Knit One, Spin Two

Moving On ...

2010-04-11T14:46:00.001-04:00

I'm moving my knitlife posts over to my new website, www.highlandhandmades.com. I won't be back here to check comments or update. I hope you'll all join me over there! Thanks for being such awesome and loyal readers.

Umm... wow.

2010-04-10T22:28:00.003-04:00

In my last post I detailed ways in which I wanted to grow my business. It seemed all I needed to do was blog about it and all kinds of amazing things began happening.

Not the least of which is that #5 came to fruition in a big way.

I was featured on Lime N Violet's podcast, in their yarn porn section. I Kid. You. Not.
L&V have a subscribership of over 43,000 knitters. To be mentioned by them, for one of them to say "there's nothing in her shop that I wouldn't buy" is high praise. It's HUGE. I'm beyond ecstatic. I can't thank the ladies enough for this, and vow to make the best of the gift I've been given.

I am going to do the Fiber Frolic. I just have to fill out paperwork and write a couple of checks.

And there's a new project in the works, one that I'm super duper excited about. I'll be able to tell you more in a couple of weeks, but for now, you may want to book mark this site.

I'm just sayin'.

:D

Growing the Business

2010-03-28T09:22:00.003-04:00

My husband and I were talking about the shop the other day and he asked me, "how do we grow your business?" I have been expressing a wish to devote more time and energy to the shop, and to create a bigger footprint for myself in the fiber community.
"Well," I said. "More people need to know about me, about the shop. I need to be mentioned on Podcasts, videocasts, blogs and such. I need to get my name out there, basically. Once more people know about the shop and buy from it, the more business will grow."
Bear (my husband) shrugged and nodded, and conversation moved on.

I should have known that although the matter dropped from conversation, it hadn't dropped from his mind. The next day while at work I received an email with an attachment. "I think you should do this" was written in the subject line.

It was a vendor application for the 2010 Maine Fiber Frolic.

As I clicked through the application, I realized that the rates were much more reasonable than I'd thought. $75 for an outside spot or $95 for an inside one. The Maine Fiber Frolic has well-known vendors such as Spunky Eclectic, String Theory Yarn, Golding Spindles, and Enchanted Knoll Farms, among others. The thought that I could have a booth as well was a tantalizing one.

But how?

I have no where near the inventory I'd need for a show like that. The MFF also requires vendors to provide proof of liability insurance. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do it. Bear and I agreed that even if I didn't sell a lot of things, the MFF would be an awesome way to get my name out there into the larger world.

So last week, we hatched a plan. Here's what I've been doing:

1. Called local insurance agencies. Liability insurance costs about $400 a year. That sounds steep, but I can make payments on it and can cancel it after the show without a penalty. I will have an appointment with them later this week.

2. Downloaded an application with a yarn/fiber wholesaler. I just need one more trade reference and a photocopy of my business license and I can send that in. The minimum order is $500 - this is proving to be the sticking point in the plan. If I can come up with this money soon, it should be enough inventory for a booth at the MFF. If not, then it won't happen this year.

3. Dyed up a bunch of my current inventory and spruced up the shop. Most of what I have right now is sock yarn, which I've been adding to the shop over the weekend. I tested out a new method of dyeing that is both faster and more beautiful than my previous method. The shop is no longer organized by collection but by form - yarn, handspun, and fiber are all in separate categories.

4. Got a commision to dye the "bonus" skein of yarn for an existing sock club. This was very lucky for me, as I happened to be in the right place at the right time. If nothing else, this is a great way to get my name out there to people who may have never heard of me. I'm just waiting on my yarn and dyes to arrive. I hope to have them dyed up on Tuesday and in the mail by week's end. Sooner if I can manage it.

5. Joined an online Stitch N Bitch group where I can show yarn porn real time via web cam to a bunch of knitters and spinners who love them some pretty yarn! I'm hoping seeing the yarn and the link to the shop in tandem will spur on some sales. If I get mentioned on the SnB creators' podcast, well, all the better.

6. I'm having a sale in the shop this week to help spur sales. 10% off everything and free shipping over $20. That means every skein of sock yarn ships free. I have my fingers crossed that this helps move my current inventory out so I can get this wholesale account moving.

So that's it. If you have any other ideas on what I should be doing, let me know! I need all the help I can get. Wish me luck!

What the heck WERE those pics?

2010-03-05T08:06:00.002-05:00

I promised an update/explanation of those pics and so now, several days later, here it is. The first few pics are of a newly-finished scarf. It's my design, and I'm calling it the Harvest Wheat Scarf. As soon as I can figure out how to make a .pdf file, it'll be for sale in the Etsy shop and on Ravelry. I may also do a giveaway here. I will be sending four copies of that scarf to Ida Walker's Fiber Friends Feed America campaign (F3America). I will be giving you much more information about that soon. The scarf is a simple design, and is a super quick knit with bulky weight wool and size 11 needles. I haven't measured it yet (I will) but it took almost exactly two skeins of Lamb's Pride bulky. I reversed the cables at the end of the first skein so when one wears it, the cables go in the same direction on both sides.

The second knitted item from the last post is clue #1 of my Evenstar Mystery Shawl, designed by Susan Pandorf. I'm about 1/3 of the way through clue #2 now. I'm mad in love with this shawl and wish I had more time to work on it. Every other row is straight knit and the charts are fabulous. I do have to pay close attention to what I'm doing, however, since a single missed or added yarn over will screw up the pattern completely. I've had to unknit a couple of times. Clue #2 is going more smoothly since I'm paying closer attention. Clues come out every two weeks, so I've got to hurry up if I don't want to get behind. There are only seven days to the next clue, and I have about 22 rows left of clue #2!

Please let me know what you think of the scarf. I can't wait to hear your opinion!

Pics now, update to follow

2010-02-26T22:38:00.003-05:00

Evenstar Mystery Shawl (1st post)

2010-02-12T22:08:00.003-05:00

I've mentioned before that I'm signed up to knit Susan Pandorf's Evenstar Mystery shawl, a laceweight shawl based on The Lord of the Rings' Evenstar (the necklace the elves wear). Here are my details:

Yarn: Knit Picks Shadow
Colorway: Midnight Heather (black, navy blue, trace amounts of emerald green)
Yardage: approx. 1800 yards
Stash yardage: 2200 yards
Needles: US 4 (dpns, then Knit Picks Options interchangable circulars)
Beads: Crystal 8/0 seed beads
Bead count: 2900
Beads purchased: 3360 from beadwrangler.com
Gauge recommended: swatch = 6" x 4"
Gauge as knit: slightly less

The gauge swatch was a piece of the pattern. I knit it up, soaked it and blocked it. I had to block it pretty aggressively to get it close to the 6" x 4" recommended, and as you'll see in a moment I still didn't quite get there. I've already gone up a needle size from the recommended US 3, so I think I'm going to leave it where it is, and if it's a tiny bit smaller than the pattern says, who will ever know but me? Most of the knitters signed up are using light colored, silvery yarns, but I opted to go dark because it is what was in my stash. I like it:
And a close up of the stitch pattern:

I got the first clue tonight and have finished half of it. I will do the rest of it tomorrow, and then wait on tenterhooks until the next clue comes out (which I believe is in two weeks?). Until then, happy knitting!

Irish Moss Toque and other stuff

2010-02-08T08:07:00.002-05:00

I finished the Irish Moss Toque for my friend Leigh Anne yesterday. I'm not going to block it as it looks pretty good already and I don't have a head form to make sure it blocks in the round. I hope Leigh Anne likes it! I enjoyed knitting it - the chart was pretty good and easy to follow. Every round is three repeats of the chart and it knits up quickly. Two repeats of the 24 row chart and you're ready for the decreases. I wasn't really a fan of the decreases as they stay in pattern but it's so easy to lose track of which stitches remain and which ones disappear. It looks pretty good, though, so I'm pleased overall:

I will get a picture of her wearing it as soon as I can.

In other news, I was finally able to knit up the Evenstar swatch. I will be participating in the Evenstar Mystery Shawl Knit along that begins on the 12th. I love all of Susan Pandorf's designs, and this shawl kicks off a whole series of designs inspired by the Lord of the Rings. The inner geek in me is loving this. I'm going up a needle size, which I was worried about at first but my swatch just barely got gauge so I think the size should just about even out. My yarn is Knit Picks Shadow, colorway "Midnight Heather" I hope this shawl goes better than the mystery sock did. I still have to frog that and design a new sock to make from it. I won't be beginning that project until the following are done:

1. Icarus
2. Horseshoe Scarf
3. Giraffe
4. Manhattan sock #2

The Evenstar Shawl will be knit apace with the clues, if I'm lucky. I have February vacation next week and I'm hoping to knock out at least two projects by the end of the week. Wish me luck!

On Frogging

2010-02-03T09:29:00.002-05:00

I cast on the Girls' Night Out Mystery Sock with a lot of hopes. It was my first mystery sock, my first KAL, and my first time trying out mosaic knitting. I got gauge with the yarn and needles suggested, but something happened when I tried the sock on.

Which I didn't do until I'd finished clue #4 (turning the heel and completing gusset decreases).

It does. Not. Fit.

I cannot even get the sock over my heel. Apparently my gauge changed for the mosaic section, and it was now too tight (and with two colors, it was also not elastic at all) to get anywhere near my heel, let alone turn it.

When I realized that there was no way the sock would ever fit me, I was faced with a decision: keep on knitting the socks and gift them away, or frog the project completely and try something different with the yarn. I wasn't really in love with the pattern (which is very well written and entertaining to knit, but just not my kettle of beans), so I am going to take the plunge and frog this sock.

It will be the first time I've ever frogged a knitting project. Ever.

I'm not as sad about it as I thought I would be, probably because I'm looking forward to designing a sock that will better suit me. It's fabulous yarn. I think it will be a toe-up sock and will have some sort of sun motif on the top. I'll have to work on it and get back to you about it.

I have three Christmas projects I need to finish, and one I need to start and finish, hopefully all before the 13th. On the 13th I begin the Evenstar Mystery shawl, which I'm hoping will go better than this mystery KAL did.

Feast or Famine

2010-01-28T09:18:00.002-05:00

Sales in my shop have slowed since the holidays, which is to be expected. I've been trying not to purchase more fiber to dye until I sell some of what I have in current inventory. I created my first add for Ravelry, and have been taking time to finish my holiday knitting and recharge my dyer's batteries. I've signed up for two knit alongs, one of which is in progress now (the Girls' Night Out sock). The other will start in February, and is called the Evenstar Mystery Shawl, pattern by Susan Pandorff. I can't wait to get started on this, even though I still have a metric butt ton of things still on the needles. In a way it's been good that I haven't had a lot of sales, because I've gotten so behind with other things.

I do have to admit, though, that I was getting kind of nervous. I'd started to wonder if perhaps I wasn't meant to have the awesome fiber shop that I thought originally I was going to have. I'd started to think that maybe I didn't have what it took to create a fiber business. Or maybe that the things I'd created weren't as pretty as I had thought they were when I dyed them.

Then on Tuesday, one of the other English teachers came into my room. She know that I sell fiber and yarn, and wanted to purchase some yarn for a friend of hers. The only yarn I have right now is sock yarn, and she didn't want to gift such a thin yarn that might limit someone in terms of possiblew projects. "Well," I said. If you like any of the fibers I have in the shop, I can spin them up for you. It costs more for handspun, but I can spin it more thickly so it's more versitile."
"That sounds great. I'll take two."
I boggled. Two? Two skeins of hanspun? To price handspun I double the cost of the fiber. If there are problems (knots, bunches, etc.) I take a couple of dollars off. She wants Aroostook and Acadia to be spun into yarn. That's about 60 dollars! She didn't even blink when I quoted the prices to her. She even asked for a recommendation for a good knitting book (I chose All New Homespun Handknit by Amy C. Clark) and bought that an hour later. To say I was excited was an understatment. I haven't been able to spin for over a month due to the amout of knitting I've had to do, and so this was a perfect excuse to dig Brownwyn out and get some wheel time.
Later that day the other English teacher (there are three of us) heard the first talking about her purchase and said, "You know, Heather, it would be a great idea for my mom for Mother's Day. Could I get two as well?"
Boggle again. "Certainly," I said. "Which colorways would you like?"
"I can't decide," she said, perusing my shop. "Can I see them in person?"
The next morning (Wendesday) I brought all of my inventory to school to show the second English teacher. I even showed her what the first had purchased. As the second was ogling the fibers, the first came in, picked up the one skein of sock yarn I had and said, "I like this a lot. I'd like to have this, too."

