It's been awhile . . . but here are some new yarns!

I am so bad at keeping up with the blogging thing. I try, really, I do. I spin and think of the things I want to write, but then when I sit down to write them, they are gone, or don't seem important enough to post. Oh well. Here is one of my usual new-yarn posts . . .

First, is a new art yarn, another in what I'm calling my "Masquerade" series, this one, simply "Masquerade II", spun from hand dyed merino wool, dyed by the Yarn Wench. I have two skeins listed in my etsy shop, an 86 yard skein and a 76 yard skein -

And, another one, spun from merino wool hand dyed by Cloudlover - this one is called Telltale Heart and I also have two skeins - 88 yards and 84 yards -


And, finally, here are two of my all-time favorite colorways, merino wool and merino/silk hand dyed by the Yarn Wench in "Andromeda" and "Mahogany Peacock". These are all listed in my etsy shop as well (direct links below the picture) -

Navajo 3-ply - Mahogany Peacock - 100 yards
Squish-tastic - Mahogany Peacock - 70 yards
Squish-tastic - Mahogany Peacock - 25 yards
Navajo 3-ply - Andromeda - 100 yards
Squish-tastic - Andromeda - 105 yards

And, one more, this one spun from merino wool and silk blend also dyed by Cloudlover - a Navajo 3ply - 190 yards - in color Peppermint Twist -


That's all for now! Time to get back to spinning! :)

Navajo 3-ply Yarns

Currently, I am running a featured yarn ad on Ravelry for my Navajo 3-ply yarns. I learned how to Navajo ply in the summer of 2007, I believe. It took a bit, but finally, one day, I just sat down and said, "I AM going to do this." I used Lynn's (aka the Yarn Wench) wonderful video and tutorial that can be found here. The key was I needed both the video AND the description to help me finally get it. Once it clicked, though, I was so happy and spun 3plys nonstop for awhile!

There are two main reasons I like the 3ply over the 2ply. The first is that I like how it keeps the colors together a little better. It doesn't dilute them or mix them quite as much as a two-ply does. I love the colors in Lynn's roving, and Navajo plying helps keep the colors a little more solid and intense. The effect of a two-ply can also be really beautiful, but it tends to mix the colors and dilute them. So, Navajo plying is what I do when I want to maintain the integrity of the colors.

Plus, it is sort of easier to spin - all you need to do is spin ONE single ply strand and then Navajo ply it into the 3ply! You only need two bobbins and you never have any "left over".

The second thing I really like about it, though, is the roundness of the yarn and how it looks when knit. I remember reading early on that 3plys are preferred by some because of the even, round nature to them and the fact that they really show off the knit stitches. I didn't really believe this until I actually knit with one of my 3plys. Then, I realized and could see the difference between something knit with the 3ply versus the 2ply. I think both have their purposes and everyone has their preference - but I think I prefer the 3ply now, too.

The one downside for me about Navajo plying is these types of yarns take me *so long* and you always get less yardage from the fiber than you would if you spun a single or even a two-ply. And, it isn't actually the plying that takes the longest - that is actually pretty smooth, fun and easy - but spinning the single is what drives me crazy! I've been spinning a bit bulkier lately, but usually I try to spin a really really thin single to end up with a thinner end result. It's spinning that single that seems to take me longer than anything else! But, I do still love spinning them!

My preference of fiber for the Navajo 3-plys is the merino/silk blend, or the SeaWool fiber which is wool and seacell. Though, I think the merino/silk works better for this type of yarn. I also like using merino and Falkland.

Here is a mosaic of some of my newest Navajo 3-ply yarns - all of which can be found on etsy HERE.


I am hoping to continue to list new 3plys through the end of the month. I have lots more merino/silk I'd like to spin this way, and will have at least one more skein of the SeaWool spun, too!

And, what do I like to knit with the Navajo 3ply yarns? Wristwarmers or Fingerless Gloves! While fairly basic in design, I really do love how the 3plys work for them. I can get a small pair out of less than 2 oz of yarn, usually two pairs from one larger skein of Navajo 3-ply. I also prefer to knit them on double-pointed needles so that I don't have to seam up the side. Here is a mosaic of some of the ones I've done. (Some of these are available in my Kitty Grrlz Knits shop HERE.)
That's all from me today!

Mad-Town Rocks! (and Plum Grove)

So, my show this past weekend was actually really good!! It was at a mall in Madison, and can I just say - Madison rocks! There are definitely a lot of knitters there so instead of selling mostly hand knits (which is what I *thought* would sell) - I sold yarn!! I always prefer when the yarn sells, since I really do enjoy spinning more than knitting right now. That's not to say I don't like knitting - it's just right now I'd rather be spinning. Honestly, there isn't much I would RATHER do than spin . . .

