Happy Holidays and new yarns!

Happy Holidays to all!

I can't believe the year is almost over. Last year at this time we were packed and ready to move. We were sleeping on the floor with much of our stuff already moved or packed up and waiting . . . a snowstorm prevented us from making the trip the day after Christmas and instead I drove down alone with just what I could fit in my Escape and the rest of it arrived a couple of days later. Those first days were, quite honestly, cold and pretty miserable. But, one year later and we are all moved in (ha, though some boxes still not unpacked!) and ready to drive UP to visit instead of DOWN to relocate.

But, I'm rambling. I had some time off from the library this week so managed to do some spinning! Here are some new yarns, all listed in my etsy handspun yarn shop!



Now I'm about to get offline for awhile and do some more spinning!

Merry Happy Christmas Holidays and wishing you all a super awesome new year!

Cyber Monday Sale going on now!

Cyber Monday sale going on now in both of my etsy shops -
My hand spun yarns here at http://www.etsy.com/shop/kittygrrlz
and
My hand knits here at http://www.etsy.com/shop/kittygrrlzknits

are 20% off with the coupon code - CYBERMONDAY2010

Ends at 12noon CST on Tuesday, November 30, 2010!

Art vs Craft, Black Friday, Cyber Monday and more!

Wow, it really has been awhile since I have posted! I've been busy getting ready for November shows, the last of which is tomorrow!

ART vs CRAFT - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Saturday, November 27
10am-6pm
For more information check out the Art vs Craft site here

I'm also currently running a special on gift cards in my Etsy Hand Spun Yarn Shop - they are discounted 20%! Purchase by noon on Sunday, and they can only be redeemed AFTER December 1, 2010. You can find them in this Gift Card section here!

And, since Etsy now supports coupon codes, I will be having a CYBER MONDAY SALE as well, but will post details about that on Sunday.

Happy Thanksgiving to all and happy shopping! :)

Now on ArtFire!

I have finally started working on my Artfire shop! I know, why do i need an artfire shop when I have etsy? Well, there are certain features of artfire that I like, and I think having more than one place to find my yarns isn't a bad thing . . . my ArtFire shop will include my hand knits and hand spun yarns all in one place. At this time, though, it will not include my blended fiber batts.

The best part of Artfire is the ability to create coupon codes! For the next week, I'm offering 10% off all items in my Artfire shop:

Visit kittygrrlz's Studio

SAVE 10.00 % On
All Items

Use Coupon Code:

WELCOME1010

during checkout.

YARN CON is tomorrow!

I am all set for YARN CON tomorrow, which is in Chicago, Illinois at the Pulaski Park Fieldhouse on Blackhawk. I'll have tons of new yarns - don't have time to post preview pictures, but here are a few new things that I'll have -

FIVE new handspun two-ply yarns! Yes, FIVE! I think that's a record for me! Plum Gold in BFL/Silk, two skeins of Andromeda also in BFL/Silk, and 2 skeins of Taos Sunset in merino wool (for those familiar with my art yarns or Yarn Wench colorways, this one is actually one ply of "Plum Honey" and one ply of "Taos" spun together!)

12 new skeins of bamboo - 4 of "Winter Moon, 4 of "DragonSong", 2 of a darker version of "Plum Paradise" and 2 skeins of "Serenity"

The FunctionArt Art Yarn SERPENT COLLECTION is also now complete! I have Coral Snake, Lizard King (spun from blended merino wool and glittery icicle), and Lizard Queen.

In addition, I'll have the October Art Yarn of the Month yarn - which was only available through the Yarn of the Month club and in person at shows! It is "Adirondack Autumn" and is actually merino wool from the Yarn Wench carded/blended with Bamboo from Fiberlady, spun up as a super bulky and Super SOFT art yarn.

I think that's it! All of these new yarns will be available tomorrow at YARN CON, and if not sold will be listed in my etsy shop Sunday and Monday.

Happy Weekend!

Fiber in the Park tomorrow!

Tomorrow, Saturday, September 18, I will be at Fiber in the Park in Earlville, Illinois! I'll have all my hand spun yarns, hand knits, PLUS some fiber that I am interested in de-stashing. If you are in the area, please consider coming by! :)

I also hope to have new yarns listed on Monday, though I am finishing up a bamboo commission, but hope to have a few new things to list, too.

Giveaway going on now!

I've been listing lots of new yarns the past couple of days (and will try and post those here soon, but if not you can check them all out in my etsy shop!) but am also partaking in a giveaway on the Fiber Cooperative blog! Check it out here for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to my shop!

New yarns and knits!

