Cinder Plum! Finally a non-bamboo yarn!

I have finally broke the bamboo cycle and spun some wool! Late last night, I finally prepped and spun these two fibers that I've been meaning to spin for ages - Cinder (merino wool and silk blend) and Rusted Plum (merino wool). Both fibers were dyed by the Yarn Wench.

Here are the new yarns spun from these fibers -

A large "Squish-tastic!" skein -

A matching, smaller, mini skein -

And, finally, a small mini skein of Navajo 3-ply -


Oh, and I did also list some more bamboo yesterday and today - here is a mosaic of more Summer Carnival, and a new color - Very Berry Blues.

I hope to have some art yarns listed tomorrow and more Squish-tastics! and Navajo 3plys coming soon, too!

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Bamboo one more time - sale ends Monday!

Here is one more mosaic of bamboo yarns. On Monday morning, whenever I wake up, all prices will be going back to normal - on the bamboo AND other yarns on sale. Free Shipping in the USA and Half Price International Shipping will continue, though. For bamboo specials click here and for other yarn specials click here.

A Hello Kitty Christmas!

We don't usually do much for Christmas, but on Christmas day we always go to Scott's Mom's house for turkey (yes, turkey, which we much prefer over ham and usually miss it at Thanksgiving). She always gets us a few things, and since she knows I like Hello Kitty, I usually get some really fun Hello Kitty gifts. Last year I received a nice zippered sweatshirt with a big sparkly Hello Kitty face on the back, and Hello Kitty pajamas. This year, I received another sleepshirt and -

A Hello Kitty Watch!

And, a Hello Kitty Toaster

That makes Hello Kitty Toast!
I mean, how fun is that????

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A few more bamboo yarns

Just a quickie mosaic post to show some of the most recent bamboo colors I've added to my etsy shop - Prairie Dusk, Ocean Dusk, and Citrus Dreams. Springtime in Paris coming tomorrow, and more Summer Carnival coming Friday! Bamboo is still on special - $15 each single ply skein, and the 2ply skeins are on sale, too! Click here for all that is currently available!

Merry Christmas Eve & Secret Santa Specials

Merry Christmas Eve! It is snowing here (again) and while it is quite lovely, I'm already wishing I was some where warmer . . . and sunnier!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday!

If you are home, and online, and feeling the need to do a little last-minute shopping, I am offering some Secret Santa Specials in my yarn shop on etsy - you can check them out HERE. I am adding a new item or two each day and think they will run through the weekend. I'm also still offering Free Shipping in the USA! AND, I have Gift Certificates that can still be emailed to you before tomorrow!

I'll also be listing a few more bamboo yarns yet this week and then I'm going to be putting away the bamboo until January and focusing on spinning some art yarns. Come January, though, I'll actually have some new bamboo colors that I've not ever offered before. Also, some new Squish-tastic! and Navajo 3-ply colors. No rest for the wicked! ;)

Happy holidays all!

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My laziness . . .

is your gain! Since I ended up not getting around to spinning any more bamboo yesterday, I am extending my Weekend Deals specials through Monday - I'll change the prices back to normal on Tuesday morning. This will give me a chance to get some more bamboo spun up today and listed yet tomorrow so you can take advantage of the special.

In addition to the bamboo special, I'm also offering $5 off Single Ply wool yarns and $5-7 off FunctionArt art yarns!

Shipping is still FREE in the USA and Half Price Internationally. Also, if ordered and paid for on Sunday, I can still upgrade to Express Mail and you would have it by Christmas!

I also have specials going on in my Kitty Grrlz Hand Knits shop - HERE!

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Sometimes I get overwhelmed . . .

with how truly grateful I am for the wonderful people who buy from me. I know I say "thank you" all the time - on my blog, in my emails to buyers, in my notes I include with purchases, and sometimes I worry that maybe people don't believe it's sincere . . .

but, i am truly truly thankful i can do something i love to do and that people will pay for it and thus i can pay my bills and continue to do the things i love to do - spin and knit.

so, once again, i just want to say THANK YOU for your support, especially in this tough time.

i hope you all have a fabulous holiday, whatever you may celebrate, and a wonderful 2009!

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Yet more new bamboo yarns!

Yes, once again I'm posting a mosaic of the latest bamboo yarns I listed on etsy -

That's more Summer Carnival, Marmalade Mint, Serenity, Ice Princess, and one last skein spun from the "Black Gold" colorway which I'm calling "Stay Golden".

