all better, much brighter

Finally, I'm getting caught up after a pretty crazy set-back this weekend. I've got some new beauties to unleash, a little at a time.

a quick shout out

to SadKermit.com.
Although, I don't have much to be sad about. My BFF Barbara is coming home soon (after two years in China)! I'm throwing a welcome home party on the 19th in my back yard. Hopefully, we'll have cool weather and a chance to light a bonfire. She's in SLC right now. I wish I could beam her to PA trekkie style.

hammer time

hammer films, not hammer-style dancing.

I don't dance.

Anyhow, if you're a lover of campy films, you seriously need a dose of Christopher Lee as "Rasputin, the Mad Monk" in your life.
that's all for today folks!

vacation

I'm going on vacation for a wee bit. Totally unplanned and unexpected. First, I'm wrapping up a few special orders.

I need a break from wool before I begin to dislike it. So, starting Friday, I'll be away for approximately one week. I've already been half-gone- I just need to mentally refuel before getting crafty before the holiday rush. If this doesn't work, I might go get a noncrafty job.

I'm having trouble finding fibery inspiration.

EDIT:
don't worry fiberbuddies, I won't disappear forever. I think I might scale back to Part-time woolly work. My original post was blurted out in the throws of a lonely cry- working from home is isolating.

personal challenge

Inspired by Xiane's personal challenge, I'm going to "un-plug" from unproductive web habits for one week. An hour reading the forums here- another lost in blogs there... the hours add up and the projects pile. I'm avoiding everything but Flickr, Twitter, my shop, and my email. Hopefully, the spare time will give me a chance to get caught up on a few special projects!

See you all in a week! I'm even kicking myself off of my blog. Minimalist net living sounds like a nice way to take a pseudo holiday.I think the cats will appreciate the extra attention- they've been sad since Farnsworth left last night. After taking a few sick-days off, I got spoiled with long snuggle piles of smitten kittens.

woolly cats + spock's decisiveness

Where did this early-summer cold come from? And I'm not talking about the weather. Out of nowhere, some awful stomach bug attacked, slaying my weekend plans and foiling what should have been a productive Monday. I'd grumble in detail but I'd rather think happy thoughts, especially now that a really awesome special order of calico cat inspired fiber arrived from Cloudlover69! When I opened the package, a lapfull of kitten popped out! I can't wait to spin this yummy BFL into a duo of two-plies. I also received a faaabulous new magnet for my fridge from Spamberly.
Good mail day, indeed. Until tomorrow, I'll be mooching out on the sofa with my cats. Hopefully this wool-vacation doesn't last long, I've got loads of special projects to get busy with.

mystery skein + little meow

As I was packaging and shipping orders today, I stumbled across something strange: a skein of yarn that I don't remember spinning! I'm sure it was bound to happen eventually- some spun-in-the-dark skein would eventually slip my memory. But this yarn? It's gorgeous! I don't know when it was spun, but judging by the ply (heh, I can tell one month's balance/ply/squish style from another), it looks like I could date it back to April. I searched my sold items, my yarn clubs, and all of my random records, but this yarn seemingly was abducted by aliens and beamed back into my stash while I obliviously breezed through late Spring. I'll post it to my shop this afternoon.

In super-happy news, I spun and sold a nice yarn for Emily! I'm sure she would have liked it- the color scheme is 100% 7 year old kiddo. I packed it off and said goodbye to it this morning. Also, it was nice to give a little back to St. Jude's, a theme-park of a hospital that provided my sis with lots of laughs while she received cancer treatment.

As a little smitten aside, "Good news, everyone!" Farnsworth is auditioning with a new family tomorrow night. Hopefully they take him home *fingers crossed.* If they don't, I'll just have to try harder to pawn his awesomeness off on my mom.
He's the returned kitten who is the last to find a new home. I'm thrilled that all of Greta's babies found friendly indoor homes.

tomorrow

would have been my little sister's 24th birthday. I made a memorial yarn for her a couple of years ago- and donated the proceeds to St. Jude's Children's Hospital (since that's where she received treatment). I think I might try to do the same thing tomorrow: dye, prep, and spin a memorial yarn or two.

She liked pink and purple and leopard skin patterns.


I don't feel sad on my siblings' missed birthdays anymore. It's hard to explain- I feel a happy nostalgia instead. My memories of Emily are mostly positive (minus the few temper tantrums that normal 7 year olds throw). I hope I don't overdo the topic. I just think about my kid sis and brother a lot, so they're often at the tip of my mind.

