New Pattern - Cabled Coffee Sleeve

When you live in the deep south, especially along the Gulf Coast, you quickly realize that there is no such thing as 4 seasons each year.  As it happens, we just got a lucky break and are enjoying some true fall-like weather right now.  That means jeans and boots can be worn comfortably, windows can be opened, and coffee on the patio.

I figured this would also be the perfect time to release our newest pattern (I know, it's been awhile!!) - the Cabled Coffee Sleeve.

I have really started getting the hang of cabled recently and LOVE how many different ways they can be worked up.  This design has cables that are easy enough that even beginners can get the hang of them!!  The pattern will be $1.49 through the weekend (no coupon code needed; will end at 11:59 PM central time on Sunday night) then will go up to the regular price of $2.99.  Feel free to share the link with your friends!!  

You can pick up your own copy of the pattern here.  If you don't crochet and would like to order your own Cabled Coffee Sleeve, email us or contact us through FB.  

*** This pattern, including all texts and photos, are copyrighted by Hooking Housewives.  PLEASE DO NOT COPY , SHARE, ADJUST, OR RESELL this pattern.  As always, you can sell any item made from our patterns,  

As always, you can sell any item made from any of my patterns. All text and photos are copyrighted by Hooking Housewives, so please use your own pictures. We request that you link back to this Raverly store or our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/HookingHousewives) when selling finished items made from this pattern.

Week of September 26, 2016

My hope is to start showing you what each week what my planner looks like at various stages, including the beginning of the week before I starting "inking" it and after I start planning, mid-week so you can see how things are faring (it also helps me hold myself accountable), and at the end of the week when things are all said and done.  Maybe it will help give you ideas of whow using a planner can benefit you in your own life as well.  With that said, here's my layout for this week...

Before the ink:

Let the Planning Begin:

 

Stickers used in this week's layout:

• Halloween by Dragonfly Girls Printables (currently on sale for $0.99)
• Online Orders sidebar by Lace and Logos ($1.99)
• Social Media and Weekly Water Trackers by Wendaful Designs (free)
• Habit Tracker by undetermined designer (I'm still trying to locate where I saved this file so I can see who designed it)
• Happy Mail and Squat Challenge by Planner Pickett (free)
• ABC Thursday and Sunday Night TV Shows and Substitute Teaching Detail Blocks by Hooking Housewives (free)
• Girl Scouts Troop Meeting by Pure Sugar (free)
• Plan icon by Lucki Charms (free)
• Laundry icon by Monica's Marvels (free)
• Yarn Ball Little Things Bars by JS Digital Paper ($1.70)
• Bama Heart icon by Hunny Bit Designs ($2.50)
• Football by Andrea Nicole (free)
• Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, School Fundraiser, and Trash Can icons by My ADHD Life (free)

What's your planner look like this week?  Post a link to your photo in the comments below.

ABC TV & Substitute Teaching Stickers

Yesterday I made the announcement that Hooking Housewives will now be offering free printables for your planners.  The first 4 sheets were released - you can find them on the Planner Printables tab at any time.  I also told you I'd show you how I use these stickers in my personal planner.

** Download links are found at the bottom of the page!**

First up is the Substitute Teaching Detail Blocks.  I created this a few weeks ago when school started.  I am a substitute teacher at 3 different schools.  I wanted an easy way to block off time on my weekly layouts that also help me keep track of where I'll be subbing, how long, and for who.

The first set of these stickers was made in pastel colors.  When I recreated them yesterday, I decided to go with bright colors instead.

 After making that sticker, it didn't take long to realize that I needed something to add to my monthly calendar to quickly see what days during the month I'm available for appointments, other sub jobs, etc.  That's where the Substitute Teaching Reminders come in - anytime I book a substitute teaching job, I add one of these to my monthly calendar.  There are 3 options on the single sheet of stickers - All Day, A.M. Only, and P.M. Only. In our county, those are the 3 options for sub jobs.

