Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Monsters Inc. Hats

Although I have not yet seen the hit new movie "Monsters University" I happen to love the original Monsters Inc.  In fact I attempted to watch it with my three year old a few days ago but it was a little too scary for her so we decided to put it away and try again when she is older. 

Whether or not you have seen Monsters Inc or Monsters University chances are you are familiar with the leading characters, Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan "Sully"

 

I was excited to have an opportunity to create these famous characters using some yarn and my trusty crochet hook.

First I made Mike and I was pretty pleased with how he turned out! 

 
Most recently (yesterday) I finished up Sully
 
 
I am happy with how he turned out as well.
 
 
As I near the end of my own pregnancy I am no longer taking new orders at this time.  However, I do have a number of pre-made items on my Etsy shop that are ready to ship.  Please take a minute to check them out.  I am also starting a "wait" list of items to work on once the baby arrives and we all readjust to our new family member and new routines.  If you would like to be on my wait list please contact me via facebook or email me at gould.threads@yahoo.com

And remember to follow me on facebook and on Pinterest :)
 

Friday, August 30, 2013

Finding Nemo Babies

I received the most adorable photos from a happy GouldThreads customer the other day and I just had to share them (with permission of course)  A couple of months ago I was challenged to create a Finding Nemo cocoon set for a newborn and a Dory hat for the baby's big sister (see blog post here ). It was fun coming up with a pattern for both pieces and I was pleased with the results.  As cute as the finished items were, they are even sweeter when being modeled by some adorable children.  Take a look. 




Aren't they adorable?  Thanks Michele for sharing your photos with us! 

As I near the end of my own pregnancy I am no longer taking new orders at this time.  However, I do have a number of pre-made items on my Etsy shop that are ready to ship.  Please take a minute to check them out. 

And remember to follow me on facebook and on Pinterest :)

Friday, August 16, 2013

Minion Inspired Hat

Its been far too long since I've posted on here.  Summer has been busy for my family as I'm sure it has been for yours.  But now its time to start gearing up for fall.  Its time for back to school, cooler weather, and HATS!  

If you have a child, friend, coworker, or anyone in your life who loves the movie "Despicable Me," you are going to love my newest creation:  A Minion Hat!!!!  I was so excited when I received this order.   This particular customer requested a 2-eyed minion although I could certainly make a 1-eyed minion as well. 

After viewing various photos of minions I decided to base my hat on the minion in the foreground of this photo.  I love his little smirk!




I'm so pleased with how he turned out, I think the resemblance is uncanny :)  Isn't he adorable?  I think this would make an adorable Halloween costume as well- just add a yellow shirt and denim overalls.  I'm thinking about making one of these for my son (and maybe even my daughter)

As always thanks for stopping by!  If you would like to place a custom order of your own please email me at gould.threads@yahoo.com or find me on facebook.  You can also find me on Pinterest :)

Don't forget that GouldThreads will only be accepting orders for a few more weeks before starting a maternity leave in preparation for baby #3 (in 3 years, no wonder I feel so tired all the time!) 

Saturday, July 6, 2013

God is Bigger Than My Worry

Hi friends, I'm so glad that you are here today!  Typically I blog about my crochet business but this post is different.  In fact, this post has nothing to do with crocheting and has everything to do with God's blessings and provisions for my family.  My husband and I have been blessed in such amazing ways this year that I just had to share!    God has proven himself to be faithful to us time and again but this time he really outdid himself!  I hope you will find encouragement as you read a snippet of our story below. 


First I need to start by giving you a little bit of our background.  My husband and I just celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary! We have 2 children (nearly 3 and 15 months) with a 3rd on the way.  I am a full time stay at home mom and my husband is a financial planner for Met Life Insurance.  I quit my job 2 years ago when our daughter was 9 months old and have never regretted that decision.  However, my husband works on a full commission so our income varies from week to week.  This makes planning and saving a little difficult.  We try our best to keep a strict budget and always save before making purchases. 

