Time to start training...

... for the Tour de Fleece of course!!

Now, before I say another word, if you are unable to access that link it means that you have not yet joined Ravelry; and that just makes me sad. So, join the party and get yourself a Ravelry account. In a few days you will see what I am talking about....

Now, where was I? Ah yes, the Tour!

I read about the Tour last year, told myself that I would do it this year, then promptly forgot about it! Thankfully an awesome customer linked my name to a forum message and I found my way to the main message board for the 2009 Tour. I promptly joined the group, offered up some prize donations and poured over the rules and the forum posts.



So here is what is involved:
1) Join the Ravelry group
2) Join a team, join two, or not - the choice is yours
3) If you have a Flickr account, join the group

Here are the rules for those who are considering the race:

1) Spin every day the Tour rides, if possible. Saturday July 4th through Sunday July 26th. Days of rest: Monday July 13th, Monday July 20th. (Just like the actual tour)

2) Spin something challenging Wednesday July 22nd. (The Tour’s densest mountain stage with 5 mountain passes)



Oh, and last but not least, there are PRIZES!

Okay, now that you are all informed, I need to choose my team and decide my challenge. See you on the Tour!

A little colour from the studio...

So amidst the insanity that took place this week I was able to get a couple days in the studio. I am SO thankful that things will slow down after this weekend; even if it is just for a few weeks...

I just wanted to share some photos from a batch of four individual colourways for a custom order based on a sample (an undocumented one at that) I sent off to a customer.

Hopefully one of them hits the mark!



Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Been meaning to share this...

So, do you remember when I joined the swap for scraps?














Somehow those little bundles of randomness sneaked to the front of the line. Wow, they were so much fun to spin!!

After showing James how pretty it all was - many, many, many times - I swear; that man is saint, I filled the satchel that hangs on my spinning wheel with bits'o'prettyness. Every time I reached into that satchel and pulled a bit of fiber out it was such a surprise!

I have since decided that my fiber stash needs an expiration date - if a bump of fiber is not spun by X date; it will be torn apart and tossed into a scrap bin to be spun into crazy yarn. Same goes with ITW fiber - anything that does not sell within the allotted time on Etsy will be torn down into samples or bits to be sold as scraps.

For those of you have never broken free from the daisy chain of fiber - go ahead, get crazy, tear it up, you won't regret it.

Phat Fiber Sampler!

For those of you who have not yet heard of this awesome sampler, here is the link: Phat Fiber Sampler - Go on, go check it out, I will wait.

So, you found the site, did you check out the Blog with all the giveaways and reviews? Go on, go on check it out, I will wait some more.

So in a nutshell: the sampler is a box of goodies that is made available for sale on Etsy once a month. Independent fiber artists contribute samples and promotions making for an incredible opportunity to learn about new artists and get a feel for what they create before shopping. In addition to samples the box contains business cards and coupons to aid and enhance your next shopping endeavor.

Just to warn you, when the boxes are made available for purchase - they go FAST. Here is a link to the mailing list to get a notice of the date and time they will be listed.

So why am I telling you all of this?


Because I am a contributor to the June box - themed "Oceanic"


A total of 50 handpainted Falkland wool top samples in a never released 'mercer's pier' colourway are packed and ready to ship to the sampler HQ for distribution. In addition, I am sending a four ounce carded batt for giveaway to some lucky PF blog reader!

Be sure to check out the Phat Fiber Blog for your chance to win!!




... did you really think I would show you the colorway?

Has it really been a week?

....since the Clermont Sheep and Wool festival?!

This week has been insane!

Before I say another word - I want thank everyone who found me on Etsy. This past week has been more then I could ever have imagined! You people are amazing - way to make a girl feel loved!

Without subjecting any of you to a play by play of every email, Etsy sale, conversation or Ravelry post - considering every member in my family has already been through that - it is safe to say that this was perhaps one of the most exciting weeks ever!

So, what have I been up to?


That is the guest bathroom - wall to wall wool. Sixteen pounds to be exact - the last four are waiting to be rinsed. I promised - LOTS of pictures to follow. It's time for me to stop with all my chatter and add some color to these blog posts!

But...

Not yet. Starting Tuesday, I will be away for two weeks.

As I do not want anyone to wait for their order or wonder why I am not answering an EtsyConvo; the shop will go into Vacation mode Monday May 4th and reopen Friday May 15th.

Thank You.

um. WOW.


I wish to Thank everyone who wandered into my 'lil corner of the world at the Clermont Sheep and Wool festival. Your comments, complements, words of wisdom, squeals of delight, and yes; purchases, reminded me how incredible the fiber community is. Thank you.


Humble appreciate aside - Saturday was A W E S O M E .

[11:00am Saturday morning]

I could probably type for hours and not come close to describing how fabulous the day was or how incredible the people were. And I think that was is what it is all about - the people. Yes, I made sales, and appreciate them more then I can even begin to express, but, I got to meet so many like minded, creative, interesting, wonderful people. I look forward to seeing many of you again!

[4:30pm Saturday evening]

Before I head over to Etsy to open my shop doors, I one again thank everyone for their support and give a special thank you to the love of my life, James; a man who even on two hours of sleep managed to unpack the Jeep, assemble the display crates and calm my nerves all in the same hour. Thank you.

just in: business cards!

Only 5 more days until the Clermont Sheep & Wool festival!!

Things have been hectic around here to say the least! Figured I should stop in and let you that things are going really well. I still have pounds of fiber to send through the drumcarder, plus a couple pounds of beautiful Border Leicester locks to dye up. But I will share those tidbits later...

Today, I share my new business cards/sample tags!


My hope is that the card will ultimately act as a spinners sample card and perhaps bring an extra value to a small piece of paper.

little things

They always say 'it is the little things' that [insert thought provoking idea]....

Well, they are right.

So, obviously I am starting my own indie fiber arts business - what may be obvious to some, and not others is all that actually goes into getting the word out. The internet is HUGE. There are blogs to write in, twitters to tweet upon, flickr's to post pictures to. The list is almost endless - and to top it off, logo's do not design themselves.

Well, guess what I learned yesterday: It is the little milestones (or to keep with the theme - 'little things') along the way that remind us as to why we take on such responsibilities.

Last night, I returned home to find that for the very first time - someone other then myself not only used my company name, but took a picture of fiber that I created in their home and went so far as to post in on Ravelry with links to my under construction Etsy shop! Wait, it does not stop there - remember how I mentioned that whole "flikr's to post pictures to" thing - well, they posted that picture on their flickr account!

[Oh and if your wondering - yes, I did take a screen shot]

I embraced that excitement and, well, maybe got greedy for more. Off to Etsy I clicked. And yes, there was love. Three to be exact. Three people heart my little work in progress!!

[And yes, I took a screen shot of that too]

... it is after all the little things that make it all worth while.

segue to Scraps!

Wow, what a perfect segue from yesterdays post to today's post...

Lets talk scraps.

While surfing around Ravelry last night I stumbled onto a group started solely for the purpose of stash enhancement through scraps. What an amazing idea; the brainchild of this individual. The idea: Send in 4 or 8 ounces of fiber, a few dollars for return shipping, wait a couple weeks, stalk mailman relentlessly and when all is said and done - receive an equal amount of random one ounce bits in various colors and fibers.

Think crazy quilts, think colour with reckless abandon, think about yarn that is so littered with colour it makes you smile.

So, this morning I packed up these:

Now, I wait....