll make this doll with a tutu. It'll be easy. Sure. Hey, I'll also make sure that even though using size 10 crochet cotton wasn't hard enough with the itty bitty size 7 steel hook.... I'll make sure each row has over 300 stitches. I'll also make sure that I take some crinoline and attach it with 80 gabillion pins and then hand sew it to the tutu... pleated! I couldn't stop there. I had to cover the top edge with a silky brown ribbon. 57 thousand hours later.... (Yes... drama llama.)

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Bring on the Summer!

2011-06-21T18:20:00.001-04:00

I guess today is a fitting day to have completed all of this fun stuff... after all here's my chance for the most sunlight in a day. Happy Summer Solstice!

I started out with a little gathering of my ready tea herbs. I have mint, applemint, spearmint, and lavender. I know there are others, but this is what I drink almost exclusively when it comes to tea. I'll be adding some lemon balm and roman chamomile once they're ready. They're all wrapped up and hanging in the greenhouse. In a few days I'll be able to test them all out.

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I'm Baaaaaaaaaaack...

2011-06-16T10:56:00.001-04:00

...in the saddle again.... (I ♥ Aerosmith)

Anyway. Vacation was swell and we're back to making monsters and whatnot. I'm going to keep this short and sweet. There will be a vacation post filled with beautiful Bermuda pictures, but not right now. :)

This lady is new in the shop! She's the very first Monster Under Glass...

I'm using recycled glass containers so they'll appear as I obtain them. Prepare to see a lot of Monsters Under Glass in horseradish jars. We have an illness here when it comes to eating horseradish. This particular glass is from a mystery food item. I paid a dollar for it without realizing the lady was just selling glasses from her recycle bin. Whoops!

I've also been collecting favorite stuff on Pinterest

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On Vacation

2011-06-03T15:24:00.001-04:00

We're leaving for a trip... Sunday June 5th through Sunday June 12th.

Any orders (patterns included) will be shipped (out or emailed out) on June 13th. Thanks for understanding.

If you order patterns through the Shop or Ravelry, there are automatic downloads. Etsy is the only one where you’ll have to wait for patterns, as I’ll have no internet access for the week.

Note to Etsy: Please make instant downloads available for us PDF file sellers. Thanks!

What Do Ugly Bathrooms and Monsters Have in Common?

2011-05-27T09:47:00.001-04:00

Nothing really. It's just 2 of the things that are on my list to do for the weekend. Well, that and some gardening. I have to empty out the greenhouse by next Saturday. That'll take a bit of time too.

I plan on working on more of my Remember to Love Monsters. Here's a new finished one. I was supposed to have 2 new ones and a new style of monster to join him, but there was a kickball fundraiser last night and some unexpected gardening instead. These things happen. This guy is #5 in the set.

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Remember to Love Monster Collection

2011-05-26T10:44:00.004-04:00

There seems to be a lot of hate and sadness floating around the universe lately. These little monsters' sole purpose is to make you smile and help you remember to love... love with all of your being and heart. A simple heart is sewn to their cheeks to make it a little easier to remember... to love always.

30 will be made in all...

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Finally A Proper KBG Pug Mascot Hat

2011-05-25T15:47:00.000-04:00

This is what I've been doing all week so far. Well, I did finish the pink base to an aviator hat and make a monster body too... and then there's the gardening. BUT... this is what I wanted to share with you. I made a monster hat for my pug, Agamemnon, and it's so flippin' awesome. I'm giddy almost. No, I am giddy over this. Now I have an official mascot with an official hat. Sweet.

Want one? I'm offering them as made to order, where you can pick your colors and size. It's crocheted from acrylic yarn, cotton thread, and bamboo thread. It also comes with a little tie string in case the chin part isn't snug enough... that way you can adjust it to your dog for a more custom fit. There may or may not be a crochet pattern for this one... I haven't decided yet. It'll be a good month or so of pattern writing though before that one comes out... if it does come out. Did I mention I wasn't decided yet?

Anyway, you can pick up this bad-boy via Etsy. Or you can just contact me. They're going for $65 plus shipping.

Sizing is as follows: (found by measuring the dog's brow line from ear to ear...) If you're in between, go for the smaller size. It'll give a little.

