...And Then We Went to Colorado!

*This post comes much later than planned. We moved, then had no Internet for a couple of weeks. Then the laptop decided it was fed up with life. But these things have been remedied more or less satisfactorily. We're moving again in a couple of weeks, but that should be a smoother transition. 

So, after a bumpy plane ride that involved charged for carry-on bags (what the biscuits?!), two-dollar sodas (that we didn't buy), and service with a scowl, we landed in Denver.  By the end of the night we were safely ensconced at a friends house and ready for some much-needed sleep.

We decided it was wise to rent a car for the following day.  We drove to Estes Park and there met with my first yarn tourism spot of the trip! The Stitchin' Den is amazing! It stretches across two storefronts and has managed to stay vibrant and expanding even after the trauma of last year's floods.  They also carry items for the cross stitch (my old love) and needlepoint artists. I bought a large jewel-toned skein of a yarn I have since forgotten the name of. I have no idea what to do with it, but I'm looking forward to finding out!

The other new yarn store I discovered was Wild Yarns in Denver.  This adorable and unabashedly hip shop featured locally spun and dyed yarn as well as selections from some of the bigger luxury brands. Don't let their small size fool you. I found many delicious skeins to fall in love with. It took much effort, but I finally settled on a sport weight yarn from Sleep Season in a moody colorway called Enchanted.

Of course I had to stop by Shuttles, Spindles and Skeins in Boulder to pick up another locally dyed treasure. This time around, I got another skein from Sunshine Yarns in Far, Far Away. It looks like a night sky in a fairy tale.

Needless to say, there was great food and drink and a spectacular wedding!  I have definitely fallen in love with Colorado and hope to go back as soon as next fall.

No Idle Hands Here!

Though I am generally a floppy person who enjoys her laziness as much as the next person, I still need to be doing something.  As I am currently out of yarn to dye, I'm returning to recycling yarn to fill up my time and my shop.  I have literally wound thousands of yards into skeins and still have a bunch to go.  I am so pleased with the summer colors and textures I was able to harvest from discarded sweaters.  They will be up in the shop soon! Here is a plate of mini-skeins as an appetizer.

I'm All Business! But It's Fun!

Years ago, I discovered Pinterest.  I had a lot of fun collecting everything from ideas for crafts and home decor to outlandish fantasy castles and costumes.  Then, as many recreational online activities tend to do, Pinterest fell by the wayside and I found other things occupying my time.  But now I have rediscovered Pinterest and I am loving it.  I switched my account over to a business one, but left my boards the same.  After all, I'd rather have people know I am a real person, not just a website.  I also added a widget to this blog so people can follow me (hint, hint) or pin things themselves. I'm finding tons of inspiration for all aspects of my life.  The recipes alone are worth creating an account. I feel like I'm a little late to the game and that everybody has been pinning blissfully along for years without me, but I'm going to catch up!

Sangria in the Deep End, Bellini Freckle, Pool Party, Mojito Freckle

Yarn News: New summer colors are here and listed at Skein Deep Yarn!  I feel so good about these that I've made little sample to show yarn shops in Colorado while we are there in June.  I would love to have my yarns in a few fabulous shops across the country.  I have had so much fun working on my business and can't wait to create the next bunch of colorways.  I know it's ridiculously early, but I have some very fun ideas for my holiday line.  I'll slip some fall colorways in, too, of course!

Summer Sky, Celery Stalk, Paper Flowers

I've barely had time to knit the past few days, but I have a tank top I'm designing and a pair of socks on the needles.  I'll probably take a bit of time out today to devote to these little projects.  I'll post pictures next time! 

That's all the news here for now, so see you soon and have a yarny day!

Life is Messy!

I haven't updated my posts in a while. I know.  My blog is starving.

I spent the last part of last year getting ready for my first craft fair for Stagebunny's Cabinet of Wonders, my jewelry business.  It was spectacular!  The event was the Sustainable Midlands Holiday Celebration, which featured local artists and restaurants.  Everybody was so nice and supportive of my freshman effort.  I can't wait for the next one!  However, it did take a lot of time away from my blogging, marketing, and just all around anything-ing.

Me behind my booth!

Another thing that has kept me off the blog is the death of BOTH of the laptops in the household.  Thankfully, we have an ipad which was handed down to us by a family member, but if you've ever tried to use this site with an ipad, you know why it's not conducive to frequent blogging. I have a feeling the public library will be seeing my blogging self more often until a better solution is found.

Hints about summer colorways!