I managed to list some new items over the past week! I think this is the most productive I've been in awhile and it feels pretty good. Here is everything new and don't forget - FREE SHIPPING in the USA ($5 International) on all ready-to-ship yarns in my Hand Spun Yarn Shop from now until September 6 and FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING on all of my hand knits in my Hand Knits Shop (please note, however, that I will not be shipping until September 2, so all purchases made from now until then will ship on the 2nd. The next newsletter will also go out on the 2nd)

New Art Yarns -
FunctionArt - Canyon Violets - Hand Spun Art Yarn, 76 yards and 73 yards
FunctionArt - Holiday Romance - Hand Spun Art Yarn, 66 yards
FunctionArt - Midnight Magenta - Hand Spun Art Yarn, 70 yards

New Hand Knit Cowls/Neckwarmers, spun from handspun art yarn -
Hand Knit HandSpun Art Cowl/Neckwarmer - Juniper Jewel
Hand Knit HandSpun Art Cowl/Neckwarmer - Ever Green & Gold

And, finally, some new bamboo skeins, including two NEW colors!
Beautiful Bamboo - Waves of Blue - Hand Spun Single Ply Yarn, 144 yards and 126 yards
Beautiful Bamboo - Summer Brights - Hand Spun Single Ply Yarn, 110 yards and 116 yards
Beautiful Bamboo - Summer Carnival - Hand Spun Single Ply Yarn, 120 yards and 114 yards

News, Notes, & New Yarns!

Summer is coming to a close which means fall shows are on the horizon! Spinning and knitting weather will be here soon, I'm sure. Or so I hope as this summer heat and humidity is really starting to take it's toll. I have still been spinning, though, and will have a few more new yarns to list on Sunday.

FunctionArt ART YARN OF THE MONTH CLUB!
The second installment of the Art Yarn of the Month Club will go on sale on Sunday, August 22. I will have TWO options to choose from - the "Serpent Collection" option which will get you these three colors - Lizard King (slightly different variation than previous skeins), Lizard Queen (which adds purple and more dark blue to the Lizard King colorway), and Coral Snake - an awesome blend of darkest purple, black, coral and yellow. The second option will be "Autumn's Coming" and will have 3 fall-themed colorways. I will have 4 available in each color, and remember, the club also includes a BONUS skein that will be mailed in December.

NEW Bamboo Colors!
I also have 3 new bamboo colors that I'll be spinning and hopefully listing within the week. One has beautiful shades of blue, another is varying shades of green, and the final one is a really bright and cheerful pink/yellow/orange combination. In addition to these brand new colors, I'll also be re-stocking some of my fall favorites - Halloween Sunset (aka Kitty Grrlz Dark), Autumn Dreams, and more DragonSong/DragonWing.

New knits and more!
I'm working on new knits and more, too! These will most likely not make it online until October, and my focus will be on getting these items to Fall shows. I do have two new cowls I'll be listing this week in my Hand Knits shop on etsy, though.

Newsletter!
The next newsletter will be emailed on September 2, due to our upcoming vacation.

Free Shipping in the USA and $5 International shipping
I will be unable to mail items from August 28-September 1, so I will be offering Free Shipping in the USA during this time (and $5 International shipping). I'll be changing this over early, though, so this will start on Sunday, August 22!

And, finally, here are some new yarns recently listed in my etsy hand spun yarn shop!

Summer CRAFTACULAR tomorrow in Madison!

Tomorrow - Sunday, August 15 - is the Summer Craftacular in Madison, Wisconsin. I will be there with my hand spun yarns, fiber batts, art yarn kits, and hand knits! I will be in booth #25, which is on the stage. Here is just a small sample of the items I'll have -


For more items, check out my etsy shops - Kitty Grrlz Hand Spun Yarns and Kitty Grrlz Knits!

After the show, I should have some new yarns to list on Monday!

Midwest Fiber & Folk Art Fair this weekend!!

I'll be at the Midwest Fiber and Folk Art Fair starting tomorrow, Friday, July 16! It runs all weekend and is taking place at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Grayslake, Illinois this year. I am sharing a booth (#322) with Natalie of Cloudlover. We'll have handspun yarn, handdyed fiber, blended fiber batts, specialty fiber packs perfect for spinning into your art yarns or using for other fiber projects, and also our NEW Spin-Your-Own-Art-Yarn kits!! Please check it out if you are nearby!

My etsy shop items will be de-activated during the days of the show. I'll be re-activating at night (so long as the internet works in our hotel) AND will have tons of new stuff to list on Monday (unless it all sells, of course! ;) )

Have a great weekend!!

New yarns and only 3 weeks until Midwest Fiber & Folk Art Fair!

I have listed some new yarns recently, but am not sure how many new ones will be listed over the next three weeks since Midwest Fiber & Folk Art Fair is coming sooner than I think! I'll be working hard on spinning lots of new yarns for that event, AND carding lots of batts for it, too! I'm sharing a booth with Cloudlover, and we're also working on some kits for spinners . . . so please mark your calendars if you are in the area!

The JULY Art Yarn of the Month WILL be mailed out before the show, I expect to have it in the mail July 6th. Still haven't purchased your FunctionArt ART YARN OF THE MONTH subscription? Well, there are two left, and the listing will only be available until June 30. Please check it out on etsy here - the June yarn will be shipped to you immediately.

Finally, here are the newest listings in my etsy shop - a little bit of everything . . .

