Today at Wind Rose Fiber Studio #10 - What this Etsy store owner does to keep her business going.

I use my "Today at Wind Rose" entries as a way to organize my thoughts and sort  through my projects.  

First: recreation.  My in-laws were visiting this past weekend and stayed at the FireSky Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, AZ.  On Saturday we joined them for an afternoon by the pool and it was sooo nice!  I've already made a link so you can check it out if you want to, but one of the special features was a pool with a sandy area.  There were two pools actually, but one had a wade in area with a sandy shore.  My kids loved it;  all the fun of the beach without jellies!

As for ongoing projects, I seem to be in a low energy slump.  It happens.  I'm still working on a baby cozy for boys and I'm about halfway there.  I have about four different skeins of yarn in production that I need to get busy on, and I'm probably due for a dyeing day.  

In other news, I'm still getting aquainted with Ravelry.  I think I've accepted that it just takes a little time to get going with a big site like Ravelry.  I've put in a request to be considered a "yarnie" (spinner) and a designer.  I'm looking forward to sharing with this vibrant community.  I also like that there is a strong crochet presence.  Crochet always seems to get second billing to knitting, but that is less the case at Ravelry.  Here Here!

I hope all of your projects are going well!  See you tomorrow!

Just Joined Ravelry!

I just joined Ravelry today. I learned about the site through podcasts about knitting and crochet. It seemed like the guest designer or the podcaster always said they could be reached through Ravelry. After waiting four days, I was excited to get my invite to join.

I have to say, I'm feeling a little discouraged. I had a terrible time getting it to upload my profile pic. I had to ask my husband for help who only succeeded after changing the format to something I've never heard of before. I'm not exactly brand new to formatting and loading pictures, so that was frustrating. Next I joined a group and tried to share a picture of one of my novelty yarns. I used a url from my Flickr photostream thinking that a lot of people must use their Flickr pics. It didn't work.

So now I'm taking a break. I have to be in the right mood to puzzle my way through. Words of wisdom or encouragement would be very welcome. There are tons of Ravelry members who seem very happy, so I'm sure I'll figure it out. It seems like a really fun place to share designs and work on projects with other people.

Crocheted Headband

I confess I don't have a lot on my mind today so I thought I'd play a little show and tell. In my store and at craft shows, I call this design Megan's headband. I started making these five years ago when my youngest was in preschool. Wow! I can't believe it's been five years! Anyway, there was a sweet little girl in his class named Megan and her mother and I would chat as we waited with our cars lined up to collect our children. We sort of slowing got to know each other as we mothers often do, standing and watching our little ones on the playground at the end of their school day. I usually had my latest project with me, so as we talked, I'd crochet.

One day the kids came bouncing out of the door and I noticed Megan had a really pretty headband. I asked if I could take a closer look. As I suspected it had been crocheted. The next day, her mom brought the headband for me to borrow. It was not one of those patterns where you could easily see how it was done. It was hard to tell where the fiber began and ended. I also decided that I didn't like the way they had covered the headband. it was loose and looked like it would not hold up well over time. So I changed the headband wrap and figured out how the lace on the back was done. Then, of course, because I can't leave anything well enough alone, I tweaked that a bit too.

So the headband you see before you is the result. I named it for the little girl who inspired it and she was tickled to have her name become famous. I showed her the signage I made for the craft shows I used to do. Also, she and her mom and sister and brother all became crochet students of mine and now they are so talented they make their own headbands and much more.

I've sold a lot of these at craft shows. They sell more slowly over the internet. I think it's harder when you can't see things in person and try them on. I've sold them to girls and women of all ages and made them from all kinds of yarn. I like them best made from ribbon, but I've made one's with furry headbands and ones that sparkle and even ones from just natural cotton. From the front view they just look like a normal head band, but from the back they are so pretty. They also do a great job of keeping your hair out of your face.

So I'm kind of throwing some of my designs out there lately. The ones that are well received will become the patterns I share, so let me know when I hit upon something you like. Have a great day!

Drop Spindler's Roving Sling

In my shop announcement at Etsy this week, I said I would be spinning, but I got distracted and this new design is the result. I finished it just this morning and couldn't wait to take some pictures and share it with you.

This is a bag designed just for spindle spinners so they can work standing up or easily take their work on the road with them. The base is 10" long and 4"wide. The bag's height is 5.5" and the opening is intentionally wide so that the roving can be easily accessible and flow freely.