On the yarn front, I will be ordering new sock yarn bases for my summer line!  I am so excited to finally be able to purchase a consistent base for my hand-dyed yarn.  It's a step closer to my vision of a well-stocked and professional shop.  I'll have several coordinating colorways and they can be dyed to order.  I'm starting out with sock yarn because I know so many of you are as passionate about sock knitting as I am, but soon I'll be adding worsted, and I'll keep going from there!  If you have a favorite weight of yarn, please tell me in the comments page.  I'd love the feedback!

Tales from the Road!

Last week, Mr. Deep and I returned from our travels to New Mexico and Colorado.  We attended a wedding in Albuquerque and enjoyed a wonderful visit with friends in Denver and Boulder.  As is my habit and desire, I had to find local yarn shops in the cities we visited and spend my vacation funds therein.  I was delighted to find several well-stocked, beautifully thriving businesses in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Boulder.  Limited time was the only thing keeping me from exploring more shops, and I made a vow to return to see what Taos and Denver have to offer in the way of fiber.  I spoke to shop owners about  experiences with independent dyers and local fiber artists and walked away feeling more inspired and better educated in my chosen field.

Yarn ain't the only thing brewin' in Albuquerque!

One of my favorite moments was when I was in The Yarn Store at Nob Hill in Albuquerque on a hot afternoon.  Several yarn-lovers were wandering through the gorgeously filled shelves where I found myself excitedly extolling the virtues of toe-up sock knitting to a customer.  I found some hanks of locally dyed yarn from Fiesta and checked out the price.  It was quite expensive, but rightly so.  I was encouraged as a fiber artist because the price was reflective of the work and care that goes into the yarn.  But does it sell at that price?  The fella behind the counter said it did very well.  And lo and behold, the woman behind me in line had some in her hand to purchase.  She said it was the only thing she bought.  Validation for the small fiber artist!  This made me so happy!  Unfortunately, the beautiful artisanal yarn was not in my budget (I didn't even expect to find a yarn shop there so easily!), though I did manage to get away with an amazing Malabrigo skein.  However, Mr. Deep and I plan to return soon with a larger yarn budget and more space in the suitcase.

Beautiful yarn, bad picture of the label.

Before heading up to Colorado, we stopped into Santa Fe for breakfast and, across the parking lot, I found surprise yarn!  Yarn & Coffee beckoned to me and I had to answer.  A good-sized co-ed group of knitters was gathered in the small but well-appointed shop.  I was pointed to some locally dyed yarn and fell in love with a skein of Wooly Wonka perfect for Mr. Deep's next pair of socks.  (I'll be ordering that and anther skein by phone this weekend.) The owner gave me the names and cards of other yarn shops in the area.  I loved the sense of community this small jewel of a store exuded. On my next swing-through, I'm definitely setting aside time for a cup of coffee and a knitting break.

Mr. Deep and I spent most of our vacation in the Boulder/Denver area, but, as Mr. Deep is very well-loved and was in great demand among his friends, I only had time to visit one yarn store, Shuttles, Spindles & Skeins, which had been suggested to me days before by a friend who lives in the area.  This shop specializes in spinning and weaving as well as yarn! After

My stash enhancement from Boulder, CO.

an hour of roaming between the shelves, and sending a few picture texts to Mr. Deep and his friends to help with the decision process, I was able to narrow my choices down to two gorgeous skeins, including one from local dyer Sunshine Yarns and one special edition shade from Dream in Color.  I also got some well-received advice regarding the business of being a dyer.  They practically had to kick me out as every turn inspired another potential project in my head and, therefore, another yarn I wanted to buy.

At the end of my bi-state "yarn tour", I walked away with two thoughts.  One was that I am so excited to go forward as a small independent fiber dyer. I felt that there were people who appreciate the artistry and hard work that goes into the fiber arts.  The other sentiment I had was that any community that has one local yarn store (or two or three, even!) is so fortunate.  Each store I visited had a sense of community and support, not just with regulars but even with a traveler just blowing through town.  I can't wait to revisit these stores and discover others in the area.  If you have a LYS in your area, visit it, patronize it, join the knitting/crochet groups that are offered.  These places are treasures. 

It's the Little Things...

There are two things that happen simultaneously when summer hits.  The most notable to me and those who know me is that my knitting productivity takes a sudden nosedive.  I mean, it's hot.  It feels like an eternity before I will be able to wear those wool socks I've been stashing away patterns for, and Mr. Deep won't even glance at his hat once the temperature goes above 65F.  The second thing that occurs to me during the warmer months is that I have a TON of tiny balls of high-quality yarn crouched at the bottom of project bags and stash drawers.  Beautiful fibers in exquisite colors languishing away after the bulk of their volume has been used in one creation or another.