Ummm, okay. That's FIVE items purchased in two days. I was even more excited than before and couldn't wait to get started. I took those listings off my Etsy shop and got to work.

Last night I got two emails. The first was from my friend Brandy who wants to buy two bundles of fiber from me (Gaia and Hestia). She will be picking them up tonight. The second is from a former customer who was writing to let me know that she spun my fiber into yarn and knit the yarn into a beret that she then submitted to Spin Off Magazine, in hopes of being included in an upcoming issue. If it is selected, my shop's name will appear in this magazine.

Oh. My. God.

I went from having no business for several weeks to having a violent boom of business in two days. I'm still reeling, but I'm having an awesome time. Maybe this is what I'm meant to do after all.

Hugs and warm thoughts to all of my customers, past, present and future!

Selfish Knitting

2010-01-20T12:20:00.005-05:00

Although I blogged yesterday about all the Christmas knits I'm still working on, it hasn't stopped me from casting on a few things for myself, too. The first thing I cast on was a sock for a dear plurk friend, Yenforyarn. A fellow knitter and designer (not to mention a real life friend of my favorite fiber seller, Coby), Yen has recently been diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer. Across plurk and ravelry, knitters set aside time on Dec 28, the day of Yen's first chemo treatment, and cast on one of her sock designs. I chose to knit her Manhattan pattern, in my own handdyed yarn from the shop. I'd been saving this yarn for a special occasion, and this certainly fit the bill. The yarn, "April Showers," complements the pattern well, I think. I've already finished one sock:

The next sock will have to wait a while to cast on, however, because I'm busy with another selfish knit. It's another sock, this time from Brewer's Knitting Company, and it's a mystery sock. This is my first ever mystery knit (where you have no idea what the FO will look like, and have to wait for days to get each "clue", or knitting section). So far I'm enjoying it. The yarn is a bit thin so it requires size 1 needles which I'm not a big fan of, but so far the pattern is an enjoyable knit. I like that there are only 24-36 rows to knit with each clue. It's a lot easier to avoid knitting boredom that way. Many of the knitters doing this are doing both at a time, but I'm just knitting the one for now. I'm through clue 2, and here's what it looks like:

I finished Tara's thrummed mittens this morning and have updated my last post with pictures. That's what I'm working on. How about you?

Knitting, knitting, and more knitting.

2010-01-19T09:43:00.003-05:00

This won't come as a surprise to any of you who know me, but I'm still working on my Christmas knitting. Yes, still. I got some of it done, but no matter how hard I tried, getting eleven projects completed in two months was way beyond me. perhaps if I didn't have to work, at all, I'd have completed more items. Perhaps if I didn't also cast on a couple of things for myself, I'd have more finished objects. Whatever the reason, my Holiday knitting is still in full swing. I thought I'd update my original list here so you can see where I'm at.

1. Icarus Shawl for Grammie. This is not done. I'm past the repeats of chart one, and am partway into chart 2. I think I have about 40 rows left. My yarn is in a hopeless tangle, so I have to bite the bullet, cut the yarn, and start with a new skein. That will be my project for the week. I'd like to have it done by the 28th. That's so not going to happen.

2. Trigger finger mittens for Daddy. These are done. I even wrote a pattern up for this and had it test knit. As soon as I get it translated into a .pdf file, it will be available for purchase. I can't wait for this. My first ever design! I will update this post with pictures this afternoon.

3. Maine Morning Mitts for Mom. These were done a long time ago, and were a big fit. She wants another pair in powder blue. I'm looking for the yarn, as she's allergic to wool and can't wear it.

4. Handknit socks and a tightly knit hat for Bear. Sock #1 is not yet to the heel, and the tightly knit hat was too small. I decided to gift it to someone else. Bear totally missed out on the holiday knitting.

5. Thrummed mittens for Tara. These are almost done. I just have one thumb of one mitten left to knit and it's all done. I hope to get that done today.

6. Mark is getting the aforementioned hat that was too small. It should fit him perfectly. I hope he likes it.

7. A beanie for Leigh Anne. This is in progress. I have about 20 rows of the body left, then the crown decreases. Maybe another week or two? Depends on how much time Icarus takes me.

8. An Elephante for Caitlin. I did get this done. It's cute. I'll post pics later today. She loves it so much I've already had to perform one repair. I hope to have to do many more.

9. Viking Beanie for Nicholas. Not even begun. I may knit him a giraffe like I'm knitting for my nephew, since it will go well with his sister's giraffe.

10. Scarf for Dani. I wrote up a quick pattern and am about three feet into it. It's a simple horseshoe or wheatear cable, and halfway through I will reverse them so the sides look the same as they hang down. I'm using bulky wool and size 11 needles, so this is flying.

11. Giraffe for Nicholas. Not yet begun. It's on the backburner until I get more things finished.

12. John: Not getting a knit this year. Tough.

I will post my selfish projects later this week. Happy knitting!

Shop update 1/2/10

2010-01-03T08:38:00.003-05:00

Dyeing to show you (what I've been up to)

2009-12-06T11:09:00.005-05:00

"Hollyberry", 100% Merino from CJ Kopec Creations. 3 ply; 198 yards. Light worsted weight.

"Nature's First Green"; 4 oz. punta wool

"Flagship"; 4 oz punta wool

"Rt. 11" 4 oz. punta wool

"Cottage Garden"; 4 oz. punta wool

"Sugarloaf"; 4 oz. punta wool

"Dirigo"; 4 oz. punta wool

"Lupine Fields"; 4 oz. punta wool

"Mt. Katahdin"; 4 oz. punta wool

What's off the wheel Wednesday?

2009-12-03T10:59:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I finished my latest spinning project. It's another winner from CJKopecCreations on Etsy. It is 4 ounces of merino, colorway "hollyberry":

Her pic of the fiber:

The four ounces arrives in three separate bundles. I laid each one out in its batt form, peeled off each color in order and spun it thinly, with lots of twist. When finished, I had three bobbins of singles with a color sequence of wine, mushroom, green, wine, mushroom, green. I plied the three bobbins together, after winding them into balls:

I plied very tightly (it was an unbalanced yarn) because I like the look of tight plies better than balanced ones. I tried to take a few pics before soaking it, but they didn't come out so great. Here's the best one:

The colors did exactly what I wanted them to for the first color repeat. The second repeat was more mixed, but I'm perfectly okay with fraternal twin skeins. I'll post better pics once the yarn is dry. I'm just so so so happy with the way it came out!

Business News Update

2009-11-13T09:56:00.003-05:00

My Etsy shop has been open since November 4th. In nine days, I've sold eight items. Seven to online customers, one to a member of my knit group. I'd like to begin by saying thank you to all who have made purchases and offered encouragement to me as I embark on my fibery voyage.

I'm halfway into my second collection (I had to wait for more fiber to arrive before I could finish it), and thought you might like to see pics of what I've created. The first collection was the Proverbs Collection, the new one is the Poetry Collection.

Here they are:

They are, from left to right: "Loveliest of Trees" Punta; "Never to Have Loved" SW Merino; "Sailor Take Warning" BFL; "The Highwayman" Punta; "Counting Chickens" SW Merino; "Bird in Hand" BFL; and "Rose by Name" 75%SW merino, 25% nylon sock yarn. Not pictured is the local sale I made, "Still Waters" SW Merino. I will edit this post when I get home to add it.

As you can see, I've been having a lot of fun. I'm surprised by many things. 1) that my fibers are selling so quickly. I know that many of my customers are plurk and Rav buds, but still. I'm very humbled. 2) That my sock yarns aren't selling as well. Of all that I've dyed, my sock yarn is what I'm most proud of. They are priced reasonably as the skeins are 462 yards, but they aren't moving as fast as I'd like. I may have to reconsider price or photography choices if they don't start moving.
Speaking of unsold items, I thought I might list my unsold items here as well. If you see something you'd like to buy, head over to the shop and pick it up!

Open for Business!

2009-11-04T10:23:00.002-05:00

Highland Handmades is open for business. Please stop by the shop then come back here to tell me what you think. I listed seven items last night, have two to list today, and maybe one more later this week. I began with The Proverbs Collection, a series of items inspired by common proverbs. Please note that I made TWO sales within minutes of opening shop last night. Thank you KarenB and Tempted for making me feel so loved!

I'm so happy today that nothing and no one can touch me. For the first time, I'm allowing myself to believe that someday, maybe, I will be able to have the yarn and fiber shop I so desperately want to own. Thank you, all of you, for your continued support and encouragement.

Heather

Owner, Highland Handmades

Building Inventory

2009-11-01T16:41:00.004-05:00

I've been hard at work knitting Christmas gifts, but I've been working even harder on getting inventory built up for my Etsy debut. Here's what I had done up to this morning:
As I sit here and type this, I have two more 4 oz bundles of fiber and two more skeins of yarn drying. As soon as they are dried and photographed, I will be ready to open shop. I hope to write up the descriptions Monday or Tuesday. I plan on creating collections with my shop - I will create ten to twelve colorways with a theme to the names and post them together. This first collection is called "The Proverb Collection." Each 4 oz bundle and skein of yarn is indicative of a proverb. I think it will help set me apart from the pack. Future collections include literature, the 1980s, favorite movies, locations and more. Stay tuned for detailed photos and descriptions, as I will post them here as well as on Etsy.

I can hardly wait - can you?

Christmas Project Update

2009-10-23T08:15:00.004-04:00

As of today, I have a total of one Christmas project completed. I was supposed to get FOUR done this month. Obviously, I'm a bit behind. I'm making progress, though, and I have pictures to prove it. Warning in advance of a pic heavy post.

Elephante. Legs, body, and tail are all done. I have knit the trunk and am on the increases for the head. I don't like the way the legs look, but I doubt Caitlin will care and they are on there securely. I looked up whipstitching, but must have stitched through the wrong part of the cast off edge of the legs. I will hopefully be done this little guy some time next week.A tightly knit hat. The main yarn is Peace Fleece Worsted colorway "Siberian Midnight" a heathered blend of blue and black with tweedy white bits. The white stripes are a wool, alpaca, silk blend I bought years ago. I think it looks awesome. When Bear said he wanted a tightly knit hat, I decided to use very small needles to make a dense fabric (I'm using US 2s for this). I found out half way through the damn thing that he wanted small stitches - apparently I should have been using fingering weight yarn instead. Tough. Fingering weight yarn won't keep his head warm enough, and there's no WAY I'm frogging this thing and starting again with another yarn. The hat is 110 stitches and I'm using Jared Flood's Turn a Square hat decreases to the top of it looks manly. I will have to block it out a bit as the hat is a tiny bit too small for his head, but that shouldn't be any kind of problem. I hope to have this done tonight or tomorrow night.

I've been impatient with both of these projects because I finally have yarn, pattern, and needle to start Grammie's Icarus shawl:

The yarn is Knit Picks Alpaca coud, colorway "Autumn Heather" the needle is also Knit Picks, a fixed circular size 3, 24". I am going to cast on for this as soon as I finish one of the projects above.

In other news, I've been spinning. I find that if I spin during Sunday football games, I get a ton of spinning done. The most recent spinning I've been doing is a CJ Kopec's October Spin Along fiber, a SW BFL colorway "Trust Me" - vibrant rich shades of red, burgundy, gold, orange, brown, violet and more. I spun it into a fingering weight single. I got 582 yards and am in LOVE with this yarn. I am waffling between making a cowl and fingerless mitts or a small shawl like Swallowtail or Ishbel. The colors were too pretty to ply together, and I am thrilled with the color separation I got.
How is your Christmas knitting coming?