At the show, which WAS long - 11 hours on Saturday and 7 hours on Sunday and that was just the "open" hours - I was there early both days! - I got A LOT of spinning done! Yay! Since I hadn't spun much in the days leading up to the show, it was actually really great to just sit and spin all day. Here are the yarns that I finished:

Plum Grove - Navajo 3-ply in Merino Wool/Silk blend. This fiber is an 80% merino/20% silk blend hand dyed by the Yarn Wench as a special request. (You know I can't seem to get enough of this colorway!). I spun one batch into this Navajo 3-ply skein, 200 yards total of thinner worsted weight:
With the other batch of merino/silk, I spun a thin strand, that I used in a different yarn (I'll show that one in just a second) but had a bit left over to make this smaller 80 yard skein:

The other yarn I spun was the bulky 2-plys I like to do - spun from one thick/thin strand of merino wool, and then plied with the thinner strand of merino/silk. I also ended up with one large and one small skein. Here is the large, 136 yards, 4.3 oz!

And, the Mini Skein of 46 yards:
This week I plan on spinning up some art yarns, but first I just *had* to spin some of the "Babycakes" I got from LOOP last week! First, I selected some that I thought would work well together (since they are small little "mini-batts" of fiber, I wanted to combine them for a longer yarn) . . . here is a shot of the ones I chose:
Each row was spun into a separate yarn, in my "Rocky Roads" style - plied with thread with coils along the way! I finished quite late last night so was only able to take some shots of the yarn (before setting the twist) in my crappy night lighting - but here is one (I'll have better ones later today!)

They are VERY textured and sparkly! They'll be listed on etsy and my website later today!

That's all for today!

Wow . .

has it really been a week since I last posted???? Shame, shame!

But, I've been busy. I had a show on Saturday so of course spent last week getting ready for it, which basically meant forcing myself to KNIT! I don't know why it is so difficult for me to get working on a knitting project - once I complete them I'm always happy - but once again it was down to the wire as I tried to get two Triangle Shawls done . . . and it paid off as one of them sold! Here is the other one . . . they are *really* difficult to photograph. I realized this time that the problem is the only open/bright/white background space I have is by our window - which doesn't work too well when you are trying to take pictures having the light *behind* just isn't conducive to getting a good picture. So, I will have to work on trying to find another space. Right now I'm thinking I need to find a white sheet or something that i could drape over the TV or something, then I could use that as the background . . . but, I digress. Here are a couple of shots of the shawl - but they are much better in person!

I also took pictures of two more scarves that I knit from hand dyed yarn - this yarn is Austerman Samoa nylon microfiber yarn that was hand dyed by Lynn aka the Yarn Wench, special for me. Both of these scarves are listed on my WEBSITE and also my hand knits etsy shop, Kitty Grrlz Knits. (The shawl will be listed later today.)

CopperBurnt Sky:

Ruby Sky:
And, of course, there has been lots of spinning! I spun up some bamboo recently, but the first one I did on Friday and it just didn't turn out well - I mean, I like it, especially the color, but it was spun much too unevenly and, well, here it is so you can see for yourself:
I guess it just turned out thicker and more over-twisted than I like. For comparison, here is another bamboo skein that I spun up on Sunday. It is much thinner, and more even (though I still get Wraps Per Inch varying between Sport and Fine weight), but to me, it just looks much more "professional":

This one should be listed later today. I'm still not sure if I'm going to list the other one. I may use it for my knitting experiment, we'll see.

I also spun up two Navajo 3-ply Yarns this weekend! Mostly done at my show. They are both available on my website or on etsy. If you click the pics below it will take you to the etsy listings.

This is "Sabrina's Garden" and is 160 yards. Merino wool.

This is "Fuchsia Cocoa Citrine", 116 yards, merino and silk blend hand dyed by the Yarn Wench.

Both are priced a little less than normal as they were mostly spun while at my show. Which, by the way, was an okay show. I sold a few yarns and the shawl, made my fee and gas money back with even a little to spare! Yay! Now, I don't have a show until April 12, and the main thing I want to have done by then are MORE SHAWLS, and more bamboo yarns.

Finally, I just have to say WOOHOO! I was on the front page of etsy on Sunday night! Here is a screen shot of part of the treasury that was curated by SteppingStones. Thank you for including me and yay for it making the front page!


Oops, ONE more thing, then I must get to work. Here is a sneak peek at a new yarn I spun last night. It is merino wool hand dyed by the Yarn Wench, with lots of specialty yarns spun in, and plied with rayon thread. 114 yards and 4.1 oz! AND, I still have more of the fiber so will be spinning a matching skein (will probably be smaller, though) tonight. This one, though, should be listed later today, once I get a chance to take some better pictures!

Spinning frenzy!