EDIT: Actually, my clock is all wonked up. Her b-day is Thursday, but I'll start on her yarns Wed. haha!

hey, guess what?

nothin.

It's just been one of those days. A rocky start, a sparkling salesgasm of fiber, and a smooth finish: strawberry shortcake + fresh summer salads.

I've been dyeing wool by the bushels for a fun wholesale project-- aaaand, for my Fall spins. I'm generally rotten at planning ahead for anything further than two weeks away, but I'll have a full 10 day hermitage at my uncle's place where I plan to lock myself away with thousands of projects.
I'm happy to introduce my newest ivy plant- a funky leaved little gal that bushes nicely and vines slowly.My other ivies are vining faster than I can keep up with. I sure wish I had a green thumb with other plants- my poor cilantro wilted weeks ago, and my tabasco plant (scroll down) isn't faring too well either.

LOADS of new spins, listed today:

check them all out here
thx!
much love,
Liz

mind melt

I've had trouble figuring out what to blog about lately. I'm blaming two things, a recent bout of an *awful* stomach problem (stress? food allergies? I have no clue), and the steamy distracting weather. Warm summery days seem to blur together- a never ending fuzzy stream of wool piles, dye pots, business decisions, house-cleaning, job searching (for my husband, not for me), and goal organizing. I'm planning on a shop update for tomorrow, and finishing off Batt Club batts for the June send-outs. I'm thinking bright summery colors will shine through this month- and am dyeing some mohair (for those who like it) and a little bit of bamboo. I'm worried that I over-do the bamboo thing. It's just so tempting to toss into merino- so soft and creamy.

On a completely wool-free note- I just found out that my husband was able to score two guest-list tickets to see Nick Cave at the 9:30 club. I can't stop bouncing in excitement. Also, I'm looking forward to doing a little bit of house-sitting this summer. It'll give me a chance to set-up studio in someone else's living room for a couple of weeks at a time- spinning stock for Fall. I really really need to focus on making multiple skeins in each colorway- a feat that is difficult for a flighty spinner like me. I need a little challenge now and then to keep my brain from getting soggy. I need new growth.

a new affair

The Lendrum arrived, and after freaking out over possible wobbliness, I've learned a little bit about myself.

1. I treadle macho- hard, fast, and sometimes vicious.
2. I might have a wee perfectionist issue. This is a serious surprise.
3. I've overcome my fear of speaking up. I contacted the shop owner and told them about my problem. When they initially dismissed my concerns, I was able to write back and assert myself. In the past, I wouldn't even complain in a restaurant if my meal was half-frozen. I *run* out of stores when my husband speaks up about anything, and he's always polite and non aggressive. Maybe I'm finally shedding my pansy petals.

Now (does a comma belong here?) I've relaxed about my wheel and have come to accept that a slight sway is normal (especially considering that my hardwood floors aren't even, my treadling is harder than I originally thought, and the shape of the wheel is conducive to a little movement). I'm packing up my wheel and taking it with me to a spin-in at The Mannings this weekend. Hopefully someone can reaffirm my above discoveries, and tell me that my new wheel is fine.

I'm updating my shop this afternoon with some new spins, a few have been created on my new wheel. Tomorrow, fresh batts. I've been putting off a batt update because my carding desk is in the one un-air-conditioned room in the house.

heck yeah!

I have developed an insatiable lust for other people's fiber.

It's wrong, I know. But I can't help lurking through pictures of stashes, wanting to (stealthily) finger everything. So, after reading gobs of positive hullabaloo on Ravelry about High Prarie Fiber UGLY BATTS, I set out on a mission yesterday- to fetch a pair. I emailed Abi, and she responded minutes later with an update on her site. I snatched two as fast as possible, and cut myself off from splurging on fiber for the rest of the week.

This weekend, I also taught my husband how to spin yarn. I never realized how possessive I was about my fiber until he began rummaging through my Merino, looking for colors to spin. "Not that one, it's a popular color," I'd remark. Or, "Try this one. I hate this shade of green. It's from a bad dye job too- and it's partially felted." Though I hear that UGLY BATTS suck for beginners, I think I'll give one to my hubby to practice with.

