Tag Archives: yarn

And then I fainted!

Posted on October 21, 2012 by | Comments Off on And then I fainted!

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Twisted Fiber Festival

Posted on October 21, 2012 by | Comments Off on Twisted Fiber Festival

Just in case you were wondering where I have disappeared to:

I have been organizing this with the help of two lovely ladies who are, like me, going to be vendors also. As you can see below, I am teaching a class as well.

Twisted! Details

Vendors:
Alpacas at Orchard Hill
Knit n Spin
Tiny Dino Studios
Twisted Sisters
Th’red Head
Blushing Ewe
Shirley’s Succulents
Tom Swayne Woodworking
Prairie Productions
Laura’s Pygoras
Creations by Anna
Rouse House
Images in Time 3D
The Wicked Stitch
Elaine Kruger’s Sewing
Barb’s Nuno Felted Wearable Art

TWISTED Fiber Festival
FREE Classes/Demos
Saturday, November 3, 2012

The Potwin Fiber Artisans are happy to offer the following FREE
classes/demonstrations during the course of the TWISTED Fiber Festival! Each of the demonstrators is an artisan in the subject matter of their class/demo and many have scheduled classes in January so that you can build upon the knowledge and techniques you learn during the festival. Each session is 45-55 minutes long and the artisans will have tools available for you to utilize during the class; some will have tools available for purchase, and many vendors at the festival will have fibers available for purchase!

10am- BEGINNING KNITTING with Jenny Binfield
Jenny will show you how to caste on and begin knitting, and will have a handout with her basic knitting tips and techniques. Needles and yarn will be available, or you can bring your own needles and purchase some delicious handspun from one of the vendors.

11am- BEGINNING CROCHET with Susan Hudgens
Learn the basics of crochet, including slipknot, chain, slip stitch, single crochet & double crochet. Bring a crochet hook, yarn and scissors-some materials available, first come, first serve.

Noon- SPINNING with Marla Holt
Learn drafting techniques that allow you to quickly and easily spin fun thick n thin yarn and lofty thick singles on your spinning wheel. Please bring your spinning wheel and about 4 ounce of fiber you are familiar with spinning.

1pm- EMBROIDERY BASICS with Susan Hudgens
Learn the skills needed to complete a simple embroidery project including choosing materials, overhand knot, back-stitch, overhand stitch, French knot, satin stitch,, Lazy Daisy and as many other as we can fit in. Bring scissors, aida cloth, needles & floss-some materials available, first come, first serve.

1pm- DRUM CARDING DEMONSTRATION with Jennifer Beck
With an eye for color and texture, Jennifer creates beautiful art batts! Come watch her show you just how fun and easy it is to create an amazing fiber batt on a drum carder, ready to be spun into a unique OOAK yarn or used in your next felting project.

2pm- MAGIC LOOP KNITTING with Meg Wickham
The Magic Loop Technique allows you to make something small and circular by using one long 32″ or longer circular needle. Bring 75 yards of worsted weight (very soft) yarn and US sz 7 needles at least 32″ if you want to try alongside the instructor.

3pm- DROP SPINDLE SPINNING with Lori Warren
Lori will cover the basics of using a drop spindle: getting started, prepping your fiber, drafting, starting a leader, and park & draft spinning. She will also demonstrate how to skein and finish your handspun yarn. Drop Spindles, made by Lori, will be available for $10.

4pm- NEEDLE FELTING BASICS with Anna Walker
Stab something into existence and learn from @FELTit herself! With a barbed needle and some pretty fiber, learn the basics of needle felting as you create your own little cyclone! Basic needle felting instructions will go home with you along with your felting needle and a foam block!

I might not be very present until all of this is over, but when it is, look for the relaunch of the Tiny Dino Studios Etsy store and lots and lots of knitting!

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Sweater Crush

Posted on October 20, 2012 by | Comments Off on Sweater Crush

Today, some friends pointed out to me that there is a lovely sweater in the Fall issue of Knit Wear!

My bad photograph aside, isn’t the Ribbed Waist Pullover dreamy? And it’s shown in Hannah, my very favorite Chadwick color. Be sure to check out the details in the magazine or on Ravelry.

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Knit One, Meditate Too

Posted on October 14, 2012 by | Comments Off on Knit One, Meditate Too

Anticipation Anxiety

 If you've stopped by the shop or spoken with me over the phone this past week, you may have noticed that I've been a bit aloof.  I've just completely lost focus with all that's going on in the shop.  I may spend 30 minutes here and there spinning (like the baby alpaca yarn pictured on the left), answering the phone, talking with customers in the shop, packaging orders, knitting, entertaining my increasingly cranky 3 year old, and the list goes on...

Truth is, I may just have trouble prioritizing some days, or other days, I get so excited from the anticipation of what could become of the shop that I lose track of what I was doing.  And then, the internet service went awry.  So not only do I have to run the shop on my iPhone, I have to do a lot of work arounds on things I was already accustomed to doing on the computer.  Simple things like printing out a pattern have become 45 minute tasks, because my printer just does not want to cooperate with the wireless network.  But I'm good at troubleshooting, so IT fixes are no problem for me.  

