New Weaving Loom and Page Design

1st woven scarf

First of all I decided to brighten up the page.  How do you like the new template?  Spring is in the air and green just seems to speak to me this month.  March is also the beginning of learning to weave!  Yes, I finally broke down and bought a Cricket tabletop loom.  It is wide enough to make scarves and let me play with color combinations.  My first scarf is finished and the I have a second design on the loom featuring some hand spun alpaca yarn from Sophie Mae.  I have lots to learn like how to use a pick up stick but am starting out slow.  See pictures to the right.

new scarf w/hand spun yarn

The dog hair is still being spun and beginning to fill up a bobbin.  I have also started spinning the Wensleydale white roving from DeGoatsnSheep ranch in Bayfield, CO.  My fleece order has been placed with them and I will be picking it up at the end of April.  Still waiting to hear back from Pinon Wood Ranch in Southern Colorado on the Shetland fleeces.

On the knitting needles is a second scarf from the book Arctic Lace.  I have finished the 1st one using the yarn purchased at Fancy Tiger and it turned out beautiful.  A friend asked if there was a matching hat and I had to let her down gently.  Lace yarn does not make for sturdy hats especially not this one.  It didn't even want to make a textured pattern well which probably has something to do with it being a one ply yarn. 

On the selling front I sold two items at Ancient Treasures Yarn Shop this month and had a wholesale order for the black alpaca/merino wool rovings from Recycled Lamb.  I did spin up an ounce of the roving before offering it for sale and it was a joy to spin.  February was also a slow month for hand spun yarn at Wild Yarns but I am confident things will pick up.

Still working on my fiber blends for fleeces to be sent to the mill this spring.  Definitely leaning to adding tussah silk to the Wensleydale.  The Shetland fleeces may be color blended together or if the staple length matches the alpaca fleece I may blend it with it.  My fiber stash has grown but it is still manageable.  I need to be more dedicated to spinning up the alpaca/milk rovings into 3 to 4 oz yarns as I have several pounds left of this and it is not in Ziploc bags. 

The weather has been very sunny in Denver and thoughts of fitness have entered the mind.  I am actually looking into buying a bicycle but the Cruiser style.  It will be nice to be out an about a bit more as most of my activities have me in enclosed buildings.  I am also starting to have dreams of living and working on a ranch again.  The idea of owning a few Shetland or BFL sheep along with a couple of alpacas just sounds nice.  Of course I am still a city girl with a mortgage to pay so alas this will be a dream for a bit longer. 

I hope your March is treating you well and your adventures with fiber, yarn and needles is an enjoyable one.  Until next time - have a great week.

2012 Is Going Well

January is turning into the best sales month Herie7 Natural Fiber Treasures has ever had.  We are up to five sales with fiber being sold on Etsy, EBay and Ancient Treasures Yarn Shop. I will be shipping yarn to the UK next week - so exciting!  Still adjusting to EBay payment policies but at least it is not a surprise.  My second sale on the site was from an auction winner.  Did you know that when you win an auction you have up to 4 days to actually pay for your merchandise?  I am in holding pattern to ship the order until actual payment has been sent to me.  Not too worried as the buyer recently purchased the fiber on the right.

 I learned some new marketing skills this week by posting the yarn shop on Yelp and starting the process to be listed on Google Places.  Why is it that these ventures are never as easy as they seem?  Still like Twitter as my favorite means of communicating over FB and yes even the blog.

The lilac slippers are finished and I am 90% finished with the wool slippers with alpaca edging.  The new camera was used today to take updated product photos and I even used my new tripod case.  Check out the Etsy shop tomorrow for updated product photos.

Tomorrow I meet with the organizer of the craft fair and have dedicated items for the group photos to give to her.  Looking forward to going to the National Western Stock Show next weekend at the Denver Coliseum to meet the yak ranchers and sheep ranchers.  There might be some new fiber in my future.  The year is looking very bright and I am in my second month of being in a profit standpoint.  Hopefully this trend continues - off to knit and spin!