The best part is the adjustable shoulder strap. Whether you're 4'8" or 6' tall, this bag will work for you. You can wear it long and slung over one shoulder or shorten the strap to wear under your arm. Fully extended the strap measures 52" and still has some stretch. At it's shortest length the strap is 26" long. It's wonderfully versatile.

It's made from a blend of acrylics and wools. I had a great time going through my yarn stash to come up with these colorful fibers. If you would like to see more pictures of the Drop Spindler's Roving Sling, come pay me a visit at Wind Rose. Thanks! :D

Crocheting With Bouclé Yarn

I posted this picture of my crocheted "Santa Hat" on my Flickr page and I received these questions, "What kind of yarn did you use? Does it stretch (on the doll it looks like that)? Wouldn't that be hard to crochet?" So I decided that Crocheting With Bouclé Yarn would make a good topic for today.

*The term bouclé is derived from the French word boucler, which means “to curl.” This term perfectly describes some variations of bouclé yarn, which contain distinctive ringlet curls. Bouclé yarn is a specialized type of yarn that is usually made of three plies. Among the three plies used to create boucle yarn, one thread is usually looser than the others. The looser thread within the bouclé yarn causes the yarn to have a rough feeling and a bulky look.

How stretchy a yarn may be is partly determined by what it's made from. This hat is made from an acrylic which really has little stretch to it. Also, the fact that it is crocheted is a straight back and forth half double crochet stitch also limits the stretch factor. If it were knitted or crocheted using a rib stitch, it would have more stretch. I'm not say that it has no give at all, but I don't think it would be fair to define this hat as stretchy.

Is it hard to work with? Well, it's a little more challenging. I would not recommend it for a beginner. I think it helps to have a few projects under your belt before you break into using boucles or novelty yarns. The texture of bouclé makes it harder to see your stitches. If you are an experienced crocheter, you are used to going by feel and muscle memory. The hook just seems to find its own way across the row. If you are still really searching for where to insert your hook, boucle yarn may be a little frustrating.



Here are three pics to helps illustrate what I just said. For the sake of comparison, I have a basic worsted weight yarn on the bottom row. The first picture shows just a single strand of both yarns. In the second picture I have made a basic chain. Already, I'm sure you can see how much harder it is to make out the stitches in the bouclé. In the last picture I have done just one row of single crochet so you can begin to see how it works up. The stitches look much more defined in the worsted weight, however the bouclé is loaded with texture.

The other thing about bouclé yarn that can present a challenge, is that it doesn't always pull out easily. The texture can sort of get caught up and, if you're not careful, form a knot. So it can be a little harder to go back a row or two and fix a mistake.

So why use bouclé? Well, the very thing that makes it harder to work with, the texture, also makes for a really nice looking and feeling finished product. It's so wonderful next to your skin. The little lumps and curls make it lofty and soft. Also, sometimes it's nice to have a finished piece where the stitches are less defined. When you look at it, you don't immediately think that's crocheted or that's knitted, you see the piece first. How it was made becomes more of an afterthought.

So there are my thoughts for crocheting with bouclé. Oh, one last thing, it can be a little easier to start off a project with bouclé if you use a foundation stitch.

Thanks to *wisegeek.com for their definition and origin of bouclé.

Baby's First Christmas - Crocheted Hats

Is it too early for this?? I've been holding onto these hats for over a year now. When I opened my Etsy store last year, it was already December 8th, and I had already missed most of the holiday shopping season. I decided to hold off listing these until this year.

I feel like I have a co-designer on this one. My neighbor Jenn G. from back in VA came to me one day and told me about this hat she wanted for her son. She basically drew a rectangle with a couple pom poms on the top corners and asked if I could make a hat like this. So the idea was hers and I took it from there. It really is an adorable hat. I wish I had a real baby to model it for you, but hopefully you can get the idea from J.W., my doll model. (Yes, I named my doll model. Don't make fun.) In this first picture, the body of the hat is made from some of my own handspun yarn called "Merry". Sorry, I just sold the last skein. I need to make more holiday yarn. I love the way the pom poms form two jester-like points on each side. Soooo cute!

Of course once I started making these, I couldn't stop, so I have a few designs at Wind Rose. In addition to this one which is for 3-6 month old babies, I also have Candy Cane Stripes both in newborn and 3-6 mos. The last design is red with white trim; kind of a take on the Santa hat. That one is 3-6 mos too.

