TGIF!

I'm so glad it's Friday. I am really looking forward to this weekend as a chance to relax a little and get lots of spinning done. Art vs. Craft is only a week away so I've got lots to do--like label all of my recent yarns!? Yikes, that's like almost 2 plastic bins worth!

Yesterday, I was good. I exercised. I ate pretty well. But, I didn't spin!?! I had to give the wheel a break, plus I've been itching to knit up these two yarns from the Yarn Wench. You can see Inner Child Yarn HERE and Lil Sistah yarn HERE if you'd like!

They are both going to be scarves. I finished "Inner Child" last night, and plan on calling this one "Southwest Winter". I took pics last night but they are a little dark, but I'm going to post them anyway!


I actually started the Lil Sistah scarf, too, and had to force myself to stop--otherwise I would have once again been up *way too late*! Tonight I will finish it as well as start some spinning, I think.

Happy Friday everyone and have a great weekend!

Violet Song Yarn Special!

So, the WIST Violet colors contest is over and I won! Actually, all three of us won and are getting something special, but I am offering a special on the yarns:

20% off one or both of the Violet Song Handspun Yarns! Offer good only until Friday morning. You can see the yarns on etsy HERE and HERE

Purchase via Etsy, then wait for an updated invoice to show the new total, or pay and I will refund the difference.

Here is a picture:

Tiptoe through the Tulips . . .

(that totally reminds me of my Grandpa, and also Whitnall Park and all the flowers!)

anyways . . . last night I didn't exercise. But it's *okay* I didn't as I really needed to take a day off--my muscles were aching! I feel much better today and will definitely tonight . . .

but, that meant i had more time for spinning. even though it was hot. and i wasn't feeling well. and i was really tired. somehow, i managed to spin up all 7.9 oz of the Spunky Eclectic's Fiber of the Month for June, "Tulip". Here are some shots of the halfway point with half the fiber spun up and half as a single on the bobbin, and a couple of not-so-great shots of the finished yarn. I wanted to call it "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" but that doesn't seem to fit. When plying it kind of reminded me of the Circus World Museum for some reason so I was going to call it "Circus World". But, when I looked at it this morning that doesn't really seem to fit either!?! So, I have no idea what it will finally be called, but here are the pics:



The fiber is Blue Faced Leicester and was my first time spinning it! It was a lot softer than I thought it would be, and the luster is wonderful! I'm hoping to get some better pics of the yarn tonight! I ended up with 150 and 65 yards of probably a worsted or heavey worsted weight two-ply.

And, don't forget to check out MY TREASURY on etsy! I'm switching in some new items this morning!

AND!! There is going to be a HUGE YARN WENCH UPDATE TODAY!!! (or TOMORROW!) I'm really hoping it is today! Check it out! She will have 41 new fibers and 2 new yarns!!

Amazing . . .

that i actually DID get up for work today, and even early, like i needed to, so i could shower . . .

last night (before waking up at midnight) was good! i exercised, made a really good stir fry, and had plenty of time to spin. Being the contrary fiber that it was being, "Maritime" actually ended up being a single ply. I started spinning and realized I absolutely *loved* the colors in this one and didn't want to muss them by plying, so here is the "Maritime" single ply:

You can see pictures of it on the bobbin and the niddy noddy here! It turned out a little bulky and just slightly thick and thin AND I think it could actually work with the Turquoise Shadows yarns! As soon as the Turquoise Shadow yarn is out of this treasury on etsy (if it doesn't sell), I plan on knitting them up and I think Maritime may have the same fate!

I also prepped the Fiber of the Month from Spunky Eclectic for spinning tonight. Here is is BEFORE I pre-drafted it:

I am pretty sure it will be a two-ply . . .

Now, if I can just get through this day at work . . .

It's midnight and I'm not sleeping . . .

because my cell phone was beeping because some $%:#@:#: decided it would be fun to send me some smutty text message! i have no idea who sent it and am kinda creeped out, honestly.

so, the beeping woke me up . . . and it is really hot in our apartment even with the air conditioner, so i got up . .

and checked in on etsy to see if the treasury was working . . . and I got one!! I filled it with all the wonderful things in my favorites that I want to buy but just can't buy them all . . . check it out and see some wonderfully cool yarn and fibers and more!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE TREASURY!

then, I checked flickr . . . that was a mistake! MaryJane'sAttic is having a sale! Oh god, there is no way I can resist that sparklefluff now! At least I was good and only bought the fluff as these Fiber Play Kits look like fun, too! And all that brightly colored dyed fiber . . . check it out! For the coupon code check out this!

