Saturday, December 31, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
2011 is almost gone
It is quickly approaching the holiday season and I am excited to be off from the day job starting on Tuesday until the new year. Lots of projects will be completed like the son's Christmas present (I HOPE) and the spinning of yarn. Today I am embarking on one of my 2012 goals which is to move the hand spun yarn from Etsy to the Wild Yarn store to sell. I am letting the listings expire on the site especially the one with low views/favorites and moving them to a local venue. I will be measuring scarves at the ranch and probably pulling 2 or more to list on Etsy. Can't have all of new merchandise in one location especially since I am pulling the yarn items from the Etsy site.
I have such a busy day today but can't complain as I was a bum on Saturday. Reversal of a normal weekend for me but the college kid came home yesterday so the routine was a bit out of focus. We finished Christmas shopping for the family and bought food for the kiddo to eat during his month's stay at home. I did miss not having him home for Thanksgiving but I am sure we will settle back into a routine fairly quickly. The cats are enjoying having him back home too.
I promised coworkers that I would bake banana bread for their holiday gift and I actually got up in time this morning to put the ingredients into the bread machine. The smell of bread is wafting through the house this morning. Of course I totally believe in multi-tasking (what female doesn't) so while the bread is baking I updated the yarn labels for the product going to Wild Yarns. I have checked the Etsy store (very sad - low views) and am writing this week's blog - HA!
My day is looking very full today. I am heading out soon to the ranch for a few hours of spinning, knitting and selling. Supposed to network with other crafters around 2 p.m. and have a holiday party this evening. I would like to drop off the yarn at my LYS today but it might be on Tuesday. The goal is not to stress - that is what the day job is for. My Shetland wool baby hat is finished and I am progressing on the kid's alpaca hat which should also be finished today. Liking kids hats as they don't take too much time but we all know that I get bored with repetitive projects so we shall see. I really need to make more fingerless gloves over the holidays too!
Still would like to make sticky buns but not sure if time will allow for this as the dough has to rise for about an hour or so. Perhaps sticky buns will be on to do list for Friday so I can bring them to my sisters on Christmas. Well I am off to finish prep for the visit at the ranch and I probably won't touch base till after Christmas.
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all!
I have such a busy day today but can't complain as I was a bum on Saturday. Reversal of a normal weekend for me but the college kid came home yesterday so the routine was a bit out of focus. We finished Christmas shopping for the family and bought food for the kiddo to eat during his month's stay at home. I did miss not having him home for Thanksgiving but I am sure we will settle back into a routine fairly quickly. The cats are enjoying having him back home too.
I promised coworkers that I would bake banana bread for their holiday gift and I actually got up in time this morning to put the ingredients into the bread machine. The smell of bread is wafting through the house this morning. Of course I totally believe in multi-tasking (what female doesn't) so while the bread is baking I updated the yarn labels for the product going to Wild Yarns. I have checked the Etsy store (very sad - low views) and am writing this week's blog - HA!
My day is looking very full today. I am heading out soon to the ranch for a few hours of spinning, knitting and selling. Supposed to network with other crafters around 2 p.m. and have a holiday party this evening. I would like to drop off the yarn at my LYS today but it might be on Tuesday. The goal is not to stress - that is what the day job is for. My Shetland wool baby hat is finished and I am progressing on the kid's alpaca hat which should also be finished today. Liking kids hats as they don't take too much time but we all know that I get bored with repetitive projects so we shall see. I really need to make more fingerless gloves over the holidays too!
Still would like to make sticky buns but not sure if time will allow for this as the dough has to rise for about an hour or so. Perhaps sticky buns will be on to do list for Friday so I can bring them to my sisters on Christmas. Well I am off to finish prep for the visit at the ranch and I probably won't touch base till after Christmas.
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Why natural fibers?
Before I even started this journey to sell my handmade items I was working with natural fibers. When I taught myself to knit several years ago it was with forest green Red Heart yarn which I never quite made anything out of. I think this was eventually donated to one of senior centers here in Denver. I discovered the shop Showers of Flowers which had a huge showroom of all kinds of yarn. Pillows, shawls and sweaters were made using non natural fiber yarns in a variety of weights and colors. At that time I wasn't even aware of natural fibers but more concerned with cost/yardage for projects.