So, I have been on a spinning frenzy the past couple of days! After knitting 4 pairs of wristwarmers and a couple of scarves last week in preparation for my show on Saturday, I am finally getting back to the spinning!

Saturday, at the Apple Harvest Festival, I spun up the single for this Navajo plied yarn. (It was plied on Sunday.) It is spun from handdyed merino wool from the Yarn Wench, of course. Colorway called "Shadow Dance". Shadow Dance is on etsy HERE.

Then, I spun up two quick singles from some beautiful merino wool from copperpot.etsy.com
And, I also finished spinning the second half of the Burning Down the House Falkland roving from the Yarn Wench, into Autumn Harvest. This one is on etsy now!

Then, on Sunday night, I also spun up "Club Med 2", handdyed merino wool from the Yarn Wench. Two skeins--one plied with Moda Dea Cheri yarn and the other plied with thread. Both have novelty yarns and Cotswold locks spun in!

That was all done on Sunday! What a day of spinning! This is what I wish I could do *every* day!

Then, yesterday, didn't have as much time, but did spin up another set of art yarns from more handdyed merino wool from the Yarn Wench. This colorway was "Coneflower 2", and I am calling these two yarns "Autumn Mountain Morning". They both have novelty yarns, Cotswold and Romney locks, and angelina spun in and are plied with thread!

Most of these will be on my site later today and may be on etsy later this week. I won't have anything new next week as I'll be on vacation in Las Vegas, but when I return I hope to get some more yarns done for YarnCon which is October 13! I am done with outdoor shows for the season (woohoo!) but still have 7 indoor shows before the end of the year.

Success!

So, after 3 "bad" shows in a row (by bad I mean, making only a little over the cost of going, though I still did make "something" at each one), I admit to not really looking forward to this past weekend when I was a vendor at the Fall Harvest/Wine Festival in Cedarburg. I was secretly hoping this one would be good given the size and what I had heard from others, but you never know, and I admit I was dreading it.

Well, it was FABULOUS!!!!! It was SO worth the fee and the stress! I had a couple of return customers from a previous show which was great! I also had a woman (she is part of this group, the Crafty Angels) buy an armful of yarn for knitting holiday gifts! Her purchase alone made Saturday worth it! I actually sold more yarn than knits, though I did sell all 4 pairs of wristwarmers I had and both remaining shawls.

I had a perfect spot, in my opinion. I was in a high traffic area but not near some of the *really* crowded areas (like by the food). I was next to Amy's Candy with the Chocolate Factory on the other side of them. I had a small space on my other side, then another vendor. My spot was in perfect proximity to a side street where I could park all day. I also brought my spinning wheel, and on Saturday, I spun this yarn:

Pumpkin Patch Handspun Navajo 3-Ply Yarn

My friend came by on Saturday, but I was on my own on Sunday. This always stresses me out a little, but the people in the booth next to me were very cool and kept an eye on my wheel while I ran for a cookie & hot chocolate in the AM before it started. See, I usually get to shows right at the set-up time, even though it only takes me about an hour to set up. I do this, though, so I can get a good parking spot, and also so I'm not rushing around at the last minute. I also noticed that at this particular festival, which officially started at 10am, there were alot of people starting to look at 9am. Oh! And, I also met a fellow etsian, SaraLibbey! Yay for putting a face to a name!

And, the WEATHER! It was PERFECT!! A bit chilly on Saturday morning, but the cooler temperatures probably helped my sales in that it got people thinking about winter, knits, wool, etc! Sunday was a little warmer and a little less crowded, but it still seemed to be a hopping event! I definitely am hoping to do it again next year!

On Sunday, I also spun, and this is the result, another Navajo 3ply, this one probably DK weight or thinner (haven't checked the WPI yet):

Andromeda 1 Handspun Navajo 3ply Yarn

Andromeda 1 Handspun Navajo 3ply Yarn

I'll also quick show this yarn--it was done on Friday, sold on Saturday! i have more of the fiber so plan on spinning another one similar to this one:

Tropical Fish HandSpun Art Yarn

I have a show this weekend but I should have enough to get me through, though I do plan on doing some knitting and spinning this week so I have some new things. THEN, I will need to really get productive again as I have some really big shows in November and December (and, hopefully October). I'm just so happy this show went well and I'm so thankful for all of the wonderful customers that came through my booth!

Another quickie . . .

What I spun yesterday:

Pinesap handdyed merino wool from the Yarn Wench, Navajo plied, of course:

Olive Branch handdyed domestic wool from the Yarn Wench, quickie single ply in gorgeous colors for Fall:

And, finally, Candy Girl single ply (to match a boucle already spun awhile ago) spun from Sparklefluff batts from maryjanesattic.net

They should be up on my site and/or etsy tonight. Speaking of, yesterday was (I think) my BEST ETSY DAY EVER!! I sold *5* yarns! I am SO happy!! Thank you to my wonderful customers!! (And, isn't this just perfect, since now I have $$ in my paypal account . . . and there is a rumor of a Yarn Wench update AND sale today! ;)

Quickie yarn post!