Beautiful Bamboo - Summer Shades - Hand Spun Single Ply Yarn, 128 yards and 126 yards
Beautiful Bamboo - Spring Garden - Hand Spun Single Ply Yarn, 128 yards and 122 yards
FunctionArt - Spruce Berry - Hand Spun Art Yarn, 70 yards and 60 yards
FunctionArt - Rose Plum Mocha - Hand Spun Art Yarn, 67 yards and 60 yards
Beautiful Bamboo - DragonStorm - Hand Spun Single Ply Yarn, 146 yards and 128 yards
FunctionArt - Forest Snake - Hand Spun Art Yarn, 76 yards and 72 yards
Kitty Singles - Holiday Party - Hand Spun Single Ply Yarn, 112 yards
FunctionArt - Aqua Lime - Hand Spun Art Yarn, 76 yards and 71 yards

Now I better get some spinning done!

Prepping for art yarn spinning

Today, I tried to do some prep work for some art yarns I want to spin, including the July Yarn of the Month! The way I usually do this is -

First, I vacuum and clear the living room floor.
Second, I pull out the fiber colors I want to spin as art yarns.
Third, I go through all of my bins and boxes of novelty yarns and pull out and match up the ones I think will match the fibers I've pulled. I always pull more than I will end up using since this is only a preliminary sorting.
Fourth, well, that depends. Sometimes I just bag them up and do the final choosing later, when I'm ready to spin that particular color. Today, I got 3 colorways completely chosen (and in order for spinning) before the clouds and rain came, making it way too dark. I always like to do this at peak daylight - preferably on sunny days. But, the sun is coming back out now, so I think I'll go through and make the final decisions on at least a couple more colors.
Fifth, they sit until I am ready to spin them. While I end up clearing them from the living room floor, it does usually mean I have yarns lined up all over - on top of shelves, on the table in my "fiber room" and anywhere else I can fit them that is relatively out of the way. Or, I just bag them up for later.

This process always makes me excited to spin them ALL right away! I have some new color combinations this time that I've never done so I am itching to spin them up! I hope to get at least one done tonight, after spinning some bamboo for a custom order.

Here are some pictures from today's prep - including one of my cat Bug, who was impossible today! She wanted to lay down right in the middle (in the pictures, that is where I sit as I sort) and I had to keep pushing her away. Finally, she found a spot on the outskirts of the fiber "mess" and did what she does best - took a nap.

New yarns, batts, and the June Art Yarn of the Month

I listed some new batts and yarns this past week in my etsy shop. I was hoping to list some more batts today and yarns tomorrow, but it is rainy, dreary, cloudy and gray here so I'm not sure I'll be able to take pictures. I'm hoping it will at least get a little brighter later today, but who knows. I WILL be carding and spinning lots this weekend, so it will just be a matter of time before I have more new items available. Here are pictures and links of the yarns and batts listed this past week -

FunctionArt - Telltale Heart v.2 - Hand Spun Art Yarn, 67 yards
FunctionArt - Telltale Heart v.2 - Hand Spun Art Yarn, 69 yards
Beautiful Bamboo - Harvest Gold - Hand Spun Single Ply Bamboo Yarn, 130 yards
Beautiful Bamboo - Harvest Gold - Hand Spun Single Ply Bamboo yarn, 162 yards
Blended Fiber Batt - Southwest Sunrise - merino wool, Tussah Silk, sparkle, 2.1 ounces
Blended Fiber Batt - Victorian Christmas - merino wool, bamboo - 2.3 ounces
Blended Fiber Batt - Red, White & Blue - 100% bamboo in 3 colors, 3.5 ounces total

And, here is the June Art Yarn of the Month! It is called June-iper Jewel and is spun from hand dyed merino wool dyed by Cloudlover in deep shades of purple, blue, and green. There are still two spots available - you can find the FunctionArt Art Yarn of the Month Club listing on etsy HERE. The listing will be up until June 30. After that time, these two additional skeins will be made available to club members at the club price, OR knit up by me. They will not be listed online, though they may make their way to one of my upcoming shows.

Grand Opening of River Rock Wool in the Folk Art Emporium

You may have noticed a bunch of my yarns disappeared this week, or became "reserved". Well, that's because they will be at the Grand Opening of the Folk Art Emporium in Menomonie, Wisconsin this SATURDAY, June 12, thanks to Paulette at River Rock Wool! If you are in this area, please consider heading out to this great event! Here is more information, from the River Rock Wool website -

River Rock Wool has found a second home in Menomonie, Wisconsin at the new Fiber Cooperative, "Folk Art Emporium". The Folk Art Emporium (over 2,600 square feet) is stocked with a great selection of hand dyed wool fabric, textured wool on the bolt, recycled wool, patterns, linen, hooks, books, kits, and other rug hooking supplies.

You are invited to our Grand Opening and our first Hook-In on Saturday, June 12th.

