Kitty Grrlz Cash Rewards Program

September is here! Which means fall fiber shows and November craft shows! I will be busy building inventory for the events I'll be vending at (a full list can be found in the sidebar of this blog), but that also means I won't be offering many discounts or specials. To make up for this, I have decided to steal an idea from Kohl's and offer a Kitty Grrlz Cash Rewards Program for the next few months.

What is the Kitty Grrlz Cash Rewards Program?

The Kitty Grrlz Cash Rewards Program allows everyone who purchases from me from September 1, 2011 through November 30, 2011 to earn "Kitty Grrlz Cash" which can be redeemed after December 1, 2011 towards yarn, batts, or anything else in my etsy shop. If you earn enough, you will get FREE yarn, batts, or gift cards!

How do I participate/earn rewards?

Earning the rewards is easy - simply purchase items from my Kitty Grrlz Hand Spun Yarn Shop, my Kitty Grrlz Hand Knits shop, or from me in person at shows between now and November 30, 2011. You will earn $15 for every $50 spent - that is about a 30% return on your purchases!

ALL purchases count towards this program - yarn purchases, fiber purchases, gift card purchases, and even hand knit purchases in my Kitty Grrlz Knits shop!

Do I need to do anything special?

No, I will keep track of everything!

How do I know how much I've earned and how do I get my reward?

I will keep track and at any time you can email me for the total you have earned so far. Then, on December 1, 2011, you will receive an email from me with the amount you have earned, and how to redeem the "Kitty Grrlz Cash".

Are there any catches?

The only thing is that the rewards can NOT be redeemed for actual cash. If you have earned enough to cover the entire cost of the items you want, you will pay absolutely nothing to redeem the Kitty Grrlz Cash rewards. If the amount earned is less than the item or items you want to purchase, you will need to pay the difference before I will mail the items.

I hope this explains it all, but if you have any questions, please feel free to post them in the comments or email me directly.

I really want this to be a "THANK YOU" to all of the wonderful people who have supported Kitty Grrlz throughout the years! I sincerely appreciate all of you!!

New yarns, batts and Art Yarn of the Month Club!

I have been listing new yarns a little more regularly now that I am in full-swing of preparation for fall shows. I am also continuing the FunctionArt HandSpun Art Yarn of the Month Club through November. I have two listings available for the next club, a Two-Month option or the regular Three-Month option. You can also use the following discount code until the end of August - KGIBL15 - for 15% off, sort of an "early bird" special since the clubs begin in September. After August 31, the clubs will remain listed (unless the spots sell out), but the discount code will be deactivated. You can also use this code on other yarns and batts in my shop!

I have also listed lots of new blended fiber batts for spinning! You can see them all in my etsy shop here!

Here is a picture of some of the new yarns!

Wow, it's been awhile!

I can't believe I haven't posted anything this year! I have been more actively updating Kitty Grrlz Hand Spun Yarns on Facebook with new yarn listings and personally, have just been very busy!

I am gearing up for a small show in Madison, Wisconsin on March 19 - the Madison Knitter's Guild Knit-In. For more information please check out their website here.

I have listed some new yarns recently in my etsy handspun yarn shop, but not quite as many as usual. I really hope to start listing more new yarns soon.

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!

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!

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!