So, I have been working on knitting things for shows (which I don't always take pictures of) and of course spinning! It was rainy yesterday so I wasn't able to get better shots, but I really wanted to share the latest yarns. So, here are some pics! Hopefully I'll have better ones today and be listing these new yarns on my site and/or on etsy.

This one is Navajo plied from handdyed Falkland wool from the Yarn Wench. I wanted to spin it for EtsyFAST's September Challenge, with a theme of apples/apple colors. The colors are a little darker than I wanted, so I'm calling it "In the Orchard at Midnight". 118 yards

This is one skein of two that I spun from handdyed merino wool from knitspin on etsy. I spun in lots of novelty yarns and plied with rayon thread in variegated orange/green color. This one is 134 yards, soft and perfect for fall. I'm calling it "Autumn Wish".

It's partner, Pumpkin Patch, is 98 yards and plied with burnt orange thread. Very similar as the same novelty yarns were spun in and it is spun from the same batch of handdyed merino wool from knitspin.

Both of those are much better in person--I really need to get better pics in better lighting. These were taken at night with just our regular living room light.

On Saturday (Sept. 8) I did another show. Once again it wasn't great, but I got alot of spinning done. I finished one skein of the two below, and managed to spin most of the single for the second skein. Then, I finished plying it at home on Sunday. Both are Navajo plied from handdyed merino wool from the Yarn Wench. Her colorway was called "Sabrina" but I'm calling these yarns "Vintage Rose"

I have lots more pictures of these skeins at flickr. It is my current favorite and it is a possibility that I'll be knitting it for myself. Of course, I don't know when I'll have time, so by then it might have sold. Should be on my site or etsy later today!

I also knit up another pair of wristwarmers from yarn that I spun! These I did get up on etsy yesterday, HERE. I'm going to try and get a couple more pairs done for this weekend--I have a big show in Cedarburg, WI. I am *really* hoping it goes better than the last 3! (the last 3 have been kinda bleah. I've made enough to cover my fees plus a little extra but definitely not enough for the time/effort of getting to them and sitting there all day. Thankfully I brought my spinning wheel to the last 2 so have least been productive!)

Anyways, that's all for now!

New yarns & knits!

I know I haven't been posting here like I should, but here are some new things I've been working on. First, I have to admit I LOVE Navajo Plying! I love it because it keeps the colors of the fabulous Yarn Wench colorways much more "together" which I feel shows them off more! I also feel like the end product is a stronger, more durable yarn. Here are some of the latest Navajo plied yarns I've spun:

Sun Scarab, spun while at a craft show on Sunday, September 2:

Jinx's Woods, named in part for my kitty Jinx (RIP), the original color was called "Feral" by the Yarn Wench:

And, here is Purple Rain, spun from handdyed bamboo fiber from hollyeqq.com:

I also spun up this two-ply from handdyed merino wool from the Yarn Wench. It is two separate colorways (Rust Never Sleeps & Tradebeads Variation) spun into thin singles, then plied together. Not sure I like how it turned out, but that's probably because I feel like *everything* should be Navajo plied now! :)

Then, there are the knit projects I've been whipping up! I have knit a couple of hats with my OWN handspun yarn, and also a neckwarmer that I think I'll be keeping for myself!

Orchid Sky Hand knit hat with handspun yarn I spun (merino wool, romney locks, novelty yarns all spun up and plied with thread):

And, the matching mini-neckwarmer:

And, finally, here is a hand knit hat from "Turquoise Shadows" yarn I spun and plied with Moda Dea Frivolous. This is so soft and warm! This is also the yarn that was on etsy's front page last week! I still have one skein in my shop, but will be removing it tonight as I plan on knitting a matching scarf for this hat!

Well, I think that's it for a pretty picture update! :) I have a show this Saturday (again) and am hoping for the best. The past two shows haven't been very good, though the one on Sunday (Sept. 2) ended up not being too bad, PLUS I spun a yarn while there!

What I did today . . .

After a less-than-successful show yesterday (and one where I didn't bring my wheel), and lots of knitting done during the week . . . I missed my wheel and finally got to spin today!

I had this gorgeous merino wool dyed by the Yarn Wench, a colorway she calls "Night Falls". I wanted the skeins to match, so I prepped all of the fiber (8.6 oz!) and then alternated taking one "pile" from each batch while spinning. I got a bobbin full, about half way through the fiber, and just had to see it plied up. So, I Navajo plied it right away. Here is a shot of the fiber and yarn, and one of just the yarn. It is 158 yards and I should be able to get another bobbin of about the same size from the remaining fiber.