Haven't gotten to the wheel yet today, but hope to get at least a couple more bamboo skeins spun tonight. Tomorrow will be the last day for bamboo spinning for now, as I'd like to work on some art yarns this coming week. I hope to do some more "Green Man", and one that will be shades of blues and grays, and 4 more skeins of "Plum Divine" before year's end.

And, don't forget - WEEKEND DEALS are going on now in both of my etsy shops -
Hand knits in my Kitty Grrlz Knits shop
Hand spun yarns in my Kitty Grrlz Yarn shop

See my previous post for the specials!

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Weekend Deals Come Early!

This weekend I am taking part in the Etsy "WEEKEND DEALS" promotions. I am still offering FREE (Priority Mail) Shipping in the USA and Half Price International shipping.

But, in addition to the shipping, I am also offering the following specials, which will run until Monday morning,

In my Kitty Grrlz Knits shop -

All Hand Knit NO-WOOL and WINTER Scarves are $10 off!
All Hand Spun Art COWLS/Neckwarmers and SCARVES are $5 off!

In my Kitty Grrlz Hand Spun Yarn shop -

All Single Ply Bamboo Yarn skeins are $15!
All Single Ply Wool Yarns are $5 off!
All FunctionArt Art Yarns are $5 - $7 off!

Prices already reflect these discounts, so no need for a code - simply check out, pay, and your items will be mailed out! (We are in the midst of a snowstorm, so all Friday orders will be mailed on Saturday.)

Please note, if you are a newsletter subscriber the FunctionArt special that begins Sunday will be $10 off the *original* price, not the "weekend deals" price.

I have also listed an "Express Mail Upgrade" listing in both shops. If you want your item by Christmas, please add this item to your cart and then I will ship via Express Mail.

And, finally, I'll be listing 2 more bamboo colors a little later today!

Happy Friday!

More new bamboo yarns

Just a real quick post this morning to show off the last couple of bamboo colors I listed on Etsy this week -


The top two are "The Frog Prince" and the bottom two are "Marmalade Pine".

As for yesterday's spinning - I did spin 6 more skeins of bamboo. I'll be listing those later this afternoon.

Now, I must get to work and spin some more! Bamboo is my newsletter special through Saturday, PLUS I'll be offering it as a "Weekend Deals" special on etsy this weekend! (The newsletter price is still a bit better, though - to sign up go to the bottom of THIS PAGE.)

That's all for now!

What I'll be spinning today . . .

Today, I'll be spinning more bamboo. Here is a shot of the colors I hope to get done today - or, at least two skeins of each of these 4 colors and maybe the one on the top -

From left to right, these are Serenity, Prairie Dusk, Victorian Rose aka "Peachy Keen Taffy" and Rose Garden aka "Neon Taffy".

Next in the bamboo line are these colors - Blue Pearl aka Ice Princess, Southwest Dawn aka Marmalade Pine, Springtime in Paris, Hibiscus Paradise and Verry Berry. If I stick to my schedule at least some of these will be spun tomorrow. The "Ice Princess" is what I am hoping to spin for my mini-skein keychains that I will be sending off to be included in the PhatFiber box for January. I just have to get the yarn spun!!


Finally, I DO have some new bamboo skeins to list later this afternoon. Look for them on etsy a little later today!

Bug - wants to spin art yarns, too?

Since I haven't posted any kitty pics lately, I thought I would post this mosaic of shots taken tonight of Bug lounging on "Intertwined". Maybe she thinks she will learn the techniques through osmosis? I did disturb her sleep to take these pictures, which I think you can tell by her expression in the last shot -

New bamboo yarns for Monday

New bamboo yarn skeins now listed on etsy! Two skeins of Ocean Dusk and 2 skeins of Chocolate Berry Shine. I should have more tomorrow, too!

And, in other news, today I received some more PlumGrove fiber . . . I know I said I wouldn't be spinning my "Plum Divine" art yarns any more . . . but, I *did* say that it would be a color retired for 2009 . . . so, since it is NOT yet 2009, I am going to try and spin up 4 more skeins in this colorway. As always, they may be slightly different from previous versions, but the main colors will be the same. Look for them late this week or maybe early next week. (Newsletter subscribers please note - these are *not* going to be eligible for the FunctionArt newsletter discount which begins Sunday, December 20. My apologies for this.)

Sheep in the City Getaway - I'll be teaching!

