Free Pattern Over at Mooglyblog.com

Free pattern alert!  Free pattern alert!  I am pretty excited to try out this pattern for a pampering massage back scrubber and washcloth over at mooglyblog.com.  I am all about trying to be eco-friendly whenever I can, and I greatly dislike throwing away and buying new mesh shower loofahs every thirty days.  ((Which you REALLY should do because they harbor all sorts of nasty bacteria that can cause all sorts of nasty infections.  But I digress.)  Here's a picture of the set, courtesy of www.mooglyblog.com:

http://www.mooglyblog.com/pampering-massage-back-scrubber-washcloth/#more-5820

Check it out, make this awesome set, and let me know how it goes.  I'll post pics of my own project when I finish.  (When I'll find the time to work on it, I don't know.  I've got orders to complete!  Customers always take priority!)  Enjoy your weekend!

A Tip for Shopping at Michaels craft stores

Okay, really I have two tips.  The first one I posted on my facebook page this morning.  Oh, you didn't know I had a facebook page?  Here, check it out - www.facebook.com/pages/Grand-Escape-Crochet/554715131217217. (I have no idea why the address has all those numbers after it and I've done everything facebook has suggested on their help page to remove them but to no avail.)  Anyway...

Have you ever gone to Michaels early on Sunday morning because you saw something in their Sunday ad that you really wanted, and when you got there it was out of stock?!  If that happens, go directly to the checkout and find out when their restock day is.  Ususally it is not Saturday night or Sunday.  Our local Michaels restocks on Thursday.  And their sales run Sunday to Saturday (unless otherwise stated).  So guess what?  I shop Michaels on Thursday.  Saves me from having to go there multiple times in one week and helps me schedule my time better.

My second tip is to take competitor coupons with you.  And take them to Joann Fabrics too.  Both stores will let you use competitor coupons, and I have used both Michaels and Joann 40% off coupons at Joann's during the same purchase.  Awesomsauce!

Must Remember to Write Patterns!

A few weeks ago I started making a light and airy spring time scarf using a new stitch I had found on Crochet Today! magazine's website.  Well, things didn't go quite as planned, but as a result I ended up accidentally creating my own pattern.  Very exciting!  It looked like this:

And I loved it!  It ended up going very quickly, which is great when you have two small children who require your attention 99% of the day.  But lo and behold, I did not write down the pattern as I worked it.  I thought, "Oh, its so easy there is no way I couldn't do this again.".  Well, here I am, looking at the scarf and trying to re-create it in my head.  I sure hope I can, because I just bought the prettiest green yarn that will look great for spring and summer.

Am I the only one who does things like this?

The Grand Escape

Ah, the ever elusive "Grand Escape"...always on our minds, always in the background waiting to happen.  I finally decided to make my own Grand Escape a couple of months ago.  You see, I'm a stay at home mom, with kids ranging in age from 18 years to 17 months (as of this post).  Every day seemed to be the same old thing - get up, feed the little kids, get ready for the day, eat breakfast, clean the house, do the laundry, nap times, clean the house again, make dinner, etc, etc, etc.  You get the picture.  As a former customer service department manager, I was beginning to feel like I needed something else for my brain besides Food Network and the Disney Channel.  I needed some sort of escape from the ho hum of every day that wouldn't take me away from every day.
One day as I sat there putting away baby blankets, I looked again at my favorite one.  It was given to us as a baby gift for my middle daughter.  It was a beautifully crocheted blanket in pink and white.  I decided right then and there that I was going to learn to crochet.  With YouTube, you can pretty much learn just about anything these days!  And learn I did!  And I fell in love with it.  It reminded me of when I was a young girl and my extraordinarily creative and beloved grandmother taught me the basics of knitting.  I didn't fully appreciate it then, but now I wish I had paid more attention.  I wish I could show her now what her efforts have given me.  They have given me a grand escape.  And for that I will be forever grateful.
So where is all this leading?  Well, it leads me to not having enough people to make crocheted items for!  Which leads me to to this blog!  And it has also led me to opening my very own shop on Etsy.com, which is also the fulfillment of a dream I have had for a very long time.  I have always wanted to own my own business, ever since I can remember.  The business I dreamed of has evolved over the years, and some ideas I still hope to do one day.  But for now, this is just what I need during this very busy time of my life.
I hope to use this blog to pass on my love of crochet to others, to use ideas from this blog to enable others to share in the joy of owning their own business, and to just share life and maybe even some recipes!
Until my next post, enjoy your day, and maybe even check out my Etsy store at www.grandescapecrochet.etsy.com if you have a moment.
Cheers!