Rescue Kittens

I'd like to introduce you to our new kittens. The Tabby is named Costello and the little black kitten is Elvis. We've had them for almost 4 weeks now. Their animated antics have given us many happy moments. It's also nice to have a little kitten curl up on your lap and purr itself to sleep. They have both been sick since we've brought them home. They've been fighting bad respiratory infections and eye infections. It's made me feel even better about adopting them. It doesn't take very long for animals in shelters to become ill. I'm happy these two will be nursed back to health. Just in case you're wondering, I do keep the door to my studio closed and I am very careful to keep my fiber life away from my kitty life. I know there a lot of allergies out there. Your wool is safe with me! Anyway, for everyone who has adopted a pet, I hope you are as happy as we are!

Today at Wind Rose Fiber Studio #3

It's Friday! I love Fridays, don't you? Well this morning, after posting a sale, I've done absolutely nothing work related. I went to a friend's house and chatted the morning away while our kids played. Ahhh! Actually it was a little work related. We both have Etsy stores so we have to talk about them a little. We also shared our mutual fantasy of opening our own brick and mortar store. Does every crafter have this dream? Ours, mine and my friend's, were very similar concepts. Future partnership? Maybe.... it sure is fun to think about.

To report on my Wind Rose Fiber Studio accomplishments, I finally made my dye order. I finished one skein of "Buried Treasure" yarn with two more carded and ready to go. I would love to get some more fiber dyed. If not today, tomorrow. All in all, it's been a good week. I hope you have had a good week too. Cheers!

Kathleen's Beaded Yarn

                                                                                         So I've mentioned the yarn I''m making for my Mother-in-law, Kathleen, a couple times.  I thought you might like to see a couple pictures. This is a dye-free yarn made from Merino Roving and I plan to put touches of Firestar throughout.  The Firestar is the smaller, whiter fiber to the right.  It's a nylon that has a lot of luster.  I want the yarn to have a little shimmer to it without going over the top.  The beads are multi-faceted glass and play nicely off the light. I included a picture of the beads strung onto slivers of the Merino roving.  They are now ready to be spun right into the yarn.  I will randomly space them and anchor them in place as I go.  I haven't asked her yet, but If I know Kathleen, she'll probably want a DK weight or no more than worsted.   I'll spin it as a single.  I've tried 2ply before, but the beads tend to look less showy.  The only thing you have to be a little more careful about with a single is setting the twist.  I also stay away from any beads that are too big and heavy.  Generally I go with 4 to 6mm.  So anyway, all the elements are ready and waiting.  Now I just have to find a little time to spin. 

Today at Wind Rose Fiber Studio #2

I think the goals I set for myself yesterday were a little too ambitious.  I'm sad to report that only about half were met.  It's because of this very blog that I was distracted from my tasks.  Someone at Etsy started a Blog Roll Call where everyone lists their blogs so we can check each other out.  After looking at about 6 or 7 I became depressed.  Everyone seems to have more advanced skills than I when it comes to image editing and the like.  I couldn't take it anymore so I spent the entire afternoon on this computer teaching myself how to make a better header and changing my template and adding more pictures to my Etsy mini.  geek, geEK, GEEKERY!

I  do hope it looks better.  

So I still need to order my dye.  I did do some work on Kathleen's yarn, but today I need to pay my monthly taxes.  FUN!

Today at Wind Rose Fiber Studio #1

Good Morning!  This is the beginning of a series on what this Etsy store owner does each day to keep her business going forward.  Personally,  I tend to get more done if I have a plan for the day.

 So here's what's happening at Wind Rose Fiber Studio today:

Today I need to order more Jacquard dye for my inventory.  I wait until I've run out of one color and then I order.  You have to order in Units of 3 with a minimum order of $50.  I sell Jacquard Acid Dyes because I use them to dye my wool and soy silk plus other fibers.  I became a dealer so I could keep my prices low and to offer it to people who like to dye their own.  It's not a product that is typically found in craft stores.  

 I also have three different handpun yarns in various stages of production including the one you see here.  I call this one "Moonlit Dance".  I always try to provide a decent amount of yardage with each design so I have one more skein on the way.  I have three more skeins of "Buried Treasure" to produce and a third design that is a beaded yarn form my Mother-in-law's birthday.  

Happy Birthday Kathleen!  (you've been blogged : )  So I guess today's goal is to keep advancing these.  I'd like to at least get the fiber carded for "Buried Treasure" and to finish the beading for Kathleen's yarn.  I'll post a pic of hers when it's ready.

Finally, I want to use my new software, Pixelmator, to design a gift bag label.  I like the idea of my store being a one stop shop, so in addition to designing gift bags for the upcoming holiday season, I would like to offer a customized gift bag with tissue paper and a To:/From: tag for purchase year round.