This brings me to the start of our story.  We live in an old house that always seems to need repaired or updated.  January of 2012 we decided to begin saving to have our bathroom gutted and remodeled.  The entire bathroom and shower were covered in pink and maroon tile, including the floor.  The sink was old and rested on 2 metal legs.   Our medicine cabinet was all rusted out and not clean enough to store many things.  We had a florescent light over the sink that buzzed when it was on.  But the thing that I hated the most was our shower.  The grout between the tile walls was disintegrating and molding.  Scrubbing it with cleaner only made the grout crumble more.  Behind the tiles themselves the wall seemed to have disintegrated as it gave way when I attempted to clean.  Fearing that that walls would crumble I was hesitant to scrub them.  Needing to keep the mold away I resorted to spraying down the walls with a bleach/water mixture a few times a week.  I cringed every time I bathed my kids and felt that the area was unclean and unsafe.  So we saved up over the course of the year and in December of 2012 had a contractor come out for an estimate.  We were excited and were certain that we had saved enough, but we were $1000 short.  I was disappointed.  We were given the option of moving forward and paying back the extra as we were able.  Although this was very tempting we both felt it was best to wait until we had enough saved up.  So we moved forward hoping a tax return would be the solution. 

The "plan" however was altered mid-January when we noticed a significant decline in our income.  We were suddenly bringing home only 1/4 of our needs.  We live pretty modestly so we didn't have many extras to cut out of our budget but cut out what we could (our $7/month Netflix was the first to go).  Fortunately we had our "bathroom" money set aside on top of an emergency fund (equal to 3-month's wages) in our savings account so we were able to continue to pay bills and feed our family.

But even with our savings I began to worry.  In fact I began to be consumed with worry (have you ever been there?)  So I turned to some friends and family to lift us up in prayer.  I also turned to scripture and meditated on a handful of verses throughout each day to focus my mind on God's truth rather than Satan's lies (you will lose your house, you won't be able to pay bills, you will lose your entire savings, you will have to go back to work, etc)

"My grace is sufficient for you, power is perfected in weakness
1 Corinthians 12:9.
"The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you, he will be with you.  He will not fail you or forsake you.  Do not fear or be dismayed" Deuteronomy 31:8

As always God is faithful and the blessings began.   Several months of some utilities were pre-paid, family gave us money for groceries as well as cash for bills.  We received a couple of random refunds in mail from our original mortgage, and found groceries and other necessities on our doorstep.  Easter basket goodies for our kids were given to us and our vacation with my husband's family was funded.  God was using others to bless us and meet our needs.  Our income remained the same but things were looking hopeful.

Then another "change in plans" came.  I discovered that I was expecting baby #3 a few weeks before our son's 1st birthday.  Our income remained the same and the worry returned.  I again turned to friends and family to lift us up in prayer.  I continued to meditate on the promises of God's word and began to listen to scripture during my free time using an audio Bible app.  Romans 12:2 says "Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world , but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."  Filling my mind with God's word and his truth filled me with a peace that could only come from God.  What a blessing to feel peace during such a difficult time. 

We continued to live on 1/4 of our monthly needs (at times less) through May.  We continued to receive gift cards to local grocery stores, cash for bills, and overall support from friends and family. We also continued to pull funds from our saving to make up our monthly loss.  Although our needs were being met I couldn't help but think about all the things we could have done with the savings and income tax return that we spent on bills.  I also wondered how we would afford some other needs aside from daily living expense that had come up.  For example, my husband, children and I are all members of a wedding party for an upcoming wedding the same month that baby #3 is scheduled to arrive.  Also, we will need a new vehicle before the new baby comes in order to fit 3 car seats.  Not to mention the moldy, crumbling shower that seems too unsafe to use.  How could we possible afford these things when we can't even pay our own bills?  What a burden.  

Philippians 4:19 says "my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus."