Now, I really must go back to sleep as I'm supposed to get up in . . . . 3 hours! ?!?!?

I did it!

Okay, I know it is a very small thing, but I stuck to my plan yesterday and exercised! Woohoo! I also stuck to my good-eating plan and did NOT have any junk food or Mike's Lemonade! :)

AND, on top of all of that, I actually still got a yarn spun up! First, I got some cards together for the WIST business card swap but that left me with about 2 hours to spin . . . I thought, hmm, what could I spin in that time? I had some fiber prepped that was supposed to be a two-ply . . . but then realized that one of the colors of Moda Dea Frivolous that I had matched it perfectly . . . so, I spun up a bulky single, then plied it with the Frivolous. This yarn, btw, happens to be my favorite novelty yarn EVAH! It is fabulous--super soft and shimmery from the metallic strand in it . . . I was able to get a lot of it at a *really* good price, but alas that source is no more so I am kind of hoarding what I do have . . . but, I couldn't resist using it in this case . . . here is the yarn (and these pics aren't the best, but you should get the idea):

It is so soft! The wool is domestic and dyed by the Yarn Wench (Turquoise Shadow). The skeins are 62 and 60 yards. I will be putting these up for sale on my site/etsy later today but will not be sad if they don't sell as I will happily knit them up!

Tonight, I will finally spin up a two ply out of "Maritime", more handdyed fiber from the Yarn Wench. This fiber has been . . . difficult . . and has been ready for spinning for almost a week, but I just couldn't decide what to do with it! I really want to spin a two-ply out of it as it is more of a "guy" color, but I have perfectly matching novelty yarns that could be plied in and I can't imagine a "guy" hat or scarf being made with one of my fluffy, novelty-yarn filled yarns!? So, since I did the "fun" yarn last night, tonight I will do the two-ply. I figure, I can always use the matching yarns later in a finished knit item . . . if the yarn doesn't sell first.

I also got the new FIBER OF THE MONTH from SpunkyEclectic yesterday! I'll be spinning that up pretty soon, too. I hate to be "boring" but I'm pretty sure it will be a single ply like the last one I did, or a two-ply. It is BlueFacedLeicester, and it will be the first time I spun this type of wool! I can't wait!

But, now, I must work. :(

Another Monday . . .

where did the weekend go? it seemed to go so fast since i spent about half of it not feeling very well, thus not getting much of anything (spinning or otherwise!) done . . .

but, here are a few pictures of some new things spun up . . .

Dreamsicle Sky Two Ply--this yarn is spun from "Compliments 1" handdyed merino wool from the Yarn Wench. It matches the other one used for the Dreamsicle Sky art yarn. This one is a two-ply but I also plied in thread with it--the thread is metallic and matches the colors pretty well--I thought it would add a little bit of sparkle to it. 160 yards, probably DK or Worsted weight (haven't done an exact wraps per inch count yet.)

Then, my other main project this weekend was getting some more promo keychains made up. Luckily, I received my HUGE Yarn Wench order on Saturday which included "A Mixed Bag"--a bag of various odds and ends of handdyed fiber. I spun up almost all of it on one bobbin, which was then plied with various colored thread and cut up and used for the mini-mini-skeins for the keychains. One section of fiber wasn't spun up because it perfectly matches something I already have--so I'm saving it. Another section of fiber was spun up into a mini skein of 44 yards that I'm now thinking of listing separately (though in the end it will probably go for promos, too.) Here is the skein that was cut up for promos:


And, here is "Antique Garden" mini skein:

Then, on Sunday, I spun up "Shade Garden" handdyed merino from the Yarn Wench into these two skeins, Iris Bouquet Art Yarn (88 yards) & Iris Bouquet Boucle (124 yards):


I had gotten all excited because I had this perfect yarn to match--Austermann Samoa Color--but when I plied the above skein with it I wasn't 100% sure I liked the outcome, so for the second bobbin I just plied it with two colors of Sulky rayon thread:

That was it. I also made up 50 keychains and mailed them off today and worked a little on knitting another summer shawl for my show coming up.