Extra Small = 4 inches or 10.2 cm
Small = 5 inches or 12.7 cm
Medium = 6 inches or 15.2 cm
Large = 7 inches or 17.8 cm
Extra Large = 8 inches or 20.3 cm

Cat or Ridiculously Small = 3 inches or 7.6 cm (Doesn't include the second color in the head...)

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Love Mint in the Springtime with Monsters and Yoga

2011-05-23T10:32:00.001-04:00

I love this time of year... even more when the sun comes out (oh well). There's always something to do. There's also feels like the days need more hours, even with all of the extra sunlight.

There's been monster making... here's number 4 in the series of Remember to Love Monsters... only 26 more to go! It's a labor of love... literally!

I've been plugging away at this yoga mat bag too. I was hoping to be done already, but I need to take wip pictures for the pattern, and the sun hasn't really been out in like 2 weeks. So we're stalled until the sunshine returns. I did add it to my Ravelry projects though. You can follow the progress there.

I'm in the middle of an aviator hat order also... 2 of them will be the standard aviator toddler hats, but the 3rd gets to be in this beautiful pink! I'm a little excited to see how it turns out...

Hmmm... what else? Oh! I did get to finally harvest some peppermint. Here's the bounty from the one picking. This is actually what I left in the garden when I transplanted the rest. Apparently mint is very weedlike in its spreading habits. It's hanging in the greenhouse waiting to be turned into yummy peppermint tea.

Lots of new stuff coming soon! I have a few new monster ideas... including a hat for our buddy Agamemnon! He'll be so cute in it.

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Agamemnon and the Limited Edition Monsters.

2011-05-11T09:32:00.000-04:00

I was asking this question myself... It's been busy around the good old KBG household, as it always is this time of year. Something about the spring always throws the blog (and monster production) on the back burner. There's always so much to do outside with the gardens and planting and whatnot. You can keep up with the garden adventures, including the new saga of Operation Botanical Fortress, on my Garden Fun Sunday posts. There will be many more posts coming as the season progresses... also some winter gardening to plan for this year!

That all being said, I very recently started this limited edition set of monsters... there will only be 30 made with the hearts. They are called Remember to Love Monsters (If you click on the pictures, it'll take you to where you can purchase one.). I was inspired by the outright hatred and anger that I have been observing all around me. The universe seems very heavy to the point where it seems like people can't cope. These monsters are a gentle reminder to love. Love everyday with all of your heart. Look at your life and love everything you can about it. It could all be gone tomorrow.

Speaking of love... look what we brought home. His name is Agamemnon (Aggie for short) and he is awesome. I'm hoping that in a few years his name will be an opening for my kids to become interested in the great stories of Greek Mythology starting with The Iliad. (Yes, I'm aware my inner dork is peeking out..) He is also filling our already busy days, as we adjust to life with a puppy. We've never had a dog before, and there is oh so much to learn. There are more pictures here on my Flickr set.

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What's Been Doing

2011-04-19T09:22:00.000-04:00

It's been pretty busy here at KBG. If you haven't heard, there's a craft show coming up on Saturday. You can read all about it on Facebook or HERE. It's taking place at the Howland Culture Center, 477 Main Street, Beacon, NY from 11am to 5pm. Hope you can make it. KBG will be there along with many, many other talented artists from the Hudson Valley! The first 30 people in the door will be receiving cool swag bags filled with some amazing goodies!

Also, if you do come and bring some plastic grocery bags to KBG (they'll be recycled into art dolls) you'll receive 20% off of any purchase from Knot By Gran'ma (only KBG, not the other vendors). Just look for Knot By Gran'ma!

So in preparation for all of this fun, there's been some new monsters added to the shops (see above) and lots of cat and pug butts and jellyfish! Should be fun for everyone!

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Shop Update

2011-04-15T09:52:00.000-04:00

Some new monsters have come to live in the shop! I used word associations to name Rainbow Barf. That's basically what came to mind when I looked at the colors I used when making him. For Moldy Banana, I asked kiddo (he's 8) to give me something that came to mind... and he came up with, well Moldy Banana. Super fun over here in the monster naming portion of the house.

rainbow barf monster

moldy banana monster

These 2 would love a new home. They're definitely OOAK pieces of art!