So, I believe it is official - I will be teaching at the Sheep in the City Getaway event which is at the end of February! This is a 3-day event - Friday, February 27, Saturday, February 28, and Sunday, March 1. It is being held at the Comfort Suites at 6362 S. 13th Street in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. There will be knitting, spinning and a marketplace, too!

I will be teaching two classes related to art yarns! First, on Saturday morning from 9-11:30am, I will be teaching a How to Spin Art Yarn class. You can bring you own fiber and add-ins and thread or complete fiber and materials will be provided for an additional materials fee of $15. That will include at least 2 oz of hand dyed merino wool, pre-cut yarn snippets, angelina (sparkle), and thread. Then, all you need is your wheel, and I will show how to spin art yarns similar to the ones I do. Or, if you prefer to learn another form of "art yarn spinning", I will try to accommodate each individual. For example, I can also show how to spin coils! Some of that will depend on the size of the class and how time goes, though I would like to try and show as many techniques as possible.

Then, on Sunday morning from 9-11:30am, I will be doing a "Knitting with art yarn" class. I will have patterns for several projects that can be done with one skein of art yarn. As of now, you will receive a pattern for a scarf, neckwarmer/cowl, hat, and also wristwarmers/fingerless gloves. For most of these you would only need to bring a pair of needles - size 11, 13 or 15 (or all 3) - though for the hat, I'd recommend bringing size 11 circulars and matching double-points and for the wristwarmers - size 11 double-points. You can bring your own art yarn (at least 50 yards of bulky/super bulky yarn) or receive a significant discount on my art yarns (more than 50% off in most cases!). Then, we will knit and I will try and provide some tips and tricks for working with art yarn.

Since this is still a few months away, I will be mentioning it periodically here on my blog, but wanted to get the information out there! You can get further information on the Getaway, how to register for classes, and how to book a room (if needed) HERE.

NOW, I really have to get to work! :)

Bamboo yarn special

Today begins my Newsletter Special on bamboo single ply yarn skeins! It is a really good offer, but one that is reserved for Newsletter Subscribers only. Not a newsletter subscriber? You can subscribe right at the bottom of THIS PAGE. (Please note, it is a double opt-in list, which means you will receive an email and will need to click on the link in that email to confirm your subscription. If you don't receive the email right away, please check your junk mail folder or try subscribing again.)

This means I hope to spinning a lot of bamboo this week. I have so much of the fiber! I have two very large boxes full of it in an array of colors and would really like to spin enough to empty one of the boxes (I need the space in the living room!). Plus, I believe I will be sending bamboo sample key chains for the PhatFiber box, which means I need to get spinning that, too! I may also be sending some wool samples, too, or a combination of them both. Which just means I need to stop being lazy and get to work!

Quickie post - new art yarns!

Just wanted to do a quickie picture-post of my new art yarns, all available now on etsy -

First - Silver and Lilacs - I have three skeins. Here is the only one with sparkle, and also the smallest of the three -
Then, the other two, which are a bit larger and also sans sparkle -

I plan to do two similar skeins from these materials -
That is what I hope to spin today - then for the rest of the weekend it will probably be bamboo since that is what will be on "newsletter special" starting on Sunday!

And, here is another new art yarn - very bright - Holiday Neon -

Don't forget - tonight at 5:30 pm Central Time - the EtsyKnitters Trunk Show in the Virtual Labs Lounge on etsy!

Happy Friday everyone!

EtsyKnitters Team Trunk Show today!

Tonight, at 6:30 EST (5:30 central), I will be taking part in the EtsyKnitters Team Trunk Show, which will be taking place in the Virtual Lab Lounge on etsy.com! Some of the team members will be presenting some of our items and chatting about them. All participating shops are also having some sort of special or discount for the show.

I will be offering FREE SHIPPING in the USA and HALF PRICE International SHIPPING in both of my etsy shops:
Kitty Grrlz Hand Spun Yarns are here
Kitty Grrlz Knits items are here

This shipping special will run from now through Monday at 12noon central time. I will change the listings to reflect this shipping special so no need for codes or waiting for an invoice!

In addition to this, I will be offering 10% off your order, in both shops, Friday night. This special will begin at 5pm central time (right before the trunk show begins) and will run until 5am central time on Saturday morning. To receive this discount, you must put "EtsyKnittersSpecial" in the Notes to Seller section and then wait for a revised invoice via paypal OR pay and I will refund you the discount amount.

If you like these specials, also consider signing up for my newsletter at the bottom of THIS PAGE. Newsletter subscribers often get my best offers and discounts *every* month!