The doors open at 10:00 am and so will our Hook-In. Bring a current hooking project or let me, mom, or Sharon help you put together a new project. Hook until 5:00 pm, or just stop in for awhile. The entire line of Sharon A. Smith patterns will be available on linen. If you are thinking of starting a new pattern, let me know when you RSVP--I will keep one for you. Sharon will be unveiling her newest rugs, "Napping Knitter" & "Purple Rain"-- which you are going to love!!!!!

There will be beverages and appetizers available throughout the day. I will have a special Hookers Lunch prepared for everyone at 1:00 pm--please RSVP so I am prepared.

--Ribbon Cutting is at noon with the Menomonie Chamber of Commerce.
--Belly Dancing in the afternoon.
--Traditional music intermittent in the afternoon.
--Demonstrations of Spinning, Weaving, Knitting, Crocheting, Quilting, & RUG HOOKING
--Door Prizes at noon and 5:00 pm (must be present to win)

I look forward to seeing all of you and showing you our new location on our first official day of business.
Please RSVP if you can come to paulette@riverrockwool.com or call 715.294.1732 (home) or just come if plans change last minute and you are able to make it. Hope to hear from you soon.

The Folk Art Emporium is located in downtown Menomonie, across the street from the historic Mable Tainter Theater (considered the most beautiful historic theater in the country), and a few doors down from the University Wisconsin Stout.

Folk Art Emporium
222 Main Street East
Menomonie, WI 54751
715.231.2112
www.riverrockwool.com
(lots of other great shopping in this downtown area as well)

Note: The Menomonie location is in addition to our great location inside the Bear Patch Quilting Company in White Bear Lake, Minnesota and of course everything is always available through the website: www.RiverRockWool.com

This sounds like a ton of fun so I hope anyone in the area interested will check it out! I was next to Paulette last year at the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival and it was amazing to watch them work on this gorgeous rug - and it was also interesting to see *actual* rug hooking and not the 70s version I kept thinking of in my head - latch-hook. I contemplated buying a kit at the time, but knew I just didn't have time for another crafty venture. It IS on my to-do list, though, someday when I have more time.

----------------

New yarns, batts, and June Art Yarn of the Month

Today I listed some new batts and art yarns in my etsy shop! The art yarns are new skeins of recently-spun colors

Here are direct links -
FunctionArt - Boho - Hand Spun Art Yarn, 78 yards
FunctionArt - Boho - Hand Spun Art Yarn, 74 yards
FunctionArt - Marchengarten - Hand Spun Art Yarn, 69 yards
FunctionArt - Marchengarten - Hand Spun Art Yarn, 62 yards

I also listed two new batts -

Cherry Pie - luxurious merino wool, merino/silk and SoySilk, along with copper and red angelina for sparkle - 1.6 ounces and can be found on etsy here

Amethyst Vine - merino wool, Tussah Silk, bamboo, and a bit of purple angelina for just a little sparkle. 2.6 ounces and can be found on etsy here.

I'm also going to be spinning the JUNE ART YARN for the Yarn-of-the-Month club today - and it will be ready for shipping on Monday! You can still get your FunctionArt Art Yarn of the Month Club subscription on etsy HERE. The June/July/August club will be listed until the end of June and then the next club will be available in August for September/October/November. The club is really a great deal - you get 4 yarns for LESS than the price of 3!

Now, I better get offline and get some spinning done! :)

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New carded fiber batts for spinning, Art Yarn Club and where you can find my yarns this weekend!

Today I carded some batts. It's interesting how sometimes I think the colors are going to do one thing, and instead they do another. I didn't mean for the second one (blue/purple/apricot) to look so similar to a previous one I'd done, but it does. The first one was done trying to match a specific yarn and the end result . . . matches MANY of the novelty yarns I have! I think it would spin up into a great art yarn. The third one - i was going for a minty sunshiney blend and it looks a lot like Aqua Lime. The last one - I wanted it to be mocha mint but thought just the two colors would be a little "boring", so I added the bright aqua/turquoise silk . . . I like it (alot better in person - that one just didn't photograph well) but it wasn't what I expected. But enough of my rambling - here are the newest batts! All available in my etsy shop in the Blended Fiber Batt section.


There are two spots left for the FunctionArt Art YARN OF THE MONTH club. I am going to have the first one ready for mailing on Monday. Spinning those skeins are my exciting Saturday Night plans! :)

AND, If you happen to be going to the HOOSIER HILLS FIBER FEST this weekend - Friday and Saturday - stop by Cloudlover's booth - check out her awesome hand dyed fiber AND she'll also have some of my art yarns there, too!

I hope to have new yarns listed on Sunday and/or Monday, but then I probably won't have time to list anything new until Thursday (June 10). Though I am part-time at the Library, my schedule fluctuates from week to week, and this week is a 5-day, 27+ hour week. I'll still be spinning but won't have time or the right light for pictures until next weekend (except for Thursday).

But now I've got to clean up the fiber mess and watch the rest of the Lakers/Celtics game . . .

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New hand spun yarns listed today!

Just finished listing a ton of yarns in my etsy hand spun yarn shop! Plus, the listing for the Art Yarn of the Month club is now up, too. Here is the listing for the Yarn of the Month Club, and below the mosaic are direct links to all of the new skeins!