The good thing is that I've learned to find some easy ways to meditate to calm down my brain.  Most days it works, other days, I just have to tell myself that tomorrow is another day.  What does it mean for me in the long run?  I'm more productive when stressed.  So, I did some refreshing of my crochet skills, which are a lot better than I remember (see crochet hat on the right).  I even taught myself a new spinning technique, the Navajo 3-ply, which has allowed me to finally spin a yarn thicker than lace or fingering weight on my vintage, handmade spinning wheel (see below).

It's weeks like these - the ones that leave me exhausted, crabby, and begging for one extra hour of sleep - that test my resolve, but in the end, I know that I'm doing what I'm meant to be doing.  Even if I have to remind myself of that every few minutes while on hold with a vendor or when pouring over the
books (accounting).

Increasing My Design Expertise

Now, I'm working on design, design, design.  As a business owner, I always have to find new sources of revenue that are low costs to the business.  Designing, which I LOVE to do, is one of them.  Yes, it takes a lot of time and effort to design, but in the long run, there's not much money that is put in to self-publishing, so profit in dollars is maximized.  At least when you look at it from a business perspective.

Because I love creating new things, I will sketch (something at which, let's just say, I'm not very skilled), doodle, or knit things that pop into my head. Just yesterday, I was wracking my brain on what to propose for the Knit Picks designer call that's posted on Ravelry, and I started doodling on graph paper to clear my mind.  What I ended up with was an 8 stitch repeating pattern in fair isle that I can turn into a sweater pattern for another project!  What's the most shocking about that, I've only knit one fair isle design, which was my own, and I absolutely HATED it.  Meaning, I hated knitting the fair isle.  I was asked to design and knit 5 beanie caps with my brother in law's band name on them.  He was impressed with how they turned out, how consistent all of them were ("like factory made!"), and he even kept one.  He actually just wore it the other day.

I finally got an idea for my design while driving home from the shop this afternoon.  It was one of those "a-ha!" moments, making me realize that I had just put too much thought into it.  So we'll see if I can get the sketch and proposal just right and I'm crossing my fingers and toes that it gets accepted, it would mean a lot for me and the shop.

And of course because this is a business...Shameless Plug  :)

Finally, I'm pleased to announce that a few things are in the planning stages for the rest of this year.  First, I'm working on a customer rewards program.  I'm not sure how to roll this out yet, but at the very least it will include volume discounts and loyalty rewards.  We will also be celebrating Small Business Saturday on November 24, the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

I'm still promoting the pre-orders of Addi Turbo and Addi Lace circular needles, including the interchangable sets that are now available in both Turbo and Lace tips.  These are wonderful needles to work with.  They have smooth coating that allows for faster knitting.  Lace tips feature a longer point that eases lace knitting, no matter what gauge yarn and needle size.  As mentioned in the previous blog entry, pre-orders are what allow us to bring new lines into the shop.  Being that we are a small business, it's a little bit more difficult to bring in new brands because of minimum orders required.  Support your local yarn shop by pre-ordering today.  Contact me for pricing and pre-order you Addi needles today.  

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Knit Pattern: Squishy Chullo Hat

Posted on October 11, 2012 by | Comments Off on Knit Pattern: Squishy Chullo Hat

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Yarned by You: Spinning Gallery

Posted on October 10, 2012 by | Comments Off on Yarned by You: Spinning Gallery

Since Susie just shipped the Spring 2012 Spinning Shares, I thought I’d focus this week’s Yarned by You on Spinning! This is literally yarn by you!

When I first touched a Spring (pure Cormo) Spinner’s Share, I understood why spinners spin and I knew that I had to become one. I’ve just started on that path, with help from my fellow Aunties on the JMF Ravelry Group (I don’t know what I would do without these women in my life!). The cormo fiber is so buttery and melt in your hand delicious!

You can see some of the loveliness in this photo by luci99:

As part of the Ravelympics 2010, she spun up this Spring cormo share into this lovely yarn:

Such lovely spindle spinning! I love the cleanness of undyed, farm fresh yarn.

Of course, many people can’t resist having it dyed, or dying it themselves, and when the results are like 60SpriteGal’s Spring 2010 Share (dyed “Kitty Nose Pink by FatCatKnits), you can see why:

The pink and cream swirling together are just so soft and inviting. If there were a baby precious enough (and a mother with enough time to gently handwash!), this would make a perfect little girl’s sweater.

muppetfeet dyed this Cormo Share herself using Wilton’s Cake frosting dyes:

I love the delicate hue. The joy of working with food-grade dyes is that you can use all the materials you have in your home already to do it! No special pots or utensils.