Well, I think that's my day.  It goes without saying that I'll be doing these things while taking care of daily chores around the house, working out (40 laps a day in the pool), gathering clothes for the donation truck that's coming tomorrow and playing with my kids.  Whoa Baby!  :D

Hey Fiber Girls, What do you want for Christmas?

I know it's the middle of the summer, but fall is coming which means shopping season is approaching. When you make things by hand, you have to plan ahead.  I was wondering if I could have a little help.  I want to create gift bags in my store and I'd really like to know the kinds of things fiber girls wish for.  Would you like wool roving and dye with dye instructions?  How about fiber that has already been dyed and is ready to felt or spin.  How many of you are into plant fibers like soy silk and bamboo? Handspun yarn? Little project kits?  I welcome your comments and also invite you to vote on your favorite ideas on the left hand side of my blog.  I'd really like to know what you're wishing for.

Buried Treasure Part 2

I thought you might like to see some pics from my previous post. To the left: my "Buried Treasure" handspun yarn. And to the right is I oz of "Golden Ochre" Merino Roving. I sell my roving by the ounce. The Merino is a wonderful price at just $2.50. I also include a free sample of matching Firestar with each ounce you buy. Firestar is a nylon that is super lustrous. Most spinners are big fans because it adds a lot of sparkle to any skein of yarn. It can also add strength to softer fibers like soy silk.

One more pic before I call myself done for the day. I also sell a line of skin tones for felters and spinners. There are a lot of needle felters doing gorgeous work out there and I decided to design a range just with them in mind. I'll post a couple links in my favorites so you can see some needle felting if you're unfamiliar with the craft/art. Although I was focused on the felters when I designed these skin tones, I have to say, that as a spinner, these colors have a great deal of appeal.

Buried Treasure

O.K., so I have decided to become a more faithful blogger, starting now.  Of course I've done this with written journals for the past twenty years resulting is a handful of beautiful journals with about  five pages of writing each.  My hope is that it will be different on the computer.  I'm here everyday anyway.  I spend most of my time obsessing about my Etsy store, so I may as well put some of this obsession in writing.  It's healthier.  Right??

When I leave this post, I'll be heading up to my son's room where I take all of my pictures for my store.  This involves clearing his art table of piles of paper and drawing implements, then washing the table as it is usually covered in crayon and ink.  Why bother?  It's simply the best surface with the best light in the house.  I can't let too much of the day get away from me.  I've become very focused on where the sun is in the sky.  It makes all the difference.  

Then I'll go to my studio to retrieve my latest handspun yarn; my "Buried Treasure".  I'm very pleased with how it turned out.  The primary color is rich, golden brown.  Twisting its way through this earthy tone is a treasure trove of beautiful autumn hues.  What really strikes out at me is the small amount of bright green soy silk.  It has that natural silky sheen and really plays off of the light.  I'll be listing one skein today of 80 yards and there are three to come.  

I've also been busy at the dye pot this week.  two new shades, "Golden Ochre" and "Fire Red" will be  listed today.  I'm also restocking two favorites from the Skin Tone line:  "Peach Glow" and "Sun Touched".  Click on the link to the left to see all the fun new additions to Wind Rose Fiber Studio today!

Design Play

I have a friend with an Etsy store who sells crocheted jewelry with wire and beads. She's still finding her niche (anyone with an Etsy store knows that it can take a while) and I started to think about her store and what she could do to advance in such a competitive market.

I got this idea that other artists might like to buy plain wire pieces and then embellish them in with their own creative spirit. My next
thought was "What would I make?" So I crocheted myself a couple of wire cuffs. Next I incorporated my medium of choice, wool.

Using a beading needle, I weaved slivers of dyed roving through the wire mesh leaving the beginning and ending pieces both on the outside of the cuff. Once I had the cuff saturated with color, I threw into the washing machine to felt it down. While that one was in process, I started on the next. This one I did the same way only I trimmed the lengths before starting the felting process. About halfway through the felting, I filled in any gaps that were showing with some additional fiber. Ultimately I found that starting out with shorter fibers did make more sense.

The results were fun, textured, colorful cuff bracelets with a stong wire base. They hold their shape really well. With regular felted cuffs, you have to be careful during the felting process not to let them crease. With the wire base, this really wasn't an issue.

I haven't listed these in my store yet. I can't help but think they may new a few sparking beads or something. I'm just not done playing yet! Visit my friend's store: The Pink Armadillo

Merino Roving Dyed in Skin Tones

About a week ago I told a customer that I would try to dye a nice skin tone for her. The offer evolved into me declaring this week "Skin Tone Dyeing Week" at my store. After all, how can you stop at just one skin tone?

I started first thing this morning. Every lot I dyed seem to lead into the next. A little more brown, a little more peach, less yellow, more yellow, olive base.... after about a pound, I realized this could be a life long project and I still wouldn't be able to produce all of the shades of the human skin.