Setting Up Accounts

2009-10-14T09:56:00.002-04:00

I filed for a tax number and Seller's Certificate from the State of Maine this week, and am waiting to get paperwork for that. I have no idea what will happen when my husband and I file our taxes this year, but since I only estimated making $200 for the year, hopefully it won't be too bad. I have *no* idea if I filled out the online form correctly; there is an assumption that one knows what is being asked for each fill in box and drop down menu. I guessed.

I ordered 2 lbs of undyed fiber, bought the vinegar I need for the dyes, and photographed my first two braids of roving. I'm not very happy with the pics, so will try again soon. I need a brighter light for the outside of my lightbox.

I set up a free account with Quickbooks Online for my income/expenses. So far, this business has cost me $157.40 (not counting the dollar something for the vinegar). That doesn't sound too bad, especially considering most of that was put onto a $100 visa gift card I won a while back. The free version of Quickbooks is very simplified, but so far, I like it. I haven't been able to find accounting software that I've liked for a business; most of the free stuff I've seen is for personal/home accounting.

I verified my checking account with PayPal. Now I'm a "verified" member and can use either my credit card or bank account for purchases. I am combining my paychecks from work with my husband's in HIS bank account, and hope to use my old checking account for the business.

I am keeping a list of ideas for my shop - thing like product themes, contests, freebies, etc.

I am taking an online freebie class about starting your own business. So far, I've learned lots of good stuff. I'm taking notes to refer to later.

I am looking for fiber business owners to intern/shadow next summer. I haven't contacted anyone yet, although I do have a few people in mind. I would like to begin sending letters in the spring, explaining who I am, what I want, and why they should let me. I figure if I can get my shop off the ground over the winter - have some sales, grow a business - they will be more willing to help me. The fiber/knitting community is very supportive of small businesses, even when they technically "compete" with each other.

I am thinking about long-range goals: Getting a TM, having a graphic designer design me a logo and possibly my own webpage (speaking of which, I'd better snag the domain name today if possible), branching out to brick and mortar stores as well as other online vendors (TLE, for example). I am also trying to find ways/space to maximize production possibilities. Right now, I can dye two, possibly three 4 oz. bundles of fiber in an evening, and they take about two days to dry. I can only dye two nights a week reliably, thanks to my second job.

I am working on pricing and shipping costs in my head. I will have to play with these as I start shipping and see what actual costs will be. Ideally I'd like to be able to say I ship for free (first class) with an option to upgrade to Priority for another two dollars. Does that sound fair? Depending on cost of shipping, I may charge a small fee of a dollar or two to offset the costs. I'll have to wait and see. Initially, I will be offering free shipping as an incentive to get people to purchase fiber from a brand new shop.

Question: should I start a new Etsy account using my company name as the seller name? It will start me back to a zero ranking, but perhaps I could link to my boutrosbabe shop? Or does it matter what the shop is named? I am starting to think it does, and I need to know before I start listing items. Help!

Highland Handmades

2009-10-12T08:01:00.002-04:00

For a long time now, I've been wanting to get into the fiber business. I don't consider knitting and spinning to be hobbies; they are an integral part of who I am. Knitting and spinning are, to me, a lifestyle. I'd like to be able to live more of my life in those fields. I have thousands of ideas, things I want to do, try, create. I bounce many of my ideas off of my husband who is always supportive and encouraging. He knows that some day, ultimately, I'd like to have my own yarn and fiber shop. I'd like to get up each morning and spend the day doing what I love and sharing my love of all things fibery with others. I'd like to teach classes in the evening. Have a shop cat. Have an afterschool group of kids who learn to knit and donate their items to charities. In my head, the possibilities are endless.
But like the characters in Eugene O'Niell's play "The Iceman Cometh," I'm afraid that most of my dreams are just that - dreams. The pipe dreams that his characters are forced to confront but shy away from instead of grasping. The great "what-ifs" of life. As long as the idea stays in my head, I can never fail. I can keep dreaming about the yarn shop I want, making it better and grander than ever.
Recent events in my life have, however, forced me to reconsider. To wonder if maybe taking the risk is less dangerous than staying where I am now. Because as my life is now, I am professionally unhappy. I'm questioning my career choice for the first time, wondering if I really want to be a teacher forever. The more I think about it, the more my answer is no.
The problem is that I know NOTHING about owning and operating a business. I have never taken a business class, have no friends that own their own business, and am afraid to risk everything and fail due to ignorance. It's all just so overwhelming!
There are a few things I know that I can do. I can dye fiber and yarn and sell it online. I can start with just an internet presence, and if someday it expands, I can move to a brick & mortar location later. I can start small and get all my puzzle pieces lined up. If I start on the edge, the middle section might be easier.
So I have been spending a lot of time online looking at how to start a business. What do I have to have to do even a tiny bit? I want to have all the legal stuff correct from the beginning so it's easier later on. The first thing I did was google my potential business name. I went to the Trademark and Registration depts. and searched their databases. I found nothing with my proposed company name. I will have to trademark it myself right off, but I don't know if that will cost money so for now I'm holding off. The name? Highland Handmades.
The next thing I did was totally free and super easy. I filed for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) with the IRS. I can now purchase yarn and fiber *wholesale*. Granted, I don't have the $500 I need to purchase a bump of undyed fiber, but since I'm all about the baby steps, I'll worry about that later.
The next thing I have to do is get a Seller's Certificate. In order to do that, I need to get a tax number. That comes from the State of Maine, and I'll be working on that tomorrow. As I understand it, once I get my Seller's Certificate, I am legal to sell in the State of Maine. No idea if this will cost me money.
Once I'm all legal and stuff, I need to work on increasing my inventory. I'll be selling from Etsy.com, and many sellers on Etsy say you should start with 6-12 items for sale in your shop, and should update with new items often. I have two items so far, and will probably do a third one today, but will have to wait until the end of the month to get the fiber shipment I need for the rest. I will spend some time looking for yarn to pick up in the interim, so I can sell some of that, too.

I am definitely lucky that my friends on Plurk have helped me with much of this. They are infinitely supportive and for that, I love them dearly. Coby, Jenna, and Brandy especially. They are fiber artists in their own right and for them to believe in me means the world.

I will keep you updated as I journey towards the life I've always wanted. Wish me luck!

Christmas Project Update

2009-10-05T10:36:00.002-04:00

Okay. So the mitts did NOT get done when I thought they would. The first mitt was done ahead of schedule, and the second mitt was right behind it - until I got to the thumb. For some reason I had a hard time getting motivated to pick up and knit those thumb stitches and weave in the ends. I busied myself with re-knitting Hubs' sock in straight stockinette and ignored the mitts for the better part of two weeks.

Yesterday I was watching my favorite video cast "Around the Twist" and enjoyed Carin's update on her Christmas knitting. In that same episode she discussed what her next spinning project would be. Now I know that Carin is a speedy knitter and that with a video cast she is highly motivated to complete projects, but still. She is getting much more accomplished that I am and has a fifth as much Christmas knitting to do as I do. As soon as Hubs went off to do the cleanup at the mill, I got started.

First I made the lightbox I've been meaning to for a month now. I participate in a spin-along each month and need a better way to photograph my finished skeins. It was easy and only took about ten minutes.

Second, I went up to my craft room and finished spinning the first half of the BFL fiber I bought from Spunky Eclectic this summer. I need a dk weight two ply for the thrummed mittens I'm making for Tara for Christmas. I love spinning BFL, so this was no hardship. I'm going to try to have the second half done this week.

Third, I sat on the couch and finished those mitts. Thumb, weaving in of ends... all of it. I even made sure that I closed a couple of holes I had near the thumb. They are totally done:

As you can see I need to work on taking better lightbox shots.

Fourth, I cast on for another of my Christmas Projects. This one is Christmas Project #3, an Elephante for my friend Caitlin.
I have all four legs done and finished increasing for the body. I have two and a half inches of straight knit to go before I begin the body decreases. It's a really fast knit so far, although the m1fb into every stitch on the body was a pain that first round. I'm using Red Heart Super Saver multi for the body and some soft cotton chenille for the feet, ears and nose. To fill it I'll be using bamboo fill. This way the toy is washable and naturally antibacterial as well. Caitlin has a very rare autoimmune disorder, so germ-free toys are important. I hope she likes it.

That's all I have for now - I'll take a pic of elephante in my lightbox once he/she is done. How is your holiday knitting coming along?

Christmas Projct #1: Mom's Maine Morning Mitts

2009-09-17T09:28:00.003-04:00

This is mitt #1. Mitt #2 is almost done. I have to finish the top of the cuff and do the thumb. These were surprisingly quick to knit, although I didn't get them both done by the Sunday night deadline I set for myself. I will hopefully get them done this weekend?

As soon as I finish those, I think I'll cast on for Elephante or the pink beanie. I need to look at loose cast ons for the beanie or I will need to knit it top-down, because otherwise the bottom edge will be too tight. It's always too tight.

Zedd likes the mitts. What about you?

Christmas Knitting

2009-09-10T08:34:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year again. Time to think about holiday knitting. It may only be the tenth of September, but for someone who knits as slowly and as infrequently as I do, each fall presents a unique blend of trepidation and joy.

I thought I'd post my Christmas Knitting list here (no one who knows me in real life reads this blog, so I think I'm safe), with Ravelry links where possible. Since this will be primarily a resource for me, I will also post notes about each project. If you have knit any of these, please leave me a comment on how it was for you. I can use any and all help I can get!

I should also make the disclaimer that I am not done my Girasole blanket yet, and it takes first priority. I have 19 rows plus the edging left and I do not want to put it aside when it is so close to being finished. So that comes first. It's not going to be a gift - it's for me - and that's something I can live with.

1. Grammie: Icarus Shawl. I purchased 3 skeins of Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud (colorway Autumn Heather) for this. I still have to buy the pattern ($6 download, or the whole book for $16.47) and a 24" size 3 circular needle. The shawl is simple but large.
11/10 update: Chart 1 done, two repeats of rows 19-42 done.

2. Daddy: Trigger finger mittens. I did a pair last year in acryllic yarn and hated it. This year I have a skein of Peace Fleece wool and will use that to make the mittens. They are very fast to knit up; I just have to DO them.

3. Mom: Maine Morning Mitts. I'll be using Knit Picks Shine Worsted (colorway Hollyberry) for these, as Mom is allergic to wool. This is a cotton/modal fiber. Again, I think these will be quick - I just have to do them. They would be an easy car project.
11/10 update: Finished

4. Bear: Handknit Socks and a Tightly Knit Hat. I started a sock already for Bear, but it has two types of cables and one is complicated, so it's slow going. He suggested I rip back and start again with plain stockinette, so that's what I'll do. I know that it will go much faster to do mindless stockinette and his feet are huge so the socks will take a long time anyway. I'm using Enchanted Knoll Farms sock yarn in a pumpkin, burgundy, and black colorway. The hat will be knit with Peace Fleece worsted (colorway Siberian Midnight) on size 2 needles. 2 is a very small needle for worsted weight, but Bear wants a wind-proof hat, and so I'll create as tight a gauge as possible. We have not discussed if he wants ear flaps or not, or if it will be in stockinette or garter. Ideas?
11/10 update: Hat is finished. Plain hat with Jared Flood's "Turn a Square" decreases. Hat is a bit short. Turns out he wants a finely knit hat (fingering weight yarn) not a tightly knit hat. Tough. He gets what he gets.

5. Tara: Thrummed Mittens. I'll be using handspun BFL from Spunky Eclectic (colorway Nova Scotia) and a natural camel colored alpaca for the thrums. This will be a challenge because I haven't done thrums before, but Tara is worth it. I know these mittens will be super soft and warm!
11/10 update: 2 oz. spun, 2 oz. to go.

6. Mark: I have no idea. Sportweight socks, perhaps? A beanie? I want it to be handspun, but I'm not sure what it will be yet. Ideas?