I have to admit that I am a TV junkie, at least when it comes to primetime dramas!  I use these stickers for the days in my weekly layout to remind me which shows are on each night.  Often times I don't watch them live, mostly because my husband doesn't always want to sit through them or I'm in the middle of something else.  I started with the ABC Dramas for Thursday and Sunday nights, specifically using the promotional posters being used for the shows this season.





Next up, I plan to make sticker sheets for the CBS dramas - NCIS (all 3 of them), Criminal Minds (both shows), and several of the NBC dramas.  If there are specific shows or anything else you'd like to see stickers for, email me your ideas - I'll try to make them happen!!

To purchase your own Erin Condren Life Planner, use this link and you can receive $10 off your first purchase!!  

How to use Printables:

• I use this sticker paper.  It's a great price and the quality of the paper holds up well, even with sheets that are fully covered in designs when printed.  Because I don't have a Silhouette (at lesat not yet), I use a basic paper cutting (usually found in the scrapbooking section of most craft stores).  I currently use this one.  
• I'm currently listing the printables in JPEG format - the sole reason for this is because through trial and error, I've found that printing from JPEG rather than PDF files gives better color output.  You can choose the option on your printer settings to save ink if you want to make your ink last longer.
• All designs are my own or have been licensed for commerical use or modification.
• Printables are currently being designed for the Erin Condren Vertical Life Planner, but many will also work with The Happy Planner or other standard planners on the market.

Download Links:

By downloading any patterns or printables, you are agreeing to the following conditions:

• All printables are for personal use only.  You may NOT resell or redistribute the downloads!
• You may NOT repost the downloads to any social media or blogging website.  You may repost the LINK to the post in which the download originated from.
• You may not claim the downloads as your own.  If you are going to use them by posting an image of how you used them, please credit Hooking Housewives with a reference or link to this blog, our Facebook page, or our Instagram page.  
• You may NOT post the links to the downloads.  Any links must be back to the pages listed above or the specific blog post in which the download originated.  
• All crochet patterns and photos are the property of Hooking Housewives and are copyrighted. 

Substitute Teaching Detail Blocks

Substitute Teaching Reminders

ABC Thursday Night Shows - Fall/Winter 2016-17

ABC Sunday Night Shows - Fall/Winter 2016-17

New Planner Printables

Hooking Housewives has been going through some BIG changes, including getting A LOT more organized than ever before.  Now that we're both out of our adjoining apartments and settled into houses, we have more space to allow our business to take over... I mean thrive!  ;)

One way that I have been working to get more organized is by using an Erin Condren Life Planner.  I went back and forth for quite some time debating whether or not to spend such a large chunk of money on a planner.  At the end of the 2015-16 school year, I knew there was no longer anything to debate.  On top of being a SAHM (meaning I keep track of the rest of the family's activities) and running Hooking Housewives, I was becoming busier as a substitute teacher and moved up from Co-Leader to Troop Leader of my daughter's Girl Scouts troop.  Having one place to keep track of everything in my life was a MUST!!!

I very quickly learned how much fun stickers can be when using my ECLP.  In fact, I found so many amazing stickers - printable ones that were free and that I purchased, as well as pre-printed sets that I ordered and had shipped to me!!  The stickers truly are addictive, but they also are a fun way to keep me interested in using my planner.  In the past, I've used a planner for a few weeks then get bored with it or just can't be bothered.  I've been using my ECLP since July and have kept up with it routinely.  It's become a part of my day.

Occasionally I will want a certain type of sticker for something specific but can't find it online.  I've started playing around with making my own stickers and have decided to offer them to you as free printables.  Down the road I hope to create some sets to sell, but for now, I'll stick with the freebies!! There has been a new page tab added to our home page here.  And links for the first 4 sheets I've created are already there as well.  Tomorrow I'll be showing you how I use these stickers in my planner.  Who knows, maybe in the near future you'll start to see even more than just new stickers available from the Housewives.