One last thought, I've been considering offering a free original pattern perhaps once a month or every other month. I know readers are just starting to find me, but I would love your input. Is this hat design a pattern you would enjoy making? So far I have listed a free pattern for a Felted Hair Clip. I've added the link so you can check that out. So I'm trying to decide which pattern to offer next. I think it's between this one and the Felted Lantern Necklace. If you have a preference, I'm listening. I'll end today with a few more pictures. If you have perused my blog at all, you know I love pictures! See you tomorrow!

How I get my roving ready to sell at Wind Rose Fiber Studio

It's September 1st and my third month as a committed blogger! I have been blogging my little heart out (35 entries in the month of August!), but I'm not foolish enough to think I have any steady readership yet. Still, maybe if I keep going, you, the readers will come. And if you are stopping by and you have specific areas of interest, let me know. Maybe you like how-to's or to see projects from start to finish or like to get an occasional pattern. I plan to try to write with more detail and offer more specific information.

Speaking of which, I had roving all over my house today, so I took some pictures and thought I'd write a little bit about my process when it comes to getting my dyed roving ready to sell at my Etsy shop. I was working with two kinds of roving today, 22 micron merino and soy silk. After I dye my roving, I usually lay it out in the sun on clean towels to dry. One of the great things about living here in Arizona, is that the sun almost never fails to shine. There are very few days when I look out of my window and think, "Maybe not today". I have a concrete back porch area like many people do out here, so I lay my roving there rather than in the grass where little critters might find it interesting. One of the other nice things about drying outside in the fresh air is that it naturally lofts up. (Can loft be a verb?) If you take a close look, you can see some short sparkling fiber next to each color. That's the nylon Firestar that I dye with my merino and soy silk. I give about an 8" sample of it away with every ounce I sell. I just think it's fun to always have the option of adding a little sparkle to your yarn.

So while the merino drys outside, I move inside and upstairs to my studio where the floor is covered in yesterday's dyed soy silk. I went crazy this weekend with the soy silk. I dyed 5 pounds in two days. What you see in this picture is three lbs of it waiting to be processed. I often dye just 4 ounces at a time, but these are 8oz rovings. As I said before, I sell my roving by the ounce and one of the things about Etsy is that you always want to be listing. So rather than list 8oz of one color at a time, the first thing I did was to divide these in half as well as their matching firestar. That half goes into a storage bag that is labeled. When I run out of stock of a certain color in my store, then I'll get the next 4oz ready to list. With soy silk, I first tease it out a little. The colors Night Blue and Lichen in the photo have received this teasing and the other colors are still waiting. The reason I tease it is because soy silk likes to pile when wet and so it clings together. You can really

see what I mean in this picture to the left. It's just not showing off how beautiful it is yet. After I tease it out, I further divide it into 4 equal 1oz lengths. The last thing I do before gently rolling it up, is I give it just a slight pull. I don't want to loosen all the fibers from each other, but I do want to get out those last few kinks from being all wet. It's an amazing transformation and though prepping soy silk can be a little tedious, it's my favorite part. It just seems to come to life in my fingers. It goes from being matted and uninteresting to billoughy and soft. It's one of those chores with immediate gratification. Actually, it's only a chore when you do 3lbs at a time!

So While I'm dividing the roving, I also divide the firestar into four equal parts and roll that up too. I set aside one ounce of each color along with it's matching firestar to be photographed for my shop. The rest go into zip lock bags and are labeled with their color and fiber type.

In my studio, which I'll have to show you another time, I have bins where I keep all of my fiber sorted. Right now I've got Merino, Soy Silk, Alpaca, Bamboo and Merino/Silk in stock. I also have bins that store the fiber waiting to be dyed or waiting to be sold to people who either like to dye their own, or like their fiber free of dyes. Once the fiber is photographed and listed at Wind Rose Fiber Studio, the only thing left to do is wait ......and maybe blog a bit.

The Baby Cozy (Lighter weight in pink for girls / 0-3 mos.)

At last! Here is the final design of The Baby Cozy. After a lot of tweaking, I can happily say that I am pleased with this creation in every way! I love the feel of the worsted weight merino. It's soft and substantial enough to keep baby warm, but light weight enough to feel comfortable in your arms. I think the sizing is very good for 0-3 months. The baby model in the pictures is a life sized newborn. She can be tucked in so her arms are free or tucked up to her chin so she can be snug as a bug. It's a nice, secure feeling fit and yet still has a little room left for baby to grow.