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KBG's Monsters' New Home

2011-04-13T08:41:00.001-04:00

If you've been following along KBG anywhere online, you've heard all about the monster insanity that was recently finished. Well, the reason for the monster insanity was so that this great company could stock KBG monsters in their Soho, NYC pop-up shop. How exciting!

"The grand opening is scheduled on Earth Day, April 22nd and will run through May 27th."

See full article from DailyFinance: http://srph.it/dMDIPc

monster insanity monster now at sprout watches

So please check it out if you are in the area and maybe bring a new monster friend and perhaps a watch home with you. For more information on Sprout Watches, visit www.sproutwatches.com/SOHO.

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Birthday Goodies Just For You!

2011-04-11T02:09:00.001-04:00

So it's my birthday today. Whoopee. 32 years ago I graced this lovely planet to somehow end up where I am, happily making dolls and designing patterns. I have everything I could ever ask for in my loving family and (dare I say it?) career choice. Really. We'll be celebrating the day with BBQ food and hopefully some chocolate.

That being said, I wanted to celebrate with you guys somehow. Your support and fun loving-ness... well whatever. It's cool and brings me happiness. So here's the deal.

For every crochet pattern purchased from KBG anywhere (Ravelry, Etsy, Here), get your choice of a 2nd crochet pattern for FREE! Just let me know what your second choice (equal or lesser value please) in your notes when you pay.

Or... For every actual item purchased (even custom ordered ones), get a free cat butt or pug butt keychain in the color of your choice. Also just let me know which species you'd prefer and a color choice in your payment notes. You can shop at the shop and also through Etsy.

This is all good for today. It's my happy birthday to you. This will all disappear at midnight in whatever time zone you live in.. unless my midnight comes later. Then it'll be my midnight. Cool?

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Garden Fun Sunday April 10th 2011

2011-04-10T21:16:00.000-04:00

What I've been up to this week in the garden... Also bought 2 new books to get us into through the winter (hopefully) with fresh produce... and seeds for next year!

The Winter Harvest Handbook: Year Round Vegetable Production Using Deep Organic Techniques and Unheated Greenhouses and Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners... so excited to get everything going!!!

el greenhouse

filled up with waaaay more stuff

herb seeds

the newly dug herb (maaaaaan) garden

So that's about it... There was some more gardens that were dug out, but you'll have to wait for next weekend's installment of Garden Fun Sunday!

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Update on Monster Insanity

2011-03-30T20:00:00.000-04:00

If you've been anywhere near me... online or in real life, you have heard me talk of the monster insanity that has become my life. I'm loving every single minute of it. This will also consume me for the rest of the weekend and the weekend also. I have a deadline you know...

So I got sick last weekend... and dropped behind by 7 monsters. I panicked a bit on Monday, but came up with a new plan. I'm currently making 4 a day, and trying to catch up on the stuffing that didn't happen when I ran out of plastic bags (thanks neighbors and friends!), catching up on the assembling of eyeballs to monsters, and will finish with 40 made monsters on Sunday night... hopefully before midnight. Monday will be spent placing hang tags, photographing, and packing them up to be shipped out on Tuesday.

Right now I'm over the halfway point... and right on track. I'm not going to lie though... it's a little creepy being in the same room as all of these monsters. :) And completely awesome.

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And Then There Were 6...

2011-03-23T13:29:00.000-04:00

I finished my quota of monsters yesterday. Here's the motley crew... To see them all check out my Flickr page, Monster Insanity.

tuesday's monster madness

There will be better pictures once the weather decides to cooperate. It's currently snowing, which is fine with me. Spring snow doesn't flood out my basement!

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Monster Insanity

2011-03-22T20:00:00.001-04:00

Here are yesterday's monsters. I hope to get some prints up for you guys on Deviant Art! Right now you can see all the pictures in this Flickr set, Monster Insanity.

monday's monster insanity

Back to monster making... there will be many more updates on this one, so keep checking in.

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Giveaway Winners!