We're working on some new patterns, trying to get some Ready to Ship items together, and have been learning other new crafts that we can share with you.  We really want to get back into the full swing of things, including posting here regularly and bringing you more than just crochet-related posts... STAY TUNED!!

New Sets for an Order

I have a friend who has contacted me for custom orders for her last 2 babies.  The most current order, which I finished yesterday, was for 2 sets.  The first was for one of our Al-Lie the Elephant Hats and a matching diaper cover.  The second was for a Dinosaur Set that included the hat, diaper cover, and booties.  Below you can see the photos and pattern links for the various pieces of the sets.  (I made a couple of minor changes to the Diaper Cover - both of which are from the same pattern - and notated them on my project listing in Ravelry.)

(Note:  The Al-Lie the Elephant Hat is shown with the alternate ears that are not currently on the pattern, but are in the works for the various sizes and will be updated once complete.)

Al-Lie the Elephant by Hooking Housewives
Diaper Cover by Amy B Stitched

Dinosaur Hat and Diaper Cover by Amy B Stitched
Dinosaur/Monster Booties by HookN Yarn

2016 Hodge Podge Afghan Sampler CAL - Square 2

The second square for the 2016 Hodge Podge Afghan Sampler was announced on Monday - the Sunflower Window Square by Kimberlie Goodnough, the designer behind Shop Kimberlie.  I worked it that afternoon and got it blocked.  I worked this one up in a goldenrod yellow and again, trimmed with the aubergine yarn.  Here's how it turned out:

If you're participating in the CAL or just want to use this square for your own blanket or piece of work, you can get it for free here.  

2016 Hodge Podge Afghan Sampler CAL - Square 1

On January 1st, Hodge Podge Crochet released the first square in this year's afghan crochet-along.  I, of course, didn't realize it until last night.  Don't you love when the New Year starts off in total chaos... LOL.  Fortunately for me, the first square is a "simple" single crochet swatch.

Yeah... it's so simple that sometimes I forget how tough it can be to do a simple square swatch.  After 3 attempts, I finally met the correct gauge.  This CAL is meant to work each square in a single color, which I figured would be perfect for using up some of those small balls of yarn that aren't large enough for a project but are too small to just throw out.  That meant I underestimated how much yarn a single crochet swatch can eat up and had to start it a second time with a different color.

In the end, I was able to complete the square and officially have Square 1 of the Hodge Podge Afghan Sampler CAL done.  I have already wet blocked the square, though a second wet block is likely going to be necessary.  I love the way the red looks with the Aubergine that I'll be using to border each square.  What do you think?

If you're interested in joining in with the Hodge Podge CAL, it's not too late - things have just started!  You can find more information via the FB group here and download the instructions for Square 1 here.

Square 2 was released today and is in progress... look for another post tomorrow!!

New Pinterest Boards

If you've ever visited the Hooking Housewives Pinterest boards, you know we have TONS of them - and although most are craft-related, we do have a few that are other things you may have an interest in.  Our crochet-related boards are obviously those that we have the most of as we try to break them down by categories.  A few of those categories are Amigurumi & Toys, Items for your Neck (Cowls, Scarves, etc.), and Hats.

As I sat this morning, scrolling through and looking through a few of the Crochet boards, I came to the realization that just like our Harry Potter-themed Crochet board, there are a few others that need to be broken down a little more specifically.

So now, I give you the following new boards:
Crochet - Disney (other than Star Wars)
Crochet - Dragons
Crochet - Despicable Me/Minions
Crochet - Ninja Turtles
Crochet - Owls
Crochet - Sports-Themed
Crochet - Star Wars

There may be a few others that come as well, but I'm going to try to focus on getting the pins off the other crochet boards and onto these first.  LOL  Are there specific topics you would like to see us post on?