FunctionArt - Boho Dark - Hand Spun Art Yarn - Merino wool, 71 yards
FunctionArt - Boho Dark - Hand Spun Art Yarn - Merino wool, 74 yards
FunctionArt - Marchengarten - Hand Spun Art Yarn - Merino wool, 60 yards
FunctionArt - Marchengarten - Hand Spun Art Yarn - Merino wool, 67 yards
Novel-Ply - Mahogany Peacock - Hand Spun Bulky Yarn, merino wool, 71 yards
Novel-Ply - Mahogany Peacock - Hand Spun Bulky Yarn, merino wool, 38 yards
Novel-Ply - Red Maple Buds - Hand Spun Bulky Yarn, merino wool, 71 yards
Novel-Ply - Red Maple Buds - Hand Spun Bulky Yarn, merino wool, 33 yards
Batt-tacular!/Thread-Ply - Rain Forest - Hand Spun Bulky Yarn, spun from a blended fiber batt that I carded! - 71 yards
Batt-tacular!/Thread-Ply - Mulberry Clouds - Hand Spun Bulky Yarn, spun from a blended fiber batt that I carded! - 90 yards

Now I've got to take a break and then hopefully card some batts tonight!

Art Yarn of the month club coming tomorrow!

Tomorrow, June 1, I will be launching the first Kitty Grrlz Yarn of the Month club! The first club option will be limited to 4 spots and will be for FunctionArt Art Yarn Skeins.

One spot is already taken, so the three remaining spots will be listed in my etsy shop on Tuesday, June 1. What will you get? You will receive one FunctionArt art yarn skein per month for June, July and August, PLUS a bonus skein delivered in December. The cost will be $105, plus $15 shipping for USA buyers. ($30 shipping for Canadian orders, $36 shipping for all other countries).

The skeins will be mailed by the 15th of each month, via Priority Mail.
They will be spun from hand dyed merino wool and be at least 60 yards.

If this works out, I will do another club listing for the art yarns in September that will be for September, October, and November.

I also plan on launching a bamboo club, too, but I'm not sure when that will start.

Here are just a small sampling of some of the art yarns I've spun in the past - but yarn club members will get NEVER BEFORE SPUN colors!

Looking for something to do this weekend?

This weekend, I am partaking in our first annual Three-Generation Rummage, Craft and Bake Sale!

WHEN?

Friday, May 28, 2010 from 8 AM - 4 PM
Saturday, May 29, 2010 from 8 AM - 4 PM

WHERE?

North Prairie, Wisconsin - Hwy ZZ & County E - 1/4 mile west of E on HWY ZZ
(For exact address or directions, please email me here!)

WHAT??

A HUGE Antiquer's Rummage Sale - Friday and Saturday
Including plenty of things to make antique hunters happy, along with household items, some cds, and other wonderful miscellaneous treasures. My contributions include some Jack Daniels memorabilia, some awesome collectible dolls, Barbies, cds, and more.

A Mini CRAFT Fair - SATURDAY ONLY
I will have all of my hand made items - hand knits, a bit of jewelry and ALL of my hand spun yarns. Knits and jewelry will be deeply discounted. Yarns will be on sale, too! I'll also have my spinning wheel, so if you are curious to see how yarn is actually spun, I'll be spinning throughout the day!

I will also have craft SUPPLIES - some jewelry making items, fiber for spinning or felting, commercial yarns, ribbon, and more.

A BAKE SALE and GOOD FOOD - SATURDAY ONLY
My sister (and niece) will have some amazing goodies she's making for the event - her list included brats, salsa, baked goods, and things I am forgetting. All super-yummy though!

So, if you are in the area, please consider coming out for a unique "rummage" sale experience!

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My New Toy - A Drum Carder!

Yesterday, I went to visit Natalie of Cloudlover Yarn & Fiber. We've done some shows together and I've talked about possibly carding fiber to spin or to use in spin-your-own-art-yarn kits. Since she bought a second carder last summer (an awesome one, too, I might add!), she offered to let me borrow her first carder - a Strauch Petite (Super Fine). Here it is . . .

Along with this, I also came home with a HUGE bag of hand dyed wool - mostly merino - and also some gorgeous hand dyed silk! With this fiber and the stash I already have, I hope to start carding batts - some that I'll spin into yarns for my etsy shop, and some that I will sell as is, or as parts of spin-your-own-art-yarn kits.

I brought the carder home Sunday night, after a fun day of hanging out with Natalie (and Ben, her two cats, and Mr. BunBun the rabbit) in her FIBER HEAVEN. Seriously, walking in all I saw was a huge drying rack just filled with her hand dyed fiber! (It's amazing I only came home with ONE bag of wool!) Even though I should have started right in on spinning yarns for my shop, and a custom order, I just HAD to play with the carder.