In other news, the spinning may slow down slightly as I've decided that I *MUST* get back to my exercise routine. Last year at this time I was exercising on a regular basis and eating right. That all went to hell once my shows started in fall/winter and now I am completely out of that routine. BUT, I am feeling like crap half the time so am determined to get back to it because I DID FEEL BETTER when exercising and sticking to a better diet (no, not a DIET diet, just EATING better, eating better foods, etc.,) This WILL cut into my spinning time, but I just have to accept that feeling GOOD is worth it! (Okay, now that I've said this publicly, I hope I can stick to it! Today is my first day "back" to that routine . . . )

Tiger's Eye Handspun Yarns

I realized I never posted my Tiger's Eye yarns and I finished another one last night, so . . .

I had two braids of handdyed Falkland wool from the Yarn Wench in the color she called "Tiger's Eye" which fit perfectly!

The first, I separated into two and made these two art and boucle yarns--they have several yarns spun in and the first is plied with a novelty yarn and the second is plied with thread:


The second one I spun up last night into a two-ply yarn:

And, here is a nice compilation made with fd'sflickrtoys!

The art yarns are already on etsy and my website and the two-ply should be up later today!

From Fiber to Yarn II

Last night, I spun up this wonderful handdyed merino wool (called "Compliments 2" from the Yarn Wench:


I also used two novelty yarns--Moda Dea Dream and Moda Dea Frivolous.
Here is the single spun up on the bobbin:
And, here is the finished yarn (though before setting the twist!) I managed 2 skeins, 146 yards and 60 yards, out of what started as 3.7 oz of fiber!
Dreamsicle Sky, 60 yards:
Dreamsicle Sky 146 yards:
This one won't be up on the website or etsy until tonight! But, I do have these new ones up on etsy now!

Plus two more pounds . ..

of fiber that I just bought. Oh my god. I have no self control. I had $60 in my paypal account from some sales and was only going to spend that . . . whoops!

;)

Running the numbers . . .

So as I sit here obsessively stalking the Yarn Wench's page for her update today, I thought I'd add up the amount of fiber I *already* have in hopes that it will stop me from buying too much! Good thing my boyfriend doesn't read my blog (I don't think) because this is exactly the kind of ammunition he needs in his campaign to get me to stop buying fiber!

Total amount of fiber in all forms (not including yarn):
353.70 ounces, that is 22.11 pounds of fiber!

Total amount in "roving" or "top" form:
328.50 ounces, or 20.53 pounds

Total amount in "locks" form:
25.20 oucnes, or 1.575 pounds

Percentage of the above that is Yarn Wench fiber: probably about 90%!

If I spin on average of 4 ounces per day, I have enough fiber to last me . . . 88 days! That's only a few months! So, of course I can buy more! :)

In addition:

I have 11 skeins of handdyed handspun yarn from other fiber artists.

I have 74 skeins of handspun yarn that *I* spun.

I have 25 hand knit items knit by me from handspun and regular yarns.

This actually may seem like a lot, but I've already got 5 confirmed shows (starting in July) and plan on at least 5 more . . . so, if you think about it, I NEED to have this much!!

;)

Woolee Winder!

So, I have recently been contemplating buying another wheel that would give me greater bobbin capacity. I love my Minstrel, but getting 4 oz on the bobbin is tough . . .

Then there became the real possibility that we'll be buying a house next year (maybe) . . .

so I realized that another wheel really would be out of the question . . . BUT . . .

when someone posted a Woolee Winder for sale on a spinning list I'm on . . .

I thought, well, they say the bobbins of the Woolee Winder have a little more capacity . . .

and, it would maybe speed up some of my spinning . . .

and, it is $200-300 cheaper than a new wheel . . .

SO, I bought it! I got it yesterday and I LOVE IT!! I can fit 4 oz OR MORE single ply and even plied I was able to get a full 4 oz on it and I still had a little room!! AND it DOES help me spin faster because I'm not stopping/starting to move the yarn . . . It won't be perfect for all types of spinning, but it sure worked like a dream last night spinning up this Neapolitan II yarn!

Here are some pics!

4 oz single ply! And look at all that room!
4 oz, plied! A little bit of room left, but certainly more than when I squeeze it onto my regular bobbins!

And, sometimes it really IS the little things! I bought some purple hemp cord for my wheel this weekend! I did buy some sturdier natural colored as well, but this was on .25! And I LOVE purple, so . .

And, here is the finished yarn:
So, yes, I am a Woolee Winder convert now!

Weekend Recap!