Then I went to the Estes Park Wool Market and I purchased a spinning and a CVM wool fleece. My next step was attending the Western Stock Show were I met the alpaca ranchers and my dear friends at Ancient Treasures Alpaca Ranch in Arvada, CO. I have participated in shearing day for several years now and have skirted fleeces the past 2 seasons. It has and continues to be a great learning experience for me and gazing at the alpacas in their pastures is just so peaceful.
So why is it that I focus on natural fibers you ask? For me it is a means to support ranchers and small markets throughout the U.S. and world. My journey into spinning natural fibers has introduced me to several sheep ranchers and alpaca/llama ranchers within the western U.S. face to face. When I took up spinning cotton I gained such an appreciation of our ancestors and a better understanding of the cotton gins importance. There are so many fibers (animals and plants) to explore and spin. The groups on Ravelry who spin various fleeces per month have been a huge source of information for me and fan base for my work.
For me the niche of natural fibers places me amongst a caring group of people who love animals and enjoy working with their hands. They are forthcoming with advice, understanding of trials and tribulations and confidence builders on new journeys with fiber. In our societal "Green Environment" focus working with these fibers fits just right in while helping to maintain bloodlines/crops for future generations to explore.
What are your favorite types of yarn to work with? Do you lean towards a specific brand or manufacturer?
Then I went to the Estes Park Wool Market and I purchased a spinning and a CVM wool fleece. My next step was attending the Western Stock Show were I met the alpaca ranchers and my dear friends at Ancient Treasures Alpaca Ranch in Arvada, CO. I have participated in shearing day for several years now and have skirted fleeces the past 2 seasons. It has and continues to be a great learning experience for me and gazing at the alpacas in their pastures is just so peaceful.
So why is it that I focus on natural fibers you ask? For me it is a means to support ranchers and small markets throughout the U.S. and world. My journey into spinning natural fibers has introduced me to several sheep ranchers and alpaca/llama ranchers within the western U.S. face to face. When I took up spinning cotton I gained such an appreciation of our ancestors and a better understanding of the cotton gins importance. There are so many fibers (animals and plants) to explore and spin. The groups on Ravelry who spin various fleeces per month have been a huge source of information for me and fan base for my work.
For me the niche of natural fibers places me amongst a caring group of people who love animals and enjoy working with their hands. They are forthcoming with advice, understanding of trials and tribulations and confidence builders on new journeys with fiber. In our societal "Green Environment" focus working with these fibers fits just right in while helping to maintain bloodlines/crops for future generations to explore.
What are your favorite types of yarn to work with? Do you lean towards a specific brand or manufacturer?
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Where has the time gone to?
I feel as if I haven't written in ages but know that isn't true. Thanksgiving was more calm than I expected but my time off from the full time job went by way too quickly. The yarn shop at the ranch has brought in a couple of sales and I got to use the "Square" last weekend for another sale. I really do like that tool.
Last Sunday I networked with some Denver based craft owners. It was co sponsored by Krrb and hosted by Idea Chic which creates handmade stationary items. I picked up some gift tags for my sale order giveaways which are very nice. It was nice to discuss production techniques with other artisans and learn I am not alone in the lack of desire to produce mass quantities of the same item. I met a funny and nice lady named Megan who specializes in jewelry with crystals/beads. We as a group are going to try to grow the Krrb site for Denver to gain more exposure for our products.
What else has been going on? Well I have made 5 headbands thus far and am now moving onto the ruffle scarves. My order of Rowan Kidsilk Creation yarn arrived and I completed the lime green one in a few hours. It is very soft and pretty.
I am trying out a new pattern with some dyed cotton yarn which will be my son's Christmas gift. Although I should probably start to work on his soon as he comes home mid-December and I don't want him to see it. My purple Flounce yarn which is a special order was a very bad batch of yarn as the dye job had spots of blue and they knotted two fragments together to obtain the correct yardage. I was very happy that my LYS allowed me to swap the bad for a different skein which is also a high priority project.