For my first batt, I just took some small bits of brighter colors - pink, blue, a little bit of green, and white. Mostly just wool with maybe a little bamboo. I had so much fun with that one, I had to try at least one more . . . which turned out to be two more in shades of brown, green, and chartreuse. Again, these are mostly wool, but also included more bamboo dyed by Fiberlady in her "Rain Forest" color. The results are super soft batts . . .

I am definitely having fun with this new toy and am really grateful to Natalie for letting me try it out! And for all of the awesome fiber. But, now I have to get going so I can get some yarn spun . . . and maybe card another batt!

Lots of new hand spun yarns!

I have been busy spinning. The yarns above are some of my most recent additions to my etsy shop - a little bit of everything - some more art yarn skeins, some new bamboo, a new CoilySpun yarn, a new Novel-Ply, and even a squishy Thread-Ply!

What's coming next? More art yarns - including brand new colors! Also, more bamboo, of course!

Stay tuned - in May I plan on doing my "Destash Sundays" posts again like I did last year. I'm also working on some brand new products! AND, will be showcasing some awesome items made with my yarn. Plus, spinning lots of new yarns, of course!

Yarn FEST is TODAY!

I'm off to the Beverly Hills Yarn Fest today where I'll be selling my hand spun yarns! More information -

Beverly Hills Yarn Fest 2010
Beverly Art Center
2407 W. 111th St Chicago, IL
Time: 11am - 5pm
Admission: $2

Now, I'm off to get ready . . .

New Yarns and YARN FEST this weekend!

I've listed some new art yarns this week in my etsy shop!

Two skeins each and all spun from hand dyed merino wool - Taos Sunset, Plum Honey, Lizard King, and Citrus Dreams

Today and tomorrow I'll be spinning lots of bamboo skeins but won't be listing them because I'm getting ready for . . .

The Beverly Hills YARN FEST, which is THIS SUNDAY, April 11 at the Beverly Art Center - 2407 W. 111th St Chicago, IL - from 11am - 5pm. I'll have lots of hand spun yarns and also bamboo fiber for spinning.

Any new yarns spun and not sold will be listed on Monday!

St Patrick's Day Sale!

Today until 4 pm Central Time single ply regular-sized bamboo skeins are $17! You can see and purchase them in my etsy shop here! I'll have a few new skeins listed around noon today, too!

Some new hand spun yarns!

I have quite a few new yarns to share since I HAVE been spinning, just not blogging. I have been posting new yarns on my Kitty Grrlz Hand Spun Yarns Facebook Page, though, so you can always see what's new there!

First up is an art yarn that I planned on spinning AGES ago, when I first requested this color from Natalie of Cloudlover. I've spun this as a single ply and as a "Squish-tastic" and also a "Novel-Ply" but here it is for the first time (finally!) as a FunctionArt art yarn - Blackberry Sea!

I have two skeins currently available on etsy here and here, but have more fiber and will probably be spinning a couple more. At least until I run out of the "Flora" yarn that started this all!

And today I listed this wonderful new color spun from Yarn Wench merino wool (color Decadence) - Canyon Violets - also two skeins on etsy here and here.

Here are some other new yarns spun recently, too -

Novel-Ply - Tidal Breeze - Hand Spun Bulky 2ply ThicknThin Yarn - two skeins - 70 yards and 38 yards

And, some more art yarns -

FunctionArt - Sweetheart Roses - Hand Spun Art Yarn, merino wool, 76 yards

FunctionArt - River Twilight - Hand Spun Art Yarn - merino wool, 65 yards

And, a couple of single ply skeins -

Kitty Singles - Garden Peach - Hand Spun Superfine Merino wool, slightly thicknthin, 116 yards

And, one for St. Patrick's Day -

Kitty Singles - St Patrick's Day Surprise - Hand Spun BFL Wool Single Ply Yarn - 148 yards

I think there may be a couple more, but that's all I'll post for now.

New Yarns and a new scarf!

I've got lots of new yarns to show off, but first . . .

Since I've returned from Sheep in the City, I just haven't felt like spinning! I don't know why, though I suspect is has something to do with my wheel. It needs a bit of "maintenance" and I finally got what I needed for that today. Anyways, last night I decided I really wanted to knit. So, I knit up a scarf using a skein of single ply yarn that I spun using Phydeaux's "Soft Acorns" scarf pattern. You can find her pattern on etsy here or on Ravelry here. The yarn I used is this skein - a hand spun single ply worsted weight slightly thicknthin skein spun from a merino/bamboo
blend.


The skein was 114 yards, so I wasn't sure if it would be enough. I used size 11 needles as the pattern called for, and even though the wraps per inch on the yarn made it more worsted than bulky, I think it worked out okay. The scarf is 4 inches wide and 65 inches long so i think a little less wide than the pattern called for. Pictures aren't very good since I took them a little late today and don't have a good light set-up for larger items.

Pattern was totally fun - perfect level for me as it was more than basic but not super difficult. By the end I was definitely used to the pattern and didn't have to keep checking to see where I was.

I did end up only repeating the main part 20 times as opposed to 22 as the pattern called for since I was near the end of the yarn! Still think I got a decent length from it!