Wow, this weekend seemed to fly by! Friday night I got home from work, ate, and fell asleep . . . by 6pm!?!?! I guess I must have been tired, or something, as I didn't wake up until Saturday morning! That was kind of bad because it meant no spinning! :(

Since I had fallen asleep at such a ridiculously early time, I did wake up early on Saturday, and actually got some spinning in before the Family Reunion. So, I spun this up early Saturday:

Then, about 12noon, it was off to Pike Lake State Park in the Kettle Moraine in Wisconsin for the Pike Family Reunion! This isn't technically *my* family, but my boyfriend's on his Mom's side. It was pretty nice--overcast so not too hot and the rain held off and the sun actually came out a bit near evening. He saw a lot of his cousins that were his "summer brothers and sisters" and his Mom got to partake in Southern Comfort without having to worry about driving (we drove).

Got home and watched the NASCAR race, or, rather, I fell asleep to the race! :)

Sunday! Spinning day! Woohoo!! I know all I ever talk about is spinning, yarn, knitting (and of course my cat!) but that is my life! :) Almost all my "free" time is spent spinning or knitting! I have alot of shows planned for the fall and really want to have a large stock so I'm not scrambling around trying to get everything done in the fall! Anyways . . .

Sunday, I got to spin! I spun up some gorgeous Yarn Wench fiber. I don't have pics of the "Tiger Eye" yarn yet but I do have pics of the "Violet Song" yarn. "Violet Song" is my entry into the Wisconsin Street Team's June contest--the theme is the Wood Violet or Violet colors--and so I spun this:

You can see more pictures in my flickr account here! (they are also on my website here and of course on etsy here and here)

I really liked spinning this one--the novelty yarn was dyed special for me by the Yarn Wench
and I strung the flowers right onto that yarn and plied away! I am looking forward to using the other colors she did for me!

Before using the flowers, I had them out, and my cat, Bug, decided she needed to be in the middle of them!


And, here she is looking up from the ones I ended up using in the yarn:

And, here is one more shot, of Bug through my spinning wheel (she loves to sit on my chair! if i get up even for a second she hops up and makes herself comfortable!)

Well, I think that's it for now! Must get to work!

Neapolitan Crochet Hat!

Look at this wonderful hat my customer Alicia made! She crocheted this out of my Neapolitan boucle yarn! I'm working on spinning her another skein for a matching scarf! It's so cool to see something so great made with my yarn! Thank you for letting me share this picture (and stay-tuned, she'll be selling her cool crochet soon!)

New Orleans Midnight

When I first started knitting, I knit a twisty scarf with some Novelty Yarns from Numei and a purple acrylic. It reminded me of when I was in New Orleans, on Bourbon Street, so I called it New Orleans Midnight. This yarn uses some of those same novelty yarns, and is plied with one as well, thus the names. Both are spun from handdyed domestic wool from PoppyFlowerFibers.

New Orleans Midnight Handspun Boucle Yarn


New Orleans Midnight Hand Spun Art Yarn

They are both available on etsy HERE and HERE! And, check out THIS THREAD for my Special Friday Happy Hour Sale!

New "Kitty Mini" Mini Handspun yarn skein . . .

Now available on etsy, my "Kitty Mini" yarn skein which is 46 yards of handspun merino wool plied with thread! Check it out as it will only be available until the weekend, then it will be cut up and used for keychain promos! :) It is the larger one shown in the picture below!

Sweet Tarts Mini Skein

Website updated - 3 new yarns!

I just added three new yarns to KITTYGRRLZ.COM! I'm so excited because I made my first sale via this site! Woohoo! Anyways, here are a few pictures of the new yarns:

Sweet Tarts Merino & Silk Two-Ply
spun from dyed silk & merino from Poppy Flower Fibers.

Party Girl Boucle spun from Sparklefluff from maryjanesattic.net

And, Candy Girl, also spun from Sparklefluff:

That's it for now, it's time to get spinning! :)

Art vs Craft

is less than a month away!

If you are in the Milwaukee, WI area July 7-8, check it out!! For more info check out the ARTvsCRAFT website.

A few shots of what I did this weekend . . .

Spun up this wonderful dyed Corriedale wool that I got from maryjanesattic.net for a steal:

Spun this wonderful yarn with Handdyed Tussah Silk and Handdyed Merino from PoppyFlowerFibers (I spun each separately, then plied them together):

And, knit this hat last night from handspun yarn I spun!


I also took lots of pictures of my cat, for some reason. Here is just one:

I plan on posting more later, but now must get to work!

Orchid Sky now on my website!

I have added "Orchid Sky" to my website. I may put it on etsy next week, but for now it is available only on kittygrrlz.com!