 I continued to pray that God would provide business for my husband so we could once again meet our basic needs.  I also asked that God would provide for me with a yellow maternity bridesmaid dress that I could afford, that he would provide a buyer for our current vehicle and an affordable vehicle to meet our growing family's needs.  I also asked that he would provide the means to refill what we had taken from our savings plus enough extra for a new clean shower.  It was a lot to ask, but I asked anyways and trusted that God would provide.  For me trusting God and giving him my worry and fear was a daily battle that required a continual "renewal of my mind."  The more I worried, the more I meditated on the truth of scripture, and I was again filled with peace.

Once again blessings began to pour in.  First came the dress.  I found a used maternity bridesmaid dress in the exact shade of yellow that I needed for only $30!  God gave me a yellow dress! 

This past week our family had an opportunity to vacation with my in-laws.  We had a wonderful trip and much needed week to relax as a family.  We were sad to come back home to reality.  What we didn't know is that we wouldn't return to the same "reality" that we had left.   

We walked into our house and I noticed a stack of mail placed neatly on the kitchen counter.  I turned to my husband and asked if the neighbor (who was to collect our mail) had a house key.  He wasn't sure.  I couldn't recall giving her one but thought that perhaps I had at some point a while back.  I next moved to the thermostat to bump the temperature back up.  I set it to 77 degrees before leaving to conserve energy so I was surprised to find it set at 74.  I turned to my husband and said "someone was in our house."  Right then, in the corner of my eye I saw my shower curtain and bath mats folded neatly beside our son's crib.  "Did someone fix our shower?"  I asked my husband feeling confused.  He said he didn't know and nudged me towards the bathroom door.  I opened it slowly and in an instant saw that the pink tile was gone!  I closed the door again, turned to my husband and began to cry.  We stood there in the hallway crying for a minute or so before opening the door again to have a second look.  Our entire bathroom had been transformed!  The tile was gone and replaced with drywall.  Our old toilet, sink, medicine cabinet, and lights had been replaced with new, clean fixtures.  And the old, moldy, crumbly shower was gone and replaced with a new, clean shower surround!  They even gave us new rugs, shower curtain, and fresh flowers!  I couldn't believe my eyes.  I was totally overwhelmed.  It felt as though we had walked into another house.  My husband confessed that he knew the shower was being replaced but he was shocked to find the rest of the bathroom updated as well.  A card in the bathroom sink said that our bathroom was a gift, made by the hands of many who love us.  Friends from our Sunday School class at church had come together to bless us in such a special way. 

God continues to be faithful!  He goes above and beyond what we can even imagine and meets our needs and then some.  We are blessed to be a part of a community of believers and can't think of the words to express our gratitude. 

We are still waiting for our car to sell but are confident that God will provide for that need right when we need it.  He is so good to us! 

Our friends took some photos of the remodel to share with us, so I would like to share them with you as well. 

Before and After Shot
 
Where the toilet used to be

Tile walls, toilet, and sink are gone!
 
Awful shower tile and mush walls are gone!!!


taking out the old PINK tile floor


A lot of hard work went into this remodel.  Praise God for amazing friends!
 
 
 
The finished product!  New vanity, lights, medicine cabinet, towel holder, and dry wall
I love it.  And  I love the bright (yet neutral) colors that they chose.  Everything looks so fresh and clean! I am still overwhelmed by this amazing gift! 

The shower curtain couldn't be more perfect.  It is made up of 4 different scripture verses
Praise: Psalm 98:4
Believe: Matthew 17:20
Serve: Joshua 24:15
Trust: Proverbs 3:5
 
What an awesome reminder that this new bathroom was made by many hands out of love and Service and that all things are possible when we Trust in God and Believe in his promises.  Praise God! 
 
Our new shower. They even replaced our old shampoo organizer and found a place to hang the kids toys (my daughter was impressed with to find her toy bag in the new bathroom)
 
 
Kid's in the tub before....

And after- so clean and safe now!  It makes me so happy to have a clean place to bathe my kids! 