2011-03-22T10:03:00.000-04:00

Wow! What a cool response to this giveaway! Thank you everybody for entering... new tweeps, Facebook pals, and newsletter subscribers. I hope you all enjoy the fun that Knot By Gran'ma has turned into. Without further ado, here are our winners!

Rachee

Jalynn

Masha

You 3 will all be receiving an email shortly. You have 2 days to respond... if in the event there's no response, a new winner will be chosen in your place. Thank again everyone for playing along. Hope to have another giveaway next month.

Garden Fun Sunday...er... Monday

2011-03-21T19:30:00.000-04:00

Today starts the maniacal monster making frenzy. I've been hinting that I was going to start earlier, but alas... things don't usually go as planned over at KBG land. I'm constantly readjusting to work with the current situation. This is usually because of some sort of Dr. Destructo, kiddo, or Hubs incident. These are the things that keep life interesting though!

Yesterday's post was supposed to be done yesterday (due to it being Sunday and the first day of spring). Obviously I'm a day late. It's also a little ironic that I'm writing my spring post as snow is falling from the sky. Oh well.

lilac buds

I am happy to report though, that my lilacs (and plethora of other bushes) are starting to bud. This particular plant was 3 inches tall when I received it in the mail about 3 years ago. It's now about a foot and a half tall...

greenhouse construction

We're making slow progress on the greenhouse too. I'm okay with this because all my seeds are still not started and by the time we're done, they should be ready to go outside into said greenhouse.

garlic

The garlic is showing up too. It's our first attempt at garlic, so this is very exciting. Apparently we can never have enough (or too much!) garlic!

digging squirrel

There was also a little squirrel digging hopefully for yucky grubs on the other side of the garden. He was cute, so I snapped his picture.

spring snow

So there's my garden fun update... the day after the first day of spring and written while it's snowing. Sweet.

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Fiber Arts Friday Tentacle Monster Style...

2011-03-18T14:03:00.000-04:00

Aside from getting my Chakra Doll crochet pattern up this week.... this doll has been all consuming. She's not finished, but aside from hair, a tulle tutu and a garter belt she's pretty damn close. I also have to figure out how to have her on the base that I still have to prep and paint. Baby steps...

Last night I finished assembling the tentacles, which proved to be dangerous. My tapestry needle is very sharp and seems larger than it should be. I'm a little afraid of it. I also almost leaned onto it yesterday with my neck. That's the sort of thing that goes down over here in KBG land... So this morning, I started out with all of these pieces.

I also figured out how to crochet plaque build-up... which amused me to no end. (Twitter friends know...)

This morning I sewed and stuffed and got the whole thing together. I really love her. I'm not sure how she's going to sit or stand on the base. It's going to involved dowels and carpentry skills that I lack for sure. Once the rest of her is finished and sewn on, I'm sure she'll be awesome.

On another note, I also got a great wholesale order that will be consuming me pretty much exclusively for the next 3 weeks. More details on that as the deadline approaches.

It's Fiber Arts Friday, so please leave a comment and then head over to Andrea's Blog, Wisdom Begins in Wonder and check out the other Fibery posts! I guarantee you will learn something interesting.

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How to Make Your Own Chakra Doll

2011-03-17T09:00:00.000-04:00

It's really easy actually... just follow my pattern. :)

Skill Level: intermediate

Materials:
* Worsted weight cotton yarn
* 3.5 yds each color size 10 crochet cotton
* Size D and 1.65 mm (steel 7) crochet hook
* Tapestry needle
* Stuffing

Copyright 2011 Knot By Gran'ma

You can grab this pattern at this special price (this week only, then it's going back to $5)!
The Shop, Ravelry, Etsy or right here (buy now button below or look on the sidebar).

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Fiber Arts Friday and Project: Simplify: Master Closet

2011-03-11T19:47:00.003-05:00

I'm mushing these 2 together because I am running low on steam. This week whooped by butt.

In my mind, my closet would be sparkling by now (sparkling is overrated... clean is fine), my doll would be listed (it is), and I'd have the crochet pattern ready for your purchasing pleasure (I don't. Maybe Monday...). I also imagined that this post would be in 2 separate posts and would have been done hours upon hours ago. Oh well. This is what I got.