In other random news, I received my order of cotton, and boy- it barely fits into my stash! I'm destashing a couple/few lbs. of it on Etsy (in 4 oz. lots), if anyone's interested.
I also received an obscene amount of pharmaceutical cotton in the mail- uuughh! I was curious about trying it- and it is spinnable- but not without tears. I think I'll dye it and card it as neps in novelty batts- it looks like cupcake sprinkles or snowflakes when added to solid colors of wool. Still, I have waaaaay too much of that stuff to keep on my own, so if anyone's interested (and will pay shipping costs only) email me at darthliz at gmail dot com and I can send an invoice for the exact shipping charge of however much you would like. Seriously, ask for a pound. I've got plenty. It would be really terrific for paper-making, and if I were into that sort of thing, I'd skip using it as a spinning fiber altogether.

To clinch this post with a cliché, "live and learn."

disorganization

I really struggle with two aspects of my business, repeatedly. One, maintaining a short turnover for custom orders, and two, finding time between the dye pots, carding sessions, and spinnathons to assemble packages. I've tried many methods to keep everything running smoothly- delegating chores to shipping helpers, having hubby take over some of the tedious bits of packaging, pre-assembling packages, etc. When it all comes down to it, I think I just need to stick to a schedule- for real.

Starting next week, I'm setting aside one full day to shipping/packaging orders. That way, I can focus an entire work day on customer service. I'm thinking Friday or Saturday, probably Saturday. Also, I can make a quick PO trips for those who need their orders for special occasions or projects. I'm trying to use this summer as a springboard into more solid business practices. Up until this point, I've been flying by the seat of my wool covered pants.

Oh, and I'm going to institute an official fiber-free day: Sunday. I think one day a week "off" would help me focus harder on the days when fiber is "on."

Hopefully, more organization and structure will mean more products in the shop! Anyhow, if anyone has any great suggestions or tips, feel free to comment and share. I think I'm artsy minded and business-absentminded. I never intended for Hobbledehoy to take off like it did, sometimes, I have trouble keeping up with it!


woolly smooches,
Liz

itty bitty tutorial on corespinning

Last week on Fiber Friday, several people in the Craftster and Ravelry forums asked about corespinning. This is a really simple tutorial.

1. Start spinning a single.
2. Attach a core thread (tie it in, spin it in, whatever)
3. Spin for a few inches- maybe half a foot.
4. Wrap yarn around core while slightly drafting (as in vid.)




that's it!

Dear June,

How did you arrive so quickly? So much has changed since May, and we're only half-a-week into you! For starters, I finally ordered my Lendrum DT complete, my bunny has gained some serious weight, I learned to love spinning cotton, and the birds have multiplied- there are hundreds in my yard RIGHT NOW. Please, stay cool so my bunny can get some outdoor exercise and I'll feel comfortable dyeing over that hot yucky stove.

love,
Liz and co.

SALE

Today is the 2nd and final day of a little shop sale I'm throwing: buy one handspun, get one 50% off. Buy one set of batts, get a free surprise batt with your order.

I'm spending the day working with special orders, organizing my stash (a never ending chore!) and trying to plan out a low low low budget grocery list. Thank goodness for rice and frozen veggies! I'm still saving for my new wheel upgrade + a new dye collection + more wool, and now, I've discovered rigid heddle looms. The fiber arts never cease to lure me with snazzy products and luxurious wools.

I can't seem to stop corespinning. Here's my latest, "Ground Control"I'm really in love with this spin. It was a week long process- processing some fiber, making felt balls, selecting the right batts, etc. I just hope that whomever purchases it will share pictures of their knitting/crochet work with me!

I started twittering

so that I could wean myself out of the Etsy forums. I catch myself lurking because of how lonely working from home is. Sometimes, a simple lurk will turn into two hours. At least at Ravelry and Craftster, little happens and I'm forced to turn my attention towards something productive. Anyhoo, follow along and I'll follow back.

spicy

hello, humid pennsylvania heat.

hello, wickedly delicious afternoon storms.

hello, sweet cilantro and salsa veggies.



goodbye, crunchy frosty grass.

polyfill

Would anyone be interested in spinning with polyfill fiber? I've carded it into a few batts, and spun with it myself a little. I was thinking of listing some polyfill/merino/sparkle batts on Wednesday at a discount price.

It looks a little bit like a crimpy crystal firestar- shimmery and short stapled. It's not too hard to spin if it's mixed with wool.