I don't know how our friends were able to pull this off and we don't know how to thank them.  We feel very blessed, and very loved.   What an amazing act of kindness, sacrifice, and service.


What amazing things has God done in your life?  I would love to hear your story. 



Are you local to Beaver County Pa?  Are looking for a Bible believe church with opportunities to connect with a community of believers?  Check out Pathway Church.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Finding Nemo Inspired

I recently received an order for a Finding Nemo set.  It was a lot of fun working on this new project.  This is another set that would be perfect for Halloween!   It will be even sweeter with a newborn baby snuggled up inside.


Nemo inspired cocoon and hat set

Dory inspired hat

Dory and Nemo inspired
 
 
As always thanks for stopping by!  If you would like to place a custom order of your own please email me at gould.threads@yahoo.com or find me on facebook.  You can also find me on Pinterest :)

Friday, June 14, 2013

Alligator Photo Prop

I just wanted to share some beautiful photos I received earlier this week.  Happy Friday Everyone.  Enjoy!



 


Monday, June 10, 2013

Halloween

Hi Friends

Did you know that Halloween is less than 5 months away!  Ok- so its really pretty far away still.  If you are like me it probably isn't really even on your radar yet.  But for one GouldThreads customer, one Halloween costume has already been checked off her 2013 to-do list. 

Several months ago I received an order for a "Link from Ledged of Zelda" hat.  She informed me that it was for part of a Halloween costume so there was no urgency in making it.  So after the rush of winter orders subsided and the exhaustion from my 1st trimester passed I finally sat down to make her hat.

The first thing I did was to Google "Link,"  because truthfully I had no idea who this guy was :)

This is what I found:

He wears a long green stocking cap and has pointy elf ears.  Simple enough. 
 
 
This is what I came up with:
 

I tried the hat on my daughter to make sure the ears lined up correctly
 
So does anyone else have Halloween plans yet?  I'd love to hear about them.  Better yet, I'd love to be a part of them!  Email me at gould.threads@yahoo.com or contact me on Facebook
 
Thanks for stopping by
 
 
 

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Memorial Day and a Rosette tutorial

I hope you all had a great Memorial Day.  It was a little on the chilly side here in Western Pa but we still had a great time with our family.  We started the day with a parade in our local town followed by a family picnic.  But of course the real reason to celebrate is to remember those who have served our country.

watching the parade with my two cuties


I have many friends who are in either in the military or who's spouse is in the military.  One of these friend's happens to be expecting baby number three this July!  I knew I wanted to make something for her new baby girl but wasn't quite sure what to make.  As Memorial Day approached I decided that a patriotic gift would be perfect for her and her marine husband!

I settled on a headband and diaper cover set since it will be too hot for hats or legwarmers mid-July. 

Diaper Cover (with red and blue ruffles on the bum) and matching headband
 
I thought this would be a good time to explore new headbands and flowers.  After searching Ravalry for a bit I came across this tutorial for an adorable headband and rosettes.  I gave my headband a button closure 2 roses. 

 
The roses are simple and fun to make!  The best thing about these adorable roses is that you can use any type of yarn or hook and make them bigger or smaller depending on the number of chains you choose to begin with.  I started with a chain of 24 for the red rose and 12 for the blue rose.
 
So here is the pattern, taken from My Merry Messy Life
 
I used worsted weight yarn and size "J" hook to make mine
 
Chain 24 (more or less to achieve larger or smaller flower)
 
2 DC in 4th chain from hook, 2DC in each ch until you reach the end.  As you work you will notice that the yarn naturally forms a spiral (see photo below)
 

FO leaving a long tail for sewing.  Spiral the yarn until it looks like a little rose.  Thread a yarn needle on the tail and sew across the entire rosette in a few directions to hold the spiral in place.

 
Once your rose is securely sewn to itself tie off your yarn near the base and weave in any loose ends. 
 