7. Leigh Anne: pink beanie. I have the yarn (a pink alpaca/acryllic blend) but am debating the type of brim. Ribbed? Garter? Rolled stockinette?
11/10 update: She wants a bright white hat now. Pattern chosen is Irish Moss Toque, yarn will be Knit Picks Shine Worsted.

8. Caitlin - My adorable 6 year-old friend. For her, an elephante. Caitlin has a rare atuo-immune disorder that compromises her immune system so this toy will be stuffed with bamboo fiber since it has antibacterial properties. I don't know how long it will take to knit this, but I have pattern and yarn ready to go.
11/10 update: legs, body, tail done, stuffed and stitched together. Increasing from trunk to head now.

9. Nicholas: As Caitlin's brother, he also deserves a handknit item. I'm thinking a viking beanie. They are too cute for words and I know Leigh Anne (his mom) got a good laugh over them a while back.

10. Dani: My sister-in-law has always struck me as a bulky, cream, horseshoe cable scarf (the Rav link is for a hat, but you get the idea). Bulky weight knits up fast, and I can get it cheaply in the bare colorway from Knit Picks.

11. Thomas: My nephew. For him, a knit giraffe. Giraffes are kind of his thing and since I have plenty of bamboo filling, I'll put that in the giraffe too.

12. John: For this brother, I have *no* idea. I'd love to do something unique, but nothing has surfaced as just the right thing yet. I'll keep my eye out. He's definitely a unique person! It'll have to be something really really different.

Looking at this, I'm noticing this is a huge list. There are 4 months till Christmas, so that means I have to do 3 projects a month including this month. Maybe Girasole won't get finished after all! I will have to cast on at least one easy project this week, and hopefully get it done this weekend. I vote the Maine Morning Mitts will be up first. In this public forum, I'm stating that they will be done by Sunday, September 13, by 10pm.

Wish me luck!! I will post pics when I can.

Hurry! Sale ends soon!

2009-09-03T16:43:00.002-04:00

I was wandering around the internet today while waiting for Open House at school to begin, and happened across Knit Picks' website. I've used their yarn before for my Sister-in-law's wedding wrap (Michela), and like the company and the yarn they sell. I am planning on using their Alpaca Cloud (100% baby alpaca) yarn to make my ninety-four year-old grandmother a shawl for Christmas.

I was THRILLED when I saw this:
Alpaca Cloud is only $3.99, and their Shadow Lace yarn (100% merino) is only $1.99!! In each you get 440 yards of laceweight two-ply yarn. I've ordered five skeins each of cattail heather and midnight heather in the Shadow Lace, and for Gram I got three skeins of autumn heather in the Alpaca Cloud. Of course, not all the colors are on sale - I think they put up the ones that aren't big sellers. But who cares? With 2,200 yards of laceweight, I can make almost any shawl I want to! Hurry up and get some yarn for yourself - the sale ends on the ninth!!

Dear Beverly,

2009-08-21T08:25:00.001-04:00

When I first started knitting, I was in college. I couldn't share my love of fibery things with my dorm buddies or classmates, because no one would have understood. That was back in 2002, before the knitting renaissance had really begun. So I kept it all hidden, knitting dishcloths and cat blankets in my spare time from yarn bought at Wal Mart. I thought I was happy.

Then in 2008 I found Ravelry. As soon as I received my invitation, I was a member of a knitting community! A new world opened up to me; one in which knitting was not only accepted, but was encouraged. Because of Ravelry I could knit in public, fearlessly. I wasn't a freak, odd, or an old lady. I was a knitter, and as such, slightly badass. It was awesome.

In a Rav forum somewhere, I saw a mention of Plurk. Supposedly a bunch of knitters were over there, too, and could actually TALK to each other. Don't misunderstand - the forums and messages and all things Ravelry were great - but I was still missing any kind of conversation with other knitters. No one in my town knit, there were no public places you could go to knit and hope someone like-minded would happen along and chat with you about stitch counts and fiber content. Blindly, I signed up for plurk and cast about for knitters.

And I found them.

Knitters, dyers, spinners, fiber artists of all sorts were there, on Plurk, talking and sharing themselves and their WIPS. Every friend I made had a passel of other knitterly friends that amazed me. These are my people, I thought to myself. This is where I belong. One of my first Plurk friends was Loribird. It was Lori that first got me spinning. She actually sent me one of her spindles and several ounces of fiber to learn on. I am eternally grateful to her for opening that door.

Another Plurker I met was CJKopec. She is one of the most talented fiber artists I've seen. I fell instantly in love with her stuff and signed up for her monthly spin-a-longs, enjoying each package of fiber I received from her.

While I was reveling in the community aspect of Plurk, I met you, Beverlysyarncrazy. You, I learned, live only 20 minutes away. I learned that you are well-loved on Plurk because you are unfailingly kind and generous. You have positive uplifting things to say to each of us, and you are a fabulous listener/reader. You are a source of inspiration to many. I also learned that you are on a fixed income, but that you love fiber and spinning just as much as I do. On the day you plurked that you'd received a spinning wheel, a flurry of private Plurks appeared, all suggesting we should send you some fiber as a wheel-warming present. Nothing could be more fitting or more deserved. I looked at my stash, wondering what I could send you that would in any way be an appropriate thank-you to the friendship and community you'd provided for me. I settled on about 4 ounces of 100%merino from Ashland Bay, colorway Primrose." I wasn't sure it was your color, but I knew the soft feel of the fiber would please your fingers. I happily mailed it off to you, glad of a chance to give back to you some of what you've given me. It was gratifying to see how many people sent you fiber. I know I am only one of dozens of people you've touched.

Then, last month, I got my own wheel. I trumpeted it from towers in Plurk, Ravelry, my blogs... anywhere I could find a forum to declare my delight. I already had a sizeable stash, and was delighted with a faster, easier way to spin it up. My next CJ Kopec spin-a-long fiber was completed in its entirety, something I couldn't have done with my spindles. I happily ordered August's fiber.

When the box came, though, it was different from the others. It was twice the size of the happy square box I'd been receiving from Coby. Curious, I opened it up. In the box was my August fiber (beautiful as always).

But something else was in there, too.

Wondering if there had been a mistake, I reached in and pulled out the most stunning 4 ounce bundle of fiber, in several glorious shades of green. My heart stopped with the realization it must be meant for someone else, and I'd have to sent it back to Coby. I lifted the tag it came with so I could at least read the colorway name, in order to buy it for myself. The tag read:

"Troll: 2/3 Merino 1/3 Colonial Roving. 4 oz. A GIFT FROM BEV."

I'm not ashamed to admit it. Right there in my truck, I had a good cry. Because even though you have already given so much, even though money is tight for you, even though you have a thousand other friends, you thought of me. Without comment or expectation, you reached across the distance between us and gave me a gift stunning in its beauty and generosity. I spent days wondering how I was going to thank you - a Plurk didn't seem adequate, and posting on Rav didn't strike me as beneficial to you. I didn't want people to start asking you for gifts, thinking they could cash in on your generous spirit. Because I believe if you could, you'd buy us all things we really want. Because you feel that our friendship is a gift for you. I dont know if you realize that we are the ones who are so grateful to have you in our lives. In the end, I settled on this long and rather rambling blog post as the best way I have to thank you.

Thank you, Bev. Thank you for being the kindest of knitters, spinners...

and friends.

Yours with Love,
Heather

Come the Morning

2009-08-16T18:00:00.004-04:00

After the first sample of yarn I created on my new wheel, it wasn't long before I wanted to create a second yarn. That ended up being CJ Kopec Creations' fiber called "Second Chances" which I spun into a worsted weight three ply. Here it is, all 160 yards of it:

Almost as soon as it was off the bobbins, I had to start this next fiber. It's 100% corriedale that I dyed myself in red, orange, and yellow. It was my first dyed fiber, and I wanted it thin. Laceweight thin. A difficult thing considering that this was only my third yarn ever. Thankfully, Bronwyn made it easy:

The last pic is 180 yards, which is a bit less than half of the amount of singles on the bobbins. The manufacturers say that one can get 4 ounces of fiber on a single bobbin. Each of the bobbins above has only 2 ounces of fiber. I don't know how to get any more on the bobbins! Maybe that will come in time??
Anyway, I'm in love with this fiber, which I've named "Come the Morning" as it looks like a firey sunrise to me. If the rest of the plying goes as well as this did, I may sell the fiber and make my debut into the handmade industry. I'm thinking about it.

What do you think of my new yarns? Be honest!

The Generosity of Friends

2009-07-23T08:06:00.003-04:00

I have the best friends and family in the world, and I'm lucky enough that many of the people who mean the most to me are both family members AND friends at the same time. Like my sister-in-law. I'd love her because she makes my brother happy, but Tara is the most incredibly awesome, generous, fun, caring and wonderful person I've ever met and she has just enough tough-girl edge to keep things interesting (both she and my brother are Border Patrol Agents). Tara and my brother Mark have come through for my husband and I over and over again the last few years. They were a tremendous help when Bear and I got married, we have spent time at each others' houses enjoying great company and great food (Tara is Italian and makes the best from-scratch spaghetti sauce in the WORLD), and Bear and I were able to help them out for their own wedding a year later. I love them both dearly.

Mark and Tara constantly amaze me with their generosity - and last week, they did it again. They both knew how badly I want a spinning wheel, and for my birthday sent me a check for the entire cost of a brand new wheel. I was floored. I would never, in a million years, have ever asked or expected or even wanted them to do this for me. As soon as I saw the check, I burst into tears. I called them and tried to tell them it was too much; that they weren't allowed to do that. They of course were having none of it. Tara said that it was something they both wanted to do and I was to put that money in the bank and order the wheel that night (I wouldn't have, but my husband took the check from me and deposited it before I could mail it back to them. He was in cahoots with them the whole time!). After much convincing, I tried to be gracious and do what they asked:

Introducing Bronwyn, my first spinning wheel. It's a Kromski Minstrel. Kromski is a company from Poland, and they do incredible work. Originally I was going to get the clear finish, but the company I ordered from (The Copper Moose) was sold out of those so I got a FREE upgrade to the walnut finish which was the one I secretly wanted the most. I'm finding spinning to be both easier and harder than I thought it would be, and will post all about that soon.

For now, I have to attempt to write a thank-you to Mark and Tara. How do you thank someone for making your dream come true??

washed locks, TdF, and some FOs

2009-07-01T21:13:00.004-04:00

A list of three beautiful things to share today:

1. Washed locks from my Shetland fleece. I'm about halfway done it, thanks to weeks of unending rain, but I'm getting there. I ordered some Indigo Hound Viking combs and am trying to stretch out the fleece washing until they get here. The washed lock is on the right, the unwashed is on the left.
2. I've decided to join the Tour de Fleece challenge on Ravelry. The task? To spin every day of the Tour de France which runs from July 4 to the 26th. I've chosen to focus on my spinning WIPS so that I can add more to the FO pile. This should also clear up my stash for when I get my spinning wheel (sometime this fall). My first fiber WIP I'll finish is this 2 ounce braid of 100% silk from dyeingforcolor on Etsy:
3. Finally, here's the finished skein of June's SAL fiber from CJ Kopec Creations. It's BFL, colorway "emerge". I navajo plyed it in order to get a three-ply that didn't have muddied colors. The pic is terrible, but the yarn is fabulous:

Fleece Processing Part I

2009-06-17T15:08:00.006-04:00

As I mentioned last week, I purchased an entire Shetland fleece at the Maine Fiber Frolic. I have been waiting for the weather and my schedule to allow me to begin process the fleece for spinning. Ideally I'll be able to spin this fiber on a new spinning wheel, instead of my spindles which are all I have right now.

But it will be several weeks before I can purchase my wheel, so I thought I'd at least get started on the processing ... process. The rest of this will be a picture-heavy post as I archive (and share) my method of processing. Everyone does it differently; this is my way.

Step One: Gather Materials.

