Charities

I'm not doing my internship this summer. I will have free time. Glorious, rapturous, can read a book that's not a textbook kind of free time. So, naturally I want to fill it with something. 

I want to get involved with some sort of charity work. I recently watched a documentary on Netflix called "Half the Sky," about the oppression and abuse of women worldwide. The journalists (Sheryl WuDunn and Nicholas Kristof) who created the documentary also have a book by the same name. I couldn't watch it and NOT want to do something. This documentary is definitely a call to action. 

I think what I want to do is create some cover art on some journals and donate them to a women's shelter. I've been brainstorming some other possible ideas, but I'm not sure. I know part of my goal list was to crochet something for charity - like chemo caps, but I don't know if crocheting is necessarily help these women (journals might not even be the way to go.) I think what I need to do is just make a list of ideas and start turning charity work into it's own priority goal list, because giving back is something I really want to do. 

What are some charities you like to get involved in? They don't have to be crafty related!

Here's a link to: Half the Sky Movement

Branding & Design

   I've been doing some research, and by that I mean browsing Pinterest, on branding and graphic design. I kind of came up with an idea of how I want this blog/future website to look. Now I just have to figure out the HOW. I have a concept and I want to be able to put it together myself -- OR the other option is enlist a classmate to help so I can help them get a start too. I think I'm going to map it out on grid paper so I have something to show her.

Also - in other news I've started narrowing down what Hot Chocolate Weather is, at least to me. It might still be too broad - but like I said when I started this blog this is all a work in progress for me.

To help some others that might be having some problems with design/branding/entrepreneurship here are some pins that I found on Pinterest that might help you too!

For creating basic blog design without using Photoshop:
Sweet Verbena

For some tips on branding:
Style Me Pretty - Kendra Scott

How to create a prototype -- in all fairness you cannot go wrong with this website. It's all in the title. :)
Entrepreneur

The future of Hot Chocolate Weather/Spring Cleaning

I realize that this blog has been silent for awhile and I apologize. I wanted to have at least three posts a week, but I have been increda-busy.

- 17 credits (5 classes) in school
- an (almost) 16 month old, rambunctious, silly, goofy, funny little boy who occupies A LOT of my time.
- working two jobs

I went silent but I didn't not think of Hot Chocolate Weather. I have been trying to refocus what I want out of Hot Chocolate Weather. What do I want it to be exactly? What are some exact short term/long term goals for Hot Chocolate Weather? How do I plan to obtain those goals? What do I want to achieve? Do I see myself wanting to do this long term?

So you see, I have been doing a lot of thinking in the silence. I bought myself a little pocket notebook that I can start writing down ideas for Hot Chocolate Weather when they come to me. I try to keep it on me at all times so even if I'm in the middle of class and inspiration (hey, my mind wanders during some of these lectures!) hits me I can write myself a quick note.

One of my goals for this year was to get more organized. I'm going to formulate a plan of attack for that so I can get it done. Maybe enlist some friends to play with gooberboogerstein (don't ask, it's 2AM.) so I can get some of it done!

I will post pictures if it happens. When it happens... WHEN... not if.

30 Days of Blogging Challenge: Day 6

Day 6,

Issue a Public Apology

 

Dear Neonatal Nurse,

I'm really sorry I thought some really mean things about you every time you told me that my contraction wasn't very strong. It was  a very stressful moment in my life, as I was in A LOT OF FREAKING PAIN. I thought some very not nice things about you, and I'm sure you're a very lovely person. I just ask in the future, please do not tell a girl who is about to give birth that her contractions aren't very strong. You do not know her pain threshold and maybe she had reached it already. Just because they don't register as very strong on your machine doesn't mean that what she's feeling is not the WORST PAIN OF HER FREAKING LIFE.

Thank You.

-Hailey

 

 

Also....

 

Dear Readers,

I'm very sorry I missed WIP Wednesday. So very sorry that this is a day late. (Well, to you... it's still Friday for me I have not gone to sleep yet.) I was trying to get a good start on homework and just missed that I was supposed to post. I didn't post anything on Wednesday because I hadn't worked on anything really all week. I know I should have, but I didn't. BUT I may or may not be working on a new pattern (because NOW I'm working on something) and that could be posted on here in the beginning of February. (It's a birthday gift for a friend who may or may not see this blog)

30 Day Blogging Challenge: Day 5

Hey Guys, sorry it's a bit late for a blog post. It's the first day of the spring semester and I'm taking more credits than I did LAST semester. I'm planning ahead for some awesome posts though!

30 Day Blogging Challenge Day 5 is....

My Proudest Moment

Before my son was born I didn't really have any direction with where I was going in life. I had several ideas what I wanted for my future but nothing concrete. I always wondered when I would figure out what I wanted to do, who I wanted to be, etc... I was just meandering through life living vicariously through friends who did know what they wanted, and knew exactly who they wanted to be. I was so jealous. 

