bags and strings...

Another fantastic mail day!


I know retail therapy is against everything I'm trying to build for my life. And I'm aware that buying things when I'm depressed, stressed or grumpy doesn't really help anything- HOWEVER, look at all this YUMMMMM!

My awesome friend Andi posted this messenger bag in her shop a while back and I sat on my hands like a good little girl and winced everytime someone else mentioned it. Then I caved. And I don't regret it one little bit. It is the PERFECT size for all the things I need to cart around. And the blue fabric has little TARDISes all over it! (tardises? tardi?) AND it's perfectly made and just badass.

I also bought a little project bag from my friend Allena over at Starknits with gnomes and mushrooms all over it. The inside has two pockets and it is beautifully sewn. Seriously, I'm so freaking happy with it! She has some little gnome stitch markers in her shop still that I'm drooling over- and have very little resistance for. She has one other gnome bag left in her shop- it is a 'scratch and dent' one, but I can only imagine it is just as awesome!

Next up is a sparkly green fingering weight yarn from BadAmy. I've been wanting her self striping yarn for ages now and I've never gotten to her updates in time, so I was thrilled to snag this skein! It's so pretty and you really can't go wrong with green- right? It matches the gnome bag so well, I might have to cast something on right away just so I can show this stuff off!

Last, and certainly not least, is a GORGEOUS skein of DK Merino from Alina Shea Creations. I've mentioned her yarn club before, you you may already know how much I love her and her wares... but I'll say it again. This stuff is so pretty it hurts. And sooooo soft. Pictured beside the yarn is a matching silk hankie. Which I never knew I needed until this moment. It is exquisite!

I will be back shortly to share some FO's and other nonsense later. Love you all...

Making Stuff- but not with yarn!

Most of my crafting involves fiber of some sort- knitting, spinning dyeing. I'm not writing about that today (well, no promises...)

Recently we bought Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen's awesome books Making It and The Urban Homestead. We've done a few of the projects they've mentioned and everything has worked (except the Altoids. I just can't figure out candy making!)

My favorite has been making lip balm and I've pretty much rocked it. Next up will be soap! I'll let you know how that goes. I'm sure it will be comical or horrifying enough to earn it's own post.

Anywho- I have been trying to find affordable ingredients like coconut oil and essential oils etc. Slim pickings in this tiny town. I try to buy local, but I got a killer deal at Vitacost.com today so I guess I better drop some dollars at the local yarn store... hehehe. Today, Vitacost has free shipping (2/22/2012) and some really good prices on other things I need (need? really?) like castor oil and some essential oils... and a HUGE tub of coconut oil.

Ngaio talked me into making her a dress. Sigh. I used to enjoy sewing but something happened along the way that makes me want to take a sledgehammer to the damn machine. The romance is gone. But I'm forever putting my daughter's whims ahead of my sanity so she'll get a little dress. I picked the easiest pattern I could find. Like, silly easy. Like, elastic at the neck, arms and waist easy. My mini-hippie doesn't mind at all- she thinks it's all impressive and showers me with thanks and praise- so mama-hippie doesn't mind too much either!

Ok, I'm getting totally distracted so I'm leaving this for today. Maybe I'll get that dress finished and post pics tomorrow. Maybe I'll finish blocking the 500 knitting projects I've finished and show pics... maybe I'll get the dirty poopy sheep fleece cleaned up and dry for a photo shoot. Maybe I'll focus on any one thing and actually FINISH.

Or maybe not, and then you will know that all is normal around here. I have to get my drama from somewhere and the dirty sheep is about all I can handle...

Here is a coupon and link to Vitacost- because I gotta enable a little bit, right?

And a pic of some handspun- Masham and Wenseydale laceweight, 570 yards.
See, I've done something...

Fibertastic Part 1

Today was Sarah's birthday.

When you are an only child you can do this. Ngaio decided the birth dates of all her dolls and we wrote them on a calendar. Tomorrow is Tippy's but being so close to Sarah's was unintentional. See, I had already written Sarah's in ink and then Ng produced Tippy's birth certificate thingy. Lucky for Tippy- I saved her some cupcakes.

I'm trying to decide what to knit next. I have a baby gift on the needles now that I won't share- just in case... but it's a good traveling project so I put it aside. I started spinning this masham fiber that I dyed last year.

I'm feeling a little kooky, so I might ply it with this Wensleydale. I did NOT dye it but I wished I had. So pretty...

I got more stuff in the mail today. hangs head in shame, but not really...

These two braids are from Gherkin's Bucket over on Etsy. Both fibers are a Polwarth/Silk blend and they give me shivers. I totally averted disaster by telling Mark it was for the business. Shhhh.... don't tell him.

I just took a really crappy pic but I think I will insert the shop's photos instead because they are both so pretty and I want to do them justice.

Wake Me

Is It Sweet

I hope to get to these braids soon but I can tell you right now they are crazy soft and will be awesome to spin.  

We will see what Mark says about the raw Clun Forest fiber coming in tomorrow. I'm really wanting to find a source for lesser known breeds in the shop, so research research research...

I love my job.

I will leave you with a photo Ngaio took of herself. I let her take my camera all afternoon the other day. It has some interesting pics. She's an interesting girl.

The missing teeth are the best part.