I am fortunate to have the most loving husband in the world, who built me a fantastic skirting/drying table. It's simply constructed of 2x4s and covered with a durable heavy green plastic mesh (we picked it up at Home Depot for $5 for 15 feet or something. Way more than we needed). The mesh serves two purposes (more on that in a minute). On the table I set my washing bucket (a Rubbermaid tote designed to store sweaters under your bed), a pair of gloves, the fleece, and a mesh laundry bag. If you have less than a whole fleece, a lingerie bag works great. The scissors you see in the pic below are for tripping the mesh (more on that in a minute). You'll also need a detergent/cleaner that will help get the lanolin (grease) out of the fleece. I use Original Dawn.
Step Two: Fill the Bag.
The fleece will come apart into large locks of fiber. This is good. In the mesh laundry bag, I begin to organize the locks into rows. First I separate a lock from the fiber mass (usually a large section will come off that can be subdivided if necessary), then place it in the mesh bag, cut end towards the seam on the bottom/far end of the bag. Here's the first lock:
It may be kind of tough to see. I arrange an entire row of locks, their tips all pointed towards me. I don't layer them on top of each other; I want to give the Dawn the best opportunity to work the lanolin out. Instead I layer them next to each other. Once the first row is done, I start the next row in front of it, pointing in the other direction. That is, this time the cut end is towards me. The tips of these two rows are now pointing towards each other. The next row goes butt away again, etc. Here are the first three rows:

As I take the locks out of the bag they came in and put them into the mesh bag, I do some more skirting. I remove as much of the vegetable matter as I can (VM), and remove any bits that have poop in them. Eww. During this step you get to play with the greasy fleece and admire its fine crimp:

Step Three: Washing, the First
Once the bag is filled, it's time to wash the fleece. I put hot tap water into the Rubbermaid tote (about 1/3 of the way up), add a large saucepan of almost boiling water to it since my tap water doesn't get very hot. I want the water to be between 120 and 160 degrees; hot enough to take the lanolin off, not boiling hot which will felt it. I only add the Dawn once the water is all poured - you do not want suds in the water. The water should be tinted a bit blue if you have enough in it.
When washing fleece, it is important to take steps to keep from agitating the fleece. Agitation = felting, and we want to avoid that at all costs. I cut a piece of the green mesh my table was made out of and lay it in the Rubbermaid tote so that I can easily remove the laundry mesh bag when I need to. The bag itself is very flimsy, and won't hold the fiber locks firmly enough to prevent agitation. I lay the mesh bag on top of it, and GENTLY push the fleece down until it is all wet. The water will get gross immediately:Now let it sit until the water is really nasty and cooling (but not cool enough that the lanolin re-attaches to the wool).

Look to the left

2009-06-09T07:52:00.003-04:00

I added a new widget to my blog over on the left. The National Bone Marrow Donor List is, for a short time, allowing people to register as donors for free. Usually registering as a donor costs $52. Please consider taking a few minutes of your time to register as a bone marrow donor. You may never get called. If you do, donating bone marrow may save the life of a child, a mother, or a friend. Signing up is a simple process - they will send you a kit in the mail for you to swab your cheek and mail back in. It's that easy! The Donor list is trying to get 46,000 new donors, so act fast - this is a limited time offer.

The Maine Fiber Frolic

2009-06-08T11:30:00.003-04:00

Saturday Bear and I went to the Maine Fiber Frolic. Going in, I had specific things and vendors I was looking for. I needed a green sock yarn for a sock I am designing, I wanted to visit Enchanted Knoll Farms, Golding Fiber Tools, Wandering Moose Fiber Farm, and String Theory yarn. I was really hoping that the used equipment barn would have some used goodies, too. Everything else was bonus. I had a list. I was prepared.

Or so I thought.

When I got there, there were a dozen vendors out with *tons* of yarny and fibery goodness. I told myself that I needed to look at everything once, and then make a second circuit where I would buy. Only as Bear and I looked, we found a barn with more vendors. And another barn. And another aisle of vendors. and yet another barn. And Bear, God love him, didn't want me to look. He wanted me to buy. That's what we were there for, after all. So at his insistent enabling/encouraging, we came home from the fiber frolic with this:

From the top right:

4 oz. white jaggerspun combed wool blend
4 oz. gray undyed alpaca roving
4 oz. braid of combed BFL from Spunky Eclectic colorway "Nova Scotia"
4 oz. braid of merino/tencel from Spunky Eclectic colorway "Gunsmoke"
420 yds Nexus sock yarn (80% superwash merino, 20% nylon) from String Theory Yarn colorway "Kelp"
435 yards sock yarn (90% superwash merino, 10% nylon) from Enchanted Knoll Farm in orange and bugundy (I forgot the name, will edit this post tonight)
435 yards sock yarn (90% superwash merino, 10% nylon) from Enchanted Knoll Farm in navy blue and dark green (I forgot the name, will edit this post tonight)
2 2oz bags of mini batts; blend of red wool, brown llama, white angora
2 oz batt of black wool, recycled sari silk and angelina from Enchanted Knoll Farms, colorway "Black Magic Woman"

The last picture is the raw fleece my husband convinced me to buy. He wanted me to buy an Icelandic sheep fleece, but it was too short stapled and had what looked like guard hairs in it - it wasn't something I could spin. Instead he found me this gray shetland fleece for only $27. It's beautiful! I have no idea how I am going to process this whole thing, but I will find a way. It's gorgeous. It's from Eolian Farms, in case you were wondering.

So as you can see, I had an AWESOME time. The only disappointment that I had was the used equipment barn. There really was almost nothing there. It was a bummer. I'm on the lookout now for used cards/combs that I can get on the cheap. Hubs is building me a skirting/drying table for the fleece so I can wash it; I just need a way to comb it.

Oh yeah, and I need a wheel, too. Know anyone who is selling one cheap?

A weather eye*

2009-06-03T08:34:00.003-04:00

Last night while my husband was mowing the lawn (for the third time in a row, even though we are *supposed* to take turns), I wandered around the house looking for something productive to do. I'd just returned from hanging out the laundry, and it is painfully obvious to me that it's time for a new clothespin bag. My current one is hanging on by one rusty grommet and is all ripped to shreds:
An idea struck me: I will SEW a new one! I came up with a simple pattern in a pretty purple fabric and set about making it. As I was cutting the fabric, the thought occurred to me that it's as easy to make two as it is to make one. And if I made two, I could give one away! Sweet!

So keep a weather eye on the bloggy horizon, for in the next week or two I should be posting pics of the clothespin bag and details on how you can win one for your very own!

*This exact entry was re-posted to my other blog, as well, so if you read both, you're not seeing double. I promise.

If you like...

2009-06-01T12:18:00.003-04:00

The new sock is going swimmingly. The pattern is so much better when read correctly! I can see where it's going much better now. I've done about 50% of what I ripped out this weekend, so it is re-knitting fairly quickly.

In other news, I finished my spinning for May's CJ Kopec Creations Spin Along - a merino/silk/angelina combination in my favorite blues and greens. Here's what the finished skein looks like:

I say it's finished, although 3/4 of it remains unspun. Life has been so busy lately that it's all that I got done up this month. It's a laceweight/light fingering weight single that I intend to make a Wisp out of (since my other one looks like poo poo). June's fiber is 100% BFL that CJ Kopec handdyed. I can't wait to start that one, although if I am INCREDIBLY LUCKY I will have a spinning wheel before the end of June and can spin it up on that. If not, I may set that fiber aside and concentrate on finishing some of my WIP spinning instead. This next shipment of fiber I want to spin into a three ply sock yarn as I have someone interested in purchasing it. We'll see.

If you like my interpretation of this fiber, feel free to head to Coby's group on Ravelry, join it, and vote for me. You have to be a member to vote, although you don't have to be a spinner. If that's too much work, leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

In which we discover that I am an idiot who can't read.

2009-05-27T12:57:00.001-04:00

Well. It's not that I can't read. It's that I was reading the wrong way. Let me explain.

After weeks of listening to Lime & Violet's Podcast and becoming a friend of Wendy Knits on Plurk, the sock knitting bug bit me bad. I bought a pair of size one circulars and balled up my own handspun (CJKopec's "Inquiry" fiber, spun into a fingering weight 3 ply). I picked Wendy Knit's "Cabletini" toe-up sock pattern and set about figuring out Judy's magic cast on. I had limited success as I forgot several times which rows I was increasing and which ones I wasn't supposed to. The toe looks like this:

Obviously, no one in the world has toes that shaped, but I'm hoping that blocking will lessen the severity of the toe shape and that if it doesn't, wearing it will hide it's oddness.

As I started knitting the pattern, I noticed that the cables were off center. Looking at the above pic you can see that they are all on the left of the sock. At first I was concerned; it didn't look "right." But as I knit I told myself that it was so that the cables were on the outside of the sock and that the directions would be reversed for the other foot. That would mean that I am knitting the right foot right now. Happily I continued knitting.

But then I started thinking about the last cable on the outside. There are no purls on the far side of it; it melts straight into the stockinette of the foot. On the inside of the foot there are six purl stiches. That seemed like a lot. I paused and read the directions again.

"Row 1: on needle one, purl 3, work the six stiches of row 1 of thechart pattern 5 times. On needle two, knit all 33 stitches."

That's exactly what I did. I decided to see what the pattern said to do for the second sock. Ummm. Huh? There were no directions for the second sock. If the socks had a definite left and right, shouldn't there be directions for both?

And that's when it hit me.

I'd read the chart backwards. Without the little chart note that said "charts are read from right to left" I'd forgotten and done what I do whenever I read and knit the chart left to right. Damn, damn, and double damn. I've knit five inches and it's all WRONG. LOOK AT THE UGLY:
So what do I do? I know that I am the only knitter in my family so the only one who will know that I did this pattern wrong. I am adept enough that I can mirror the cables on the other sock and make them look deliberate. But do I want to knit TWO incorrect socks? Do I want to frog the entire sock and start over? I've been working on this sock for about five hours so far, and I'm not even to the gusset yet. Somebody help - what should I do?

Woot! Pictures!!

2009-05-22T13:01:00.003-04:00

I know I haven't been updating this blog lately. I'm sorry. No really! It isn't that I don't like this blog, because I do - I just haven't had much at all to share. I haven't spun or knit much to speak of, and you can only photograph the same thing so many times before it just isn't worth photographing anymore.

I do have one new thing on the spindle. It's the May offering from CJ Kopec. It's a merino/silk blend with a bit of angelina, named "Envious Eyes." I think I'm going to keep it a laceweight single and perhaps make a Wisp out of it. Isn't it pretty?

And I finally found a pattern for my March offering from CJ Kopec ("Inquiry") - toe-up cabletini socks from Wendyknits (check out her blog in my sidebar). I'm learning toe up for this sock. I'm nervous and thrilled all at once. I'm just starting the toe now. See?

Other than that, I'm mostly working on Girasole. I'm still on chart D and will be for probably at least another week. I hope to get some car knitting done this weekend as I'll be spending several hours in the car on the way to and from my parents' house. I hope to have a completed chart D to show you on Monday.

Happy knitting!

Something old, something new...

2009-04-30T11:34:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to update you all on what I've got going on. For starters, I set the twist on my "Watch for Me by Moonlight" yarn and all I can say is Holy. Crap. It fluffed up and got much bouncier after drying. I can't say how much I heart it! I plan on taking pics today in the sunshine. Maybe I'll edit this post and add a pic later.
I've begun a spinning project to tide me over until I get May's SAL fiber from CJKopec Creations. This fiber is 100% tussah silk from DyingforColour (Etsy), called "Scottish Heather". I loved the name so I bought it, even though I'd never spun silk before. I was nervous about the silk, actually, since I have heard that it sticks to everything and I have dry skin that easily "hooks" on fiber. I am spinning it on my .95 ounce Golding. This is the perfect spindle for this project. It's heavy enough that I don't get the single too thin and the rim-weighting means that it spins almost until forever. I think the silk has something to do with that, too. I find that I actually have to stop the spindle before it's ready to stop, because otherwise the single gets dangerously overspun. It looks divine, though. I absolutely love it. I'm making sure to moisturize a LOT before I touch the silk, which seems to be helping.

