MUST....HAVE......MUST!

Found some goodies that delighted me so much I had to share. The knitting kitty is a canvas bag and the next two images are available on t-shirts. Love 'em.

How can any craft room not be adorned with one of these?

This pretty much sums up my personality in a nutshell. And probably yours too? Available at cafepress.com.

Just a couple of shots from last year's craft fair. I'll never forget the thrill of my first sale - the woman bought the sari silk scarf draped around the picture frame above for her daughter in college. She gave me so much more than the price of the scarf, however, she gave me confidence and the knowledge every crafter/seller craves...that people will indeed plunk down their hard earned dollars for something you've created. I was humbled and grateful for every sale and remain so to this day.

Simon's Cat 'Cat Man Do'

Simon's Cat 'Cat Man Do'


Tried and failed to get the actual video up. But if you go and watch this and DON'T laugh out loud...check your pulse...you're probably dead! Happy Wednesday to my friends and their kitty masters!

Limited Edition: Wisped Away: Semi Boucle Banana Fiber Yarn | Darn Good Yarn Shop

Limited Edition: Wisped Away: Semi Boucle Banana Fiber Yarn | Darn Good Yarn Shop: "123PreviousNextLimited Edition: Wisped Away: Semi Boucle Banana Fiber Yarn"



WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT!!! I can barely restrain myself from ordering, like, a gross. O, Brave New World that has such fibers in it!! Found this at Darn Good Yarns. If you order some, don't tell me about it. I will be SICK with jealousy!

A Most Unfortunate Title....

Perhaps "Cooking with Winnie The....." would have been a better choice, no? Just sayin'! (although I hear the Pooh Souffle is delicious....)

Walk much?

This entry goes out to all my fellow belly buddies. The other morning I had a SPECTACULAR fall in the shower. It was just like the cartoons, where you see your feet fly up in front of you and everything. On the way down I scrabbled frantically for a hand hold, but as I was in a wet shower stall I was pretty much out of luck. FORTUNATELY, I landed on my now (admittedly) amply padded rear. And my right calve, right arm and (ouch) head. Izzy, snug and well cushioned in the front of me, probably only felt a jolt like a drop on the roller coaster. She is merrily kicking me in the ribs as we speak. (That's my girl.)

Gang, this is the second dramatic fall I've had in this pregnacy and both involved slipping in water. I must confess that when I read the bit in my baby book about falls being a danger to pregnant women, particularly in their last trimester, I sneered. Yeah, right. Who ARE these clumsy oafs and why can't they stay upright? Well, apparently, the clumsy oaf is ME!

I thought, that being young and flexible AND a veteran of numerous dance, movement and combat classes, I would surely be immune from this particular hazard. I can ride a unicycle, for God's sake! I juggle knives! Balance, I got. Coordination, check. Looks like it doesn't matter after all - when you strap an extra 20 pounds (oh all right, 25 and counting) to your midsection, balance goes out the window, maybe never to return??

At 7 months, I'm just starting to feel ungainly, awkward and well, large. I must say that I don't much like the feeling of heaving myself up out of chairs, puffing up the stairs or flailing on my back like a beached turtle when I try to get out of bed in the morning. Never before in my life has bending over and putting on my sneakers caused me to grunt and strain. Never before in my life have I been so grateful NOT to be a momma cat- can you imagine if we had to carry LITTERS? All those kicking feet... (Then again, they don't have to worry about sneakers, so maybe it evens out.)

But I digress. I just wanted to give a shout out to my many pregnant friends - the baby book is RIGHT! Please do not follow my example and be extra cautious when getting in and out of the bath tub, shower, going up and down stairs, etc. I know it makes you feel like you're 80, but we gots to protect our precious cargo! In the meantime, be well, sleep lots and happy eating. Love you!

The launch date is coming for Fat Joey Knitwear's 2nd ever craft fair, and we at Fat Joey Knits (that is to say, me) are all of a flutter. With so many choices and so little time, what should I knit next to bump up my numbers and round out my stock?? More baby hats? Matching Mommy and Me scarves? Wine bottle covers (for the whole bottle) wine bottle hats and little scarves??