 
 
If you would like to place an order for a Rosette Headband or 4th of July set please email me at gould.threads@yahoo.com or visit my facebook page
 
Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Baby won't sleep? Try a Lovey Blankie!

I know its been a while since I last posted, but if you read my last post I'm sure you understand my reasoning.  Looking after a 2 1/2 yr old, a 1 year old, and being pregnant is exhausting

This is why I LOVE nap time :)   Right now the only noise I hear is the distant sound of my daughter's classical music echoing from her room and the rhythmic sound of the rain outside, its so peaceful.  But if you have small kids at home nap time and bedtime may be a challenge for you.  I totally get that!  My daughter came home from the hospital wide awake and very alert. I thought  babies were supposed to eat, sleep, and poop. 

Mine didn't sleep.

After 4 long months of sleep exhaustion I asked our pediatrician if he had any advice to help her sleep.  He suggested sleep training (which I HIGHLY recommend), a consistent routine, and some sort of lovey (small toy or blanket) to transfer attachment away from me.  It was genius!  After just a few difficult nights our daughter was sleeping peacefully in her crib for most of the night (and I was a very happy mama). 

My daughter and "Mr. Giraffe"-her lovey

When we brought our 2nd baby home from the hospital I knew I would establish a routine right off the bat.  And although our son seemed to get the whole sleeping thing on his own, I still decided to give him a "lovey" when he was around 5 months of age.  My daughter's lovey (that she still sleeps with) is a little pink giraffe.  His neck was the perfect size for her little arms to hold.  My son however did hot have any nice cuddly stuffed animals that would make suitable lovies, so I took matters into my own hands and made his this adorable little blankie:

Lovey Blanket measures 14" across
 
I gave him his blankie to hold every night as I fed him and prepared him for bed.  He soon began to associate his blankie with bedtime! 
 
 
 
My son is now 13 months old and totally adores his lovey blanket.  Sometimes he crawls up to his crib, reaches his chubby little hand through the bars and grabs his blankie as a means to tell me that he is ready for bed.  Its a wonderful thing!
 

 
He also loves playing peek-a-boo with his blankie!


 
 
Whats not to love about a lovey??? But it gets even better.  In a parenting magazine I read that experts suggest a "transitional object" for your child around 6 months of age to help with separation anxiety. A Lovey Blanket from Gouldthreads is the perfect solution!!!  So what are you waiting for?
 
email gould.threads@yahoo.com to place an order or visit me on facebook

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Spring has Sprung!

Spring is finally here after a looooong cold winter (for those of us in Western PA anyways).  Nothing is more exciting than the first warm day of spring followed by signs of new life popping up all over.   I think my hyacinths are my favorite spring flowers.  Their fragrant smell greets me each time I walk up the steps to my front door. 


 
dafidilles are pretty too :)
 
 
Speaking of new life....
 
its a little hard to see but the yellow egg on the end says "baby #3"
 
My husband and I are expecting our 3rd child!  The initial shock is finally wearing off and we are starting to get excited about this new addition (our oldest is currently 2 1/2 and my baby just turned 1 so things are about to get pretty busy over here!) 
 
The baby is due mid October which happens to coincide with my busiest time of year!  That being said, I'm not sure what this will mean for GouldThreads.   Feel free to start fall/Halloween, winter/Christmas orders now!   I will keep you updated on the status of my business.  For now I plan to keep crocheting away :) 
 
 
 
 
Speaking of crocheting.....
 
I have been working on some orders again (now that my energy has returned) and am totally in love with my newest creation:
 
 
Isn't this little bumblebee hat adorable!  This was a custom order to be given as a gift for a bee-keeper.  Its for a little girl so I added a scalloped edge and flower for a feminine touch but it could be made without for a boy as well! 
 
Another fun spring accessory for little girls is the large flower headband.  I wore these on my daughter a lot in her first year before her hair had much length 
 
 
They are pretty on older girls too though!
 
 
 
As always, if you would like to place an order please email me at gould.threads@yahoo.com or find me on facebook.