I can't wait to try more of Brenda's patterns!

And, now onto some of the new yarns I've listed lately, all of which can be found in my etsy hand spun yarn shop!

Kitty Mixers - Violet Night - Hand Spun 2ply Yarn, merino wool, 164 yards and 146 yards
Navajo 3ply - Winter Berry - Hand Spun 3ply Yarn, merino wool/silk/bamboo blend, 90 yards
Squish-tastic! - Winter Berry - Hand Spun Bulky 2ply Yarn, Rambouillet wool and merino/silk/bamboo blend, 70 yards and 33 yards
Squish-tastic! - Sugar Plum - Hand Spun Bulky 2ply Yarn, Rambouillet woo, and merino/tencel blend, 62 yards and 44 yards
Navajo 3ply - Autumn Gypsy - Hand Spun 3ply Yarn, merino wool/silk blend, 40 yards
Beautiful Bamboo - Plum Paradise - Hand Spun Single Ply Yarn, 162 yards

Now I'm off to get some new single plys spun, and maybe do some more knitting!

A new type of art yarn . . .

I am getting ready for Sheep in the City this weekend, so decided to spin up something I've been meaning to spin up since last fall. It is one type of a new style of art yarn that I plan to promote more this year.

It started last fall when I had a request to spin a school colors art yarn in dark navy and gold. I spun that yarn and then had another request for a evergreen and gold art yarn. I also spun that one. It got me thinking that I should try to spin more of these types of yarns . . .

So, I'm going to have three different types available of my new FunctionArt - Team Colors art yarns. The first is the same as those first requests - two colors of wool alternated and novelty and specialty yarn snippets in the two colors spun in. That's also what I spun up yesterday - in the Ever Green and Gold colorway - (these skeins are on etsy here and here)

The other two types will be:

White+ - this type will be white or undyed wool along with one color of dyed wool and the yarns spun in would be white plus the other team color (for teams with white as one of their colors).
White only - this type will be spun with undyed wool and then have the team or school color represented by the yarn snippets spun in. This one can be done one of two ways - have the white color represented by the fiber and then the spin-ins represent the other color, OR have the white as the fiber and then the spin ins would be white AND the other color. (again, for teams with white as one of their colors).

I hope to have examples of these other types soon.

Now, it's back to preparing for Sheep in the City!

The art yarns are coming, the art yarns are coming!

;) Okay, I've been saying that to myself all week because I've been determined to get back to my art yarn spinning. I've been spending so much time trying to build up inventory of my other types of yarns, that I've been neglecting my favorite yarns to spin - my FunctionArt art yarns. But, I've spun up 6 new skeins this week, have some more fiber prepped and ready to go, and even MORE fiber TO prep for even more skeins! With a show coming up, I do want to have a nice selection of colors - some will be old favorites and others will be brand new!

Two of the old favorites would have to be Plum Divine and Mahogany Midnight Moon. Both of these colors are from merino wool dyed by the Yarn Wench, and I've been spinning them as art yarns for awhile. This is my fifth time spinning "Mahogany Peacock" into two skeins of "Mahogany Midnight Moon" - both 82 yards and on etsy now - here and here.

And, of course, there is Plum Divine. I've actually lost track of how many times I've spun this one, and each time it still turns out just a little bit different, mostly because I keep running out of yarns to use and have to find a new one to replace the ones I run out of! Here are the two latest skeins spun - 80 yards and 70 yards


This week, I've also been spinning some that are more solidly-colored. I have a blue one planned to spin today, and the other day I spun this one - Madeira - this was spun from hand dyed superwash merino wool dyed by Cloudlover in her new Madeira colorway. I spun in lots of orangey yarns and plied with orange thread. It's not only orange, though, it has gold and bit of brown in there, too, though orange definitely dominates. I have two skeins - 62 yards and 66 yards.


I'll still be sneaking in some other types of yarns over the next two weeks, but you'll also definitely be seeing more art yarns coming! :)

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Plum Gold - new Squish-tastic! yarn (and more!)

Recently, I received some fiber from the Yarn Wench in a new colorway - Plumgold. All I can say is, it is awesome! At first, I thought I'd try spinning it as an art yarn, but since I had both merino and a merino/silk blend, I decided to spin a Squish-tastic! instead. Since I had two batches of the merino, I was able to spin 4 skeins (2 larger and 2 smaller) and even had enough merino/silk left over for a small skein of Navajo 3ply. Here is a mosaic of the skeins, all of which can be found in my etsy shop in the Squish-tastic! section. I also have this color in Falkland, but I'm not sure yet how I'll be spinning it.

The last skein is a bamboo skein - Prairie Autumn Gold, and along with this skein, is the last I'll have in this color. (oh, and the Navajo 3ply skein can be found on etsy here.)

I also spun up a couple of single plys recently, both from Cloudlover fiber. The first is hand dyed merino/silk blend in her "Port au Prince" colorway - all proceeds from the sale of this fiber are being donated to Haiti Relief. As I did with the art yarns recently, I'll also be donating a part of the proceeds from the sale of the yarn.