I appeal to you, Gentle Readers, what do you think would sell the best? What would charm you the most? I am so excited about this that I can't sleep at night- I think about knitting from the moment my eyes open (somewhere around 6 a.m.) and then can't get back to dreamland. Boucles, alpacas, and acrylics dance through my head like so many freakin' sugar plums. Pom poms, patterns, swatches and buttons flicker across the back of my eyelids....Baby Isabelle, sensing my excitement, begins her morning kickies....and it's all downhill from there. Next thing you know, I'm up and scarfing Zantac, knitting in my jammies as the sun rises over Newark. There has to be a name for this sort of thing......

But I digress....I hope you will try and stop by the Newark Craft Fair on October 3rd, 10 A.M. to 4P.M. and get a jump on your holiday shopping. Special discount to Blog Readers who say "Fat Joey sent me."

These are pics from Fat Joey Knitwear's first craft show ever, held last year at the Betsy Ross House. It was held the morning after we got back into town from an intense week long summit in New York City. Dave and I were delirious with fatigue.

(Here I am with Fat Joey Knitwear's first ever sale! I meant to frame the first dollar I ever made from FJKW, but let's be honest, it went for more wool!)

I had put all my time and efforts into creating and finishing products and had given ZERO thought to the overall look of my booth....ruh-oh.

As we ran out the door I grabbed a few items for the table- the blanket at the foot of our bed, a pretty wooden cake plate, some ornamental gourds, a picture frame, and threw it all together when we got there. All right, so the look was amateurish, but hey- it WORKED! We nearly sold out of stock and I got a HUGE boost of confidence. Customers stopped by not only to make purchases, but to share stories about their own beloved critters - it was a wonderful day. I LOVED seeing people fall in love with the yarn, just as I had done, together we ooed and aahed over the gleaming strands of sari silk, banana silk, and luscious hand spun alpacas.....truly....these were my people.

I'm in!!

So once again, we have my sister-in-law Mcgee to blame for the creation of this blog ;) ..... as I was going on (and on and on and on) the other day about my upcoming craft fair and fledgling business, Fat Joey Knitwear, she pointed out that a blog with pictures, witticisms and updates might be a wonderful way to promote it. As she's always right about stuff like this, I thought I'd resurrect The True Life Adventures.

Actually, I thought I'd create an all new blog, as I'd (ahem!) lost the password for this one and was consequently forced to abandon it.... I couldn't even log on or update (or visit) my own blog....having forgotten not only the password.....but also what I'd called the damn thing. But when I tried to create a new one, the site informed me that I already HAD a blog attributed to this email address and I was able to reset the password and VOILA! We're back, BABY!

Some things have changed since last we met. Even though it's been nearly two years since his passing, it still hurts to write - Fat Joey is no more. I miss the little critter every day and still can't stand to talk about it. He was an exceptional little person and his loss still hurts. I apologize if this seems a little melodramatic,but if you're not a pet person, you just don't know how they can get ahold of you, or how devastating their loss can be. And anyway, I'm pregnant, so I get a special dispensation for melodrama (and self pity and, um...pathos. Ooo, and irrationality. That too.)

But onto cheerier things....I thought the best way to remember Joe-boy would be to help other critters find food, health care and eventually, permanent and loving homes. And that's how Fat Joey Knitwear (warm as a kitten) was born. A portion of every sale from FJKW goes to support the PAWS animal shelter in Philadelphia, PA, or City Kitties, in West Philadelphia. Sometimes it's 10%, sometimes it's 100%! I'd also like to raise some money for Project Heifer, an EXCELLENT charity that buys livestock for families in developing countries. Ideally, I'll raise enough to buy a sheep, which seems most appropriate given the wooly nature of my business.

At this point, I very much want to post links to these wonderful charities, but, having all the computer savvy of a really smart monkey....I don't know how. I could root my technologically gifted husband out of bed to assist me, but as it is barely seven thirty on a Saturday morning I doubt he'd be feeling terribly helpful. So we'll just wait a bit on those links....shall we?

I'm pleased to report that last year, FJKW raised several hundred dollars for the animal shelters, and while it wasn't an enormous amount, I believe that little amounts matter. We also donated cleaning supplies, blankets and the all important wet food. Sincere thanks to all who have purchased Fat Joey Knitwear products, taught me new knitting techniques, or supported me in any way. The critters and me say THANK YOU! You're all going straight to heaven.