So, where does one turn?  Tiny projects.  Things you don't have to wear made from (often expensive) yarn you already have.  Of course, we all know about coffee cup sleeves and key chain fobs, and I will probably do blog entries about both of those down the road.  But where else can we show off our mad yarn skills with the bits and pieces begging to be used?  I found a few tiny projects (all free!) on Ravelry that I found inspirational, fun, unique, and perfect for warm weather.  Some of these require very little yarn, so you can make several in different colors for yourself or for quirky little gifts.  I added the link to the blog or page of the oroginal contributor whenever possible.



 
I found these little ornaments so charming!  They use a ridiculously small amount of yarn, but you will have to get some craft mirrors first.  Year round, they add a touch of the exotic to handbags, ceiling light pulls, perhaps even gently swaying wind chimes.  Check out the pattern at Duo Fiberworks and take a look at their shop while you're at it!



 

Who doesn't love a finger puppet?!  I pick them up every now and then at craft fairs for myself (no kids in the Skein Deep household yet.)  And for those of you with tots out of school to manage, you really can't have too many fibery little characters to keep them busy story-building and role-playing.  The blog Inspired has an easy-peasey pattern for these little guys.  And you can let the kids help choose the hair, faces, and so on for added "what do we do now?" summertime solutions.





These are so cute it's ridiculous.  It you love to dress up your knitting tools with more knitting (and I know I do!), these quick little needle sweaters are right up your alley.  If you are giving needles as gifts, these are a great way to add a little something special.  They're also great for keeping idle needles together in your project bag.  No more hunting for mates, yes?  I have no idea where they find those amazingly adorable tiny buttons, but you can find the pattern for the needle jackets at Yarn Over, Knit 2 Together.

I love these bunting triangles.  Check out the Ravelry page  to see more color combinations.  The idea of just going hog-wild with your small colorful stashballs (I'm coining that word, by the way) is really appealing.  If they are made out of washable yarn, that's even better for years of outdoor party decor.  Swing by Crochet Again to see the pattern.



Not just for Easter, these Tumbling Bunnies posted by Simply Notable are perfect for tossing at the park, the office, and just about anywhere flying bunnies are not a public safety concern.  They are also cute just sitting around!  Imagine the colors you could bestow upon these little guys.  You could even stripe them if you are extremely limited in yardage. 


So, pull out those stashballs (there, I said it again!), sit yourself in front of a fan with a cool beverage of your choice, and whip up these short-attention-span-worthy projects for summer.  If you have another idea or two for small summery projects, please feel free to post below.  The more the merrier!

Love Means Second Chances....

This will not be the last time I say this: I can't get enough yarn.  One of the reasons I got into spinning and dyeing fiber is that I love yarn as it is, not just for what I can create from it.  I have so very many skeins of unknitted beauties, but I have no qualms with letting them stay that way for a long while.  Just the string itself is enough for me (well, at times, at least).  Lately, due to financial limits, I haven't been able to buy yarn like I used to.  And when I opened my shop, I needed to get it stocked with quality goods for my customers. Then, coming across a rather unsightly second-hand sweater made with lovely wool fiber, I remembered the fondness many of my yarnie brothers and sisters have for recycled yarn.  And their affection is well founded.

A few recycled treasures from my shop!

If you are recycling the yarn yourself, you will find a wealth of stash-worthy garments if you know what tolook for.  Fiber content and care is generally on the tag at the neck or side seam.  Get educated and entertained here if you look at a sweater and it doesn't just unravel itself before your eyes.  If you don't mind the work, you will be amazed at how much yardage you will get with minimal monetary investment.

If you are more of a purchaser than a harvester, reclaimed yarn has a green aspect, too! Yarn recycled by the small business craftster uses minimal energy.  More man- or woman-power than electricity goes into the unraveling of knitted goods (unless you count Netflix or the radio playing in the background).  Thousands of yards can be steeped in just a few gallons of water with no-rinse wool soak, and many recyclers air-dry the skeins.  When you purchase recycled yarn, you are supporting a small business as well as keeping things kosher for the planet.  It's win, win, win, win, and win. 

So, here is some love to my Etsy brethren who specialize in recycled yarn and lovely objects made from it...

Beautiful cotton reclaimed by  FunYarn

The Blue Coat recycled a sweater for this beautiful pillow.
 

Soft fluffiness from Sticks 'n Twigs

Love knits but the summer is too hot?  Poison Ivy Designs has the solution.

Today's "Awwwww Factor" Award goes to Anni Threadz. :)