I had April vacation last week (public high schools close for a week in April here in Maine) and had a goal of getting some knitting done. I managed only this week to actually do some. I did get my Not-So-Wispy done (I will block it today, I hope), but Girasole sat in my knitting bag untouched. I just didn't have the mental fortitude to accomplish any knitting that was anything other than mindless. I did get eleven rows done on it this week, though. I'm almost halfway done chart D. Chart D is a spiral that goes first in one direction, then another. I think I will have to change colors where the direction shifts; I didn't want to, but I only have so much of the gray yarn. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that making this choice doesn't ruin the blanket. I'd like to get to the color change by this weekend, which is about four rows away.

I knit a section of my entrelac scarf yesterday and had to wonder why I put it down in the first place. Although I'm doing it on size one needles, the entrelac makes me feel like I'm getting a lot accomplished. I love the Noro Silk Garden Sock yarn I'm using, too, because the colors are fantastic. Fan. Freaking. Tastic. The scarf will be amazing when it's done. IF it ever gets done.

Oh! I forgot to mention! My friend Karin from knit group (more on her and her SHEEP in an upcoming post) is making a wholesale order to Peace Fleece and is letting me get some yarn using the pricing she gets ($4 a skein, people!). I'm getting one skein of Siberian Midnight and one of Firebird Orange for now. I would like to knit a sweater and need several skeins of black for the body and sleeves (I'll be using my own handspun for the yoke), but that will have to wait a few months, I think.

I think that's about it right now... I'm looking for a pair of socks and some sock yarn to knit next. I've been listening to Lime N Violet's podcast a lot lately, and they are crazy about socks. They are infecting me with their sock madness! Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm looking for a toe-up sock.

Yarn and WIPS

2009-04-23T09:33:00.005-04:00

Surprisingly for me, I finished April's "Put your own twist on it" spin along fiber more than a week from the deadline. The fiber was 100% corriedale in black, eggplant, and lilac. Here's CJ Kopec's picture of the "Midnight Desire" fiber:

I spun it vaguely thick and thin, and tried to make a thicker single than I did last month. The fiber really reminds me of the poem "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes, specifically the opening stanza:

The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon the cloudy seas.
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor;
When the highwayman came riding,
Riding, riding,
The highwayman came riding up to the old in door.

The yarn totally looks like the moor and the night. But what do to with the "road was a ribbon of moonlight" line? Inspiration struck in the form of silver nylon thread. I plyed two singles with a nylon thread and created "Watch For Me by Moonlight":

These pictures were taken before I set the twist - the yarn is even more bouncy and fluffy now. I hope to use it as the yoke for Shannon Okey's Faux Fair Isle raglan sweater. I'm in search of a copy of the pattern to see how many yards are called for. This skein is 121 yards, 2.25 ounces. I don't have the WPI yet. I don't know when I'll get the rest of the fiber spun; probably not until I get the pattern and discover I need more yarn.

I've been knitting steadily on Girasole, although I am hampered at times by the need to concentrate. I can't knit in the car, or with the tv on , or listening to Lime n Violet's podcast because I have to keep utter attention on my stitch count. It looks pretty, though, and I'm on chart D:

Since I knew I was going to spend several hours in the car last weekend (a trip to my family's farm - heaven!!), I printed Knitty's Wisp pattern. I didn't have any lace weight yarn in my stash, so I grabbed some of my (very embarassing) Moonlight Mohair by Lionbrand. It looked soft, and wispy, so I cast on. I wish now that I had split the nice light and dark blue mohair strand from the garish orange and pink manmade strand. Because the mohair is soft and pretty, but the garish strand ruins everything. It looks like cat puke. Here, judge for yourself:

I like the pattern, and the fabric drapes very well, but I don't think this is going to be anything I ever wear. Anyone want a not-so-wispy? I have one more ball of yarn to go and then will be done. Perhaps it will get better once done?

So that's what's going on in my world. What are you spinning/knitting?

Llary the Llama!

2009-04-10T08:09:00.003-04:00

This is Llary the Llama, led by my cousin Henry. I am in discussion with Henry's mother to purchase Llary the Llama's fleece this spring. Look at how beautiful and WHITE it is! I have no idea what kind of quality the fleece is (I will meet Llary the Llama in about a week), but even if his fleece can't be used for next-to-the-skin projects, I will still have an entire llama fleece to dye and spin. I. Cannot. Fickin'. Wait.

Of course, I haven't actually been told I can HAVE the fleece yet. I did offer to knit Henry and his sisters nice llama mittens, though. I'm hoping that will convince Henry's mother Carly. I already have a fiber processor picked out to remove the guard hairs and process the fleece into roving so I can dye and spin it more effectively. Once I get the fleece, weigh it, and contact the processor, I'll know more. It'll probably a month before I'll have an update, but I seriously can't wait. I'll take pics of Llary next week to share and should be able to tell you then if the fleece will be mine or not. Squee!

Spinning Quasi-FO

2009-04-06T08:25:00.002-04:00

I participated in Copy Kopec's March Spin-along. I chose to spin 4 ounces of "inquiry" - a 100% merino blend of lime green, black, navy blue, hot pink and orange. I got through 2.5 ounces of the fiber in the month period. Less than I wanted, but still pretty good. Since I couldn't do the stright three-ply I wanted with only two of the three rovings spun, I navajo-plied the singles I had and came up with this:

In the 2.5 ounces there are 204 yards at 16 wpi, which works out to 1,300 ypp. If I spin the rest the same as this, that makes about 326 yards of yarn. I do not know what I will make out of this yarn yet - it looks like it'd make a funky pair of socks, but I don't think I'll have enough yarn for that. Maybe if I do them toe-up and make ankle socks? Hmm. Things to think about, anyway.

My choice for April's spin-along is 4 ounces of Coby's "Midnight Desire" colorway - 100% corriedale in shade of lavendar, eggplant, and black. Here's her picture of the fiber:

I would like very much to spin this thicker than last month's, and ply it with a crocheted silver thread. I want to single crochet it so it's a bit thicker and will be more visible against the dark fiber. I've sent an email to Coby to ask if this is "allowed" per the rules of the contest. I'll do it anyway, it will just mean that I can't win for that month if it isn't permissable. I'm really excited about it, actually, and think it will take next to no time to complete since I'm not concentrating on making it super thin and even. I am hoping to pick up the thread on Wednesday to get started on that.

What are you spinning this month?

Gearing up for Girasole

2009-03-25T08:21:00.005-04:00

I've been spending a little too much time on Ravelry lately (school blocked both Molehill Empire and Plurk, so I have nothing to do all day but WORK!), and I blame that time for making me cast on another project. A project that I have no business beginning because I have too many other projects waiting to be spun or knit. But honestly, how can you not cast on for this:I humbly present to you Girasole, by Jared Flood (this pic and the one below of the same blanket are both his and are used here without his permission which is why I'm crediting him for the photo now. Sorry, Jared!)

It's a blanket done on size 10.5 needles. It's big - 72 inches in diameter. It will probably take me years to complete. Although, the other Jared Flood pattern I've done (Koolhaas) was probably the quickest project I've ever done start to finish. He is a master of gorgeous and fun-to-knit patterns. When I first saw this pattern on his blog, I knew I wanted to do it. But 1,800 yards of yarn (that's more than a mile!) is expensive, even in cheap acrylic. And I didn't want to do it in cheap yarn. I wanted to do it in true wool yarn. Regretfully I put it on the back page of my queue to start only if I landed a mile of pretty yarn for free.

Then one day last month I posted pictures of my craft room and my yarn stash. I felt sorry for myself for how little yarn I had. The only natural (non-acrylic) stuff I had were several skeins of 100% wool my father has given me over the past few years. He picks them up random places and since I have no idea what do to with it all, I just store it.

And then it hit me.

I have EASILY enough yarn for Girasole if I use that stuff! The wool is great - not the softest, but lots of loft (they are two-plys) and warmth. Perfect for a blanket. The skeins are in three different colors of natural sheep's wool - cream, grey, and chocolate. Perfect! My blanket will have visual interest as I switch colors and I will get to use up all the great yarn my Daddy bought me. I love my daddy more than anyone else on the planet (excluding my husband and cat, of course. It's a three-way tie). Here's the yarn:
Sorry for the crappy pic - the light isn't great in here today. So now I have decisions to make: Namely, which color do I put where? I will have to switch off when the charts change. But do I start with a light center or a dark one? I have more of the cream yarn than the other two colors, so I should probably use that for the edging (I have a nearly completed pair of wool socks I can frog if I need to for more yardage). After a couple of days of thinking, here's where I think I'm at, color-wise:
The darkest yarn (chocolate) will go in the center, where the seeds of the sunflower would be. The medium (gray) will be the petals and the spiral. If I run out of gray, the chocolate can cover that section where the spiral turns back on itself (I'm hoping that doesn't happen, because I think too many color shifts will look like shit). The cream is for the V-pattern, as that is the largest section of the blanket and will therefore take the most yarn. The edging I'm going to wait to see how much yarn of each color I have. I'll blog about it again then to elicit your opinions on the matter.

Actually, I want them now. What do you think? Are the color choices a good or bad idea? Any help you can give is GREATLY appreciated. Thanks!

Spin-a-long progress

2009-03-18T09:14:00.003-04:00

I've been working hard to get my fiber from CJKopec spun for her March spin-a-long. I thought I was only 1/4 done with it, but it turns out I'm about 1/3. I unloaded the first single from my spindle last night. I tried winding it onto my ball winder, but it looked like a cocoon from "Killer Clowns from Outer Space":

and I couldn't figure out why:

Athough the bottom of it looked kind of cool:

Then I realized that I hadn't used the yarn guide. D'oh! So I took the cocoon off of the winder, stuck it in a box with a size 15 wooden needle through it:

and wound it again. The second attempt was much better:

Once that was done, I took the next strip of roving apart - first by color, then by dividing each color into four equal parts:

I start spinning it today. I am *hoping* to have this strip done in about a week which will give me about ten days to spin the third section, ply all three together, wash the skein and take photos of the finished project. I can't WAIT to see how it turns out!

The Giant List of Intent

2009-03-13T13:37:00.005-04:00

Like many knitters, I have more projects in my "to do" list than I will probably ever have in my "done" list. My Ravelry queue is filled with projects - some for others, many for me. Every time I finish a knitted item (which is very rarely, since I suffer from startitis), I look around for a new project or two to begin. Here is my list (with Ravelry links) of things I'd like to knit once I finish the Scarf of Incessent Cables. The list isn't in a specific order except that I have tried to list projects I already have yarn for first.

Girasole. This looks so beautiful! Everyone who has done the project has said the pattern is both fun to knit and easy to follow. My father brings me skeins of natural sheep's wool that he finds on his travels, so I have all the yarn I could possibly want for this project. I would probably have to buy a 60" cable for my Knit Picks Options needles, but that's only about $4. A blanket that size for such a small price? Fabulous! I do wonder, though, if it's too big a project. I'm the girl that's been knittitng the same sweater for a year and a half. Maybe this one will wait until I'm done the sweater. One everlasting gobstopper of a project at a time.
Elephante. This is for a friend's daughter. The yarn is the same that I knit the Saartje's Bootees in (but I didn't use much yarn for that tiny project). Caitlin, the intended recipient, has a rare autoimmune disorder, so I've purchased bamboo fiber for the stuffing, since it has natural antiseptic qualities.
Toe up socks. This one is super close to my heart, since I will be using my own handspun for the first time. I still have about an ounce left to spin and ply, then will be starting some socks. I've never done toe-up, but want to be able to guage my yard-usage so I have two complete socks. I also would like to try two-at-a-time socks for the same reason. Am I taking on too much with this project? Probably.
Trigger Finger Mitten #2. I made one for my daddy. I just have to make the other one. Preferably before the next hunting season arrives in November.
A "tightly knit hat" for my husband. He wants a hat knit on very small needles so it's wind resistant. He rarely asks for knit objects, so I'd like to be able to do it for him. The question is which yarn/needle combination? I have no answers to this one yet.
Penis chapstick cozy. Why not? I spun some samples of shetland fiber that I think would be perfect for this.
Rogue, with a tree of life pattern on the back. A friend fron Knit Group may get me a discount on some Peace Fleece for this; another friend and I may do a knit-a-long for it.
A shawl. Icarus, Aeolian, Swallowtail, Shipwreck, Laminaria ... I have no idea which one I want to knit (I'm leaning towards Icarus because it looks easy-ish). I do not have yarn for this, although I have enough black 100% merino to spin it up. On a spindle, though, it may take a while!
Vivian. I love, love, love, the look of this sweater. Plus it's in bulky weight so I may actually get it done in a single year! No yarn for it, though, and don't know what I would choose to knit it with, either.
Quickie Cowl. I'd like to use the yarn I made from my Loop fiber for this - it's a wool, alpaca, bamboo blend that would feel awesome around my neck. I'm not sure if I have enough yardage, though. Hmmm.

