Blogging for the Sake of Having a Recent Post

There's nothing in specific terms going on to say but a few general update type things of what's going on, what I'm doing and generally that I'm still conscious and haven't drowned in an ocean of wool and fluff.
Obviously some projects are still ongoing, you know who you are - I'm very close to finishing a lot of things, it's getting a little easier :) I have been quite a bit too busy recently and it's been a bit too stressful so as you've probably seen in a few recent posts I'm still working on slowing things down and resting plenty so I don't explode my knitted brains all over everyone in a lecture or something icky :P

I am looking for my camera because I would quite like to get some photos up, bear with me...
*random rummaging around a lot for where my camera is*

Naha! Okay, so a few things that are going on;

I bought more fabrics.

These look like they'll make beautiful lining fabrics

for drawstring pouches, purses, that sort of thing.

If you really like a fabric for something just ask and

I'll say what I can do :)

So yes, loads of fabric now. You should see the pile building up because I need to use more of it faster. In fact have a look at the pile building up.

They are all so pretty!

In conclusion I have a pretty fabric buying problem, and anybody who wants a purse or pouch or anything they can think of lining with one of these (they are massively varying in quantity I have from 16 inch square to half meter pieces) Prices also vary quite a bit, the pretty ones obviously were more expensive.

On the topic of making and lining purses I bought the green scaly one with a purpose as I had the idea for a Cuthulu inspired coin holding small zipped bag, or an "octopurse" if you prefer... (I know, I'm hilarious aren't I)

Cthulu the Crochet Purse, because letting Cthulu look after

your money is as good an idea as trusting him with your sanity.

Look it has a lining :D and a zip :D I am so massively excited :D

So those show you the Cthulu purse from the front with his little happy eyes and his tentacley tentacles, and another view so you can see that it has a working zip and hand sewn in very carefully lining made of the scaly pattern fabric which you will have seen further up in this post. I am hoping to sell him and he will be in the shop after I have written this post and got round to putting him up for sale :D Lining is a bit hard and sewing really small is fiddly but I am super happy with how well he came out ^_^

Oh, and finally I have recently finished (and only just had my camera, computer and brain in the same place) an Axolotl made from another talented crafty person's pattern, who was great fun to make although much bigger than I tend to make stuff (more than 30 stitches in one round is big for me :P)

Little Axolotl as designed by MrFox of Etsy who also makes

a whole lot of other crazy and awesome patterns for sale :)

I really like this pattern, apart from just being a really adorable outcome it's also nice and easy to follow and has little explaining notes for when there might be something confusing ^_^ I made him quite slow, but I'm making a greeny one next who should be faster because I've worked through the pattern once already now. I'm hoping anyway :) after him and my super secret project (which is near completion) I only have a few little orders, which should allow me to get my competition up and running hopefully before the end of this term!

Competition ideas so far; there will be an online prize draw bit as usual because not everyone I know who might want to enter will be able to be in Durham to take part in the physical part of the competition, sorry for you but you will still have a good chance of winning things because I will design it all in :) I am hoping for some physical element, possibly involving searching for business cards with a winning message written on the back (I will distribute them to suitable places and probably place hints on the facebook and blog posts so you don't have to run all over Durham trying to figure out what I've decided is suitable)

So there you go, that's pretty much everything that CraftyMutt has been up to in the last over a week since I was too sleepy to do anything. I am still sleepy, and getting busier and sleepier as time goes by, but I'm still plodding on with everything.

Oh, and soon I should be getting an order of 6 bags of scales which will go into making 2 pairs of gloves, which already have prospective owners. Anyone else interested in gloves have a look back at the previous post (I promise there will one day be a "custom orders" tab among the top left for this sort of information to congregate)

Random bunny so there is something nice on the screen for all those

brave enough to want to read the huge quantity of text following.

(thank you Google for providing all manner of random cute photos)

On a slightly important end point, I am starting to get to the point where I cannot guarantee that I can take on any and all projects (particularly coming up to Christmas) not due to the fact that I would not be able to make and finish it within that time, but because I have a) quite a few different things to make and will start to forget things even though I try to write everything down and b) realised that the pressure I am already under with knitting was too much, casual and friendly as it is I need to give myself the option to turn down projects occasionally and it helps if I put out a warning first so I don't feel too bad if I can't help with something.
Usually the problem is I can't force myself to knit even a small project within a short period because there is no guarantee of my mental capability to knit in any given time period, and the other is that for projects I know will take longer I sometimes get bogged down with the fact I'm still working on it after a long period of time, so basically anything with a short or long production time could be turned down just to keep me sane. Something with almost no deadline should be fairly okay, it's really a case by case basis and if all goes to plan I shouldn't have to turn down any orders at all :)