On the spinning front I decided to back to my roots of thin yarn and am creating a lace weight Shetland skein (just needs to be plied). I also spun up the black/white top from the Sheep Shed Studio which is probably more Sports weight but decent yardage. I think the gray top is next on the list to spin as I have several ounces of it left. Of course there are pounds of alpaca/milk roving to spin up too. I made a skein of alpaca/bamboo yarn from the cria fleece batch - so much vegetable matter in it. I have my work cut out for me in picking the veggies from the skein prior to selling it. It is a pretty tan color and was easy to spin but you know how I am about veggie matter - this was actually more than the tussah silk roving.
Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday really had no effect on my sales or shops :(! My views totally tanked during the weekend and I have found myself checking the Etsy and EBay sites several times a day without much happy news. I am going to try to limit myself to twice a day only for viewing Etsy. It's not as if my checking the site will encourage sales - I wish. Still trying to tweet a few times a day which is kinda fun. So many interesting chatter on Twitter.
I will probably stop listing on EBay soon as there is virtually no traffic there. As I haven't sold any hand spun yarn on Etsy I am thinking of shifting that product to the Wild Yarn store in Denver. I'll keep ATAR's mill spun and the rovings on Etsy but unless things change I am not sure if it is worth having the merchandise age on that site. My knitted items do well on Etsy but I'm thinking yarn is something people need to touch. We shall see what happens in December.
Last Sunday I networked with some Denver based craft owners. It was co sponsored by Krrb and hosted by Idea Chic which creates handmade stationary items. I picked up some gift tags for my sale order giveaways which are very nice. It was nice to discuss production techniques with other artisans and learn I am not alone in the lack of desire to produce mass quantities of the same item. I met a funny and nice lady named Megan who specializes in jewelry with crystals/beads. We as a group are going to try to grow the Krrb site for Denver to gain more exposure for our products.
What else has been going on? Well I have made 5 headbands thus far and am now moving onto the ruffle scarves. My order of Rowan Kidsilk Creation yarn arrived and I completed the lime green one in a few hours. It is very soft and pretty.
I am trying out a new pattern with some dyed cotton yarn which will be my son's Christmas gift. Although I should probably start to work on his soon as he comes home mid-December and I don't want him to see it. My purple Flounce yarn which is a special order was a very bad batch of yarn as the dye job had spots of blue and they knotted two fragments together to obtain the correct yardage. I was very happy that my LYS allowed me to swap the bad for a different skein which is also a high priority project.
On the spinning front I decided to back to my roots of thin yarn and am creating a lace weight Shetland skein (just needs to be plied). I also spun up the black/white top from the Sheep Shed Studio which is probably more Sports weight but decent yardage. I think the gray top is next on the list to spin as I have several ounces of it left. Of course there are pounds of alpaca/milk roving to spin up too. I made a skein of alpaca/bamboo yarn from the cria fleece batch - so much vegetable matter in it. I have my work cut out for me in picking the veggies from the skein prior to selling it. It is a pretty tan color and was easy to spin but you know how I am about veggie matter - this was actually more than the tussah silk roving.
Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday really had no effect on my sales or shops :(! My views totally tanked during the weekend and I have found myself checking the Etsy and EBay sites several times a day without much happy news. I am going to try to limit myself to twice a day only for viewing Etsy. It's not as if my checking the site will encourage sales - I wish. Still trying to tweet a few times a day which is kinda fun. So many interesting chatter on Twitter.
I will probably stop listing on EBay soon as there is virtually no traffic there. As I haven't sold any hand spun yarn on Etsy I am thinking of shifting that product to the Wild Yarn store in Denver. I'll keep ATAR's mill spun and the rovings on Etsy but unless things change I am not sure if it is worth having the merchandise age on that site. My knitted items do well on Etsy but I'm thinking yarn is something people need to touch. We shall see what happens in December.
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