Sorry for all the Ravelry links - I'm not sure if I'm allowed to use the designer's photos on my blog to show you what they all look like (I bet the answer would be no, anyway). I wonder - do other people have queues like this? I don't know how anyone ever finishes any knitting projects with so many great ones still to be begun.

Did I miss anything? Put the link in my comments - you KNOW I need to add to this list!

It's HERE! Hooray!

2009-03-11T08:13:00.002-04:00

Yesterday in the mail I received my fiber from CJKopec Creations for the March spin-along. It is 4 oz. of merino, colorway "Inquiry". Here it is:

It is very bright and very colorful, and totally different than colors I usually spin (which is why I chose it). Here is Briggs investigating my newest acquisition:

While I was waiting for the fiber to arrive, I thought a lot about how I am going to spin it. Originally I thought I would navajo ply it, but I think I will do a straight three ply instead. Or maybe a two ply. I think plying from two bobbins will make the color shifts a bit more gradual than navajo plying will do. I've separated out each color and broken it into equal parts so that each color is spun by itself in order. Of course, with spindle spinning being an arbitrary beast at best, I'm thinking that I won't get exactly the same yardage out of each color. By plying multiple strands together, I should get a beautiful and gradual color shift. Right? I'm not really sure. The fiber will have to tell me how it wants to be spun and plyed, I guess. I'm through one color repeat so far, and have about 15 more to go. Here's the spindle I'm using, a 7/8oz. bird's eye maple spindle my husband made for me:

Progress pics soon.

A Monday FO

2009-03-09T11:12:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I was bumming around the house, wondering what I should to (knit? spin? work on the giant chenille knot of Doom?) when I happened upon a friend's plurk. "Melonhead wants everyone to finish a UFO today." Well geez, I thought. I can do that - all I need is about fifteen minutes of work to finish the saartje's bootees I've been working on. I responded to Melon's plurk and got to work. It took a little bit longer than 15 minutes (I HATE weaving in ends!), but they are done. I give you boutrosbabe's saartje's bootees:

I felt great after I got them done. Now I just need to find a cute box to put them in and wait for Amanda's baby shower to gift them. It is so rare that I complete something ahead of schedule, I'm a bit surprised! Of course, yesterday while I was finishing these my friend finished no less than FIVE projects. She is ever so much more dedicated than I. Two of the things she finished, a cherry blossom scarf and a fiddlehead scarf are really beautiful. If you get a chance to look at her stuff, do it! She is truly amazing.

I hope to be receiving my 4 oz of CJKopec's "Inquiry" roving today. I've been stalking my mailbox for it. I hope to have it in my hot little hands this afternoon. I will post pics when I get them done. Until then I'm working on Deidre's plaited cable scarf in the hopes of finishing it soon - it was supposed to be done more than a month ago. Sorry Deedles!

What are you working on?

A tangle of gifts

2009-03-06T09:25:00.003-05:00

Via plurk and Ravelry, I have become friends with some of the most amazing women. One woman introduced me to spinning by sending me one of her spindles and three bundles of fiber. Just because. Without ever having met me in real life. Becuase of Lori I have discovered a new love. I owe her so much more than gratitude. But Lori's generosity doesn't end there. I purchased some black merino from her last week and in the mail yesterday I got this:

The four braids of black merino I'd purchased plus an entire braid of beautifully dyed 100% silk roving from Enchanted Knoll Farms. It is gorgeous! She is such a wonderful friend. She sent it to me because she knows I haven't spun silk yet. I will be returning her original spindle to her this week or next and am trying to come up with suitable goodies to put in her box. I'm afraid I won't even come close.

I have another friend I've met via plurk. Brandy sent me nearly three ounces of BFL rolags she hand carded herself because she knew I hadn't spun BFL yet. I continuously squee over the softness and fluffiness of the fiber she sent me. I spun up and plied a miniskein of it (approx.41 yards) and took a picture. Isn't it adorable?

She, too, needs a suitable thank you gift. I am working on it.

One of my favorite Plurk ladies, an amazing fiber artist named Coby, offered to GIVE me free of charge, one of her custom blended rovings so that I may participate in her new spin-a-long (my finances are incredibly tight right now). Coby sells her creations for a living; her generosity and sweetness go above and beyond time and again.

To all of the wonderful ladies who have given me gifts beyond measure, thank you. To the ladies on Plurk and Ravelry that keep me laughing each day (especially Carmen), thank you. Your friendship and generosity mean more to me than I can properly express.

Because all this sappy gratefullness gets cloying, I thought I'd leave you with an image of what I've been working on for several days. It's 200yds of cotton chenille that came apart from the neat skein I bought it in. I've been trying to wind it into a center-pull ball:

Spinning Sunday, a day early and late.

2009-03-02T09:26:00.003-05:00

I usually set aside some time on Sunday to spin, even if it's only for a short time. I was unable to this past Sunday, but since I knew what my schedule was going to look like I decided to spin on Saturday instead. But what to spin? I have 7oz or so of Ashland Bay merino to spin, an ounce of CJKopec Creations' merino/colonial blend to spin (the last of the "pumpkin cappuccino" colorway I bought from her in October) and two 4oz. bundles of natural Shetland from Windswept Farms. I wavered indecisively for a while, and decided that I should distract myself with the day's mail before I made up my mind.

Boy am I glad I did! Brandy from Yarn Tails had sent me a ginormous box filled with natural chocolate and cafe au lait rolags of BFL (blue faced leiscter). I've not yet spun BFL and squealed with delight when I stuck my hands into the fiber mass and squeezed. It was SO soft, SO fluffy, so WONDERFUL! I immediately grabbed an empty spindle and started spinning. The rolags make for an exceptionally fluffy spin - they draft like warm butter. I'm going to alternate the light and dark colors and navajo ply it so it becomes a striping yarn. I cannot thank Brandy enough for her generous gift. I'm definitely a BFL believer!

In other news, I am signed up to take part in Coby Kopec's first spin-a-long. She has twenty new blends in her shop and chose two gorgeous colorways to pick from for the month's spinning challenge. I chose 4 oz. of "inquiry" and will post Coby's picture here. It should be mailed some time this week. I can't wait to start spinning that, too! I hope to get one or two spinning projects finished in that time (most notably the rest of her "pumpkin cappuccino"). I'll be spinning a lot in the next few weeks.

Finally, I am halfway done a knitting project that is almost too cute for words. I'm making a pair of Saartje's Baby Bootees for a friend who is having a baby girl in May. One bootee is complete except for buttons. Isn't it adorable?

The Stash

2009-02-24T08:29:00.002-05:00

I've been enjoying my new craft room to no end. It's so much fun to go in there, surrounded by things I love and create amidst them and the beautiful light. I plyed some handspun the other day and was having so much fun I didn't notice that the sun set and night fell while I was working. In my room, it was till cheery and bright!

Everything is all moved in and has its own place. My sewing stuff is on a set of shelves by the door, where there's plenty of room for all of the fabric I own, including bulky fleece. In the cubbies I have placed all of my yarn and fiber. I thought I had a lot of yarn until it all went in and I was left with several cubbies empty. I intend to buy or borrow a label maker to help me keep everything organized. I also didn't notice how many manmade fibers I had until my stash was sorted by content. Eek! I'll have to work on remedying that soon.

Some pics of my room, all moved in:

My books are on the shelves over my desk

The sewing shelves are full

My natural fiber stash

My manmade fiber stash

The entire stash (remnants are in the bins underneath, as are my spindles, ball winder and empty toilet paper tubes)

Finally, I have a work in progress to share with you. It's my Hooded Cabled Pullover, with the first sleeve started. I've been working on this for over a year and am hoping to have it done by springtime:

Everything I need is all laid out on a slightly slanted writing desk that sits next to me when I'm on the couch. The pattern book is open, my trusty row counter is on the right, and the pencil marks off the pattern repeats I've written on the post-it. The round tub on the left is some locally produced beeswax hand cream that I put on my hands if I find I have a rough spot that catches the yarn. At the top is, of course, my knitting.

Craft Room Diary #5

2009-02-04T21:02:00.006-05:00

IT'S DONE!

My craft room is finished. it's beautiful! This is going to be a very picture heavy post. I won't apologize, because they are great pics. I give you:
Old walk-in area

New walk-in area

Old desk area

New desk area

Old storage wall.

New storage area

New storage area again

Old floor

New floor

Briggs helping Bear take pictures

A place for my swift

A happy Bear and I in the finished room.

What do you think?

Craft Room Diary, post #4

2009-02-03T08:14:00.002-05:00

We have been plugging away on the craft room as steadily as we can given my busy work schedule and my husband's horrible cold. When I got home from knit group last night, I noticed the air compressor was in the house. The air hose snaked upstairs and was attached to the nail gun Bear was using to attach the vertical dividers to the shelves. Each divider had been painted a color from the wall so that it will all match. The nail gun was giving him problems so the cubbies didn't get finished as I had hoped, but hopefully it will be done today. Once the cubbies are done all that's left is to put the carpet and desk in and then move all of my things back in to my craft room. I have pictures to share, but they are at home and I am at work. I will try to post them tonight when I get home. I'm so excited - it's almost there!!

The Craft Room Diary, Post #3

2009-01-30T08:11:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I stayed home with my husband to work on the craft room. Some things take two pairs of hands. Here's what we accomplished:

Stripes!

More Stripes!

Part One of the Cubby Storage Unit!

Please ignore the blue painter's tape - that's not staying. The stripes are alternating blue, purple, yellow, and green, placed randomly throughout the room so it's not TOO white. It looks awesome. I cannot wait for the finished product!
The cubby storage unit has run into a bit of a snag, though. The wall is not even so some of the shelves need to be trimmed. Bear is working on that today.
Here's the question I have for you, dear readers: The cubby storage unit is made out of press board, sanded down. should I paint it, polyurethane it, or leave it as is? The boars on the left will be painted white (they are just to stabilize the shelves) so you won't see them all that much. The press board's kind of pretty, but maybe I shold paint it? What do you think?

The Craft Room Diary, Post #2

2009-01-28T10:04:00.008-05:00

So now that you've seen the fug that was my old craft room(above), let me show you what it looks like now. It is *so* much brighter already! It positively glows. Bear bought a new light fixture the same basic shape as the old one, but bright white and without the 70's style markings. He rotated the socket so that the bulbs shine in better directions, too. He found a lovely tan carpet with specks of pink, blue, green, and more for the floor (it will almost perfectly cover the ugly linoleum) - for only $35! He's primed the trim, put two coats of primer on the walls, and bought the wood for my storage unit. He even bought me three skeins of yarn to machine knit an area rug in front of the storage unit. His nail gun came yesterday, so I expect the storage unit to be on the wall before the weekend. I am hoping to paint the stripes on the wall tomorrow. More pics then!

The Craft Room Diary, Post #1

2009-01-27T08:45:00.003-05:00

My husband Bear is a remarkable man. I know this because instead of sitting on his butt watching tv this month (he's been temporarily laid off), he has decided to redecorate my craft room. Anything I want, everything I want, I'm going to get. The next several posts will focus on the changes being made in that room.