I've changed the tie from a crocheted chain to a plied string which I like much better because it's easy to handle and less bulky. I've also changed the shaping around the face a little to made sure that baby will not have blanket in her face. She can lay on her back or her side without the cozy falling into her face. Now all I have to do is make one for boys and to make some more color options. This Baby Cozy is already for sale at Wind Rose Fiber Studio. I hope you will love this design as much as I do!

Today at Wind Rose Fiber Studio #9 (I'm dyeing Soy Silk ...LOTS of Soy Silk!)

Or I guess I should say, "This Labor Day Weekend at Wind Rose Fiber Studio".  The plan is to dye a ton of Soy Silk.  I've got two pounds drying outside right now and many more on the way.  Whenever I'm in dyeing mode, I'm always happy to take color requests.  So if you love Soy Silk, now is the time to keep an eye on Wind Rose. 

The colors I dyed today are Spruce, Chestnut, Bright Orange and Chartreuse.  I'll post pictures as soon as they're ready! :D

Crocheted Baby Cozy - a work in progress

On August 12th I shared my latest baby design which I'm calling The Baby Cozy. The Picture to the right here is the prototype. I was really happy with how the design turned out, but there was one thing. It's too small. It would be a nice fit for a newborn and then in about four weeks there is no way a baby would fit in there. The idea of the cozy is for is to be a little more cocoon-like and close fitting, but I want moms to be able to get more use out of the cozy than that. I'm going for at least three months. Here are a couple more pictures of a newborn sized doll in the prototype. As you can see, she is already completely filling the cozy.



So now I'm working on a new enlarged worsted weight cozy. So far the size is looking much better. I will say that after seeing these pictures which I took earlier today, I'll be ripping out the brown and possibly making both flaps pink. I'm not sure yet. I'll have to see what yarn colors I have in stock. So ignore the brown that doesn't quite match and just focus on the size. I think it's going to be much better. I'll be sure to post pics when it's all done.



I have already made the larger version of The Baby Cozy in a bulky weight for colder climates. I have two in stock at Wind Rose, one in boy colors and of course one for girls. I think the worsted weight will be more popular and I plan to keep a few in stock once I get going. As for the prototype, I will probably list it at a discounted price and make sure people know that it's a smaller size. I think it would be perfect for a premature baby. I also like that the colors are neutral and would work well for a boy or a girl.

Felted Lantern Necklace - A quick and easy crochet project!

This is a fun little design that I created for my crochet students. I call them Lantern Necklaces at Wind Rose Fiber Studio because they have that shape reminiscent of a paper latern, but with my crochet kids I called them Wishing Necklaces. You see, each one has a colored glass rock inside and the kids got to pick out the rock they wanted. Then, before the rock is crocheted into the lantern pouch, they made a wish. If they didn't want to wish for anything, they could just pick their favorite color. Once the rock is inside, it also serves the purpose of giving the necklace a little weight so it lays nice. The necklace is made all in one continuous piece so there is no worry of it falling apart. The tail end has beads strung onto it for added decoration and the finished piece slips right over your head and feels soft next to your skin. The pendant measures 2 to 2.5 inches.

I'm thinking about featuring this pattern in September if there is any interest. Please let me know if this is a project you would like to try. :D

Pink Clouds - Handspun yarn from a beautiful blend of Jacobs, Merino, Angora, Angelina and Firestar!

I love my Etsy store, but there are times when I think it's sad that all I can do is show pictures. It's just not the best way to experience fiber. Fiber is meant to be touched. I made the wool batts for this yarn months ago. There are times when you just know how pretty the yarn will turn out. This is the lightest, loftiest, most cloud-like batt of wool I've ever carded! The grays are the most beautiful Jacobs wool. Adding color is a soft, fluffy pink Merino and an even softer white Angora. Handfuls of white Angelina and Firestar have been added for a generous sparkle. At first I listed the wool batts for sale and I'm sure if people could have seen them in person and touched them, they would have been snatched up. I have found though, at least at my store, wool batts aren't the best sellers. I sells tons of roving, but the wool batts don't get the same interest. Lately I've started spinning up my wool batts because it seems a shame to have them just sitting around, homeless.

I have been enjoying the process of all of this spinning. Watching these wonderful fibers become yarn is a delight. This wool in particular turned out so pretty. Even prettier than I imagined it would. It's has a lovely texture and it's so luminous! Pink Clouds is a worsted weight single ply yarn coming to 130 yards and 2.5oz. I have enough fiber to make a couple more skeins. I wanted to show you pictures of the fiber as well as the yarn, but really, deep down, I'm wishing you could feel it!