Let me start with Project Simplify... this week's task was my wardrobe (Dudes! Doubles as a fibery post... not fiber arts, but well... see what happens when I watch The Big Lebowski. I start calling everyone dudes.). So I did. This is what I started with. I split my closet with shelves that are currently holding books that belong on bookcases that we don't have. Hidden storage is swell with me.

Notice the lack of cleanliness... Those boxes were waiting to be filled with donated clothing... the white bag holds my wedding dress. It's leaving too. I also did my drawers, which I didn't take photos of. I did go through each and every drawer. The whole process went pretty quickly. I just needed a fire to be lit under my behind. Here's the finished photo.

It much cleaner, and in order now. I also don't have a lot of clothes. My dresser hold jeans and cotton shirts... the closet is for anything nice and shoes. And my saxophone and African drum. I'm so happy with my new clean closet. I donated 2 boxes and threw out a lot of garbage. The real question is why was I using my closet as a trash can? The mysteries of the universe, I guess. The Project: Simplify: Wardrobe Before and After post is here. Lots of people did lots of good this week!

Back to my fiber art portion of this post. I finally finished my chakra doll. This was originally a quick doll that I'd have up and running by this past Tuesday. Well, apparently crocheting a doll with actual human proportions is a lot harder than I thought. Monsters are no problem, as they don't have a body type per say. This labor of love took up my world this week... It made my brain hurt and I said a lot of words I'm not sure I'd say out in public. I may have even scared Hubs a little bit.

Right now I'm selling them made to order through my Shoply and Etsy shops. This particular one in the picture is mine. I'll be placing "her" on my dresser and most likely bringing her around to the places I like to do a little meditating... I'm really pleased with the end results and can't wait to get the pattern up. But that is a battle for another day.

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Chakra Progress...

2011-03-09T20:03:00.000-05:00

chakra doll wip

If you missed the earlier yarn running out drama earlier on Twitter today... don't fret. It wasn't all that dramatic and I ran out to get more yarn. The doll now has a leg and I'll be finishing it off tonight... probably while watching reruns of Burn Notice. I love this doll. It's much bigger than my usual dolls, humanoid, and get this... in proportion to itself. That alone is an amazing feat for me. Yeah!

Tomorrow I'll have nicer pictures, a crochet pattern, and hopefully a made to order listing of this doll.

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March Monster Giveaway!

2011-03-08T19:45:00.001-05:00

It's that time again... I feel the need to give something away!

It's been a while since I've given away some monsters. Everyone could use a little monster keychain to brighten their day. I've got 3 of these monster dudes left sitting around, so I'm going to give them to you.

They are all crocheted out of various acrylic yarns, and stuffed with plastic bags. Their eyes are crochet cotton and safety eyes.

How do you enter? Please just leave me a comment. Tell me your first pick, second pick, and third pick... should you win. Also please include your email address, so I can contact you. I will be picking a winner on Tuesday, March 22nd sometime.

Can I enter more than once? Yes. There are several ways. After you leave your initial comment...

1. Sign up for the newsletter. Then leave a comment telling me you have done so. Make sure your email address correlates with you and please make sure you are still a subscriber on the 22nd... if you're not still subscribed, you cannot win. If you are already signed up, just let me know... still counts! (1 extra entry) Subscribe to the Newsletter!

2. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway... leave a comment once you have done so. Also, if you are already following me on Twitter let me know but still RT! (1 extra entry) http://twitter.com/knotbygranma

3. Like KBG on Facebook and share with your friends something from the page (tricky 2 part step on this one). Leave a comment letting me know that you are liking KBG and that you have shared something... or if you already do, just let me know all the while sharing something from the fan page. (1 extra entry) http://facebook.com/knotbygranma

That's all I've got for extras. So you can have 4 entries (all in separate comments please!) to this contest and hopefully win yourself a pretty decent monster keychain. Not too shabby.

Official Rules:
No purchase necessary to enter this giveaway. All winners will be notified via email that they have won and have 2 days to respond. A new winner will be chosen if there is no response. Items will be shipped out via First Class mail (domestic and international). You are responsible for all taxes or laws that you may come into contact with due to winning this giveaway.