Then I got pregnant. Not planned, but turned out oh so perfectly. My son was born in the beginning of December of 2012 and that was my turning point. My "Aha!" moment. The next few months my brain was on overdrive, whether it being afraid of unseen forces that might hurt my child, or planning how I was going to take care of him for the future. I knew I wanted to set a good example -- so I decided to go back to school. I'm currently enrolled in the Marketing and Sales Management degree at a local college. I want to own my own business (or at the very least help manage one) so I can create a better life for my son and possible future children.

In short.... I figured out what I want to do/who I want to be and I owe it all to my little boy. 

Little Man and his Daddy the day he was born

30 Days of Blogging: Day 4

Hey guys it's Friday which means I continue (for now) with the 30 Days of Blogging Challenge! Today we talk about ---

My Dream Job

My dream job is to be able to run Hot Chocolate Weather successfully and be able to spend my day being creative. I know there is more to running my own business than just making the products even if that part is the most enjoyable. It also would allow me to stay at home (mostly) with my little boy and future kids that I may decide to have. 

This blog isn't too long because I feel I am working towards my dream job. I think every little step I take I get a little bit closer. What is your dream job? 

Next Week: Will have a WIP Wednesday and 2 more installments on the 30 Days of Blogging challenge. I hope you're all enjoying this. Let me know in the comments if there is something else you'd like to see on here instead of the 30 day challenge, or even something to talk about on Wednesday. Have a good weekend! Take some time out to relax and enjoy yourself. 

Finger-less Mitts

I made these finger-less mitts for a friend for Christmas. I forgot to get a picture of them so the only one I have is a cell phone picture, but I think it shows the mitten ok.

I had my friend take a picture of herself wearing them as proof that she has worn them, haha.

Pattern:

Wrist Length Fingerless Mitts:

Materials Needed: 1 Skein worsted weight yarn. I used Red Heart with Love in Deep Blues.

Note: If you wanted to, you could probably use different colors and stripe it and that would look cool too. This would be a great stash busting project if you wanted to use up some of the left over bits of worsted weight yarn. This pattern is highly customizable. If you want the ribbed wrist longer – just make the beginning chain longer. If you need the mitt part bigger just add in more sc

I used a 4.5mm hook

Extras:
Stitch Markers
Yarn Needle

Stitches you’ll need to know for this project:
SC
SC in BLO (Back Loop Only)
Sl St
Ch

You will also need to know how to work in rows and in the round.

------
The first part is the ribbed cuff. Each sc should be worked in back loop only (blo). You will make two, but I suggest working the mitt together in one piece. When you make your sl knot leave a chain long enough to sew the cuff together.
Foundation: Ch 11
Row 1: Sk first ch, sc in blo across. Ch 1, turn (10 sts)
Row 2: Sc across in blo. Ch 1, turn. (10 sts)
Rows 3 – 31: Sc across in blo. Ch 1, turn. (10 sts)

Here are a list of the rows so you can cross them off as you go:
3     4      5      6      7    8      9       10
11    12     13     14      15      16     17
18     19     20     21      22     23     24
25     26     27     28      29     30    31
Row 32: Sc across in blo. Join with sl st careful to not let it twist. From here on out the pattern will be worked in the round. I used a stitch marker to mark the first st, but you can use leftover bits of yarn, paper clips, whatever – as long as you know where your first st is.

You can sew the cuff together now, or when your mitt is done, whenever you feel like sewing it together.

--- For the mitt part the sc is worked as a normal sc.
Round 33:  Ch 1, sc in same st as join. Sc around in each st, join w sl st in ch 1. Should be 32 sts.
Round 34: Ch 1, sc in same st as join. Sc around in each st join with sl st in ch 1. (32 sts)
Round 35 – 41: Ch 1, sc in same st as join. Sc around in each st, join with sli st in ch 1. (32 sts)

Left Hand Thumb hole: Ch 1, sc in next 21 sts, ch 6, sk next 7, sc in the 8^th st and remaining 4 sts. Join with slip st in ch 1.

Right Hand Thumb hole: Ch 1, sc in next 4 sts, ch 6, sk next 7, sc in the 8^th st and remaining 21 sts. Join with slip st in ch 1.

Round 43: Ch 1, sc around – work 5 sc in thumb hole ch, continuing around in each sc. Join with slip st. (29 sts)
Round 44: Ch 1, sc in each sc around. (29 sts)
Round 45-47: Ch 1, sc in each sc around (29 sts)

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Customize:
-If you need the mitts bigger or smaller: either make the cuff bigger or smaller to fit your hand. The stitches around should match how many rows the ribbing is.
-If the thumbhole is too big or small place stitch markers on each side of your thumb and skip that many stitches. Make the chain that brings the two together at least two smaller. And the sc that goes into the ch at least 1 less. Sc around the thumbhole 3 -4 rounds for a more glove like feel.
- You can easily add more rows to make the glove longer and and be more glove like. You can make the cuff longer by adding to the beginning chain. 

You can sell what you make from these as long as you say that it's my pattern and link back to Hot Chocolate Weather.

If you have any questions go ahead and leave it in the comments and I'd be more than happy to answer.