Happy Memorial Day

Thanks to all who have served to keep our country safe!
A time to remember those we have lost.
A time to cherish family and friends!

Year's End

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

I fell way short on my goals for last year in blogging, but accomplished a lot in everyday life.
So my resolution for this year is not to make any resolutions and just do what I can get done!
Are you making resolutions?

To update;
1. in the spring we purchased a 4x9 slat walled utility trailer to use for craft shows. We took the slats off and built solid walls with back and side doors. With a hinged light-weight top it was useful for hauling and also camping for one at the shows (my son had the van or a tent to sleep in)
2. Having booked a fairly full schedule of craft shows, I also found my part-time winter job continuing into year-around!
3. This fall I purchased the supplies for making soy candles to add a new product to my shows. I also came into possesion on a smaller 4-harness floor loom which is waiting patiently for me to finish the warp that was on it so I can start a project of maybe place mats or dish towels which are still in the planning stage as I research books to find "the perfect" pattern and suitable warp and weft.
4. A custom order of dog hair to spin into yarn and then knit into scarves took more time than I had first thought, but it was an interesting project and I received the best thankyou note with the payment.
5. I'm still spinning and dyeing as well as preparing equipment to teach a nuno felting class next month.

What special projects have taken over your lives? Busy is good, right?

Welcome 2011

It's time to greet the New Year and apologize for my lack of consistency in blogging.
Happy New Year to all!

I didn't drop off the face of the earth, just got extremely busy with craft shows and gardening throughout the summer. This fall I started a "part-time" job which has developed into my working an average of 5 days a week:) I'm still keeping busy with spinning, my Etsy shop, and some inventory placed in a local craft store.

But it is time to make some goals to accomplish this year. How many have made resolutions for 2011? Mine aren't spectacular but I'm trying to keep them possible to do.

1. Blog at least once a month, hopefully more.
2. Spend at least an hour a day spinning (or other fiber related project) even after work.
3. Plan my craft show schedule for the year by the end of January.
4. Increase the number of listings in my Etsy store (to maintain at least 100 items)
5. Enjoy the year, keeping in better touch with friends and family.

Please add any of your goals that you'd like to share in the comments.

Dyeing Challenge

This week I tried matching some roving that I had dyed using the rainbow technique of painting the colors on and then heat setting. The main challenge was adding enough dye to cover the white without adding so much that the colors would over-mix and become muddy, the most that I could heat-set at a time was 8oz and I needed 1 lb of the same which meant repeating myself:)

The roving with the label was my goal to match. In the top picture the one on the right was my first attempt and the one on the left was closer with just a few evenly spaced light spots. What do you think? Is the one on the left a close enough match? I did manage two batches of each colorway that match each other, so have a pound of each, (and yes it's merino wool).

Frolics in Fiber

This week I played with colors, dyed a little roving, felted some cat toy balls, dyed/painted some silk scarves. (Oh and attended a craft show, second one of the month is next Sat). Enjoy the pictures.

Fiber Friday

This is the yarn I spun during the week ending March 5th. It is hand-dyed shades of pink merino wool plied with a brown. The white and pink are spool ends.

Alpaca and Mohair

I purchased some lovely alpaca roving from a shop on Etsy, a combination of brown, black and gray stripe. I spun two spools of 2 ounces each, then plied them together into the yarn that you see on my niddy-noddy. (Almost 250yds) Now to decide on a project, it's nice and soft with a slight halo.

My next box in the mail contained an assortment of black, grey, and silver curly locks of kid mohair. After a well needed bath, this is some of it drying. I know some will be saved for needle felting, the rest to be carded and spun.