Kitty Singles - Port au Prince - Hand Spun Single Ply Yarn, 148 yards

The other single ply is spun from Falkland wool -

Kitty Singles - November Garden - Hand Spun Single Ply Yarn - 132 yards

Now I'm off to get some fiber prepped for some new art yarns!

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Something wonderful I found that was made from my yarn!

I happened upon this beautiful brooch on etsy the other day! It is made with my Ice Princess bamboo - one of my favorite colors. This was made by Foxaz, and you can find their shop on etsy here! Here is a picture of the brooch, from their etsy listing which you can find HERE. So pretty!!!

This is an example of the yarn used -

Which you can find in my etsy shop here, here, here and here!

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Super Bowl Shipping Special & New Yarns!

Today I am offering FREE SHIPPING in the USA and $5 International shipping in my etsy shop as my SUPER BOWL SPECIAL! I also may be offering individual yarn specials throughout the day (maybe). To know when or what those specials are, become a fan of my Kitty Grrlz Hand Spun Yarn page on Facebook here!

In other news, I have been spinning this week. A couple of new art yarn skeins, some single plys, and of course, some bamboo. Here are some pictures of some of the latest yarns, all of which you can find in my etsy shop.

More Plum Divine! Two new skeins of my favorite art yarn colorway - Plum Divine - spun from merino wool hand dyed by the Yarn Wench. I have two skeins available - 70 yards and 80 yards.

Some new single plys, spun from merino wool blends dyed by Cloudlover.


Top two skeins - Kitty Singles - Ocean Blues - Hand Spun Single Ply Yarn, merino wool and tencel blend - 150 yards and 158 yards

Bottom left - Kitty Singles - Ocean Frost - Hand Spun Single Ply Yarn, merino wool, silk, and bamboo blend - 150 yards

Bottom right - Kitty Singles - Woodsy Wine - Hand Spun Single Ply Yarn, merino wool and silk - 140 yards

A new Squish-tastic! - spun from superwash merino wool and a merino/silk/bamboo blend dyed by Cloudlover - I have two skeins - 35 yards and 64 yards.

And, of course, some new bamboo -
Beautiful Bamboo - Summer Shades - Hand Spun Single Ply Yarn - 114 yards, 138 yards, and a double-sized 238 yard skein!

Beautiful Bamboo - Ice Princess - Hand Spun Single Ply Yarn - 130 yards, 112 yards, 122 yards, and 124 yards

Beautiful Bamboo - Seashells by the Seashore - Hand Spun Single Ply Yarn - 146 yards, 126 yards, 148 yards, and 154 yards

That's it for me for today - I've got to get some spinning done!

Catching up - new art yarn for Haiti Relief, Facebook, and more!

Well, the truth is I am not doing so well on my new years resolutions, one of which was to blog more often! I don't think I posted at all in January! But, the month was spent getting back into a routine after the chaos of moving and getting used to a new place. (I know, excuses, excuses!) But, as February begins, so beings my "new year" and I resolve to blog more often AND also utilize my Facebook page more often, too. Oh, and I'll be twittering by the end of the month! Too much? We'll see, though I expect to be focusing most of my efforts on Facebook.

I've been spinning, as always, and yesterday I listed a new art yarn. This art yarn was spun from hand dyed fiber from Coudlover that was a special colorway she dyed and all proceeds from the sale of the fiber were donated to the Red Cross for Haiti Relief. While I honestly can't afford to donate the full amount, I will be donating *at least* $10 per art yarn skein that I spun. I had four of them, but one has sold already. I plan to donate at the end of the month, and hopefully they will all have sold by then. Depending on if I have rent money or not, will depend on if I increase the donation per yarn (the $10 is guaranteed, though, but I'm hoping to be able to double that). Here is a picture of one of the skeins -

You can find the skeins listed in my etsy shop - HERE, HERE, and HERE.

I'm also really excited for the season premiere of LOST tonight, and the three new yarns I listed today show that as I've named them all "Lost" :)
Top yarn is - Navajo 3ply - 80 yards spun from merino wool/silk/bamboo blend and the other two rows are two skeins of my Squish-tastic! style spun from superwash merino and plied with the merino/silk/bamboo blend. The two skeins are 64 yards and 35 yards.

I also have lots of other yarns that i've listed over the past few weeks, but I won't show them all here - you can check them all out in my etsy shop or on flickr!

Finally, starting this month I am going to be using my Kitty Grrlz Hand Spun Yarns Facebook page to post links to new listings, sneak previews of upcoming yarns and colors, AND specials that may only be posted on Facebook. You can check out this page and become a fan HERE. I will still be sending out my once-per-month newsletter to newsletter subscribers, but often times throughout the month I may want to have special short sales or discounts and from now on these will be posted on the Facebook page. I'd also love to hear your suggestions for types of yarns, colorways, and fiber blends over there, too!

I think that is all for now as I better get to work - I will NOT be spinning while Lost is on tonight and that's usually my peak production time!