Here is a list of the EtsyKnitters Team shops participating in the Trunk Show today, along with their special offers -

ElnasKnitting - is offering free shipping on all items in her shop for the rest of the year, and a
10% rebate on all items over this coming weekend.

TheHighPlainsKnitter -will be offering $5.00 off all scarves, scarflettes, and wrist cuffs, $1.00 off brooches, and ornaments, and $0.50 off appliqués.

DesignsbyVelvet - will be offering Free Shipping on purchase of 2 items. $5.00 off purchase of one item, and $10 off purchase of second item.

KindredKnits - will offer 10% off for the weekend, and free shipping. Mention Trunk Show in the "notes to seller" area.

KnittedGems - HOLIDAY SALE on all finished items - Free domestic shipping to all US customers! Over 50% off shipping charges to International customers. Reductions have already been taken off the shipping prices, which include Priority shipping and insurance.
Patterns are always sent free of any shipping charges unless requested otherwise.

JusSharDesigns - is offering Buy one, Get one of equal or lesser value for 1/2 off

and, GlasKnits has free shipping in the USA on most of her items, as well as reduced International shipping!

Other participating shops are ACacheofJewels are Ennadoolf - come to the Trunk Show to see what their specials are! And, if you're just looking for some great hand knit items, go to etsy.com and search "etsyknitters team"!

New this week - Single Ply Yarns

This week I've been working pretty slow for some reason. Not feeling super great, so have stuck to some rather simple spins - single ply yarns! Here is a small mosaic of some of the new single ply yarns, plus one of the newer art yarns -


Here is a full list of the new listings for this week, so far (I'll have a very bright art yarn listed later today!)

Tomfoolery Single Ply (not shown) - skein 1 and skein 2
Fang (bottom left)
Wild Berry Woods (top right)
Milan Holiday (top left) skein 1 and skein 2
Wild Violet Rose 2 (not shown)

Those are all spun from hand dyed Falkland wool, dyed by the Yarn Wench.

Then, there is Holiday Romance - a hand spun FunctionArt art yarn, spun from hand dyed merino wool - shown in the bottom right.

I also spun up one final skein of the Novel-Ply "Turquoise Sands Surprise". This is the last one I'll be doing like this since I can no longer easily find the color of Angel Hair yarn that I use to ply with the wool.

And, finally, I have listed more bamboo in my Kitty Grrlz logo colors of purple and orange. You can find two skeins of the dark version here and here, and 2 skeins of the light version here and here.

Show season is over for me - now what?

So, my shows are over for the year! I admit, I feel so relieved and happy and FREE now! I DO like doing shows and find them an important part of keeping Kitty Grrlz going, but I'm not going to lie - they are tough and take a lot out of me. Mostly, though, I'm really happy to know that now, for at least the next month or so - maybe longer - I can spin all I want! Without the pressure of the shows hanging over me, I hope to just see where the fiber and wheel take me.

I've already got some new single ply yarns ready to be listed today. I've got some great art yarns planned for this week, too. More bamboo will be coming almost daily now for the next few weeks, and I've got some great merino/silk blends that will become Squish-tastic! yarns and Navajo 3plys . . . there is so much I want to spin that while I feel like I'm on vacation without upcoming shows on my schedule, I know I will still be busy busy busy spinning away!

I'm also running some great Holiday Specials for those subscribing to my new Newsletter. Usually this is the time of year when I offer some of the best specials. I'm also giving away 4 skeins of yarn to 4 lucky subscribers this month! To join in on the fun, please subscribe to my new newsletter - you can do so at the bottom of my kittygrrlz.com site - HERE!

And, this week, as part of the EtsyKnitters team on Etsy - I will be taking part in a "virtual" Trunk Show on Friday, Dec 12th at 6:30 pm EST - I believe you can join the fun by going HERE at that time! Some of the team members will be showcasing some of their best items, chatting about the process, and also offering some specials during the time of the show. I will be taking part and showcasing my Hand Spun Art Cowls, Scarves, and also my wristwarmers.

I don't have all of the new yarn pictures uploaded to flickr yet, but here is one new art yarn skein that is available - I'll probably post later or tomorrow with yarn pictures!

HOLIDAY CRAFTACULAR - Saturday, December 6 - Madison, Wisconsin

Tomorrow - Saturday, December 6 from 10am - 6pm I will be at the HOLIDAY CRAFTACULAR in Madison, Wisconsin! It is my last show of the year! Here are just a few of the new yarns I will have -


and, some of the hand knits -