The Sweatshop of Love Blog

I mentioned yesterday that I had something fun to show you guys! I’ve had this finished for a while but couldn’t handle putting on buttons much less putting it on for a fashion show. It’s hot, y’all!

Two Boyfriends! Yay!

It’s still hot, so please excuse the shiny face, but here is The Two Boyfriend Cardigan!

Half Blue, Half Green, All Hot!

This top down boyfriend style cardigan is double fun because its striping color is split down the middle. The main color is striped through on both sides, but with one of your boyfriend’s favorite colors on the right and your other boyfriend’s favorite color on the left, you are sure to please everyone!

Deep V-Neck, Lots of Buttons

Main color ribs at bottom, sleeves, and button band rows add texture, but the majority of this sweater is just increasing stitches and striping.

Slouchy, Roomy, Comfy

The Two Boyfriends Cardigan is sized big and slouchy for a borrowing-your-boyfriends-cardigan feel. I’m sure that if I were cold this sweater would warm me right up, but I’ll have to wait until fall to confirm that.

Pudgey Approved!

And Pudge Rodriguez certainly likes it!

I used Knit Picks Merino Style in Fedora (MC) Dusk (CC1) and Moss (CC2) and size 6 circular needles. This pattern is going to be part of my next ebook, but before that I’m looking for a test knitter! Please let me know if you are interested and I’ll send the pattern over to you. Sadly I can’t pay you, but you’ll get a copy now and a finished copy of the pattern once it’s ready for publishing. Edit: Test knitter found!

TOO HOT TOO HOT TOO HOT

Now I’m going to put this sweater in a drawer for 3 months!

Pattern: The Two Boyfriends Cardigan – Coming Soon!

Yarn: Knit Picks Merino Style

Needles: Size 6 circulars

Ravelry Page

Originally today was supposed to be the launch day for my new Knit Kits. We decided to push their debut back. Now they are going to debut at Renegade! So you’ll have to wait until September 11th to get in on these next kits.

What are the next knitting projects we are kit-izing?

Nautical Knot Necklace!

One of them might have something to do with what is in this picture. That is all I can say!

Cordia Rocking Her Bow Headband, and Cayo!

Last week Cordia, my student Lori’s daughter, turned 3! Naturally this was a big deal in The Sweatshop of Love and a bunch of us caravan-ed to her birthday party.

A special little girl like Cordia needed a special present.

If there is one thing Cordia knows it’s fashion. She is always dressed in the highest of high fashion. Cute dresses with matching tights and headband.

… did someone say headband?! I can do that!

Cordia always picks yellow and purple yarn for the projects Lori makes her, so she had to have a yellow and purple headband.

This project is great for scraps and little yarn leftovers. The duplicate stitch hearts add sweetness without letting intarsia make you insane.

It’s a tiny bow headband for a special little girl in your life! It should be as painless to knit as possible.

~~~

Cordia’s Bow Headband Pattern

Cordia's Bow Headband!

Finished Measurements Length: 4 1/2”. Width: 2″.

MATERIALS

Yarn A tiny amount sock or sport weight yarn in two colors. I used Knit Picks Shine Sport in Daffodil (MC) and Knit Picks Gloss Sock Yarn in Grape (CC). Both are discontinued colors because they’ve been in my remnant ball pile forever!

Needles Size 5 (3.55 mm): Straight needles. 2 size 3 (3.25 mm): Double pointed needles.

Notions Yarn needle.

GAUGE

Gauge is not important in this project.

Duplicate Stitch Hearts!

DIRECTIONS

Bow
With MC and larger needles, CO 18 sts. Work 2 rows of seed sts.

Row 3: Work 2 sts in seed st, K 14, work 2 sts in seed st.
Row 4: Work 2 sts in seed st, P 14, work 2 sts in seed st. Work in pattern until bow measures 4 1/4”. Work 2 rows in seed st. BO all sts.

Bow’s Loop
With CC and larger needles, CO 4 sts. Work in seed st for 1 1/2”. BO all sts.

Bow’s Band
With CC and DPNs, CO 3 sts. Make a 24” icord. Cut yarn and secure sts.

FINISHING

With CC, duplicate stitch two hearts on each side of bow.

Weave in all ends. Seam ends of Bow’s Loop together around center of Bow and Bow’s Band. Secure all three pieces together at base. Weave in remaining ends.

I hope you enjoy knitting these adorable little bow headbands for every adorable little girl you know!

Ravelry Download!

I’ve been talking about it obnoxiously, but here I go again: I got into the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago this September! I’ll be focusing almost exclusively on selling my knit kits and, since I won’t be in Chicago from July 30th-Sept 6th, I want to get my entire kit inventory finished and ready to go before I leave.

Knit Kit Project Bags

Which means I’ve got to sew my ass off.

I make every drawstring project bag for every kit. I buy hanks of muslin. I dye the muslin yellow in a bucket in my kitchen. I cut all the bags. I sit at my sewing machine and stitch them all up.

Stamp!

I iron them. I stamp them!

LOTS of Stamps

I iron on all the stamps.

It’s quite a process. I want to have a huge inventory for Renegade and I’ve got just over two weeks to get it all finished. Back to the sewing machine!

A Very Tiny Business is a business that runs with only a couple people, or only one person in this case, has a super low to nonexistent overhead and mostly doesn’t make very much money. They can! But generally don’t.

The Sweatshop of Love is a great example of a Very Tiny Business. It’s a one woman show (me!) and I make WELL well WELL well WELL below the poverty level.

I talked a bit about my lifestyle when I paid off my student loans in May. I don’t spend a lot of money so I don’t have to make a lot of money. I tried that whole corporate thing and it just isn’t for me. Now I work a part time freelance admin job where I make between $800-1,000 a month. My income from The Sweatshop, teaching classes and selling kits and patterns and completing custom orders, varies greatly from month to month. I’d say on average I make between $300-700 per month from The Sweatshop.

My expenses, however, are minimal. My personal monthly expenses (rent and utilities, phone) are around $450 per month. Add $75 for groceries and $100 for going out to dinner and drinks a couple times a month, and I spend between $600-700 a month to live.

I live below the poverty line and I’m saving money because I don’t have a car, don’t buy myself bullshit I don’t need, make most of my own food, pack my lunch, and bike myself around.

Because I work mostly for myself and live such a thrifty lifestyle I can take my business wherever I want to go. And this summer I’m going all over!

From July 30-Aug 4th I’ll be hanging in Allendale MI with my new nephew I haven’t met yet!

From Aug 4th-Aug 29th I’ll be in NYC for the first time ever hanging with PT and knitting my little fingers off for my fall class schedule and winter ebook.

From Aug 29th-Sept 2nd I’ll be in Minnesota with PT for the MINNESOTA STATE FAIR!

On Sept 2nd PT and I will be renting a car and driving from Minneapolis to Allendale. That is 11 hours, baby. Midweastern road trip!

Sept 6th I’ll be heading back to Chicago to get ready for Renegade on Sept 11th and 12th.

Pretty sweet, right?

Who takes 6 weeks off work to travel around? No one. But who travels around bringing their work with them? Me!

Stay tuned. I’ve got LOTS planned for New York City.