First, some background. My craft room is at the top of the stairs, next to our bedroom. The room is L-shaped and unusable as a bedroom because of this. It gets sun from both windows, so no matter what time of day, it is filled with beautiful light. This is a good thing, because the room has all of its original wood paneling intact, and the light fixture is a frosted glass square from the 1970's. The floor is linoleum that was designed to handle Bear's grandmother's winter gardening. The best feature of the room is the bright orange curtains, also circa 1970. I give you the Before:

Until now, this room has largely been storage for my yarn and spinning supplies. It hasn't been a space I can work in because it is so dark and unwieldy. The floor is cold on my feet, I have to have artificial light even with the sunshine because the paneling absorbs all the light and leaves none for me to work with. The chair and sewing table I had in their were the wrong size and awkward heights.

All of that is changing.

In Progress Pics tomorrow!

Spindling

2009-01-23T12:26:00.002-05:00

After much consideration, I've decided it is time to experiment with making my own drop spindles. I've looked at thousands of them. My husband is great at making wooden ones; I'd like to try making some stone ones. Many spindlecrafters use "found" materials instead of carving/cutting their own, and that's what I'm going to do. Here's what I've come up with:

50 mm stone donut beads

9" black wooden chopsticks

I am going to pick some cheap rubber grommets from Napa or Home Depot to attach everything together. I may or may not make my own hooks - first I will have to see what my usual cup hooks look like against the wood. If I do decide to make my own, I will buy some 18 gauge wire and bend them.

The most exciting part? I'm going to attempt to use a drill press to cut a notch in the stone. Wish me luck! I will post pictures when I make the attempt. Everything has been ordered, so it will probably be a week or two before I get the materials.

Has anyone else made spindles? How did that work for you?

Spinning Sunday

2009-01-11T16:26:00.003-05:00

After doing a few chores this morning so I wouldn't feel guilty, I spent much of the day knitting and spinning. I began by spinning some new fiber I received in the mail this week - 8 oz. of 100% merino Ashland Bay roving, colorway "primrose." I only spun about 0.4 oz, but it was enough to fall in love with this fiber. It's mostly blue with veins of turquoise, red, white and yellow in it. Here it is in roving form:

I'm using one of the spindles my husband made me (love him!). Here's the single I created today and wound off onto a paper towel tube to await plying:

And because they are cute, a few pics of Zedd and Briggs in the pet bed they got from Santa (Briggs is gray, Zedd is stripy). It should be mentioned here that the bed is a dog bed that barely fits Zedd; when they both get in, it's downright cramped:

Project Bag and Update

2009-01-08T08:55:00.005-05:00

In knitting, as in life, one should keep one's eyes peeled. Doing this netted me not one but TWO beautiful project bags!
I was at Dunkin Donuts, ordering my once-weekly breakfast of a bacon/egg/cheese sandwich (on a croissant) with hot coffee (skim milk, two splenda, caramel swirl), when I chanced to look to my left. There on a table was a bunch of clearance DD merchandise.

That's when I saw it.

There, amidst the cheesy donut-with-one-bite-missing ornaments and tacky holiday gift card tins, were two darling orange drawstring bags with silk snowflake liners. Hmmm, I thought. Those look like they would be perfect bags for my knitting. At the very least, they'd be better than the crappy plastic Hannaford bag I've been using. I reached out and flipped the price tag over. $4.99, down from $9.99. That's a pretty good deal, I said to myself. There was a piece of paper underneath the closest bag, so I pulled it out. "Buy one, get one FREE!!" it said. Well shit, it'd be stupid not to get two! So I did. Here they are:

Aren't they the cutest things? I was so happy with them that as soon as I got to school, I put my Plaited Cable Scarf in one. Here's the scarf in the bag:

And here's the scarf laid out (since I haven't shared pictures before now):

It's kind of hard to see the cables in this pic (sorry about that). As always, if you click the pics, you'll see them bigger.

WIP & FO Update

2009-01-05T12:44:00.002-05:00

Since New Year's Day, I have both completed an object and begun a new one. I love the space of time in between projects; the days where you can simultaneously enjoy the satisfaction of a new finished object while building anticipation of starting a new one. There are times I know exactly what my next project will be and other times when I search through my books and Ravelry, looking for something to catch my fancy. This time I knew that I wanted to knit a scarf for my friend Deedle's birthday, but hadn't found quite the right pattern. Last week while browsing Ravelry, the right pattern jumped out at me and I knew instantly that it was the right pattern for my beloved Deedles.

The finished object was quite the labor of love. I began it in July for my sister-in-law. It was a wrap to be worn with her wedding dress. She and my brother were traveling from Arizona to Maine for an outdoor October wedding, and I thought she'd need the wrap. Only I couldn't get it completed in time for the wedding. I didn't finish weaving in the ends until New Year's Eve, actually, about an hour before they arrived to ring in the new year. The pattern was Michaela, from Berroco; the yarn was shine worsted from Knit Picks in "hollyberry".

The color is most accurate in the third picture.

Tara loved the wrap, despite its being wholly useless now. I should probably mention that she is a fantastic sister-in-law, and I will keep her over my brother any day. :)

I do not have any in-progress pics of the new scarf to share, but I can tell you that it is the Plaited Cable Scarf and that I'm knitting it with Caron Simply Soft Eco in "greenfields." Here's a pic from the Ravelry Pattern Page to give you an idea:

Spinning Sunday

2008-12-28T15:11:00.001-05:00

Phew! This last week has flown by. Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope your holiday was as amazing as mine.

Spinning is a new hobby for me, and so I don't have a lot of equipment. For the first three months I was using a friend's spindle as I didn't have one of my own. My husband has more than remedied this situation with his Christmas gifts to me. I present them for your viewing pleasure (click to embiggen):

Hardware
First, there was a Royal Ball Winder. Now I can make those adorable center-pull balls from my skeins of handspun.

Next was the handmade swift. Made out of birdseye maple, this spins like a dream and has several holes to adjust the distance between the pegs. This may have been a self-serving gift, though, as Hubs HATES to hold skeins while I make balls out of them. I tried the two in conjunction today and they both worked perfectly! I love them.

My friend Rob bought me a present I've wanted for a while - I digital scale. Now I can weigh my fiber, yarn, and spindles and now how much I'm getting! It measures in both ounces and grams and has a plastic tray to keep things where they should be.

Finally in the hardware department were not one, not two, but SEVEN handmade spindles. Four are birdseye maple with hardwood shafts; three are mahogany with oak shafts. The smaller spindles are 2.75" in diameter, the larger are 3.5" in diameter. They are different thicknesses for different weights (they range from 5/8 of an ounce to 1 & 3/8 of an ounce). All top whorl, they are fantastic! I spun and plyed on them and they work GREAT.

Software
Oooh, and it is SOFT! Two four ounce bundles of natural shetland wool. One is a black/white stripe, the other a cream/caramel stripe. The fiber comes from Windswept Farms in Michigan. The owner included some sample fibers from his other sheep, too. I will definitely be ordering from them again! I think the big fiber balls look a little like Ewoks, don't you? I did give in to the urge and spin one of the samples up. I navajo plyed it (my first time!) and wound it with my ball winder. Shetland + light spindle + ball winder = adorable skein of fibery goodness!

At the Christmas party at my second job, my boss got me a basket filled with four skeins of Caron's Eco Soft yarn. This yarn is 80% acrylic, 20% recycled plastic bottles. Included in the yarn were a set of needles and a crochet hook. It was perfect. Thanks Lori!

Not pictured are my Knit Picks Options nickel-plated interchangeable needles. I didn't photograph them because they are already in use. I cannot express how wonderful these needles are. They are the right amount of pointy-ness and have incredibly forgetful cables (they have no memory and so don't get stuck in a particular shape). THANKS BEAR!

What did you get for Christmas?

Spinning Sunday

2008-12-21T16:05:00.002-05:00

Welcome to a quasi-regular feature here at Knit One, Spin Two - Spinning Sunday. This is where I share with you what I'm spinning, how I'm spinning it, and what I plan to knit with it once I'm done.

This week's spinning comes from a fabulous batt I got from loop fibers on Etsy. It was 3 oz, a blend of bamboo, alpaca, corriedale, and kid mohair, called "beauty berries." Aside from the bits of fluff I'd practiced on, it was my first spin. I only had my beginner's spindle (provided by lori) - a simple 1.75 oz. spindle with a 3/8in. shaft. Here's the batt before I spun it (after I pulled it into roving):

Being so new to spinning, I was still park-and drafting. I spun as thin as I could:

If I had been smart, I'd have left it as a single and knit from that. However, I'd heard about the Andean method of plying and wanted to try it. Here's what I ended up with:

It's about 80 yards of a heavy worsted/aran weight yarn.

Which is the problem.
Because while 160 yards of a dk weight yarn is enough to knit something pretty, 80 yards isn't all that much. I don't know what to make out of it - it isn't enough for mittens, I'm not sure if it's enough for a hat (my guess is no as I have a giant head) ... I'm kind of lost. Don't get me wrong - this yarn is GORGEOUS. But what to make out of it? That is *the* reason to spin, is it not? Help!

What's on the Needles?

2008-12-20T09:59:00.005-05:00

Like many knitters, I have a plethora of projects on my needles. My husband thinks I often have too many. "Are you ever going to finish that sweater?" he'll ask. Of course I am! There are just so many other projects I want to work on, too. Thanks to Ravelry, I have at my fingertips an inexhaustible source of tempting things to knit. Here's what I'm working on at the moment (with Ravelry links):

1. Trigger Finger Mittens. The pattern is a modified "soldier's gauntlet" by Halcyon Yarns. In my house they are called trigger finger mittens. They are regular mittens with a separate space for the index finger so that you can use it to pull the trigger on a gun. The florescent orange acrylic yarn speaks for itself in that context, I think. I knit this pair for my husband as a test of the pattern; I have to make my father a pair before Christmas. Thankfully one mitten only takes a couple of hours to knit.

2. Entrelac Scarf. I've credited the pattern to Allison LoCicero, because it was the closest I could find to what I am doing (and knit with Noro!), but anything entrelac is basically the same. I have modified the pattern to suit the yarn, as I'm using thinner yarn than Allison did. This scarf (knit on size two needles) is going to take years to complete. It's my knit group project - that way I can dedicate at least an hour a week to it.

3. Cabled Pullover with Hood. Pattern by Patons. This sweater has been OTN (on the needles) for over a year already. Like the mittens, it's acrylic - but it's a very soft mohair look acrylic by lionbrand. I swatched before I knit and got gauge, but this sweater is going to be enormous. I started it last year when I was thirty pounds heavier. I wanted something that fit loosely (this sweater has no shaping). I'm going to get my wish; I'm going to be able to swim in this thing! I will have to finish it and see how it looks before I decide whether I'm going to keep it or not. It was my first attempt at cabling and reading charts, so there are a ton of visible mistakes in it. Despite all that, I kinda like it. I still have the rest of the back, both sleeves, and hood to knit, plus seaming.

Next week I'll post some of my finished objects. Feel free to click on the links and view my Ravelry page. If you don't have Ravelry, what are you waiting for?? Request your invitation today!
Also - you can always click on these pictures to make them larger so you can see better. What does the Harlot call it? Em-biggening?

Inaugral Post

2008-12-19T11:25:00.003-05:00

Hi. That's me.

My name's Boutrosbabe. And Amalia. And Bear's Wife. And other things that vary in degrees of humor and appropriateness.

I'm a knitter. And a spinner. And a cook. And a cat mom.

A runner. A reader. A teacher. A woman. A wife. A sister. A friend.

I am a lot of things, and I do a lot of things.

Most of them are described in detail here.

This blog will be for all things knit, spin, cook and cat related. I'll try to inform and entertain you as I keep myself accountable for the hours I spend on the things I love. For now, let me introduce you to two others who will be frequently featured here: Zedd and Briggs.