I had to focus on my goal of providing felters some good general colors to use for skin tones. I was hoping on coming up with at least three good ones, and I think I may have come up with a couple more than that. I tend to be a free spirited dyer, but today I kept notes and used a very specific and calculated dye method. I wanted to be sure that I could reproduce any successful dyes.

I dyed a total of 2 pounds today in 1 ounce lengths. I also dyed a piece of firestar to go with each as I always give away a complimentary piece of Firestar with each purchase of 1 oz roving. I created a make shift clothesline in my back yard to hang the roving out to dry. It's a windy day here in Arizona and the drying process has been a speedy one. I got the idea to take a few pictures when I had several batches hanging up. It was a pretty fun spectacle. It reminded me of pantyhose hanging on the shower curtain bar.

Tomorrow these rovings will be photographed and listed for sale. I hope I have developed some colors that will please the felting crowd. As a spinner, I find them really appealing. They are so soft and natural looking and as they have all been produced from the same base colors, they would blend wonderfully. If they are well received, they'll become staple products in my studio. Wish them luck!

Jenn

Spinning in the Park

I took my spinning wheel to the park today. Actually, I took my kids to the park and whenever I do that, I usually bring along my current project. Sometimes it's a ball of yarn and a crochet hook. Sometimes it's a lap loom and basket of supplies, but right now I'm spinning up a batt of wool that I recently carded.

I figured I would get a few curious stares. "Who is this odd woman and what is she doing?" When I lived in back in VA, there was a group of spinners that I joined up with a few times at my local Starbucks. I've had a chance to get used to the looks you get spinning in public. I have to say though, the reaction I got was rather unexpected.

First a little boy came up to me. He looked to be about three years old. He thought my wheel looked like fun and wanted to know if he could have a turn. Then he immediately began telling me about his best friend and showing me his best friend's bicycle. We counted how many wheels I had (1) and how many wheels the bike had (4: 2 regular, 2 training) and then off he went.

Only a couple minutes passed when I was approached by a group of five little boys ranging in age from around three to nine years if I had to guess. They gathered about ten feet away and watched for a minute. I looked up at them and smiled. My wheel was squeaking just a little so I joked that I should have brought my oil can. This made them feel more comfortable and they came in closer and started to ask questions. They asked some really smart ones too. They were really interested to learn how this contraption worked and what I was making and what I was making it out of and so on. The oldest boy and I even had a little conversation about the industrial revolution and it's impact on textiles. He was pretty impressive. Then one of the kids realized he left his water bottle on the playground and off they went.

My son, sitting next to me with a book, started to complain about the sun so we moved under a shelter. We were only there a second or two before a young dad joined us in the shade and started asking me questions. "Is that a yarn maker?" he wanted to know. We ended up discussing the whole process "from sheep to shawl" as we say in the business. He sighed and said he was often bothered by the fact that if the grid ever did shut down, his kids wouldn't know how to survive.

Son number two came off the playground looking rosy cheeked and sweaty. He announced that it was time to go home. I said goodbye to the young dad and packed up my stuff. As I walked across the park toward the car, spinning wheel in hand, mothers barely noticed me and my unusual load. Then it struck me that it was all males who expressed interest that afternoon. Kind of interesting.

Jenn

Building My Avatar

     One of the things I enjoy about Etsy is seeing the avatars of the other sellers.  You can tell that they have chosen a creation they care about.  After all, it becomes how you are identified by shoppers and other sellers.

    My avatar is special to me.  Of all the things I've made over the years, this piece really pleases me.  It should have a better name.  At the time I was making it, I dubbed it "Fountain Series #1".  I did make another fountain after this one, but then I stopped making pieces this large.  As much as I enjoyed the challenge, I didn't think there would be a market for them.  But that's what my avatar represents, a felted fountain. 

It all began a couple years ago when I started to really get        

 into felting.  I made some baskets and vases and I was having

 fun with it.  Then one day I got this idea in my head.  I wanted to

 find out just how far I could take this whole felting thing.  There

 are all kinds of fabric stiffeners and different products out

 there that could be used to support a felted structure, but I wanted to see what I could build with nothing but my crochet hook and the integrity of my design.  To the right and below are a few pictures of my crocheted fountain before felting.  

 

 I designed my fountain row by row picturing in my mind the desired finished shape.  Since I was planning to make this piece tall, I carried a secondary color throughout in the hope that it would lend stability.  In the end, I do believe this second color not only added support, but visual interest.  Of course the most intense part of the process was after it came out of the washing machine.  Molding it while making sure it didn't crease and getting it dry enough to stand on it's own took some doing.  It's  the time during felting when I feel most like a potter and when you feel like everything could possibly go wrong.  It's also exciting.  Will my design and all that time spent crocheting pay off?  

Well this time it did.  It held it's shape beautifully and even came out a little taller than I had envisioned.  It now lives on top of a corner cabinet piece in my studio.  It seems to defy gravity up there.  Well,  maybe not gravity, but certainly what you would expect from plain old wool.