The fall shares are a mohair / cormo blend. I haven’t had a chance to play with the roving, but the mill-spun yarn has a delightful halo and feels very close to the farm. This yarn, spun by wickedphysic in colorway (day lily) is a Fall 2008 share:

As I’m looking out a rain-streaked window, the lovely autumnal tones feel like the perfect thing to knit or crochet while sipping some tea.

woolkitty spun this lovely JMF Cormo / Mohair top that was dyed at the farm in the colorway Through the Looking Glass.

woolkitty Navaho plied it to keep the color changes preserved. Navaho plying is chain plying (much like making a chain in crochet) and then adding twist.

Finally, this is QualityChick’s  handspun. She spun one single of MVFF Cormo/Mohair blend and one single of Mulberry Silk and then plied them together. The silk added gorgeous sheen!

QualityChick turned this yarn into a lovely shawl (198 yards of Heaven):

That wraps up this week’s Yarned by You! If you’re interested in buying a Spinner’s Share, you can do so from the JMF shop here!

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Working On: Estonian Socks

Posted on October 10, 2012 by | Comments Off on Working On: Estonian Socks

I’m not sure how it happened, once I finished my self-assigned interminable sock knitting, that I immediately turned around and started knitting more socks.

Because that’s exactly what’s happened.

These are even Nancy Bushes– they’re the Estonian Socks from Folk Socks (a 1994 classic that was just re-released last year). I’m working in Shepherd Sock, which I’ve never used before. I’m coming to terms with the superwash merino & nylon content.

Namely: is the environmental effect of eschewing superwash wool really worth it if the socks you make wear out in less than a year?

Anyway, it’s fun colorwork & a fun pattern, and I have less than two weeks to make the pair (and on US sz. 0 needles!).


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Tutorial: DIY Pompom

Posted on October 10, 2012 by | Comments Off on Tutorial: DIY Pompom

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Yarned by You: Willa Gallery

Posted on October 3, 2012 by | Comments Off on Yarned by You: Willa Gallery

This week I’d like to take a look at what you’ve made with Willa. Willa is a 60% Merino, 40% Super Fine Kid Mohair blend in a bulky weight. It is smooth, delectably soft, and has a gorgeous sheen. It comes in a center pull ball of 153 yards.

As per last week, all names are Ravelry names and all photos link back to the project page.

First up is annanlove19′s Pinch Hat (3 Versions) knit in Aberdeen.

This is a cute, fast knit and isn’t intended for bulky yarn, but annanlove19 adjusted her needle size to make it work.

This scarf knit in a diagonal rib pattern by Ciarrai for her aunt in colorway Concord.

I love how the stitch pattern shows off the yarn’s depth. Ciarrai writes a blog, located here.

Fehl made this lovely Keyhole Scarf (designed by Tanis Gray specifically for JMF’s Fall/Winter 2011 pattern Willa pattern line).

The lovely color, Aquarium, would add a perfect pop of color to my winter wardrobe!

webbcutey  bought the yarn for herself as a birthday present. I don’t know about you, but this is the kind of birthday present I like!

Scarf-Cowl “Double Jeu” knit in Pomegranate looks very cozy.

maragoild51 named her project “Lettuce Wrap,” which cracks me up! I am betting that this a warm and cozy shawl!

The pattern is called Murcia. I love the mostly solid pattern (keeps my shoulders warm) and the touch of lace at the bottom (so feminine and would keep my interest at the rows got longer).

What could be more cheerful than an orange elephant? A pink elephant! This is actually knit in Pomegranate and is more pink than the color shows. MellowDi certainly knows how to make a snuggly stuffie!

He could sit on my desk any day!

As winter comes on and it gets colder and sniffles abound, there is nothing better than a dose of Vitamin C. And this hat (He Said, She Said) delivers a wollop of Vitamin C (the color, of course)!

sparker did a great job, right? I love the subtle spirals!

I love a simple looking sweater with one eye-catching detail. Jewels is that kind of sweater. varigatedknits knitted it up in Merry.

I think I would be merry myself if I had that sweater!

What are your favorite Willa knits? Be sure to share them in the comments below!

You can find Willa and the rest of the Juniper Moon Farm Yarns in a LYS near you by clicking here then clicking “find a store,” inputting your zip code and selecting Juniper Moon Farm as the yarn brand.

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Working On: Fuzzy Pink Mittens

Posted on October 3, 2012 by | Comments Off on Working On: Fuzzy Pink Mittens

Nevermind all that I said about spending time sewing this month. I’m knitting something so cartoonishly knitterly that I feel like a look-at-how-kooky-this-girl-is sitcom actress:

CAROLINE sits down at the café table across from NIC, pulls a fuzzy pink half-knit mitten from her bag, and begins working.

CAROLINE: So, how was the show last night?

I mean, this actually is what I did on Saturday afternoon.

Anyway, I’ve stumbled into a newfound but very real love for angora. I haven’t ever worked with it, since it always seemed to be too much for me. It’s not my taste. But I think the qualities I used to find so jarring– it is undeniably fuzzy– are now maybe what draw me to it. Angora cannot be ignored. It does not apologize for itself.

I will leave you with this shocking thought: I’m thinking a good bit about a day-of-the-week set of angora-lined pulse warmers. Lord have mercy.


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